Beautiful but yikes, so mournful!
Jamie Kress 8:20am
A new rule in contests: no horse
injuries! YIKES!
Mia Siegert 12:06pm
Hey, it's first kill all the lawyers,
NOT the agents!
Roger Toll 3:23pm
A phrase for the ages:
"in-ex-whorably linked to the junk
in my trunk."
kregger 9:25am
"seven starving-artist henchmen"
Kelly 10:31am
"he stands on the bow of Amy’s
boat, in a Speedo"
Carolynnwith2Ns 4:46pm
"Great Hermit of Cartoon—”"
Amy Schaefer 9:28pm
A great sentence:
"He had borrowed Mr. Flintstones car, and the soles of his feet
were killing him."
french sojourn 12:59pm
How we shall all be refering to Amy Schaefer now:
Atoll Amy
Christina Seine 1:20pm
terrific use of a prompt word
"graphosmithtically"
Jenny Shou 4:31pm
"sexile"
Rami McShane 3:01am
Not a story, but you can see why I've
been a fan of this guy's writing for years
kregger 9:25am
Not quite a story, but don't you want to
hear more? Me too.
Laura Scalzo 9:27am
Unknown 2:48pm
Jeffrey Schaefer 8:48pm
Not quite a story, but please restock
the tequila
LynnRodz 2:13pm
Awwwwww!
MVB 10:15am
Always great to see an entry in the form
of a poem!
Angie Brooksby-Arcangioli 10:47am
bjmuntain 1:46pm
And Philomena Buttonweezer makes a cameo
appearance!
Katie Loves Coffee 7:31pm
And who knew Felix Buttonweezer could
carry a tune?
Just Jan 10:07pm
And it turns out Dena has been to
Carkoon as well!
Lilac Shoshani 8:07pm
And it turns out that none of it is
real?
Eileen 6:20am
Here are the finalists:
(1) Matt 10:24am
Samantha awoke at seven. The man she had
gone to bed with – “John Smith” – was gone. She normally wouldn’t bring strange
men home, but his music had been so enchanting that when he asked to buy her a
drink after the show she couldn’t resist.
Outside, people were bustling about. But Samantha felt exiled from the city below. The only link she felt now was to “John.”
She rolled over and found a note on the pillow:
“I’ll find you after dark. I’ll explain everything. - JS”
Then, in larger script at the bottom:
“Stay out of the sun.”
Outside, people were bustling about. But Samantha felt exiled from the city below. The only link she felt now was to “John.”
She rolled over and found a note on the pillow:
“I’ll find you after dark. I’ll explain everything. - JS”
Then, in larger script at the bottom:
“Stay out of the sun.”
------------------------------------------------
(2) Colin Smith 12:20pm
"What ya doing, Dr. Smith?"
I gritted my teeth and turned to see the Robinson boy.
"Fixing the communication link in my ship so I can call for help."
"Where's the Robot?"
I moved to hide the disembodied pincer that sat beside my leg. After seven years' exile with these fools, I was desperate enough to cannibalize that machine to try to fix my ship.
"I'm channeling his music circuits to… uh… enhance the frequency."
"I hope it works. The rescue ship's here and there's only room for the family."
The brat even smiled and waved as he ran off.
I gritted my teeth and turned to see the Robinson boy.
"Fixing the communication link in my ship so I can call for help."
"Where's the Robot?"
I moved to hide the disembodied pincer that sat beside my leg. After seven years' exile with these fools, I was desperate enough to cannibalize that machine to try to fix my ship.
"I'm channeling his music circuits to… uh… enhance the frequency."
"I hope it works. The rescue ship's here and there's only room for the family."
The brat even smiled and waved as he ran off.
------------------------------------------------
(3) ashland 12:49pm
“They say music's a window to the soul.
Did ya know it can also show the past?”
I shrug. “Howso?”
He flashes his iPod. “Check it out.”
Sunday: Angel's Son, Sevendust.
Monday: Teenaged Wasteland, The Who.
Tuesday: Fell in Love with a Girl, The White Stripes.
Wednesday: Your Cheatin' Heart, Hank Williams Jr.
Thursday: Exiles on Main Street, Bruce Springsteen.
Friday: Everything's OK, Elliot Smith.
“Did you know it can also predict the future?”
He shrugs. “Howso, dear?”
I smile as I flash my knife.
Saturday: Bleed It Out, Linkin Park.
I shrug. “Howso?”
