Yesterday the flower. Today the bean. The last of the runners.
After a while even a hoarder like me takes pleasure in disposing of the unused and the unnecessary. The worst sort of stuff that you don't really need is electronic stuff. Lying idle hi-fi equipment is particularly upsetting seeming to reproach you for ignoring it. So it is with some pleasure that I dismantle redundant tape deck, CD player, amplifier and radio and make it ready for collection by The British Heart Foundation who will find a good home for them.
Impressed by the short, short stories which the mysterious Karl Sulac posts in his blog white-hyphen, I am planning to do something of the sort with a supplementary blog to this one which will be called One fine day. Here's my first story:
When at last they embraced she melted in his arms. He could not hide his disappointment. But he pulled himself together. After a shower and change of clothes he went out once again in search of romance. Next time, he thought, I will find a woman made of material tougher and more enduring than wax.
6 comments:
A great short-short!
That's thrilling news about a new blog, such things always welcome news. Karl Sulac's work is rather interesting, would I could say inspiring but I find I haven't got around to being inspired by it! But I shall continue to enjoy it and very much look forward to reading more of yours. This one is great, taking an odd little phrase, cliché or expression like that and twisting it is perhaps a good way of getting a story.
Somehow "melted into his arms" has to be handled differently. I understand the trick you are playing but set where it is, it is a discouragement to read further.
How about: She melted into his arms and he was disappointed, very disappointed. Embraces shouldn't end like this. (In this there's a stronger implication he was disappointed by the cliché. But the more I think about it the more I realise it requires the subtlest of attention quite out of proportion to the story's length).
I'm re-reading Those Barren Leaves which must be the polar opposite of the short stories you refer to. Long long essays of a philosophical nature offered as dialogue. But in between there are well established characters, entertaining real dialogue and funny situations. A curious mix.
Being self-critical it strikes me as cheating the truth just a bit to pivot like that on a phrase but perhaps it is just legitimate. Then of course we make our own rules.
Many thanks for your mentioning of my blog. i am very much looking forward to One Fine Day which I will be visiting soon.
your,
Karlp
The melting of wax is a strange idea, and puts me in mind of Icarus. Says a lot in few words.
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