I started a challenge to write a story that is exactly 50 words! Thank you, Boy with a Hat. Not that he set up a formal challenge, but it was his idea. And his writing is worth checking out. So please click the link and check out what he’s up to.

So how to proceed? For the most part, I’m using my character inspiration, Dorothy Astoria’s The Name Book. For Week 6, I randomly opened the book to the “E” section and picked Elizabeth. That happens to be the name of one of the characters in A Ship of Pearl and she continues to play a role in my work in progress, May His Tribe Increase.

“What do you go by?” A customer ordering pancakes asks.

“Elizabeth,” I point to my nametag.

“Well, excuuuse me.” His eyes roll as I refill his coffee cup.

Lizzie, Liz, Betty, Beth, even ‘Liz’Beth. Why do I need to be truncated?  I smile, my eyes hidden behind lowered lids. Dolt.

That was super-fun and challenging. I especially enjoyed finding over fifty synonyms for “jerk” in the Thesaurus. Nincompoop, knobhead, and clunk were among my favorites. Still, dolt seemed to fit the best.

Wednesdays will be my Fifty day at least on and off again. I do have a lot of words blowing around inside of me. Still, I’m kinda enjoying how much can be said in so few words. By the way, this Elizabeth might be hidden under layers in A Ship of Pearl, but if she is, I didn’t really know her in quite that way until today.

I’m not sure if I can hold off writing about other things. I can’t leave thoughts trapped up there in my brain, can I?