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 Homologist

October 22, 2021 11 Comments

By M S Clements

Jackdaw observes the terrain below with marble-polished eyes. Patience brings reward. First comes the screeching cry of a female Homo Sapiens. The male replies with deeper, bestial squawks. Jackdaw’s head tips. They lack Jackdaw’s black majesty, but intrigue, nonetheless. From within their stone nest comes a rumbling to chitter at Jackdaw’s claws, and around the twirling female’s middle, a layer of delicate skin lifts upwards, revealing legs that step to and fro, tempting the male. His bobbing head mirrors the mate. They sway. They twist. Flailing, flightless wings intertwine as the male draws in. Closer. Closer still, connecting beak to beak.

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. Derek says

    October 22, 2021 at 7:12 am

    Very good description. I enjoyed reading this.

    Reply
    • M S Clements says

      October 30, 2021 at 5:12 pm

      Thank you.

      Reply
  2. Michael Talledes says

    October 22, 2021 at 8:01 am

    This was an amazing piece and really interesting. Well done!

    Reply
    • M S Clements says

      October 30, 2021 at 5:12 pm

      Thank you. Glad you enjoyed it.

      Reply
  3. Jeffrey M. Dean says

    October 22, 2021 at 11:13 am

    Well done. The energy between the two really comes through.

    Reply
    • M S Clements says

      October 30, 2021 at 5:12 pm

      Thank you.

      Reply
  4. Valli Henry-Boldini says

    October 23, 2021 at 4:03 am

    Lovely vivid descriptions… well done… kudos…

    Reply
    • M S Clements says

      October 30, 2021 at 5:13 pm

      Thank you.

      Reply
  5. dlherrmann says

    October 28, 2021 at 9:32 pm

    Cute observation of humans!

    Reply
    • M S Clements says

      October 30, 2021 at 5:13 pm

      Thank you.

      Reply
    • M S Clements says

      October 30, 2021 at 5:15 pm

      Thank you. We have jackdaws next door but it is our Red Kite who sits in the tree opposite who can be particularly unsettling.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.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

Primary Sidebar

Search Stories

The end.