Friday Fictioneers is a weekly flash fiction challenge to create a 100 word story based on a photo prompt and then receive as well as share feedback with writers from around the world. Approx 100 submissions are entered every week.
Word count: 100
That’s my wife. Her name is Linda.
We settled in Camarillo soon after my failed attempt to take Hollywood by storm. She encouraged me to continue to develop my passion for painting, if for no other reason, to help retain my sanity through all the auditions and rejections. My claim to fame is I was anonymous businessman #3 standing in a lunch line for one of those Grisham movies.
She was a dancer and taught some privately but, when we felt the timing was right, we scraped every penny and took a loan out for this restaurant.
So…how’s that Sangria?
blogged artistry 
I like how you make this story into a monologue from the bar tender – businessman #3 is a nice touch contrasted with taking Hollywood by storm. I think you need to juggle the punctuation a bit on “if, for no other reason, to “
Many thanks for reading and commenting elmowrites! Good punctuation catch too. 🙂
I’m really glad you liked the angle as the bartender is typically the silent observer.
Creative story done well.
Thanks for reading and commenting silentlyheardonce! This only encourages the behaviour however 🙂
This is great. I suppose it is a different sort of waiting tables till you make your big break when you own the restaurant. Or maybe not.
Very true 🙂
Very true about the waiting tables I meant. Oh and thanks for reading and commenting 🙂
Nice story – there are a lot of people out here in Tenerife like that!
Thanks for reading and commenting Liz! The pursuit of a creative lifestyle requires a lot of different “hats” to be worn at any given time in the career.
This is very realistic. My daughter can now support herself with stage work–comedy sketches, commercials, voice-overs, stand-up–but she’s waited many tables and substituted a lot in offices in the past.
Thanks for reading and commenting patriciaruthsusan! Your daughter’s dedication is to be commended.
I pictured him wiping down a glass while giving the information away. Then realizing and looking up with a dazzling smile. I enjoyed this a lot!
Awesome 🙂 What more could I ask for in a comment?
Not such a bad life,eh?A beautiful ending-liked it:-)
Thank you for reading and commenting atrm61! Life is full of twists and turns in spite of our best laid plans 🙂
So true 😀
So easy to see this conversation. My hubby and I have had the opportunity to meet many restaurant owners. They usually love to tell the story behind their restaurant especially when they work there also, and their heart and soul are involved….it is a cool story!
Thanks for reading and commenting Courtney! This is art imitating life I suppose. So glad you and others can visualize the scene.
A success story. Bravo.
Thanks for reading and commenting patrickprinsloo!
Greetings! This is different from what I usually read with the Friday Fictioneers. No drama. No twist. A happy ending. Creative and a nicely told story. Good job!
Did I forget to mention the protagonist is a cyborg? 🙂 Thanks as always Maddie!
“businessman #3 standing in a lunch line for one of those Grisham movies” is such a great way to describe a character. well done.
Thanks for reading and commenting K.Z.! Means more than you know.
Plus I knew you would have the horror angle locked so I went another direction 🙂
Nice story! It’s good to have dreams but it looks like this couple has ultimately gone a more practical route to pay the bills.
Thanks again for reading and commenting draliman! Reminds me of the Lennon quote: “Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans.”
Both great occupations…actor and restaurateur. Not easy choices. But whoever said easy was better…hasn’t lived!
Thanks for reading and commenting hugmamma! And if the sangria is bad I suppose he could say he was just researching a role.
Ha.. first I quite enjoyed the short time I lived in Camarillo, but I don’t think I ever visited that restaurant.. enjoyed the way you told the story… like that somehow tired and disapointed bartender… and of course the business man #3 is very good… quite some fame…problably justify an IMDB entry.
Thanks for reading and commenting Björn! I’ve enjoyed reading everyone’s impression of this bartender. I myself am not sure if he’s bitter or satisfied with his current “role” but I agree he deserves and IMDB entry 🙂
I’ve always liked the way the word Camarillo sounds but have never visited…guess I should add that to the “To Do” list.
I love happy endings, and this story is happy. Good for the Bartender to keep painting, which I think he is very talented. Loved the reference to #3 buisnessman in a Grisham novel. Very clever and true to life, I’m sure. Wonderful and easy to picture in my head! Thanks, Nan
Thanks for reading and commenting Nan! 🙂
I love the humility associated with this story 🙂 I suppose everyone has their own claim to fame to stay sane- well done.
Thanks for reading and commenting camgal! Hadn’t considered humility.
Hey! Where’d you go? I popped over for some entertainment, and you’re on hiatus! 🙂
Hi MC! Feels good to be missed! Not an intentional hiatus…just real life stuff to deal with. Coincidentally I thought of a great idea for a novel (I think). Do you have a certain way to research plots/premises to ensure that your idea isn’t a duplicate of something else? Like I’ve got this great story about a great white whale and his boy toy Ishmael…
LOL! I knew I could count on you for a laugh. 🙂 Real life stuff gets in the way of blogging all the time. Sometimes I disappear for weeks at a time, but I eventually show up again. I’ll see you when you get back!
I threw the joke in free of charge 🙂 But you’re dodging the question.. Any way you know of to research plots/premises?
Oh. You were serious. 🙂
No, I don’t. However, I recently read that there is nothing new under the sun. No matter what you come up with, it has already been done in some fashion. So … if you aren’t intentionally copying someone, you are good to go.
I went down the Google rabbit hole just a bit and came up with this pretty good post: http://www.writingforward.com/writing-ideas/are-there-any-original-writing-ideas-left
Read the comments, too, and then go write your new novel!