Before you read my very first submission for the Red Dress Club, bear in mind that the last time I attempted to write fiction, Barbie was a main character and in the story Barbie wished she was old enough to stay up past her eight o’clock bedtime.
It’s been a while, kapish? Let’s all be gentle, it’s my first time.
Hold up, let me explain, the Red Dress Club is a blog for writers (gulp) to gather. Every week they give a writing prompt. This week’s is to write a piece with each sentence starting with the letters of the alphabet in order.
Here goes….
All
but one,
called Clara-Belle,
dove off
effortlessly.
Fumbling, she
grabbed the pier,
held tight.
“ITTYBITTYWITTLEBAY-BEEE”
Jerks. “SHUDDUP!”
Knees wobbling she
lingered a
moment.
Neck extended
open arms and…
plunge! Submerged.
Quiet.
Rising slowly.
Steady strokes.
Towards him.
Undeterred by the
violent current.
wait for me
“Xander! Wait!”
“You’re almost there!”
Zipping past the buoy, matching his rhythm, together they swim.
What were you afraid of? This was great…it flowed so well and I was wrapped up in the story immediately.
I have a thing for water imagery…of any sort. So Kudos, my friend! Well done.
Let’s see…fears include public humiliation, flogging, removal of bloggy license and immediate book deal offers (which frankly sounds like a lot of work)
Thanks Mads!
No need to be gentle, it’s beautiful.
Thank you, blushing virgin ears. Ears blush, it’s a fact.
What a lovely snapshot! You build tension, character, and setting all so thoughtfully and with surgical precision. Well done!
Visiting from RDC
Thank you Nancy!
Next time any compliments must include a definition of any literary terminology…”tension, character, and setting” all sound so fancy!
hi, stopping by from RDC.
you did great… there’s something so innocent about your story…. I love it
Thank you!
Innocent for now…we’ll see what happens once those crazy kids get back on land.
This is lovely! As someone who has lived near a pier her whole life, I read this over twice…slowly…drinking in the imagery.
Awesome first post!!
Thanks Katie.
Maybe you can help me resolve this conflict, would there ever be a strong current in the same place as a pier? Since I totally made that up I wasn’t sure if that was even a plausible premise.
Yahoo!
I so loved this?
Why? Because I felt it.
And there’s no need to :gulp: with the word in the same sentence as your name.
Cause, to me, you are a writer.
I know this because I keep returning and returning to read your words you write.
I know, I know, this’ll go to SPAM. But , so what, I had to say what I had to say.
This was excellent and I love TRDC.
Even if they are the sadists with the prompts.
xoxoxo
Hello my favorite spammer!
Let’s be real you return to read my words because otherwise I would hunt you down and whine, “why no love for the Yuliya child, come back Alexandra love me, validate me.”
And if it’s all the same to you, if you already see me as a writer can you see me a skinny writer? That’d be swell.
You know I couldn’t do this without you. You help me take those baby steps on the way to my dreams.
Ooo, girl. That was good.
I want more.
I want more.
More cake.
Writing makes a gal hungry.
Love it! You did a great job with the prompt. I hope to see you link up again at Red Writing Hood
I don’t know, this was so well received I might end up a one-hit wonder.
At least that way I could be on VH1…I don’t have cable does VH1 still exist?
Seriously, you are just amazing.
I loved this when I read it the first time and I love it more with each additional reading.
Now that we know what you’re capable of, you’re stuck with us!
You were one of those nice teachers weren’t you? Not like the dream-killing sadists I had in school.
Thank you for your support and general loveliness…I am so blessed to know you.
Geez when did I get this sappy? I used to be edgy, I swear.
Sigh.
We were all edgy once.
Right? RIGHT?
I don’t know if I’m being nice to you any more.
After all those lies you told on my blog about Santa not being real.
Oh honey, I’m sorry. Someone had to be honest with you…all those blog readers going along with your delusions, that don’t help none with your recovery!
One of my favorite RDC submissions today! So much in just a few sentences. Can’t wait to read more.
Thank you, I tried I really really tried…I almost gave up when I got to Y and Z, whew that was tough!
I am loving reading the prompts from RDC this week..what y’all have come up with is fab…this is super great – love the imagery!
And when will we be seeing you on the one and only Red Dress Club?
You nailed it! This is great. You said so much in so few sentences. Bravo!
See we were both nervous for nothing.
I really liked this. I read it twice. It’s even better the second time
Oh thank you, you are too kind.
I did my first entry today, too! Love this! Great voice.
Can’t wait to check it out!
Beautiful – seriously, your writing is effortless. The imagery is amazing. You need to keep doing these prompts
I will surely try. I’m so hard on myself that it took me a while to just let go and take the plunge…like Clara-Belle I suppose…oh look I’m relating to my character just like a real writer, go me!
I love the way you put it together, the surprise at the end. Just because you haven’t written in a long time doesn’t mean you can’t.
I’m glad you are dusting off your writing wings and I hope to see you keep writing like this.
Stopping in from The Red Dress Club.
And thank you for stopping by, I think the story had to take a turn (it took several) because of the letters…boy did I get stuck on the last two!
Really nicely done. Though I think we would have all been happy with a story about Barbie staying up past 8 o’clock as well
Visiting from TRDC
Maybe Barbie can make a special appearance in the next prompt.
Congrats for taking the plunge into fiction! That takes real guts! And a wonderful effort. Loved it. A poem, a story, sadness, fear and bravery.
The plunge was quite frightening indeed. Thanks for being part of the safety net!
Oh look! The Y and the Z! And I’m flattered you used such a fabulous boy’s name for your X!
Also not sure what you’re so nervous about. this was really good – tight, sparse, a single moment told so well.
Sorry I was so much trouble! I would say that next time I won’t be but I just can’t make a promise like that. I think I’m so nervous because I don’t have any formal training in writing and I would feel better if I knew about the mechanics…but I will learn all I can from you fabulous ladies for as long as you’ll put up with me!
You had me all tingling there….this was awesome and seems to easy for you! You need to do more of these this year, because (gulp!) I hate to break it to you, but YOU are a writer.
And my Barbie? Had an early bedtime, too.
Key word “seems”…we’ll see what happens once I tackle more of these, can’t be a writer if you don’t write, right?
That is so great! I loved it! Reminded me of racing my cousin to the floating pier and back!
A floating pier somewhere nice and warm sounds fabulous right about now…ugh winter…
Wow, I’m really impressed! It would be tough enough to follow the rules, but to make an engrossing story out it as well? Well, wow!
Thank you!
It was my first post on the Red Dress Club too. Welcome! You did a nice job.
)
Oh yay for us first timers! We should get a prize, or at least a gold star sticker…
Your first was great. It made me smile and I found the story touching, I have wanted to do a Red Dress Club for awhile but I have not gotten up the courage yet. Awesome!
Oh you should do it, I bet you would be great! And it can be non-fiction too, which is probably what I’ll stick to in the future. Courage friend, courage!
Oh it’s perfect! Talent. Talent. Talent!!!
xoxo
And so much fun! Now you try
Loved it. The micro-story could hold its own without the abc part, but I love how you made that feature work!
Micro-story? Golly that sounds fancy.
I love it! I love that it was a poem. I think that made it even more interesting.
Now give me that link to the Barbie piece!
Awesome Yuliya! You are a fabulous writer, I love reading you
Love.