I am so delighted to be back with the challenges this week – I haven’t written flash fiction for ages, although last week I did perform extended versions (300 words) of flashes I wrote for Rochelle’s challenge. It is much harder to perform a flash than a poem!
Here’s the prompt for this week, click the icon to discover more! 
Copyright -Randy Mazie
Ornate bars and wild flowers on the outside, wooden planks nailed from the inside let horizontal shafts of light through. Tam started the group with three others, now they attracted quite a crowd.
Artists were happy in humble surroundings, glad of somewhere to share their work. It was bohemian with a capital B. For an afternoon of spoken word Tam charged £3.00, he provided old mugs for the ‘bring your own’ drinks. No one questioned the fee.
What they didn’t know was this was where Tam lived. He counted his money. Nearly enough to take him on the Writers’ Retreat!
awritersfountain 
Dear Neens,
Again, it’s nice to see you back in the FFold. Tam’s story is bittersweet, but I think the enterprising young man will write his way out.
“What they didn’t know was this is where Tam lived. He counted his money. Nearly enough to take him on the Writers’ Retreat!” There seems to be a bit of tense confusion here. Should it be “this was where Tam lived”?
Good one, nonetheless.
Shalom,
Rochelle
It is great to be back, as far as the tense correction you were right – quick edit 😉 thanks.
I could see the Bohemian charm of a place like that. I might even pay to go there. I think Tam is on to something, although it’s a lot to sacrifice for a writer’s retreat. All for one’s art, right?
Thanks David – I think he may have been squatting anyway to live the dream, this is just a way he decided to realise it! 😉
Clever tale, neatly written.
Well done.
Wow, thanks, means a lot coming from a grand master of flash!
And this is why I’m not more successful, darling — I need to starve for my art!
😉 at least you can look good on it! My reality is a poverty stricken artist too – I could only dream of being this devious, fictional characters also do what I would only dare to dream! Lil’ rascals!
How enterprising of sneaky Tam-he is getting his cake and hoping to eat it too,lol!Lovely take -enjoyed it thoroughly:-)
Thanks, glad you enjoyed it – it was a challenge editing it down to 100 words though!
:-)I always find editing/pruning a lot tougher than writing
I agree, editing is a different set of skills entirely – it gets easier once you learn to let go and become savage in the art of culling! 😉
Hee!hee!I like that-culling -yes!! 😀
Little do you all know that’s how we got to the OWL retreat. Rochelle’s been charging. 🙂
janet
Laughing this end, bad Rochelle 😉 hope you enjoyed your retreat – I host a free one on this blog in October who all those who don’t want to fund through devious ploy … & ours is free! INKSPILL – stick it in your diary Oct 2014!
Sounds good.
It was a great success this year – I plan on repeating it in 2014 – with different content of course, 3 days was a lot to plan and organise though, so may be just 2 days next year – you should dip into it – I start promoting it around the end of the summer 🙂
Nicely done, and welcome back.
Thanks Sandra, on both counts.
Love the entrepreneurship and his cause. 😉
Yes at least he was dishonestly taking funds for something connected to writing!
Ha Ha, clever Tam 🙂
I thought so 😉
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He has initiative. A great installation for the Turner prize!
🙂 thanks
Ah.. nice to have you.. back.. and nice to see you on dVerse too.. this was quite a story with a lot of layers in it.. 🙂
Good for Tam. Needs must – and a writers’ retreat is an absolute necessity!
Nice take on the prompt. I like Tam – enterprising, imaginative, active, dedicated to his art. He’ll make it big time!
well done, and i hope to someday go on a writers retreat too, though not this one in this particular place and time. in this line, “…What they didn’t know was…” you can replace all of these words with “however,” and save yourself four more words for more description.
Thanks for the read and the editing advice.
Hope we get to treat ourselves to writing retreats one day. I fancy one in Greece!