aspiring – Page 3

Daily Flash Fiction Challenge 8: The Rambo Trout

This is the eighth in a series of 365 Flash Fiction stories I’m writing from 2nd December 2012 until the 1st December 2013. It’s intent is to keep me writing throughout the year, and not just in November. you can find out more about the challenge here.

The Rambo Trout, by Jonathan L. Lawrence, 7th December 2012

Word count: 759

Theme: random acts of violence, crazy, anthropomorphic animals, revenge

The story:

How a trout came to be carrying a blunderbuss, no one knew. Everyone knew, or thought they knew, trout were good for two things. Eating, and swimming. This one, however, was different.

He came walking down the street, carrying his blunderbuss with a very intent face.

Many conspiracy theorists have postulated that it was a set up, that the trout knew what would happen. That he even planned for it, making it cold blooded murder. I can’t speak to the trout’s intent, but I can testify to what i saw at least.

The trout was walking along the Queen’s Promenade in Blackpool, carrying the antique gun as I already stated. Now being that he was a fish very much out of water he did attract a lot of attention from cats. These cats weren’t like this strange trout though, they were just normal cats, and they didn’t realise what the trout carried.

As the army of cats approached, he turned, aimed the blunderbuss which was about as odd a thing as I had ever seen, and he fired.

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Daily Flash Fiction Challenge 7: The Thief’s Mission

This is the seventh in a series of 365 Flash Fiction stories I’m writing from 2nd December 2012 until the 1st December 2013. It’s intent is to keep me writing throughout the year, and not just in November. you can find out more about the challenge here. The Thief’s Mission, by Jonathan L. Lawrence, 8th December 2012 Word count: 520 Theme: secret agent, suspense, thriller The story:

“Stay low, stay alive,” Martin said to Jack.

“Stay low, stay alive. Stay low, stay alive,” Jack repeated to himself like a mantra, he was afraid.

“Don’t be a baby on me Jack,” Martin warned, last thing he needed was for Jack to break down.

“I’m not a baby,” Jack said annoyed, his anger pushing past his fear briefly.

“Good, let’s go,” Martin pointed the way. He pushed the door open as much as he dared and slithered through looking around him as he went. Jack didn’t follow, so he reached back and pulled him by the arm, which Jack resisted.

“Hey,” Jack started to say, but was silenced by Martin putting his index finger to his lips.

“Target’s there,” he whispered pointing upwards over a counter. “You’ve got to be quiet, there might be guards.”

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Daily Flash Fiction Challenge 6: Twice Blessed, Twice Cursed

This is the sixth in a series of 365 Flash Fiction stories I’m writing from 2nd December 2012 until the 1st December 2013. It’s intent is to keep me writing throughout the year, and not just in November. you can find out more about the challenge here.

Twice Blessed, Twice Cursed, by Jonathan L. Lawrence, 7th December 2012

Word count: 1,000

Theme: fantasy, myth, Gary Sue, hunting, goddess, celtic

The story:

“No good will come of the runt, mark my words,” a wisened old woman said, holding an infant up to the light, “Look, he casts a red shadow, the mark of evil.”

“Put down my child, and begone foul witch!” a gruff bearded man said barging into the room.

The woman dropped to the floor, and grovelled as she shuffled out.

“You’re not to listen to those damnable witches,” the man warned the woman who lay silent on the bed. “Our son will be great, mark my words.” The woman lay still and quiet. She had made no sound since the last push to birth the child. The physicians assured the man, the king of Grata Land she was alive, but they knew not what she didn’t respond to anyone.

The man wrapped the infant in a blanket and left her with a look of regret as she simply stared into space. As he walked into the great hall, the infant wrapped up in the blanket, and not making a sound, there was a flurry of activity as people rushed to see the royal heir. His most loyal friend, and soldier stepped ahead to clear the way.

“Stand by, stand by,” he called.

The king mounted the steps to the throne and stood before it.

