Sparkline

The idea is to write a piece of work in no more than 100 words. Not only is it nice to throw out snippets of fiction, it's a good way to syphon off some of the brain sludge in between bigger projects. Offering this week - Sleaze Blues.

“Let me tell you something,” said Johnson. “A while ago I took this here guitar down to a crossroads at midnight. I gave up my savings, they didn’t amount to much, and the Devil stood before me and retuned my strings. The moon came out and Satan disappeared. And after that I couldn’t just play the guitar anymore. I could play like a God, like I had an extra set of hands.” The promoter swallowed hard and took a step back. Johnson stared at him. “And you want me to play show tunes? Brother, you can kiss my fucking ass…”

Sparkline: Ideas Under 100 Words

The idea is to write a piece of fiction in no more than 100 words. Warren Ellis calls it Sparkline, and so far I haven't seen a better description for it. And it's a good way to syphon off some of the brain sludge in between bigger projects. This is my latest effort - Octopus's Garden.

She hadn’t seen him in ten years, but that didn’t stop her annual walk down to the front on the twenty-fifth of every June in the hope that he might appear in the surf. His last words had been haunting: “I could drown in your eyes.” Then they had kissed with passion, ignoring the passers-by who watched them with a strange mix of revulsion and envy. He had removed his clothes and walked into the water, and her tears had flowed. In the last decade she’d taken other lovers, but nothing had ever come close to her beautiful, twisted Merman...