story – Page 6 – Aspiring

Daily Flash Fiction Challenge 15: Cult of Amara

This is the 15th 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.

Cult of Amara, by Jonathan L. Lawrence, 16th December 2012

Word count: 995

Theme: mystery, religion, chosen one, cult

The story:

“We who are beholden to the true one,” the acolyte said, garbed in his thick brown cotton robe, “I am yours for now, and forever, to command, for I obey,” he said lowering his head to the floor.

“Arise, you are acolyte no more,” a priestly figure said from a top of a high seat, he was wrapped in purple robes, so much so no one had actually seen him for years, “You are now a priest of the order of Amara, come replace your robes.”

It was a solemn ceremony, one which Jaximus, (his Amaran name), watched with trepidation. It would be his turn to be called next week. Once they had appointed priests just twice a year, then once a month, and now they were doing it weekly. The end must be near, Jaximus couldn’t help feeling, yet all the priests remained in the compound.

It was a very confusing time for Jaximus, he was having doubts, yet, he’d manage to pass the tests of the faithful.

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Daily Flash Fiction Challenge 14: To The Ends of the Earth and Back

This is the 14th 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.

For Her, Anything, by Jonathan L. Lawrence, 15th December 2012

Word count: 728

Theme: action, adventure, treasure hunt, clues, mystery

The story:

“Fucking Wales,” Leron Ruiz swore in Spanish.

“It cud be wuss, it cud be france,” his guide on this leg of his quest pointed out. Nathan Smith was, what he affectionately described, a Brummie, he’d been helping Leron get around this country to some pretty unusual spots. As far as Leron was concerned all of it was unusual. A week earlier he’d been in his offices in Texas, he was a private investigator there, a pretty low rent one at that. Then a huge fish walks in the door, and offers him a boat load of money to track down some secret map.

Of course he’d refused, the guy wanted him to go to Egypt. There were professionals for that kind of thing, and if they weren’t taking the job then clearly it was for a good reason. Then the old man had been shot outside the doors of his office. Sniper shot the police said, at least five hundred feet. The guy had left the folder with the job details, and Leron may have forgotten to mention it to the police.

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Admin Round-up

It’s been a while since I did an admin post, probably because I don’t use my blog nearly enough.

However I’m definitely doing better on that front. As part of my daily challenge there’s writing going into my blog every day. Not just the daily flash fic challenge posts, I’m also working on:

Book reviews (I’m not good at these so I’m taking my time on my first one to establish what i want to get out of my reviews – otherwise known as the first attempt is already 4,000 words long and needs a good editing massacre)
Already one additional flash fic not related to the daily challenge, there might be otehrs to come, especially as it’s the weekend and plenty of time to write
I’m wokring on a full short story based on one of my Flash fics right now, and there’s several others begging for promotion to short story status, (either by sequel, prequel, or retelling)
I’m going to try and cover off some news stories and such
I’m planning a hand ful of articles based on my experiences for the first couple of months of the new year

So, now’s a good time to review how my blog looks, and how it works.

Since I used WordPress, themes are a dime a dozen, though finding one I like is quite difficult. I’ve temporary settled on one called Scrappy By Caroline Moore, but with a couple of modifications for a more readable font, a header and picture of Ilkley.

It’s absolutely lovely, but it still isn’t quite what I’m after. I just can’t quite find one. That’s fine though, it gives me a new challenge, along side writing more frequently. I’m going to try and design my own theme – as with many things outside of writing, and often including writing, it’ll be ambitious but rubbish. I’m willing to give it a go though.

Speaking of ambitious I want a nice theme that can handle variety too – that way I can use a plug in or something to give certain categories their own theme when accessed. I.e. a sci fi category that has very similar theme to the front page but maybe has darker colours with bright blue detail, and a header pic that’s a nice generic sci fi pic (royalty free or self created of course). Each of my main writing categories would have their own theme, ones I don’t use often would be left with the main theme, as would posts in other areas, (except maybe poetry).

