Nobody wins. Nobody loses.

500-1000 word cap. People probably won't play, but if they do here's the ONE RULE: Begin the story as CLOSE to the action as possible.

Why?

Because editors and publishers are ALWAYS telling novelists and writers, "Get to the action ASAP!" At writing conventions, in essays, they all say the same thing.

Does it work? Is it stupid?

There's only one way to find out. Start your SHORT story (beginning, middle and ending conclusion) as CLOSE to the action as possible. If your story is about a breakup, start at the breakup. If it's about a murder, start with the murder. Murder mystery? Start with finding the body.

Start writing now. 500-1000 words.

"Mary, did you forget to empty the garbage before we left, something really stinks?" said Joe. "You know better Joe, I'd never do that. " Joe abruptly opened the door as Mary put her hand over her mouth and went running for the bathroom. She had never smelled anything like this before. Instantly she tried to get herself together. Where was Joe? She saw him,in shock, staring speechless at the couch,
What the hell was a strange man doing on their couch, dead?
"Oh my God, Oh my God," she bellowed as she went screaming in terror. She'd figured out the smell...........
I'll get back to you, I have a mystery to finish.Pretty bad, that was just off the top of my sleepy head, not even kudo worthy.

Here you go, it's not my best work.

"Mary, did you forget to empty the garbage before we left, something really stinks?" said Joe. "You know better Joe, I'd never do that. " Joe abruptly opened the door as Mary put her hand over her mouth and went running for the bathroom. She had never smelled anything like this before. Instantly she tried to get herself together. Where was Joe? She saw him, in shock, staring speechless at the couch,
what the hell was a strange man doing on their couch, dead?
"Oh my God, Oh my God," she bellowed as she went screaming in terror. She'd figured out the smell.
Mary crept over toward the couch and tapped Joe, “Do you know this man?” “Nah, he must have wandered in and just died,” said Joe. “Honey, I don’t think so, what’s that red stain?” she said.
With that Joe went to the phone and dialed 911. “Don’t touch a thing.” He yelled. “Are you nuts, I’m out of here?” Mary ran for the porch unable to bear the stench any longer.
Mary started to think back to her argument with Jason the contractor. He’d lied so many times she’d threatened him with a lawsuit. His helper, John was a bit older and dependable. She didn’t really take a good look at the man, she was too shocked.
Placing a tissue over her nose, she ventured back in. Sure enough, it was John. He’d come to put the new storm door on the back of the house. Jason never checked on anything. She said to Joe, “I think he hurt himself and came in the rest, that has to be it.”
Just then the police arrived along with the coroner. They IDed John and verified who it was. Mary explained what she thought had happened, but the police looked wary. "Mrs. Williams, we’ve had several reports from Jason reporting your threats to cause him bodily harm." said the officer. “But, I was just angry, I didn’t mean it, and that’s not Jason.” “Perhaps you made a mistake in the dark.” said the officer.
“How, we were on vacation, would you live with that smell?” said Joe. Soon Mary was in handcuffs and being driven to the station.
“I have such a big mouth,” she said as she shook her head and cried.

Wicked!

~I started this at a pivotal emotional, nervous scene point 950 words~


Carollyne.


"Hey, so listen, I know we've only just met, but I, I've really enjoyed it and I was wondering if you would like to go out sometime? Not like a date or anything, just for lunch, the park, just something casual, ya know?"

Asking the question, Marcus gave a soft, winsome smile with just the slightest lift of an eyebrow. A casual askance despite the nervous pounding in his chest. It had been years since he had even tried to ask any woman out but there was something about this lady, Carollyne, from Nevada, some element in her nature that captured his attention and wouldn't let go. He just had to try.

Carollyne didn't answer right away, just smiled, her pale pink lips held lightly together in a gentle, uplifted curve, a searching expression in her look. After a seeming eternity that smile widened, her perfect teeth glimmering faintly in the ambient, overhead lighting at the bar counter. "That sounds good," she said, the words sounding almost lyrical in the sweet pitch of her voice.

It was all Marcus could do to keep his own voice steady and not crack like an excited youth. "Great," he managed, than cleared his throat. "I'll let you pick where and when."

"Fair enough," she answered.

Marcus' closed mouth smile broadened.

"Anywhere?," Carollyne asked, her dark green eyes looking into his, a slight lift to her eyebrow now.

"Sure, anywhere you feel comfortable."

Carollyne glanced down at her full glass on the counter as she slowly traced it's rim with her finger. "Well, I'm going to be busy all of tomorrow so how about a late night coffee?," she asked then looked back to Marcus, both brows lifted slightly now.

All but dumbfounded that such a beautiful, charming lady as Carollyne had agreed to go out with him in the first place, Marcus gave her a jittered nod and a bit of a shrug, "Sure, sounds great. So tomorrow night then?"

"Actually I was thinking now if you wouldn't mind. I'm not really in the mood for anymore of this bar."

Marcus was quiet for a moment as his mind worked to catch up with the situation, then, "Yeah, sure, I'd like that. There's a little cafe just a few blocks away that's open 24 hours. It's a nice place and they have good coffee."

