FSF Challenge - Departure

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This week's writing challenge
from

Five Sentence Fiction

( Lillie McFerrin Writes )
is based upon the prompt:

Departure

What it’s all about: Five Sentence Fiction is about packing a powerful punch in a tiny fist. Each week Lillie will post a one word inspiration, then anyone wishing to participate will write a five sentence story based on the prompt word. The word does not have to appear in your five sentences, just use it for direction.

Get FSF updates on twitter by following @5SentenceFic

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A real shorty this week...

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Left Behind

 

Image source

  

     It seemed like such a simple thing: to say goodbye. Kate was going off to a new city and a new job. This was a great opportunity for her. Jason gazed out over the runway and watched her plane lift into the sky, squinting from the sun in his eyes. That didn't hurt as much, though, as the thought that it should have been him.

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© 2012-2015 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

FSF Challenge - Changes

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This week's writing challenge
from

Five Sentence Fiction

( Lillie McFerrin Writes )
is based upon the prompt:

Changes

What it’s all about: Five Sentence Fiction is about packing a powerful punch in a tiny fist. Each week Lillie posts one word for inspiration, then anyone wishing to participate will write a five sentence story based on the prompt word.

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This didn't come out as well as I'd like. Perhaps I'll do a rewrite at some point.

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Lost in the Moment

 

     Brad had heard his parent's complain for what seemed like the millionth time: "You take yourself so seriously, but you don't seem to have a clue to what path your life should take" or "That boy doesn't know if he's coming or going." He walked down the dusty road for hours, the warm summer wind blowing a thousand thoughts around in his mind, trying to figure out why they couldn't understand him or see his point of view. He closed his eyes to the summer heat, letting the dry breeze guide his steps. When Brad stopped to look behind him—or what he thought was the way he'd come—there were no traces of his footprints, all blown away by the wind. He couldn't decide whether to laugh or cry when he realized they might be right. 

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© 2012-2015 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

FSF Challenge - Isolated

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This week's writing challenge
from

Five Sentence Fiction

( Lillie McFerrin Writes )
is based upon the prompt:

Isolated

What it’s all about: Five Sentence Fiction is about packing a powerful punch in a tiny fist. Each week Lillie posts one word for inspiration, then anyone wishing to participate will write a five sentence story based on the prompt word.

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This story is more about the prompt word than the picture...

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Sanctuary

Image of woman alone - source:
https://23thorns.files.wordpress.com/2014/07/alone-in-a-crowd.jpg

 

     She peeked out the window from behind the curtain, looking at the busy street below, three floors down. There were so many people, but whom could she trust? As a woman passing by appeared to look up at her, she drew away from the window, steadying the curtain so her presence wouldn't be known. It's best not to take a chance, she thought. Turning her walker around, she inched toward a worn easy chair, lowered herself gently into it, then reached over to the lamp and extinguished the light.

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© 2012-2015 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

FSF Challenge - Hunt

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This week's writing challenge
from

Five Sentence Fiction

( Lillie McFerrin Writes )
is based upon the prompt:

Hunt

What it’s all about: Five Sentence Fiction is about packing a powerful punch in a tiny fist. Each week Lillie posts one word for inspiration, then anyone wishing to participate will write a five sentence story based on the prompt word.

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The right tool for the right job...

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No Need For Overkill

 

     A tall man, wearing well-worn clothes of a style that seemed out of place in the heart of the city, walked into the shop, laid a rifle on the counter, and said, "I'd like to sell this, or to be more specific, trade it for something smaller."
    "That' s nice old Springfield," the proprietor said. "What did you have in mind for a trade?"
     He glanced out the shop's window to see a finely groomed man in a tailored Italian suit unlocking the door to the offices of Dewey, Cheatham, & Howe*, Attorneys at Law, just across the street. "Oh, a .38 revolver should do, seeing how you don't need anything so big and bulky just to hunt weasels."

 * With apologies to the Three Stooges and many others...

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© 2012-2015 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

Update: Starship Farragut - The Crossing

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An update to the update: from Update #33 via e-mail 04/08/2015

KICKSTARTER PERKS

"Last week, we had some additional shipments go out to folks and working to do another shipment this weekend, which we're targeting to include the INTL backers."

