flash fiction

The places we go when we’re not looking

A couple of weeks ago I wrote a blog post about not having the energy to write about my roots and being able to accept the fact that I faked the writing that day. I was (and still am) okay with my decision not to push myself that day, but I am amused by the […]

Martinis, morasses, and emotional stability

This week’s flash fiction prompt from Charli Mills at the Carrot Ranch is to write a story about a return to home in 99 words. I’ll be honest, I struggled with this prompt for a couple of reasons. I read Charli’s entry and prompt when she first published it a week ago. As I reflected […]

Happy Thoughts Do Not Make Good Stories

I met with an author friend for lunch last week, during which time we discussed our ongoing projects and goals for completing them. As I was listing off ideas, I realized that I have way too much work on my plate, which is a good feeling (albeit overwhelming to the point that I freeze up). So […]

The post in which I talk about grasshoppers and ice cream and love

Last night, while mulling over the challenge Charli Mills at the Carrot Ranch issued this week (write a story about love in 99 words), I decided to grab the pup and go for a drive through the country. Okay, okay, so I really decided to go get some ice cream, but take a drive through […]

Take that writer’s block!

I have not updated my blog in five months. What’s worse, I have not written in five months, not for myself. I have thought about writing. I have set aside time for writing. I have made promises to get back to writing. Yet nothing got written. During the last five months I did help a novice […]

Redefining Normalcy: Creating a story of renewal

We all have moments in our lives that feel like no matter what we do, no matter how hard we try, the world seems to be working against us. We can face the battles head on or spend all our efforts side-stepping each new parry. If we’re lucky, those moments are just that: moments. However, sometimes […]

Wallowing in the Grey

For the last week, the weather here has been…undecided.  The skies are a non-color grey. No striations. No depths. Just a thick claustrophobic grey. It’s been threatening to rain, but hasn’t. It’s been trying to be foggy, but managed to only create an invasive haze. The thermometer says it’s warmish, but there is a chill that I […]

Inspired by the Bard: A young girl’s passion

Last week I posted a short story meant to flaunt the rules, and it did so with gusto (the story made more than one reader shudder), so I was looking for something a little less “in your face” to post in order to balance out what I share via this blog. Luckily, as it is Thursday, […]

Writing and Revision in the Age of Social Media

A while back I stumbled upon Write On by Kindle, a place where authors can share and get feedback on new work (for those of you familiar with WattPad, Write On seems to be Amazon’s response). Write On offers this as explanation for what it provides: Write On is a place for all the people […]

One Little Boy’s Lesson on Compassion

Edit: I am resharing this post as part of the #1000Speak campaign to flood the world with stories of compassion. Today I am sharing my response to Charli Mills’ Carrot Ranch weekly flash fiction challenge. This week’s challenge is all about compassion: February 11, 2015 prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less) write a story that demonstrates […]