Tag Archives: Photo Prompt

December 4, 2017

Twittering Tales #61 – 5 December 2017

About the challenge: Each Tuesday I will provide a photo prompt. Your mission, if you choose to accept the challenge, is to tell a story in 280 characters or less. Wait….WHAT?! YES! You read that correctly. Recently, the sages at Twitter announced that they were doubling the character limit. So, of course, I am passing this gift on to you! When you write your tale, be sure to let me know in the comments with a link to your tale.

A final note: if you need help tracking the number of characters in your story, there is a nifty online tool that will count for you at charactercountonline.com.

I will do a roundup each Tuesday, along with providing a new prompt. And if for some reason I missed your entry in the Roundup, as I have occasionally done, please let me know. I want to be sure to include your tale.

Finally, have fun!

And REMEMBER…you now have 280 characters (spaces and punctuation included), to tell your tales. I can’t wait to see what you do this week.

Twittering Tale #60 – The Round-Up

A Creative Commons Photo from Pixabay.com

Starting us off…

The park had been Roberto’s territory for decades, like his father before him, and his father’s father. Oh, the stories he could tell you about the passengers who hired his carriage over the years. And tell you he would except, you might not understand his whinnies and brays.
(276 Characters)

From Reena at ReInventions:
The handsome horse with a red mane and hoofs was surprisingly unpopular. Business was low, thanks to the message displayed,
“Ride with us, and we take you to places you have never been before, across the skies.”
The owner happened to be a fiction-writer, with no head for business.
(279 characters)

From Di at Pensitivity101:
Pat’s taxi service was going from strength to strength.
His mates had laughed when he said he was ditching the car for something different. Weddings proved extremely popular in the Summer.
One horse power and no emissions so the hike in road duty on diesels didn’t affect him.
274 characters

From Martin at Martin Cororan:
As Cinderella changed from a pauper into a princess, Siraj transformed from a wealthy socialite on the verge of getting laid into a lowly coachman.
‘This is magical,’ signed Cinderella.
‘Son of a bitch!’ said Siraj.
213 Characters

From Fandango at This, That, and the Other:
It was quite a romantic gesture on his part. He reserved one of those hansom cabs. It’s a horse-drawn carriage thing that they have at Central Park. It was a sweet thing for him to do, but it was so damn cold that I was freezing my ass off. That sorta took the romance out of it.
(279 characters)

From Michael at Morpethroad:
Biting winds, icy roads
Sluggish could think of better places to be
Pulling a carriage in this weather was crazy
he longed for his blanket and a bucket of oats.
Behind him, George swore at kids throwing snowballs at them.
Sluggish slowed, turned and gave them a dirty look.

From Deepika at Deepika’s Ramblings:
“Peace, calm and serene surroundings of the park pump in a fresh lease of life in me”, said Anna, as she visited the park in the carriage after a few decades. “The unprocessed, crisp, chill breeze rejuvenates my inner being. Am so glad to be back here, I can now live.”
269 Characters

From Jan at Strange Goings In the Head:
Armand relished the hunt, it filled his dead heart with fire. She was a worthy prize in this dark netherworld. The carriage stopped as their tryst commenced. Black eyes gleamed with hunger and crimson lips parted to kiss his throat. Ivory fangs sank deep, accepting his sacrifice.
(280 characters)

From Francine at Woman Walking Dog:
Night shift over, home for some sleep. See that horse-drawn calash in the rain – takes me straight back to Riga at Christmas.
The square made magic, with lights like diamonds horses stamping in the cold. Big city visit for a boy’s treat
Wonder if it’s changed? In this other country, city life is my living now. Will I ever go home again?

From Peter at Peter’s Pondering:
Hector decided he could no longer tolerate the smell. He just had to confront the culprit and put an end to it.
“I won’t tell you again”, he said. “If you can’t control all that gas, you and I must go our separate ways!”
“I promise you, I’ll see the doc tomorrow”, the driver said.
(280 characters)

From Leena at Soul Connection:
Rmtc Mrng,Isn’t It?Snowfall,Wet Road n Victoria Al Truly Amzng
Yes Swtheart.I Can Feel Rmnce In D Air n Victoria Ride On Picturique Location Mkng Dis Trip Mre Spcl.
I Love Ur Surprse Darling.Same Date,Same Destinatn Aftr 25Yrs
Lets Relive Old Moment Once Agn On Our 2nd Honeymoon.

From Kirst at Kirst Writes:
Look – a carriage ride round the park! Can we darling?
You’ve spent enough today. That present for your mother, and then lunch…
But it’s our honeymoon. New York, once in a lifetime! Please?
Her voice falters as he turns away scowling. She hurries after, head down, lesson learned.
277 characters

Wonderful tales this week! Magical, whimsical, mysterious, romantic, heartbreaking and wild! I think that about sums it up.

