Ficlets

uselessness' posted comments

On Zombie Activism:

posted about 13 hours ago

Blast! My inspiration is discovered! How can I continue the series now?! ;-)
On Strawberry Fields Forever:

posted 21 days ago

So I sat down in my beanbag chair with my laptop and read the whole series up to this point in one sitting. And I have only one question: Why haven’t I been following along until now? Great stuff all around, you two make a legendary ficleteering pair. Perhaps the strangest thing to me is that I’ve also been developing a story about a Karl, albeit a very different Karl, without a clue about what was going on over here on this side of the site. Regardless, you two have maintained quite a (web) page-turner…
On The Coming of Lenin:

posted 21 days ago

I’m so torn! This is, as usual, the caliber of awesomeness that we’ve all come to expect from you. But at this point I pretty much have a direction that I’m heading in with the story and this is pretty different from that. I always hate saying stuff like that though because it makes me sound like a monopolistic Ficlet bastard. But I like this interpretation of the story a lot, I really do! :-)
On Zombie Proletariats:

posted 27 days ago

I’ll probably keep it going, I’ve just been on a Ficlets break for a couple days, getting caught up with some other stuff. :-) Keep checking back here!
On Room 34:

posted about 1 month ago

Oh, that’s just sinister.
LoA
On Zombie Proletariats:

posted about 1 month ago

There, does that read better?
LoA
On Zombie Proletariats:

posted about 1 month ago

Good points, I forced myself to write those sentences hoping they might add to the humor… but you’re right, they are confusing. I’ll see if I can clean ‘em up. Thanks!
LoA
On The Cryptic, Unpredictable Wonderball:

posted about 1 month ago

Great! She’ll face it alone, that is, except for the Wonderball… and Emily seems awfully willing to go to Room 34. I’d sure as heck be running as far from there as I could possibly get!
LoA
On Best Laid Plans:

posted about 1 month ago

Yikes! So Dr. Klimt is onto the ruse?
LoA
On Wake Up Call:

posted about 1 month ago

Great continuation. I wonder how much time has passed? I love the fact that this chapter asks more questions than it answers.
LoA
On The Essential, Indispensable Wonderball:

posted about 1 month ago

Interesting development… Zombie Karl Marx approves.
LoA
On Hearing Voices:

posted about 1 month ago

Interesting… so we know that not all of the children have the same power. Like Eckhouse said on the previous story, it’s really very X-Men.
LoA
On Powers of Observation:

posted about 1 month ago

This is incredible. I love the last paragraph! What’s really going on here?
LoA
On i love her(part2):

posted about 1 month ago

This could be a lot better with some spell checking and punctuation… it’s very difficult to follow your train of thought. Maybe you’d like to edit it?
On Awake:

posted about 1 month ago

This is amazing! Fantastic writing and a great premise. Why can’t they sleep? What’s going on?
LoA
On Hope in the Void:

posted about 1 month ago

Dude, that’s exciting. What happened to the earth? Hope to see a sequel (or prequel) to this one!
LoA
On Zombie Revolution:

posted about 1 month ago

Thanks for the link! I hadn’t seen it before. Isn’t that the guy why wrote “Still Alive”?
On Tikbalang's Snare:

posted about 1 month ago

Haha, nice analogy. ;-)
LoA
On love of my life:

posted about 1 month ago

Your birthday is the day after mine. :-)
LoA
On Tikbalang's Snare:

posted about 1 month ago

Surely y’all don’t expect me to do the sequel writing here, do you? An adventure just ain’t an adventure when you have to go it alone… ;-)
LoA
On Terry's Troubles:

posted about 1 month ago

Haha, I’m with you, Hunting Beauty, it’s a very annoying and frustrating mentality! I like to write ficlets that stretch me, by getting into the heads of characters I don’t have much experience with in real life. It would be too easy to write things from my own point of view all the time; gotta make it a little challenging! :-)
LoA
On Griselda:

posted about 1 month ago

That’s great and unnerving and awesome and very well-written! Love it!
LoA
On Terry's Troubles:

posted about 1 month ago

I tweaked it… hopefully it makes more sense now!
LoA
On Terry's Troubles:

posted about 1 month ago

Yeah, thebetweenspace has it, I’ll see if I can rework that to make more sense. Since the story is from Terry’s point of view, it’s her mom who is viewed as the stubborn one, even though the woman is perfectly rational. :-)
LoA
On 642:

posted about 1 month ago

Eckhouse got it. I told you it was cheesy! ;-)
LoA
On Ask the Wonderball:

posted about 1 month ago

I loved it. The last line was positively chilling. Although John’s suggestion that the Wonderball ought to display boolean values as integers is just too nerdy for me – and I’m a computer programmer. ;-)
LoA
On 642:

posted about 1 month ago

Haha, the title is a mystery, but the solution is really cheesy. I won’t spoil it for you. :-) And thanks for the kind words!
LoA
On 642:

posted about 1 month ago

Keep guessing… ;-)
LoA
On Challenge by Numbers :

posted about 1 month ago

Great challenge, I jumped in feetfirst. :-)
LoA
On Deep Space Disaster- To the Brig:

posted about 1 month ago

I just wrote a sequel of my own to my original story. It’s not in any way intended to be a diss, it’s just a continuation of my previous thoughts. Just letting you know! Your story is awesome!
LoA
On Deep Space Disaster- To the Brig:

posted about 1 month ago

That’s funny! I like how you expanded on the original idea, adding another crewman and a glimpse at how work gets done on the ship. :-)
On Deep Space Disaster:

posted about 1 month ago

Wow, this made featured ficlet? I’m honored! Thanks for the kind words, everybody! :-)
LoA
On Deep Space Disaster:

posted about 1 month ago

Mmm, like frosted mini-wheats? ;-)
LoA
On uselessness's PRECISE MANEUVERS Challenge!:

posted about 1 month ago

Kitty, I like it! Now that’s a mashup! Also, the cat’s out of the bag: Hunting Beauty and I know each other in real life, and my name may or may not be something like Parker. ;-)
LoA
On uselessness's PRECISE MANEUVERS Challenge!:

posted about 1 month ago

Haha, you had it right the first time. ;-) You should totally write an entry like that, martial arts stuff is perfect for this challenge!
LoA
On The Cleaning Lady:

posted about 1 month ago

I love it! Great little piece of writing. I added a prequel to put a bit of a spin on it.
LoA
On puzzle 2:

posted about 1 month ago

Tom Leppert lived in Hawaii. He was also Vice Chairman of the Bank of Hawaii.
LoA
On Ode to Backspace:

posted about 1 month ago

This ficlet is complete and utter crap. Just kidding! I liked it a lot. The last paragraph was the best! I’ve been there many times myself. :-)
LoA
On Nosepickers Anonymous:

posted about 1 month ago

Don’t forget about the eaters! ;-)
LoA
On THE PUZZLE:

posted about 1 month ago

Actually it’s 36… Cryptic…
On Make Me Laugh Results: The Finals: The Winner IS!!!!!!:

posted about 1 month ago

Woohoo! Congratulations to the winner! And to everyone else who entered! And most of all to thebetweenspace for actually judging the entries (in spectacular elaborate fashion) when I totally dropped the ball in my own challenge. I need to be more gooder at that kind of thing. Happy birthday too!
On Battle over Sirius II: Amethyst Maneuvers:

posted about 1 month ago

Sequeled. Not sure how well it jives with your vision of the battle, but we’ll see how it plays out… :-)
LoA
On Trouble at Sirius II: The Black Swan:

posted about 1 month ago

Excellent continuation. Series are so much more fun when you have someone to write them with. :-) I’ve added the next chapter from the Gemstone’s perspective.
LoA
On Trouble at Sirius II: Decoy.:

posted about 1 month ago

Great, I love it! Nice to see some other detail, and the question answered as to whether Murphy is a maverick or part of a larger operation. I continued the story with more of what’s happening on the Gemstone, and it can be integrated with the others as the showdown with Hughes escalates.
LoA
On Make Me Laugh Challenge:

posted about 1 month ago

Late to the party, I didn’t see your challenge until now. And of course, I had to enter…
LoA
On For Sale: Baby shoes, never worn.:

posted 2 months ago

Welcome to the site! I can’t wait to read more (short) stuff from you! :-)
LoA
On Why This Might Kind Of Be My Sister's Fault:

posted 2 months ago

Haha, I love where you took this! The best line is the Jimi Hendrix analogy. :-)
LoA
On The Following Ficlet Takes Place Between 1:00 PM And 2:00 PM:

posted 2 months ago

Congratulations on the F.F.!
On Edmund Extracts the Bank Manager:

posted 2 months ago

I didn’t see this until just now, because of the sequel you wrote yesterday! Reminds me of the Transporter. Ridiculously over the top and very, very cool.
On Why Nobody's Ever Asked Me That:

posted 2 months ago

Oh, and epic tag work, by the way. ;-)
LoA
On Why Nobody's Ever Asked Me That:

posted 2 months ago

I guess I’m late to all the back-scratching, but I have to agree. Awesome, awesome work. It’s a landmark occasion for me: in all my days of ficleteering, I’ve never actually been involved in a series all the way through completion, I just left stuff all messy and unfinished. It feels good to get some closure on a story for once. And I couldn’t have had better coauthors. Three cheers for you guys! We definitely need to do that again sometime. :-)
LoA
On Naked Male Insecurity:

posted 2 months ago

Your turn again! Looks like you might have the last chapter!
LoA
On A Bit Of A Shock:

posted 2 months ago

Sequeled! The story’s pretty much wound up at this point, with just a couple loose ends that deserve a nice finish. :-) What a fun series this has been! Glad I could be a part of it.
LoA
On Naked Male Insecurity:

posted 2 months ago

Wedgie? I laughed out loud. :-P
LoA
On I Think He Really Meant It This Time:

posted 2 months ago

And there it is. The you-know-what is finally hitting the fan.
LoA
On I Think He Really Meant It This Time:

posted 2 months ago

I love the reverse-retcon you did. :-P Working on a sequel…
LoA
On Life Before Jodi:

posted 2 months ago

Nice one. I love how the R.A. stuck around just to goad Jordan, as if he wasn’t miserable enough already. And Jodi is totally a ho. ;-)
LoA
On You Two Need To Take This Outside:

posted 2 months ago

Good news, A. Muse Morrington, the saga continues! ;-)
LoA
On You Two Need To Take This Outside:

posted 2 months ago

I’m working on it!
LoA
On Realization:

posted 2 months ago

I love it! Who’s playing whom? I’ll let tbs take the next round…
LoA
On He Put Two And Two Together:

posted 2 months ago

Looks good, I sequeled it. :-)
LoA
On He Put Two And Two Together:

posted 2 months ago

A continuity point: Jordan was admiring himself in the bathroom mirror, which changes the dynamic of people just walking in somewhat. ;-) Not sure if you want to address that, but I’ll take my turn next.
LoA
On New and Improved:

posted 2 months ago

Woah, time lapse. How many weeks have gone by now?
LoA
On A Hard Choice Made Easy:

