F-F-F #19

Yea, verily, my writing gives indigestion to tigers everywhere...




...now you too, can have the Cormac Experience! First, get no sleep. Second...uh, I can't very well give that away, and have you all be me. All you need to really do anyway, is to make sure that you are good and Travis Bickle'd up.

This week's starter sentence- "As far as Jack was concerned, even a field of four-leaf clovers couldn’t turn things around. He was convinced that because he was born in a leap year, that he was under a secret thirteenth Zodiac sign and its symbol was a giant screw."

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, February 2nd, all right?

F-F-F #18, The Stories

What, ya don't like the name of the brand? Póg mo thóin! Finish yer drink up 'n keep readin'!

David came up with the starter sentence, "As the sixth shot of whisky burnt its way down, I suddenly remembered what I left the house for."

So what kind of stories will this produce? Let's find out...


Doc goes shopping and takes us for the ride.

Randal drinks alone and snows us in with some noir.

Über burns our tongues with a taste of Utopia.

Alan has us crawling into a pub, instead of pub-crawling.

Chad says Mountain Dew can roll uphill.

Lewis J. evokes Burns, and I don't mean Monty.

Welles turns the heat up and hard-boils us.

David says the familiar can be a bit too much sometimes.

MRM tells us a tale about a man looking for answers at the bottom of a glass.

Check out...

One of your fellow contributors, Rum, a.k.a. Chad Rohrbacher has a story up at A Twist Of Noir. Please, go check it out. While you're over there, don't miss author Eric Beetner's effort, as well.



And speaking of your fellow contributors, Paul D. Brazill, along with another writing friend of mine Kevin Michaels, have gotten in on the ground floor of a new pulp magazine called "At The Bijou." Please, pop on over and take a gander.

F-F-F #18

Friday Flash Fiction will go through the fire to find the perfect starter sentence...

...but you voted instead, and thus, saving a horse's oysters.

David says, "As the sixth shot of whisky burnt its way down, I suddenly remembered what I left the house for."

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, January 26th, all right?

Starter Sentence Poll #10

We have two of London's most astute coatis overseeing this poll, and they will make sure that everything runs smooth as a São Pauloan sea breeze.

David says, "As the sixth shot of whisky burnt its way down, I suddenly remembered what I left the house for."

Über says, "You insolent pigs aren't getting one more thing from me!"

Lynn says, "Do you ever use..."

MRM says, "So what did I do this time to piss you off, Baby?"

Doc says, "He had turned his back on a few things in life before, but now he knew he had to turn his back on her and walk away."

The results will go live on January 22nd, 2010, @ 10:30 AM.

Line up those starter sentences!

Friday Flash Fiction will just drive around aimlessly...

...unless you build a speedbump, or you come up with a starter sentence!

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, January 21st @ 9:30 AM, Pacific Time.

Good night, good luck, and what do you mean, there's no such thing as "a drive-through bed and breakfast?"

F-F-F #17, The Stories

Flies cringe in fear, while the French rejoice!

This was the first time that we had three starter sentences to chose from, as there was a tie at the polls-

MRM says, "I am not supposed to remember any of this."

Randal says, "'But Vladimir Putin will always permit break dancing.'"

Lewis J. says, "As soon as he heard the cell phone notify receipt of the text message he knew there was no going back."

Let's see the results...

Freida tells a tale where changes abound.

Randal narrates a tale that must break you, Comrade.

MRM goes with three stories, one for each starter sentence. Then he freestyles. And then he haunts Jim Hensen.

Rum says payback is...

Lewis J. goes all Charlie Bronson on us.

David adds another chapter to his last story.

Doc gets us into Olympus (there, entendre-less Doc, okay?).

Welles weighs in with another sci-fi tale.

Über proves that life isn't as easy as soap operas make it to be.

F-F-F #17

Holy Cow!

Yes, it's the first ever three-way tie for our starter sentence poll!

MRM says, "I am not supposed to remember any of this."

Randal says, "'But Vladimir Putin will always permit break dancing.'"

Lewis J. says, "As soon as he heard the cell phone notify receipt of the text message he knew there was no going back."