This week…a twist. The photo below by MorningbirdPhoto at Pixabay.com features someone holding a stack of books. Now, you can write a tale about this book lover…or if you’re up for a challenge, pick one of the books and write your tale based on the title. And let’s take it up a notch if you’re really up for a challenge…choose several titles and incorporate them into your story! The possibilities are endless! I’ll see you at the roundup next week! 😊

Photo by MorningbirdPhoto at Pixabay.com

“Doctor in Rags”
I r’member first time I met Doc. He had this wild hair and raggedy clothes. My mom was real sick an we couldn’t afford no fancy doctor, but the neighbors said, “We’ll call Doc. He’ll fix her up.” He didn’t look like no doctor, but he did what they said. Mom called him her angel.
(280 Characters)

~kat

39 Comments | tags: 280 Characters, Challenge, Flash Fiction, Photo Prompt, Twitter Tales, twittering tales | posted in Challenges and Writing Prompts, Flash Fiction, Twitter Tales

November 28, 2017

Twittering Tales #60 – 28 November 2017

By Kat Myrman

About the challenge: Each Tuesday I will provide a photo prompt. Your mission, if you choose to accept the challenge, is to tell a story in 280 characters or less. Wait….WHAT?! YES! You read that correctly. Recently, the sages at Twitter announced that they were doubling the character limit. So, of course I am passing this gift on to you! When you write your tale, be sure to let me know in the comments with a link to your tale.

A final note: if you need help tracking the number of characters in your story, there is a nifty online tool that will count for you at charactercountonline.com.

Finally, have fun!

And REMEMBER…you now have 280 characters (spaces and punctuation included), to tell your tales. I can’t wait to see what you do this week.

Twittering Tales #59 – The Roundup

Hands by Pexels at Pixabay.com

Starting us off…

Millie’s eyes sparkled as she gently lifted the fallboard of the baby grand, revealing its beautiful keys.
“Hello old friend,” she smiled as she sat down.
“Sarah, I need you to play your part,” Millie called to her granddaughter.
Sarah sat down, two fingers plunking.
‘Chopsticks’.
(278 Characters)

From Ana at Timeless Classics:
Dey say you some namby-pamby cause you play piany, bud ah leddum know… It take strenth ta play! You gotta be strong! Ta play Dem keys like fa houahs en houahs ‘n at smoke en all? Night afta night? ‘Th all em ladies hanging out?… Naw. Cain’ no mamby-pamby do all a dat, sho.

From Lady Lee at Lady Lee Manila:
the old tune
fingers touch the keys
arthritis
pain playing
doesn’t hinder her to play
memories still there

love and lost
challenges and hope
youth that was
hurt she felt
every note tells a story
that her life is lived
(206 characters)

From Reena at ReInventions:
“Alzheimers?”
“No. Can you guess my age?”
The speech was unexpected clear, and the manner was sharp. The boy was all of fourteen years, suffering from progeria. I did not know, if I could call him young or old.
Realization struck, that we have a lot to be grateful for in life.
(275 characters)
P.S. Progeria is a disease of premature ageing. The disease came into focus with a movie called ‘Pa’ featuring the legendary Amitabh Bachchan.

From D. Avery at ShiftnShake:
unbroken anthem
until her song was over
she would play the tune

From Ron at Read 4 Fun:
Old together but the sound is still sweet. Lady Clairol matches hair to your black keys. New teeth match your white keys. Couldn’t do much about the hands but it’s the sound that’s important. The sound is as ever. Piano rolls never go out of style.
(249 characters)

From Martin at Martin Cororan:
Into the fiery pit fell the fornicators; murderers, rogues and blasphemers, and as they frothed and flayed at the devils delight, Chris De Burgh began his song anew.
“The lady in red…”

From Di at Pensitivity101:
The tide has turned, I sit and recall:
Graceful fingers caress the keys,
Flood my soul with memories,
Endless countless melodies.
I look at my hands, twisted with age,
My caress is slower, I play through the pain
Reliving the magic with every refrain,
My gift has returned to me again.
278 characters

From Kathryn at Another Foodie Blogger:
Who’s hands are those? Those aren’t my hands. Why am I here. Oh drat, what am I supposed to do?
But the hands, the hands remembered. Once the fingertips hit the keys, the music flowed effortlessly and once again, she remembered.
(228 characters)

From Fandango at This, That, and the Other:
It had been quite a while since Edgar had last sat at the piano and, as he liked to say, tickled the ivories.
He regarded his arthritic fingers and wondered if they could still work well enough to play a piece.
Every stroke hurt, but it was, indeed, music to his ears.
(266 characters)

From Michael at Morpethroad:
His ancient hands float across the keys.
He holds us mesmerised as the music takes us with him.
His focus is far away, his fingers dance and intrigue us
we too see the pale girl, the troubled waters,
we feel her pain, we feel reconciled with her
the final note brings satisfaction.

From Jannat007 at Be Happy:
Sara and Lily sat in the music room and reminisced about the good old days when they both used to attend piano lessons. To make another memory together Sara plays the piano and as her fingers touched it Lily took the photo which turned out to be the last photo of them together.

