“You’re a writer? Well, you’re in good company. (Gerry, a pint for my friend!) Take that seat next to Freddy-the-Fish. Fred’s planning a memoir about his life at sea. (How’s the book going, Fred? … Bah, plenty of time, mate.) And here’s Bullshit Bill, he could make a fortune from his tall tales. (Where you goin’, Bill? I’m only kiddin’!) … Me? Kind of you to ask. Got me novel all planned out … On paper? No, it’s all up here, in me noggin. Soon as I get home, I’m gonna make a start. Just one more pint before I go. Same again?”
For those who don’t know, Friday Fictioneers is a challenge to write a 100 word story from a picture prompt. It’s hosted by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields, and anyone can play. Thanks for hosting, Rochelle! Check out the link below to see what other fictioneers did with this week’s prompt.
Thanks Janet – I try to do something different every week – glad you enjoyed this one. I’d have preferred a bit more white space to make it easier on the eye, but couldn’t work out how to make it happen.
drinks before dinner, and drinks with dinner, and after dinner drinks (Loudin Wainwright III)
we’ll get around to writing as soon as the important stuff is finished (fun read). Randy
Dear EL,
What fun! Think those guys would like to join Friday Fictioneers? That is, as soon as this pub closes, of course. Love the story…love the song. Thanks for the grins.
Shalom,
Rochelle
Thanks Rochelle. I’m glad you listened to the song, it inspired a socialist (in the British sense not the American one) pamphlet too. What could we all have achieved if we’d left before the pub closed!
Freddy the fish.. bullshit bill.. lol ! loved it.. d moment I see a notification about ur story in my mail box.. i jump to read it and it never disappoints ! 🙂
I wasn’t sure whether noggin was common parlance or not – I almost put a note at the bottom of the story, but decided it was clear from the text. Glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Sad isn’t it! We’re all terrible procrastinators, when we’re not talking about writing, we’re blogging about writing, but rarely do we get round to writing!
A writer’s bar… err, pub… all I had was a construction worker/fisherman’s bar… same gig though. Good one, E.L., I enjoyed the song… but would the dream still be there?
It was a great prompt, Ted. Glad you enjoyed my little tale. I wonder if you could market a pub as a writers’ pub – hmmm something else to occupy my mind and help me avoid actually writing anything!
HI Jan
I’m glad you enjoyed the song – it made me laugh when I first heard it. And yes, it’s very apt – sadly. Although we can boast that we write at least 100 words a week!
Thanks Kwadwo – it was a tough one to pull off, I don’t normally write a single stream of consciousness and it looks very tightly packed to me (no room to breathe), so I’m glad the characters made it work for you. Thanks for commenting, much appreciated 🙂
Hahahaha! My dad had a paperweight he gave to me from his office at the Small Business Administration. It was a statue of a guy at his desk, papers all loaded down, his face resting on his hands and his eyes rolled upward with the caption at the base saying, “Tomorrow, I’ve GOT to get organized.” El, you just keep on delivering the goods!
Thanks Kent. I want one of those statues! Sadly, I spend way too much time down the pub with Bullshit Bill and Freddy the Fish and not nearly enough time writing – except for Friday Fictioneers, of course!
Hey, whatever works and keeps you writing. In fact, and I found this out, I could actually work better on a project if it’s broken down in pieces like our fiction. Why not? How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.
This was a really hard one to format and a completely new style for me, so I tried various things. The brackets are his asides to his friends who are already in the bar. I wanted to separate them out a bit – maybe it would have worked better with italics? For me, the whole thing’s too squashed up, no white space at all, but because it’s only one person talking it’s hard to get away from that. Thanks for giving me a bit of constructive criticism, like my friends Fred and Bill in the pub, I love nothing more than talking about writing 🙂
A lot of people seem to dump their 100 words in one paragraph with no spacing. Never been sure if this a stylistic decision or the limitations of what they’re using to post the story. Always looks better broken into paragraphs, if appropriate. Tricky one the bits in brackets. Perhaps italics would look better. Dunno. Brackets seem a bit harsh if you know what I mean. BTW if you like to talk writing then try this place: http://absolutewrite.com/forums/index.php
Fun read however you format it. I think we all tend to be a bit fishy and full of it now and then. Just hoping we don’e all float a..w…a…y…
Thanks for your visit!
I could see that conversation taking place El. I maybe one of those! My name might be Jackie the Jewel….has a certain ring don’t you think? hahaha! Great as always my friend. 🙂
Hi EL!
Yes, I recognise this conversation. Not necessarily in a bar, but I’ve definitely witnessed it on more than one occasion. Curiously (or not) sometimes I’ve been in the position of the narrator, sometimes the buttonholed listener. Hmm.
Cheers,
John
Lovely. Whoever propagated the idea that everyone has a book in them should be shot, but then this lot’s will never see the light of day. A wonderful idea and fun story.
EL Appleby: Brain Fragments 
There’s always a good excuse, isn’t there. Enjoyed it as usual.
janet
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Thanks Janet – I try to do something different every week – glad you enjoyed this one. I’d have preferred a bit more white space to make it easier on the eye, but couldn’t work out how to make it happen.
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A procrastinator’s tale. I can relate. 😉
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Can’t we all! My local’s full of would-be writers 🙂
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😉
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drinks before dinner, and drinks with dinner, and after dinner drinks (Loudin Wainwright III)
we’ll get around to writing as soon as the important stuff is finished (fun read). Randy
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Nice quote – glad you enjoyed my tale 🙂
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Dear EL,
What fun! Think those guys would like to join Friday Fictioneers? That is, as soon as this pub closes, of course. Love the story…love the song. Thanks for the grins.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Thanks Rochelle. I’m glad you listened to the song, it inspired a socialist (in the British sense not the American one) pamphlet too. What could we all have achieved if we’d left before the pub closed!
