I do a little activity with my classes now and then called 55-Fiction. The concept is pretty simple. You write a short story that is exactly 55 words long. It's a great lesson in writing economically as well as revision as you try to whittle your story down (or build it up) to exactly 55 words.
Last year, we did 55-Fiction the week of Halloween with the goal of writing scary stories. I wrote some examples which turned out kind of nice. Not terrifying stuff, but a little creepy.
So here they are. Enjoy.
It was a typical night at the morgue. I played solitaire while waiting for the other coroner to arrive. The building was empty and locked up. I heard footsteps in the hall.
“Tom?” I hollered. My cell phone rang. It was Tom. He was going to be late.
The doorknob turned.
I had one student this year, Maria, who asked me if I'd shared this next one with my wife. I hadn't. I wasn't intentionally keeping it from her, I just never thought to bring it home. So Maria pestered me everyday: "Did you let your wife read it? Did you let your wife read it?" Finally, I printed out a copy and showed it to Cristina. Here it is:
I patted my wife’s hip and rolled over, adjusting the covers and switching off the lamp. Ah, what a night! As I waited for drowsiness to come, I gazed at my wife’s face. Her eyes stared back.
Finally, I rolled over. I paused briefly and gently shut my wife’s eyelids with my hand.
This last one's a bit more than 55 words, but it's a favorite of my students:
The night was so dark I hardly noticed the hitchhiker. He climbed in out of the rain clutching a battered cardboard box.
“Where you heading?” I asked.
“Away,” he said. “Anywhere.”
“What’s in the box?”
He didn’t answer, but set the box on the floor between his feet. The guy on the radio said police were still looking for an escaped convict. Armed and dangerous, they said.
“You mind?” the man asked, gesturing at the radio.
“No, that’s fine,” I said as I switched it off.
Ten miles down the road, I dropped him off. As I pulled back onto the highway, I reached down and opened the box. I smiled and glanced in the rear view mirror.
With this rain, it should take them a while to find the body. I should be across the state line by then.
Happy Halloween everyone. Be safe.
Last year, we did 55-Fiction the week of Halloween with the goal of writing scary stories. I wrote some examples which turned out kind of nice. Not terrifying stuff, but a little creepy.
So here they are. Enjoy.
Working Late
It was a typical night at the morgue. I played solitaire while waiting for the other coroner to arrive. The building was empty and locked up. I heard footsteps in the hall.
“Tom?” I hollered. My cell phone rang. It was Tom. He was going to be late.
The doorknob turned.
I had one student this year, Maria, who asked me if I'd shared this next one with my wife. I hadn't. I wasn't intentionally keeping it from her, I just never thought to bring it home. So Maria pestered me everyday: "Did you let your wife read it? Did you let your wife read it?" Finally, I printed out a copy and showed it to Cristina. Here it is:
Good Night
I patted my wife’s hip and rolled over, adjusting the covers and switching off the lamp. Ah, what a night! As I waited for drowsiness to come, I gazed at my wife’s face. Her eyes stared back.
Finally, I rolled over. I paused briefly and gently shut my wife’s eyelids with my hand.
This last one's a bit more than 55 words, but it's a favorite of my students:
Driving
The night was so dark I hardly noticed the hitchhiker. He climbed in out of the rain clutching a battered cardboard box.
“Where you heading?” I asked.
“Away,” he said. “Anywhere.”
“What’s in the box?”
He didn’t answer, but set the box on the floor between his feet. The guy on the radio said police were still looking for an escaped convict. Armed and dangerous, they said.
“You mind?” the man asked, gesturing at the radio.
“No, that’s fine,” I said as I switched it off.
Ten miles down the road, I dropped him off. As I pulled back onto the highway, I reached down and opened the box. I smiled and glanced in the rear view mirror.
With this rain, it should take them a while to find the body. I should be across the state line by then.
Happy Halloween everyone. Be safe.
2 comments:
Those are great! The one about the wife is pretty gross. I can't help picture you and Cristina also, which is a bit distrubing. :) The last one was good too. I had to give the ending a second reading as I didn't catch it the first time. Good stuff.
Ummm...I think I get the last one. Creepy stuff. I like the 55-fiction assignement.
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