The Notice

Posted on by Colleen M. Chesebro

November 2, 2017, Carrot Ranch prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less) write a story of a chair on a porch. Why is it there, and what might it mean? Think about using it as a prop or the main thrust of your story. Respond by November 7, 2017, to be included in the compilation (published November 8). Rules are here. All writers are welcome!

The Carrot Ranch weekly challenges are the perfect vehicle for me to try out mini-scenes for my book. I promised sneaks peeks into The Meadow Fairy, book 2 in The Heart Stone Chronicles and here is a 99-word tidbit. This is an introduction to my villain, Zane Holloway.

Zane leaned back in his chair. He popped a handful of sunflower seeds into one side of his mouth while spitting out the shells with the other. Zane had much to mull over, and the porch offered no judgments.

The government warning said using Neonicotinoids in the seed treatments for the wheat crop was the reason the bees were dying. It was nonsense, and it rankled against his understanding of how insecticides worked.

He was a farmer, and the Feds didn’t know how to grow wheat. He ripped up the notice and let the scraps blow in the wind.

© 2017 Colleen M. Chesebro

Onward and Upward – NaNoWritMO!

22 thoughts on “The Notice”

    1. Thanks, Erika. I struggled with how this guy would act. It came to me in a flash. Hugs, my friend. ❤

      Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you! I hope everyone gets the feeling that he’s the bad guy but yet it’s really the chemical companies and the hunger for money that is at fault! The story is coming along nicely. Wait till you see what Abby has up her sleeve! 😀 ❤

      Liked by 1 person

  6. Whoa! Great villain! The action you set up and how it relates to the notice, his profession and his ideas is well crafted in 99 words. The sunflower seeds is a great choice for a farmer, too. Sharp writing, Colleen!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. OH, Charli. Thank you so much. Sometimes I don’t have a clue if it sounds good or not. These challenges are the best. I’m loving them. ❤

      Liked by 1 person

      1. I know what you mean. When I share a flash fiction like this about one of my characters, I use the reactions and responses to help me guage if it’s coming thru.

        Liked by 1 person

  7. Pingback: Of Porches & Chairs « Carrot Ranch Literary Community

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