Friday Fictioneers From Tinker Mountain

June 15, 2012June 15, 2012 / unspywriter / Leave a comment

For those of you who’ve wondered, Tinker Mountain is a mountain next door to Hollins University in Roanoke, VA, and is the location of the writers workshop I’ve been attending all this week. Today’s the day my story gets critiqued, but more on that later today.

Being involved in this workshop is certainly inspiring, and one thing I’ve learned is the economy of words. Another way Friday Fictioneers connect with a writer–and I’ve said this before–you learn how to cut and pare until you’re down to the essentials.

Obviously, this week I’m done with the sweet, cutesy stuff and am back to the dark side of things. About time. And I hope you find the title, “The Atheist’s Wish,” just a tad intriguing.

For other offerings (Read my story, and you’ll see that’s a pun.), go to Madison Woods’ blog and have a read or several.

Story Cubes Challenge – Week 9

June 14, 2012 / unspywriter / Leave a comment

Moving into the third month of writing flash fiction for Jennie Coughlin’s Story Cube Challenge, I’m seeing the potential in this exercise. Not only am I exploring aspects of characters I thought I knew pretty well, I’m accumulating material for what I think will be a good collection of espionage flash fiction. I’m calling it Spy Flash. Well, I thought it was clever.

As with last week, where I looked a little more into a secondary character, I decided to bring in another character who goes from being primary to secondary and back again a great deal in Mai and Alexei’s professional and personal lives.

Edwin “Snake” Terrell, Jr., is a former Green Beret who is now a CIA field operative. The CIA and the fictional Directorate have a long history of working together, and Terrell, Alexei, and Nelson have shared missions–and other things and people–quite often. He is an interesting character, at least I think so. An inveterate boozer and womanizer, he is a philosopher at heart and has the degrees to prove it. And, as you’ll see, he and Mai have, shall we say, history.

Here’s what I saw this week: (l. to r.) bee; building; dragon; hanging on for dear life; carrying; falling down the stairs; clock/time/0400; magnifying glass/scrutiny; parachute/parachuting/ parachutist

Because it’s not as quotidian as the other items/actions this week, I picked the dragon to center the story around.

You may wonder why in “Here, There Be Dragons” Terrell and Mai are parachuting in the dark into Romania–that’s another story for another time.

If you don’t see the link in the title, hover your cursor over the Story Cubes Challenge tab above and select “Here, There Be Dragons” from the drop-down list. If you want to give this a try yourself, use the picture above, write a story based on the items/actions you see, then post a link to your story in a comment to Jenny Coughlin’s blog post.

Story Cubes Challenge – Week 8

June 6, 2012June 6, 2012 / unspywriter / Leave a comment

When I was writing my novels back in the 1990’s and 2000’s I never had a community of writers, either in person or on-line. I had the deluded notion that associating with other writers just meant someone would steal your work–that happened to me in the 1980’s. And, yes, it was deluded because writers are incredibly supportive of each other’s work. I mean, where else are you going to find someone who understands when you talk of your characters as real people or about the world you’ve created as reality?

Writers can also inspire you, and not just in the way you’re inspired when you read something by your favorite author. Writer friends encourage you, support you, critique you, and challenge you. From Madison Woods’ Friday Fictioneers, I’m accumulating my 100-word stories into a manuscript (titled Extinction Level Event) I want to submit for a chapbook contest. From Jennie Coughlin’s Story Cubes Challenge, I’m collecting my espionage vignettes into a manuscript I’ve tentatively titled Spy Flash (because the pieces are short enough to be flash fiction).

This is writing I wouldn’t have done if not for these two writers, and if not for these two writers, I wouldn’t have met other writers on-line and in person to inspire and encourage me.

One particular item in today’s Story Cubes Challenge picture led me right to the character I wanted to highlight in a short piece. It’s Nelson, the one-named head of the fictional intelligence organization called The Directorate. He was Alexei Bukharin’s partner until a near-fatal injury put him behind a desk, from where he eventually became director. Because of his injury he uses a cane, and since one of the cubes showed a cane, you get a little glimpse into the history of this man so involved with his secret organization he never leaves its premises.

This is what I saw, from left to right: headphones/listening; evil side; fire/burning; cane; tree; earth/globe/ world; key; arrow; eating.

And here’s “The One Who Got Away.” (If you don’t see the link highlighted, hover your cursor over the Story Cubes Challenge tab above and select the title from the drop-down list.)

If you want to participate in the Story Cubes Challenge, use the picture to the left and write a story of any length using those items and actions. Then, post a link to your story on Jenny Coughlin’s blog for the rest of us to read.

Friday Fictioneers Goes to Mars?

June 1, 2012May 31, 2012 / unspywriter / 3 Comments

I hope the title is enough of a teaser. You’ll have to read my Friday Fictioneers’ story to see what it’s teasing.

Yeah, that’s a tease, too.

Recently, the creator and driving force behind Friday Fictioneers, Madison Woods, wanted to know what, if anything, we’ve learned from participating all these many weeks and months. I’ve blogged a little about that before, but one thing I’ve learned is I can write flash fiction. Before Friday Fictioneers, I thought 2,500 words was short for me. How could you possibly tell an entire story in a mere 100 words? Well, you can, if the right person challenges and encourages you.