It also comes with a second job, reorganising my categories and tags and stuff. Which is on my to do list anyway.

I may go through and hide some of my earlier posts that I’m really not happy with, and edit them up to be fresher, up to date, and not ridicuously awful – plus you know, quick win on new content. I don’t mean that purely as a cheat, but because genuinely they’ll need plenty of work, and be changed enough to be pretty much new.

I also need to go through clean up my plugins, and update my pages to be either more up to date, or less date specific.

Lastly, these jobs are not a job for my blog directly, but I need to go through and organise my Picaso account better, and arrange permissions properly. I’d like to use that as the primary source for my blog images and stuff. While i have plenty of bandwidth and stuff, it makes sure i have plenty, and should the worst happen and my site is wiped, not only do I have frequent emaled database backups, my iamges aren’t in the same place as my site.

Plus there must be a good plug-in somewhere that can conenct picasa to my blog to make it easy to share media.

I’ve also started a tumblr account, and a sperate twitter account, (thus seperating writing subject from my business/travel/random fun twitter account). While this may have no obvious advantages right now, next year I’m going to try and actually drive traffic to my blog.

Courtesy of the great people I’ve met on #NaNoYorks, there’s already been a big jump, (but in fairness they are lovely people, and will click most links you show them, even if it takes them to a animated gif of a man naked (facing away from the camera) jumping for joy).

So, that’s my state of the nation speech, covered pretty well.

If you had no faith in me as a blogger, lets see if I can turn that around. If might fail to achieve my plans – but I’d rather fail spectacularly then never have tried.

Daily Flash Fiction Challenge 13: For Her, Anything

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.

For Her, Anything, by Jonathan L. Lawrence, 14th December 2012

Word count: 991

Theme: end of the work. unknown apocalypse, apocalypse, love, survival, violence, humanity

The story:

Dear Sarah,

Are you out there? Are you well? I worry about you and miss you. I was in London when it happened, I was going to bring you something nice. It’s five months later, five months moving from one wretched town to another, always making my way back home.

When the attack happened it hit central London first. I managed to evacuate. The following day, I broke away from the thousand of refugees, I don’t know why I went a different route, I just did. As did several others, dozens of us, guess it just seemed easier than being shepherded by the army to no one knows where.

Whimsy saved my life, you always said by random decision making would be the death of me, it nearly has three times since then, but that time, it saved me. The attack happened at mid-afternoon, we saw it on the horizon. All those refugees.

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Daily Flash Fiction Challenge 12: The Elementalist

The Elementalist, by Jonathan L. Lawrence, 13th December 2012

Word count: 999

Theme: competition, sport, super powers, mutants, utopian future

The story:

I bounce on the balls of my feet, oan outsider might see a competitor warming up, in truth I’m trying to work off a building sense of fear and excitement that were ripping me apart.

“Its the World Championship, you’re allowed to be nervous,” that’s my coach Silenius Smith, I resented his calm, but he’s been through this, he was an old pro, maybe in his forties now.

“I’m just wired,” I tell him.

“No Rusty, you’re terrified, but it’s okay you won’t lose control in the arena, you’re more than good enough for a first round victory,” Silenius admonished.

“I’d rather hear you’ll be kick my arse if I mess it up,” I tell him, trying to laugh.

“No, that wouldn’t be fair,” Silenius said sternly, “I’m going to kick your arse in training tomorrow anyway,” giving in to a smile.

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Flash Fiction: Modern Workforce

This is not part of my daily challenge, I just had an idea in mind, and couldn’t help going for it. Today’s challenge was done by 1am, because I’m daft like that, but I also knew I’d be tired when I got home after taking my niece to the Royal Armouries. So this is an extra. Besides, technically it’s not really one story, it’s a collection of linked micro stories. I won’t pretend to be an expert on the rules of what is classed as what, I enjoyed writing it is all, and I hope you enjoy reading it.

