Author: Sandra Pavloff Conner

100-Word Challenge for Grownups # 134 – Blackbird Conversation

| Sandra Pavloff Conner

Julia is into birds this week on her 100-word story challenge. Here’s what she says: “I am very lucky to have a garden and even luckier that a variety of birds visit each day. At the moment we have 2/3 blackbirds who are really ruling the roost so to speak. They are beautiful song birds I know, but they are having a conversation. You can tell with the intonation of the sounds and the responses from another birds.

So, your prompt this week is to write that conversation!”

So I did. It’s below the picture.

 

BLACKBIRD ( TRI-COLORED) - PUB DOM

OVERHEARD CONVERSATION OF BLACKIE BIRD AND HIS FAMILY

 

“Mama!”

“Mama … we’re hungry!”

“Yeah, we’re hungry.”

“I’ll check on Dad’s progress.”

“Honey, found anything?”

“Not yet. Those dang Cardinals grab everything in sight!”

“They think just because they’re so splendid to look at they should get the best of everything.”

“Hey, two worms! I’ll grab ’em.”

“Oh, look out! Kitty-Kitty’s comin’ at you at 2:00!”

“If I run, I’ll lose the worms to the Bluejays.”

“Barn-a-Bee’s on the roses. Call for help.”

“Hey, Barn-a-Bee, Kitty-Kitty’s crouched to attack. Help!”

“On my way. Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz … SMACK!”

“MEOW!!#%$!!#$%!!”

“Great hit!  Right on the nose! Thanks, Barn-a-Bee, old pal. I owe you one.”

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I actually got the idea for this story from a whimsical poem my mother wrote many years ago, titled “Wish I Were A Bumblebee.” You can read it at this link.

 

Photo courtesy of http://www.public-domain-image.com/blackbirds-pictures/close-up-of-a-female-tricolored-blackbird-agelaius-tricolor.jpg.html

 

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Tell Me A Story Saturday – Writing Challenge – 5/17/14

| Sandra Pavloff Conner

 

It’s time for another “Tell Me a Story” Challenge. I always enjoy the 100-word writing challenges very much, and I take part in as many as I can. However, it’s also important to get good practice and exercise in writing short stories that are not “flash fiction” stories, but long enough to allow for the characters and plot to be more fully developed.

That’s why I generally offer a challenge that allows for at least 500 words. This week I am suggesting that the work can be as much as 700 words and still be acceptable.

Your assignment – should you choose to participate – is to “Tell Me A Story” — in prose or poetry either one — that includes the following FOUR things:

1. A Lighthouse

OLDTOWN LIGHTHOUSE - PDPHOTOS

 

2. Fresh Vegetables

FRESH VEGETABLES FOR STORY

 

3. A Wooden Indian

Exif JPEG

 

4. YOUR CHOICE of a Gun – OR – a Set of Wedding Rings

GUN - BLUE

 

 

engage - wedd rings

 

Be sure and note that you have a choice for the 4th item. Use the gun OR the set of wedding rings, but not both.

Post your story on your own blog and hop over here to leave the link to it in the “Comments” section. Try to come back and check out stories by the other writers as much as you can.

Any length up to 700 words is acceptable, and the challenge will close Saturday, May 24, 2014, at 12:00 Midnight U. S. Central Daylight Savings Time.

Please remember that my blog is G/PG in nature.

Happy Writing!

 

 

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Five-Sentence Fiction – 5/16/14 – ‘Making Sure’

| Sandra Pavloff Conner

This is the first time I’ve participated in Five-Sentence Fiction. It was fun. If you’d like to join in, use the link below to find out the details on the home site.

http://lilliemcferrin.com/five-sentence-fiction-doors/

 

 

DOOR_6 - w. nameMAKING SURE

 

    The door to Samuel’s office was closed for good. Ever since he’d shot himself there, his father, the patriarch of the business, had forbidden anyone to open it once the body had been removed.
     Everyone thought Samuel had shot himself because of his wife’s death from an apparent heart attack, but Carol knew differently, and she had to get into that office to make sure he hadn’t tucked away a confession somewhere. Sam had given her a key, and she’d use it after the building was closed.
    If he had left a note admitting that he’d murdered his wife, Carol wanted to be sure he hadn’t told the whole story, including naming his accomplice.

 

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Velvet Verbosity # 378 – ‘The Happy Barber’

| Sandra Pavloff Conner

 

 

 

This week’s Velvet Verbosity 100-Word Story prompt is the word “Beard.”

 

BARBER POLE - CLIPARTTHE HAPPY BARBER

 

Albert, the town barber, arrived at his shop to find a customer waiting.

“I thought you’d never get here!” the customer said.

Albert’s eyes grew round.

“Well, don’t just stand there,” the customer said, now in the chair. “Quick! Get me shaved.”

“Oh … I couldn’t!  I just couldn’t !  That’s the most perfect beard I’ve ever seen.”

“What!?!?”

“Why, it’s thick and velvety, with perfect color. Every barber longs for a customer with a beard like that to care for.  I’ll delight in trimming it for you, but I could never shave it off.”

“Don’t be ridiculous!  What’s wrong with you?”

