Happy New Year!
This story is for Friday Fictioneers that is hosted by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields.
You can read about Friday Fictioneers at the end of this post.
Below is the picture prompt for this week and below that is my story.
Picture copyright Lora Mitchell
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Late Start
Genre: Literary Fiction
Dear Steve,
Happy New Year. I hope this address still works. I also hope you read this to the end. You may wonder why I decided to write. Well, it’s just that this new year, I decided to make a fresh start with things that are out of place in my life. The many times you tried to fix things between us, I was still stubborn and proud. Please forgive me. I hope you’re still willing to try.
Crystal asks about you sometimes. I usually don’t know what to answer. Will she finally meet her daddy before her fifth birthday?
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100 words
I read all your comments and I appreciate them, even if I take long to respond and even if I do not respond to each comment individually.
You can read pieces by other participants here.
Behind the Scenes/Comments
Our Great Leader this week introduced a rule: indicate the genre of your story, with regard to content. I could foresee occasional problems for myself there. So I asked my friend Google about genres and Google, along with my other friend Wikipedia, gave me some guidance. I hope I got it right. [Update: Our Great Leader gave some guidance as well 🙂 ]
I did not post last week, and I did not read most of the stories the week before that (my loss, certainly), simply because I do not have convenient Internet access outside the office, and I was on leave. That also means I did not have good opportunity to respond to all your comments in a timely manner, but I appreciate them. Thank you all.
However, on Wednesday this week, I wrote something quick for last week’s prompt and you can read it here.
About Friday Fictioneers
Friday Fictioneers is a group or arrangement that works as follows:
Every week you get a picture.
Prompted by that picture, you write a piece of fiction that is 100 words long (or as close as you can get).
You add a link to your story on the Fictioneers page, and read the (awesome) stories by the other Friday Fictioneers.
Feel free to join us! Everyone is welcome.
Dear Abraham,
This was a moving a poignant story and a subtle message about a good way to start off the new year. Good job and thanks for writing this.
Aloha,
Doug
Thank you, dear sir.
Dear Abraham,
I enjoyed the letter form you used to tell a complete story. You could call it “Literary Fiction” which covers a multitude. I hope this new rule doesn’t cause too much of a problem for you. I had a good reason for this and am happy to discuss it in a more private forum.
Shalom,
Rochelle
I will re-categorise as soon as I finish typing this response.
I don’t mind the rule at all and I think I have an idea why it may have come up.
I don’t say it much, but I think you have a weighty task hosting the Fictioneers and I think you carry it out very well.
I am glad you enjoyed the story.
Thank you for your support, Abraham. It means a lot. Hosting has presented a trapdoor or two I didn’t expect. Nonetheless it’s one of my greatest passions of late.
Hello Rochelle, I am interested in having a go at the friday fictioneers and I wondered where I might find out more about the genres you would like us to identify. Do you have a list to choose from or do we suggest our own? Kind regards,
James
Hi James,
You can contact Rochelle on her page (link provided above), but the rule requiring us to identify the genres of our stories was removed. 🙂
A lovely flash – full of hope and resolve to put the past behind. Nice work Abraham.
Thank you, Sandra!
This kind of makes you wish there was a follow on to resolve the conflict huh? nice job of engaging my hopefulness.
Yup!
Thanks for the comment. Glad it fanned a little hope.
This is just about perfect.
So much implied backstory.
Delayed longing.
Quite a problem for Steve, if he wants to meet his daughter.
I’m quite certain that the mom is not worth the effort.
Cheers!
JzB
Thanks JzB.
Your posts are very good!
Excellent story with a sad but hopeful ending, Abraham. I would say her letter to Steve was perfect and hope his address still worked.
I wondered where you were by Sunday last week… by Wednesday I had an answer… that was a good story.
Thanks Ted.
Last week I was mostly relaxing. Or trying to 🙂
Very well done… I like that it is a letter
I loved the approach of telling the story through the protagonist’s email. Bravo!
Thanks.
So far, of all those who have commented, you are the most technology-inclined. At least as far as interpreting this goes 🙂
Timely and well-stated, an issue I have struggled with myself. It tells of an everyday act of bravery by a fellow human. Sending that letter was brave. I felt her struggle to do what she could for her child, well done.
Thanks, er… Turnip? 🙂
Yes, some things are hard to do, though usually somewhere inside we know it is best. But it’s still hard.
this one grabbed me by the heart. well done.
Thanks! And thanks for dropping in.
Abraham,
it was a lovely story…didn’t see that coming because I was waiting for a murder!
Tom
LOLLL!!
For a short while I toyed with the idea of gunshots muffled by the sound of fireworks.
Nice job avoiding that one. Your murders are more interesting than that.
Why, thank you! 🙂
Such a heart-warming story. To begin the new year with correcting your mistakes or atleast acknowledging them is a wonderful start. Great interpretation of the prompt.
Thank you, MuZer.
Hi Abraham,
A story of new beginnings for the new year. I like it. Also thought the epistolary format was very creative. Ron
I hope the address still works too. Thanks, Abraham, for a positive and uplifting story to start 2013.
i have mixed feelings about this. on the plus side, i love the concept of the letter, and i’m totally jealous i didn’t think of it! but i don’t like that the father has chosen not to be part of his daughter’s life. there is no excuse for that. of course, that’s not your fault. you’re just writing about people. and not all people are nice. well done.
I’m glad you are jealous 🙂
About the story, the father did not choose not to be part of his daughter’s life. He tried, but the mother was ‘stubborn and proud.’
I think this is one of your best. It is just full of emotion and meaning between the lines.
A haunting and effective piece. Thanks, Abraham!
A short letter that says so much. Nice work
This is heartfelt. I hope they make it together this year.
It takes a lot to write something so open and honest. I hope Steve understands.
Beautiful and moving.
I like this story. Very touching and so relevant to the times we live in.
Thanks.
I really liked yours too. My comment there may have been marked as Spam.
I’m loving your 100 word stories and really do love the whole concept 🙂 I may yet be tempted! 🙂
Yield to that particular temptation 🙂
It’s plenty of fun and you may be surprised at the stories you will come up with.