Too Little, Too Late!

Source: Google Image with license for reuse. Click on Pic for page.

 

Well, shoot!  I was so pleased with myself because I had just finished a level of “Words of Wonder” on Facebook and blown the top score to pieces and moved, I believe, into second place among all my friends.  Then I saw the time (11:58pm) and realized that I had forgotten to do my “Flash Friday” story from the prompt this week.

This particular writing challenge has had me plagued and I cannot decide what to do with it.  I have written for it, probably, for nearly a year now.  That’s about 52 entries.  During that time I have managed to squeak out 3 honorable mentions with two of those being ones in which at least 4 others received honorable mentions.  Now, I don’t do it for the win.  Truly, it is for the writing experience; however, there is always the small hope that mine will catch the judge’s eye and place, perhaps, third overall.

Here’s my dilemma:  I do not spend all day on this assignment.  Truly, with my stroke problems the way they are, I can’t spend all day on one thing.  The only exception seems to be a video game and that’s constant movement and change.  Anyway, so I know that I am not doing my entire best all of the time.  I do tend to write in spurts and some of my best work is done on a first attempt; however, I understand the not winning most of the time.  My problem is that I notice I never see (well, almost never) any comments made by anyone who is writing then, too.  They rotate judges.  But, what I seem to notice is that the same group of people mostly win the top three spots (at least the top spot).  I don’t see this as cheating or particularly favoritism.  What I see is that there is a bit of a writing niche there and several people (a lot of the judges) write to that niche.  It’s not my niche.  I write thrillers, horrors, and sci-fis.  My stories do not generally fit into the pocket that appears to be desired there.  It would be like my trying to write a romance and sell it.  I don’t do those particularly well; I need a bite to the story.

Long story short:  I am thinking about dropping out of that Friday niche.  I don’t know whether I would simply write another post like I do on Tuesdays or if I could find a different writing prompt that handled Fridays.

Does anyone know of a weekly writing prompt that can be turned in on a Friday night?  Friday Fictioneers seems to go for Wednesdays now and Five Sentence Fiction can almost always be done on Thursdays.  I would enjoy something a bit different, I think.  Or, am I being too picky and, perhaps, self-centered to want a prompt that fits my particular style?

What do you think?

Namaste,

Scott

Flash Friday – Friendship – Saying Goodbye PG13

Rebekah Postupak hosts Flash Friday, 140-160 word stories based on a word (Friendship) and a photo prompt (Below).   After reading my story following the picture, please click > HERE < for the rest of the entries.  Enjoy!!!

Source: “Rose Biodo, Philadelphia, 10 years old. Working 3 summers, minds baby and carries berries, two pecks at a time.” Photo by Lewis Hine, National Archives public domain. Share this:

I remember it as if it were yesterday.  The beautiful ten-year-old girl, Rose (Rosalina to me), marching her berries (always two pecks at a time) up for payment.  This being done on the hot sand (barefooted, of course), in a dress and kerchief, all the while making sure the little one, Saliette, was well.

We grew together, my immigrant background and book-hungry thirst for knowledge always at odds with each other during picking season, and fell madly in love.  This love surviving the bone-breaking stress of never knowing at the end of a field when we would see each other again.  But, a soul kiss, given at eight, kept our hearts and minds pure.  I do wish my body had done the same.

Now, two marriages and five children later, I have traveled six states, in a car of my own at last, to see my Rosalina.

I put my withering hand on hers, at least it was an open casket, and cry.

___________________________________

Namaste,

Scott

Flash Friday – Burning for the Bell

Rebekah Postupak hosts Flash Friday in which 140-150 words stories are created by us based on a picture prompt and a word.  The word to go along with the picture below is to “include a fire.”  Click >HERE< for the rest after reading mine below.  Enjoy!!!

Bell Tower of Guadalest, Costa Blanca, Spain. CC photo by Anguskirk.

Burning for the Bell

By Scott L Vannatter – 160 Words

Johannes made the trip up the long, wooded ladders the top of the Bell Tower overlooking the “Forest of Wonder.” He pulled his small, unpadded stool near the window having the broadest view of the green landscape below and took out his knife. He began peeling the potatoes, apple, and pear that, along with a small crust of bread, would be his afternoon meal. This was his second year as Keeper of the Watch. His job was simple: he was to look out for raiders and other enemies who might seek to overthrow nearby Kochordan by moving stealthily through the forest. This had never happened; the job had been easy.

Johannes began eating his apple. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw movement. He looked up and saw the cause: smoke was rising up from the center of the forest. He lost no time sounding the large alarm bell to warn of this attack from a different enemy.

_________________________

Namaste,

Scott

Flash Friday – Modest Earth Goddess

Rebekah Postupak hosts Flash Friday, 140-160 word stories based on the photo and a word prompt (Freedom, this week).  Read mine below, then > HERE < for the rest.  Enjoy!!!

Source: Earth goddess. Imaginary Worlds exhibit, Atlanta Botanical Garden. Photo by C. Joey Ivansco. Used by permission. (reuse permission assumed)

Modest Earth Goddess

By Scott L Vannatter – 159 Words

Herbert looked at the floral representation of the Earth goddess. She was beautiful, full, and, well, boring. The Eastern seaboard floral exhibit cabinet was coming tomorrow specifically to see this presentation and Herbert thought it needed something. His dirt-caked fingers lifted his hat and scratched his balding head. He smiled. He knew just what to do. They all said the Earth goddess was goddess of the Harvest, full-figured and sensual. He would show them that side of her.

Herbert took his shovel and decided that he would need to be careful to keep the roundness of both breasts if he was going to dig out the front of the display. Down about three feet should do it. He raised the tool in the air and his face hit the dirt. Something had flipped him in the back of the head! He looked at the female plant figure. He thought she had been smiling before. He decided to go home early.

____________________________________

Namaste,

Scott

Flash Friday – Owing the Man Upstairs

Rebekah Postupak brings us Flash Friday, 140-160 word stories based on the pic prompt and an added item.  This week’s add is “an unpaid bill” and the pic is below.  Read mine and then click > HERE < for the rest.  Enjoy!!!

Letter boxes, Area 51. Public domain photo by MartinStr.

Owing the Man Upstairs

By Scott L Vannatter – 158 Words

Marcelle, postman extraordinaire, had volunteered for this route. He loved the long drive out into the middle of the desert before beginning the delivery of mail to people who, often, never dealt much with another person. Steve Medlin was one such individual. His mail box was so unique and so, well, different, that Marcelle always enjoyed reading all the wording and placing the letters in the various slots. This was the first time he had gotten to use the “alien” slot. There was no cable out here, no Internet, no phone lines for that matter. Little or no reception for miles made this location only a place for those who were hermits down deep. They might be open-spaced hermits, but hermits, nonetheless.

Apparently, Steve was a bit of a loon. Or, at least, Marcelle and others had thought so. Now, here was a post, labeled “overdue” and the address was, literally, “out of this world”. Who woulda thunk?

___________________________

Namaste,

Scott