July 15, 2023

Every week we post six lines of a story of ours, a work-in-progress or from someone else’s work we recommend that has LGBT characters on Rainbow Snippets here https://www.facebook.com/groups/963484217054974

I’m posting this little snippet from my most recent of my weekly Friday Flash Fiction stories “Nights in White Satin.” https://authorjeffbaker.com/2023/07/14/friday-flash-fics-nights-in-white-satin-by-jeff-baker/ Yes, there are LGBT characters in it, but this snippet is an evocation of the power of story (which is what we’re here for, isn’t it?) In this bit, it’s dusk and Scotty is telling his vacationing kids a local ghost story. (or is it just a story?)

Even in an age of cellphones and made-to-order videos there is a power to a good story well-told. Scotty knew his kids and knew when to pause, what timbre of voice to use and how to make it all atmospheric. It helped that it was dark and lit by the lights on the low corner walls of the porch which cast long shadows.

The boys were enraptured. Eyes wide, mouths open, hanging on every word.

Scotty took a deep breath as he finished, his voice just above a whisper.

For the record, I wrote that story out-of-town in my Brother’s backyard while his nephews and grandkids frolicked in the pool. (May have inspired some of the story!)

Next week, some surprises! (Meaning, I have no idea what I’m going to post!)

——–jeff