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A while back, Farragut Films, the folks who create the Starship Farragut stories and movies, had a Kickstarter event to raise money for their latest project, a film called The Crossing. All told, they raised $20,173 for their project. I made a donation, and one of the perks for making a donation was to be listed as a contributor on their website.

While some of the other perks have been slow in arriving (although most have been delivered), they do have me listed on their donations page. I'm on the right-hand side, about the middle. Here is a tiny part of the contributor's list (there are quite a few of them!):

Farragut Films relies on donations to create their movies. Due to licensing and copyright rules governing Star Trek, they cannot generate revenue from the finished product. The up side to that is they allow you to download the films for free!

I hope to see some of the Farragut crew in person at the 2014 Shore Leave convention this August.

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© 2012-2015 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

FSF Challenge - Entrance

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This week's writing challenge
from

Five Sentence Fiction

( Lillie McFerrin Writes )
is based upon the prompt:

Entrance

What it’s all about: Five Sentence Fiction is about packing a powerful punch in a tiny fist. Each week Lillie posts one word for inspiration, then anyone wishing to participate will write a five sentence story based on the prompt word.

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An entrance can also be an exit. Just sayin'...

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Steppin' Out

  

     "I want everyone here to know," the construction supervisor screamed as he walked next to the hardening concrete of the walkway, "that I don't find this the least bit amusing. It cost a pretty penny to lay this down, and whoever did this is not only going to be fired, they're going to reimburse the company for new paving and the museum that is sponsoring the opening of this cavern to the public for lost revenue."
    The crew looked at each other shrugged.
    "For God's sake, men, setting these ridiculously huge footprints into the cement all they way to the entrance is the sort of thing I'd expect from a bunch of twelve-year-old child—"
    The supervisor cut his words short when he saw what had made the footprints leading out was now making footprints leading in.

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© 2012-2015 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

Truths of a Shy Writer: Camping with a Purpose This Year

The April segment of Camp NaNoWriMo is right around the corner. The "camps" are sort of a warm-up for National Novel Writing Month in November.

  

Even if you're not participating, you can help support the cause! Terri Deno, creator of the Truths of a Shy Writer blog, has set up a page for donations to National Novel Writing Month to help her stay focused on her Camp Nano project and help the organization that supports it at the same time.

From the start of Terri's blog:

Truths of a Shy Writer: Camping with a Purpose This Year: So many of us just go through the day fulfilling our own wants and needs. And when we don't get those things, the world can turn pretty ...

Please click on the link to read her post and donate if you can!

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Check Terri's Camp NaNoWriMo page HERE!

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© 2012-2015 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

I'm Listed On NewPages Now!

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I received an e-mail today from Katy Haas of NewPages. She has added my blog to their listing of Blogs of Poets and Writers. So I guess that means I'll have to keep writing since I don't want to look like a liar.

To get to my link quickly, click HERE. I'm there between Jessica and Logan, at least for today. I put the little red star in the picture—it's not on the site.

I'm not sure that's all that exciting since it just brings you back to here, but maybe a few more readers will drop by.

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© 2012-2015 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

FSF Challenge - Vindictive

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This week's writing challenge
from

Five Sentence Fiction

( Lillie McFerrin Writes )
is based upon the prompt:

Vindictive

What it’s all about: Five Sentence Fiction is about packing a powerful punch in a tiny fist. Each week Lillie posts one word for inspiration, then anyone wishing to participate will write a five sentence story based on the prompt word.

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I have two this week because I've missed a few lately. I've been doing some other writing, and I'm way behind on that, too. Anyway, here they are!

#1 A woman scorned...

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Sharp Girl
 

 

     Vanessa sat in the theatre where the old movies were playing, but her mind wasn't on the film. Brad had talked her into going, and then called to cancel at the last minute leaving her standing in the lobby with two tickets. If that wasn't bad enough, a friend sent a text telling her she'd seen Brad at the beach with another girl. She glanced up just as the scene of the helpless girl tied to the railroad tracks appeared, and smiled. "If she had a blade like mine," Vanessa thought as her fingers caressed the hunting knife in her purse, "she could fix all her problems."

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#2 Based on the picture more than the prompt, this one is on the humorous side... well, dark humor.

