Ficlets

T.F. Torrey's posted comments

On On A Snowy Evening:

posted 6 months ago

Thanks for the nice comments. Yes, this is an adaptation of an old ghost story, now in the form of a ficlet. A secret about the photos of my “inspiration”: I usually write the ficlet first, then find a picture to go with it. (Shh! Don’t tell the judges!)
On N1t3W4tchr (P4rt II):

posted 7 months ago

I love “the source of hallway cat hair” and “The mild night air begged me to walk.” You’ve packed a lot of action into this little piece. And I’m wondering now if the protagonist is simply paranoid and imaginative. Wonderful work.
On Paper Cuts:

posted 7 months ago

Both beautiful and terrible, a character study transitioning to action, a mystery that only gets deeper. The title makes me wonder—is this a real daughter at all? Will we ever know?
On Brandy (You're a Fine Girl) {Ana Cristina's Lyric Challenge}:

posted 9 months ago

Great lyrics, great song, great story. (Although I may be biased, as this song was the inspiration for the character Brandy in my novel-in-progress, The Dancing Queen.)
On We are the Right Now:

posted 9 months ago

As a reader, I’m thrilled to find stories as moving and touching as this. As a writer, I’m jealous of your lyric prose, and your ability to connect so intimately with the emotions of thinking, feeling people. It’s both a gift and a skill, and you’ve definitely got it.
On When Happiness Walks Out:

posted 9 months ago

You make it difficult to keep coming up with original ways to say brilliant and excellent and amazing, but I’ll give it another try. This is poetic and beautiful and very well done.
On Straight out of the Rain:

posted 9 months ago

You sure have a way with stories like this. What was it The Man wrote? “A million dreams of love surround her.” Perhaps that can be the title of your ficlets anthology: A Million Dreams of Love. I’d buy it.
On Lady in Waiting:

posted 9 months ago

A big story in a small space, with a deliciously devious character. I look forward to a sequel.
On Ascension :

posted 9 months ago

I agree with Stovohobo’s comment: gorgeous descriptions, as always.
On Midnight to Miss You:

posted 9 months ago

Well, she was right that it was only the beginning, but now I’m starting to wonder whose side she’s really on. Those hopeless romantic types sure find trouble.

This story surely gets bonus points for the verb “subsumed”, and a double score for the phrase “his heart abused the inside of his rib cage”. And I love the opening line.

Excellent!
On Leeroy Jenkins vs. The Death Star:

posted 9 months ago

Very funny. I think I like Leeroy better than Luke.
On The Interstice:

posted 9 months ago

And thus begins another long chain of ficlet sequels. Well done.
On The Denial of the Twinkie Addict Extroirdinare:

posted 9 months ago

Excellent, and it works for so many more areas than just losing weight and Twinkies.
On Terkinville, Colorado (Population 340):

posted 9 months ago

I like the tone of this piece, and it fits the picture well. Excellent work.
On The Red Tree Bleeds Tears:

posted 9 months ago

Wow. The word “beautiful” is getting a workout describing this story, and deservedly so. Another amazing example of what can be achieved in 1024 characters.
On The True (Albeit Anticlimactic) Story of How [pens&feathers] Got Her Name:

posted 9 months ago

Excellent! I always kind of wondered. The first album of the Counting Crows is really great, and some of the lyrics are among my all-time favorites. For me, it’s hard to match the melancholy mood of “Round Here”, with such unforgettable lines as ”... like a ghost
into the fog where no one notices
the contrast of white on white” and “she has trouble acting normal when she’s nervous”. Maybe we should start an Adam Duritz posse. :-)
On On Winter:

posted 9 months ago

I love all the primary colors in this: blue / white / brown / white / black / white / black / white / green. It has a kind of rhythmic, hypnotic effect that really works for me. I also really like the subtle allusion that this might be a breakup poem. And the last line seems particularly perfect. Very nice.
On Plaster Rain:

