Sharry Miller

Five Sentence Fiction - Devotion

I am having way too much fun with these weekly flash fiction challenges. It's time again for Lillie McFerrin's Five Sentence Fiction challenge, and this week her word was "devotion." I decided to follow up on the story I started in response to last week's challenge word, "zombie." As always, you can follow the link above to Lillie's website to see how other writer's addressed this challenge. If you decide to play, too, be sure... Read more →

Visual Dare - Frustrated

This amusing image was the flash fiction prompt for this week's Visual Dare from Angela at Anonymous Legacy. If you follow either of these links, you'll be able to visit the blogs of other writers who shared their own 100-word creations in response to this prompt. It was tough to not be too cliche, but here's my attempt. Mirela gazed around, tears of frustration and fear pooled in her dark Roma eyes. “Oh, Vaca,” she... Read more →

Sky on Fire

Thanks to flooding in Prince William Sound, the only road out of Valdez was closed last Thursday just when Rowan and I were supposed to be driving to Anchorage. According to the National Weather Service, there was a "critical mass of water at the bridges" in Keystone Canyon. By the time the canyon was opened Thursday night, there was no way I was going to be able to stay awake for a five to six... Read more →

Five Sentence Fiction – Zombie

This week, Lillie McFerrin chose "zombie" as the prompt for her weekly flash fiction challenge. My first response was to groan and wrinkle my nose. I have had no interest in the current zombie fad, and no interest in writing a zombie story. I decided to be open-minded, however, and did an internet search on zombies to learn a bit more. Wikipedia reminded me that zombies (although that term wasn't always used) originated in African... Read more →

Visual Dare - Peeking

For the second time, I visited Anonymous Legacy to see what Visual Dare was posted this week. This photo (isn't it great?) and the word peeking were the prompts for the 100-word story below. You can find the stories of others who've participated in this flash fiction challenge by going to the Anonymous Legacy blog and following the links posted there. Enjoy, and consider adding your own story to the mix. Be sure to let... Read more →

One Month of Recovery

Yesterday was exactly four weeks after my rotator cuff surgery, and my first day with my physical terrorist - oops, I mean therapist - M. I thought I'd give you a quick update on my progress. First, let me say that I've decided to spare you a self-portrait of the six-inch scar that is now gracing the top front of my shoulder. It starts just to the inside of my bra strap and curves down... Read more →

Menage Monday Missed

Well, darn it all. I just finished writing a story for this week's Menage Monday challenge, but when I went to post it on the website, I found out that time was already up. Ah, well, you can follow the above links to check out the prompts that led to my story anyway, as well as the stories written by those with a better sense of time. I can still share mine with you, and... Read more →

Imagining Room

One of the pieces of writing advice I've read, with great relief, in many places recently is that, as a writer, you don't have to know exactly where a story is going to go before you start writing. Just start, and eventually the story will find its way. Now, there are ways to make this process more streamlined, but that's the gist of it. Many writers begin an epic story with just a germ of... Read more →

Five Sentence Fiction - Awkward

This week, Lillie McFerrin's prompt for her Five Sentence Fiction challenge was "awkward." Who knew that it would be so hard to create five sentences of fiction in reaction to this prompt?! I think my main problem was that I was trying to stay away from cliches like a junior high wall flower or a cheating spouse getting caught. Anyway, here's my contribution to the mix. It was the perfect campsite: tall spruce trees dappled... Read more →

Visual Dare - Scattered Shoes

Each week, Anonymous Legacy posts a Visual Dare, a photographic prompt intended to help kickstart creativity. This is the first week I’ve participated, and this photo was the prompt for the 100-word story below. You can find the stories of others who've participated by going to the Anonymous Legacy blog and following the links posted there. Enjoy and consider adding your own story to the mix. Be sure to let me know if you do... Read more →