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Stand-in

     "I'm glad we got that part of the movie shot. With such a short time between trains, getting the equipment and actors in place—and then back out again—was a really tough job."
     "Well, it's over now," he said, pausing for a moment until the train whistle stopped, "and we can take a nice, long lunch before the afternoon's shoot. Let's get everyone together and head over to the food wagon."
     "Say—has anyone seen Mary?"

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© 2012-2015 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

How Could I Have Missed It?

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I don't know how I could have missed this...

March 4, 2015 was National Grammar Day. I didn't see anything on this until the date had passed. I guess they wanted me to practice my grammar before National Poetry Month begins in April.

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© 2012-2015 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

Leonard Nimoy - In Memoriam

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Nothing more than this:

 

Leonard Nimoy 1931-2015 Read: http://t.co/pw7zYRRlts

— Leonard Nimoy (@TheRealNimoy) February 27, 2015

 

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© 2012-2015 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

Pangaea Sci-Fi Kickstarter

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Update: This project was funded on March 8, 2015!

The final tally was:
306 backers
$9,176 pledged of $8,000 goal

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One of the writers I see on a semi-regular basis around the Mid-Atlantic region is sci-fi author Michael Jan Friedman. He, with a group of other writers, has started a Kickstarter project for an anthology called Pangaea. The idea behind the book is described on the Kickstarter page as "14 top science fiction and fantasy authors explore a world in which mankind lives--and always has lived--on a single super-continent! " Sounds like it might be interesting!

If you'd like to donate to support this effort (and get rewards!),

please visit their KICKSTARTER PAGE.

Update!

From the Kickstarter page update #15!

Here's something you don't see every day...

The Modala Imperative is a landmark artifact in the annals of Star Trek lore. A trade paperback compilation of two 1991 four-issue comic book mini-series, it features the first-ever crossover between the Original Trek characters and those of the Next Generation--predating both the Unification two-part episode and Scotty’s appearance in Relics--graced by a lovingly rendered Sonia Hillios cover. Our backers will receive a copy of The Modala Imperative signed (inside or outside) by series writers Michael Jan Friedman and Peter David as well as series editor Robert Greenberger. Just add $25 (including postage/handling in the U.S.) to any reward level of $25 or more. Outside the U.S. add $35 (including postage/handling). Then just send me a message letting me know and I'll take care of the rest.

Best regards,

Mike

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© 2012-2015 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

Curses! Foiled Again!

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A little while back, I submitted two pieces to Purple Passion Press, a start-up press putting out their first anthology.

Purple Passion Press is pleased to announce our first call for submissions. We’re excited about our anthology on the theme of “the dead.” We’re seeking poetry and literary flash fiction dealing with the dead that walk alongside us, the afterlife, ghosts, spirits, hauntings and the supernatural—the theme is open to interpretation.

Seemed like a natural for me.

So, I submitted a flash piece called Grief and a short poem called Among the Stones. The flash submission was a longer version of an idea I'd done for Five Sentence Fiction called Tears of Stone. The poem was one I'd originally submitted to Scarlett River Press. When I never heard from them (they sort of disappeared), I put it on the back burner waiting for a chance like this.

Unfortunately, they did not accept any of my work. I got the e-mails this morning.

Dear K Smith,

Thank you for your submission "Grief". While we can’t include this piece, we enjoyed reading it and wish you the best of luck in placing your work elsewhere.
Please know that this is not a reflection on the quality of your writing. We received many fine pieces, but could not accept all of them.

Sincerely,
The Editors
Purple Passion Press
http://purplepassionpress.com

Dear K Smith,

Thank you for your submission "Among the Bones". While we can’t include this piece, we enjoyed reading it and wish you the best of luck in placing your work elsewhere.
Please know that this is not a reflection on the quality of your writing. We received many fine pieces, but could not accept all of them.

Sincerely,
The Editors
Purple Passion Press
http://purplepassionpress.com

I hate it when people repeat themselves.

Thus a couple more pieces are placed (or returned) to the back burner. If this keeps up, I'm going to have to get a bigger stove...

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P.S. I saw this on Twitter and had to add it...

