Booster rockets that Jen had made from cardboard tubes littered the living room floor. Just like the real ones her mom worked on, their tissue paper parachutes ferried them safely back to earth 118 seconds after lift-off. And just like the real ones, Jen insisted they stay where they’d landed until the mission was complete.
It’s been a while since I’ve written an update, however a recent spate of submissions, rejections and resubmissions has spurred me into action. So, here are my goals for the year (yeah, I know it’s April already, but shhh), and my zig-zagging, indirect progress in the pursuit of a good story. My 2024 Goals (As […]
“Who does he think he is?” Reggie grumbled into his mead. “Swannin’ around bestowin’ blessin’s, as if he’s some sort of big shot–”
Carmine rolled his eyes, looking just like his mother. “Do we have to?”
I spun my lazy son’s beanbag around and pointed it towards the back door. “I’ll drag it all the way outside if I have to.”
“Uggh, fine.” He didn’t even look up from his phone.
I give the beanbag a playful nudge. “Come on, it’ll be fun.”
“You know it won’t.”
“The day he kicked it so hard it burst?”
“That’s the one.”
“And you were there? You saw it?”
“I heard it mate.” Dad stuck his finger in his cheek and popped it. Then he whistled, tracing an arc through the air with his eyes. “Went through, too. Post high.”
9:00 – I hovered before the door of my new home office, my husband’s cheery “Good luck, not that you need it!” still ringing in my ears. Beyond the threshold lurked an unassuming desk. A pen. A blank sheet of paper.
9:16 – So very, very blank.
I was minding my own business at one of those anonymous airport bars, you know the type. Slick, inviting, uncomfortable chairs and overpriced whiskey. I was onto my second bourbon when I got a tap on the shoulder.
“Frank? Is that you? Goddam, you’re a sight for sore eyes.”
No. Frank was not me.
Whatever happened, it must have gone down while I was out at antenna 34. She’s four clicks from base and had a control glitch that should have been easy to trace but wasn’t. Every time I started her back up, this knocking sound would ring out from her gearbox as she tried to rotate in all three axes at once and I’d have to shut her down again.
Woohoo! I’ve got to say, I’m absolutely pumped to finally share this news. About 6 weeks ago, I received an e-vite to the awards ceremony for the 2023 Best Australian Yarn Competition awards ceremony, to be held at the WA Museum Boorla Bardip on Friday, November 24th. No details. No context. I sat on the […]
What is FlashMob, I hear you ask? At the bottom of every page you’ll find a submission form, where you can submit your FlashMob Story Suggestions. Every month, the suggestions will be collated, whittled down to the best of the best, and a poll sent out in the monthly newsletter. And every month, I will […]