Welcome back to Musings of an Arthritic Artist!
Today I've decided to share some more of my writing, except this time it's a writing exercise.
These stories are not polished. They are basically one-paragraph stories. Some are cringey, some have sentences that are downright embarrassing, and some are grammatically incorrect. But that's okay. Writing isn't always perfect, and especially not when it's an exercise or first draft. I have included the songs these writings were based on/written during.
Let's get into the post!
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| King, Alexandria. Musings of an Arthritic Artist. 2021. |
Many months ago, my sister and I had been doing writing exercises before sleeping for the fun of it. We would shuffle a playlist and write flash fiction (6-1000 words) to whatever song came on. We had until the end of the song to finish it. Naturally, the stories ended up very raw and incomplete, but it's a fun exercise.
I'm just going to showcase my personal favorites. There are 17 flash fiction stories here that I am going to share. There are no edits in these stories except basic punctuation and spelling errors that occurred while speed writing.
There are no word choice errors, and no I don't think these are all grammatically correct, but they aren't completely intended to be. They're just writing exercises, and mistakes can be made in writing exercises.
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Fireflies by Owl City
Marcus smiled at the wonder of the fireflies in his mind as he laid down to sleep. He never much enjoyed sleeping. He preferred to stay awake.
When he finally drifted off, he remembered having a dream about thousands of fireflies flying around him. He hated the moment when he had to say goodbye, and he wasn't ashamed to admit that he began to get tears in his eyes.
He dreaded reality when he woke up to it. He wished he could enter his dream again, staying among the fireflies forever.
Thunder by Boys Like Girls
Nick smiled as his girlfriend, Denice sang along to a song on the radio. They were driving through the Florida rain. Lightning flashed in the sky, thunder echoing inside his car. Her voice was a melody. It had been the best summer of his life. They had gone to the beach. It was the summer just before college.
He never realized how much he would miss her. She smiles at him, her eyes hazel. The kind of color that would change colors in the light.
Year 3000 by Jonas Brothers
The day my father told me he built a time machine, I thought he was crazy. That is, until he took me and my brother, Sam, to the year 3000. According to my dad, my granddaughter was doing fine, though I never intended to have kids. Guess he spoiled my life for me.
3000 was wonderful. There were boy bands galore. I was busy fangirling over the hot lead singers, while my brother just rolled his eyes at me. The most amazing thing was the boy bands performing in underwater cities.
Clear Eyes, Full Heart, Can't Lose by T.J Powell
The championship football game was on the line. "You've got one shot," Coach Manson said. "Most of you are seniors. It's now or never."
Zach stared at the field, his eyes clear. The goal was in his mind, clearly drawn. He looked at his teammates. "All our hard work has led to this," he said. "If our hearts are fully in this game, we can't lose. We have our shot. We can't blow it. "
It's My Life by Bon Jovi
I'm not going to live forever. That's why my heart was fully focused on my band competition. My parents didn't want me to go into band. They said I was too awkward. They said band was for nerds. Tonight was my night to prove them wrong. I was going to play my heart out, ignoring the crowd, focusing on the music flowing from my clarinet.
This was my life. Not my mom's. Not my dad's. I was going to make them proud. And if I didn't, so what? I'm going to make myself proud. That's all that matters in my book. All my practice has led to this competition.
Would You Go With Me by Josh Turner
Today was the day. After eight years of being together, Jack was going to propose to his girlfriend, Lydia. He led her to a field of clover. The summer sun was high in the sky, lighting up the flowers.
Jack got down on one knee. "Would you make me the happiest man in the world? I feel as if my heart can't beat one more minute without you, Lydia." He pulled out a box, opening it, showing Lydia the engagement ring inside. "Would you accompany me to the edge of the sea? Will you marry me?"
"Yes!" Lydia cried.
Jack placed the ring on her finger. She stood, holding him tightly, his fingers laced in hers.
Bad Blood by Taylor Swift
I ripped out the pages about my boyfriend in my diary. How dare he cheat on me? I trusted him. He ruined everything. He promised he would never cheat on me. I feel as if he's laughing at me, which is ridiculous, because he's probably too occupied kissing Joanna.
I feel as if I have a wound in my back from where he stabbed me. I read about our good times in my entries. It saddens me. He's said sorry, but he was lying. I could tell. It was all fake. Maybe he should be an actor. He's definitely dramatic enough. I can't believe he blamed me for his behavior. I'll never forgive him. We're over. Forever.
What Makes You Beautiful by One Direction
Vanessa Morgan is sitting alone at lunch. Everyone always wants to sit with her, but she is too insecure to let anyone into her circle. She's truly beautiful, though I don't think she sees it. That's what makes her beautiful. I muster up the courage, and walk over to her table. "I'm John."
She stares at her plate. "Vanessa."
I sit across from her. I really want to date her, but I don't know what to say. I decide to go for broke. "You're beautiful," I tell her.
She smiles, still unable to meet my eyes. "Thank you," she says, timidly. I notice she isn't wearing makeup, which makes her even more beautiful. Her hair falls in waves around her. I wish she knew how I see her. Then she would truly see how beautiful she is.
Blank Space by Taylor Swift
I look over at the new boy. He's definitely had multiple girlfriends, but then again, I have a long list of ex lovers as well. He's so hot, I think. He looks like my next mistake.