You know the deal, if you are in, please say so. Have it done by Tuesday @9 AM Pacific, January 19th, all right?

Starter Sentence Poll #9

Hold that tiger!

He's running away with our starter sentence!

MRM says, "I am not supposed to remember any of this."

David says, "Don't you just hate it when that happens."

Randal says, "'But Vladimir Putin will always permit breakdancing.'"

Paulie Decibels says, "When Karen looked into the room it was empty but the moment she closed the door the sounds started up again."

Lewis J. says, "As soon as he heard the cell phone notify receipt of the text message he knew there was no going back."

The Professor says, "It always seemed to be at sunset when I would remember..."

Über says, "Most people attempt to rescue their captured comrades using stealth and strategy."

The results will go live on January 15th, 2010, @ 10:30 AM.

Line up those starter sentences!

Friday Flash Fiction won't let you break dance...



...unless you come up with a starter sentence!

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, January 14 th @ 9:30 AM, Pacific Time.

Good night, good luck, and white lineeeess, blow awaaayy!

F-F-F #16, The Stories

Rum and Wells Fan join us this week.

The whole trick with flash fiction, is to get the balance right, Depeche Mode.

Yours truly came up with the starter sentence, "It was an honest mistake...or it was honestly stupid. Either way, I didn't mean anything by it."

Let's see what the results were-

David whispers of hi-infidelity.

MRM narrates a mystery involving fences.

Anton sets you up for the very last line.

Rum tells a tale of an era that we of a certain age, barely survived.

Lewis J. gives a mystery version of "Connections."

Wells Fan's yarn is coming up all sevens.

Doc takes us to the movies!

And finally, an add-on from Randal The Vandal-

It was an honest mistake...or it was honestly stupid. Either way, I didn't mean anything by it. Look on the bright side. Better your throat slashed by me than by some stranger. Of course, now my shoes are sticky like buns. Next time, I'm using gasoline.

F-F-F #16

Call it "celebrating Earth Day, early." Reduce, reuse, recycle, Ladies and Gentlemen.

"Yeah, but a starter sentence?" you say. Well, you've never seen it, "so, it's new to you" (as that obnoxious NBC TV network slogan said, not too long ago). I'm going to give you one of my discarded starter sentences from my own fiction files, so you can get your own Cormac experience on...minus the sleep deprivation.

"It was an honest mistake...or it was honestly stupid. Either way, I didn't mean anything by it."

You know the deal, if you are in, please say so. Have it done by Tuesday @9 AM Pacific, January 12th, all right?

You are ready to take the pebble from my hand

There will be no poll this week, and as to what the sentence will be? I already forgot it, because I'm sleeping in about four different shifts. I will tell you this...


...You are ready to take the pebble from my hand, you're just not aware of it yet. Sandra Seamans, a fine author in her own right, always has a wealth of writer-related sites and helpful advice sites. Sandra has also linked to this blog, and she has one upcoming challenge, and a flash contest on the same link.

The latter link is for The Clarity of Night's "Silhouette Contest," a 250 flash challenge and you can click here for the rules and details. Goodnight, good luck and keep taking pebbles from the ghost of Keye Luke's hand.

F-F-F #15, The Stories

Happy 2010! Anton joins us this week.

Faith, The Two-Legged Dog walks down Chicago's Michigan Avenue, barking about Friday Flash Fiction and The New Year! Unfortunately, no one in Chicago speaks dog. Luckily, you the reader, speak Flash Fiction.

The Professor gave us the starter sentence, "He/she saw the orange Necco wafer on the counter top and started to cry."

Über weaves a torrid tale.

Anton tells us about someone who has lost that...well, you're going to have to click, to find out.

David relates a tragic tale that does not end well...or does it?

Lewis J. speaks of tragedy and chemistry.

The Professor triggers a memory and a dream.

Randal channels Ed Wood.

MRM narrates a winter mystery.

F-F-F #15

Let's start 2010 off right!

No, not by jumping off the Kuala Lampur Tower, but by tackling this starter sentence, instead.

The Professor gave us the starter sentence, "He/she saw the orange Necco wafer on the counter top and started to cry."

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, January 5th, all right?