Succinctly yours: conquer

Once a week, over at the Grandma's Goulash blog, a picture is posted as a prompt for the Succinctly Yours meme. Before seeing the photo, Grandma's daughter Calico chooses a word of the week. The challenge for writer-bloggers is to write a short story of 140 words based on the prompt photo and using the word of the week if possible, or to write a short-short story of 140 characters or less, including spaces and punctuation. The word of the week is optional, but it's easier to fit it into 140 words than 140 characters.

Below, better late than never, is the prompt photo, along with my submission of 140 characters, including this week's word: conquer. This photo brought back memories of my childhood and a 14-foot rowboat called The MacD owned by my dad and my grandfather. My brother and I loved fishing on Lake Okanagan.

Again, my grandfather, father and brother stayed on the lake until sunset, trying to conquer the big trout which had eluded them all summer.

Now that I've written my contribution, I can check out the others, always a great deal of fun. Thanks, Grandma and Calico!

Succinctly yours: old advertisement

Photo provided as prompt

Oh, Mama dearest, I'm afraid I'm simply not ready to learn to play the balalaika, but I would like to play horsie with your rocking chair.

Posted for
Succinctly Yours
hosted by Grandma's Goulash

Every week, a photo is provided by Grandma's Goulash, to inspire bloggers to write about it in 140 words or less, or else 140 characters including spaces and punctuation. Above is my submission of 139 characters.
There is also a word of the week, chosen by Grandma's daughter Calico before she saw the prompt photo. This week's word is not balalaika. Actually, it is impetus, something of which I have very little these days, certainly not enough to be able to share any with my Succinct submission.

Succinctly yours: enchant

Posted for Succinctly Yours,

the microfiction meme hosted by Grandma's Goulash. Each week Grandma posts a photo to inspire us to write a short story of 140 words, or a short-short story of 140 characters, including spaces and punctuation.

Before being shown the photo, Grandma's daughter, Calico, provides a Word of the Week, which can be used, or not, at the writer's discretion. This week's word is enchant.

Here is my submission of 140 characters, which more or less uses the word of the week.

Photo prompt courtesy of Pat and Jerry, microfictionists extraordinaire.

The inexperienced actor was enchanted to play a central character in a new movie, but no one told him to report to Wardrobe for his costume.

Succinctly yours: serendipity

Rocky cheered the serendipity of finding a container of water for washing his food. Then he realized this gardener hadn't left any food out.

Posted for

Succinctly Yours

hosted by Grandma's Goulash,

in which Grandma posts a prompt photo every week and her daughter, Calico, suggests a word of the week before seeing the photo. Writer-bloggers are to write a short story of 140 words based on the prompt, or a short-short microfiction of 140 letters including spaces and punctuation.

Above is my contribution for today. 140 characters, using the week's word:

serendipity.

Succinctly yours: speculate

His broker wanted him to speculate in the stock market.

His father told him to get a job before speculating in anything.

‡

Each week, over at the blog Grandma's Goulash, Grandma chooses a photo and her daughter Calico chooses a word of the week before she ever sees the photo.

Then writer-bloggers are given a choice:

1. Write a short story of no more than140 words about the photo

2. Write a short-short story about it, using no more than 140 characters, including spaces and punctuation.

3. Use the word of the week if possible, but there's no penalty if you can't.
‡

Above is my submission of 120 characters, including spaces, punctuation and the word of the week, to this week's SUCCINCTLY YOURS!

Succinctly yours: woman on bench

Each week, a photo is posted on the blog Grandma's Goulash, and writer-bloggers are invited to write a short story about it in 140 words or less, or a short-short item of 140 characters or less, including spaces and punctuation.
I'm running late  this week but I'm going to try for the 140-character option.
Here are my three submissions:

*


The woman sat, dreaming happily after her lunch. Little did she know the park police were coming, to make her their first littering arrest.
139 characters
*
The park policeman radioed: "We've got a litterer, Sarge, on the left: sunglasses and conflicting stripes. Should we bring her in now?"
136 characters
*
Her husband approached and said, "Quick, pick up those papers. Don't you know the new litter law starts today and I'm the crown prosecutor?"
140 characters
*
Each one a mini-story on its own, or read all three in a row for a maxi-mini story with a mere 70 words, half the suggested number.
However, the word of the week, chosen by Grandma's daughter Calico before she has seen the photo, is "dream" and I've used "dreaming" instead. Succinct, yes. Perfect, no. But it is almost midnight. G'night, folks!

Succinctly yours: dinosaur memories

Every week at the blog Grandma's Goulash, writer-bloggers find a photo to inspire us to write succinctly, which means something like "brevity squared". We can write a short story of 140 words, or a short-short item of 140 characters including spaces and punctuation.

There is also a word of the week for us to include if we can. This week's word is memories, which didn't fit into my poem, so I had to use it in my title (which doesn't count). The word is chosen by Grandma's daughter, Calico, before she sees the photo.


I want a dinosaur for Christmas.
Only a dinosaur will do:
One to stand so tall,
To make my bro feel small,
He will cry every time he looks!


140 characters including spaces and punctuation

Succinctly yours: beholden

Thus it behooves us, even as china figurines, to remember we are beholden to God and Native North Americans for turkey, corn, and this land.

Posted for Succinctly Yours
hosted every week by Grandma's Goulash,
when we are invited to look to the prompt photo for inspiration in writing a short story of 140 words, or a short-short story of 140 characters including spaces and punctuation.
There is also a word of the week, chosen by Grandma's daughter Calico before she has seen the photo. This week's word is beholden.
Above is my submission of exactly 140 characters, including S&P, as well as the word of the week.
To all North Americans of ancient native descent, please believe me sincere in my use of the word beholden.
By clicking below you can see how the prompt photo inspired other writer-bloggers to write succinctly,  HERE!