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101 Word Short Stories

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The Tightrope

April 25, 2025 4 Comments

By Zara S

She balances on the tightrope of expectation and desire, the world a fog of judgment around her. One wrong move, and everything unravels.

She’s spent years perfecting her persona, juggling a facade of joy with the torment of her own unspoken hopes and dreams. Friends cheer on the sidelines, oblivious to the tremors beneath her feet.

She fights to stay steady, but the weight of others’ dreams presses down. One night, she lets go, tumbling into the unknown. She falls, but this time it feels different.

There’s liberation rather than terror.

A soft landing…the first time she’s ever felt alive.

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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.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Mary Anne Gorman says

    April 25, 2025 at 7:01 am

    Zara, your writing is incredible. There is liberation rather than fear, and freedom arises. You say so much in so few words. You are gifted. Have you published anything?

    Reply
    • Zara Siddiqui says

      May 10, 2025 at 2:59 pm

      No, but hopefully soon! Thanks for your comment

      Reply
  2. Raghunathan Kuppuswamy says

    April 30, 2025 at 7:40 am

    Good for her!!! Nice!!

    Reply
  3. Janet says

    April 30, 2025 at 8:53 am

    Wow! Love the use of the tightrope to show her feelings and actions

    Reply

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