“Here ye all,” he called his voice deep and gruff, “This boy will one day be king, and while I may be a good king, he will be the greatest, all should rejoice and come to love Monague, prince of Grata Land!”

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Daily Flash Fiction Challenge 5: The House That Could Not Sell

This is the fifth in a series of 365 Flash Fiction stories I’m writing from 2nd December 2012 until the 1st December 2013. It’s intent is to keep me writing throughout the year, and not just in November. you can find out more about the challenge here.

The House That Could Not Sell, by Jonathan L. Lawrence, 6th December 2012

Word count: 542

Theme: Supernatural, ghosts, haunted house

The story:

“Okay, whatever you do, don’t scream,” a voice said to no one in particular, the house was empty. “When are they going to move in?” the ghost sighed.

Five years later, the living room was host to a disembodied voice again, “If anyone’s there, whatever you do, don’t scream,” it said wearily. “No one? Nothing? Well I’m coming out, this is stupid.”

From the centre of the room a ghostly figured emerged. He was a youngish man, dressed in an 80’s suit, with appropriate shoulder pads, and ghostly snake skin belt.

“Well this place has seen better days,” he said screwing up his face in disgust. “It was perfectly clean when I lived here.”

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Daily Flash Fiction Challenge 4: Zombies versus Mummies

This is the fourth in a series of 365 Flash Fiction stories I’m writing from 2nd December 2012 until the 1st December 2013. It’s intent is to keep me writing throughout the year, and not just in November. you can find out more about the challenge here.

Zombies Versus Mummies by Jonathan L. Lawrence, 4th December 2012

Zombies Versus Mummies by Jonathan L. Lawrence, 5th December 2012

Word count: 999

Warning: mild danger, referenced gore

The story:

Seti strolled back and forwards before the museum doors, swearing in Ancient Egyptian.

“That won’t help,” Ramesses said joining his father by the doors.

“I no longer care,” Seti said. “My neck hurts, my heart hurts, and these bleached people don’t agree with me at all.”

“Well it was either them or we wander round blind, and dumb. Hark we would have been easy prey for these undead creatures that plague this city.”

“Better to die than let our royal selves be tainted,” Seti said suddenly standing tall.

“We cannot remain here forever, the dead walk the Earth this night, and you and I are reborn into this strange world. We must journey and find out what we can, and find a way to restore our lives to ourselves,” Ramesses said.

“Ah, my son the man,” Seti said wistfully.

“Old man,” Ramesses said, “I lived a good long time. I underwent the festival of Sed.”

“God king?” Seti asked, “Truly the youth surpasses his father. Okay then, God King, where do we go?”

“I know not, but we are Egyptians! And we are undead also, but not so weak and mindless as these pathetic minions. In rebirth we are granted great strength and powers, how else could we both have escaped those strange glass sarcophagi we were placed in?”

“I felt it,” Seti said solemnly, “I felt it.”

“Let us gather weapons, and let us be upon this world, and remind them what true Pharaohs could do,” Ramesses said grabbing a spear and a shield from a display stand.

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Daily Flash Fiction Challenge 3: Conference Nookie

This is the third in a series of 365 Flash Fiction stories I’m writing from 2nd December 2012 until the 1st December 2013. It’s intent is to keep me writing throughout the year, and not just in November. you can find out more about the challenge here.

Conference Nookie by Jonathan L. Lawrence, 4th December 2012

Word count: 1,000

Warning: Very mild sexual content

The story:

Claire surveyed the wreckage that was her life. It had been two weeks since Michael had left her, she had taken it hard. He was meant to be the mythical one, they had been engaged, but apparently the feeling turned out to be not mutual. He left her, though not it appeared for anyone else. At least she hadn’t bought the dress yet, she thought.

She didn’t know what she was meant to do now though, other than work. So she threw her self into her job. She was currently at a conference in Buffalo, New York, and tomorrow she would fly back to Europe ready for the follow up conference in Dortmund.

