Sometimes, we cling to things. Other times, things cling to us.
Usually, it’s easy to tell the difference. But when it comes to Stanley and Life, not so.
At first, we thought that Stanley was clinging to Life.
Then, upon further examination, we saw that Life was clinging to Stanley.
We debated the merits of both perspectives while Stanley shouted “HEY! SOMEONE HELP ME!”
Stanley was clinging to the guardrail, and his grip was slipping.
“Or is the guardrail clinging to you, Stanley?” I asked.
Stanley lost his grip, and fell into the chasm, screaming.
The argument’s moot now, huh?
Author: R.
How do you write 100 word stories? #80
Many folk with total recall have asked how do you Tom write a 100 Word story
I write from a dark place, not mentally, in a closet. When all the lights are out it’s easy to have images swirl before your eyes. Generally family members are least likely to bother you if you are sitting on the floor in a closet. Sometimes this will backfire when calls to a locale institution have dispatched two lovely young men in white suites with four point restraints. But if you have good locks and a strong door you can get a fair amount of writing done before the crowbar separates the door casing. Keep the candle away from clothes
The Question
I was walking down the street when a pair of street thugs grabbed me by my arms and dragged me into an alley.
“Tell us what we want to know,” said a third thug.
“What do you want to know?” I asked.
The thug scowled and punched me in the stomach.
“Tell us,” he said.
It took a minute to get my wind back, but I got back up and asked again.
The thug beat me in the stomach ten.. twenty… thirty times.
Morse code?
It took a minute to decipher: “How do you, Laurence, write a 100 word story?”
The Scar
I take it you’ve seen the scar on Captain Blood’s neck.
He claims he got it from a duel.
In a way, I suppose that’s the truth, but it wasn’t a fair duel.
His strategy is to draw his sword, then pull a pistol and shoot his opponent in the chest.
Once, he had a misfire, and was forced to reach for his other pistol.
That gun fired true and killed his opponent.
So how was he cut?
He slashed his own neck, reaching for the other pistol.
Don’t tell him that, though.
Or he’ll challenge you to a duel.
How do you write 100 word stories? #79
Many folk with 40 boxes of Girl Scout cookies to sell have asked how do you Tom write a 100 word story.
Some say read the classics. Immerse yourself in the great works of literature. Some say study the histories of the great cultures of the world. Some say embrace the Sufi masters and let the air ring out in the poetry of pure love. Few will say read cereal boxes. It is the road less traveled. To gain wisdom from ingredient lists is a task worthy of a dervish. Boxes with cartoon characters yield the deeper insights. Make Snap Crackle and Pop your personal mantra. Let the adventures of Quisp and Quake be your guides to the realms of the esoteric
Chilly
He was a hockey player, she was an Olympic figure skater.
So it stood to reason that they’d hold the wedding out on the ice.
Invitations went out to their families, friends, managers, agents, teammates and fellow performers.
However, when the day of the wedding arrived, very few people actually showed up.
The groom was huffing mad, his breath fogging the air.
The bride was in tears, freezing on her face.
They looked for their wedding planner and demanded to know why nobody was showing up.
“You wanted an ice rink wedding,” he said. “And they expected a chilly reception!”
WWWRRRROOOOKKK????
“Work with me Bruce,” said Frank. Bruce shrugged and leaned further back in his chair. Was he playing hard to get or merely being difficult? Frank had always defined himself by his work. Bruce saw the work in a more artistic light. Collectively their working relationship had led to quite sizable body of work. “Work it Work it,” yell Frank. “Do that working class thing.” Bruce took a hammer to the clock works and suddenly everything stopped working. As reality ground to a stop the moving finger worked no more so Frank thought a possible rework might be in store.
Branches
In 1981 I was 12 years old when Father Bender gave me a book to pick a confirmation name.
Inside, the name tree ran the gamut of Biblical names.
Adam and Eve formed the trunk, the Old Testament branching off left, the prophets hanging like leaves, Moses popping out like ripe fruit.
Moses: too old and gray.
The New Testament branched off to the right; Lots of guys I didn’t know and then Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John…I knew.
Luke: as in Skywalker or the guy marrying Laura that Mom and her sisters were gushing over.
Yeah, Luke’s cool.
How do you write 100 word stories? #78
Many folk with peg legs and parrots have asked how do you write a 100 word story
I have waited as long as I can to address this, BUT often one writes a story to say something. YYYYYYYYYYYYUUUUUUUCCCCCCCCkkkk. How polemic! A burning desire to share some universal truth claws its way out of your brain onto the paper. We will forgive you this time, but don’t let it happen again. If you must reflect on the human condition do it with a small voice, a teen tiny voice blissfully recounting a fool errant. Say it honestly and simply. Let it lie on the ears of your reader not as a demand, but as an invitation to explore.
How do you write 100 word stories? #77
Many folk with spoollies in their hair have asked how do you tom write a 100 word story
One on the joys of being a writer is choosing the names of characters. My affluent characters have highfalutin names usually double stressed double syllables, for example Wainwright. All the children in my stories have names ending in y. If I’m going to bump that character off nine times out of ten his name is going to be Timmy. Sci-Fi characters have a lot of Zs and Es in their names. Babies are named after my sister. All doctors are Dan. All villains are Gary. The butt of jokes is Frank. My favorite all time character’s name is Arnesto Cervantes