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Freddy the fish.. bullshit bill.. lol ! loved it.. d moment I see a notification about ur story in my mail box.. i jump to read it and it never disappoints ! 🙂
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Thanks Shreyank – that’s lovely to hear. I’ll try to keep not disappointing you!
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oh yes, the story is up here, in my noggin’ …. one day… we all have our excuses…. good entry…
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I wasn’t sure whether noggin was common parlance or not – I almost put a note at the bottom of the story, but decided it was clear from the text. Glad you enjoyed it 🙂
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Bullshit Bill! 😀 😉
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Based on a true story! 😀
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😀
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This was supposed to be fiction. Kudos. 🙂
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The characters’ names have been changed to protect the innocent!
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🙂
Looked as if you were writing about me, hence the comment.
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[…] Friday Fiction: As Soon As This Pub Closes (elappleby.wordpress.com) […]
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lol i totally enjoyed this! ^^ Bullshit Bill, awesome name. wish i’d thought of that.lol
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Thanks kz – there’s a Bullshit Bill in every pub in Britain!
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Ha, ha, ha very funny, I liked it!
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Thanks Rosie. Glad you liked it 🙂
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I think I’ve taken part in this conversation… nice one.
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Me too. I’ve also noticed that writers who made it tend to write in cafes rather than pubs. There may be a good reason for this!
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Ah, working hard at the pub! I could imagine a guy firmly planted on a bar stool and relaying your story with lots of big gestures.
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Thanks zooky, I’m glad my little piece came to life for you!
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Why do we all relate?
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Sad isn’t it! We’re all terrible procrastinators, when we’re not talking about writing, we’re blogging about writing, but rarely do we get round to writing!
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Oh how we procrastinate. Writing’s a tough gig!
Denmother
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Indeed it is! Thanks for commenting 🙂
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A writer’s bar… err, pub… all I had was a construction worker/fisherman’s bar… same gig though. Good one, E.L., I enjoyed the song… but would the dream still be there?
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It was a great prompt, Ted. Glad you enjoyed my little tale. I wonder if you could market a pub as a writers’ pub – hmmm something else to occupy my mind and help me avoid actually writing anything!
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Hahaha! Such an apt piece for our motley bunch of writers 🙂
Even the music was funny, and the use of the song title was a great idea!
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HI Jan
I’m glad you enjoyed the song – it made me laugh when I first heard it. And yes, it’s very apt – sadly. Although we can boast that we write at least 100 words a week!
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Made me laugh! Well written. Seems I know these guys from somewhere.
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There’s a copy of them in many many pubs and bars across the world! I’m glad you enjoyed it 🙂
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I’ll just add my voice to those who loved the colourful names for your characters. It lit up the story and made it enjoyable to read.
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Thanks Kwadwo – it was a tough one to pull off, I don’t normally write a single stream of consciousness and it looks very tightly packed to me (no room to breathe), so I’m glad the characters made it work for you. Thanks for commenting, much appreciated 🙂
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Procrastrinators of the world unite !!!!
– Tomorrow
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LOL – hilarious!
😆
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Hahahaha! My dad had a paperweight he gave to me from his office at the Small Business Administration. It was a statue of a guy at his desk, papers all loaded down, his face resting on his hands and his eyes rolled upward with the caption at the base saying, “Tomorrow, I’ve GOT to get organized.” El, you just keep on delivering the goods!
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Thanks Kent. I want one of those statues! Sadly, I spend way too much time down the pub with Bullshit Bill and Freddy the Fish and not nearly enough time writing – except for Friday Fictioneers, of course!
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Hey, whatever works and keeps you writing. In fact, and I found this out, I could actually work better on a project if it’s broken down in pieces like our fiction. Why not? How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.
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I plan to comment soon. Just one more drink. As soon as the pub closes. Just before I start my novel. back soon!
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My favourite comment of the lot! Mine’s a pint 😀
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Think the reason I didn’t comment earlier was I wasn’t sure about the bits in brackets. Are these thoughts?
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This was a really hard one to format and a completely new style for me, so I tried various things. The brackets are his asides to his friends who are already in the bar. I wanted to separate them out a bit – maybe it would have worked better with italics? For me, the whole thing’s too squashed up, no white space at all, but because it’s only one person talking it’s hard to get away from that. Thanks for giving me a bit of constructive criticism, like my friends Fred and Bill in the pub, I love nothing more than talking about writing 🙂
LikeLike
A lot of people seem to dump their 100 words in one paragraph with no spacing. Never been sure if this a stylistic decision or the limitations of what they’re using to post the story. Always looks better broken into paragraphs, if appropriate. Tricky one the bits in brackets. Perhaps italics would look better. Dunno. Brackets seem a bit harsh if you know what I mean. BTW if you like to talk writing then try this place: http://absolutewrite.com/forums/index.php
LikeLike
Fun read however you format it. I think we all tend to be a bit fishy and full of it now and then. Just hoping we don’e all float a..w…a…y…
Thanks for your visit!
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I could see that conversation taking place El. I maybe one of those! My name might be Jackie the Jewel….has a certain ring don’t you think? hahaha! Great as always my friend. 🙂
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Nicely written tale lamenting the frailty of mankind!
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Hi EL!
Yes, I recognise this conversation. Not necessarily in a bar, but I’ve definitely witnessed it on more than one occasion. Curiously (or not) sometimes I’ve been in the position of the narrator, sometimes the buttonholed listener. Hmm.
Cheers,
John
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Lovely. Whoever propagated the idea that everyone has a book in them should be shot, but then this lot’s will never see the light of day. A wonderful idea and fun story.
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I’ve been to this pub too.
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I’ve been barred from this pub 😀
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