Hello, Writeclubbers-

Shakespeare, in his infinite wisdom, once mentioned (somewhat ironically) that “Brevity is the soul of wit,” and we couldn’t agree more. And after reading Julie O’Hora’s recent contribution to the site, we had an idea for a tidy little prompt, and hope you play along.

That’s why we’re introducing the 100 WORDS PROMPT: Write us a story. It can be fiction, or non-fiction. The only restriction is that it is EXACTLY 100 WORDS LONG. Not 99 words. Not 101. We have the tools to check. We will be judicious about hyphenated words. Title not included in word count.

Submissions will be published via writeclubatlanta.com, and we will even select a few to add to our upcoming 100 Words Podcast.

Please send your submissions to writeclubatlanta@gmail.com, with your name, title, and story in the body of the e-mail.

Now go, and be brief.

Well, it’s roundabout that time of year… Time to visit with loved ones, grab a cup of wassail, gather around the fire, and bitch about how much you hate the magic of the holidays.

Be you Christian, Jew, Muslim, Atheist, or just Cranky, surely you have a humbug up your ass this time of year.

On our wishlist this season: Write us a fiction, or a poem, or an essay, all in the spirit of Scrooge. Perhaps you have a cautionary tale about Old Tannenbaum? A bone to pick with Good Saint Nick? A dirty Limerick about your childhood dreidel?

WE WANT TO HEAR IT.

Be brutal! This is no time to pull punches. And when you’re done, send it via our Participation Page.

Now: go and make merry. Or don’t. Whatever. We’re gonna go read some Kafka, or something.

The other night, your Most Humble Viceroy, Mr. Tecosky, received an envelope in the mail. The contents of said envelope:

A call to arms.

-A letter of introduction, an invitation to play. A clue:

“a site to see (haiku clue)

robotic cranes dance

in singapore. in taiwan

appears tornadoes!”

-A ten dollar bill.

-A separate slip of paper. Possibly another clue, possibly a prompt. We’ll return to this momentarily.

A bit of internet sleuthing produced more mystery: These letters are all over the place. They have been found in bookstores, bars, and parks. They have been sent to authors, reporters, interested parties. We are pleased and honored to be among their ranks.

We’ll not spoil the fun of discovering how far down the rabbit hole goes; that’s what Google is for. Go out, and seek this story. Seek others in the know. We’ve already had excellent conversations with friendly strangers about this. It’s just fun. If you find anything, let us know.

And now, the prompt, printed on a small slip of paper. Your Magnificent Consigliere Mr. Johns discovered its origin: It’s from Karin Slaughter’s Fallen. Go and buy it.

The Prompt:

“64. She wanted to open the refrigerator and see food that she didn’t have to buy. She wanted to turn on the air conditioner in the summer without worrying about having to pay the bill. She wanted to sleep until noon, then watch TV all day.”

Take this. Using it, write us a story. Or a character sketch. Or a comic strip. Or a poem. A memory of horses. Length is no object.

Send it to writeclubatlanta@gmail.com, or through our “Participate” bar. We’ll read it. The winner will receive a ten dollar bill (pictured above) and will be published right here on writeclubatlanta.com. 

CONTEST ENDS OCTOBER 11.

Go ahead. Follow your narrative urge, Writeclubbers.