She packs up her things ready for the next day then headed downstairs to the wind down reception for the North American Trade Expo.

She stuck to the bar, ordering just soft drinks, the conference was coming to an end, but she still needed her wits about her. The reception was reasonably busy. As she sipped her lemonade she surveyed the crowd.

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Daily Flash Fiction Challenge 2: Damnation in the Living World

This is the second in a series of 365 Flash Fiction stories I’m writing from 2nd December 2012 until the 1st December 2013. It’s intent is to keep me writing throughout the year, and not just in November. you can find out more about the challenge here.

Damnation in the Living World, by Jonathan L. Lawrence, 3rd December 2012

Word count: 1,000

Theme: fantasy, sex, devil’s pact

Warning: Some relatively mild sexual content, and gore beyond the read more

The story:

In an inn, a huddled figure wrapped in a hood, drinking from a mug.

A well dressed noble entered the inn and looked around, and walked over to the huddled figure.

“You’ve caused me quite a bit of trouble,” the noble said, his voice was that of a snake’s hiss. “Might be, you can make up for your transgression, Raynard.”

The figure grunted, and suddenly found his mind flying backwards through his recent history, quite involuntarily.

Raynard Climes looked around blinking. He had been lying on the battle field amid a pile of soldiers, all dead or dying, his guts trying to escape from the gash across his belly, trying to hold them in, struggling to stay alive. Now he found himself stood up, on what he did not know, because it was just glowing red, all around. He was still holding his stomach though, he could see the blood still seeping.

“Ah, you poor dear,” a woman’s voice said.

Raynard turned behind him, looking for the voice, as he turned the red gave way to something more solid, a bedroom, the likes of which he had never seen before, a room fit for a noble. In the centre was an ornate four- poster bed, and equally ornate furniture.

Then his eyes focused on a lithe woman dressed in a gossamer gown that seemingly covered her modesty, yet offered tantalising views of the figure beneath.

“Won’t you sit?” she asked, nodding at a chair.

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Daily Flash Fiction Challenge 1: The Orchard

This is the first in a series of 365 Flash Fiction stories I’m writing from 2nd December 2012 until the 1st December 2013. It’s intent is to keep me writing throughout the year, and not just in November.

The Orchard, by Jonathan L. Lawrence, 2nd December 2012

Word count: 1,000

Theme: Supernatural, werewolves, survivalist

The story:

Tony sat in the orchard catching his breath, shivering in the cold night. He remembered back when he was here only a year ago, when he had fallen out of the tree and broke his leg.

For six months he had to use a crutch to get around. It had been a lovely sunny day then, with little else to care about in those halcyon days of summer holidays, and the camaraderie of casual acquaintance. When it happened, it proved painful and embarrassing, he climbed as he high as he dare, and then higher still on a dare. If he completed the dare, there was a promise of a kiss from Sarah Dalstein, a girl of particular beauty in this out of the way little village in Suffolk. However, falling and breaking his leg had dashed his hopes. Everyone was very concerned of course, and then the ambulance came and took him away. When he returned to the village, that his family spent every summer in, he found himself to be the butt of far too many jokes.

Now, here he was running for his life through the very same orchard, the wounds in his side weren’t nearly as painful as the broken leg, but it didn’t feel that much different. Only now it wasn’t only himself that had fallen, it was the whole village to a hoard of werewolves.

“Come on!” he shouted at himself hoarsely, trying to force himself up.

“Hawoooooo!” he heard in the distance.

They were on to him again, this time he didn’t need to shout at himself, their howls were enough to set him going. He staggered deeper into the orchards trying to keep himself hidden, yet instinctively knowing that these wolf creatures that were spreading across the whole of Britain would be like their name sakes, fast, deadly, and keen hunters.

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My Daily Challenge for 2013

Introduction to my daily challenge to 365 flash fiction stories from now until this time next year

Okay, so now NaNoWriMo is over for another year, I have to face up to something. I’m not really writing at any other time of year, which is a very bad habit. So, I’ve had this cunning plan of copying someone else sort. There’s a member of NaNoYorks called LittleSparks, who is writing 750 words a day, and has done so for the past 340 days consecutively.

