Alison leaned on her hand, searching for the next line, so deep in thought that she didn’t note the light tap and dip of her quill pen against her temple. Continue reading
magic
January 30: Prepare
(To access the beginning of this 6-part series, please visit here: Solitude’s End)
Time Will Tell
Flora never met the little forest man in person, after all, although the storm had passed through over night, and the day that followed was sunny and unusually warm for the time of year. But she had seen his tiny footprints in the morning dew on the cement slab of the sheltered porch. Continue reading
January 27-28: Understanding and Abscission
(For the previous installment in this story, please click to my earlier post: What’s in a Name?)
January 27: Understanding
Decisions
Flora has been my BFF for longer than either of us can remember. And she was always a Flora, and I was always exactly who I am: a Megan. Continue reading
January 23-25: Unbelievable, Journal
January 25: Journal
Gratitude
J-ust flipping through the journal stacks
O-prah, Ladies’ Home, and Country Shacks
U-p and comers follow their lead
R-ead with interest to determine their need
N-ow I, unfunded, can afford to say “no”
A-nd walk away from the circus show
L-imited funds have their happy use
© Liz Husebye Hartmann (2022)
January 24: Unbelievable
What’s in a Name?
“But I swear to you, it’s all true!”
“Yeah, I think you spend too much time on your own, Megan,” Flora laughed. She frowned at Megan, at the hair that hadn’t seen a stylist for an entire summer, the crow’s feet limned in white from squinting into the sun, and the strong, tanned legs with skin just a bit too dry. At least she was still shaving her legs, but the cuts-offs were torn and baggy, and there was a stain on the oversized t-shirt.
Flora continued, “So where is this little forest man you’ve been telling me about?” Continue reading
Who’s Being Tamed?
(Looking & Mission, Jan 20-21)
Hunched just behind the shrub-encircled tree, he squeezes his eyes shut. He’s grown to love the sunny-morning scent that precedes the screech and bang of the screen door, the soft pad of bare feet on cold, painted cement, followed by the softer hush of those feet crossing the grass. The wooden chair groans as she lowers herself onto its cool slant and tucks her legs out of the dew. Continue reading
Just-Jot-It-January (Jan 9-Unicorn)
So, this month I’m doing a challenge to write a micro a day, for Just-Jot-It-January. Thanks to Linda G. Hill, bloggers in the “Play Group” have proposed a one-word prompt for each day. We share our responses back to Linda’s page, and are able to read what others come up with. Most days, I post my responses every few days in bundles, but today’s single prompt – UNICORN — reminded me of a fun piece I wrote in late 2020, in the Before Times. And if this prompt tickles your imagination, please click the connecting link on the bottom of the post to read others’ responses!
During late 2020, the Rough Writers of Carrot Ranch were challenged to write a 99-word flash that combined Romance and Western; I guess in that sense, the task might classify as Speculative Fiction, with my addition of a magical unicorn. In order to get to the final flash, we all had to cycle through a series of steps/products that varied in number of words, point of view, tagline, and weird trope prop. That’s the technical, but read on for what turned out to be a revelation for me, and hopefully, entertaining for you: Romance of the Rails.
© Liz Husebye Hartmann (2022)
To see others’ Jan 9 responses click the following:
(https://lindaghill.com/2022/01/09/daily-prompt-jusjojan-the-9th-2022/)
Prayer For a New Year
Source: Matt Fraser
I meant well, sending her off on an impossible quest for the Silverword Cascade, hoping she’d find distraction and joy during the painful waiting time until her childhood friends return to her; No Baba Yaga am I — my magic is limited to perception only of magic’s heady limerance, and I hadn’t felt her subtle glow. Continue reading
Valley of the Trolls 