Esquire Magazine is having a fiction contest. You must tell a story in 79 words. No more. No less. I'm not so good at this sort of flash fiction, but I thought I'd try it. In fact, I'm hoping to get advice from you kind and talented folks.
The entries will be judged on the following criteria: plot (25%); characterization (25%); theme (25%); and originality (25%).
The deadline is September 1st.
So here are my four I created today. Hopefully you all will like one of these. Excluding the title, they
are all 79 words.
are all 79 words.
Which one do you like the most? Which one the least?
VACATION
She held the corners like Steve McQueen’s mustang, digging
in and letting go at all the right times. I told her I loved her. I come back
to her every time I’m in Amsterdam. She’s always ready. She’s always a pro. Why
don’t you marry her, a friend once asked? I explained, you can’t live on
vacation. When I returned home, I kissed my dear wife promising to never leave
again, but I was soon longing for another vacation.
SALAD DAYS
She had me dig and watched as I struggled with the desert
scrabble. Blue sky up to God and a vicious sun spit lava through my veins. I
told her I wouldn’t ever hit her again, but she didn’t believe me. She had me
sit in the hole, then filled it in with the dirt until only my head was free.
Now you know what helpless feels, she said. She walked away as the combine
began picking the lettuce.
LINE LOGIC
Gomez straddled the border as he hiked west. Neither in
America or Mexico, he was in both and nowhere at all. Whose laws should he
follow? He stepped to the right when the Zetas came. He stepped to the left
when he saw border patrol. Funny how a line meant so much. Days later he delivered
the bag of cocaine to a cousin in San Diego. Its street value was measured in
grams, but it was enjoyed in lines.
PATRIOTISM
She wipes tears away as she watches him go through security. Six
months in Afghanistan, then return. She wonders where her boy had gone, that
child who’d pointed at the moon and announced he’d one day go there. His legs
are doing better now. Metal is so much more sturdy than flesh. The detector
alarms and men scramble towards him. They make him hold his arms like a
criminal, her boy, her soldier, her red, white and blue dreamer.
Muchos Gracious for your help. It's not too late for you to write something too. Maybe you'll win one of the prizes. Maybe we both will. Maybe we'll find ourselves in NYC laughing about this as we drink free wine and eat free food.
We'll see.
Vacation was my favorite. They each had something going, but I felt Vacation was strongest over all. Good luck.
ReplyDeleteThanks Frank. I appreciate the comment.
ReplyDeleteWow! Thanks for the heads up on this! Personally, I like them in this order:
ReplyDeletePatriotism, Salad Days, Line Logic (although I really like these top three), and Vacation. I'm going to write some too. :)