Z is for . . . ZERO CHANCE OF MOVING

Welcome to The Blogging from A-Z Challenge April 2014! This year, I’m offering up a story – each one 100 words or fewer - for each letter of the alphabet.

Some are heartfelt, poignant, sweet. Others are…not. 

I hope you enjoy them.

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ZERO CHANCE OF MOVING

Mom asks about his imaginary friend.

“Her name is Cindy, she lives in the hall closet. Her face is all zippers - eyes, nose, everything.” Barry doesn’t like to think of Cindy’s long, stretched out mouth. When she whispers to him, the tracks of her teeth click, gnash.

“Sweetie, it’s only the luggage all stacked up. Daddy got it down from the attic, for when we move next week.”

“Cindy won’t let us.”

But Mom walks away.

“She likes it here,” he whispers.

In the closet, Cindy grins. Her zippered mouth, now glinting with saliva, slowly opens.

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King's Speech: Z is for tmZ

Regular readers of The Shellshank Redemption know how much I enjoy a good quote (see Motivational Mondays) and that I’m a huge fan of Stephen King (see the King of All Days Part I and Part II.) So, for the 2013 A-Z Challenge, I decided to combine the two, using some of my favorite King quotes about reading, writing and life in general. Enjoy!

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I think there ought to be some serious discussion 

by smart people, really smart people, 

about whether or not the proliferation of things like The Smoking Gun 

and tmZ and YouTube and the whole celebrity culture is healthy. 

(Stephen King)

I’m at the point in my life where, when I look at things online, I don’t know half the people who are talked about…and I don’t care. Don’t get me wrong – I enjoy TV (The Walking Dead – obsess much?) and movies and a few magazines, but my days of knowing who wore what and who dated who are waaaaay over. And I’m glad. But I didn’t free up that mind space for current events or politics or controversy. I fill it with more books, with creativity and imagination and art and play, with self-improvement, with learning.

I don’t consider myself one of those “really smart people” who should make the call regarding celebrity culture. I just know what’s right for me, what works for me, what I need to keep growing and improving.

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* Whew! It’s the end of the A-Z Challenge and I had an absolute blast! I enjoyed visiting and “meeting” so many of you, and I am so grateful for all of you who stopped by, who read the posts, who commented, and who now follow us here at TSR. *

Give Me a Z! ZEST

Welcome to The Blogging A-Z Challenge April 2012! Some of the most popular posts here at The Shellshank Redemption are the Motivational Mondays. So, after consulting the tortoises, we decided to make April our Motivational Month! Please join us for this (almost!) daily dose of alphabetical inspiration. We hope you enjoy it! 

* ZEST. GUSTO. HOW RARELY ONE HEARS THESE WORDS USED. HOW RARELY DO WE SEE PEOPLE LIVING, OR FOR THAT MATTER, CREATING, BY THEM. YET IF I WERE ASKED TO NAME THE MOST IMPORTANT ITEMS IN A WRITER'S MAKE-UP, THE THINGS THAT SHAPE HIS MATERIAL AND RUSH HIM ALONG THE ROAD HE WANTS TO GO, I WOULD ONLY WARN HIM TO LOOK TO HIS ZEST, SEE TO HIS GUSTO.  (RAY BRADBURY) *

If you looked up the words “zest” or “gusto” in the dictionary . . . you would not see my picture. I am quiet and tend to hover on the edges, in the background. I am more likely to be part of the team than to be its leader. And yet…

My verve, my oomph, my zest is there - it’s just on the inside. It emerges in these blog posts and in my stories and novels. I am not quick with the witty comeback or the snappy retort but oh! my characters are. If you ask me about a book I read, my eyes will light up. I can talk about writing and imagination and creativity the way people talk about their children - with love and awe and gratitude.   

On this last post for The Blogging A-Z Challenge April 2012, I give you these wonderful words by Ray Bradbury and I wish you zest and gusto in all your future endeavors.