My Flash Fiction Stories.

I have been asked “where or what is your inspiration for your stories”. I can honestly say I dream them up.

Inspiration come's to me at the oddest times. Sometimes I see something and it triggers an idea for a story. Other times, I actually dream them in my sleep. Not the whole story, but the idea. I dream a lot when I sleep. I remember few. But sometimes the dream is so real I do not forget it for a couple of days. More than anything, I take from life experiences, twist it, give it some abstract and a story is born. Sometimes I just write a non-sense sentence or a few words just to see what develops. It's surprising how often the story just flows and seems to write it's self. I write as if I was talking. Then I do a lot of editing. I spend a lot more time editing the story than I do writing it from scratch. Many writers get it right the first time. I am not one of those.

Flounder Del-Fishcake has thought about it and he's going into the new car test driving business.

I wrote the above sentence and after several tries, the following (330+ words) story (flash fiction) evolved. It is pure nonsense of course: Sarcasm, if you will.

Most of the automobile manufacturers are offering rebates to entice the public to buy a new vehicle. The average appears to be about $2500 for each vehicle. This is a way for the dealers to pay a customer to buy a new vehicle. Several from the lakeside neighborhood have done just that during the last year or so. They go to a dealer, pick out the one they like, and the dealer gives them some money to buy it. In many proceedings all you need to do is to test-drive a new vehicle and they will pay $50! Buying not required.

Flounder came up with a plan, and He believes it's foolproof. Flounder spent a long two minutes investigating his idea. He would quit his day job and visit dealers as a full time vocation. His plan is to target the brands, models and dealers known to give money for rebates and test-drives. He reasoned if he could take a test drive at least four times a day he would receive $100 a day, 5 days a week, or $25000 a year. If he buy's two vehicles a month he will receive $5000 a month or $60000 a year. $60000 plus $25000 comes to a grand total of $85000 a year just working a few hours a week! What would he do with the cars or trucks he buy's? After further thought he reasoned he could open a car lot and sell the vehicles and make more money. The figures do not lie. If he can average a profit of another $2000 a vehicle and sell just two a month that comes to $4000. An additional $48000 a year!

Now lets add this all up.

$85000 for buying cars and trucks.
$48000 for selling same vehicles.

Equals a profit of $133,000 a year working just a few hours a day with plenty of time for more important things such as fishing. Flounder is convinced this is an exciting opportunity.

But the most important thing I learned about writing is: write. Yes it is that simple. The more you write the more experience you gain. The subject is almost meaningless. But start by writing about a subject you may know something about or have some experience with. Once you have written a story, re-write and do a lot of editing. To have a story come out the way you expect the first time would be a minor miracle.

When you learn, You earn.