Ficlets

Ode to Backspace

My fingers gently caress random letters upon the keyboard for mere seconds. The tactile depression signals the requisite time has passed and they move on to the next random keys.

They perform an awkward dance not unlike a fat kid upon a broken down Dance Dance Revolution machine. The macabre flitter causes characters to race across the screen in a flash of Courier, occasionally broken up by spaces, turning mere characters into living, breathing words. A supernatural paragraph marker springs into existence creating a semi-coherent thought from the smattering of letters, spaces, and punctuation.

I begin to read over my condensed story. I am struck by fear as I realize my ficlet is complete and utter crap. How could this be? The process, the dance, was magical. My mind and fingers working in perfect unison to create something of extraordinary measure, reads like the incoherent ramblings of a 2 AM myspace post.

The Backspace key calls out to me. No one ever need know, John. Erase it. Thank god for Backspace.

Comments

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Ode to Backspace
John Perkins
Posted 3 months ago

Just an idea I had in the shower this morning. Hopefully someone likes it.
Ode to Backspace
uselessness
Posted 3 months 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
Ode to Backspace
JMSquire
Posted 3 months ago

Excellent! I rewrote this comment 4 times because I was not happy with it. But seriously, really good capturing of a common occurrence, at least for me.
Ode to Backspace
JLaughter
Posted 3 months ago

Heh, it’s funny. I like the slow feeling of it, as if you’re actually there at 2am and have just head butted literary exhaustion. Good bit here.
Ode to Backspace
Fantasy
Posted 3 months ago

HAHAHAA !! this, i not only laughed at, but i can totally relate to!!

i LOVE typing, i think it’s so much fun, and i always start out my stories thinking “okay, this is gonna be the best story i’ve ever written.” it usually doesn’t turn out that way.

this is really cute and funny and unique and clever. that’s why i love ficlets!
Ode to Backspace
KevMullins
Posted 3 months ago

John, This piece also reminds me of writing software. Backspace and Delete are your friends. :)
Ode to Backspace
John Perkins
Posted 3 months ago

Thank you all for the kind words. I’m glad that a few of you could relate to this little story of failure.
@Kev, part of the impetus behind this was my thinking of how much easier, and faster, it is to edit with computers and word processing software. Word Processors are to Typewriters as Development Environments are to Punch Cards. So I’m right there with ya buddy. Though I never used punch cards, I started with AppleBASIC. I did however take typing classes and we used typewriters.
Ode to Backspace
SKermitgorf
Posted 3 months ago

Creative, well done story, about the writing process, impressive.
Ode to Backspace
Ana Cristina
Posted 2 months ago

Commas are also your friends – in the line “No one shall ever know John,” you really need the comma after “know,” otherwise it means something completely different.
Did I mention I loved the image of the fat kid on a broken down DDR machine?
Ode to Backspace
John Perkins
Posted 2 months ago

@Ana, You really seem to spot those comma infractions. Commas are usually tops on my list of sacrifices when I’m running low on characters. This one, like 70% of all my ficlets has been nirvana’d, and I’m not sure I can find room for a comma now. Or I would have to sacrifice one someplace else.
However, I definitely appreciate any (and all) constructive criticism and editing tips, as it helps keep me on my game. So please, keep them coming.
Ode to Backspace
John Perkins
Posted 2 months ago

@Ana, eh, I lied. Changed a word, then moved it, giving me room for one more character.