.ten.

This is a scene I wrote some time last year that I won’t be using in my novel. This character barged into my head and started talking to me last May; she’s been with me ever since and I’m still trying to figure out how to best tell her story. I know how crazy that [...]

.nine.

FRED.

A few years ago, I found myself at a crossroads with more than one friendship. Getting married and having kids will do that to some friendships, as will changing jobs and moving to a new town. Oh yes, and experiencing pregnancy-related and probably longstanding, on-and-off depression will shank a friendship or two as well.
I’d done [...]

.eight.

Stormin’ Norman

Last week, a dear friend of my husband’s (and mine, via marital osmosis and mutual preference) passed away unexpectedly.
Norm was the sort of guy you immediately felt comfortable around, because he made you feel that way. It didn’t matter if you’d just met him or hadn’t seen him in years, he actually listened to [...]

.seven.

“Now you take my picture!”

Okay, I will.
This guy saw me photographing the bridge and told me to take his picture, too. How awesome is that? A woman passed us a few minutes later, smiled, and said "Good morning." Only in Chicago; one of many, many reasons I adore this city. The people here work hard, [...]

.six.

Dan read this and said, “Next week, write a happy one.” FINE. More depressing fiction for this week.

After weeks of gray that felt as if the sun had abandoned the sky altogether, that day it was impossibly blue. It was Valentine’s Day, which on a good year was a consumerist farce; she smiled remembering joking [...]

.five.

I was sick for a good part of this week. No idea what to make of this one, which I hammered out pretty quickly. Sometimes ideas come and I just follow them, no agenda, no big deal. This is one of those times.

He pushed away from her, still panting as he fumbled with his jeans. [...]

.four.

This is an excerpt from the first novel I wrote early last year. I’m not even sure this scene will make it into the final draft, or if there will ever be a final draft. I dusted this section off and tweaked it for this week’s story.
The genre is probably romantic suspense. You have no [...]

.three.

I can hear the medic to my right calling in stats and requesting morphine.
“I’m twelve weeks pregnant,” I say.
Too soon for it to be obvious.
“Patient is pregnant,” says the medic. “Can we still administer morphine?”
He pauses a moment and looks down at me. I’m shivering as I lie on the gurney. I’m not even cold.
“No [...]

.two.

{Contrary to what initial reactions to this image might indicate, this not a story about cleavage (not even Muppet cleavage–though that would’ve  made a great story) or butts, or even nuts. It is mostly true, however–a sort of confluence of conversations. My intention wasn’t to write weekly conversations between nameless individuals but these two first [...]

.one.

{contains language some may find offensive}

“I’d kill that lady over there for some pancakes,” I said, gesturing with my chin at a defeated looking woman in a red velour sweatsuit, a neon rainbow of curlers wound tightly into her sparse black hair. I tapped an unlit cigarette on the table top.
“Well, that might feel good [...]