23-Word Story Challenge

by Laura Lai/ Uncategorized

         Last week was a regular happy writing working week. Indeed, ‘home staycation’ writing holidays. My holidays to New Zealand from the beginning of April are postponed until this pandemic virus will get under better control by an appropriate vaccine and New Zealand will open its borders to tourists, too.

 I’m convinced that the New Zealanders miss us and I know that I’m looking forward to meeting them, but as a political scientist, I perfectly understand that the main task of a government is to protect its citizens’ heath, property and lives. Most of the discussions around the world are about the way each government is doing that. New Zealand’s government decided to close the borders to secure the health, life and property of its citizens. And, broadly speaking, to protect me, as a tourist, too. People seem divided on this virus matter in those who believe in the existence of the virus and those who don’t. I subscribe to the side who believes that this virus exists. And as I know myself to have been very healthy all my life – thank God! – I personally prefer traveling when I know this virus tamed by a vaccine. I’ve heard myself about the great efforts of the Americans, British and Chinese to be frontrunners in finding a vaccine – an ‘ABC’! How lovely! I only can hope for the best and watch with great respect the ongoing efforts to give the world a vaccine.

And as I was happily working writing, I received in my mailbox a question from the Australian Writers’ Center (AWC): ‘Are you feeling creatively drained after these past few weeks of “here we go again-ness”?’ I didn’t even get the chance to answer that to myself that I read further: ‘We get it… so we thought it might be a good week to give you a bonus tiny fiction challenge!’ Now, I could finally answer to myself: ‘No kidding?! – as the AWC always has something challenging in its mind (and I love their writing challenges, but don’t tell anyone!). Then I saw the picture they sent. My eyes were fixing that gorgeous elephant. It’s from a documentary that I know that the elephants move their ears in order to hear better. And they can hear noises from 250 km. None of the information I knew about elephants could help me here. The AWC wanted a 23-word story inspired by the picture above. I took the challenge and this is what I wrote: ‘The room looked too small for the great idea she suddenly got. And she started writing right away – the manuscript had blank pages.’ (23 words)

What 23-word story inspire you this photo?