Carollyne nodded, her smile in Marcus' eyes seeming to dazzle brighter. "Let's go."


For a block and a half Marcus and Carollyne's casual, laughing talk continued, until she said something that faltered his step and brought him to a halt. Taking a step beyond him, she stopped and looked back, "What's the matter?"

Marcus blinked at her a few times, pushed up his glasses to focus better on her. "What?," he asked with a hesitant voice. "What did you say?"

Carollyne's questioning expression turned soft, understanding. "I said I know your secret." Moving close she reached out and took his hand with a tender touch. Her eyes, seeming to almost glow in the surrounding night, looked up into his, capturing him fully. "I know your secret, your wish to die." Gently, Carollyne slid her hand under his sleeve, her fingers tracing up the scar that started at his wrist.

Every part of Marcus screamed to flinch and pull back, every little bit except for one small speck deep inside. A little, hidden away bit of his self that longed for nothing more tan the salvation of being seen at last. That little bit was enough to hold him still in her hand. That little bit, and her eyes. "How?," he whispered, the word coming out almost as a gasp as inside his heart was clenching it's self.

"Does it matter?," she whispered back, her's coming as a sweet hypnosis.

Finding his mouth gone dry, all Marcus could do was shake his head to signify no.

Slowly, Carollyne reached up and put one hand on his chest, his heart surging at the touch. The other she put to his cheek, stilling hi head, his mind, every thought he had ever had. "That's why I'm here Marcus. With you, now. Because I know, I know and I love you for it and I want to help you. Will you let me help Marcus? Do you want me to?"

Marcus didn't utter a word or move but none the less Carollyne smiled, her lips pulling up exposing her gleaming teeth, the canines of which, unbelievably, elongated and seemed to grow sharper as he watched.

"Thank you," she whispered in response to the answer she felt in his mind. The answer of yes.

There was pain at first, but it was pain that could only be described as searing pleasure. Searing pleasure as her teeth bit into his neck, cutting into his jugular vein. That soon went away though as he felt himself melt into her mouth. Felt his consciousness spin, slowly at first, then faster as everything around him began to fade, his world spinning into blackness. Spinning into her.

"Thank you," Marcus whispered with the last of his strength. Whispered just before everything went black and he knew no more.

Carollyne moved her mouth away from Marcus' throat then, holding up his body as blood loss slowed and stopped his heart. "Your welcome, my love," she said softly, a hint of adoration in her angelically haunted voice. In the dim glow of the distant street lights his blood glistened on the darkening blush of her lips. "Rest in peace now," she told him, a single drop of blood falling from her lips to the inner corner of Marcus' eye, mixing with the last tears he would ever cry.

~maw, 10-09~

~just wrote this this morning~


Sweet Carollyne.


The blow came hard and fast, hitting Carollyne in the side of the head like a truck. If she'd been wholly mortal it would have killed her, but she wasn't. Not wholly. Instead she was spun and hit the pavement hard and in a heart beat her attacker was on her.

"This is from Darrius," the man, not wholly mortal himself, snarled as he slammed his booted foot down.

Had she been a lesser creature and slower it would have been her head that cracked instead of the asphalt. Carollyne wasn't slow though and a full second before the man's foot hit her head was gone. Time enough. Like a serpent her body undulated, moving her head clear then surged back and up. With the move she raked her hand out, razor sharp nails slashing the man from stomach to collar bone, and had looped away by the time his foot had struck the ground.

At first the man didn't notice anything, so intent was he on his prey. Glancing up from where Carollyne should have been he looked to where she was. In front of him. Half turned towards him she stood with her shoulders drooped and her head hung at an angle. One bright eye staring at him, glowing a phosphorous green behind the curtain of her pale, reddish-gold hair. Both surprised and furious that she had moved so fast the man growled, feral and savage, making to move. Then his eyes caught sight of the hand she was holding out. From the fingers a dark liquid dripped, blood. His blood, such as it was. A moment later he felt the skin of his abdomen part and the stagnant coils of his entrails spilling out. Then the pain hit. An insane vacuuming sensation within his chest as his guts pulled away, it blossomed in his brain like fire and he hissed a scream beyond human hearing.

For blocks around dogs began to howl at the noise and Carollyne twitched her head. Letting him scream. Watched as he bent over, grabbing at his torn mid-section. Watched for a minute then, deciding he had suffered enough, swung her arm under and up, grabbing his throat, sinking her fingers in, clenched and then ripped it out. The scream stopped and the man's permanently dead body dropped to the ground in a heap.

Relaxing her fingers Carollyne let the cold hunk of tissue in her hand fall. She kneeled then and reaching out wiped her hand off on the mans shirt. "Thank you," she said, "I'll tell Darrius I got the message."

Not the first attack of this kind she had faced, Carollyne now knew it wouldn't be the last. For that freedom she knew that she would have to face Darrius once and for all. She would have to kill him, the man that at one time had been her mentor but now was just insane. Resolve fixed she looked to the dark eastern sky and let out a deep breath that bore the weight of a fixed fate. "Soon enough Darrius, soon enough."


~maw, 10-09~

Never tried or thought about it, and honestly, I wouldn't have a clue of how to do it, that's a completely different world from the one I live in.