Modern Workforce, by Jonathan L. Lawrence, 12th December 2012

Word count: 900

Theme: social commentary, modern world, observation

The story:

Alex Cottingley raced across town. He was running out of time, his interview was at ten, and it was quarter to already.

A woman coming out of a Greggs stuffing her mouth with a sausage roll nearly sent him flying, he dodged it and ran on. On a curve in the long street he could see the offices he needed, he should be there bang on time, he hoped.

The woman exiting Greggs was Susan Leon, and she was having a bad day. She’d gone into work as normal at seven thirty only to find out at nine that the company was closing without notice. The owners were no where to be found, there was no payroll, and no deliveries.

She was angry, she’d worked there five years, ever since leaving school. She should go to the job centre, but she needed to take her anger out on something, so she chose a sausage roll, diet be damned. As she walked aimlessly, she stumbled into a man of her own age, they shared a look of mutual desperation, both apologised and they went their own ways.

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Daily Flash Fiction Challenge 11: Letter from a Zombie, Or How I Came To Stop Eating Brains

Letter from a Zombie, Or How I Came To Stop Eating Brains, by Jonathan L. Lawrence, 12th December 2012

Word count: 932

Theme: zombie apocalypse, apocalypse, redemption, monster, zombie, saviour

The story:

Across the world the dead rose, and humanity trembled.

The dead were a plague upon the cities, upon the people. The dead needed something the living had, life.How did the dead get it? The brain. The dead needed brains.All the flesh was tasty, but the brain, that kept the undead alive.

The undead had no minds of their own, they were undead after all. The brain brings thoughts, feelings, even memories are occasionally rekindled. Yes, if you’re wondering, it even brings remorse. I know this all too well, I was one of them, I guess I still am.

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Daily Flash Fiction Challenge 10: Jack Lead – 2HB

Jack Lead – 2HB, by Jonathan L. Lawrence, 11th December 2012

Word count: 999

Theme: action, adventure, world domination, evil mastermind

The story:

“I own the future,” industrialist Peter Crowfield said emphatically. “You are just part of the master plan my friend.”

Jack felt used, for the past month he thought he had been working, non-stop it felt, to save the planet. Only to find his boss who had been helping him was actually some insane criminal mastermind.

“I’m sure you’re wondering what next,” the megalomaniac said to the tied up employee. “Well first we’ll make a demonstration, then we’ll make our demands.”

Jack wanted to say something clichéd like Peter would never get away with it, but Jack was bound and gagged.

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Daily Flash Fiction Challenge 9: Light Speed

Light Speed, by Jonathan L. Lawrence, 10th December 2012

Word count: 1,000

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

The story:

Captain Twigg stood up from his chair, faced the camera’s squarely and held out his hand.

“Next stop…” he held a pause for longer than was comfortable, “Alpha Centauri.”

It was all horribly contrived to Second Lieutenant Carlisle, who was sat two meters away, facing away from the cameras, gladly. He considered it an honour to be on board human kind’s first manned faster than light ship, but he also knew far too much about the cluster fuck this mission had already become. For now he must focus on the mission, those were his orders.

Without skipping a beat he reported on time, “Vector eighteen, three hundred kilometres per second.”

“Hmm…” the captain sat back in his chair thoughtfully, “We need to go faster.”

“Increase velocity, thrusters to maximum, helm,” first lieutenant Jordan Sinclair ordered.

“We’re on schedule,” the Second Lieutenant pointed out, wary not only of the mission parameters that called for no heroics in testing the new engines, but also the thought of being stranded where no one could come rescue them.

“We’re going beyond human knowledge, Second Lieutenant,” the Captain stressed the Lieutenant’s rank, “The people of Earth aren’t looking for safety, they want to see us fly high. The collective breaths of an entire world are holding on to see what we can do, let’s not let them suffocate,” all the time looking at the camera. Second Lieutenant Carlisle realised this would go in his blog tonight, an tale of the Captain’s bravery in the face of the cowardice of his underling.

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Daily Flash Fiction Challenge 8: The Rambo Trout

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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