SCBWI 2023 BookStop and the Love of Flash Fiction

I am participating in the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators 2023 BookStop Holiday Promo this year. It’s a wonderful way to support international authors and illustrators and their books. From Picture Books to Middle Grade to Young Adult to Nonfiction, there is something for every reader on your holiday shopping list (even you!). Follow the above link to learn more about the diverse authors and illustrators and their work.

One of my favorite writing forms to use when I am not working on a novel (or when I am working on a novel and need a diversion) is flash fiction. The greatest challenge is being given a small word count, like 650 words, and creating a complete story within those perimeters. It is similar to poetry in that every word counts. What I have found is that when I practice flash fiction along with writing a novel, the novel’s prose clears up and becomes tighter too. All writing plays off of each other, whether that is intentional or not. It is all part of the practice of writing.

Here is a flash fiction piece I wrote for the 2020 Lakefly Writers Contest. I was surprised to win the category. The story was inspired from my days working for an antique dealer and selling my own costume jewelry. You never know where a story might come from!

A Most Unusual Find

Artie Fischer liked collecting and selling old things. He and his fourth wife, Norma, had a little shop in one of the old sheds on their old farm filled with an odd assortment of items for sale that were displayed in relative disorder across the worn, wooden floor: rustic furniture needing only some repairs; dusty books on sagging bookshelves; oil-painted portraits of eerie people whose eyes followed you; fragile china stacked haphazardly in a hutch missing both doors; and three glass cases lined up along the long wall, flaunting prized costume jewelry and exceptional trinkets. A painted sign, weathered from too much wind and sun, was propped up at the end of their gravel driveway, indicating they were open for business Thursday through Sunday, with the exception of some weekends when they could be found attending local antique shows.

Estate sales were a treasure boon for the couple’s business. Artie had found some of his most peculiar finds among the bartered odds and ends sold at the end of people’s lives. At a particularly splendid sale, Artie spied a shoe box of tangled costume jewelry set out on a mahogany table, among an assortment of hideous lamps. Curious, he dug through the box. He raised his eyebrows when he moved the snarled necklaces aside and saw what was at the bottom.

“How much?” Artie held up the box and its contents toward the bored estate attendant who surveyed the people whose turn it was to look over the merchandise. Artie was careful to tuck the snarled necklaces back over the bottom.

“What’s in it?” the attendant asked.

“Tangled necklaces, some old plastic bracelets, unmatching earrings.” Artie was mostly truthful.

“What number?” The attendant rifled through his clipboard of papers.

“115.” Artie felt wicked. He glanced around to see where Norma was. She had been two rooms away looking at a pair of overpriced chintz chairs. She was nowhere in sight.

“Um . . . 115 . . . $20.00 for the box of assorted costume jewelry.” The attendant looked at Artie.

“Will you take $10.00?” Artie asked. “It’ll take me hours--”

“Don’t care,” the attendant replied rather annoyed. “$20.00. Take it or leave it.”

“Sold.” Artie paid the attendant and walked out of the room with the box tucked under his arm. He went to find Norma, who was still looking at the pair of chintz chairs.

“What’d you buy?” Norma asked him, nodding toward the box under his arm.

“Costume jewelry.” Artie held out the box to let her see.

“It’s all tangled up!” Norma shouted. “We already have jewelry no one buys. Why’d you get more? Wasted money, you stupid old fool.”

Artie’s cheeks flushed crimson. “Coming?” He turned and started toward the front door.

“No, I want to see the--”

“We’re leaving!” He held the box tighter under his arm.

“Oh, you old coot!” Norma followed him outside.

When they got home, Norma went inside the house and slammed the door, and Artie went inside the little shop to put away his treasure. He flipped on the light switch, and then pushed aside the window’s limp lace curtain to make sure Norma had indeed stayed in the house.

Satisfied, Artie took his box over to the glass counter by the rest of the displayed costume jewelry and unusual trinkets. He picked up the tangled necklaces and promptly tossed them into the garbage can, along with the plastic bangles, unmatched clip earrings, and four fake-jeweled cocktail rings. He picked out the last two remaining items and set them on the countertop before throwing the box in with the rest of the bejeweled trash.

Artie picked up one of the items. He examined a tarnished but beautifully cast woman’s Victorian ring with rosettes and vines curling around the sides and over the dome top. He fumbled along the ring’s dome, but the hidden latch wouldn’t open.

“It’ll still fetch $125.00. Now who’s the old fool?”

He placed it back on the countertop and picked up the second sterling Victorian dome ring. This one was a man’s pinky ring--a most unusual find. He barely touched the edge of the ring’s dome when he heard a tiny clink! The dome opened to reveal a hidden chamber once used to carry a bit of poison for an unsuspecting foe.

Artie laughed like a crazed man, intoxicated on heinous thoughts. Placing the ring on his finger, he blurted out, “There’s always room for a fifth Mrs. Artie Fischer!”

MHWF Website.

I donate regularly to the Midwest Horse Welfare Foundation. I have followed them for years and would like to someday adopt a suitable horse from them. They are currently seeking donations for their 2023 Hay Drive. They only need $2200 to complete their funding. Please follow the link if you’d like to donate to their wonderful cause. It will feed their rescued horses for the winter and more. Thank you!

Author Kerri Lukasavitz and the middle grade Oak Lane Stable Novel Series: Books written for young readers, but enjoyed by horse lovers of all ages.