My Words, My World

First drafts – A few pages in the large wilderness of the world of writing

Archive for the category “iceberg-theory”

25 Oct 2025
3 Comments

Stop sign

The rain beat against the car roof and she gazed through the sweeping wipers. She hated the short, dark winter days. Traffic was heavy and the cars moved at walking pace.

She couldn’t remember getting in the car and her stomach rolled and tumbled when she thought about it. She had grabbed her keys, her bag and her phone but, despite the weather, she had left home with no coat.

She arrived at the stop sign. Ahead; under the low, grey, evening sky, everything was dark.

She looked at herself in the mirror.

Behind her, everything was even darker.

The current image has no alternative text. The file name is: stop-sign.jpg
Posted in 99-word fiction, 99-words, atmospheric writing, creative writing, Flash Fiction, iceberg-theory, Writing and tagged , , , ,
18 Oct 2025
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99-word fiction: Return Ticket

The last of the boxes had been taken away – except one, sitting on the table in front of her.

A box full of items of no value: old letters, grandad’s cigarette case, a chipped cup, mum’s funeral service card.

One by one she laid them out on the table.

She pulled out an old purse and looked inside, not expecting to find money.

An old train ticket fell out, its edges worn between finger and thumb.

Her eyes widened and her chest felt heavy. She thought she’d thrown it away.

She stared at the words, “Return Ticket”. What if?

The current image has no alternative text. The file name is: return-ticket.jpg
Posted in 99-word fiction, 99-words, atmospheric writing, dreams, Flash Fiction, iceberg-theory, Writing and tagged , , , ,
04 Oct 2025

The postcard

The first shock was receiving the postcard, in the day of Whatsapp messages and where even emails were considered old-tech.

Then she looked at the picture: Florence.

Frowning, she turned it over.

Her eyes widened and she put her hand over her mouth.

Him. The holiday, Florence, art, culture. Him.

It was addressed to her with only a signature. His.

So many years had passed. The drive, the argument, the blue, flashing lights. The doctors unwilling to break the news.

The funeral. They had told her there had been a funeral.

She looked at the date.

It was impossible.

The current image has no alternative text. The file name is: the-postcard.jpg
Posted in 99-word fiction, 99-words, creative writing, Flash Fiction, iceberg-theory, Short Fiction Stories, Writing and tagged , , , , | Leave a comment
27 Sep 2025

Sunset

Flames streak across the oil-still sea, and wavelets sigh. A fish jumps.
A couple watches.
The silhouette of a gull glides across the sky; its passing silent.
A molten orange globe slips below the horizon, the sky bursts into a palette of colour and the clouds turn pink, red, then purple.
The sky deepens from blue to black and, with the coming night, the streetlights flare.
Then the sirens begin to wail.
People run for the shelters, but the couple remain.
She reasts her head on his shoulder and they stand, and watch the moonlight shimmer on the sea.

The current image has no alternative text. The file name is: sunset.jpg
Posted in 99-word fiction, 99-words, creative writing, Flash Fiction, iceberg-theory, Love, Sea, Short Fiction Stories, Writing and tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment
20 Sep 2025
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99-word fiction: The Lighthouse

Another week, another 99-worder and another one for you to work out the what and why.

The lighthouse shakes as spray hurls against the window.

Jake sits with the room dark, save for the great lamp above and a single candle. A low horn moans into the night. Another wave crashes against the wall and booms in the darkness.

A photo lies on the table, its image dances in the flickering candlelight.

Two faces look out from the photo; one is his, the other a memory

Jake gives a thin smile, watching the smoke from his pipe coil up to the ceiling.

Now alone, he thinks about secrets hidden by the cruel and beautiful ocean.

The current image has no alternative text. The file name is: the-lighthouse.jpg
Posted in 99-word fiction, 99-words, creative writing, dark fiction, Flash Fiction, iceberg-theory, Short Fiction Stories, Writing and tagged , , , , , ,
06 Sep 2025
4 Comments

99-word story: The Last Train

The iceberg-theory: sometimes, what matters most is left unsaid.
This week’s 99-word story, The Last Train, is about a man, silent contemplation, a secret, and a suitcase.
What lies inside is for you to imagine.

The rain, diagonal in the light, drums on the station roof. 

One man sits apart from the others, suitcase on his lap. The station clock ticks off another minute. He checks his watch and taps his foot. 

A distant horn sounds and a light appears. 

Looking around, he opens the case again, stroking his hand over the contents. He closes his eyes, then the case. 

The tracks hum to the approaching train and the people get up, ignoring him. 

When it departs, only a child looks back. The man sits alone, suitcase still on his lap. Another minute passes.

The current image has no alternative text. The file name is: the-last-train-2.jpg
Posted in 99-word fiction, 99-words, dark fiction, Flash Fiction, iceberg-theory, imagination, Short Fiction Stories and tagged , , , , , , , , , ,
30 Aug 2025
5 Comments

99-word story: The book

He closed the door and stood with his back against it. His head thumped as the voices on the other side became muffled, as had so much recently. He crossed to the table and sat down.

The book lay flat on the table, its thick binding rising off the surface like a construction. His trembling hands paused before they stroked the cover. He took a deep breath before his fingers gripped the cover and turned.

His fingers hovered over the photograph on the first page. His head dropped as he sat, staring, and the silence pressed closer around him.

Another attempt at minimal, using Hemingway’s iceberg-theory.

The current image has no alternative text. The file name is: the-book.jpg
Posted in 99-word fiction, 99-words, dark fiction, iceberg-theory, Short Fiction Stories, words and tagged , , , , , , ,
23 Aug 2025
3 Comments

99-word story: The path ahead

I stand and wait, breathe in the wood, the damp soil and the moss on trees. The path is straight, like the paths I should have taken. Sometimes we have to meander. The trees change colour with the day’s fading light, just as we change and fade. I hear the wind in the branches but it passes me by unseen; and my hand grabs only air. I look up at the grey sky and follow the fall of the brown leaves as they pitch in the air, to and fro. I look up to see another season watching me.

This story was a challenge, laid before me by Esther Chilton (https://estherchilton.co.uk/). I couldn’t say no, even without an initial idea. The original photo was in colour, I just brought it down to the dark side. Thanks Esther, I hope you enjoy it! I’m still playing with Hemingway’s iceberg-theory.

The current image has no alternative text. The file name is: trees.jpg
Posted in 99-word fiction, 99-words, dark fiction, Flash Fiction, iceberg-theory, photo, Short Fiction Stories, Writing and tagged , , , , , ,

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