In a continuing effort to improve as a writer, I’ve added this exercise to my weekly drills. Writers from all over are prompted and must write a response in 100 words. Below is my first effort. It demands efficiency, encourages creativity, and I think it’s fun. Let me know what you think, and click on the image above if you’d like to participate.
This week’s prompt was: …you bought her what…
Without further adieu…
“I didn’t know.” Jake spun his wedding ring around his finger, staring at the rain.
“Didn’t know what?”
“That it was hers.” Jake’s palm smacked the column on his porch – water splashed his cheek.
“You’re overreacting.”
Jake turned to speak, but fear held his tongue.
The boy followed Jake’s gaze – his soaked mother walked up the drive, glaring at the umbrella in her husband’s hand.
Ryan Sprague 
Hello Ryan & welcome to 100WCGU!
It is so good to see your work & I hope you will become a regular to our weekly fun.
I really enjoyed this. Loved the way you used the weather to add to the scene and frustration of the hero (or was he?!) Just a little point – for this prompt you should have used the words given. Sometimes the instructions are a little different but I won’t hold it against you this time! 😉
Julia
Sorry about not using the words; I wasn’t certain it was required. It won’t happen again, writer’s honor.
I wasn’t expecting that! It seemed to be building to a crescendo and I breathed a sigh of relief when I read it was only an umbrella. Or was it? Is she so highly strung that this could push her over the edge?
Love the fact that there are so many ways this could go.
I like how you’re thinking, and that’s why I think these are so cool. Anything can happen. I picture her glaring at Jake, then shoving him into the rain, and then all three of them dance and play for awhile. She’s not so high strung after all. Thanks for checking in.
Uh oh, Jake’s in trouble. He better buy a big, beautiful umbrella for his wife. Great first entry.
Thanks. He sure is. I was thinking a beach umbrella maybe.
I agree with Anna – I was wondering right to the end what he had taken that belonged to someone else that could cause him such fear and worry, and I laughed to find it was ‘just’ an umbrella. I think he needs to buy lots of flowers and chocolates to be forgiven for that error!
I get a kick out of phrases like “right to the end” in the context of 100 words. Maybe 300 page novels are overrated 🙂
Hahaha! I really like this. Based on personal experience?
Thankfully, no.
Nice to see a new kid on the block! Loved your piece – the rain added to it, and the tension with the kid. The umbrella turned out to be a great relief – but maybe Jake was too nervous!
Thanks for reading. I appreciate you noticing all the little ingredients. I’m looking forward to more of these.
It was fun, and made me smile. One big oops! My first time too, instructions are learned as we go.
yep, rookie mistake. I’ll do better next week 🙂
Poor Jake! There tension and comic relief with the umbrella. Well done!
So what did he buy her to apologise for taking her umbrella?
I just hope he offered her a towel.
Very nice and it has tension and humour.
Kinda like ’80s spandex.
What an excellent first piece. Welcome to The 100 word count challenge. I was pleased to hear it was just an umbrella.