Short Story~ Tattered Photo Album

For the month of March I went through and edited my short stories. One of them is on Utah Children's Writers blog. If you have the time, hop on over and read it. Then leave a comment!

Tattered Photo Album

It's about opportunity~Yours!

I haven't read any of Lee Child's books but his story impresses me. According to his official biography, he was fired at the age of 40 as a result of corporate restructuring. Then he went out and spent $6 on paper and pencils.

And wrote an international bestseller.
He was fired at 40 and become a millionaire within ten years.

There's a couple of ideas here that made me sit up, straigthen my shoulders and carry on:

• He was close to my age when he got fired.
• It took him ten years (ten!) to get noticed.
• I've been writing only four years.
• Fear, betrayal, pain didn't stop him.
• Writing is the cheapest hobby ever.

Carry on, brave writers. You. Can. Do. This.

“If you’re fired at 40, it’s not all about hurt and betrayal and fear. It’s about opportunity.” Lee Child

Perfeckt!

Sometimes we writers (humans) need to step back and remember to be authentic. Because being authentic is being perfect.

Jasmine Flowers-Short Story

(This is the short story I submitted for Utah Children's Writers in April.)

Every night I lay lonely in some low class dive, I took out her story and read it, certain to find a clue for me. Tonight, I am back in the same dingy hotel room I started in when I covered her wedding five years ago.

This time I reported on the death of a famous tribe lord: her would-be-husband. I found out he had taken twenty wives, seven in just the last year.  It was a great accomplishment for man of his years. Plus, he had 46 sons and counting.

I returned to the hotel, wrote and sent off my story and read hers again. Ellis. She told me of her favorite flower, Jasmine and she loved her parents deeply.

When I checked out, I asked the manager where Ellis’ family had moved.

“They didn’t move,” he whispered.  “They shut themselves up in their house after their daughter ran away from her wedding. Poor family. Ruined them for life.”

The smoldering coals I held so carefully in my heart burst into flame. She was here? I left my bags and sprinted into the streets. I wandered everywhere and nowhere, waiting for the sun to go down.

I needed to find her. I don’t remember when I first understood I was in love. From the moment I interviewed Ellis, I couldn’t get her deep, brown eyes from my mind. At the time, she was engaged to a wealthy tribal king who ensured protection for her father’s smaller tribe.

I waited until dark to knock on the front door. No answer. I peeked in the windows. No light. I jogged around to the backyard. The place was empty.

I ran back to the hotel, my legs and lungs burning.

“Mr. Jonas! A message for you!” the manager said as he waved his arms.

“I don’t have time!” I grabbed my things.

He stopped moving. “She waits for you by the pool.”

All the times I read her story, all the places I looked for her after she ran away, and I never planned what I would say to her.

I hurried to the hotel pool. The smell of Jasmine hit my nose. I glanced at the water, full of floating white flowers.

“I’ve waited for you to return for so long,” her soft voice announced from a darkened corner. I peered through the dark. Two figures stepped forward—mother and daughter.  I bowed my head in respect to the older woman.  I glanced up; tears glistened on her cheeks.

“Please take care of her.” She pushed her forward with a little nudge and left.

“Where to princess?” I asked, as I wrapped my arms around her.

“Some place I can read your story.”

My Post @ Utah Children's Writers

We have two cats and they are fun and funny. Sometimes, one will be in the garage sleeping and the other in the backyard like he's patrolling for mice. I got out in the garage later and the patrolling cat is home taking a nap and the other is gone. It's almost like they have a system: scout out the backyard and surrounding areas (tease the big dog next door); make sure no rodents or other enemies get in our yard; come back for R&R; start over again.

That's how I came up with the idea for my short short over on Utah Children's Writers.
If you have a minute, check out 'Cats'.



P.S. NouveauWriter is giving away a cool book : 'The First Five Pages: A Writers Guide to Staying Out of the Slush Pile'. Check out the contest here.