Mini Story, Phrase Prompt, Word Challenge, Word Prompt, Writing Challenge, Writing Prompts

Smoke Tells All

Nancy's Notes 🖊️♬

Written for TN Kerr’s Writing Prompts and Practice
and for three Fandango FOWC prompts, including
’silk’, ‘sentimental’, & ‘impractical’; TN’s prompts
are shown below. Here’s where they took me.

Image by Me & ChatGPT

She had not given up. Not yet.

That’s what the cigarette was for …. the long pause before surrender, the small fire held between two fingers like an argument against silence. The silk blouse caressing her skin , impractical as always, painted with the kind of wild brushstrokes a sensible woman wouldn’t wear before noon. She had never been sensible. He had loved that about her, once.

Outside, the night before had offered up an angry moon, swollen and accusatory, and she hadn’t slept. Instead she’d filled every vase she owned with irises …. sugar and joy, her mother used to call them, flowers that asked nothing and forgave everything.

She was thinking about the letter now. Folded in the inside pocket of her skirt, pressed close to her like something she needed to keep warm. Sentimental, he would’ve said, with that half-smile she’d mistaken …. for years …. for tenderness.

But these are precious things …. she understood that now. The weight of paper. A particular quality of morning light. The smoke rising from her fingers in slow cursive, writing something she couldn’t quite read.

She smoothed the silk against her arm.

She had not given up. Not yet.

NAR©2026

The prompts: 1. Give up; 2. Angry moon; 3. Sugar and joy; 4. These are precious things

This is “Smoke Gets In Your Eyes” by Dinah Shore

Extra Prompts Provided by the Zozo Group
FOWC With Fandango — Sentimental
FOWC With Fandango — Silk
FOWC With Fandango — Impractical

All text, graphics and videos are copyright for Nancy Richy and are not to be used without permission. NAR©2017-present.

21 thoughts on “Smoke Tells All”

  2. Superbly written Nance – a cinematic atmosphere that feels both weary and defiant. The repetition at the end works so well and the phrase ‘Not yet’ carries weight, implying that surrender might still be coming, just not this minute – brilliant 🙌

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    1. You summed my story up perfectly, Ange. When I created this image, I was going for that old Hollywood look, and I was thrilled with the result. She’s definitely a woman who is torn; she doesn’t want to give up but she may not be able to hold out. Thank you so much ❤️

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  4. Wow! I am blown away by your writing prowess, Nancy. You have mad skills! 🌟 This story was enthralling from the first sentence, and open to so many interpretations. 👏👏👏

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  6. Hmmm,…wondering about the many routes that li’l bit of paper can lead us, … your weaving of a tale/story/mystery is magnificent in itself, Nancy, … the emotion, the energy, the sense of drama , …all you, … I’ve missed you, my friend, …hugs, …💙

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      1. I’ll never get tired of reading your words Nancy, you and Violet, both of you draw life as it is, showing humour/ pain/ drama/ sadness…in fact, using all ingredients in this ‘bowl’ of living … and we’re all lucky to be the recipients of your talent. Just saying!! Hugs, ..💙🤗

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  7. I read this three times so far, and each time my perspective about what has happened and what is going on has changed. Your story barely hints, but the emotional impact is palpable. It is like an abstract painting that is open to interpretation and piques one’s curiosity about what it all means. Well done, Nancy.

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    1. Thank you very much for a lovely comment, Fan. I was going for descriptive introspection …. a woman reflecting on the past, relationships gone bad, lessons not learned, and poor decisions made. I’m really pleased to know you enjoyed it.

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