D WAS for Dystopian Fiction

Now D is for Dreadful Doughnut Drive

Oh yes, I think this will take a bit of explaining. I was visiting 2 hours from my home when I had a flat tire. Luckily I was near my brother’s house and he was able to come and change it because no matter how much I jumped on the tire iron I couldn’t get my nuts off. By the time he was able to get there and change it for me it was rush hour and I was NOT in the mood to try and get home through that. I stopped at another friend’s house and stayed for dinner before I headed home. The trip that would normally, over highways, take 2 hours took much longer. My doughnut is only rated for 40 MPH and the straight shot roads have a minimum speed of 55. So the long way it was. I can’t actually tell you how long it took because if I looked I am sure I would start crying. Needless to say I was unable to get my D post out because of my Dreadful Doughnut Drive.

Blogging From A to Z

The plan to save my A to Z is to add an extra day, probably on sunday or if one of the flash fictions are particularly short. I really want to share my dystopian fiction with you so I am not skipping it. Even though it made me uncomfortable to write and reread.

Dystopian Flash Fiction

“Emily are you excited to participate in Black Friday this year?” Asked her mother Alexandra.

“Yes mama, I like to stay up late and I want to go to the mall,” said Emily as she got out of the car.

“Now dear, don't get her all worked up. Black Friday can be intense,” said her father. “I'll go grab a cart.”

“Oh, I'm so glad they have carts at the mall now. It makes moving the stuff so much easier,” said Alexandra.

“Come on, let's get in line fast. I wanna be through the gate first,” Emily said pulling her father's arm.

“Alright, alright, we're coming,” he said as they walked through the empty parking garage toward the mall entrance.

The family lined up behind the roped off area outside the mall and settled in to wait for the doors to open and the pandemonium to begin. They talked, laughed and joked as the hours ticked away. It seemed like a wonderful bonding experience, but Emily knew they would have their work cut out for them when the doors were thrown open.

Opening time of five a.m. was almost at hand. The line was around the corner and out of Emily’s sight. People who had been lounging on the ground or leaning against walls a mere half hour before were now standing tall as they looked over each other's heads and scooched as close to the threshold of the mall as they could. They were all enthralled in a frenzy that was building and seeking the maelstrom that is Black Friday.

An employee clicked the lock and it seemed unusually loud, almost like a starting gun had been fired. Two other employees pushed open the doors while trying to scurry out of the way with frightened, but determined faces. This was it, we are first. Emily and her mother ran for the woman’s department. The news reports had been saying all week it was supposed to have the most action this year and it had always been her mother’s favorite anyway.

Emily pushed her cart around the corner and stopped by the edge of the counter. She excitedly looked back at her mother as she pulled an exquisite cashmere coat out and held it up. She looked down into the pit. The woman waiting there were already shoving each other and jockeying for position under the hanging coat. Emily shook it and they responded like ravenous dogs. The lady directly in front of Emily punched the lady to her left in the face causing blood to pour from her nose, but not stopping the bloody woman from jumping for the coat. Emily tossed the coat into the bedlam and was delighted at the squealing and screaming her trinket had brought.

Emily turned back to her mother who was smiling and handed her a pair of Gucci heels and said, “We have spared no expense here on your first Black Friday. I want you to really enjoy what this event means. Make sure you throw them way into the center so the poor girls who got here later have a chance to enter the fray and get some goodies as well.”

“Yes mama,” Emily said as she took the beautiful shoes.


Dystopian fiction is a very popular genre at the moment, but I remember reading George Orwell's 1984 in high school so it has been around a long time. Let me just say that book scared the crap out of me. Are you a fan of Dystopian fiction? What books would you recommend in this genre?

Insecure Writer’s Support Group

I am worried I bit off WAY more than I can chew. Though perhaps if I stop chewing on the computer it would work better. I LOVE writing challenges, but rarely get through to the end with a victory. I need to figure out how to set better priorities and stick to goals. I am also having a bit of a problem with that life thing getting in the way constantly, but it seems to happen often to me. I am not entirely sure if it just happens to everyone a lot and I am busy putting out proverbial fires and don’t notice or if the Fates have placed some sort of kick me sign on my back. Hey, be a friend and pull it off my back if you see it there, thanks. I also worry about the quality of my work. I read so many awesome blog posts, excerpts and flash fictions during these writing challenges that I feel woefully inadequate. What do you do to stay on task? How do you feel when you share your work?

ROW80 Rundown

I missed stating my round 2 goals on Monday the 4th so I am playing catch up here, too. My goals are mostly the same as last round. Wish me luck.

To make the check-ins on Sundays and Wednesdays - This is the first Wednesday so YAY I made it.
To visit 5 fellow ROW80 bloggers each check-in - Didn’t manage to visit anyone since Monday.
To write 667 words every day to keep up with my Camp NaNo goal - I hit this goal on Monday, but not on Tuesday. I fell short by less than 200 words on my flash.
To post every additional day in April for A to Z - I barely made it Monday and missed Tuesday, but have high hopes for the next check in period.

Orange Prompt Type Winner

Orange prompt: Sensory Prompt a prompt that makes you use one of your five senses. A smell, a taste, a sound, touch, something visual

Thanks to those who helped me by participating. I like this suggestion, there were 4 really good choices and I am happy to start making new prompts. The first Orange Sensory Prompt was created by my daughter. I really need to do a LOT more research before I try another contest because I didn’t get much participation, but that is a post that will need to wait until April is over. Do you have any tips for running contests to get me started thinking about what to do better next time?

What do you do when you have bitten off too much? Do you spit some of it out or try and choke it down even though it may cause the quality of tasks accomplished to diminish?

For some reason I couldn't find the ROW80 code to add the linky list to my post so click here to see the others who posted today.

Photos by Pixabay.