He flashes his iPod. “Check it out.”
Sunday: Angel's Son, Sevendust.
Monday: Teenaged Wasteland, The Who.
Tuesday: Fell in Love with a Girl, The White Stripes.
Wednesday: Your Cheatin' Heart, Hank Williams Jr.
Thursday: Exiles on Main Street, Bruce Springsteen.
Friday: Everything's OK, Elliot Smith.
“Did you know it can also predict the future?”
He shrugs. “Howso, dear?”
I smile as I flash my knife.
Saturday: Bleed It Out, Linkin Park.
------------------------------------------------
(4) Lobo 10:50pm
Indus’rial sabotage. Murder. Same ta me
(truth b’told). ’Specially after that tex’ile mill job. But we’d already hit
two competitors and my sevens game was callin’.
Creep kept squintin' at the building through oily Detroit smog. “He sleeps here with all them T-cars.”
“Model Teas, ya wordsmith.” I said. “An’ people say yer the smarty.”
Creep linked up the dynamite plunger, grinning so wide I thought his cheeks would bury his eyeballs. “Whatsa fella’s company again?”
I shrugged. “Stars with an F.”
“Should I start the music?”
“Nah. Leave ’im. Man sleepin’ with cars pro’ly don’t have much a future.”
Creep kept squintin' at the building through oily Detroit smog. “He sleeps here with all them T-cars.”
“Model Teas, ya wordsmith.” I said. “An’ people say yer the smarty.”
Creep linked up the dynamite plunger, grinning so wide I thought his cheeks would bury his eyeballs. “Whatsa fella’s company again?”
I shrugged. “Stars with an F.”
“Should I start the music?”
“Nah. Leave ’im. Man sleepin’ with cars pro’ly don’t have much a future.”
------------------------------------------------
(5) Julie Weathers 12:25am
Colin was an extraordinary wordsmith,
bard among bards, and a renowned musician. He could have performed for kings,
and had. Rumor was he'd been exiled because of a certain unflattering tune
about a king's mistress named Esmiralia. The beautiful young golden-haired woman
demanded him banned.
He was.
Forever linked to the song, she left in shame never to be heard of again. Well, almost never. Clever Colin now travels with a troupe, his seven children, and his adoring, golden-haired wife, Esmi, who sings with him about the bard who freed a damsel from an ogre and lived happily ever after.
He was.
Forever linked to the song, she left in shame never to be heard of again. Well, almost never. Clever Colin now travels with a troupe, his seven children, and his adoring, golden-haired wife, Esmi, who sings with him about the bard who freed a damsel from an ogre and lived happily ever after.
------------------------------------------------
(6) flashfriday 3:41am
Her face was unmistakable - raven hair,
vermillion lips, skin white as snow – but (curse my memory!) I just couldn’t
place her.
“Smallville High?”
“No.”
“Metropolis Community College?”
“No.” Her voice was gloriously musical. Regal, almost.
“Gotham Fashion & Design?”
“Not a chance, Hunter.”
Her cheeks glowed like apples – enchanting creature! – and hope sprang to life. “Want a boyfriend?”
“Thanks; I’ve already got seven.”
From hope to exile. “WILL YOU AT LEAST TELL ME YOUR NAME?”
She blinked. “Smith,” she said, a forest-full of birds and bunnies joining her howls of laughter.
I fled, humiliated. Never did place her.
Women.
“Smallville High?”
“No.”
“Metropolis Community College?”
“No.” Her voice was gloriously musical. Regal, almost.
“Gotham Fashion & Design?”
“Not a chance, Hunter.”
Her cheeks glowed like apples – enchanting creature! – and hope sprang to life. “Want a boyfriend?”
“Thanks; I’ve already got seven.”
From hope to exile. “WILL YOU AT LEAST TELL ME YOUR NAME?”
She blinked. “Smith,” she said, a forest-full of birds and bunnies joining her howls of laughter.
I fled, humiliated. Never did place her.
Women.
And the winner in a very competitive field is Lobo 10:50pm.
Lobo, if you'll drop me an email at jetreidliterary (gmail) and tell me the kinds of books you like to read, we'll get you a Fabulous Prize!
Thanks to all of you who entered! It was a
terrific series of entries, and it's very clear that is a load of
talent in the comment column here!
And Happy Birthday, Colin!
The highlight of my day : QOTKU’s newest blog post; the circadian master class in all things publishing. And what a thrill to be mentioned, bring on the mojitos.
