The Daily Spur

Story Arc

Fandango3 Comments

In a twist of emotions, Elaine felt both joy and horror. Her tenacity had paid off, as she finally completed the first draft of her novel. But now she had to send her draft over to her editor, and that sent chills up and down her spine.

Elaine wasn’t sure how her editor would take it, though. There was nothing controversial about her subject matter, but she still wasn’t sure if her editor would send her back to the drawing board.

A week had passed since Elaine had sent her draft to her editor and she was feeling anxious about the feedback. So when she finished her macaroni and cheese lunch, she picked up the phone and called her editor. “Tom,” Elaine said when her editor answered the phone, “it’s Elaine. What did you think of my draft? I’ve been eagerly waiting to hear from you.”

“Hi, Elaine,” Tom said. “Let me first say that your writing mechanics are excellent. Your grammar, punctuation, usage, and spelling are all perfect.”

“Thank you, Tom. That means a lot coming from you,” Elaine said. “How about the concept?”

“Well, Elaine,” Tom said. “Your story about a detective hired by a museum curator to find the provenance of a priceless chalcedony sculpture might need some work.”

“Can you be more specific, Tom?”

“Well, Elaine, while your set up is good, I’m not sure there’s enough tension, conflict, or action in your draft,” Tom said. “It bored me.”

“Oh,” Elaine said.

“And you mentioned when you introduced your detective in the second chapter that he’s ambidextrous, but you never referred to that characteristic again. What was the significance of your detective being ambidextrous?”

“Oh,” Elaine said. “I thought that added some interest to his character.”

“It could, I suppose, if it somehow became relevant to the story arc at some point,” Tom said. “So either make it relevant or drop it, Elaine.”

“So what are you saying, Tom?”

“I’m saying, Elaine,” Tom said, “don’t quit your day job.”

Written for these prompts: Twiglets (twist of emotions), Your Daily Word Prompt (tenacity), The Daily Spur (draft), My Vivid Blog (controversial), Word of the Day Challenge (macaroni), E.M.’s Random Word Prompt (provenance), Ragtag Daily Prompt (chalcedony), and Fandango’s One-Word Challenge (ambidextrous).

TMP — My Nation On Its Birthday

Fandango9 Comments

Every Monday, Paula Light, with her The Monday Peeve prompt, gives us an opportunity to vent or rant about something that pisses us off. Today is the 4th of July, America’s Independence Day. And I’m sorry folks, but I’m not feeling it. So here is my peevish post.

I’m just not in the mood to celebrate my nation’s birthday. It’s not so much apathy as it is frustration, disappointment, anger, and resentment.

There are powerful forces who want to suppress democracy in America. They gleefully pull the petals from the flower of freedom until there are no freedoms left, no justice for all, no liberty, no pursuit of happiness.

So you go ahead and enjoy your festivities, patriotically wave your flags, and set off your fireworks while so many watch in awe as our ship of state sails off into stormy seas.

I will stay home, far from the madding crowd, taking solace in the carefree little fireflies lighting the sky in my backyard. I will suffer in silence the grief I feel deep inside my heart for the impending death of my nation on its birthday.

Also written for these daily prompts: Fandango’s One-Word Challenge (apathy), The Daily Spur (suppress), My Vivid Blog (petals), Word of the Day Challenge (powerful), Ragtag Daily Prompt (sail), and E.M.’s RandomWord Prompt (fireflies),

Tragic Accident

Fandango3 Comments

You can hardly blame the ambassador for offering clemency to one of his old law school classmates. Suffice it to say that what happened to that unfortunate woman, a devoted housewife and mother, the night of the alumni campfire, was nothing more than a tragic accident.

This very short post was written for these daily word prompts from yesterday: Fandango’s One-Word Challenge (blame), Word of the Day Challenge (ambassador), E.M.’s Random Word Prompt (clemency), My Vivid Blog (classmates), Your Daily Word Blog (suffice), The Daily Spur (housewife), and Ragtag Daily Prompt (campfire).

blame housewife suffice classmates campfire ambassador clemency

Weekend Writing Prompt — What Once Was

Fandango9 Comments

I wanted an expression more tender.
Your response was flippant.
“Whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,”
Your eyes didn’t mask your glee.
You could see that I was in pain.
But rather than try to ease it,
You trampled on it instead.
I’ve been through many vicissitudes,
But your attitude has no variation.
You have excoriated my heart,
And all I can do is look back
Wistfully on the life we once shared.

(Exactly 74 words)

Written for Sammi Cox’s Weekend Writing Prompt, where the word is “flippant” in exactly 74 words). Also for these daily prompts: Fandango’s One-Word Challenge (tender), Ragtag Daily Prompt (eyes), Word of the Day Challenge (trample), Your Daily Word Prompt (vicissitude), The Daily Spur (variation), E.M.’s Random Word Prompt (excoriate), and My Vivd Blog (wistfully).

Close Encounters of the Worst Kind

Fandango13 Comments

I was hiking alone along a rocky path deep in the woods when I was startled by an unearthly-looking creature that jumped out in front of me and started snarling. The thing was larger than a bobcat, about the size of a cougar, and it looked hungry. I could tell that it was sizing me up as a fine, nutritional meal.

The big cat bared its teeth and slowly started slinking toward me. My desperation was growing and I knew I had to figure out a clever way to avoid becoming its next victim.

It turns out that I was very lucky. Just as the mountain lion was about to pounce on me, a deer crossed its path. I guess the deer looked a little more appetizing to the cougar than I did, because it began chasing after the deer.

My heart was beating so hard and so fast inside my chest that I thought I was going to pass out. I knew, though, that I had to rally and get back to my car as quickly as possible before the cougar changed its mind and decided to target me again.

Written for these daily prompts: Ragtag Daily Prompt (unearthly), Word of the Day Challenge (cougar), Fandango’s One-Word Challenge (nutrition), E.M.’s Random Word Prompt (desperation), My Vivid Blog (clever), and The Daily Spur (rally).