Tag Archives: writing prompts

A Secret for Two #99WordStories

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The current prompt at the Carrot Ranch is to In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story about two who can keep a secret. Is the secret between them or is one keeping a secret from the other. Who are they? What remains unknown? What is revealed? Go where the prompt leads!

Like adults, some children can be better than others at keeping a secret. It may depend on how interesting the secret is and what the consequences may be for telling it. Regardless of age, people often have a desire to share a secret, at least once. And that’s okay, as long as the next person swears they won’t tell. I’ve eavesdropped on a couple of children with a secret to share. I can’t tell you what their secret is though, as, you know, it’s a secret.

Do you want to know a secret?

‘Wanna know something?’

‘What?’

‘A secret.’

‘Uh-huh.’

‘Billie said I couldn’t tell anyone, but you’re not just anyone. I’ll tell you, but you mustn’t tell anyone. Okay?’

‘Okay.’

Josie bent close and cupped her hand around Daisy’s ear. ‘Swzh, swzh, swzh.’

Daisy giggled and automatically swiped her ear, accidentally hitting Josie on the nose.

‘What d’you do that for?’

‘It tickled. Tell me again, but don’t tickle this time.’

Billie loomed over them. ‘Hey. What’s going on?’

‘Um. Josie’s just telling me something.’

‘Um. It’s not your secret.’

‘It’s another Billie.’

Josie kicked Daisy, purposefully.

‘Why’d you do that?’

How could I write a post about secrets without sharing this wonderful song?

Thank you blog post

Thank you for reading. I appreciate your feedback. Please share your thoughts.

The ’49ers

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This week at the Carrot Ranch, Charli Mills challenged writers to In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story about “the ’49ers.” Who or what are they? What is the significance of the number? Do you follow the Gold Rush history or venture into new territory? Go where the prompt leads!

Here’s a bit of trivia to introduce my story in case, like me, you weren’t aware of the term forty-niner. Forty-niner refers to miners and others who took part in the 1849 gold rushes in California. Charli does say we can go where the prompt leads, but I hung around looking for a nugget. I hope you enjoy it.

The ’49ers

The history buffs needed a name for the trivia competition — nothing mundane and overused like ‘The No Hopers’ or boringly obvious like ‘Work Mates’ — something meaningful, not overly obvious, but not too obscure.

“How about The ’49ers?” one suggested.

“Perfect!” the others agreed.

No one thought too much about the monikers of others, but was it coincidental that each week The ’49ers scored exactly 49?

Another team scoffed. “Should have been ‘Clueless’.”

“They’re certainly not all 49.”

“Forty-nine and more, I’d say.”

When the night’s theme was the gold rushes, the researchers showed their mettle and panned the gold.

Thank you blog post

Thank you for reading. I appreciate your feedback. Please share your thoughts.

Note: The collection of stories made in response to the previous prompt The Wish I Made can be read at the Carrot Ranch here.