So, Friday Fictioneers makes you focus, intently, on what you’ve written. You see you’ve written 118 words, and you think, “I can’t find 18 words to cut.” But you don’t give up. You find those 18 cuts and sometimes more, which then allows you to develop the story a little better. And, I can translate that type of editing to longer works. I’ve begun to realize which words are fluff and which ones the story needs to tell itself.

I’ve also “allowed” myself to write in genres or about things I never thought I would. I mean, did I ever think I’d be writing ditties about two leprechauns named Seamus and Declan? No, but I have, and those two wee folk are growing on me. Did I ever think I’d write a conversation between two moths? No, but I did, and not only was it fun, it was instructive–I got to research moth reproduction.

And I’ve learned to ignore the naysayers who proclaim it’s death to your writing career to publish on-line. I’m having fun, I’m honing my craft, and I’ve found an incredible community of writers whose work I look forward to every week.

All that is a lot to get from a little, 100-word story challenge.

This week’s photo, which you’ll see in my story, is by Friday Fictioneer Doug McIlroy, whose stories are some of my favorites. And how cool is this? He is associated with the Keck Observatory in Hawaii, which has discovered exoplanets. That was partly the inspiration for my story this week, Expendable. (If you don’t see the link on the story title, hover your cursor over the Friday Fictioneers tab above, and select “Expendable” from the drop-down menu.)

To read more Friday Fictioneers, go to Madison Woods’ blog. Consider joining us. Who knows what you’ll learn?

Friday Fictioneers Fun

May 25, 2012May 25, 2012 / unspywriter / 2 Comments

It’s funny how you can look at an inspiration photo the first time and get nuttin’. Then sometimes, you look at the photo, and the story pops, fully formed, into your head. And it’s the most absurd (in a funny way) idea you’ve had in a while. Then, it turns into a piece of great fun which reminds you that Friday Fictioneers is just that, fun, but the kind of fun where you can hone your craft. So, it’s serious fun.

And, I got to Google “moth reproduction”–certainly a first for me.

Over the years, I’ve been told my dialogue is great–realistic, rings true, expositive. So, with Friday Fictioneers, I’ve tended to write narratives because dialogue is something I don’t have to focus on every day. Last week’s story, “Sure, and It’s Hard Being Wee Folk,” was dialogue plus dialogue tags and got more than seventy reads and 100 percent positive comments. Yay, me!

I also like to play around, now and then, with dialogue with no tags–so you have no indication of the speakers’ genders (or species) or their relationship, but I thought twice about doing an all-dialogue story two weeks in a row. However, the subjects of this week’s story wouldn’t be silenced. I hope you enjoy “Moth Love,” or as a friend called it “Moth Porn”–just imagine cheesy music playing in the background. (If you don’t see the link to click in the title, “Moth Love,” hover your cursor over the Friday Fictioneers tab above, and select it from the drop-down menu.)

To participate in Friday Fictioneers, go to Madison Woods’ blog and leave a link to your story in the comments to hers, then read some of the offerings. Pretty soon you’ll see time has passed while you’re having fun, and you’ll probably be late for work. Oh well.

Please feel free to leave constructive feedback on mine.

Back by Popular Demand

May 18, 2012May 16, 2012 / unspywriter / 1 Comment

When Madison Woods posted the inspiration photo for today’s Friday Fictioneers, I warned her there’d be leprechauns–you’ll see why when you take a look at the photo and my story here. (If you don’t see the word to click on, hover your cursor over the Friday Fictioneers tab above, and select “Sure, and It’s Hard Work Being Wee Folk.”) Then, go to Madison’s blog to see what other Friday Fictioneers made of the photo.

My Irish grandmother was considered a wee bit quaint when she clung to believing in the wee folk even after she came to America. Every night, she left a small bowl of milk and bread outside wherever she lived. When I was very little, I was amazed the bowl would be empty every morning. As I grew older, logic and reason prevailed, but she’d have none of my explanations about cats and dogs taking her offering for the wee folk. Embarrassing when you’re a teenager; endearing now.

So, for today’s Friday Fictioneers, I brought back two characters from the story, “Lupruchan,” I wrote for the February 10, 2012, Friday Fictioneers challenge–Seamus and Declan, two wee folk I now imagine were the ones who cleaned my grandmother’s nightly dish of milk and bread.

Remember, we all love your comments on our 100-word stories, and feel free to re-blog mine or post the link on your own blog. If you’ve never given the Friday Fictioneers challenge a try, why not make this week your debut?

Friday Fictioneers and More

May 11, 2012May 10, 2012 / unspywriter / 1 Comment

When you see this week’s Friday Fictioneers’ inspiration photo, expect some creepy, “dark and stormy night” stories. It’s that kind of picture. I resisted the temptation, though, and opted for a little sci-fi. To read my story, click here. (If you don’t see the link on your computer, hover your cursor over the Friday Fictioneers tab above, and select “In Moonlight and Peace.”) To read other Friday Fictioneers’ stories, visit Madison Woods’ page and dig in. I know I’m looking forward to them all.

