Monday was always wash day. Vera’s forehead glistened with sweat as she fed the heavy wet cotton sheets and pillowcases through the wringer-rollers. Her mother had proudly purchased the Maytag washing machine in 1929 from Sears, Roebuck and Company. Now it was more than twenty years old and Vera was ready to get rid of […]
Continue Reading »Six-word Stories
It turns out that writing a six-word story is challenging. Here are four that I wrote.
Clearly I haven’t mastered the concept yet, as none of the four made the cut for publication in a literary magazine. Writing a six-word sentence or a six-word slogan is pretty easy. But to invoke motion and emotion in six words is not easy. I’ll keep trying 🙂
First swim lesson
A visual to accompany MORE CHAOS, PLEASE!
Lola gets ready for her first swim lesson.
(Artwork: Janine Gleason; Karen Drastal)
The enemy dog-grooming tool
A visual to accompany MORE CHAOS, PLEASE!
Robert the Maltese runs away after a bad encounter with the grooming tool.
(Artwork: Janine Gleason; Evi Pineschi)
Umbrella mishap
A visual to accompany MORE CHAOS, PLEASE!
Gabby struggles in the wind and rain with a stubborn umbrella and scattering coins.
(Artwork: Janine Gleason; Karen Drastal)
The giant litterbug
A visual to accompany MORE CHAOS, PLEASE!
In Central Park, Brian and Axel encounter a large man who litters. Axel objects.
(Artwork: Janine Gleason; Karen Drastal)
Tablet envy
A visual to accompany MORE CHAOS, PLEASE!
Mo wants a new tablet device. Lola and Eddy say no.
(Artwork: Janine Gleason; Karen Drastal)
On the subway
A visual to accompany MORE CHAOS, PLEASE!
Mo and Shannon encounter a rude passenger riding the subway.
(Artwork: Janine Gleason; Karen Drastal)
The toy store
A visual to accompany MORE CHAOS, PLEASE!
Lola and April go to the toy store. It does not go well.
(Artwork: Janine Gleason; Karen Drastal)
Foiled by Aunt Flo
A visual to accompany MORE CHAOS, PLEASE!
Lola meets Irv the janitor. It does not go well.
(Artwork: Janine Gleason; Karen Drastal)
Lola’s ice nightmare
A visual to accompany MORE CHAOS, PLEASE!
Lola has another bad nightmare. This time she’s trapped in a block of ice.
(Artwork: Janine Gleason; Karen Drastal)