The Best of Intentions. It’s a 6.

I was 6 years old, maybe 7 when my parents surprised me at Christmas, with a near life sized raggedy doll. Her feet had an elastic strip sewn into the sides of her “shoes” allowing you to slip your feet through, thereby supporting the Doll’s feet as they rested upon top of your own to… dance with her.

Standing upright, the Doll measured a good 3 foot tall, long legged and lanky armed, her red stuffed cloth body was all flexible and floppy like. After all, what child wouldn’t want the pleasure of dancing with an oversized Raggedy Ann doll donned in simple dress, her head a mass of yellow woven “hair” childishly styled in pigtails.

It wasn’t the body so much that made me uncomfortable, it was the face, almost flesh toned the smooth plastic had enormous, open eyes painted on in vibrant cerulean blue. If seen in the light of predawn, her smile might pass as a smirk but for the clothing and pillows I intentionally piled upon her before going to bed in an attempt to prevent my imagination from running wild with the vision of her standing by my bedside, hand extended, inviting me to take a walk.

It’s Six Sentence Story Thursday Link Up!

Welcome to GirlieOnTheEdge and another edition of Six Sentence Stories!
Not a few hours ago my brain was a’blazin’, energy seemingly sustained for… yeah, so what happened with that?! As I type these words, eyes arguing whether to close for the evening, I can’t help but think about the day. I had every intention last night to write this post, give it a final glance this morning, then hit “Publish”. If you surmised my eyes won the argument, you are correct! So I find myself taking lunch at my desk this afternoon and completing this post. Without further ado, I’d like to extend an invitation to everyone on the planet to join us this week and write a Six Sentence Story. Regular Sixers are familiar with the hop rules. If you’re new in town, take a look below. Easy peasy. Write a story, poem, perhaps the next scene in your serial story or upcoming book in 6 and precisely 6 sentences. After you hit publish, return to this post, click on the blue Inlinkz “Click here to enter” and link your story’s URL. It will then appear (with thumbnail) on a separate page with everyone else’s URL. Then what?
Then, anything can happen 🙂

Rules of the hop:
Write 6 Sentences. No more. No less.
Use the current week’s prompt word.
Link the URL to your post via the blue “Click here to enter” button below.
Link is live Wednesday through Saturday night late!
Spread the word and put in a good one to your fellow writers  😀

PROMPT WORD:  WALK

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

https://fresh.inlinkz.com/js/widget/load.js?id=a8b40ada7693d64e5923

“So long as you write what you wish to write, that is all that matters; and whether it matters for ages or only for hours, nobody can say.” – Virginia Woolf

Sunday’s Six Sentence Story Word Prompt!

Welcome to GirlieOnTheEdge and Sunday’s prompt word reveal for Six Sentence Stories!
You could say I grew up in a musical household. My mom had a great appreciation for music, though she didn’t play an instrument. I never heard her sing out loud though I suspect she did while no one was within earshot. My dad? A natural on the piano. From classical to classics of his day, to whatever was running through his fingers at the time, he was the guy at dinner parties everyone egged on to entertain them. Roots. Sometimes we see them, sometimes not. Writing is a bit like that. When we don’t readily see the words, hear the notes. When the phrasing doesn’t quite translate from our heads to the paper or instrument. Oh, the pressure, lol. Enter Six Sentence Stories. The only pressure you’ll find here is the requirement of 6 sentences. Potential springboard, those 6 sentences allows us to participate in a most enjoyable collective activity that fosters community and opportunity and links outward. Please, join us this week as we write another Six Sentence story, poem, soc or book scene. It’s a lot of fun, a learning experience and it gets us out of the house 🙂

Rules of the hop:
Write 6 Sentences. No more. No less.
Use the current week’s prompt word.
Return here, link your post Wednesday night through Saturday late…
Spread the word and put in a good one to your fellow writers 😀

PROMPT WORD:  WALK

“The first word gives origin to the second, the first and second to the third, and the third to the fourth, and so on. You cannot begin with the second word.” – N. Scott Momaday

Destination Albuquerque. It’s a 6.