I grab my diary. My eyes find the next line. There's a blank space. I write his name. Louis Hardin. I've come to think of love as a game. I wonder if he wants to play.
Am I being reckless? Definitely. Do I care? Definitely not. This can't go over that badly. I've already had multiple ex-boyfriends. Maybe this will be forever. Maybe it will go down in flames and burn down to the ground. I want to know how this ends.
Everyone I've dated has told me I'm insane. Maybe I am. Or maybe I just like the players in my little game. I want to date the boy that the other girls wish they had. I love the look of jealousy on their faces. Even if he runs, he'll come back. Why? Because I'm a nightmare dressed like a daydream.
Ever the Same by Rob Thomas
Kalil held Izara tightly as she cried in his arms. Pain ebbed through her, burning her wrists, her knees. "I'm sorry I'm a burden," she said. She held Kalil as if he was broken.
He looked at her, pushing a lock of her hair behind her ear. "You aren't a burden." Of this, he was sure. He knew that if she fell, he would fall with her. And he knew that if he fell, she would fall with him. He knew she would always be there for him. On his brightest days, and his darkest days. The days where his father's cruel words would slip in.
"Are you sure?"
"I'm positive. I'll always be there for you. Forever." Kalil knew that the only thing he could give her in that moment was love.
Call Me Maybe by Carly Rae Jepsen
The boy reading at the park was hot. I had never seen him before. He looked at me, his stare holding mine. He wore ripped jeans. He had side swept hair that blew in the wind.
He looked at me. I bit my lip. A lot of the boys at school chased me, but none of them were as attractive as the boy in front of me. I pulled out my notebook, ripping out a piece of paper. I wrote on it then walked over to the boy. "What are you reading?" I asked, sitting on the grass.
"Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea," he said.
"Jules Verne," I said. "He's a good author." I held out my hands. "May I borrow it?"
He handed it to me. "Sure," he said awkwardly.
He was only two pages away from the next chapter. I discreetly bookmarked it then gave it back to him. "Enjoy reading," I said standing. I smiled to myself as I walked away. Hopefully he would see the paper where I wrote my number. Hopefully he would call or text.
Toxic by Britney Spears
Lauren knew she shouldn't have started dating the vampire in her class. He was dangerous, but she loved the danger. The taste of his lips against hers was like poison, but she couldn't pull away. She was addicted to him. She couldn't live without him. He was toxic, but she didn't care.
He was the kind of boy that should've worn a warning. He was too dangerous for his own good. Every time she was away from him, she craved his presence--his intoxicating love.
Mr. Brightside by The Killers
When I return home from the homecoming dance, I'm elated. I kissed Cassandra. Now we're dating. I feel as if everything is happening too fast. What if she cheats on me? I lay down to sleep.
In my mind, Cass is at someone's party kissing a hotter guy than me. A senior, definitely. His hands are moving down her waist. I open my eyes. It's all in my mind. She isn't cheating on me. I'm being ridiculous.
I can't shake the feeling that she's going to cheat on me. When I close my eyes again, I see the same exact scene. Instead of looking away, I stare at them. At least she's happy. That's looking on the bright side of things. There's always a bright side.
Somebody's Watching Me by Rockwell
Hannah always felt as if someone was watching her. She felt as if she had no privacy, though she didn't know why. There was no one behind her--she was home alone. She didn't think her house was haunted. Unless it was.
Her door moved of its own accord. A figure in a mask jumped into her room. She ran out her door, straight past the figure. She hadn't noticed her little brother, Max standing in her doorway, laughing. He had come home from school early.
Only Human by Jonas Brothers
Lori stared at Walter as he danced around the living room. "Join me," he said, holding out his hand. He had been dancing to music for the past half hour.
She shook her head. "I don't feel like dancing. "
He shrugged and continued dancing. He danced over to the window, closing the blinds. "You're so weird," Lori said, laughing.
He stared at her, smiling. "I'm only human," he said. " I just want to have some fun. Join me. "She shrugged, standing. She grabbed his hand, and they danced for another half hour.
My Baby by Jesse McCartney
Daniel drove with his girlfriend Lorelei riding shotgun. She had been in charge of his radio. She was playing Jesse McCartney songs. "My Baby" came on and she moved to change it.
"No," Daniel said, stopping her. "Leave it. I like this song."
She rolled her eyes. "You just like it so you can embarrass me."
Daniel glanced at her. "I embarrass you because I want to call you my baby? You know I'm constantly falling into your eyes."
She laughed. "Stop." She was blushing, though Daniel barely noticed. He was too busy watching the road. She looked out the window, trying not to show how red her face was.
Nobody's Fool by Avril Lavigne
She couldn't count how many times Oscar had tried to turn her into something she wasn't. She would never let him bring her down. She was nobody's fool. She had been with guys like him before. She would never change for him. She had a backbone stronger than his. She didn't need him doubting her. She was over being treated as if she was supposed to be someone else. She was sick of it.
Those are all of my favorite flash fiction exercises. One of my absolute favorites is Call Me Maybe by Carly Rae Jepsen. I'm very curious as to if this way of giving a phone number would work. I really want to attempt this in the future, but I don't know if I'll be able to. In this scenario, it'd require someone to be reading a book.
This writing exercise is very fun and allows for some pretty interesting results.
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