Todd's Story - Micro Fiction

The Boat

The Boat

Written by Kenny Porter

P.J. Combs was being stalked by a very determined speedboat. He didn’t like it one bit. Anyone close enough to P.J. could see the beads of sweat glisten off his forehead as he hurried across the sidewalk. But no one could miss the small floating speedboat that bobbed along behind him.

            “Something bothering you, P.J.?”

            “Looks like you’re in a jam there, Peej.”

            “Maybe you should talk to someone, P.J.”

            Each passerby on Weston Street had their two cents about the situation. All P.J. wanted was to get to his apartment, lock the door, and forget about the whole thing.

            Sweat pooled in P.J.’s dollar store socks and his shoes squeaked on the pavement. The sound stopped abruptly when he reached a red light. His fingers tapped on his pants impatiently as he waited for the light to change.

            A sharp pain struck him in the back.

Moths

Moths

Written by Kenny Porter

            “Get the camera ready!” Jeff shouted.

            “I’m trying,” Carly said, “you left the damn cap on.”

            Jeff climbed onto the hood of his car. The sand caked above the tires rubbed off on his jeans. He couldn’t see any stars, but he didn’t need to. He had the lights.

They all had the lights.

            Crackles and booms echoed across the desert. Jeff could make out the tiny red blips of other cameras up and down the highway where moths were taking in the spectacle. They never knew when the lights would show up, only that they moved west. People liked it that way. Jeff didn’t.

Writing Quote of the Day - 10/18/2016

Words from the King

Stephen King might not be my favorite writer, but he's my favorite work ethic inspiration. On Writing taught me the importance of writing every day and treating it like a job, even if you're not getting paid to do it.

I don't know how I could have become a better writer this year without all the reading I've done. Anyone who wants to write should read every single day. Read an article, a short story, a chapter of a book, or a comic. Anything and everything will help make you a better writer.

Simple as that.

The Grill Out

The Grill Out

by Kenny Poter

Mike Harrison’s shoes were on fire. He stomped and stomped, but each smack against the pavement made the flames spread to the cuffs of his pants.

            “Someone fucking help me!” Mike shouted.

            The employees at his backyard picnic were a healthy mix of frozen with fear and secretly delighted. The annual cookout at Mike’s house was supposed to build strong friendships with his employees, but the stray piece of charcoal from the grill killed the mood faster than usual.

            Mike stomped his left foot on his right. Then his right foot on his left. Finally, he gave up with stomping and ran over to the pool.

            Mike fell flat on his ass, dropping his legs over the side and into the cold water.

            “Yahhhhhh,” Mike wailed.

            He lifted his singed shoes up from the pool water. His pants and shoes were so badly burned that he couldn’t even see the original spot where the flaming charcoal hit his loafers.

Tools of the Writing Trade

I don't mean to be a brand whore, but these are the two most used items in my writing arsenal. One big part of writing is feeling comfortable. For me, it's always a cup of coffee from Starbucks and a Sharpie pen.

Why?

I stopped at Starbucks at the Meijer store in Grand Haven a lot when I was taking care of my grandmother. I got to know the women there and they were always super nice to me. Each time I grab a cup of dark roast or a steamed cold brew (which is delicious) I think about those times and how nice those gals were.

The Sharpie pen just writes like a dream. I tend to write messy with ink, but the fusion of pen and marker makes even my own chicken scratch a bit recognizable to me.

What are your tools of the trade?

Writing Quote of the Day - 10/12/2016

Here's a writing quote for all writers to hold dear.