This, I find incredibly impressive, and so I’m going to copy, kind of.

What I’m going to do though is try and do a single story every day for a year. Including right through NaNoWriMo, and the two Camp NaNoWriMo’s that precede it. Completely separate from any other word count scores I should add.

Then, I’ll post them here, after a little bit of editing.

It’s an act of creativity, perseverance, and timing.

It doesn’t matter where I do it, or how I do it, it just has to be done everyday, no catchups, no getting ahead. Each one has to be greater than 500 words, but less than or equal to 1,000 words. It doesn’t have to be super original, in fact I doubt I could do 365 short stories and be truly unique with even a handful of them, so there’ll be cliches, and things might seem familiar on occaision. They will hwoever be my words, and my idea at the time of writing.

What else? Oh yes, to achieve this awesome goal, I’m going to use prompts. Anything from a random photograph, conversation, and yes my much trusted and used StoryCubes. Where possible, I will try and include the prompt, if someone feels they can do better, who am I to stand in their way?

This is running from today (2nd December 2012), until the 1st December 2013

Anyway, I’ve set up a category for my daily challenge, let’s see if on 2nd December next year I can look back and count 365 seperate posts in there.

In the meantime, a post is coming up with my first offering.

Also, if you want to find out a bit more about Flash Fiction (i.e. very short, self contained stories), there’s a wikipedia page to explain here, and here you can go read countless examples of the art form.

Ta ra folks.

And the Winner Is…

From three possible NaNoWriMo projects down to just one. Now comes the hard work of building the notes, outlines and other preparation.

So, a few days ago, I mentioned that I’d got three possibilities for this year’s NaNoWriMo project. Well I’ve narrowed it down somewhat, to erm one.

I didn’t go through synopses of them all, I decided instead to think about what was involved in each, write a quick two sentence summary for each, followed by a game of pro’s and con’s. Lastly I performed a series of rankings against set ideas.

So first of all a reminder of the ideas:

Retelling of the Count of Monte Cristo, brought into the post 9/11 age
Continuation of the Crystal Rose Empires universe (follow up to my last NaNoWriMo novel) – a space adventure
Rework of my magic time travelling novel from my first NaNoWriMo

I measured these three ideas as follows –

Ease: 2, 3, 1
Originality: 1, 2, 3
Challenge: 1, 2, 3
Length: 1, 2, 3
Knowledge: 3, 2, 1
Audience: 3, 2, 1
Fun: 3, 1, 2

And the winner is… 3 (using the alternate vote system).

Okay, I kind of already decided going to the vote. Option 3 has its short comings, I’ve been there but I’m starting from scratch, the original files are lost somewhere in my anarchic collection of backups. There are things I want to do to improve my original idea, and I’ve five years of accumulative experience to add to the fold.

So now it’s time to hanker down and make with the planning. So far I’ve got 13 characters, (first and second tiers – I’ll let periphery characters come and go as the need arises. Now I have some characters, I’m going to furnish them with details and start arranging them into scenes and chapters.

I’ve got a week to do this, and a little photography project to help storyboard and make the details readily available for when I start writing at 12:01am on November 1st.

Once I’ve got this done I’m going to walk away from the project and work on some short stories. One will be part part of this project – a short back story piece, the writing equivalent of one of the photographs. The others will be completely unrelated, plus there’s also the much needed, much delayed editing that’s needed. So I’m literary fresh for NaNoWriMo.

For the other two novel ideas, they’re going to happen at some point. I’ll probably restart planning the retelling of the Count of Monte Cristo during December with a view to getting started on writing during the Christmas holidays. Continuing the Rose Crystal Empires stories will be a Spring enterprise, and hopefully with proper planning I can do one of those a year has I’ve got some great ideas for where that universe will go over a series.