Rustypuppy

My microfiction, @Essencial recipe, @Zap Cooking…

Rustypuppy — Fri, 01 Nov 2024 17:03:00 GMT

My microfiction, Essencial recipe, Zap Cooking newsletter: three great tastes that taste great together! 😉

Check out the Zap Cooking Nostr profile for previous issues of their newsletter (I also have a story in the October one 📝)

#microfiction #writing #recipe #zapcooking #newsletter #nostronly #grownostr #plebchain #cooking nostr:note17ygca5qnfphsafhsmqj4mkxtlwm2w3t2rfya7ggem3hr9jtaq3wqdzsqz3

Walked inside today so I didn’…

Rustypuppy — Fri, 18 Oct 2024 00:29:17 GMT

Walked inside today so I didn’t have to worry about my environment because I wanted to focus on developing the microfiction story I’m submitting for the next zap.cooking newsletter. 🧠📝

For last month’s story, I found a recipe first, and crafted the story to match.

This time, I have a story and found a recipe to match. Said story is off to a beta reader right now. 👍

5k steps / 2.2 miles
#31days #exercise #nostrwriter #microfiction #plotting

Little town thrift stores are awesome.…

Rustypuppy — Fri, 28 Jun 2024 20:54:33 GMT

Little town thrift stores are awesome. Spent almost an hour looking through old photographs. Bought these because they sparked story ideas.

#photostr #vintage #photography #people #ideas #writing #authorstr #microfiction

Paper samples from Mixam (on the…

Rustypuppy — Fri, 05 Apr 2024 19:51:12 GMT

Paper samples from Mixam (on the right). Looking for a lower cost print solution for one of my microfiction collections (on the left, printed as a photobook).

#author #writing #microfiction #research #writer #authorstr #printing #paper #selfpublishing #singlepagestories

CONSISTENT - The robin watched the caterpillar…

Rustypuppy — Mon, 27 Nov 2023 19:12:30 GMT

CONSISTENT - The robin watched the caterpillar eat his way through all the leaves on a branch of the shrub. As soon as the insect extended his body toward her, the robin spoke. "Back off, buddy."

"But I must eat, or I’ll never change."

"Eat the leaves over there," the robin gestured with her wing. "These leaves hide my nest."

"But that branch is so far, and I am so hungry."

"If I eat you, you won't be hungry anymore." The robin leaned forward.

The caterpillar quickly backed up, almost falling off his branch. Once he straightened out, he found new leaves within easy munching distance. He began eating, ignoring the robin who fluffed her feathers and settled down to warm her eggs.

A few days later, a bright yellow butterfly landed on the edge of the robin's nest. "Look how I’ve changed!"

The robin frantically beat her wings. "Go away! Go away!"

The movement of air blew the butterfly into a dizzy circle. Finally able to control his flight, the butterfly flapped just over the robin's head. "Bird brain. I just came by to add some color to your dull life."

A black paw swatted the butterfly onto the lawn, where the cat batted him around until he could no longer fly.

The robin waited, her tiny heart beating as fast as a hummingbird's wings. The cat patted the still butterfly once more, then strode back to the house. The robin sat down on her eggs. "You didn’t change at all."

#microfiction #writing #grownostr #storytime #singlepagestories

EEFORT - Maxwell served a double fault,…

Rustypuppy — Mon, 20 Nov 2023 18:30:25 GMT

EEFORT - Maxwell served a double fault, loosing the match. His opponent, one of the monks of the Bodhi Business Retreat, bowed and left the court. Max sank to his knees, chest heaving, sweat dripping from his brow.

Sports provided a quick means to put himself into a high-pressure situation. Unfortunately, most of the lessons of how not to choke at the critical moment still fled his mind at that critical moment. He'd gained some ground, but still didn't maintain his composure as consistently as he wanted.

On the tennis court, failure was a blow to his pride. In the board room, this flaw could cost Max his company. Tomorrow was his last day at the retreat. Best to get some rest so he could practice with another match, maybe two.

Max found his path off the court blocked by a full-grown tree that had not been there a moment earlier.

A monk appeared from the behind the trunk and handed Max a mango. "Well done. The wish-granting tree does not appear to everyone. Think of what you want to accomplish, then take a bite."

