Random thought: I got a new universal remote control. Wow! This changes everything!
Before I get to the Story of the Week, here’s a quick update on the writing contest that I credit/blame for introducing me to the world of flash fiction stories. The Monterey County Weekly runs a 101-word story contest each December, and after I submitted a story a few years ago, I got hooked. They let you submit up to three entries. Last year, all three of mine were honorable mentions. This time they liked two of mine. I’d call this a humble brag, but until I can crack the top three, it’s just more motivation to keep writing. And why not? It’s something I love doing, and it keeps me out of trouble (most of the time). This week’s tale was motivated by a prompt sent my way by a reader who goes by the cryptic name of -et. Thanks for the prompt, -et. Took me a while to get around to it, but I always appreciate words of inspiration, so keep them coming, kids!
Speaking of contributions, thanks to those of you who let me know that you like the idea of me possibly taking a whack at adapting one of my screenplays (“Grammy Goes Gangster”) into a novel. I think it definitely has possibilities. I’ll keep you in the loop if I move forward on that one.
And now on to the Story of the Week.
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He Didn’t Turn the Otter Cheek
Once again, the high school swim match pitted the Otters against the Trojans, led by the arrogant Fletcher.
“Otters?” Fletcher mocked. “It’s embarrassing when your mascot is an adorable fish.”
“A fish? What a moron,” Danny said. “You Trojans… talk about embarrassing names. Maybe you should try a marine-related name like us. How about the Sperm Whales?”
“No thanks.”
“The Bearded Clams?”
“Shut up or I’ll—”
“Love Mussels?”
“Why you gotta be so—”
“I got it—the Octopussies!”
Fletcher fought back tears. He stomped away. “Coach?”
Danny’s team high-fived him.
“Looks like we finally got rid of the Crabs,” Danny smiled.
Prompt: Otters
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Novel News & Notes:
Nothing new to report on the novel front this week as I continue to let the latest draft marinate. I think there’s a good chance I’ll bravely crack it open next week, give it a read and see what I have to work with. Hopefully, I’ll be fairly pleased with it. We’ll see.
One more note about the Monterey County Weekly’s contest, as mentioned above. Just in case you’re curious (and who wouldn’t be), here are the names of the three stories I submitted (along with the dates they appeared in my blog): When His Search Hit the Paws Button (1/25/24); Stuck in the Dating Daze (4/25/24); and This Thanksgiving Guest Made a Big Hit (11/21/24). Stuck in the Dating Daze was the one that didn’t make the cut. It was a silly one, but maybe they had already reached their quota of silly. Oh well—at least I was entertained (and isn’t that what it’s really all about?).
As always, thanks for listening.
Scotty out