From Radhika at RadhikasReflection:
The piano had been a surprise gift from her grandchildren. They knew her passion for playing the piano, but she had never been able to afford one. Her old yet dexterous fingers were magical on the piano. Her maiden performance at the age of 80, received a thunderous applause!
Letter count 276

The beat flows through fingers, embraces black and white. Kisses keys, demands submission, whispers the heat of love.
The beat drums it’s rhythm, keeping pace with Cosmic breath. It’s the song of life, the song of begetting. Feel it’s kiss, surrender, feel it’s bite, surrender.
(277 characters)

From Kirst at Kirst Writes:
She won’t stop playing. Same slow waltz, over and over. It’s the only time she looks happy, when she’s playing that tune. No family ever visit – she was widowed young you see – so we can’t ask them. I wish she could tell us her story, but she hasn’t said a word in years.
(271 Characters)

From Vandana at Feelings My Freedom:
Miriam had been playing the piano since her childhood.
She had composed numerous symphonies that touched millions of hearts.
But it wasn’t Miriam today.
It was her husband Alex, moving his fingers to the rhythm of “You are my life!”
It was Alex, playing the eulogy for Miriam.
(272 Characters)

From Leena at Soul Connection:
Black n White Added Colors To His Life Since 35Yrs
Running Fingrs On Keys,”U Hold Spcl Plce In My Heart.2Day Is My Last Day At Club.Wl Miss U.Wish I Tk U Wd Me”
Wd Teary Eyes He Turn Arnd
Managr,”We Al Wl Miss U N Ur Music.Tht Is Ur Retiremnt Gft.Hpe U Lke It” n Pointd At Sme Piano.

From Peter at Peter’s Pondering:
She was only alive because she could play the piano. That much had been made plain.
Her family had all been killed! Her friends too!
She dare not play top C on the keyboard, that would give the game away.
She had removed that string to hang herself.
She would soon join her family!
(278 characters)

From Lane at Lane Burke – poet, traveller, person of letters:
Notes from The Entertainer punched into the stale air. This, she could still do. Inside she mourned the last dance, the last kiss, the last time she felt strong; beautiful. The applause in her thoughts gave way to the thunderous silence of her loneliness.

Well, I think everyone is settling right into the new character count. 280 characters still goes pretty fast! There is a chill in the air here in the North Hemi. Though, not as cool as it should be this time of year…(don’t get me started…) But since we are heading into December, I thought it would be fun to do a wintry scene. This photo from Pixabay’s Creative Commons, screamed several stories to me…is it a story about the horse, the driver, the people in the carriage, the small food cart in the distance, the people wandering in the mist in the park…the one-way sign? You can see where my mind went. All over the place! Hopefully, you all, with your creative brains can help me crack this mystery. There is a story here…I just feel it. Have fun…and see you next week at the Roundup!

A Creative Commons Photo from Pixabay.com

(276 Characters)

~kat

25 Comments | tags: 280 Characters, Challenge, Flash Fiction, Photo Prompt, twittering tales | posted in Challenges and Writing Prompts, Flash Fiction, Random Thoughts and Musings, Twitter Tales

November 25, 2017

The Round-up

By Kat Myrman

photo by Tobias Keller via Unsplash

The Round-up

“I never thought I’d be rounding up cattle like a Cowboy!” Hannah chirped from the rear of the team.

“You are more like a Cowgirl, sis” her brother quipped, “but the most important thing is that you are here and we are giving these guys a new life at Harmony Farms.”

Hannah smiled, settling into the saddle, “I couldn’t imagine one of these babies on someone’s plate at the local steakhouse!”

~kat

(A disclaimer…I am a vegetarian, 😉 and this is how I imagine cattle rustling.)

A Three Line Tale inspired by the photo above.

2 Comments | tags: 3linetales, Challenge, Flash Fiction, Photo Prompt, Three Line Tales | posted in 3 Line Tales, Challenges and Writing Prompts, Flash Fiction, Random Thoughts and Musings

November 25, 2017

Finer Things

By Kat Myrman

Madge was a hoarder. Not the type of hoarder that boosts the ratings of reality TV, but as she’d declare, “Darling, I am a collector of fine things.”

After she passed, Sarah, her youngest daughter, drew the short straw that decided who would tackle the task of sorting through ‘mom’s junk’.

“Have fun Sarah-Bear,” they taunted as they left.

It wasn’t long before Sarah discovered a treasure trove of family memorabilia: hand-made cards, baby teeth, locks of hair, photographs. Unable to part with any of it, Sarah loaded her car.

Apparently, collecting fine things runs in the family.

~kat

97 Words for Rochelle Wisoff-Fields Friday Fictioneers challenge based on her photo above called ‘Closet’.

11 Comments | tags: 100 Words, Challenge, Flash Fiction, Friday Fictioneers, Photo Prompt | posted in 100 and Under, Challenges and Writing Prompts, Flash Fiction, Random Thoughts and Musings