Walk out that door again boy, fear you won’t never come back. Hear what I say son, I know from what I know, the life’s not all that.
After years on a bus you begin to miss home, reflection in the window always tells the story. Life on the road is more dust and grime than fame and glory.
They’ll know you while the lights shine bright, then use you as a pawn. Then comes the day all you hold in your arms at sunrise is the dawn.

It’s Six Sentence Story Thursday Link Up!

Welcome to GirlieOnTheEdge and another edition of Six Sentence Stories!
Oh, boy. Been wandering a bit. The clock, lower right of the screen, catches my eye and I stare in disbelief. Why, I was only walking YouTube highway for a little while. Yeah, no. And so we wander, intentions intact, sometimes not. And sometimes we get lost. In time, the moment, in words, in the music. Coming off road, we look for familiar signs until we recognize home. This week, as every week, I invite everyone to challenge themselves in the writing endeavor that is Six Sentence Stories. Exactly 6 sentences, using the prompt word below. Let’s find out where they take you.

Rules of the hop:
Write 6 Sentences. No more. No less.
Use the current week’s prompt word.
Link the URL to your post via the blue “Click here to enter” button below.
Link is live Wednesday through Saturday night late!
Spread the word and put in a good one to your fellow writers  😀

PROMPT WORD:   HOME

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

https://fresh.inlinkz.com/js/widget/load.js?id=a8b40ada7693d64e5923

“Art is only the means to life, to the life more abundant. It is not in itself the life more abundant. It merely points the way, something which is overlooked not only by the public, but very often by the artist himself. In becoming an end, it defeats itself.” – Henry Miller

Sunday’s Six Sentence Story Word Prompt!

Welcome to GirlieOnTheEdge and Sunday’s prompt word reveal for Six Sentence Stories!
Thanks to Bernadette linking her Six last week and mentioning she got her Classic Editor back from WordPress, Clark asked her how she did it; before Bernadette answered him, TVTA, in his comment at Bernadette’s Six, replied to Clark, and provided a link to assist in retrieving the beloved WordPress Classic Editor. A huge thankful from me as I too now have my CE back 😀 So how cool this virtual world, eh? And how cool Six Sentence Stories. Not certain I can say it too many times – the Six is not simply about storytelling, practicing our craft and honing our skills, it’s about interaction. It’s about sharing, it’s about community. With folks far and wide. It’s the biggest damn block party you could throw! How ’bout it? You up for it? Beginning this Wednesday evening, streets will open. Bring your words, wit and wisdom. We’ll be waiting!

Rules of the hop:
Write 6 Sentences. No more. No less.
Use the current week’s prompt word.
Return here, link your post Wednesday night through Saturday late…
Spread the word and put in a good one to your fellow writers

PROMPT WORD:  HOME

“Wherever you go, you meet part of your story.” – Eudora Welty

Challenge. It’s a 6.

…When last we read about the horrific murder of yet another prostitute in London’s Whitechapel district, Chief Inspector Winston Wendall Wentworth, III was staring into the eyes of, as we will soon discover, not simply a worthy “opponent” but rather, an enigma in one Sister Mary Ephraim…

… Sister Mary Ephraim’s foot fell silent, her steadfast, upward gaze communicating far more than words alone – “yes, you heard me correctly, it is the English language we both speak, is it not Mr. Wentworth?”

Brows reluctantly creased to form a furrow, allowing self doubt to rapidly seed, a feeling foreign to the imposing police official, instinct now whispering warning, stature was not relegated to physical height.

“It is imperative I take our sister back to our convent for proper burial preparation, our Order is specific to funerary rites; seeing as you appear to have determined this as another “Ripper” victim, there is no reason for further delay. I’ve arranged seating on the tram to Bow and will hence take passage on the North London Railway straight away so time is of the essence Mr. Wentworth, do not hinder me further in fulfilling my duties and responsibilities, I answer to a far higher power than you.”