posted 2 months ago

I love the mystery about it all. What’s really going on? A fabulously trippy tale.
LoA
On Warning: Baggage Included:

posted 2 months ago

So I guess it’s tbs’ turn next, and then Ana Cristina? Just trying to get the sequence straight. :-)
On Learning to Love Yourself:

posted 2 months ago

Er, that is to say, starting now… ;-)
On Learning to Love Yourself:

posted 2 months ago

Didn’t see your proposed sequence until now, tbs. Good idea. So I’ll always post after Ana Cristina. Got it. :-)
On TBS's Centificletal Challenge (Choose Your Own Adventure):

posted 2 months ago

Dude. The word is centificletal. Get it right. ;-)
LoA
On You Rang?:

posted 2 months ago

Okay, my turn, give me a minute… :-)
LoA
On Cornered In A Rare Jodi-Less Moment:

posted 2 months ago

Nice! But you know this totally needs a “defenestration” tag. ;-)
LoA
On Something's Fishy:

posted 2 months ago

You bet it is! I do my research!! ;-)
http://books.google.com/books?id=T-ATpdxI50QC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_summary_r&cad=0
LoA
On Maybe Not Such A Nancy-Boy After All:

posted 2 months ago

Dude, I like it a lot. Sorry to throw off the smooth progression of the story, maybe three’s a crowd?
LoA
On Learning to Love Yourself:

posted 2 months ago

I’ve got a sequel forthcoming. So, y’know, don’t post anything, tbs. ;-)
LoA
On Rock Hard:

posted 2 months ago

I can has sequel?
On Surprise Visitor:

posted 2 months ago

Oh gosh, it’s a roller coaster of drama! It just keeps going and going and going… :-)
LoA
On "This Is Just To Say..." [The Apology Challenge]:

posted 2 months ago

Okay, I wrote an entry of my own. Great challenge! And congrats on the astronomical number of stories, that’s pretty insane. ;-)
LoA
On Mama Said Knock You Out!:

posted 2 months ago

Okay, so I’ve been passively following this series and I’ve got to say that Tom’s side of the phone conversation is probably the funniest thing I’ve ever read on Ficlets. Not to mention the “girly voice” tag… :-P
LoA
On uselessness's LIVING DESCRIPTIONS Challenge!:

posted 2 months ago

Hey hey hey, I’m working on it! I’m a busy guy! And there were so many great entries… I’ll have some results up here soon, I promise. :-)
LoA
On Choose Your Own Adventure:

posted 2 months ago

What a coincidence, I was just about to start a CYOA series of my own! Nicely done. Maybe I’ll contribute to yours. We should come up with a format for encouraging branching storylines on Ficlets. Reminds me of a web site I discovered twelve years ago that is surprisingly still online today:
http://coder.com/creations/tale/stacks.html
LoA
On ChronOOPS:

posted 2 months ago

This was just a crazy idea I had, no plans to serialize it. I’d love to see where it might go, if somebody else wanted to write a sequel. Here’s a great webcomic I found to provide further inspiration:
http://www.viruscomix.com/page417.html
LoA
On A Husband's Permission:

posted 2 months ago

Busted, I totally used that for inspiration. ;-) Great movie.
LoA
On The Meta Ficlet [One More Word Writing Challenge]:

posted 2 months ago

Haha, this is easily the best entry in the challenge! :-)
LoA
On One More Word Writing Challenge:

posted 2 months ago

Great challenge, I’ve just added a story of my own. Thanks for making it tricky!
LoA
On the screenames game (8):

posted 2 months ago

Haha, true. But I think what THX was referring to was not so much the structure of your piece, but some confusion regarding verb tense and some curiously mangled idioms. Is English your primary language? Perhaps an editor could help your grammar become a bit more cogent. :-)
LoA
On A Day In the Life of Ana Cristina:

posted 2 months ago

Meant as a sequel to 27421, I presume? Nicely written! I could totally see our friend Ms. Cristina moonlighting as a shrewd executive type.
LoA
On The River Cold and Vile:

posted 2 months ago

I’ve added another chapter. Please, jump right back in! Likewise for anyone else who wants to take a stab at it!
LoA
On Some Very nice things (FluteFaries: NIce things Challenge) :

posted 2 months ago

Such kind words! Thank you! (You know you can edit ficlets, right?)
LoA
On Parallel Kingdoms: Charlie's Story:

posted 2 months ago

Haha, you noticed. This is my attempt at writing a “gentle” fantasy story. I don’t like to use the same voice all the time, so I mix up my narrative style. This one, for example, is my sissy style. ;-)
LoA
On Little Brats:

posted 2 months ago

Yikes! I can’t decide who’s worse, Christa or Mrs. Holland. Poor girls!
LoA
On the truth about uselessness [(Your Pen Name Here) Challenge]:

posted 2 months ago

Then again, if I was a double agent, would I tell you? ;-)
LoA
On A Nice Dance to a Different Tune:

posted 2 months ago

What a beautiful little picture. I love the juxtaposition of the man’s disdain for, and captivation over, the girl. Does he hate her? Does he pity her? Does he see in her his only equal in a roomful of stuffy corsets? Ahh, so many questions. Well done.
LoA
On the truth about uselessness [(Your Pen Name Here) Challenge]:

posted 2 months ago

Haha, apart from the double agent part, your picture of me is uncanny. I’ve gotten rather used to hearing my girlfriend ask “is everything okay?” just because I am so dang quiet all the time. For the record, the name is a throwback to the first web site I ever built, way back in 1995. I couldn’t think of a theme or purpose for the site, so I devoted it to uselessness and filled it with silly stories and jokes and games. My self-esteem’s not really that low, honest!
LoA
On Some Foreign Field:

posted 2 months ago

The plot thickens! If you can’t trust Churchill, who can you trust? I’m sure there’s a perfectly good reason for bringing an innocent cryptanalyst along on a deadly sabotage mission, but for now I’ll shift the focus over to Ana Cristina’s concern, which is surely more important to our protagonist as well. ;-)
LoA
On Journey to Deutschland:

posted 2 months ago

Thanks, everybody. I’m really honored to see my name (or pseudonym, anyway) up there on the home page! It’s like the Ficlets equivalent of an Academy award. :-P
LoA
On The Everyday THX 0477 [Pen Name Challenge]:

posted 2 months ago

I liked it until the last two paragraphs. Then I loved it. :-P
LoA
On Margie ends and Frida begins.:

posted 2 months ago

I love how the first sentence refers to her as Margie and the last sentence refers to her as Frida. Excellent transition! I’ve never left the United States, personally, but someday I’m going to see the world and I’ve heard so many great things about rural Germany that I just have to see it for myself. :-)
LoA
On (Your Pen Name Here) CHALLENGE:

posted 2 months ago

So I just wrote one about our friend ThroatWolf, intended to be respectfully playful in its tone. (I hope s/he takes it that way!) Great challenge!
LoA
On The Dastardly Turn of Events:

posted 2 months ago

Haha, in that case I’ve upped my rating for this story and continued with a sequel of my own. :-)
LoA
On The Dastardly Turn of Events:

posted 2 months ago

Wow, an excellent surprise! Apart from a few typos, this is a really great continuation. :-)
LoA
On The Turncoat Suitor:

posted 2 months ago

Haha, alright, umlaut added!
LoA
On Results of the Alternate Movie Ending Challenge!:

posted 2 months ago

Awesome! This was a great challenge and fun to participate in! I still have plans to finish my Princess Bride series too, just taking a bit of a break for now. :-P
LoA
On The Princess Bride's Pursuers Clash:

posted 3 months ago

Oh, you think he’s not going to run? Don’t jump to conclusions. ;-)
LoA
On The Princess Bride's Kingly Confusion:

posted 3 months ago

No, it’s totally not a word, but it totally worked. ;-)
LoA
On The Life and Times of a Nancy-Boy:

posted 3 months ago

I love it. Nice job continuing the story, and the recurring Nancy-Boy theme is hilarious. ;-)
LoA
On uselessness's LIVING DESCRIPTIONS Challenge!:

posted 3 months ago

I didn’t have space up there to thank everyone for making this site so great and enjoyable that I keep coming back for more. You guys are the best!

Also I should probably remind everybody who hasn’t done a uselessness challenge before that I’m really picky about grammar and spelling. You have an amazing writer within you and writing sloppy only does yourself a disservice! Thanks in advance for entering and for just being all-around awesome. :-)
LoA
On (Ficlet CL Challenge): The Real Heroes:

posted 3 months ago

“Save the couch potato, save the world.” I love it! (And I can’t wait for Season 3!)
LoA
On Best Sermon Ever (My Inner Cynic Wrote This): [64k Challenge]:

posted 3 months ago

Haha, best entry in this challenge so far! I love how there’s an outrageous story hidden behind the one sentence. Well done!
On The Princess Bride's Missing Watchmen:

posted 3 months ago

Haha, it just came to me. The Princess Bride is my favorite movie of all time, so it was a natural choice for me. I keep hoping someone else will jump in and join the series eventually! (Though I am still having fun by myself…) I’m glad everyone’s enjoying it as much as I am; the original story has much unexplored potential for us to play with.
LoA
On Becoming Jane [alternate movie ending Challenge] part a:

posted 3 months ago

Oh, you forgot to write the second part as a sequel, so I’ll link to it! Part B is here:
http://ficlets.com/stories/25904
On (Alternate Movie Ending) Challenge:

posted 3 months ago

childish acts wrote an alternate ending to Becoming Jane that I believe was meant as a sequel to this challenge:
http://ficlets.com/stories/25899
LoA
On Mort Memorandum:

posted 3 months ago

Woah, I love it. Please don’t leave us hanging!
LoA
On 64k (250th Ficlet Challenge):

posted 3 months ago

Good challenge! I just wrote an entry. :-)
LoA
On Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (Alternate Movie Ending Challenge):

posted 3 months ago

I absolutely love this. And I’m with tbs, it’s totally more realistic. Absolute power corrupts absolutely! :-)
LoA
On Terrible Commercial Challenge: Bad Breath Begone:

posted 3 months ago

The last side effect is a stroke of genius! :-)
LoA
On [Challenge] Terrible Commercials:

posted 3 months ago

I’ve just added an entry, and I feel like a terrible, terrible person for it. ;-)
LoA
On Bibliophilia :

posted 3 months ago

I like the premise. More detail would be nice, something to paint the picture, specifically, of the worlds she sees in these books. Also, your tense changes from past to present in the third paragraph. Might want to fix that. :-)
LoA
On The Princess Bride's Assault Plan A:

posted 3 months ago

Are you familiar with the movie The Princess Bride? This is an alternate ending to that movie. Without the proper context it might be a bit confusing. :-)
LoA
On He Should've Known Better:

posted 3 months ago

Dang. That was nefarious.
LoA
On Spiraling out of Control:

posted 3 months ago

Nicely done. I’ve continued the plot…
LoA
On (Alternate Movie Ending) Challenge:

posted 3 months ago

Great challenge! I went with option one, but it’ll take a couple ficlets to finish the story. Anyone who wants to join me in the series, feel free. :-)
LoA
On Please Don't Harsh My Cool:

posted 3 months ago

Hahaha, Jordan really is a tool… maybe this revelation is good news? :-P
LoA
On Lambs to the Slaughter:

posted 3 months ago

Oh gosh, I wouldn’t know where to begin! But I’m enjoying the series and hope somebody can bring it closure!
LoA
On Call of the Why:

posted 3 months ago

Well. That was a surprise, wasn’t it? ;-) Just who is the eccentric aficionado of ancient culture on the other end of the line? And even more perplexing, how does our hero even know what a phone booth looks like, let alone how to use one? :-D
LoA
On The Final Flash:

posted 3 months ago

Wait, I’m confused… does he know everything now? Is he going after the guy who was trying to set him up?
LoA
On Digital Dawn of the Firefox [Crossover Challenge]:

posted 3 months ago

I love it! Very true to the tone and agenda of Iona (Blue Brain), I think. So it decided it was female? ;-) I was impressed by the bit about Von Neumann ships; I wasn’t familiar with the concept, but upon researching a little it seems that’s exactly what Iona would use.
LoA
On Digital Dawn: Chapter Nine:

posted 3 months ago

Good catch. Fixed it. ;-)
LoA
On Put Me Out of My Misery:

posted 3 months ago

Wow, I like it a lot, also wondering what’s going on in that head of hers… I may continue this if I can come up with a decent sequel idea. :-)
LoA
On Peace Sign Heartbreak:

posted 3 months ago

Maybe the heartbreaker was British! Was the palm facing in or out? ;-)
LoA
On In Case of Disaster:

posted 3 months ago

Awesome descriptions. I hope my sequel does it justice!
LoA
On Requiem for the Phone Booth:

posted 3 months ago

Great ficlet. I took the concept, and wrote a sequel. :-)
LoA
On Accelerated Heartbeats:

posted 3 months ago

I’ll bite. ;-)
LoA
On The Rapidly Deconstructing, Reconstructing Mind:

posted 3 months ago

This just keeps getting more and more terrible. And I don’t mean the quality of your writing, at all. ;-) I’ll say it again, very Memento-like…
LoA
On Digital Dawn: Chapter Eight:

posted 3 months ago

The island of Iona was considered a holy place of pilgrimage and scholarship but eventually brought downfall upon itself. The Vikings raided it repeatedly and to this day the place is little but ruins. I also think it’s just a really pretty name. ;-)
LoA
On Digital Dawn: Chapter Five (R_C):

posted 3 months ago

Freaky. Zombies?
On Digital Dawn: Chapter Four (R_M):

posted 3 months ago

Hey, I like it! I didn’t realize you were writing a sequel as I wrote mine. :-) I already have a whole story in mind, so forgive me if I don’t maintain your alternate version. I love where you’re going with this, though!
LoA
On Hive Mind:

posted 3 months ago

To see how the hive mind was born, check out my new series, Digital Dawn:
http://ficlets.com/stories/25286
On Digital Dawn: Chapter One:

posted 3 months ago

This is the story of how the hive mind came about, an exploration of the backstory behind a ficlet I wrote two days ago:
http://ficlets.com/stories/25011
On Certainty Amongst Uncertainty:

posted 3 months ago

Great story! Reminds me of Memento in a way, about a character who can’t remember a thing but is out for revenge come hell or high water. Nicely written. Actually I haven’t written you many comments but I’m enjoying all of your stories on here; you’re quite the prolific ficleteer, and a quality one at that. :-)
LoA
On Picking up the Pieces:

posted 3 months ago

Wow, that wasn’t what I expected at all! Very nice.
LoA
On Awesomeness contest:

posted 3 months ago

Great challenge idea! I just entered my three-part story. :-)
LoA
On [CHALLENGE] 1980's Arcade Games:

posted 3 months ago

Great challenge! I just wrote an entry.
On Broken Physics and Blobs of Goo:

posted 4 months ago

I love it! So very Douglas Adams.
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On A New Life:

posted 4 months ago

That’s downright eerie.
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On The Cookie Jar:

posted 4 months ago

Oh my gosh, I did not see that coming! I am morbidly astounded. Very well written.
LoA
On uselessness's SELFISH ALLEGORIES Challenge!:

posted 4 months ago

Thanks to everyone for participating in the SELFISH ALLEGORIES challenge! I guess it was a more intimidating call for many than I thought it would be; kudos to those who stepped it up and penned some greatness. Congratulations to Ana Cristina for first place, Eckhouse for second place, and musicxhearted for a noble third. You guys were all great.
LoA
On Deadly [Selfish Allegories Challenge]:

posted 4 months ago

Wow, what did s/he do? I love the ominous tone here! I’d definitely love to hear more in a sequel. Third place for your well-written story, thanks for entering my challenge!
LoA
On The Carpenter and the Tower:

posted 4 months ago

I love the classical angle on this one, it reads like something straight out of the Brothers Grimm library. Particularly the nasty ending. First place for you! Thanks for entering the challenge!
LoA
On The Shellfish Allegory:

posted 4 months ago

I like it a lot! I found myself wondering what the downfall was going to be, but I never suspected a human trap… Congratulations, 2nd place for you with a job well done. :-)
LoA
On Walking in a Ficlet Wonderland:

posted 4 months ago

I actually did mean “homebody,” meaning someone who usually stays at home instead of playing in the snow… but the thought of substituting in “homeboy” makes me laugh! :-P
LoA
On 7.2:

posted 4 months ago

Great story! Great photo, too. My favorite director, Brad Bird, is rumored to be working on a movie about that very earthquake, based on the book 1906 by James Dalessandro. Something to keep an eye out for. :-)
LoA
On Only Six Words:

posted 4 months ago

Argh! Stop that! I was winning!
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On Just One More:

posted 4 months ago

Of course, it’s just tradition now that I participate in my own challenges! As usual, I won’t count my entry when I judge the winners. :-P
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On Fracture's Prequel Challenge [Winner]:

posted 5 months ago

Aww, thanks! I’m humbled. :-)
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On Hobo Beard Bob's Inhuman Detective Challenge:

posted 5 months ago

Great challenge idea! These should be fun to read! I’ve added one of my own.
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On American Gehenna:

posted 5 months ago

Haha, “Gehenna” is a Hebrew word that literally means “the city dump.” It’s used as a metaphor for “hell” in Judaism, because in Old Testament times Gehenna was a well-known disgusting unclean place. Such a word was much more vivid than just saying “the pit of fire” or something. As for “eschari,” I made that up. :-P
LoA
On The Superhero Obituaries:

posted 5 months ago

This is absolutely terrific! I don’t know whether to laugh or cry—you created an original cast of “superheroes” and we don’t even get to see them in action! What a tease!
LoA
On Someone set us up the bombe.:

posted 5 months ago

Nicely written. Reminds me of a more industrial version of the opening sequence of “Joe Vs. the Volcano.” Plus, the title you’ve chosen made me squeal “you have no chance to survive make your time” so, points for that. ;-)
LoA
On Togetherness on the Surface of the Sun:

posted 5 months ago

That’s a good idea, provided some cataclysm hasn’t made all spaceflight or mass excavation technologically impossible… ;-) I left the details intentionally vague, hoping some brave ficleteer might come along and clarify just who these people are and why they need endoshielding, anyway.
LoA
On Driven Down the Aisle:

posted 5 months ago

This was actually a dream I had last night and I woke up with the same mixed reactions you had, Melia. I was feeling unsettled all morning until I read the “What Inspires You?” blog post and learned that a lot of ficleteers get story ideas from their dreams. So I decided sharing it here would be a helpful release. It certainly made me take a closer look at how I handle my own relationships, anyway! :-)
LoA
On Remnants of days past [Digital Age Challenge]:

posted 5 months ago

Haha, I love it. Especially how the tinyurl goes to WWDN. :-P
LoA
On Facebook Romance:

posted 5 months ago

I don’t know how to type the letter, I just copy-pasted it from other places I’ve seen it: █
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On Just Another Dirty Word (Fracture's Prequel Challenge):

posted 5 months ago

I love it. Great descriptions, very evocative! I added a prequel to begin to hint at who our protagonist is and what exactly he or she is doing here…
LoA
On Empiricism:

posted 5 months ago

This is true, but of course one could argue the inverse: as our collective knowledge compounds over the confidence of those generations before us, it’s possible we’re just abstracting ourselves further from the truth. Little mistakes, over time, could ripple into big ones. I’m not saying this is what happens in every case, only that it’s possible. In a given situation, empirical observation may not always be possible, but it’s certainly preferable; a little skepticism is always healthy. :-)
On Shane, Unrequited (LoA Challenge):

posted 5 months ago

Haha, I love it! Nice to see a sympathetic take on the plight of the “bully.” Well done.
LoA
On Achieving Nirvana:

posted 5 months ago

Postmodern? Nah. It’s really a piece of traditional modernism, nice and meta with an existential bent. ;-) Nicely written!
LoA
On Saying Good-Bye:

posted 5 months ago

It’s really touching. Funerals always make me feel awkward for the very reason Nina did; apart from the sadness of the tragedy, there’s something very disconcerting about seeing someone you know in a coffin, but it’s not them. It’s just surreal, seeing a lifeless shell that’s also so familiar. You did a good job capturing that feeling.
LoA
On The Funeral:

posted 5 months ago

Oh, I love it! This reminds me of my on-again-off-again “Merwin’s Antipode” series, minus the cheesy backwards gimmick. :-P You’ve really got me curious about what Jake’s deal is!
LoA
On Too Perfect:

posted 5 months ago

Oh cool! Can’t wait! :-)
LoA
On Too Perfect:

posted 5 months ago

Wow, that really was shocking. And very well-written. But I’m left wondering… what caused the car crash? It sounds as though Jake and his “problem” are to blame, but we never find out how. So what makes this story more of an “oh my gosh Jake is so evil” thing and less of an “oh my gosh what a poor tragic accident” thing?
LoA
On The Fedora: A Southern Haunting:

posted 5 months ago

Haha, I love the narrator’s accent! And “Lampshade?” Too fun! It makes for a great ghost story too. Nicely done. :-)
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On 251st Challenge - The Forced Rhyming!:

posted 5 months ago

The only thing more fun than writing a poem is writing a deliberately awkward poem. Count me in! ;-)
LoA
On Digital Age Challenge:

posted 5 months ago

Awesome challenge! I just submitted my entry about breaking up on Facebook. Maybe not exactly “funny” unless you like your humor dark and ironic. ;-)
LoA
On An Awesome Dream [LoA Challenge]:

posted 5 months ago

Hey hey, featured ficlet! Congratulations, THX!
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On The Most Beautiful Thing in the World [beauty challenge]:

posted 5 months ago

Nice unexpected take on beauty. Gotta love White Hat’s comment too! :-P
LoA
On Alexis DeHearts 1st Challenge!!! What is Beautiful? NO MORE SUBMISSIONS!!!:

posted 5 months ago

Your challenge was downright inspiring! Thanks for that. I’ve just posted my entry! :-)
LoA
On Mundane Moments Made Magnificent - a Challenge:

posted 5 months ago

Excellent challenge! I’ve just submitted an entry of my own.
On Voyage on the High Seas of Awesomeness:

posted 5 months ago

Good point, y’all. I wasn’t thinking of G.R.O.S.S. when I wrote it, but I’m sure it was an influence at some level. I was actually thinking more of an homage to Dennis the Menace and the Little Rascals! :-)
LoA
On Don't Panic:

posted 5 months ago

I love it. It really is a great book, too. Makes for a good source of comfort. ;-)
LoA
On Mission Accomplished:

posted 5 months ago

That’s the whole point, of course: to point out how ridiculous it is. Believe it or not, there are people who think like that. As stupid as you and I may think such an idea is.
On The Late Mayor of Lake Derry:

posted 5 months ago

For now… Feel free to revive it at any time… ;-)
LoA
On An Awesome Dream [LoA Challenge]:

posted 5 months ago

I love this challenge! I just added my sequel. :-P
On Voyage on the High Seas of Awesomeness:

posted 5 months ago

Onward, awesome soldiers! ;-)
LoA
On The Death of the Internet:

posted 5 months ago

Yep, the percentages aren’t meant to be mutually exclusive; when you’re dealing with the scum of the internet, there’s plenty of overlap between groups… :-P
LoA
On The Death of the Internet:

posted 5 months ago

Hey, it’s not all bad! I’m on the internet, aren’t I? ;-) This was just my attempt at dramatizing a pessimistic point of view, not necessarily my own. Obviously, the protagonist has never been to Ficlets. :-P
LoA
On Tesla: Back to the Trojan War:

posted 5 months ago

Seriously? Whoops. How embarrassing. :-P But I’m keeping it, because, as it turns out, the Trojans were hatching a similar scheme against the Greeks, but apparently the Greeks beat them to the punch.
LoA
On My New Year Kiss:

posted 5 months ago

That’s very well written. But so sad…
LoA
On A Long Stream of Continuation (1):

posted 6 months ago

Oops, guess I misread the instructions. I’ll fix it. :-)
LoA
On A Long stream of Continuation (8):

posted 6 months ago

Haha! That’s great! But you used way more than 64 characters! Actually, so did Kermitgorf. This series is supposed to be made of really tiny ficlets! :-)
LoA
On This stone tablet is curious.:

posted 6 months ago

Again, your word choice is spot on. Is this a web browser allegory? ‘Cause I loves the Firefox. :-P
LoA
On Temple of the First Fox:

posted 6 months ago

Beautiful descriptions! I felt like I was there. Nicely done. :-)
LoA
On Interstellar Tesla:

posted 6 months ago

Love it! Nice clean-up job. I was starting to wonder if the static modulator fluid would ever return… :-P
LoA
On Interstellar Tesla:

posted 6 months ago

I’m so confused! Is this what they call a paradox? One of those things that could destroy the universe? This is heavy.
LoA
On Twain and Livingstone: A Curious Reunion:

posted 6 months ago

Wow. It’s true! I’ll never think of her the same way again.
LoA
On Poe and Holmes: Locked Up:

posted 6 months ago

Absolutely, I had the same thought. That would be grand… or will be grand, I’m sure. I can’t write a sequel at the moment (working) but hopefully someone will jump in and continue the story in the meantime!
LoA
On Poe and Holmes: Locked Up:

posted 6 months ago

That Sherlock Holmes droid had better be Data. Or maybe Lore… But I’m not writing that bit… ;-)
LoA
On Twain & Tesla: This Time It's Farcical:

posted 6 months ago

Great contribution! I’m hoping we’ll see Milliways soon enough, this story could definitely use some more H2G2. ;-)
LoA
On Poe: One of a Kind:

posted 6 months ago

I love it. I’m looking forward to pursuing this subplot alongside the main story, should be interesting. And of course, I’m a sucker for all things Asimov. ;-)
LoA
On A Long Stream of Continuation (1):

posted 6 months ago

Okay, I made another. Can I do that? ;-)
LoA
On This Reminds me of... Ficlet Challenge :

posted 6 months ago

Great challenge! I just submitted an entry of my own. Hope it’s not too depressing!
LoA
On Twain and Tesla: Funeral for a Friend:

posted 6 months ago

Hahaha!! This was terrific! I laughed out loud at the part about Mark Twain’s hat. And the end was so cheesy, it’s perfect!
LoA
On A Long Stream of Continuation (5):

posted 6 months ago

I have fear. This is the scariest, shortest, horror story I’ve ever read. ;-)
LoA
On A Long Stream of Continuation (4):

posted 6 months ago

Oh no. Oh no. Just… oh no. ;-)
LoA
On A Long Stream of Continuation (1):

posted 6 months ago

Great idea! You might want to change “then” to “than” though. I sequeled it. :-)
LoA
On This has nothing to do with Robin Williams:

posted 6 months ago

I love it! Great movie, great statement, well-written, thought-provoking, yeah. :-)
LoA
On Twain and Poe Have Words with the Inventor:

posted 6 months ago

Well, yeah. ;-)
On 160th Ficlet: Kermitgorf's Sports Challenge:

posted 6 months ago

Great challenge! I just submitted an entry about one of my favorite sports ever. :-)
LoA
On Twain and Poe Have Words with the Inventor:

posted 6 months ago

Exactly, only with a bunch of cool real people. :-P
On Twain, Poe and Tesla: Journey to the Center of the Future:

posted 6 months ago

Haha, I love it! I toyed with the idea of adding Mr. Wells to the cast of characters but figured that would be too obvious, because, you know, The Time Machine and stuff. ;-) But the unexpected way you’ve introduced him is perfect, just perfect!
LoA
On Twain and Poe: Heroes of Space and Time:

posted 6 months ago

I love this! So random, and yet, so perfect. Of course, I couldn’t not sequel it. ;-)
LoA
On On A Snowy Evening:

posted 6 months ago

Very well written! I think I’ve heard this before, or something like it. Is this an adaptation of a popular ghost story or am I just crazy? :-)
LoA
On Once Upon a Time There Was a Hippo Named Girraffe and He Fell in Love With a Small Silver Musical Box With A Tatoo That Read '3GB'. [or.. yet another challenge]:

posted 6 months ago

Nice challenge! I’ve just submitted my entry, wishing I had more than 1,024 characters to elaborate. But such is the nature of this here site. ;-)
LoA
On Background Music:

posted 6 months ago

Then there’s people like me who play video game soundtracks when they read books... ;-)
LoA
On The Ghost in the Hall:

posted 6 months ago

Freaky. I remember those days, staying up to ungodly hours in front of the computer, tiptoeing to bed moments before my parents’ alarm sounded. Not necessarily something to be proud about, and I still stay up ridiculously late at the computer, but the situation’s a bit different now that I’m a grown-up and I live on my own. :-) It’s true that bleary, sleepy eyes tend to see apparitions in dark corners at that hour, I know it all too well. Nice idea for a story!
LoA
On The Capricious Gertrude O. Jedforest:

posted 6 months ago

This cracked me up! Awesome sequel, you nailed the tone perfectly. :-P
LoA
On Through the Cage (uselessness's desperate monologue challenge):

posted 6 months ago

Congratulations, this story is my pick for winner of the challenge. Great descriptions and a believable tone. It conjured up memories of Uma Thurman’s live burial in the movie Kill Bill: Vol 2. I really had a sense of dread as I read this; I guess you trigged some dormant claustrophobia I didn’t know I had! The image you painted kept coming back to me for days, and it still gives me the chills. Great job!
On Random thoughts [uselessness's DESPERATE MONOLOGUES Challenge!]:

posted 6 months ago

This is by far the funniest entry in the challenge. Great writing, and I can totally relate (I spend far too much time bored out of my skull in business meetings). Second place! Thanks for participating!
On Theseus Had It Easy (desperate monologue challenge):

posted 6 months ago

I love this story! I quickly figured out what it was, but that’s because I play a lot of Pac-Man. It’s a strange hobby of mine. At any rate, this story takes third place in the challenge. Great job!
On uselessness's DESPERATE MONOLOGUES Challenge!:

posted 6 months ago

I am sorry. Sorry, sorry, sorry. You see, I had no idea this challenge would generate so many entries, and I had a very difficult time motivating myself to read through them all and pick my favorites. But I’ve finally done it.
And so, without further ado, my picks!
Third place goes to… Theseus Had It Easy, by Russell Ruffino!
Second place goes to… Random Thoughts, by Melia!
And first place goes to… Through the Cage, by pie_is_good!
Thanks to everyone, and congratulations to our winners!
On ♥Band Baby♥: A Philosophical Exploration of the Pen Name That is Quite Simple.:

posted 6 months ago

Oh I get it. “Band” being a class/activity in school. It just didn’t make any sense to me at first, the way you worded it without an article. :-P
LoA
On ♥Band Baby♥: A Philosophical Exploration of the Pen Name That is Quite Simple.:

posted 6 months ago

You love band? Which band? I love lamp. ;-)
LoA
On uselessness: A Philosophical Exploration of the Pen Name That Has No Use:

posted 6 months ago

Of course, in actuality the story’s not nearly so depressing, but it makes for good prose. ;-) For a (slightly) more accurate retelling, you might check out this ficlet:
http://ficlets.com/stories/14466

The real story behind “uselessness” goes back the first web site I built in 1995, the internet stone age. Because I couldn’t think of a practical purpose for it, I called it a “page o’ uselessness.” It was a goofy little thing. Later I assumed this name, which lasted far longer than the site itself. :-)
On Saint Chuck: A [not quite] Philosophical Explanation:

posted 6 months ago

You’re a GIRL?!? Haha, it is funny how the most straightforward names aren’t always as they seem… ;-)
LoA
On Cat the Dancing Mouse: A Philosophical Exploration of the Pen Name That Rocked Your Socks...And a New Contest: *CLOSING DATE ANNOUNCED*:

posted 6 months ago

Haha, I had to participate in this one! Great challenge! ;-)
LoA
On Defensive Acting:

posted 6 months ago

I love it! Great work turning my absurd mess into a fairly plausible situation!
On A Haven for the Hopeless (Alliteration Challenge):

posted 6 months ago

Excellent writing, loaded with evocative descriptors! The “V” passages gave me V for Vendetta flashbacks.
LoA
On uselessness's DESPERATE MONOLOGUES Challenge!:

posted 6 months ago

Oh yes, unfortunately I’m having an unexpectedly busy week (grown-up responsibility and all that) and the judging keeps getting delayed. I’ll post here as soon as I can get all the stories read and decide on my favorites… on the bright side, it gave SpontaniousCombustion a chance to enter after the “deadline,” and the same goes for anyone else who wants to contribute at the last minute! :-)
LoA
On A Disturbing Sequel to WENDYS BACONATOR hahahhahahaah:

posted 6 months ago

That’s hilarious! And so, so dark. You turned my ADHD kid into a murderous stalker psychopath! :-P
On Rising From Ruins:

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