Excellent recipe: Mix one part novella with seven parts short story. Delicious outcome Reading time: 2 ½ minutes – It’s telling in all the wrong ways for me as a writer that the cover of Pelecanos’ book says it’s written by the “award-winning writer/producer of THE WIRE.” Pelecanos, to be sure, has awards on his […]
Reading time: 4 minutes Under the category of Stranger Things Have Happened – I mean that literally in this case because, look above – someone (okay, John Frain) just won a writing contest. OFF THE MENU Theme: Transformation. 800 words max. Bribing the judges with alcohol, while not condoned, was never expressly prohibited in the rules. […]
Because everyone loves statistics (when someone else compiles them), we present the final tally to wrap up the 2016 A to Z Blogging Challenge on this blog: Most Viewed Letter Award: S for Shoplifter A record-setter for my blog (begun in February, so not much data yet), this post had 81 views the day it […]
Reader, you have an assignment following today’s piece. Stay tuned after reading. WRITER – Version 1 Ringmaster P.T. Ringling juggled bowling pins on his way toward the grandstand as the two-horned Unicorn loped off stage, the spotlight dimming with its exit. “Ladies and chain smokers,” P.T. barked over the catcalls, dodging an errant tomato from […]
VALET Jimmy the Valet had one thought about Mondays: Ugh! Last night, he went to park his first car of the evening, and ran the Tesla over the curb and into a fire hydrant. Realizing he had no time to lose, he sped off to Dent Wizard without looking and drove over a pedestrian. Jimmy […]
UPHOLSTERER The detective weighed the butcher knife in her hand as she weighed her Sergeant’s question, finally responding, “I keep a list of names.” “I don’t want a list, Reid,” the Sergeant barked, “I want one name and I want it on my desk when I walk into work in the morning.” They stood behind […]
SHOPLIFTER — Bernie, ready to move up in the world, planned one final shoplifting adventure before attempting his first B&E. Decided to kill two birds with one stone, taking the till from Barnegat Books on East Eleventh, and purloining the latest Donna Everhart bestseller at the same time. He helped himself to a hardcover at […]
REALTOR — Now 64, Carla was refurbished twice to keep her curb appeal and it kept the condo commissions coming. She didn’t appreciate meeting at eight-thirty in the evening, but the Conroy place hit eighty-five days on the market and she had a ninety-day contract. The updated realtor opened the door to 32-year-old Kevin, who could […]
QUARTERBACK The plan was simple: his team could still win, but by fewer than six-and-a-half points, the betting line at the sports book in Vegas. So when they were up 23-20 and about to march into the end zone from the 2-yard line, Frank knew it was time to call an audible. He’d take a beating […]
PHLEBOTOMIST Couple guys came to Jerry the first time, wasn’t even his idea. Turned out to be his idea of a good payday though, a guy making only $12.87 an hour most days. So four months later when Winston Rockhurst IV walked into Jerry’s clinic and submitted to his paternity test, Jerry recognized a […]
John Davis Frain 