I was first introduced to this idea on Jeffrey Callison's Sacramento NPR radio interview show called Insight. He interviewed Jason Sinclair Long about his blog "Flash Fiction 365". You can hear the interview here.
The challenge is to write a micro-story each day. The length of the story is determined by throwing a pair of dice, preferably of different colors. One color represents the tens digit and the other the ones digit. So the story can be from 11 to 66 words. Of course some lengths are left out using this method. You could also use one die and throw it twice. Or use a die with 8 sides. Or you can do what I did and create a random number generator in Excel. This method doesn't miss any of the numbers. Mine will return a random number between 11 and 99. I am happy to share the formula if you email me.
The title is not part of the word count. Most word processors have a word count function that is very useful. You can start with a title or add it later or you can have someone suggest a title. Even though the original idea is to write a story, I plan to include poetry and perhaps essay.
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Sunday, March 07, 2010
Story: 89
Words: 78
Title: Last Days
“Hello, is anybody out there?” came the voice over the shortwave receiver. We had been listening for days and this was the first transmission we picked up. We couldn’t transmit since we only had a receiver and no way to know where the voice was coming from. Soon the batteries would be dead and with them all contact with what was left of humanity.
We looked at each other and said to the receiver, “Hello, we’re still alive.”
Words: 78
Title: Last Days
“Hello, is anybody out there?” came the voice over the shortwave receiver. We had been listening for days and this was the first transmission we picked up. We couldn’t transmit since we only had a receiver and no way to know where the voice was coming from. Soon the batteries would be dead and with them all contact with what was left of humanity.
We looked at each other and said to the receiver, “Hello, we’re still alive.”
Saturday, March 06, 2010
Friday, March 05, 2010
Thursday, March 04, 2010
Story: 86
Words: 91
Title: Summer Sunset
We walked by the river at dusk, a solitary couple following the river’s flow. The sun’s final rays matched the last heat of the summer day and felt comforting, protective.
I love the river at this time of day, don’t you?
Yeah. I love the quiet, too.
I feel so close to you, like we could merge with the day and it would become forever.
The sun let go its hold on the day and the dark took its place quickly. And all around eyes began to notice their passionate embrace.
Words: 91
Title: Summer Sunset
We walked by the river at dusk, a solitary couple following the river’s flow. The sun’s final rays matched the last heat of the summer day and felt comforting, protective.
I love the river at this time of day, don’t you?
Yeah. I love the quiet, too.
I feel so close to you, like we could merge with the day and it would become forever.
The sun let go its hold on the day and the dark took its place quickly. And all around eyes began to notice their passionate embrace.
Wednesday, March 03, 2010
Story: 85
Words: 58
Title: Fishing
The sun was setting over the delta this summer evening and our fishing poles hung limp in our hands.
Fish aren’t biting tonight.
Nope.
Shoot me a Coors, will’ya.
I popped the lid and took a slurping sip, watching the sun as it took its last look at us.
Do the fish know about the sun, I thought?
Words: 58
Title: Fishing
The sun was setting over the delta this summer evening and our fishing poles hung limp in our hands.
Fish aren’t biting tonight.
Nope.
Shoot me a Coors, will’ya.
I popped the lid and took a slurping sip, watching the sun as it took its last look at us.
Do the fish know about the sun, I thought?
Tuesday, March 02, 2010
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