Max considered his options, then bit into the mango, smiling at the sweetness. As he swallowed, his surroundings faded to white, then solidified into the front of the retreat center.

"Welcome, Mr. Stein," a monk said, holding the door open for Max. "I hope you enjoy your two weeks with us. Much can be accomplished with dedicated practice and the willingness to learn."

#microfiction #writing #authorstr #grownostr #storytime #singlepagestories

IMMORTAL - While one Birmingham was the…

Rustypuppy — Mon, 13 Nov 2023 00:25:39 GMT

IMMORTAL - While one Birmingham was the most populous city in the state of Alabama, and another Birmingham was the most populous city in the English Midlands, the Birmingham crater on the Moon had a population of zero.

Which made the fact that seventeen alarm clocks sat in its basin difficult to explain. Thankfully, Tonney didn’t have to explain it; xe just had to report it.

From the observation post on the other side of the moon, Tonney vidded the drone footage to xis supervisor on Mars. She sent a priority projection to her supervisor on Europa. He holoed the captain of the Lutwidge Dodgson, who walked into Tonney’s office two hours later and demanded to see the live video.

Still Birmingham crater. Now forty-two alarm clocks.

The captain advised Tonney to cut back on the neurostims and take a paid vacation. Now.

Tonney put in a call for an intra-solar shuttle, donned a spacesuit, and waited outside.

In the abandoned room, Alice slumped in Tonney’s chair. Just when her career was finally getting started. On the monitor, a white rabbit in a waistcoat appear amidst the time pieces. He looked up at the dronecam. "We shall be late."

Alice appeared beside the rabbit and his ears flushed pink at her vulgar suggestion of where he should put his pocket watch. A hole opened beneath their feet. A cacophony of ringing alarm clocks followed the falling duo to a new wonder.

#microfiction #story #writing #authorstr #nostrlife #grownostr #storytime #singlepagestories

INEVITABILITY: An acolyte of the Order…

Rustypuppy — Mon, 06 Nov 2023 16:14:56 GMT

INEVITABILITY: An acolyte of the Order of Mages fell off the path through the Library of Sands. His fellows found him three days later, several levels down from where he had disappeared. The shape of an hourglass marked his right palm, the emblem of a constellation on his left.

The First Mage had the acolyte visit every day. None knew what they talked of behind closed doors, and the acolyte did not return to his room until after the evening meal. He spoke with no one, not even his brother, with whom he used to share everything.

As the days passed, the imprint of the hourglass changed, as if sand truly flowed from one orb to the other.

After a week, the top orb was empty. After another week, the acolyte disappeared.

The acolyte's brother, an astronomer at the King's Court, noticed a new constellation in the sky, and wept a single tear.

#microfiction #story #writing #authorstr #nostrlife #grownostr #storytime #singlepagestories

INFILTRATION: We have a special guest…

Rustypuppy — Mon, 30 Oct 2023 00:32:53 GMT

INFILTRATION: We have a special guest for today's class, so pay attention as we review how to physically impersonate a human.

First, two arms and two legs; no more, though you can get away with less.

One nose and one mouth. The exception paperwork for this rule is not worth your time, trust me.

Two visible eyes only - if you can't keep the others hidden, pick a climate that requires clothing over most of your body.

Males and females dress and adorn themselves differently, though the cultural acceptance of these norms is more tolerant in certain areas of the planet. Do your research so your presentation doesn't disturb the locals ... unless that's part of your mission, in which case do your research in order to maximize the intended disruption.

Humans age at an accelerated rate compared to us. You'll either need to relocate after a period of time to avoid suspicion, or modify your physical form in order to maintain your cover. Consult the reference tables for recommended alterations.

As you can see, our guest has done a masterful job of impersonating a human male, age twenty-thirty years. The clothing style indicates association with a military organization, as does the metal, projectile-producing object in his ...

#microfiction #story #writing #authorstr #nostrlife #grownostr #storytime #singlepagestories

SYNCHRONIZED: Not sure if I believe…

Rustypuppy — Wed, 25 Oct 2023 04:10:59 GMT

SYNCHRONIZED: Not sure if I believe in past lives. Zack does. He says I wouldn't always hold my hand out the car window, fingers spread like a wingtip, if I hadn't previously been a bird.