posted 9 months ago

Your writing gets better all the time. I really like the last paragraph.
On Second Thoughts:

posted 9 months ago

The poem is “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” by Robert Frost. It’s a great one.
On I'm Never Tired Of Romping And Stomping With You At The Savoy...:

posted 10 months ago

This has a polished appearance, spot-on description, and excellent pacing. Very well done.
On The Cat and the Canary Have a Battle of Wits:

posted 10 months ago

A perfect match for the picture. Excellent!
On Who's The More Foolish?:

posted 10 months ago

Excellent. And five bonus points for “schadenfreude”.
On Race Gets A Job:

posted 10 months ago

Why, thank you!
On Long Lost Relative (of the Chicken Queen):

posted 10 months ago

I’m not familiar with the series, but I like the last line, and the harshness of “she’d break his brittle old bones.”
On Before the Desert's Revenge, the Old Lady's Past:

posted 10 months ago

This makes the following story all the more tragic, as it seems that the poor woman has never really been appreciated or treated nicely by anyone. Interesting.
On Scene Seventeen, Take One (But There Probably Won't Be a Need For Many More After Take One):

posted 10 months ago

Very nice. I’d like to see how he could be slain thrice, too. Perhaps with those “Write a prequel” and “Write a sequel” thingys.
On "Angela will you----AHHHHH!!":

posted 10 months ago

Great picture, great story, great ending. Great!
On King Nolard VI: King of Zolar; A Play:

posted 10 months ago

I agree that this has potential, and it seems to beg for a larger space. Perhaps you should give it a go.
On Reflection:

posted 10 months ago

This could go many fun places, both forward and back.
On This Can't be Happening!:

posted 10 months ago

Shocking, mesmerizing, and did you just add “no”s to reach ficlet nirvaha? (I would have.) :-)
On Bandit of the Badlands:

posted 10 months ago

I like how the it morphs smoothly from description to situation to character study to backstory, all in a little ficlet. Very nice.
On A Clever Ruse Under the Guise of Darkness:

posted 10 months ago

I stepped into the middle of this series, but I love the phrase “quirking an eyebrow …”
On Mirror, Mirror:

posted 10 months ago

I love the setting of a crumbling cathedral in the middle of a black forest. This could be lots of fun.
On Carflunte:

posted 10 months ago

Very engaging and visual and interesting.
On Clayton Wise Gets A Job:

posted 10 months ago

My stories with the tag ‘Taxi Adventure’ are exercises, warm-ups to my entry in the 3-Day Novel Contest, taking place this Labor Day weekend. I’ve been getting familiar with the characters, and trying to make them interesting. Sorry for any confusion. It’s explained on my site. :-)
On Eugene Roberts Gets A Job:

posted 10 months ago

Sorry for the confusion. I’m participating in the 3-Day Novel Writing Contest (in 24 minutes), and the stories with the tag ‘Taxi Adventure’ have been my exercises in making it interesting. Lucius Banks is the owner of Taxi Adventure, and these stories show the various characters getting hired. After the contest, I may work them into the final book.
On Don't Masquerade With the Girl In Shades:

posted 10 months ago

I finished reading with a big dopey grin on my face. Fantastic!
On Till it's Gone:

posted 10 months ago

Amazing work. I didn’t notice any of the lyrics until I got to the end and realized it was a challenge. Then I went back and looked, and I couldn’t see the seams. Very well done.
On She Leaves for College, Take One:

posted 10 months ago

Wow. You are setting the ficlet bar pretty high lately. With this, you’ve been bumped from contact to muse, but I bet you get that a lot. Keep up the great work!
On Becoming Super:

posted 10 months ago

Like everyone else, I appreciated all the movie references. Another gem.
On A Dystopian Storm:

posted 10 months ago

Beautiful prose, and it fits the picture perfectly. It almost comes off as part of a graphic novel. Excellent!
On I Almost Feel Creative Tonight:

posted 11 months ago

Beautifully captures a piece of what it is to be a sentient and transcendent human on the planet, missing someone we’ve never met. Sure to be anthologized and revered. Very well done.
On All Aboard:

posted 11 months ago

I caught and enjoyed the usage of words, as well as the rest of the story. Great originality.
On The Endless Corridor:

posted 11 months ago

I like the tone and the feel, and this character is immediately likable. This is clearly the start of something big. Very well done.
On A Brief Glimpse Into the Mind of Stovohobo:

posted 11 months ago

It’s like looking into a mirror. :-)
On A Day in the Life of Stovohobo's Cat:

posted 11 months ago

Very entertaining. This will get recommended to my friends.
On We're the Antithesis:

posted 11 months ago

Interesting study of contrasts, with a semiautobiographical feel to it.
On I'ma Gonna Make You an Offer You Can't Refuse:

posted 11 months ago

This is a compact little story, already starting something bigger. Very nice.
On Not Quite the End:

posted 11 months ago

Rich and smooth detail; I hope you can come up with a sequel. :-)
On The Physicist:

posted 11 months ago

The story keeps a-rolling. I’m intrigued.
On The Programmer:

posted 11 months ago

At this point, I think we’re all in.
On The Blueprint:

posted 11 months ago

Still going strong. Can’t wait for the next one.
On Sequence Identified:

posted 11 months ago

The chaos effect: a butterfly flaps his wings, and we have Henry on the floor unconscious instead of on a plane over the Mississippi. Splendid!
On Back to School:

posted 11 months ago

A big story unfolding in a small space. So far, so good…
On Dial Tone (9-1-1):

posted 12 months ago

There’s a lot of action in this little bit, but it could easily grow into something big with of prequels and sequels.
On Broken Glass (Seconds Left):

posted 12 months ago

Lots of good sound detail in this, although I must admit I was a little confused by the end.
On Orange Blossoms, Lava Rivers, and Balloons:

posted 12 months ago

This little scene has wonderful imagery, and could easily kick off a long string of sequels.
On Stepping into the dark:

posted about 1 year ago

Very well done.
On Up All Night, Part 2:

posted about 1 year ago

Very nice; shuts down my theory about the title. Will there be Part 3, I wonder?
On Up All Night:

posted about 1 year ago

At the end of the story, where it seems up in the air as to what happened next, I remembered the title, and it seemed the question was answered. Of course, any kind of wild ride could sequel out of this. Well done.
On Of Last Meals:

posted about 1 year ago

Tight prose, nicely moving the story along. Great line: “It’d be hard to kill her…” I look forward to more.
On A Pair Of Blue Eyes:

posted about 1 year ago

Clearly a bridge between the past and the future, but well done.
On A Detour-Taking Person:

posted about 1 year ago

Excellent. I can imagine where these people came from and where they are going, and it’s going to be a fun trip. This seems almost like a sequel to some of your other ficlets here. If you ever package these up into a big story, let me know so I can read it.
On You Can't Beat Pirate Pete:

posted about 1 year ago

A whale of a legend in piranha-bite-sized pieces. Well done.
On The State of the City:

posted about 1 year ago

Excellent capture of a mood, a moment, a beginning. Very nice.
On On the Way Home:

posted about 1 year ago

I enjoy how the visuals (eyes flicking, a basket of kittens, orange line of horizon) evoke more than images: anxiety, warm comfort, and cold empty distance. I also like that we don’t know for sure who says the last line. Well done.
On A Sequence Isolated:

posted about 1 year ago

I agree with the rest of the posse. Henry is both obsessed and casual. Are you just teasing us?
On Going Home:

posted about 1 year ago

This is fun, and it seems to be building momentum.
On Alphabetized Wonders:

posted about 1 year ago

I like this. I know I’m a sucker for stories about libraries (and hotels), but I like this.
On You are Beautiful:

posted about 1 year ago

Very well done and refreshing story of an afternoon. Perhaps the Found Magazine could be persuaded to adopt a Creative Commons license, and found items could be a regular part of the inspiration here.
On Four AM at the Train Station:

