Win Cash Prizes & Get Professional Feedback @ Flash Fiction Magazine
Learn More
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

101 Words

101 Word Short Stories

  • Subscribe
  • About
  • Submissions
  • Volunteer

Fish Story

July 17, 2026 4 Comments

By C. A. Dahlstrand

A visitor stood transfixed at the Lake Michigan overlook. Breezes rustled through the trees. Were they whispers? A coverlet of sunlight sparkled across the water. Was it woven with diamonds? Three white pelicans flew overhead, soon followed by three bald eagles. Wonder, like an exotic fragrance, suffused the air.

She turned and pointed beyond the shoreline as her husband approached. “Three swordfish were leaping high, sheathed in pure gold.” She glanced at her husband expectantly. “That was not simply magical,” she asserted. “It was magic.”

“Sure, I believe it,” her husband replied with a sideways glance. “I just don’t believe you.”

Share this:

  • Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Share on Threads (Opens in new window) Threads
  • Share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky
  • Share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • More
  • Share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr
  • Print (Opens in new window) Print
  • Share on Telegram (Opens in new window) Telegram
  • Share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon
  • Share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp
  • Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
  • Share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
  • Share on Nextdoor (Opens in new window) Nextdoor
  • Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest

The Power of Imagery with Nina Schuyler

September 12 & 13 on Zoom
Enrollment closes Thursday, September 3 at 7:00 PM Pacific

If your descriptions are vivid but your stories still feel thin, this workshop is for you.

Join award-winning author Nina Schuyler to learn the difference between description, which tells a reader what things look like, and imagery, which carries plot, character, and meaning at the same time.

In just two days, you'll learn to choose images that hold emotion without naming it, pair them so each one deepens the other, and build patterns that gather meaning as the story moves.

Learn More and Enroll

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Don Tassone says

    July 17, 2026 at 12:49 pm

    And I choose to belief her. A magical story.

    Reply
    • Don Tassone says

      July 17, 2026 at 12:51 pm

      Oops. Believe her, that is.

      Reply
  2. Nin Timbers says

    July 17, 2026 at 11:22 pm

    Great title! And I choose to believe her, too. I also love “coverlet of sunlight.” Congratulations!

    Reply
  3. Cheryl Dahlstrand says

    July 19, 2026 at 11:06 am

    Thanks, all!
    Magic is as magic does- hopefully for that relationship, too.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Search Stories

The end.