ReplyDeleteCongrats to the finalists especially Ashland and Lobo
I loved :
In-ex-whorably, Atoll Amy, in a speedo (what an image, you can just see the hairy legs of the 70’s ) MVB’s cracked me up all day. I think I’ll read it again right now.
Luckily Godzilla stepped down from jury duty, he may have more teeth than the queen but his brain is the size of a lima bean. He does guard of Colin’s cave in Carkoon.
Once again, Happy Birthday Colin !
Congrats to all who entered -- I was glued to the Hanover PA eagle's nest -- and to Lobo's winning story!
ReplyDeleteThanks again to Janet for doing this--truly an honor. And to place among the finalists? Wow--a double whammy! :)
ReplyDeleteFor the curious, aside from my own contribution, I'm pretty much in agreement with Janet's finalist choices. I'm particularly pleased Matt and ashland's entries made it through. And well done Lobo, a worthy win! :)
A total blast of a party--thanks for getting older, Colin! And many thanks, Janet, for the nod. Fantastic stories.
ReplyDelete-Rebekah Postupak @postupak
“Kill all the agents” has a much more pleasant ring to it than “Kill all the lawyers,” don't'cha think?
ReplyDeleteWonderful entries. This was a fun party. Happy birthday, Colin! Can you have another birthday next week?
=)
Congratulations to Lobo and to all who are mentioned today and who took the time to create a flashfiction. The stories are such enjoyable (and horrifying) reads, to look at how other people create moods and twists and aha's.
ReplyDeleteAnd, again, happy birthday Colin! Truly, a whole birthday WEEK for you!!
Dena: For gifts like this, it'd be worth having a weekly birthday!
ReplyDeleteBut there's always a celebration happening. For example, today's the 10th anniversary of the rebooted Doctor Who. Whovians the world over had lost hope in ever seeing their favorite show on TV again... but it came back on March 26, 2005.
Now, there's a flash fiction contest waiting to happen... :)
Congrats to the mentions, finalists and winners!
ReplyDeleteI've been thinking about something for a while. Many times we woodland creatures worry about nitpicky things like someone stealing our stupendous writing idea if we shared too much of it.
This contest actually proves what we've been told many times in the writing community; "Only you can write your story."
Think about it. We're given five words, and not one of us ever comes close to having a similar story. We might re-use a word or two in the same way (wordsmith, for example) but beyond that, our stories are as diverse as our fingerprints and voices.
I think it's amazing.
Congrats Lobo and to everyone really. I enjoyed reading every single story.
ReplyDeleteSince Colin's birthday is a week long affair here in Carkoon, I'll say Happy Birthday once again.
We know Carkoon has a prison and a mental asylum, but rumor has it an AA chapter will be opening soon. Colin may be a vegetarian, but with all the beer, wine, vodka, tequila, sangria, margaritas, and now mojitos (Angie's contribution) Janet had a meeting at the main office announcing she needs to come over and straighten things out. (That's her excuse and she's sticking to it.)
Hope you had a lovely birthday Colin! Congratulations to all the mentions, finalists (including the Birthday Boy!), and the deserving winner, Lobo. So many amazing entries.
ReplyDeleteColin--Thank you for the Lost in Space flashback :-)
Jamie Kress--I want to read more. If you haven't already, please turn this into a story of more than 100 words!
Many thanks to Janet for doing these contest. What a nice gift for us all.
Fantastic entries, especially Lobo's--such a great voice!
ReplyDeleteI hope you had a lovely birthday, Colin!
What a party!
ReplyDeleteCongrats to everyone who entered, you met a challenge and won. And congrats to Lobo for winning. Great story!
Thank you Janet for hosting the contest, and to Colin for having a birthday for the contest (and for being a good sport).
Firstly, Colin so nice to be a part…apart of your surprise birthday. You should have seen the look on your monitor! (Danger Will Robinson! Much)
ReplyDeleteCongrats to Lobo and the semi-finalists. I spent an hour rereading the entries and I was floored by all of them. Incredible…I tell ya!
SLCortazar and Madeline Mora-Summonte, apparently…or a parent-ly
I was floored by your entries. (Having a daughter) great writing, still gasping.
Lynn – Carkoonish? Loved it. Donna snausages, I howled!
Kregger - Nice Damn, too many to mention, I got a kick out of them all.
Thanks again to our own QOTKU for her time and all the work she puts into these parties.
