J's Page

Originally established for times when I needed more than 140 characters to finish a thought on marketing or media.

‘Class’ on Paragraph Planet

by

Much like a flight with an unruly passenger who can only be a terrorist, I’m diverting from course: This post won’t be about the much-criticized arm of the government best known as the Transportation Security Administration.

No, this post will be about my flash-fiction writing. My super-short “Class” is featured today on Paragraph Planet, a creative writing website that features 75-word pieces on one topic. If you’re a writer, please give it a go. There’s something so satisfying about writing just 75 of just-right words. If you’re a reader, click and click daily. There are some real gems there, and they make for a nice breather between phone calls, a shared human moment before another deadline. Writers may also write a sequel to the posted paragraphs using their own 75 words.

My piece that is featured today was inspired by a quartet of smokers sharing cigs one day after class. Ted Hughes and his crow make a cameo appearance. Check it out while you can. The pieces change daily.

UPDATE: This is the piece that appeared Nov. 22.

Class.  Oh, it had been so very good. An odd quartet agreed as they shared  their smokes, happily disagreeing on today’s quality of tobacco. Was it  North Carolina’s? Virginia’s? Did it matter anymore? Wasn’t soil just  the devil’s dirt? Had Hughes’ crow taught us nothing about death and  dying today? Eager white teeth bit into a moist stem, not quite a ripe  woman’s thigh. Class had been good, even Red had agreed. And so did I.

Author: Jacqui Barrineau

Jacqui Barrineau is a writer and editor who lives in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., with husband Trey, a Shetland Sheepdog, and two unhelpful-but-funny cats. Her work has appeared in "So to Speak" and "Calliope," and she's a regular contributor to the flash-fiction sites Paragraph Planet and Doorknobs & Bodypaint. Once upon a time, she was the audience engagement editor at USA Today. Now she does other fun things that involve advertising, marketing and social media. The views expressed here and in other outlets are hers, not her employers'. Outside of work, she's proud to serve on the Northern Virginia Community College Marketing Advisory Committee. As a committee member, she joins industry leaders in lending their knowledge and expertise to ensure the college's Marketing curriculum is relevant and responsive to the needs of the students and the surrounding business communities.

Comments are closed.