It’s time for the second campaigner challenge via Rachael Harrie’s blog.
Here are the rules:
Write a blog post in 200 words or less, excluding the title. It can be in any format, but the blog post should include the word “imago” in the title and also include the following words: miasma, lacuna, oscitate, and synchronicity. For an added challenge (to be included in the word count) make reference to a mirror. For a greater challenge, make your post exactly 200 words.
Here is mine:
Her Imago
A gasp of air, a beating heart, and a flushed face; these are the signs of a broken girl.
She crashed onto the floor. There was a buzzing in her head followed by silence.
They met when she was a child. She’d known him her whole life. The lacuna between them was immense and uncomfortable. Most days she would dream about the father she wanted, but today all she could focus on was the floor needing a good scrub; a hands and knees job.
She tried to ignore the past, but the miasma was too much now. It was time to go.
There were rules she had in order to keep herself sane: a sharp focus on logarithms, the latest Hollywood gossip, and exercise. They always calmed her down.
Her bedroom was a prison. She looked in the mirror and oscitated. The phone rang. It was her mother asking her to move back in. The synchronicity of events amazed her.
Tomorrow she would leave. In a few years, she would be out of her house too and under her own rule.
She crawled into bed and fell asleep counting down the days towards freedom.
Thanks for reading!
41 Responses to “Second Campaigner Challenge”
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This is great! Very good story. 🙂
I like the way you used the real meaning of the words 🙂
Thanks Abby!
@ Jennie – LOL! Those were tough words to integrate into such a small passage.
J.R.,
I love the precision of your sentences. Writers will either write with sentences that are too complex or they’ll put their trust in sentences that are too simple. Yours are just perfect — each one feels right at home and in its proper place, and this piece was a pleasure to read.
The first line is perfect. Drew me in immediately!
Thanks Rance!
Good flash fiction and great use of the words!
Very nice. ; )
I just want to give the character big old squeeze.
This story was very well written and enjoyable.
logarithms?? Another word I’m going to have to look up. I am getting schooled on this campaign!
Your mastery of words shows here. I found myself at the end of the story really fast. No wasted pauses or words. And you made those tough words work!
Great job, Susie! 🙂
Good story! Like the way you use the words.
I absolutely love that first sentence.
Nina, that first sentence is an absolute knock out! Your story is just beautiful.
Lovely story with lots of feeling. I really enjoyed it!
Beautifully simple and so true to life. Love it and the way you incorporated the words! 😀
It really is a sad story, but with hope…I like that. I’m happy to see that you actually used the true definition of the challenge words, I’m disappointed that many others felt they could just “make up” any meaning they wanted. Thank you for writing a great, enjoyable story.
Wow! What an intense piece! You story sucked me in right from the beginning and didn’t let me go until the second reading. Very well done!
I’d read more – I want to know what happened to her. Very well done! I’m #34 🙂
Such a sad existence. I liked how you shared specifics of how she coped.
“There were rules she had in order to keep herself sane; a sharp focus on logarithms, the latest Hollywood gossip, and exercise. They always calmed her down.”
The Write Soil
My post is #50.
Wonderful use of the words. Nice imagery and positive outlook at the end.
Nice story and I agree, those were tough words to integrate. What’s your number so I can vote for you?
P.S. Mine is 71
Great piece. I feel bad for the MC.
Have a great weekend.
I am so rooting for this character and would love to see her find her freedom! Great job!
Great story! I agree with David.. It sucked me in and next thing you know im done. Great flow! I would def read more! 🙂
Thank you all for your support. My linky number is 22.
Love this. I like your clipped style. I would read more, definitely.
Enjoyed it! Good story.
Nicely done – beautifully written!
Excellent use of the challenge words. You wove them seamlessly into the piece. Bravo.
Interesting scene. Sounds like a life of drudgery which is self-imposed to a great extent. Will she really be content in her new life? Probably not without a reality check.
Good use of the words.
Now following.
Lee
Tossing It Out
The opening line is absolutely fantastic (and the rest of it is great too).
I agree – the first line is really powerful. Great job with all the required words!
I’m # 157 and your new blog and Twitter follower 🙂
Ah I just didn’t have time for Challenge 2. 🙂 Darn life.
You got miasma in…good for you!!!
The word list was odd. But I like words.
T
The word list was a little odd. I tried my best. 🙂 Do you intend to do the last challenge?
Nice character development here! Kudos!
p.s. – I see you’re reading The Handmaid’s Tale. I just read it a few weeks ago, after putting it off for some time. Interesting, even relevant, concept.
I am reading it right now. I’m about 60 pages in. I find it both interesting and scary. Are you on goodreads?
Nicely done. Great first line especially, pulling us into the tone of the story right away.
Very clever. As much is written between the lines as in the black and white.
Good job.
#188
Good job. So much stuff left unspoken. Thanks for the read.
#189