Enjoy my story, and, please, leave a comment. I love your comments. They heal an occasionally bruised writer’s ego. If you’re participating in Friday Fictioneers, leave the link to your story also, so I can read it. I definitely make the effort to read the stories of people who have read and commented on mine. Friday Fictioneers has become quite the writing community and with a global reach. In fact, go to Facebook and “Like” the Friday Fictioneers’ Facebook Page.

My story last week, Amontillado, has generated something completely unexpected: It has become the inspiration for a longer work, as yet untitled, about why that baby was inside the wall of an old house. I talked more about it in an earlier post this week, and I’m very excited about starting a new, novel-length work without NaNoWriMo being the impetus.

In other news, in about a month, I’m looking forward to the week-long Tinker Mountain Writers Workshop at Hollins University in Roanoke, VA. My workshop will be “Stretching Your Fiction,” and the instructor will be Pinckney Benedict, author of Miracle Boy and Other Stories. The description of this workshop was what led me to apply for it:

Writerly evolution most frequently takes place as a series of great evolutionary leaps: writers – often inspired by some profound challenge or undertaking – find themselves suddenly, swiftly, and significantly advanced in their art. This workshop, through challenging writing exercises, far-ranging discussion, and intense scrutiny of participants’ manuscripts, will endeavor to induce just such an evolutionary leap. Prepare to leave the class both exhausted and changed.

Scary, but I’m definitely looking forward to it. [Rubs hands together in anticipation]

Now, off to read some great Friday Fictioneers stories!

Friday? It’s Time for Friday Fictioneers!

May 4, 2012May 4, 2012 / unspywriter / Leave a comment

I was glad Madison Woods previewed today’s photo prompt a little earlier than usual this week. That gave me some time to think about what the photo inspired before I head out to visit friends in New York this weekend. At first glance, you might think the photo uninspiring, especially if you’ve done any remodeling of old houses, but it just goes to show you imagination can be stimulated by most anything.

On Monday I saw the movie The Raven, a fictional portrayal of Edgar Allen Poe’s final days, so it may have been in mind when I sat down to write a 100-word story for today’s photo prompt. If I tell you the title here, I’ll give it away, but let’s just say I went back to the dark side. A really dark side. And since I’m adding stories to a manuscript for a chapbook of 100-word stories where I write an opposing viewpoint for the original story, I’ve already composed in my head what the counterpoint to this one will be. It’ll perhaps take the edge off the darkness of this original story.

So you can read my story by clicking here or hover the cursor over “Friday Fictioneers” above and select the story that begins with “A.” 😉

To read what other Friday Fictioneers have wrought, go to Madison Woods’ blog and have a read.

Monday’s writing post may be a little delayed since I’ll be on a train returning from NYC. Everyone have a great weekend and write–a lot!

Friday Fictioneers!!

April 20, 2012April 20, 2012 / unspywriter / 27 Comments

One of the things I love about Friday Fictioneers is the wonderful photos provided by Madison Woods that just jar the creativity. I can be in an editing/revising slump, see one of the pictures, and the story unfolds in my head. Love when that happens.

And, apparently, I’m a glutton for punishment. Starting this past Wednesday, writer Jennie Coughlin started a Rory’s Story Cube Challenge–a story a week for 108 weeks! You can read about it here. Then, read the story I wrote for the first challenge.

Be creative twice in the same week? Oy!

Here’s today’s Friday Fictioneers’ inspiration photo:

And here’s the 100-word story:

The Last Druid

We expected the trees to bow in grief when the bier passed. That the plants and flowers slumped was no shock, for on our shoulders we bore The Last Druid, and the growing things mourned.

We placed the bier in the clearing at the center of the ancient stone circle, and we said the old words in that unfamiliar tongue, the words she had taught us and gave us the charge to remember.

The time for words over, we put the bier on the boat, lit the fires, and shoved it into the lake.

And even the rocks wept.

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For more 100-word flash fiction from the Friday Fictioneers, go to Madison Woods’ blog. Have a read; leave a comment; join us.

Friday? It’s Friday Fictioneers!

April 13, 2012April 13, 2012 / unspywriter / 18 Comments

I love it when people buy your book then send you an e-mail telling you they love it. That made my writerly week, I tell you. My collection of short stories is almost twelve years old, but the stories still resonate. That’s what every writer wants, to have people find their work meaningful. I’ve recently transcribed that book, Rarely Well Behaved, so that I can publish it on Amazon as an eBook. My proofreader had a wonderful suggestion: break it up into two or three eBooks with stories of the same genre in each book. What a great idea. I got started on it right away.

At my local writers’ group (SWAG Writers) open mic on Wednesday, I read a short piece which was a flash fiction exercise to write a story about an article of clothing. As soon as I saw the exercise, I remembered my mother complaining about the prosthetic bra she was supposed to wear after her mastectomy some thirty years ago, and the story happened. After I read the story, women in the audience, and a couple of men, came up to me to tell me how meaningful it was to them.

So, all in all, a good week for the writer-me, and now it’s capped off by Friday Fictioneers!

Here’s this week’s inspiration photo: