The F-F-F tradition continues with Icarus' Flight To Perfection

Even though Friday Flash Fiction is no more, the tradition will be carried on with Icarus' Flight To Perfection. It is a blog that is pretty much the same, except that there will be three sentences instead of one to chose from, it will be only once a month, and the mighty Nicole Hirschi is co-moderating it with me.

Go ahead, take the plunge.

F Cubed

No, not that kind of "F." I meant as in "Friday Flash Fiction." Triple "F" turns a year old today! Come, let us cross the Valley of Tigers for our starter sentence.



"Well, this is goodbye."

Wait, that doesn't sound like a starter sentence, it sounds like a finishing one.

This is the end of this blog as we know it, and while I don't necessarily feel fine, I do feel that a great burden has been lifted off of my shoulders. I hope that you have found your inner Bukowski, your hidden Joyce Carol Oates, and the Hammett that was lurking inside of you. I also hope that you made yourself proud, or at least had a great time doing it. If that sounds familiar, that's because most of those words came from the original post.

I'm sorry that the shuttering of this blog will hurt or offend some of you. Yet, you will find another writing venue sooner than you think. I can only hope that if someone else takes up the mantle, that they will do it exactly as JJ did it. I also wish that if someone wants to carry on the F-F-F tradition, that they are not raising children or that their children are fully grown. A major part of me turning off the lights on this thing is because my wife and son are tired of seeing the back of my head as I sit in front of the computer screen. Your family deserves your love and attention, first and foremost.

Let me mention that I have a full-time job and that I work the graveyard shift. My second job is being a full-time parent and being there for my son when my wife cannot be there for him. My third job is writing and that has suffered to a degree because of this blog. That's fine, I knew full well about that going into this venture.

Unfortunately, Friday Flash Fiction has become the fourth job that overwhelms everything else. Now, I did get to read some outstanding writing for free, and I met some wonderful people. I also grew as a writer because I gained new insights into the craft. Everyone can stand to learn something and you have, "straight up schooled me," in the 90's vernacular.

I hate to mention that a couple of people have disappointed me as well. With Friday Flash Fiction, I was working with you and not for you. By a couple of people, I don't mean Mike, David, Doc, Flannery, Nicole, etc. I'm not going to call out the specific people by name. They were completely unaware before, and I don't see why that would be different now. Needless to say, please treat your next moderator or source for flash fiction with some kindness.


Now Coraline J. Thompson has been nice enough to respond to my request and she will be our final author, with "One In The Same." Thank you everybody who participated, supported or just stopped by to see this blog.

Now, goodnight, good luck, and damn, we sure plucked those chickens good, didn't we?

The Leftover Photos

F-F-F #41, The Stories

Matt and Ron Earl join us this week.

The Professor came up with the starter sentence, "He walked in and slid the photograph across my desk." A most inspiring beginning, so let's see the results-

Gabby reveals someone who knows how to turn the tables.

Matt shows us a woman that contemplates change.

Sue knows that uncertainty can be the worst thing in the world.

David tells us about someone who welcomes all with open arm (sic).

Cormac cackles over a world-changing event.

Joyce has a wagging good tale.

Randal sends chills down your spine.

Chad visits Poetry Town.

Doc goes to the gritty side of country.

Welles says sometimes hope is lost.

Flannery delves into the fourth estate.

Ron Earl says love hurts.

The Professor wakes from a dream.

MRM takes us behind the inner workings.

F-F-F #41

Ante scriptum- You will have until Wednesday @ 9 AM PST.

The people have spoken, and they have picked the following starter sentence-



The Professor says, "He walked in and slid the photograph across my desk."

All you have to do is build a story around that. Sounds simple enough, but if you've done this before, you know better. You know the deal, if you are in, please say so. Have it done by Wednesday @9 AM Pacific, September 8th, all right?

Good night, good luck, and you know that the monkey told you to leave those chickens alone.

Starter Sentence Poll #20*

Don't let the Spanish Barbary Sheep hypnotize you! Pick a sentence! Pick a sentence! Choose from the following-

David says, "I can't handle this, cause if what you're telling me is true we're..."

J.C. Montgomery says, "You know...there is nothing as tempting as a locked door."

Flannery says, "You know you're screwed when Leo gives you the cold shoulder."

The Professor says, "He walked in and slid the photograph across my desk."

MRM says, "The price of admission was more than he/she/they could afford."

Doc says, "It's a little tricky at first cause sometimes you have to give it a bit of finger."

Randal says, "The magic of Satie did more than murder the parade of seasons."

Aussie Paul says, "When it came right down it, I guess it was better this way."


*Technically, Poll #19 never really got off the ground, but, hey.

Line up those Starter Sentences!

You can line up Tomin (Tokyoites) by convincing them that there's a new iPhone 4G to be had...

...but wouldn't you rather line up a starter sentence, instead?

You know the drill or if you don't, check out the older posts to get an idea. Please remit a new sentence or submit an old one (that wasn't chosen previously) in the comment section. I will then load those sentences into a poll that will post, Thursday, September 2nd @ (amended to) 7:35 AM, Pacific Time.

F-F-F #40, The Stories

Who is that at the door?

MRM came up with this sentence last year, "I heard footsteps on the wet sidewalk and the sound of keys."

I felt it would make a fine starter sentence and inspire us all. Without further ado, let's see the results-

Gabby shows a woman who runs up against someone to be feared.

Chad says that you never mess with man's best friend.

Sue reveals to us three that lurk in the shadows.

David takes us four flights up.

MRM relates the tale of a strange voice.

Doc gives us the cold reality behind bars.

Deegan goes rawer than a slaughter house.

Flannery greets the coming storm.

Welles suggests that there's no honor among...

Randal teaches us about "Das Unheimliche."

Coraline gives a tale of profound horror.

Professor.

F-F-F #40

Well, I did a test poll and it looks the Blogger Polling System is working again, but I will do another test poll to make sure. In the meantime? We have a starter sentence from last year-

MRM said, "I heard footsteps on the wet sidewalk and the sound of keys."

All you have to do is build a story around that. Sounds simple enough, but if you've done this before, you know better. You know the deal, if you are in, please say so. Have it done by Tuesday @9 AM Pacific, August 31st, all right?

Good night, good luck, and is that the patter of chicken feet that I hear?

F-F-F #39, The Stories

Is it a good idea to think "outside the box?"

Let's find out. For the very first starter sentence poll, Randal came up with, "She knew time was running out, fast, but opening that door was Pandora's Box all over again."

It did not win the poll that week, but I felt that this prose was more than worthy enough to revive, and I know that you will agree, too. There was also the added challenge that no one could write in the same genre as the one that they used on their previous session. Without further ado, let's see the results-


Gabby takes us to the inner trappings of the mind.

Nicole goes south of The Border and far into the past.

Sue soars out of this world.

Coraline reveals a protagonist that has to face her demon head on.

Aussie Paul brings us to where the action is.

MRM puts us on a different list.

Cormac plays us a song.

David eavesdrops on our Two Blokes, as they take a stab at writing.

Flannery tells about a resourceful school marm.

Randal goes beyond space and time as we know it.

Doc flies to Netherland.

The Professor shows a prelude to...

F-F-F #39

I had something planned and while it wasn't exactly grandiose, it was better than what you are getting this week. What? Settle down...

...I said, "settle down!" Calm down, please get off my desk...thank you.

So what do you get? You get an original Randal sentence, "She knew time was running out, fast, but opening that door was Pandora's Box all over again."

The other trick is you can't write in the same genre as the one that you used the last time. If you have written a story here before, whether it was the last session or the first session, you can't repeat that genre this week. If you wrote a sci-fi piece, please don't write another one this week. A western before? Not this week.

All you have to do is build a story around that. Sounds simple enough, but if you've done this before, you know better. You know the deal, if you are in, please say so. Have it done by Tuesday @9 AM Pacific, August 24th, all right?

Good night, good luck, and give those chickens a Taiwanese-style beat down.

What, another break?

Yep, because I do this all by myself, Eric Carmen. Come back on August 17th and until then? Send me all of your thoughts, wishes, hate, etc...psychically, and please don't fill up my inbox.

F-F-F #38, The Stories

How does this tie in?

Keep reading.

Towards the end of JJ's Friday Flash Fiction, in lieu of a starter sentence, he would post four words, instead. The idea was that you were to incorporate those words into the story and it didn't matter in what order, but they all had to be in there.The four I came up with are:

Bubble

Toil

Rubble

Coil

Let's see the results-

Gabby goes heisting.

JC Montgomery takes us to the bottom of a bottle.

Aussie Paul gives us future intense.

Sue does a closeup of the aftermath.

Randal goes balls out.

David shows us HD.

Flannery calypsos across the keyboard.

F-F-F #38

Can you keep writing or will you burst?

Towards the end of JJ's Friday Flash Fiction, in lieu of a starter sentence, he would post four words, instead. The idea was that you were to incorporate those words into the story and it didn't matter in what order, but they all had to be in there.

The four I came up with are:

Bubble

Toil

Rubble

Coil

All you have to do is build a story around those words. Sounds simple enough, but if you've done this before, you know better. You know the deal, if you are in, please say so. Have it done by Tuesday @9 AM Pacific, August 10th, all right?

Oh, and MacBeth? If the witches are still making that soup? Let them pluck the chickens.

F-F-F #37, The Stories

Coraline and Gabby join us this week.

This week's starter sentence-


"As with juggling, the key to life is to keep the procession moving steady and don't look down."

Barring previous sessions that had multiple-efforts from MRM, this is the most stories that we have ever had in one session. Let's see the results-

Coraline shows us someone who will inspire us all.

Sue tells us about the grass not on the other side of the fence, but in another country altogether.

Unlike "Picnic At Hanging Rock," Aussie Paul does not leave us hanging...much.

Doc gives us a tale of leisure versus responsibility.

Flannery sheds light on a not-so secret evil society.

The Professor warns us that it's not too late.

Word Vamp goes balls out.

Welles takes us for a ride.

Freida gives us a partial-reconciliation.

MRM takes us on a heist.

David eavesdrops on our favorite two blokes.

Randal teaches us how to fly.

Lewis J. says, "It's war!"

Gabby reveals a woman that takes steps to get rid of her burden.

The "Uncovered" Clarity of Night Contest

Two of my close friends have made it into the Top 40 of The "Uncovered" Clarity of Night Contest (huzzah!), Katherine Tomlinson and John Donald Carlucci. Please, take a look at their stories, as well as the other fine entries in the competition.

F-F-F #37

Okay, here's the deal. I need to rest and you want to keep writing, so let's compromise.

First, word count? Anywhere between 250-1,100.

Second, the starter sentence?

"As with juggling, the key to life is to keep the procession moving steady and don't look down."

The deadline? Have it done by Wednesday @9 AM Pacific, August 4th, all right? Please pay attention to the deadline.

All you have to do is build a story around that. Sounds simple enough, but if you've done this before, you know better. You know the deal, if you are in, please say so.

Good night, good luck, and keep roasting those plucked chickens over an open spit.

F-F-F #36, The Stories

Well, you could've gotten angry, woke up in a cold sweat or you could have followed the circling birds...

You could've done all three, or you can now just read the stories. The Poll feature of Blogger wasn't recording all of the votes, so the poll was scraped and it was left up to the writer to select from these three choices-

MRM says, "Looking at it from your/their/his/her point of view, then yeah, I would be pissed also."

Sue says, "You know that feeling when you wake up sweating and think 'thank goodness it was only a dream'?"

Welles says, "In the distance I saw all kinds of birds circling over something, but I couldn't tell what from where I was."

Let's see the results-

ERR shows us a new perspective on a distant planet.

Nicole takes us shopping.

MRM reveals a would-be god.

Cormac hacks and hacks away, just like he always does.

Sue lets us into a knitting circle that is altogether different.

Aussie Paul shows that the past can have a haunting effect.

Welles says the word "treasure" is relative.

MRM pictures someone seeking sanctuary.

And MRM finally floors us with his finale.

Flannery crosses a dreamscape.

Randal travels through the looking glass.

Doc goes back to the Old West.

F-F-F #36

Well, it's official...




...Blogger's poll once accurate polling system has now gone buggy. It's no problem, because if anything, adapting to unexpected changes is what writing is all about. So you, the aspiring scribe, can chose from the following three sentences-


MRM says, "Looking at it from your/their/his/her point of view, then yeah, I would be pissed also."

Sue says, "You know that feeling when you wake up sweating and think 'thank goodness it was only a dream'?"

Welles says, "In the distance I saw all kinds of birds circling over something, but I couldn't tell what from where I was."


All you have to do is build a story around one of those three sentences. Sounds simple enough, but if you've done this before, you know better. You know the deal, if you are in, please say so. Have it done by Tuesday @9 AM Pacific, July 20th, all right?

Good night, good luck, and keep plucking bugs from those chickens.

Starter Sentence Poll #19

Sacré merde!*

C'est Le Tour de La Fiction Flash Vendredi! We will all talk like Jacques Pepin and break into Lance Armstrong's hotel room! Uhhh, actually, why don't we urge on a starter sentence, instead? Choose from the following-

MRM says, "Looking at it from your/their/his/her point of view, then yeah, I would be pissed also."

Sue says, "You know that feeling when you wake up sweating and think 'thank goodness it was only a dream'?"

Welles says, "In the distance I saw all kinds of birds circling over something, but I couldn't tell what from where I was."

The results will go live on July 16th, 2010, @ 9:00 AM.

*As you know, there is no such idiom in French.

Line up those starter sentences!

Image from here.

Yeah, you know what you would rather be doing...anything but working. Why not line up a starter sentence instead?

You know the drill or if you don't, check out the older posts to get an idea. Please remit your new sentences or submit your old ones in the comment section. I will then load them into poll form tomorrow, Thursday, July 15th @ 9:00 AM, Pacific Time.

F-F-F #35, The Stories

ERR joins us this week.

"Come into my parlor," said The Spider to the...wait, what?

Flannery came up with the starter sentence, "I don't disagree with you, but you have to admit, this puts me in a delicate position." Let's see the results-


Joyce has a new take on an old "hit."

ERR tells us of an offer that is hard to refuse.

Aussie Paul twists a tale of infidelity.

Sue shows us an awkward reunion.

Nicole whispers of the monster hidden in us all.

Deegan rewrites "do or die."

MRM says that sometimes the smallest have the biggest dilemmas.

Doc reveals that he who controls the information, controls the power.

Welles shows the ghost of Woolrich how it's done.

Randal gives some insight as to what really went on.

Flannery points out how a creative David might upend Goliath.

The Professor lets us in on extortion gone wrong.

F-F-F #35

Let's get organized here, and if you don't know what this picture means, scroll down...

The people have spoken, and they have picked the following starter sentence-


Flannery says, "I don't disagree with you, but you have to admit, this puts me in a delicate position."

All you have to do is build a story around that. Sounds simple enough, but if you've done this before, you know better. You know the deal, if you are in, please say so. Have it done by Tuesday @9 AM Pacific, July 13th, all right?

Good night, good luck, and keep positioning those chickens.

Two stories and a contest

David Barber placed second in The Land's End Contest with this gem of a story, called "Millennium Princess." I guarantee that you are never going to guess how it ends.

If you remember Beach Bum from last year, he cooked up a good one with "A Southern Fried Fairy Tale."


Finally, Jason Evans says that there is another Clarity of Night Contest coming up-

The time is fast approaching for the biggest Clarity of Night contest ever! Author Stephen Parrish is co-hosting in honor of his newly released novel, THE TAVERNIER STONES. It's a thriller which opens with the discovery of a corpse clutching what is believed to be one of the lost Tavernier Stones--huge gems of legendary worth and beauty.