Hank, the "yabba dabba do" from Pebbles - made me snort laugh! Likewise, too many faves to list out, but out of the finalists, for me, Matt and flashfriday's entries were so subtle, yet packed a nice surprise.
ReplyDeleteWhile my brain is clunking around, I do have a question for the QOTKU about "not quite a story, but..." I've often wondered,(one or two of mine have landed here I think)what it is that makes them not a story for you? I've come to the conclusion it's because in some way, the writer hasn't resolved the MC's situation. I.e. it's left hanging in some way. Am I close?
Belated birthday greetings, Colin!! And yes, what a thrill to be the guest of honor at Janet's surprise flash fiction bash. Your entry was wonderful :)
ReplyDeleteAnd Janet, could you have given Colin a better gift? I think not. Very nice.
Congratulations Lobo and all those mentioned. Great Job!
ReplyDeleteHAPPY BIRTHDAY, Colin.
This contest was fun. :) Congrats to the winners, and to everyone who participated - a lot of talented people here!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations to Lobo for winning, to those where mentioned for being mentioned and the rest of us for giving it a go.
ReplyDeleteThank you my Queen for the diversion and thank you Colin for getting older before our eyes.
It was fun because it was a surprise for all of us. Regretfully a used a year's worth of Mulligans to get an almost respectable entry.
No hard feelings Colin. I asked a question and you responded in a way that I couldn't resist. A homemade version of brown ale is in the works.
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ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday, Colin, it's been a hoot. I would tell you when mine is so we can all have a good laugh, but I can't remember when I was born.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading these entries as usual and snorted at the Flintstone's and Lost in Space references which made my Blues Brothers' inclusion almost plausible.
And Ms. Reid, thank you.
I...I was going to say something deprecatingly funny, because...well...that is what I do.
K.I.S.S.
*Drops to knees. Bows head to QOTKU and touches cranium to floor.*
Alright, back to the salt mines.
Mine was actually about a true story from when I used to show horses! It's haunted me for years!!!
ReplyDeleteHappy late birthday to COlin! Hooray!
Yup, Colin in a speedo, love the visual. Thanks for the mention Janet.
ReplyDeleteBTW Colin (Superman/Linkmaster) I never got to wish you a happy birthday. , Happy Birthday my friend, very HAPPY BIRTHDAY !!!
And congrats Lobo. Hey, you're a winner, good job.
Way to go, Lobo! I loved the voice in your story.
ReplyDeleteAnd I will gladly accept the appellation Atoll Amy; it makes me feel like I am back in French Polynesia, lazily swimming in the in the lagoon and watching the girls eyes shine as they spot turtles and octopi. No complaints from Paradise, but I am a bit more of a Volcano Victoria these days. It is still beautiful here, but I miss my boat.
Speaking of which, Carolynn, what are you doing sticking poor Colin in a Speedo on the bow of my boat? Someone throw that man a towel.
Wow, I should really get some sleep ASAP. My reading comprehension is nothing to write home about. Dena has definitely been to Carkoon as well!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for the mention, Janet. This is soooo cool. :D
And here is an edited version of my previous comment:
ReplyDeleteCongrats to Lobo and all the mentions.
Colin, what an outstanding birthday party. :-)
I love this blog; I love this community. Thank you so much Janet for everything. :-)
Trust me, I really wouldn't look good in a Speedo. Indeed, I'm sure my wife married me for my accent and my piano playing. And I'm fine with that. ;)
ReplyDeleteA hearty Amen to what Lilac said--you all are the best. The biz. Da bomb. The bees knees. Thank you so much for the birthday well-wishes!! This could only be better if it was a party IRL and you were all there. :D
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ReplyDeleteWow, I didn't expect to make the finals! Thank you so much. I had a lot of fun with this.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations to all, especially Colin and Lobo. There were remarkable entries as usual.
ReplyDeleteMia, a story about Olympic jumpers killing their horses for the insurance money is what inspired my DANCING HORSES novel. I couldn't get it out of my mind and finally filled in the blanks with cutting horses and rodeo since I knew nothing about jumpers.
Julie
Congratulations to Lobo! And thanks to Janet for the opportunity to have a lot of fun on a weekday.
ReplyDeleteAnd I hope you had a fantastic birthday, Colin!
Congrats to the winners and mentions, and happy birthday Colin!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations to all those receiving special mention, the finalists, and the winner! Well done, everyone!
ReplyDelete@french sojourn: thank you for your kind words re my entry/story. Much appreciated! :)