It’s time for Friday Fictioneers. Writers around the globe attempt to write a 100-word story based on a photo prompt.
Thanks to Claire Fuller for this week’s photo. I have a feeling it will bring about a whole array of stories this week. Claire is the author of Our Endless Numbered Days, an amazing book that will stay with you long after you’ve put it down. I highly recommend it!
Friday Fictioneers wouldn’t be possible without the leadership of Rochelle Wisoff-Fields. Thanks for all you do, Rochelle.
And now my story, set sometime in the future…
(100 words)
“I was told to come here,” said Oscar, presenting a wrinkled, half sheet of paper.
“Ah,” the man behind the glass said, pushing the paper back.
“Is my book here or not?”
“Hmm, dunno. If it goes inside the universal vault, the black hole will spit it out… somewhere. Information never vanishes. Don’t ask me what that means–”
“What about that other fluffy business…thingy?”
“The cloud? Impossibly full.”
The stuffy room was filled with blank stares, like an ER but without any visible injuries.
“Here’s your number. Wait time: 5 years, 3 months, and 11 days. My advice to you. Write another book.”
***********************
For more stories from the Fictioneers, click here.
As good an explanation of cloud storage as any.
DJ
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Thank you, DJ!
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Loved “but without any visible injuries”!
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Aww, thanks Joy! I appreciate that. And I thank you for reading.
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Enjoyed this a lot – very Douglas Adams. I like the lack of ‘visible’ injuries and the ‘wrinkled half sheet.’ Lovely detail!
Just had an email to tell me my drop-box is full just when I was beginning to understand how to use it – honestly I’m transferring stuff to the end of the rainbow in future. It’s simpler.
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So good!
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You’re so kind! Thanks, Jay.
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Now that is a story that goes straight to my heart… write another book indeed.
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If in doubt, just keep writing. Thanks, Trent. Now, if I could write one book…
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What a great story, I always wondered where the ideas came from and where they went
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Exactly! Now we know. 🙂 Thank you.
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Ha! Wonderful. Reminded me of A Wrinkle In Time, which is a good thing. AWIT 2.0. 😊
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Jen, that definitely is a good thing. What a nice compliment! I love your title. Now I want to change mine.
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Very clever, Amy. You have captured the frustrations of mindless bureaucracy so well.
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I’m all too familiar with mindless bureaucracy. I guess it’s good for something. Thank you, Mick.
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Hah – great story and lovely dialogue. I love that the cloud is full. (And thanks for the mention of Our Endless Numbered Days – so pleased you liked it.)
Claire
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Thanks, Claire. I can’t wrap my mind around the cloud. I just know it exists somewhere and that we need it very badly.
It’s my pleasure to mention your book. It’s also such a boost for our little writing community. We have so many great writers in FF and it feels great to celebrate that. You’re a star!
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Thank you! As are all the FF’s – we’re all simply writers.
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Dear Amy,
If the net ever does crash for good there ware going to be a lot of present day authors whose minds will need to be rebooted. This was an excellent story that gave an absurdist face to the obscure cyber-geography we all trust so much. The last line is perfect advice whether or not the first is lost. Well done.
Aloha,
Doug
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Thanks so much, Doug. A lot of my writing is out there on Google Docs which I trust, but perhaps I should have a back up! I know a lot of writers use this, too. You put it perfectly…the obscure cyber-geography. Yes, I can’t wrap my head around it ever, but just know that we need it and it absolutely cannot crash on us! Done with one book and on to the next. There’s always another story to tell, right? Thanks for your lovely comments, Doug.
Aloha,
Amy
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Nice one.
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Thank you!
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Dear Amy,
I’m not sure I can add to what has been said. Doug’s comment is near perfect and my thoughts exactly. I hope that’s not a cop out. I’ll add my own ‘very well written and imagined.’
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Well then, what a pleasure to hear it twice. No, of course it’s not a cop out. Thanks for the kind words, Rochelle. They mean a lot. Much appreciated.
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That sounds like a soul-destroying sort of place 😦 I wonder just how far in the future this is…?
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Oh, I hope I’m terribly wrong about this, Ali. I hope we never live to see the day, although sometimes it’s hard to believe we have an unlimited supply of space. Thanks for reading!
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Something with a vault was one of my thoughts when first seeing this pic … and then you turn around and do it! 🙂 Love the advice at the end!
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I thought vault, too. I think this picture does have something to do with information. I just read an article recently about Hawking’s beliefs about black holes – information never vanishes from the universe it says. That was part of my inspiration. Finish one book, start the next, Frank! Thank you.
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Very smartly written Amy, liked the ending.
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Thanks so much, Charly!
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Well, that’s about how long it takes me to write one. 🙂 It’s been 17 months since The Perils of Heavy Thinking was released and I have completed about one-third of the next book, so I guess you could say I’m right on schedule–or is that write on schedule?
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I admire you for writing one and writing another, Russell. I’m working on one, really. I finally am, but it’s been slow going. Some writers can whip out a book and others take decades. It’s tough no matter what. I guess it’s all a process. I applaud you for keeping on the writing path.
