"She Closed The Book..." NPR's 3 minute fiction contest.

I think you make an important point. It should not be overlooked by anyone wanting to enter the contest. The man who wrote the sentence is not, I think, the only judge.

I like the first 'first' sentence.

I thought there was going to be some fine sci-fi writing coming our way through the door.

http://www.npr.org/2012/03/10/148251671/three-minute-fiction-round-8-she-closed-the-book


Now stop whining and start writing!

You well described what I was talking about when I said the commas were incorrect, implying one should either add one or delete one. <I like the series comma too.>

I think I'm not going to do this, but I've enjoyed the discussion and hope to read results, either here or at NPR.

I have made my beginning. I will retire from the thread, for now. Don't want to contaminate others' thoughts or to get theirs mixed with mine. Don't expect to read the finished product, as I am not optimistic about it.

Understood, Edgar.
The comma discussion was certainly amusing. Thanks, Roberta, for running that.
I have a story kind of thought out but I am having trouble with the woman and where her head is at. Working on that.
By the way, when you finish your story there is a way to have it printed here.
I nor anyone else on A2K will know from whence it came.
Details later.

Good idea. The comments would be more objective.

... through the door.

She wondered briefly if anyone would recognise her from "before". She doubted it. Hell, she wouldn't have recognised herself.
She might have recognised the potential threat she posed, the tell-tale attire designed to disguise the payload, perhaps even the murderous intent willfully compressed into a vacant stare. She was trained to notice such things and to physically respond with explosive violence almost before the conscious thought had formed.

I thought I would give this a bump since the final submission time is approaching.

Who has submitted?
If you haven't, why not?

I wrote a story and submitted it. But I am not at all proud of it.

Unless I have a sudden inspiration, mine is not getting finished. If I cannot be proud of a story I have made up my mind to sit on it. I recently eliminated one from my ebook projects.