For twenty years we keeps our Old-Land items in a compartray. Bits of trashish, we always thinks. Jims takes them to look and say when he was youngone, and even the robo-teach laugh. Sighs. We surely have lose some or else were suck away through the HousHoove.
My GranUncle says the odds and bits came off a beach.
‘What’s beach?’ I says.
‘A place beside the sea.’ he says.
‘Sea?’ I says.
‘Lots of water,’ he says. ‘No MeasureDripTM back then.’
‘Sighs,’ I says.
Jims takes the trashish to Antiquated Fly-way Show. Turns up they’re worth 230k Eurodolls. Wowsbows!
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A few weeks ago Neil MacDonald challenged me to write a funny, or at least happy Friday Fictioneers. Sorry, Neil, but this is the closest I could get! This week the picture selected by Rochelle is one of mine (thank you!). Click here to write your own 100-word story inspired by the picture, or click here to read other people’s.
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I recently interviewed my literary agent about her job. Click here to find out what makes her heart sink when she reads a manuscript submission.
Claire, that’s brilliant! You invented a world in 100 words. I’m in awe
Thanks Neil. Tried my best!
I’m not sure it’s happy, but it made me smile
Wonderful last line!
Thanks Susan!
Great invented language. Not sure I like the sound of this future world but it did make me smile. ‘Eurodolls’ currency could be a reality sooner rather than later! 🙂
Thanks Iain. It was fun writing it.
Playful language. I liked the photo too.
Thanks!
I can imagine our language going this way only too well. And our world as well. Such an original take on the prompt, and a great photo too Claire, thank you.
Thanks Sandra. I really loved yours this week.
Dear Claire,
The dialogue is fabulous. You did indeed create a new, if not disturbing world. Well done as always.
Shalom,
Rochelle
Thanks Rochelle. Glad you liked it.
This is quite marvellous, a future world and a new language in 100 words.
I have one complaint.
No reading.
I would love to hear your voice interpret this.
Thanks C.E! I wasn’t quite sure how to read the TM, so I chickened out. Next week…
Wowsbows will catch on! I loved the language you created and although the future world doesn’t look very inviting, it is believable!
Thanks Clare. Maybe we should all start using wowsbows now…or maybe not.
What a brilliant take on a prompt, the language, the future, the desperation sneaking in between. Once again you confirm your writing superiority!
Loved your image for this weeks prompt. 🙂
Thank you! (I just couldn’t quite do completely happy…)
Well, I don’t think it’s unhappyexactly – sort of in the middle somewhere. At least life and relationships are continuing and Jims made a killing when he sold them! Love the language, Claire -you’re created a whole new lingo, making it familiar enough so we know what the character means and odd enough so we know they’re some distance removed from us. A cracking story.
Loved your agent interview too – very interesting and enlightening 🙂
Thanks Lynn. Glad you liked them both.
My pleasure 🙂
Lovely photo, it looks like the wall in my writing/craft room. I read this twice to get my mind wrapped around the rhythm of the words. Glad I did.
Thanks Alicia. And congratulations on being published!
Really enjoyed this piece- I’m in awe of what you did with just 100 words! I said “Sighs,” after reading it to husband! Thanks for sharing and what a great photo for inspiration!
Thanks Katherine. Sighs came after my husband said he heard some university students saying ‘lifestyle’ in the way that we might have said, ‘cool’, or simply ‘ok’. Words and language are such odd things.
Reminds me of “Riddly Walker” by Hoban. Word building in 100 words is brilliant.
Thanks Tracey. What a complement!
I loved that book when I read it in college. It was timely in the 80’s when we were worried about nuclear proliferation. (Still should be.)
Wow, this couldn’t be further from what I expect from you. That’s good and bad I suppose. Made me think of that bloke who mixes his words up, Stanley Unwin. Still a bit flabbergasted. I need to lie down for a bit.
Hah! Stanley Unwin, indeed! I like to surprise. I hope you’ve recovered by now.
Brilliant. Such a rich world in so few words. Masterful!
Thanks so much Graham!
Oh and thanks for the photo too!
You’re welcome.
Love the evolution (devolution?!) of our language! Boy, what I could do with 230k Eurodolls. Reminds me of the “dollarpounds” in Red Dwarf 🙂
BTW I recommended “Our Endless Numbered Days” for my village book group and for once everyone agreed that it was a great read 🙂
This was great – and definitely so unlike anything else I’ve seen of yours! Poetical, too, in an odd, futuristic way.
What a clever language you’ve created – but still understandable. I love the photo but I found the story sad – sorry!
Are you kidding me? How can you doubt your success with this one. It was great. Loved the everything about it!
Loved how I thought I knew what I was reading, fab piece 🙂
Hah! That’s a good way of putting it. Thanks, Helen.
You’ve taken 100 words and painted a picture of 10,000. Not a future I fancy, but then . . .
Amazing story telling.
Thank you! Me neither…
I think it’s funny. Now where do I get me some No MeasureDripTM?
Excellent! A true measure. (I have no idea)
I like your grammar of the future.
Thank you!
The way you invent language reminds me of Stanley Kubrick, so very understandable. But maybe someone from 100 years ago would still have a hard time to understand our way of life.
Thanks Bjorn.
Science fiction, and funny: win. Your vision is darkish, the language is great and as sad as the Nomeasuredrip TM is, you had me rolling with the Eurodolls, the trashish and the Wowsbows. 😀 These are words to treasure and reuse. And thank you for the picture.
Fantastic piece – very clever.
Thanks so much Patsy. Glad you liked it.
Marvellous, you had the guts to do what I’ve always wanted to, something completely different. I love it
You should do it. Your challenge for next week…
There is so much depth to this Claire – on the surface an amusing and cute tale, but a very serious comment and warning underneath. And all told in a wonderful futurespeak. Great work,
And thanks for an inspiring picture too
Thanks Adrian. It was really fun to write.
Well, I laughed< Claire. I liked the spoken "Sighs." Ha! And the expressions you chose, especially "Wowsbows."
Thanks Amy. Glad you liked it.
Such interesting language. I read it twice, for the fun of it.
Thanks Dawn!
Oh my, with all the tech things, I wonder if we’ll be talking at all.
Nicely crafted … I enjoyed it very much.
Isadora 😎
Thanks Isadora.
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I admire what you’re doing with the language here. Great story!
Thanks so much Emily
Loved the story and the photo prompt. Thanks for the link too
Thanks Dahlia!