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

Past Participle

October 23, 2024 6 Comments

By Loré McLaren

Watching as he readied for work, she saw their whole life together.

First date (he spent too much). Wedding (so much fun). Camping trips, vacations to Mexico. First house. Arguments. Laughter.

Thirty years of memories, good and not so good. All easily evoked.

But what she could not evoke in all that, what seemed to have utterly fallen away, was any image of herself.

And for the life of her, she could not remember what it felt like to be in love.

“OK, my dear, I’m off. See you tonight.”

“Have a good day.”

“I will. Love you.”

“Love you, too.”

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. jaxson-dan says

    October 23, 2024 at 9:33 am

    when love becomes just a word

    Reply
  2. Janet says

    October 23, 2024 at 9:36 am

    Wow. Real and powerful

    Reply
  3. Ed Kratz says

    October 23, 2024 at 5:20 pm

    Super. Great history of a life.

    Reply
  4. Sarah Flick says

    October 23, 2024 at 5:51 pm

    Really strong. A lot said in 101 words

    Reply
  5. Shoshauna says

    October 23, 2024 at 5:57 pm

    Lore, this is very moving, even with such plain language. Bravo!

    Reply
  6. Tom says

    October 23, 2024 at 6:57 pm

    Evoked a whole life in so few words.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.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

Primary Sidebar

Search Stories

The end.