A very short story.. see its possible. For those that struggle with ideas. Lol From@bookbear #amwriting #writing pic.twitter.com/gMIBsZ9dcL
— Carin Maehr (@carinmaehrtweet) February 19, 2015

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© 2012-2015 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

FSF Challenge - Forgotten

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This week's writing challenge
from

Five Sentence Fiction

( Lillie McFerrin Writes )
is based upon the prompt:

Forgotten

What it’s all about: Five Sentence Fiction is about packing a powerful punch in a tiny fist. Each week Lillie posts one word for inspiration, then anyone wishing to participate will write a five sentence story based on the prompt word.

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A short and somber one this week...

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Treasure Hunt



Forgotten Umbrella
By רנדום (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons

     The few residents of this part of the city, long abandoned by all but the hopeless, voiced no complaints when Bernie tossed the paper he had dug from the trash can onto the sidewalk. As a few drops of rain dotted the pavement, he looked up briefly, then went back to scrounging. He laughed as he pulled out a tattered prize, and said, "Somebody forgot their umbrella today!" But no one was listening. He had been forgotten, too.

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© 2012-2015 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

The Reviews Are In!

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Well, just one, actually. But it was obviously done by a person of superior intellect and wisdom.

Roughly translated, that means he liked my story. To be specific, I'm referring to The Fisherman and His Wife published in the recently-released anthology, Grimm and Grimmer III, by Fringeworks.

Here's what Patrick Bolingbroke* had to say on Amazon:

Let's get rid of the children. February 20, 2015

By Patrick Bolingbroke

Format: Kindle Edition

Colin Fisher sets out his stall from the very start when he writes, 'Let's get rid of the children.' Grimm and Grimmer strips away the Disney saccharine and tells this collection of eight stories, from different authors, as they should be told; for adults. I can only add that Aunt Nancy left me dangling and that I particularly liked the story of The Fisherman and his Wife which reminded me of the Welsh legend of the fisherman, Peregrine and the mermaid although the end of the tale was quite different and not what I expected. Enjoyable bite sized stories.

So, it reminds him of a Welsh Legend, eh? And he liked it. All I can say is, Go Cymru! Or something like that. I can only hope a few others share his enlightened opinion!

Grimm and Grimmer III is available on Amazon in Kindle and paperback formats via these links:

    US Kindle
    US Paperback
    UK Kindle
    UK Paperback

List of authors and their story

    Colin Fisher, Editor
    John Haas, BB & The Pigs 
    Damon Cavalchini, If I Could But Shiver
    Kerry G. S. Lipp, Lizzie Knew What That Tongue Could Do
    James Ninness, Sweet Breads
    SMNilsen, That Murderous Thieving Bastard and His Beanstalk
    K. R. Smith, The Fisherman and His Wife
    Lesley McIntee, Wood of the World: The Grimms, Their Contemporaries, Their Age and Ours
    Julius Horne, Aunt Nancy

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* Just to be clear, I have never met Mr. Bolingbroke, nor have I provided him with any remittance for this review, despite the on-going rumors by family and friends—though that's not beneath me if it works. The fact that this was done for free is just the bee's knees. Or the cat's pajamas. Or whichever idiom you prefer.

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© 2012-2014 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

Grimm & Grimmer III - Finally!

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It's been a long journey!

I knew things were really starting to move when I saw this on the Fringeworks' Facebook page:

Way back on January 5, 2013, I submitted a story to Fringeworks. It was a remake of the fairy tale The Fisherman and His Wife. In a blog post on that day, I said, "I made the deadline by 1 day. Now the waiting begins..." I had no idea how true that would be.

It was accepted and was to go into Grimm & Grimmer Volume IV, but, for whatever reason, they needed an additional story for volume III. So, a few weeks ago, the editor, Collin Fisher, asked if I'd mind if they bumped me up to volume III. I pondered this deeply for about a nanosecond, then said, "Yes, yes, and, with all due consideration, yes." He was also concerned there might be additional delays for the following volumes, so it was an easy decision.

But all of the waiting is over and Grimm and Grimmer III is now available on Amazon!

    US Kindle
    US Paperback
    UK Kindle
    UK Paperback

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© 2012-2015 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

FSF Challenge - Open

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This week's writing challenge
from

Five Sentence Fiction

( Lillie McFerrin Writes )
is based upon the prompt:

Open

What it’s all about: Five Sentence Fiction is about packing a powerful punch in a tiny fist. Each week Lillie posts one word for inspiration, then anyone wishing to participate will write a five sentence story based on the prompt word.