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I often wonder were “things” go when I send them off into the cloud. I’m still wondering…Great story. I feel like the person at the window waiting for something…anything…to come back! 😐
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I understand completely, Lorna. I’m often left feeling the same way. Where is that whatsit?? We just hope it comes back. Where do the lost go…only they know.
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Well, that must be what happened to the terrific book that I wrote — it vanished into the cloud. No wonder there’s no fame, fortune, or even lunch money. Interesting society you’ve created, Amy. If my half-sheet of paper is not wrinkled, will I fare better?
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Perry, would you even wrinkle a half sheet of paper? I doubt it! As for the book, I will be expecting your terrific book in my inbox. Deal? If anyone can track it down, you can. I have faith.
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Funnily enough I was only thinking the other day about the amount of work I have stored on WordPress and what I would do if anything happened to it. Hmmm You made me think there, great idea.
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I certainly don’t want to sound alarmist, Sandra. I hadn’t thought much about it…until this prompt! I suppose I should do something about this, too. Thanks for making me think about it again.
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Perhaps I have already finished writing my book then! lol
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Not until I have it in my hot paws! lol
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I am old-school. Barely use the cloud at all!
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Are you sure, Dale? I never know.
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LOL. Other than Dropbox!
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What would that be?!
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LOL…OK then. Apparently you are worse than I?
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I’m sure of that!
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This is great, and I so love the black hole line. Apart from that: I don’t trust the cloud and I don’t trust Google. It’s convenient but anything but safe. Please, Amy, make backups!
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Thank you, Gah. I appreciate it. Uh oh! I better go do some backups this minute. I’m nervous all of a sudden! How can you trust anything named Google, right?
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Oh, I think they are ok, but they have the tendency to take their services away when they are not popular enough. Old advice with putting your eggs into different baskets is true with the cloud, too. Besides, I never put personal stuff into the cloud, that stays local. Yes, I’m paranoid. 😉
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I think the cloud is an alien trick to capture our souls. I don’t like it. But I do like your story – very much.
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I never trusted that cloud, pretending to be all fluffy. And I very much like your comment, Margaret. Thank you.
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Sometimes, new technologies don’t always improve things.
Loved the cloud part. Now, that’s a mystery. ~~ : – )
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No truer words have been spoken. Technology is a mixed bag, that’s for sure. It’s funny how we all rely on it so but can’t explain how it all works. Thanks for the visit!
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Hello Amy – I wish you a great week – this is such detailed, informative post with great steps…You were missed…Hugs:)
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Hi Mihran! Thanks, I’m glad you enjoyed it. I hope you have a great week as well. Nice to see you. Hugs. 🙂
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Hi Amy – I had a wonderful concert – and soon in your city – You will be my honor guest:)
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Well, please let me know when this is happening. Thanks for thinking of me, Mihran.
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Amy, there’s a scary vision of things to come. Hopefully cloud storage never gets that bad, although I did go into work yesterday to find my network drive unavailable for some reason, so I couldn’t do my work. Maybe we should all go back to typewriters. 🙂
-David
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I hope it never comes to this, David. I honestly had not considered any of this…until this prompt. I kinda count on it, so I hope it continues to keep on working. Hmm…about your drive being unavailable. See, that stuff happens. I don’t even own a typewriter! 🙂
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I would go nuts if I had to use a typewriter, or worse, a pen. 🙂 My writing is terrible and much slower than my typing. Can you imagine the days when another draft meant writing it all out by hand again?
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No, I simply can’t!! Is that what they used to do?? I wonder if they just said…this is good enough!
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I know Tolkien had at least 3 drafts of Lord of the Rings: two by hand and one by typewriter to send to the publisher. Which means he wrote out at least 3000 pages by hand. No wonder it took him 9 years to finish.
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Wow! At least he has a good excuse, eh? That’s amazing. I guess compared to him we have it pretty easy!
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Very sneaky way of making you write a book. 🙂 Now you’ve made me scared, should I write a book or not? Will it disappear? Very well told Amy!
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I think you should write a book! Yes, do it. I hope that you have backup though. I need some now that I’ve written this story. 🙂 Thanks, Jolly!
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I did write a book Amy, two years ago with Nanowrimo. But it’s still in first draft. 😦 I need a kick on the backside 🙂
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I wrote one, too, and I haven’t looked at it since. 🙂
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Maybe we can spur each other. Find out what’s keeping us from returning to our books. For me it’s the feeling that it’s not good enough. Too much self criticism 😦
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I do a fair amount of self criticism, sometimes even before I’ve even written something. It’s that fear. I totally understand. My story fell apart! It had too many characters.
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Kill off a few of them. The only way to commit murder and get away with it 🙂
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Actually, it’s the perfect story for that! Maybe I’ll look at it again. Thanks for the inspiration, Jolly.
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My pleasure Amy. 🙂
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Brilliant, I love the reference to Hawkin’s latest theories on what happens to information inside a black hole.. maybe that’s why everyone write their own book
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Thanks, Bjorn. Whenever Steven Hawking speaks, I listen, not that I understand mind you. This very well could be the reason why everyone must write their own book!
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