Fi50 Sweet Home AlabamaBehind the Curtain is the prompt for this month’s Fiction in Fifty words #Fi50. I’m posting earlier than usual because there’s a rumour of some sort of celebration going on in most parts of the world for one reason or another.

We have been encouraging more people to join this meme all year (for many years), but with no success.  So regretfully, Rebecca is knocking it on the head. This is the last #Fi50.

I’d say it was pretty easy, really, to write a story in fifty words. In truth, most of the time I write them with a short setting, plot and result (which leaves something to the reader’s imagination) and then prune and rework phrasing to get rid of about a dozen or words or so. That usually gets me to fifty (and I do like using exactly 50!)

I’ve spotted a couple of other opportunities to spur myself on in future – in particular one picture prompt that I can’t find right now, but it’s used by one of the people whose blog drops into my inbox each week [Annette Rochelle Aben]. If not I might join in #WATWBG, or resurrect my Flashback Fridays, which Rebecca has continued diligently. Come back to see what happens next year!

This month I wrote a short story which came in at 98 words. I was tempted to leave it there, since it had more description, and therefore probably more atmosphere. But I accepted the challenge. It’s exactly fifty words. I didn’t save the longer version, so you can’t compare the two, but I’d like your feedback on whether this worked, or was too short, really.

Behind the Curtain

There was no choice. She fled with her daughter. Surely someone would help?

A hostel, a cardboard box… months passed. No money. Blocked credit card. Few people tossed coins her way.

A part-drawn curtain revealed a festive table. She knocked.

“Looks like you need us, dearie.”

She’d found refuge.

© J M Pett 2019

Midwinter’s Eve

Usually by now I’m saying ‘and that’s it for the blog, see you in the new year’ but I have two more reviews to pack in, and possibly one other update. The post before this one is the Midwinter’s Eve Giveaway. I hope you enter, and nip round to other blogs taking part too.

But if you’re going to be away, have a lovely holiday, and see you on the other side 🙂

#Fi50 | Behind the Curtain
Tagged on:                 

6 thoughts on “#Fi50 | Behind the Curtain

  • 18 December, 2019 at 10:29 am
    Permalink

    It’s tantalising – I really want to know what happens next!

    • 20 December, 2019 at 3:47 pm
      Permalink

      Patricia, I’m sorry to end it, too. But I just felt like a blog hop with two participants was too sad 🙂 Plus, with all the travel we are doing again this year, my blog will probably get short shrift again, and I couldn’t commit to a regular feature. Like Jemima, I hope to find something similar to hop into.

  • 20 December, 2019 at 3:49 pm
    Permalink

    I think the story works, but would love to know more 🙂 I can imagine it, though.

    • 20 December, 2019 at 11:38 pm
      Permalink

      I think 50 words is all about the imagination….

  • 20 December, 2019 at 11:40 pm
    Permalink

    Sigh… this blog needs some tlc in the nether regions of its innards…

Comments are closed.

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox

Join other followers: