Worthing Flash

THE LUCKY PENNY By Linda S. Gunther Cynthia pulled the hood of her sweatshirt over her head.  The drizzle of rain blurred her eyeglasses.  She ached for a walk, the one she did most every day - two miles round trip along the beach path. But it had been a week full of rain. She started across the parking lot and spotted a shiny penny on the blacktop. She heard on NPR news that nobody picks up lucky pennies anymore. People don’t want pennies. In fact, penny production in the U.S. would be halted this year. Cynthia didn’t like pennies either.  But there it sat on the ground, the shiniest penny she’d ever seen screaming to be picked up, kept for luck, respected as a prize, and likely forgotten within thirty minutes of being found.  No need to pick it up. Just a silly supersti tion. She crossed the parking lot, le...

Prison Yard Princess By Linda S. Gunther “ Please, leave me alone.” “ You’re the new prison yard Princess. And, I’m the Queen around these parts, Miss Uppity.” “ Can you stop smoking that joint? Please, I got asthma. I shouldn’t be in here.” “ They all say that their first month inside. But why so pale? Your cheeks were rosy this morning. I noticed.” “ That prison guard, Cynthia, she’s the mother of my boyfriend. He framed me for smuggling drugs.” “ Cynthia? God-damn! She sold me this weed.” “ She had him set me up. Send me to her prison.” “ Don’t worry, Princess. I got plans for her. And they ain’t pretty.”

I am a serial romantic junkie who savors independence. Not a winning combination, I know. Two incompatible yearnings which have collided numerous times throughout the decades of my life. Did each of those six men get down on one knee to propose marriage to me? I think so but honestly some of it is a blur. I wish I could smell, taste, feel and listen to those proposals all over again. Occasionally, I test myself, check on whether I can list them all from marriage number one when I was nineteen years old through number six when I was – oh, never mind about that. But to my surprise, each time, I manage to get the husband sequence exactly right, a good sign that I am staving off dementia at the age of – oh, never mind. The thing is when people hear that there are six husbands behind you, unfortunately, you can rarely count on remaining credible. So, I rarely mention it. Good thing I have a couple of post-graduate degrees under my belt, including study at Oxford University and Columbia G...

Here’s the direct link to Amazon. https://bit.ly/ABronxGirl Also here is the link to my Zoom A BRONX GIRL book release event from November 4th, a rousing interview hosted by Lloyd Russell from local California TV’s “LIT with LLOYD“ show where he interviews me about the memoir. Lots of friends from my Bronx days are also featured here talking about their experience of growing up in New York City and specifically on the great old Bronx! Link to the recorded Zoom interview below. Please have the passcode handy which is also indicated below. https://csueb.zoom.us/rec/share/rKaqq3vBr2yEGzJ8OiZDSTls-g79_nKp8ugZEEd5laJTlmi6FBV8NuZ-tEliwAwK.bXVngSB7gXS7yIXM

Write-Bytes by Linda S. Gunther September 1, 2023 DERIVING THE THEME FOR YOUR STORY Please view my website at www.lindasgunther to see all Write-Bytes or read this week’s blog byte below, for your convenience. Deriving the Theme for Your Story Most of us have heard the famous expression from the great philosopher Aristotle:        “The whole is the sum of its parts.”   It’s an old adage that applies to many things in life and I believe also links to writing a book. As writers, we create our  characters, a plot, and hopefully, have a theme . Our story is usually comprised of a series of events whereas our plot is a structure we use to show the connection between those events.   The theme is basically the central message of our story. If we are missing any one of these three parts, our story may fall flat, not have the “legs” or “depth” readers look for, and savor. The central theme is the “WHY” in any piece of writing, and is linked ...

August 4, 2023 - #47 –  Reflective Narrator  In Writing  Memoir By Linda S. Gunther  Please see my website for this week’s blog for developing writers at  www.lindasgunther.com or read Byte in its entirety below. REFLECTIVE NARRATOR in WRITING MEMOIR Writing is an art form. When my words sing out on the page, and my readers are specific with what they especially liked about the piece I’ve written, I am thrilled. Recently I’ve been writing memoir stories about growing up in the Bronx in the 1960’s. The challenges to the memoir genre seem even more complex than fiction. In memoir, I must work  both emotionally and technically . My hope is that my emotional journey engages readers, and that my technical skill as a seasoned writer keeps readers turning the page, hungry for the next scene. My memory of events in my childhood is not perfect but I seek to describe details and relationships as close to reality as I can get. I believe authenticity is the...

Write-Bytes Blog Read this week’s edition in its entirety below or go to www.lindasgunther.com for all my blog posts for developing writers. July 28, 2023 Topic: INANIMATE OBJECTS As CHARACTERS in YOUR STORY We can all remember seeing the award-winning film, Castaway, with Tom Hanks. After crashing his plane, he’s stuck alone on a deserted island. All he’s got to comfort him is a volley ball which he aptly names Wilson. Hanks gives the object a face and some straw for hair. And in a flash, Wilson becomes a secondary character in the film. Is Wilson a pivotal character in this blockbuster? Some may argue, yes. But I don’t think that really matters. What matters is that the audience grows attached to Wilson for a good part of the story. Wilson is not “personified,” where the ball takes on human characteristics. We don’t see the world from the volleyball’s point of view. It’s not anthropomorphic. But the presence of Wilson, an inanimate character, serves to deepen the moviegoe...

INTERVIEWING YOUR CHARACTERS  Write-Bytes - July 21, 2023 By Linda S. Gunther   To read this week’s Write-Bytes, go to www.lindasgunther.com or read the whole byte below (included here for your convenience). All previous postings can be viewed on website. INTERVIEWING YOUR CHARACTERS The plot for a potential story can sweep into my consciousness without me intentionally trying to manufacture one. For example, my latest protagonist, Laura Styversant, appeared in a vivid dream I had one night. I awoke, grabbed pen and paper and started to outline the story based on my dream. The protagonist I sculpted in my head was a sassy, salty, often cynical 51-year-old female private investigator who had everything go wrong for her in the last year, including a bad car accident which resulted in a broken arm, a fractured ankle, and two cracked ribs. After a four-month recovery period she’s back into the P.I. game with a ritzy new executive-level male client. It’s a chal...