Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Critique Group - Flashy Fiction Prompts

Last night our writing prompts were inspired by Flashy Fiction.  Their daily writing prompts can be found here. We only had ten minutes to write these.


Two People Chose "Tuesday Fortune"




1.  I had just finished my sweet n' sour chicken at Kung Po Pows Chinese buffet.  I never eat the fortune cookies.  They always poke my mouth and make my gums sore for days.  Tonight, though, I thought, "Aw, what the heck," and popped one open.  The fortune said "The greatest danger could be your stupidity."
    "That's a dumb fortune," I said to myself, shoveling the crumbled bits into my mouth.  As I chomped down, one of the pieces lodged into a back molar, slicing into my gums.  The iron taste of blood pervaded throughout my mouth, causing me to choke.  I could feel the eyes of everyone in the restaurant upon me as my fortune came true.  - Jenny

2.   Anytime a fortune cookie comes my way I feel the mass produced, and typically general in nature fortune may in some way have significance in my life.  It's totally foolish, but I still give credence to what is said - letting it linger on my mind and creep into my life.  
     Reading this fortune as I eat a bit of the cookie fills me with fear.  I can't help but doubt.  Doubt everything.  Call it low self-esteem, but I'm unprepared for this fortune, "The greatest danger could be your stupidity."  As always I take the words to heart and believe them to be truth.   
     This is why I play it safe.  Why my dreams remain dreams.  I don't like feeling stupid, let alone believing it!  But this time I want it to be different. This time I'm choosing to let the fortune be mere 'words of wisdom'.  Not a closed door.  - Alaina



Two Chose "Friday Funk"

I walked through the parking lot, a weird tingling on the back of my neck.  I gripped my keys a little tighter.  Was...was someone following me?
My pace quickened, but the closer I got to my car, the more terrified I became.  I was going to run for it.  Just then, someone grabbed me.


1.  The sound of plastic cracking on tile was followed by an apprehensive, "Mom! Look what the baby did." I dropped the notebook I was writing in and went to investigate the latest two-year-old catastrophe.  I hate to be interrupted when I'm writing.  Feeling positively wild I stormed into the kitchen. The sheepish grins of two children greeted me while a two gallon jug of apple juice bled it's contents from a gaping gash onto my freshly mopped floor.

This scene was an actual event that prevented me from participating with our group.  The original scene I had been working on was just bad.  - Mary


2.  The lights flickered as the train car flashed past.   A myriad of blurred forms behind fuzzed glass roared through the underground station.  The clicking of heels against cold concrete caught the attention of a shadowed form leaning casually against the railing.  With a calculated glance he noticed the curves of the business woman making her way toward the train platform.  She looked irritated, and kept glancing at her watch.  The train station emptied leaving behind an echoing silence.

     The shadowed form crept closer, watching his victim and thinking of the best way to get near her.  Savoring the hunt.  - Janele

Janele's piece was inspired by the "Friday Funk" prompt.

3 comments:

Tales of Whimsy said...

O number 2 had me!

Mary E Campbell said...

Do you mean Janelle's juju - I like it too.

Diana Paz said...

I liked Janele's also, very atmospheric with the mysterious shadowy form. And the one about the fortune cookie slicing into the gums, ouch! Good description there, it made me wince!