This road winds more than a desert snake. The cliff drops away to the ocean outside Zach's window, while I feel crushed by the shadow of the mountain. This is the price of love, or at least the temporary discomfort I'm willing to endure to get Zach to one of the few freediving spots he hasn’t yet explored. I lean my seat back to better catch the air current sweeping in through the sun roof and out the back windows.

At the beach, Zack kisses me before walking into the ocean. I stroll along the beach, then settle down with my feet in the swash. No breeze, but the motion of the water reminds me of soaring.

He's back within an hour, eyes sparkling, his camera full of photos he's eager to share with me and the world. The droplets of saltwater in his hair glitter. His words tumble over each other like a babbling brook. If I believed in past lives, Zach would have been a fish.

He wraps his arms around me, completely soaking my t-shirt. "Thanks for this," he murmurs into my hair. "I know it's not your thing."

I melt into his hug, thankful we're both humans for this iteration of our existence. "We can do my thing tomorrow. I found a place that will let me jump out of a perfectly good airplane."

#microfiction #story #fiction #writing #author #grownostr #singlepagestory

SINGLE PAGE STORY*: ENCOUNTERS - When the…

Rustypuppy — Mon, 16 Oct 2023 20:13:28 GMT

SINGLE PAGE STORY*: ENCOUNTERS - When the tornado carried you away from your apartment in Oklahoma City, visions of gold brick roads sparkled in your mind.

When you ended up on a deserted island, you realized how much you missed pizza and having a pocket knife.

When the one-eyed dragon appeared, you experienced hope, fear, excitement, and trepidation, though not in that order.

When the UFO fired its energy weapons, you defended the dragon's blind side with your magical crossbow while it sang a tune that melted the aliens' hearts, literally.

When the sun exploded, you and the dragon flew to a new universe.

When you woke up, you had vague impressions of other adventures, but neither you nor the dragon could remember the details, so you ordered ten large pizzas and played video games.

* Fanciful micro fiction of less than 300 words

#microfiction #story #writing #authorstr #storystr #nostrlife #grownostr #storytime

SINGLE PAGE STORY* SUNDAY: DISCRETE - Callamine…

Rustypuppy — Sun, 08 Oct 2023 16:14:00 GMT

SINGLE PAGE STORY* SUNDAY: DISCRETE - Callamine held the scroll above the sleeping baby's forehead.

She'd been ordered to curse the boy as punishment for the actions of the father. Such things did not sit well with Calla, who believed the one responsible should bear the consequences of their actions, not the next generation. But she was still only a low-level fairy and as such, dared not disobey a command from her queen.

She did, however, dare to speak the curse instead of touching the written words to the newborn's skin.

Thus on his sixteenth birthday, the day the boy was to die, the master weaver celebrated his first year of apprenticeship by letting the boy dye the first wool of the season.

Callamine had slug duty for a lunar month as punishment. Disgusting, but temporary. After all, a fairy who'd thrice failed her advancement assessment couldn't be smart enough to know about homophones.

* fanciful microfiction of less than 300 words

#microfiction #story #writing #fiction #fairy
#sunday #storytime #singlepagestory

SINGLE PAGE STORY SUNDAY* - INTENT: In…

Rustypuppy — Sun, 01 Oct 2023 21:24:15 GMT

SINGLE PAGE STORY SUNDAY* - INTENT: In a ten-room hotel on the far side of the island, a busboy with a marble brain clears a table. He has one emerald iris and topaz teeth, but as the top half of his skull is missing, people first notice the smooth, white and black-veined sphere.

Some say he was transformed by the gods as punishment. Others say the gods rewarded his bravery. His mother doesn't want to talk about it, and his little sister charges a piece of fruit to those who want to see her brother open coconuts with his teeth.

The manager of the restaurant values the boy's work ethic. The owner of the hotel takes the family out on his yacht once a month in gratitude for the additional tourists who come year-round to see the boy with the marble brain.

Since his transformation, the boy's family and community have prospered beyond their wildest dreams.

A worthy consolation for his failure.

