Nemesis is the vain, greedy, scheming wife of Jake, Navy combat pilot and award-winning writer. Nemesis, professor of literature at the Sorbonne before they married, dabbles in nuclear chemistry when not nagging her husband as a lousy provider for the family. Jealous, suspicious, and unscrupulous, she uses any means to enrich herself and her family, stooping to blackmail, lies, sexual favors, anything to achieve her diabolical ends. Jake finds … Continue reading Exercise 15, The Antagonist

The plume of smoke reminded me of Mount Etna on a windless day when the volcano belched smoke and cinders into the atmosphere. This plume, too, had stood out black against a clear sky. I remember staring as I hailed a cab at the airport, unable to look away; I felt a premonition of doom descend over me like a shroud, but shook it off, … Continue reading Writing Exercise 14, Late For Work

The ability to write with clarity and emotion is one of the greatest blessings in my life. I do not know from whom this gift descends, mom or dad. Dad loved to read, while mom enjoyed crossword puzzles. I love to do both. Dad and mom also enjoyed writing letters to friends and family, the only inexpensive way to keep in touch with folks in … Continue reading 200 Words (or so) Letters From Home

Long before coffee and I discovered a mutual affinity for one another, I took an occasional cup during winter months to warm my hands when working on Navy aircraft in Brunswick, Maine. I wore gloves, the heavy, woolen kind, but some of the more tedious maintenance jobs required bare fingers for intricate work. My fingers froze fast in the sub-zero temperatures, and numbed to the point … Continue reading 200 Words (or so) My Dreadful Habit

I write to keep my sanity, to keep going day to day. It’s like an addiction, but helps to quiet my mind and keep the demons at bay. They love to lurk in the dark corners, waiting to pull me down with them, but the words I type build a wall between them and me. The more words, the stronger the wall. Sure, there are … Continue reading 200 Words (or so) “Why I Write” Guest Post by Anna Dobritt

I count my blessings every day. Blessings like my health, the stability in my life, my loved ones, my friends, my work. I try not to take life for granted. I’m observant of the world about me and cognizant of the God who gave me life, and the capacity to enjoy the plants and animals, forests and seas, and mountains and deserts that make this … Continue reading 200 Words (or so) My World

The morning is beautiful, temperature 73 degrees, a fragrant, refreshing southwest wind ruffles the leaves in the trees surrounding the house, and snaps the flag billowing on the porch. Yoshi, his ears alert, keeps a watchful eye on the jogger passing by. Insects buzz all around, and a crow caws across the street; I hear a cardinal peeping somewhere, and a multitude of other birds … Continue reading 200 Words (or so) Today

The Navy aircraft centered on course, the compass pegged at 040. Jake radioed the airfield, then picked up his coffee. In less than two hours he’d arrive first at the writers’ conference and pick up his check for one-million dollars. Jake’s aircraft had the lead ahead of the others thanks to a powerful tail wind. He sipped his coffee and settled back, autopilot flying the plane. Moments later the … Continue reading Writing Exercise 13, Write Tight

Little Mary Sue sat alone in the cafeteria. She pushed her thick braids back and peered over the rim of her glasses. She spotted Biff as he left with the cheerleaders. She loved him , but he didn’t know she existed. Mary Sue decided it was now or never: she would ask Biff to the girl’s choice dance. She picked up her books and left … Continue reading 200 Words (or so) Little Mary Sue

Why she – my wife – holds me responsible for missing her hair appointment, when the fault is entirely her own for scheduling it so close to my sister’s (who I had not seen since another sister’s funeral in 2012) flight departure time (which, by the way, she knew three weeks ahead of time) is beyond me, and completely unreasonable on her part, as well as … Continue reading Writing Exercise 5, Commas

An orange fireball blots the sky, a mass of white-black cloud shot through with flame. The Navy P-3 Orion yaws as the #3 engine burns and trails an undulating line of black smoke. The starboard wing folds up and shears away; with lift gone the aircraft rolls to starboard. The Orion rolls and rolls, white belly and windscreens alternately reflecting the sun, then tumbles, veering earthward. … Continue reading Lima Charlie 85

I feel so much satisfaction watching the word count grow in the little story flowing from my pen. This joyful enterprise, this crafting of a universe built from memories of a lifetime. This imaginary world I have peopled with those I’ve grown up with, played, schooled, worshiped, worked, and served with. Decorated with scenes that have thrilled my eyes and my mind and lifted my … Continue reading My Little Story

Dreams are bad news. Good dreams or bad dreams, it doesn’t matter. When you awaken you are the same person, only sadder. You wake with less happiness, less hope than before you laid your head on the pillow and closed your eyes and sleep took you to that place you yearn for but hate with hot tears when your eyes open again. The place you … Continue reading Dreams

When two hearts break, it’s a compound fracture with all the ugliness of a leg bone sticking out awkwardly from torn, bloodied flesh, a crippling injury that takes a lifetime to heal, if it ever really heals without leaving memory of an exquisitely harsh pain, a bruise of purple and black on the soul, and a reflex action against falling in love again. Continue reading Heartbreak

On this Thanksgiving, I want to wish all of my friends and family a day filled with thankfulness, joy and happiness, peace and fellowship, family, friends, togetherness. What is one of those I have mentioned without the others? And love. What are any of those I have mentioned without love. And forgiveness. To love is to forgive. To forgive is to love. I have so … Continue reading Thanksgiving 2014

     Midway between Pearl Harbor and Hong Kong, in the middle of the vast Pacific Ocean, the USS Tripoli lost her heartbeat. I woke from a sound sleep. My brain registered a change in the ship and woke me. Something was wrong! The always-there subtle vibration and low background hum of the ship’s heartbeat, her life, were not there. Light from the battle lantern next … Continue reading My Ship