At A Book Signing – Fiction

/ Ellespeth

Flash Fiction For Aspiring Writers  is having their first challenge this week.  It will be each Wednesday.   100-150 words more or less.  I’ll put the link to this week’s stories at the end of this piece.  Drop by to read or write or both 🙂  Thanks to PJ for hosting this challenge.  Here’s the photo and my story (163 words):

dawn's.challenge pic At A Book Signing

We were seated in the balcony cafe that overlooked the book store.  My book signing was set to begin in just about an hour.

You seemed nervous and more anxious than usual.  “I’m not sticking around for the book signing,”  you said.

“What do you mean?  Wait.  What?”  What does he mean by he’s not staying?

“There’s a lot about this book that isn’t true, Charlene.”  Poor Ted.  He really did seem anxious.

“It’s a fiction novel,  Ted.”

“But some of it is true. I don’t cope well with truths and lies all mingled up together.”

“You didn’t seem to mind it very much when you were reading every word Anais Nin ever wrote.”  I stood up.  I sat back down again.

“Well everyone knows she exaggerated her life,”  you said.

“And?

“And it’ll shock people to find that out about you.  That’s all.   And I can’t be here when that happens.”

“Which part scares you most,   Ted?”

“The fish story.”

“But that’s true,  right?”

Ellespeth

** find other stories here **
photo prompt copyright Dawn M. Miller

18 thoughts on “At A Book Signing – Fiction”

  1. That was a good giggle. lol the best writers write what they know. The I said/ you said is confusing though. I would suggest keeping the ‘I said’ but replacing the ‘you said’s’ with the characters name.

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    • I’m happy for the giggle. I just read the piece again and I see your point about the “I said/you said’ I’ll work on that and let you know when it’s done. Thanks for reading my work, Stephanie. I certainly do appreciate your feedback.
      I’m just settling into the week end and getting ready to read a few more entries. I try to read a few each day. I hope you’ll have a post.
      Ellespeth

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  2. I really like the banter between your two MCs, it feels real and flows well. And my favorite line is when the guy says he doesn’t like when truths and lies mingle. The only thing I wasn’t sure on was their relationship. They could’ve been lovers, they could’ve been friends. If they were really close I think he might’ve voiced his discomfort with her much sooner. Great Job!

    Love for your feedback on mine: https://romancedonewrite.wordpress.com/2015/02/20/flashfictionfriday-vol-1-the-book-tour/

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    • Thank you 🙂 Sometimes I enjoy writing dialogue. To me, it’s just poetry in quotation marks. I’m glad to hear it flows for the reader. The ‘truths and lies’ part is comical, to me, because it does happen that way, sometimes, for writers.

      Your comment about their relationship is interesting. In my head, they’re a couple. But, now that you’ve mentioned it, they could be friends or brother and sister or father and daughter. It’s a small town. Most family and friends will be at the book signing. Some fishing buddy has read the book…maybe.

      Thanks for reading my work and for your feedback. I’m just about to begin reading more of the stories now. I’ll look for your entry.

      Ellespeth

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  7. Uhoh, the tension here is palpable. I suppose it can be a bit unsettling for those closest to the writer to see her inner and outer lives come together on the page… I love the open ending.

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