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I've had the lyrics from the song "All My Sorrows" by the Kingston Trio (yeah, I'm that old) running through my head lately.

Now there's one more thing
That troubles my mind
My love is gone, left me behind

All my sorrows soon forgotten
But it's too late, my love
Too late but never mind
All my sorrows soon forgotten

 

 That's what inspired this FSF story.

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Lonely View





     William never understood the powerful forces that consumed Miranda. How many times had he found her staring out the window into the seemingly empty distance saying, "Can't you feel it pulling you, drawing your soul away from this place?"
     "Feel what?" he would reply until, after a moment, she would shake her head, smile, and tell him it didn't matter.
     Only, one day, it did.
     Now, he sits alone by the window, foolishly searching the horizon for an illusive and amorphous entity which never existed farther away than Miranda's heart.

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© 2012-2015 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

A Compliment

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Just a reminder: It's okay to leave comments!

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I was reading this blog post on The Last Krystallos about Lisa's latest project (Of Mist and Magic – Really Slow Motion), and had to comment. When I got a reply and read the last sentence, I knew I had to post it out here to remind myself that I do have some skill at writing, even though I'm still a beginner.

I've read some of Lisa's work, and she is a good writer. She has even published real books—something I hope to do eventually! When an author you respect says they love your writing, it really does mean a lot!

Please do check out her ebook. Of Mist and Magic eBook: Amazon UK, Amazon US

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© 2012-2015 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

Fleetwood Mac At The Verizon Center

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I went to the Fleetwood Mac concert last week at the Verizon Center in DC. I try to see them as often as I can because they're getting up there in years. You never know when they might decide that touring is too much to handle.

The sound was better than the last concert at Verizon Center, and when they sang or talked, they were much easier to understand. The show was much the same as the last time (same tour), but there were a few alterations in some of the songs. They did all of the standard Mac tunes, and the place was packed. It was a good show. Sadly, I could never get a good shot of Christine McVie. She was too far away and the lighting washed out the image.

Christine McVie, Stevie Nicks, 

John McVie, Mick Fleetwood, & Lindsey Buckingham
performing
Sisters of the Moon (at start of song)

Christine McVie, Stevie Nicks (at the mic, barely visible in black), 
John McVie, Mick Fleetwood, & Lindsey Buckingham
performing
Sisters of the Moon

Stevie Nicks and John McVie
(Those blue spots sure played havoc with my little camera!)

Mick Fleetwood and Lindsey Buckingham 

Backup vocalists:
Sharon Celani, didn't catch the second one's name, and Lori Nicks

Fleetwood Mac takes a bow at the end of the concert 

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© 2012-2014 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

FSF Challenge - Villainous

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This week's writing challenge
from

Five Sentence Fiction

( Lillie McFerrin Writes )
is based upon the prompt:

Villainous

What it’s all about: Five Sentence Fiction is about packing a powerful punch in a tiny fist. Each week Lillie posts one word for inspiration, then anyone wishing to participate will write a five sentence story based on the prompt word.

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A little fantasy this time. BTW, some folks really don't like their poetry critiqued...
  

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The Sorceress' Garden

 

(Because I'm not sure about the copyright on the image

for this week's prompt, please go to Lillie McFerrin's site 

to view the picture.)



     "Twining, tingling, intermingling,
      Evil arborous serpents grow
      Hanging, dangling, slightly strangling,
      Darkened limbs from seeds I sow."
      The knight stood in front of the sorceress, arms folded, a smirk on his face. "Do you really expect me to be frightened by some silly rhyme?"
      "If you don't like my poetry," she cackled, "perhaps you'll enjoy my gardening."
      From the arc traced by her arm, a handful of seeds flew from her fingers landing at the knight's feet. His annoying simper disappeared as the first tendrils snaked their way under his armor.

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As a side note, is Microsoft Word sexist?

 

It doesn't seem to understand the word 'sorceress' in my version and wants to replace it with 'sorcerer.' But sexist? Probably not. More likely just written by a fan of science fiction rather than fantasy. Or it never occurred to Microsoft that someone might want gender-specific language.

Still, it is rather annoying, especially since I'm working on a longer story about a sorceress. I can see the message now: "You have 8,423,302 errors..."

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© 2012-2015 K. R. Smith All rights reserved