Tag: fiction

  • Book Review: So Far Gone

    Book Review: So Far Gone

    Our book group selected So Far Gone by Jess Walter, and I’m so glad they did. It was thoroughly enjoyable, and I recommend this novel. There are a few ways I know a book is a winner. One, I want to read it again. Two, it made me laugh. And three, it made me cry.…

  • I Want Corn on the Cob

    I Want Corn on the Cob

    The prompt for this story was “write a story from a dog’s perspective,” which was fun to contemplate. The backdrop theme was “the dog days of summer,” which led me to recall the days we had a heat dome in the Portland Metro area. Although other places in the world are accustomed to temperatures as…

  • Did We Know Each Other?

    Did We Know Each Other?

    This short story includes the genres of coming of age, high school, and romance. The prompt for this contest entry was: “Center your story around a character trying to make amends.” Comments on this story included: “Ahhh!!!! Loved it!,” “This story pulled at my heart in all the best ways,” and “The final line ……

  • The Unfriending

    The Unfriending

    The writing prompt for this story was: write a story with a character pouring out their emotions. “I can’t be your friend anymore.” I stood next to Helen’s red front door as her facial muscles migrated from a forced smile to shock. She didn’t like surprise visits, even from her best friend. “What’s wrong?” said…

  • The Choice

    The Choice

    The writing prompt for this story was: write a story about someone who must fit their entire life in a single suitcase. The air filter machine whirred in competition with the TV anchor’s urgent plea for viewers to follow local authorities’ edicts. My phone showed “Evacuation Zone Level 2,” meaning “Be set to depart on…