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

The Battle

September 30, 2020 6 Comments

By David Lowis

Jeff lists his non-drinking days in a worn leather-bound notebook he’d recently found at the bottom of a drawer. The book had been a birthday present from his now ex-wife.

At sunset he flicks to the page containing the list, grimacing when he sees five days have passed since the last date he’d written. Tomorrow will be July and he needs one more entry to beat last month’s tally of alcohol-free days.

He checks the clock and waits. At midnight—the first time he can be sure he’s cleared the previous day’s hurdle—he uncaps his pen and records the victory.

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. Ifinedo Anastasia says

    September 30, 2020 at 1:20 pm

    This is really sweet. I’m so happy for him too.

    Reply
    • David says

      September 30, 2020 at 3:37 pm

      Thanks for reading and commenting, Ifinedo.

      Reply
  2. Angie says

    September 30, 2020 at 4:08 pm

    Lovely writing. Small steps are so important and the reader can sense a lot more to the story.

    Reply
    • David says

      September 30, 2020 at 5:55 pm

      Thanks for your kind comments, Angie. Yes, a slip-up today doesn’t mean you can’t succeed tomorrow.

      Reply
  3. Meghashri says

    September 30, 2020 at 11:04 pm

    Inspiring!

    Reply
    • David says

      October 1, 2020 at 2:13 am

      Thank you Meghashri.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.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

Primary Sidebar

Search Stories

The end.