Friday Fictioneer Time

Here is today's photo prompt for the Friday Fictioneers. This was a tough one. Here's my 100-word entry. Please try it and see the other entries at http://susielindau.com. Susie is guest hosting today for Friday Fictioneer founder Madison Woods.

TALL COTTON
By Beth Carter

Oscar’s neck ached from staring up at the fortieth floor windows. He scratched his head. “Ted, why do you s’pose Trump has to buy such tall buildings?”

Ted switched his mop and bucket to his left hand. “’Cause he can, I guess. What now, boss?

Oscar reached into his pocket, pulled out a blue kerchief and wiped his forehead. “Give me the bucket and go get a ladder. A tall one.”

Ted set the bucket at his boss’s feet. Sudsy water sloshed onto the shiny, tile floor. “I guess it could be worse. One of us could be Donald Trump’s barber.”

My First Online Interview

Okay, I'm excited. Award-winning author Jan Marler Morrill interviewed little old me. You can read the post on her blog today at http://jansthoughtsovercoffee.blogspot.com/2012/01/interview-with-author-beth-carter.html

Please join us for a virtual latte and learn about my writing and marketing background, my new picture book, the illustrations, my routine, my published work, and more.

One thing I learned--okay two things--Jan is a sweetheart to promote my new picture book, and I blather on too much. My answers were too long. But I hope I can hold your attention long enough for you to comment because if you do, you just might win a free, autographed copy of WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE?! Be sure and comment by February 1 to be eligible.

Thanks, Jan, for interviewing me and thanks to everyone for your ongoing support.

Flash Fiction Friday

Every Friday, author Madison Woods posts a photo prompt to encourage writers to create a 100-word flash fiction story. Read all the great flash fiction on her site at http://madisonwoods.wordpress.com/flash-fiction/january-13-2011-100words/ and join the Friday Fictioneers!

Here's my entry:

FAMILY REUNIONS
By Beth Carter

Lil' Acorn hates family reunions. He feels like a misfit. Relating to his half-cousins, Rocky, Rolling Stone, and Pebble, is next to impossible. All they want to do is sit around like, well, rocks. Meanwhile, Lil' Acorn is itching to do something. Anything.

"Watch this, Pebble!"

Lil' Acorn proudly displayed his shoot. "Look. I can make it change colors from yellow to red. Cool, right?"

Rocky and Pebble sat there stony faced as usual. Boring cousins. Lil' Acorn wished he could kick one of them.

He looked toward Rolling Stone. Again, no response. Lil' Acorn stared at the dirt wishing he knew the time. "Man, this is one boring family reunion."

Okay, that's my weird entry. Give it a try. Let's write!

MAKING THE BIG BUCKS

Excitement! I snared a first place win at the Sleuths' Ink holiday party--and I was paid $1 per word! Not bad, right? In fact, that's big bucks for a contest! Never mind that it was hint fiction (25 words). Still. I'm thrilled. I won first place and I'm humbled by everyone who voted for my entry.

The Sleuths' Ink holiday contest required members to write a 25-word story that contained a crime and a holiday. Want to read my winning entry? Here 'tis:

BUT OFFICER…

“Officer, it was target practice because my husband wanted venison for Thanksgiving." I can’t help it that I mistook the lying cheat for a deer!

By the way, I adore writing hint fiction. Do you? It's fun and forces us to be concise. I encourage you to seek out hint fiction contests. Do you have any contest news you'd like to share? Please do.

Another New Year. Another Chance.

Inspired by my friend, Jan Marler Morrill, who has a new blog featuring haiku at http://haikubyhaiku.wordpress.com, here's my haiku to celebrate the New Year:

STARTING OVER
By Beth Carter

Fresh start. New, clean slate.
Promise of new beginnings.
Must be the New Year.

Notice the repetition of the word "new." That was intentional. Don't you love fresh starts? A chance to improve yourself or change your unproductive ways? I do. Care to add your own haiku celebrating, embracing, or even dreading 2012?

Making New Year's Resolutions

Well, do you make them? I do and they're usually the same each year. Sometimes I fulfill my resolutions and sometimes I don't. Maybe if we put our New Year's resolutions in writing for all to see, we'll be more likely to achieve them. What do you say? Want to give it a go?

Here are mine (who can have just one?!):

Write more routinely
Read more often
Try Yoga
Get back into my exercise routine of four times a week
Polish my women's fiction and send it to 25 agents this year
Write two more children's picture books
Either finish my romantic suspense novel OR finish the sequel to the women's fiction OR start an entirely new novel
Get my website up and running

Okay, lofty goals but the first four should be easy to incorporate. It's that darn bottom half of the list that haunts me. How about you? Tell me your goals for 2012. We can do this. Seriously.

Express Yourself

While shopping for Christmas gifts, I thumbed through several catalogs and looked at many sites. I discovered some clever, hilarious sayings on tees and plaques. Here are my ten faves:

"I'm so busy I don't know whether I found a rope or lost my horse."
"Wine Improves With Age. I Improve With Wine."
"Ho Lee Chit" (using a Chinese-like font)
"I'm so old I fart dust."
"When in doubt, mumble."
"Sometimes I laugh so hard tears run down my leg."
"Don't make me put my hands on my hips."
"Be careful or you'll end up in my novel" (I have this one!)
"With enough thrust, pigs fly just fine."
"I'd agree with you but then we'd both be wrong."

Hope these gave you a chuckle during this frenzied season! Which one is your favorite? And please share other clever sayings.