RE: 50-word Short Story Contest: Winner and New Prompt!
Thank you, Jayna. And my congrats to everyone who was able to make a story from the prompt--because that's what it's about. If you write something you are happy with, you have won.
Mine was a little tricky this week in that it had to feel like he had a transition within the story and that it wasn't just relying on things that predate the story. The kiss--believe it or not--was in and out several times in editing. At one point he only kissed her tears away. But I decided it had to come back as it is the key in my eyes to showing his hesitation--how much her offer to come with tempted him. But he just couldn't do it.
And it is left to the reader to decide what horrible thing he is running from. In my head it involves killing. But that is left open to the reader.
Yes, I can totally understand the decision around the kiss. It's such a challenge to decide what to keep and what to let go of in these micro-fiction pieces. The kiss, to me, could be many things. A kiss goodbye. The last vestige of his commitment to her. A consolation prize. I interpreted that it's a sign he really did love her, but his desire to start fresh was greater.
As for what he was running from, it could be anything. My imagination did not go to the extreme that he may have killed someone, but that he was an outlaw of some kind. Bank robber, bandit... wanted for robbing stage coaches. Any of those seem possible!
Yes. That's what's fun with micro--the author only suggests but the majority of the story is built in the mind of the reader. We really have to learn to trust them.
It's tough, but yes we absolutely do!