 

And now, you're about to discover your own treasure in the Clarity of Night "Uncovered" Short Fiction Contest! The prizes are legendary. $290 in prize money will be awarded (Amazon gift certificates), including $100 for 1st Place, $50 for 2nd Place, and $35 for 3rd Place. You can taste it, I know. For now, I'm giving you an early glimpse of the photo prompt to get the juices flowing. What jewel of a story can you create? As always, you will have 250 words to prove yourself and claim your booty.

The contest will open on Monday, July 19th. Look for more announcements as the time nears. Steven will be joining us and bringing all his Amish friends! (Oh wait, Amish don't have internet.) See you there, and please help spread the word.

Starter Sentence Poll #18

Cheyenne The Dog cannot decide between starter sentences!

Help her, before her eyes pop out of her sockets!

Choose from the following-

David says, "Oh my God, what the hell was that?"

Flannery says, "I don't disagree with you, but you have to admit, this puts me in a delicate position."

The Professor says, "It was hot enough to fry an egg on the sidewalk."

Aussie Paul says, "Stomping mudholes into the guts of bad dudes was all I knew how to do."

Über says, "Most smells wafted on the air; this one assaulted your nose like a drunken pub brawler's right hook."

Nicole says, "Her eyes held mine with some mysterious force making my breath hitch, until she removed the scarf and revealed the lower half of her face."

Sue says, "Killer heels and wild hair - she spelled trouble with a capital 'T'."

The results will go live on July 9th, 2010, @ 8:00 AM.

Line up those starter sentences!

No, Li-Lo, I said line up those starter sentences.

You know the drill or if you don't, check out the older posts to get an idea. Please remit your new sentences or submit your old ones in the comment section. I will then load them into poll form tomorrow, Wednesday, July 7th @ 7:30 AM, Pacific Time. Please note that the time and day of the week are earlier than usual.

F-F-F #34, The Stories

Rick joins us this week.

Let us try and hold it together for the last Friday Flash Fiction in June.




Me? I'm coming apart at the seams.


Towards the end of JJ's Friday Flash Fiction, in lieu of a starter sentence, he would post four words, instead. The idea was that you were to incorporate those words into the story and it didn't matter in what order, but they all had to be in there.

The four I came up with are:

Sculpture

Culture

Cult

Cohesive

Let's see the results-

Sue relates a tale where things have gone cold.

J.C. Montgomery takes a twist to the traditional.

Dave cooks up a variation on pub fare.

Freida shows the model's perspective.

Rick pits Doctor Courage against The Tiger Women.

Flannery brings an art form from east of The Mississippi, to the rest of the world.

Randal cheers us on as if we were Portugal.

Doc lets us in on a conversation between a patron and an artist.

F-F-F #34

Here it is, the last Friday Flash Fiction for June, so please make it count.

Towards the end of JJ's Friday Flash Fiction, in lieu of a starter sentence, he would post four words, instead. The idea was that you were to incorporate those words into the story and it didn't matter in what order, but they all had to be in there.

The four I came up with are:

Sculpture

Culture

Cult

Cohesive

All you have to do is build a story around that. Sounds simple enough, but if you've done this before, you know better. You know the deal, if you are in, please say so. Have it done by Tuesday @9 AM Pacific, June 22nd, all right?

F-F-F #33, The Stories

J.C. Montgomery joins us this week.

If you don't get the picture, check the starter sentence.




David came up with the starter sentence, "It was a shortcut that I would regret for the rest of my life." Again, this teems with possibilities, so let's see the results-

Lewis J. introduces us to a surgeon who might be too efficient.

J.C. Montgomery says sometimes you have to be a self-starter when it comes to business.

David shows us that all is not what seems in The Highlands.

Nicole says that tragedy is just below the surface.

Wells muses that love is hard-boilled.

Flannery reveals that everything can go downhill in a hurry.

Chad says wisdom among other things, comes from where you least expect it.

The Professor whispers of every writer's worst nightmare.