I'll write a short story along with you this month!

Good luck with your short stories, Zac! I'll give it a shot.

Alas, I cannot do LJC with you. *sigh* I'm doing NaNo. But does it count if I do prompts on Fridays?

The post last year by Chris Baty is great. I can't wait for week 2 where I want to beat myself over the head with my laptop... *grin*

Good Luck on your short stories!

I'm in. I'm not feeling NaNo this year. I did it last yaear and didn't do well at all. So,this could bebetter for me right now.

Maybe it was the flash; or maybe it was just my unlucky day. Either way, sitting here in the dark, tied up, my hands going number by the second, I’ll give you some advice. If you take a picture, and a man in sunglasses offers you a hundred dollars for your disposable camera, take the money.

I hugged Kat. “Thought you wouldn’t make it.”

“Stand up the almost world famous photographer whose photo is gonna be on the cover of Time some day?”

She sat at the table and we both looked out at the fountain.

“What’s all those rocks and things in it?” Kat said.

“Zen. The sound is supposed to clear your mind.”

She swirled her arms, like a snake charmer. “You’re one with the universe. The universe is one with you.”

“You’re so lame. That’s why I love you.”

“Bet I know something you don’t,” Kat said. “And it’s about pictures.”

I gave her sideways look. “I take photographs.”

“That’s what I said. If I stand there against the railing and you get me just right, you can take a picture that makes it look like I’m floating in the fountain.”

I was instantly on alert. “Show me.”

I rummaged in my suitcase sized purse before I realized I’d left my camera in my car.

“Use my disposable,” Kat said.

I didn’t groan when she tossed it to me.

Kat stood there, waiting for me to frame the shot. With that little disposable thing, it was like pulling my hair out, one strand at a time.

I almost went to get a real camera, but Kat was laughing, and we were having fun.

I had the shot framed perfectly. Kat’s eyes were closed, palms pressed together, head down.

Just when the flash went off, a man in sunglasses walked by the fountain, ruining the illusion of Kat floating there. I snapped a few more, and gave her the camera so she could drop it off in the mall.

We ordered lunch and settled down to serious gossip.

#

The man in sunglasses who’d ruined my shot was at my car.

“Can I help you?”

“I wanna buy your camera.”

“You want a used thirty five millimeter? Why?”

“I want the disposable.”

“No. And if you don’t get out of my way, I’m calling the cops.”

“I’ll give you a hundred dollars for it.”

Now I was flat out scared. “Get away from my car, mister. I’m running late.”

He stepped aside, watched me get in my car.

I never saw it coming. In seconds, he was in my car beside me, holding me down, pressing something cool over my face.

When I came to, I was here, tied up. He wanted the camera. I told him I’d dropped it off in the mall.

If Kat didn’t drop off the pictures, I don’t know what he’ll do when he gets back. I’m glad I told Kat I love her today. I don’t think I’ll get another chance.

I can't commit to writing a novel in a month, mostly because I'm already beating myself about the head with my laptop. It's an interesting, creative stage; or more accurately, it will be when the headache wears off.

Good luck to you Zac, with your stories.

And just so I can get into the spirit of the month, I'll commit to writing every November prompt.

Anyone wanna join me on that?




Mark

Mark,

I'll take you up on that one! I'll need something to break up my thought process anyway... ya know, more variety = better creative juices. *grin*

I have a couple short stories that need another revision or so that I should push out the door for submission. This is a good motivator -- I'm game! Take that NaNoWriMo!

Deb, Dorraine, Melody, Lisa -- excellent! We can commiserate/celebrate when Christmas rolls around and we're rolling around in either rejection slips or comp copies. (Hey, how about this, too: I'll send all of you copies of a WD mag so that we at least get a comp copy of something :)

And that includes you, Mark, and Martha -- Prompt warriors! I'm continually in awe of people who can consistently bang out great pieces in such short time frames. And good luck with the creative headaches -- hopefully we'll all have one this holiday season...