Mesmerized, as if one of the rabble of bystanders left loitering on the perimeter of the crime scene straining to catch a glimpse of something horrific, a tidbit to share and shock amongst friends and family, Chief Inspector Winston Wendall Wentworth, III stared down at the figure speaking orders to him; feeling a gear skip inside his brain, he realized he was literally unable to respond.

Who was she, this tiny woman telling him what to do, he helpless to utter a single syllable to put her in her place, to remind her who was in control (but are you Wentworth?)

It’s Six Sentence Story Thursday Link Up!

Welcome to GirlieOnTheEdge and another edition of Six Sentence Stories!
Only a moment ago, I had 314 words for this post. In an instant, I made them disappear. The delete key was indeed my friend today. The advice I am given by other writers when contemplating writing a story is “more words are better than no words”. And if they’re not good “words”, it’s OK. It’s a beginning even if that beginning is only a handful of words. Be it a scene from a serial story, poem or stream of consciousness piece, once begun, all that’s left to write is a middle and an ending. Simple enough, right? Not necessarily easy, but simple. Write something. Enter Six Sentence Stories. All that is needed, all that is required, are 6, repeat after me “6” sentences. Beginning, middle, ending. Give it try. Write it, link it; let’s get reading!

Rules of the hop:
Write 6 Sentences. No more. No less.
Use the current week’s prompt word.
Link the URL to your post via the blue “Click here to enter” button below.
Link is live Wednesday through Saturday night late!
Spread the word and put in a good one to your fellow writers  😀

PROMPT WORD:  GEAR

“Enter the writing process with a childlike sense of wonder and discovery. Let it surprise you“. – Charles Ghigna

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

https://fresh.inlinkz.com/js/widget/load.js?id=a8b40ada7693d64e5923

Sunday’s Six Sentence Story Word Prompt!

Welcome to GirlieOnTheEdge and Sunday’s prompt word reveal for Six Sentence Stories!
An exercise in patience? Challenge to embrace new technology? It would appear I experience both of these things since last week’s “surprise! we re-configured your blog for you because we can“. A special thanks to Doug, Cassa Bassa and Chris for suggesting fixes and offering commiserations 😀 My tech difficulties say more about me than about WordPress, lol. And so it is with writing. At the end of the day, it boils down to wanting to write (regardless of skill level) and what we’re willing to do in order to get better at it. While it appears to be a mountain too high too climb (for some of us), it’s about the gradual incline toward the summit. I may not have a personal Sherpa to guide me however, I do have all of you and this growing community of Sixers. For that, I am grateful. As to the upcoming edition of Six Sentence Stories, I invite everyone to share your creative selves via 6 and no more than 6 sentences of flash fiction, poetry, soc or the next scene from your as yet unpublished book. Return to GirlieOnTheEdge this coming Wednesday, link the URL to your Six and let’s go exploring.

Rules of the hop:
Write 6 Sentences. No more. No less.
Use the current week’s prompt word.
Return here, link your post Wednesday night through Saturday late…
Spread the word and put in a good one to your fellow writers 

PROMPT WORD:  GEAR

“As a writer, you should not judge, you should understand.” – Ernest Hemingway

Transmutation. It’s a 6.

She walked this day, as always up hills, down hills, rounding curves, greedily sucking the sun from the sky – reveling in early Spring who’d arrived surreptitiously under cover of night.

Trees, eager to show off buds, did so gradually over the weeks prior, slowly awakening from winter’s slumber, branches evidence new life would soon overshadow winter’s pall.

Pops of color dotted the landscaped buildings and apartment homes – cherry blossom trees and forsythia bushes trumpeting amongst the pines and still dormant oaks, with nary a peep out of the maples they, shy about making an early entrance.

Soon, bolstered by nature’s bold display, peacefulness permeated the air and walking transformed to gliding, transformed to simple standing upon magical moving pavement, an autowalk.

Daring the greater distance, casting caution to the lightest of breezes, she continued until the cawing of the crows announced circumnavigation nearly complete.

Coming upon a newly mulched bed, bordered by berry bushes, barren of companions but for one lone spot of butter cup brightness, a single daffodil stood, head bowed in service.