Kim's Ramblings

The Flash Fiction contest challenged writers to tell a complete story in 99 words. It’s a lot harder than it sounds. The following took an honorable mention at Ozark Creative Writers Conference. It also brought a few gasps at the White County meeting this week. I consider both a success. The Last Breakfast             Bill plopped into the chair. Joyce poured coffee into his cup. He grabbed his fork as Joyce slid a plate of fried eggs and sausage in front of him.             “Biscuits are almost done,” she whispered.             Bill swept the plate to the floor and backhanded Joyce in the mouth.             “Again? You know I can’t eat without biscuits,” he growled.             Joyce ducked and hurriedly filled another plate, adding a steaming biscuit straight from the oven.             Bill gobbled breakfast and left without another word.             Joyce cleaned the mess, then crushed rat poison and stirred it into Bill’s whiskey bottle. Then she waited.

For a writer, I can think of nothing that compares to a good conference. Imagine two to three days filled with sessions, workshops, and panels where authors, publishers, and agents teach and interact with writers of all levels and backgrounds. I was on cloud nine. The creative energy was electric. Brainstorming sessions resembled a shared-consciousness. Pens scribbled notes and ideas bounced around like racket balls. Sometimes a great idea practically hit you in the head. New contacts were made and friendships forged. New information was absorbed and unfamiliar ideas explored. I took the opportunity to listen to some of the most productive writers in the country, and I also visited with several writers just like me, who struggle to get anything completed. And I’ve reached one conclusion. The opposite of productivity is not busyness or laziness. It’s not disorganization, lack of commitment, or even lack of knowledge or inferior talent. The opposite of productivity i

            Many of you may know that Gary and I have been writing stories and poems for local contests. For the last few years we’ve attended writing conferences in Searcy and Little Rock to learn more about the craft and improve our writing.             This year, we’ve taken advantage of the opportunity to attend even more conferences and workshops. Next week, we will be attending the Ozark Creative Writers Conference in Eureka Springs. It’s a chance to take a short vacation and enjoy the beauty of the Ozarks, hear some good speakers, and meet some other people who share our love of writing.                 It is also a chance to test our skills against writers attending from other areas. There are several writing contests being awarded at this conference, and we hope to make a showing in the awards. But I admit, I’m nervous about it. We’ve had some nice wins in the last few years at both the Arkansas Writers Conference and White County Creative Writers Conferences. Our writ

             Cleburne Countyians and visitors turned out in record numbers Saturday for the seventy-third annual Shine Festival, held in rural Cleburne County near the community of Floral. Event organizer Dub Stone said this year’s festival included entries from as far away as Kentucky and Illinois, as well as several local producers. The festival included a friendly competition among batches of homemade "shine” with prizes awarded for appearance, flammability, and of course, taste. The overall grand prize went to Skeeter T. from somewhere in Independence County. First place in taste was won by Lizzie L. from Hazard County, Kentucky. First place in appearance was awarded to Bubba G. from Jackson County. The prize for flammability goes to the family of the late J.R. Smith from right here in Cleburne County. The prize money will go toward rebuilding the family’s home. Judging for the annual event is done by a panel of volunteer judges, who are sequestered for several days up