“I’m sorry to upset you, M’am.  But I will not shave off your beard.”

~~~

Author’s note:

I’ve reached the time of my life where I’ve had to learn to deal with one of those aggravating challenges that nag at ladies in their middle age years: those confounded extra hairs that keep cropping up above our upper lips and on our lower chins. Testy little things they are, and our determination to get rid of them – and keep getting rid of them when necessary – is without limit.
There are a number of weapons in our arsenal: creams, waxes, strips, eye-brow shapers, tweezers, and any number of exfoliating gadgets sold “only on TV.” So far, no one I know has had to resort to visiting Albert (thank God), but my personal small warfare in this area has undoubtedly attributed to my whimsical take on this week’s prompt.

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Clipart courtesy of http://www.wpclipart.com/working/signs/barber_pole.png.html

 

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100-Word Challenge for Grownups #133 – ‘Noble Gift’

| Sandra Pavloff Conner

Our prompt from Julia this week is “… the white horses were galloping …”  Join the fun at this link:
http://jfb57.wordpress.com/2014/05/12/100-word-challenge-for-grown-ups-week133/

WHITE HORSE - ROYAL ALABASTER

NOBLE GIFT

Sebastian stood on the cliff and watched the white horses galloping away. His breath caught, and he blinked the salty mist from his eyes. Three generations — bred and born in his own stables. All issued from the grandfather of the line, Royal Alabaster. Sold only to clients who valued their animals as they did people and would provide them with only the noblest environment.

“How can you bear to let them go?” asked his wife, gripping his hand tightly.

“I will not allow those invading barbarians to even mount these glorious animals!” he replied, shadowing his eyes to watch the last two stallions safely out of sight.

 

~~~

 

 

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Friday Fictioneers – 5/9/14 – ‘Treasures from the Sea?’

| Sandra Pavloff Conner

 

 

Happy Day – I am getting an opportunity to play with my friends at Friday Fictioneers once again. If you’d like to take part and write a 100-word story based on the picture below, hop over and check out the details of taking part.

This week’s photo is courtesy of B. W. Beacham

My story is below the photo.

 

the-tide-is-out-copyright-bw-beachamTREASURES FROM THE SEA?

 

Ben looked at his crude calendar: June, 2020. His mind still reeled at the catastrophic results of a nuclear e-bomb war: Thousands dead from radiation. The world’s electronics and technology gone. All life-sustaining medical equipment paralyzed. Manufacture and transportation of food impossible. Law-enforcement non-existent. Communication limited to people killing each other for a bottle of water.

Surprised they were still alive after the strikes, he and Cassie had jumped into their sailboat and let the wind carry them. Weeks later, they’d beached on this uninhabited island. No contact with any kind of civilization for six years now – until today – when the shopping cart washed up onto the beach.

 

 

 

 

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Story Challenge: ‘For Love of Bernadette’

| Sandra Pavloff Conner

 

COW & MILKHere’s my own response to the story challenge I posted yesterday. (Write a story of 500 words or less that includes a cow, a barber, and a child.) Hope a lot of you take part as well. Find all the details about participating here.

 

FOR LOVE OF BERNADETTE

 

Herbie was a barber. And he was good at his job. He had customers from all over the county. But Herbie didn’t like his job. He’d inherited the business from his father, but he’d never enjoyed it.

What he really wanted to do was own a dairy farm. Every evening when he finished work, he drove out of town and cruised by Old Man Swagle’s farm, looking at the fields of cows and the neat homestead – and dreaming.

Sometimes he’d stop, walk to the fence, and pet the cows. They knew him by now and came to him, but there was one particular brown and white lady who made sure she got the most of his attention. It made him feel loved.

If only he could manage to buy the farm. Old Man Swagle had put it on the market last year, but so far no one had met his price. Herbie had some money saved, and he’d talked to the bank about a mortgage, but Isabelle, his betrothed, said he’d be a fool to leave a secure business and go into debt for a cow farm. He used to love to talk about his dream, but lately, he’d just stopped mentioning it to Isabelle. He didn’t like the quarrels it led to. Sometimes he wondered …. But … they’d been engaged a whole year. It wouldn’t be right to back out now.

One evening, as Herbie sat on the fence and petted his favorite cow, Swagle’s 11-year-old grandaughter came running across the field. He knew she visited often, and today she hailed him. “Hi,” she said. “Grandpa sent me to fetch Bernadette.”

“Oh, is that her name?”

“Yep. Grandpa let me name her.” She gave him a speculative look. “ My Grandpa said you want to buy this farm.”

“He did, huh? Well he’s right, but I don’t think I can.”

“Oh,” she said, hanging her head in disappointment. “I sure wish you could buy it.” She looked up. “My Grandpa is getting really tired and wants to come into town and live at my house with me and Mommy and Daddy. I stayed all night last night, and I heard Grandpa praying a long time that God would send someone today to buy the farm and take care of the cows the way he does.”

Herbie felt tears rush to his eyes.

“Why can’t you buy it?”

He cleared his throat. “Well … the lady I’m going to marry doesn’t want to live on a farm.”

“But you love cows. I can tell. I’ve watched you petting them and talking to them.”

Herbie nodded.

“And you’d keep them and take care of them just like Grandpa does.”

Herbie nodded again. “If I could buy the farm.”

“You know what I think?” she said.

“What?”

“I think you should tell that dumb lady to marry someone else, and you should come and live here with Bernadette.”

And Herbie did.

 

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Story Challenge: A Cow, A Barber, & a Child

| Sandra Pavloff Conner

 

Okay, blogging buddies, I’m in the mood for another story challenge this week. Write me a story (or a poem if you prefer) that includes the following:

 

 

COW & MILK

A COW

 

BARBER CARTOON - BLUE

A BARBER

`

BOY FOR RESCUE - SHORTER YELLOW
A CHILD OR CHILDREN
(Boys or girls, any age)

 

Word limit: 500 words or less.

Remember that my blog is “G” Rated.

Post your story on your own blog and hop over here and put the link to it in the “Comments” section of this post. Also make any comments you like as well.

Time limit: Challenge will run through next Saturday, May 10, 2014, and will close at 12:00 midnight that night (U.S. Central Daylight Time). But, of course, if you want to post a story any time after the 10th, that’s fine.

Feel free to use any of these pictures with your own story if you’d like to do so.

Happy Writing!

 

 

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