posted about 1 year ago

Terrific. It seems almost like a ghost story. It’s haunting and beautiful. Actually, the more I read it, the more “he” does seem to be a ghost. Hmm…
On Xela 1:1-12:

posted about 1 year ago

An excellent riff off BARomero’s original! It would be fun to see a few more rounds of this. Perhaps I’ll try my own hand at one.
On Alex 1:1-13:

posted about 1 year ago

Outstanding story, very original and complete. I like the numbered structure a lot, and it’s sure to inspire many copies here, if not elsewhere. I think the transition between 9 and 10 is just right, as the previous poster said, implying that the Editor threw down the pages at this point. Great work!
On "Do You Feel That?":

posted about 1 year ago

This story goes on like the pulse itself, flaring up every so often. Very nice.
On A Pattern:

posted about 1 year ago

Excellent work. Can’t wait for the rest of the story.
On Jars of Nothing:

posted about 1 year ago

Very creepy-cool. It reminds me of a beginning of one of those Poltergeist television shows. It begs for both a sequel and a prequel. Great work.
On Only one pair of shoes:

posted about 1 year ago

Nice character insight.
On More Grog, Please!:

posted about 1 year ago

Nice twist, compelling story, begs for a sequel of its own.
On The Firmament Cracked:

posted about 1 year ago

Excellent work, literate and inspired and majestic. We know all we need to know in this bit. A perfect little story.
On The End of May:

posted about 1 year ago

Great conveyance of mood, and I like the infusion of undiluted colors.
On You Know Me:

posted about 1 year ago

Unexpectedly creepy-cool.
On The Invisible Hand:

posted about 1 year ago

Well done.
On The Smell of Dead Cigarettes:

posted about 1 year ago

Very noir. Engaging tone and excellent surprise ending.
On Slain:

posted about 1 year ago

Good capture of an instant of thoughts, with an ending begging for a sequel. Plus, you got me Googling.
On The Corporation, Inc.:

posted about 1 year ago

Dark and ominous.
On Stealing Lyrics:

posted about 1 year ago

Very noir. Can’t wait to see where it goes.
On The Waitress:

posted about 1 year ago

Waitress with a dark past + Lynch-sounding town name + good looking stranger + ominous tone + cliffhanger ending = very good setup.
On Ready to rock?:

posted about 1 year ago

Interesting idea, excellent open-ended beginning.
On One Last Dance:

posted about 1 year ago

Beautiful.
On A Hero's Burial:

posted about 1 year ago

Beautiful.
On Twelve Inch High Underdog:

posted about 1 year ago

Excellent.
On When It Ends For One, It Ends For Both:

posted about 1 year ago

Amazing capture of a moment.
On The Butler's Secret:

posted about 1 year ago

Clean in language, cleverly comes around on itself, compact of course, yet feels bigger than it is. Works great as it is, or could be a compelling opening to something larger. Well done.
On The Devil in a Shop Window:

posted about 1 year ago

Very nice. I love the line of “tears … cutting ribbons in his mask.”

It could be interesting to build two sequel paths from here, one where the demons win, and one where they don’t.
On God's Fist:

posted about 1 year ago

With great visuals, this story really works to convey the enormity of the moment and the emotion of the end. And, it’s nice to see someone changing tense on purpose and with skill, in a way that signals the arrival of the moment of the end.

Excellent.
On Into the Ocean, End it All...:

posted about 1 year ago

Very good tone, and I like how we can infer so much about what has happened before and what will happen next. Fun.
On Angel in the Storm:

posted about 1 year ago

Sweet and poetic. Nice capture of a magical moment in time.
On Stevie Is Not A Murderer:

posted about 1 year ago

Nice building of tension. And I like how finding him was “a miracle”.
On Grade-A, Top-Secret:

posted about 1 year ago

Very nice, even as a standalone depiction of a turning point.