Free Write

Longlist, Funny Pearls Short Story Competition, 2021

Little Old Lady Comedy/June 2023

Confetti Magazine, October 2023

The regular ladies attending Nora’s writing workshop immediately suspected no-good from Sandy McCaffery. Mid-fifties, she wore a bright pink Mexican style top with jeans and clogs and a deep red lipstick. Her grey/blonde hair hung in a braid down her back. Nora thought she looked quite cool, comfortable in her own skin. 

“Where’d you get that top?” said Rosalind, eyeing her closely. 

“I just picked it up somewhere-a thrift store,” responded Sandy.

“Aren’t you worried about bugs?”

“Bugs?”

“Bed bugs. In the thrift clothes?”

Nora jumped in. “Tonight let’s just do a completely free write. No prompts, just write whatever you want.” 

Sandy straightened up in her chair and poised a pen above her notebook. 

“Sandy needs a debrief on my Civil War saga,” Cheryl added. 

Nora set the timer, smoothed her skirt under her notebook, took a breath.