That's what he tells himself, in the pre-dawn hours, when he sits on the cliff, his jaw aching, looking right and left to be able to see with one eye what he used to see with two, his neck tense and strained with the weight of his decision.

A decision no god had any part of, for only a human would seek to combine the animate and inanimate for a chance at immortality.

* fanciful microfiction of less than 300 words

#microfiction #story #writing #authorstr #storystr #nostrlife #grownostr #storytime

SINGLE PAGE STORY SUNDAY: UNITED - Once…

Rustypuppy — Sun, 24 Sep 2023 18:17:01 GMT

SINGLE PAGE STORY SUNDAY: UNITED - Once every thirty years, a floating island appears and remains for sixty days.

It’s said if the gods accept your offering, the island will settle upon the water so you and yours may take of its treasures.

By the end of the first month, boats and rafts and make-shift platforms crowd the water enough for one to walk across the ocean. With so many, so close, any violence claims more than the intended targets. Elders from all clans demand courtesy and restraint, having little patience with the trivial differences of color or custom when faced with their last chance to reach the island.

As the days pass, there are fewer offerings left to give, yet people stay in the hopes of celebrating someone's success.

Every offering is watched with anticipation. Every rejection is consoled with soft words and gentle touches.

At the end of the sixtieth day, the island, still floating above the ocean, disappears.

The mass of boats and rafts slowly disentangle and disperse. Some return to their homeland. Others follow their new friends or lovers to a different life; one made possible by an unattainable dream.

#microfiction #story #writing #authorstr #storystr #nostrlife #grownostr #storytime

SINGLE PAGE STORY SUNDAY: CALLING - Being…

Rustypuppy — Mon, 18 Sep 2023 02:16:49 GMT

SINGLE PAGE STORY SUNDAY: CALLING - Being a C10 Sensory, SubC Visual, Fear Figment meant Seager scared people. Fear of poisonous reptiles? Seager made a garden hose to appear as a snake. Fear for one's safety? Seager make every stranger's glance a glare of malicious intent.

Occasionally Seager’s illusions had the opposite effect. Fear of public speaking let Seager grow the audience to three times its actual size. But the individual still took the stage.

These people fascinated Seager. He spent less time on those who let their fear determine their fate and more time seeking out those who, despite Seager's best efforts, kept trying. The stronger the fear Seager manifested, the greater they triumphed.

At Seager's next review, his boss spent long enough flipping through his file that Seager feared for his job. She finally scribbled a note inside, closed the file, and gave it to him on her way out of the room.

Seager opened the file. "Terminated from Nightmare division based on inappropriate allocation of resources. We break humans, not build them up."

His co-workers avoided eye contact as Seager packed his desk. From the 1127th floor to the first was a lot of time to think.

When the elevator stopped at the 57th floor to let someone in, Seager got out. He asked to speak to the division director. Their discussion lasted hours.

The next day, Seager began his new job as a C9 Sensory, SubCs Visual, Courage Figment.

#authorstr #microfiction #nostrlife #grownostr

RESEMBLANCE - We knew Mr. Alster's…

Rustypuppy — Sun, 10 Sep 2023 18:13:16 GMT

RESEMBLANCE - We knew Mr. Alster's new cat would be a long-hair because he grew his beard beyond his Adam's apple. We knew Ms. Fitzsimmons' golden retriever would be going to the groomer because Ms. Fitzsimmons had just come back from the hair salon.

Pets end up looking like their people, and people look like their pets.

In May, when the new family moved into the house beside mine, my friends and I peered through the knotholes in the fence. We saw the father walk into the garage (short, bald, muscled arms with tattoos), and all agreed the dog bed Abby saw belonged to a pit bull or Rottweiler.

A girl younger than us skipped by, hands and mouth full of candy. Hank said she probably had a hamster.

The son, a tall teen dressed in black, stood on the porch railing and used the eaves to pull himself onto the roof. He sat cross-legged at the edge, watching the movers take furniture into the house. Hank and Abby wrote him off as an petless goth and moved further down the fence, hoping to spot the dog.

That night, as I closed my bedroom window, I saw a figure crouched on my neighbor's roof. The faint light from their second story window outlined a hunched, bulky body. The head turned toward me. I yanked my curtain closed and switched off the desk lamp. The afterimage of glowing red eyes kept me awake past midnight.

My excitement kept me up until dawn, because I couldn't wait to tell my friends the teen had a pet gargoyle.

#grownostr #story #microfiction #writing #author

SINGLE PAGE STORY SUNDAY* …

Rustypuppy — Sun, 03 Sep 2023 20:26:01 GMT

SINGLE PAGE STORY SUNDAY* …

REMEDY - After she dropped the kids off at soccer practice, the tamarind had an appointment with her horticulturist.

Browning leaves, a severe drop in fruit production, splotches on her bark - classic stress symptoms.

Easy enough for him to prescribe a new fertilizer, rest, and more water. She had the kids, the house, the dog, the gerbil, and the so very not semi-tropical New Jersey weather to deal with on a daily basis.

Sitting in her car, the tamarind dropped her head into her branches and wept sap-filled tears.

From somewhere down the street, the strings of a tanpura reached out and hugged her with their melody. Her bark lightened. A single flower bloomed upon her brow as the song filled one of the holes in her life. On her way to pick up the saplings, the tamarind bought a pair of headphones and a subscription to AlwaysMusicIndia.

At her next appointment, her horticulturist praised her recovery, clearly pleased with efficacy of his prescription.

* fanciful microfiction of less than 300 words

#story #microfiction #author #storystr #fiction #magicalrealism #grownostr #writer

SINGLE PAGE STORY SUNDAY*

Rustypuppy — Sun, 27 Aug 2023 18:51:51 GMT

SINGLE PAGE STORY SUNDAY*

HAT-TRICK - The most difficult aspect of Trogfog's plan had been acquiring the necessary bribes.

Selene wanted a comb for the manes of her chariot's horses. She desired one crafted from the bones of hummingbirds. Thirty barrels of centaur ale and seven months later, Trogfog received a package from an apprentice of Asklepios. When the imp presented the comb to the moon goddess, she said "Cloche."

Helios demanded a petal from a night blooming cereus. He sullenly acquiesced when Trogfog offered him the whole flower. The sun god chose a fez.

Gaea, in one of her rare good moods, agreed to participate without payment if Trogfog would turn her into a peacock-feathered fascinator.

Thus, Trogfog architected the greatest antic in imp history when three celestial bodies of the solar system transformed into fashionable human head wear.

* fanciful microfiction of less than 300 words

#authorstr #microfiction #writing #gods #imps #cosmicjoke

SINGLE PAGE STORY SUNDAY - fanciful microfiction…

Rustypuppy — Sun, 20 Aug 2023 18:28:17 GMT

SINGLE PAGE STORY SUNDAY - fanciful microfiction of less than 300 words

LEGACY by rustypuppy - The fifth reincarnation of her dear Othenio loved to play hide-and-seek as much as the original. Thus, the countess found herself at the Upper Belvedere at 3 pm, studying each painting for a puppy who should not be there.

She found him hiding in the flowers of Klimt's "The Kiss."

Othenio whined and wagged his tail.

Thousands of works of art in the city, over sixty years since their first walk together, and still the dog knew Hans' favorite piece.

Though she had seen this painting many times when touring, today the black squares of the man's coat became voids that seduced memories from her heart.

She rubbed her fingers with her thumb, the pain of hand-stitching long gone. As was Hans’ jacket of patches. As was he.

The inheritance provided could have elevated her lifestyle to match her title had she not needed their Othenio beside her, always.

She reached into the painting and pulled the little hound to her chest as the security guard pretended not to notice.

"I miss him, too," she whispered, fondling the dog's floppy ears, "but not as much as I would."

#authorstr #microfiction #story #shortstory #writing #dogstr #grownostr #magicalrealism

SINGLE PAGE STORY* … Tuesday! instead of…

Rustypuppy — Tue, 15 Aug 2023 23:31:13 GMT

SINGLE PAGE STORY* … Tuesday! instead of Sunday because Mom and I had a Rummikub marathon on Sunday and I completely forgot to post. This is one of my favorites. :)

May need to tap the photo to see the read the whole thing.

* Fanciful #microfiction of 300 words or less.

#story #storystr #author #authorstr #singlepagestories #writing #fiction