Four Fools Press: #thursdaythreads

Showing posts with label #thursdaythreads. Show all posts

Thursday, April 9, 2015

Today's Thursday Tease offers you an image, song, and lyrics to show how words, when placed in a new context, can transform the meaning and imagery. Enjoy Billy Joel's lyrical mastery, and tell us what story this inspires in you!

"Those Who Play For Ghosts" © Michael MacRae

"Thursday Tease" © Four Fools Press

"Piano Man" Song and Lyrics © Billy Joel

It's nine o'clock on a Saturday
The regular crowd shuffles in
There's an old man sitting next to me
Making love to his tonic and gin

He says, "Son can you play me a memory
I'm not really sure how it goes
But it's sad and it's sweet
And I knew it complete
When I wore a younger man's clothes"

Sing us a song you're the piano man
Sing us a song tonight
Well we're all in the mood for a melody
And you've got us feeling alright

Now John at the bar is a friend of mine
He gets me my drinks for free
And he's quick with a joke or to light up your smoke
But there's someplace that he'd rather be

He says, "Bill, I believe this is killing me"
As a smile ran away from his face
"Well, I'm sure that I could be a movie star
If I could get out of this place"

Now Paul is a real estate novelist
Who never had time for a wife
And he's talking with Davy, who's still in the Navy
And probably will be for life

And the waitress is practicing politics
As the businessmen slowly get stoned
Yes they're sharing a drink they call loneliness
But it's better than drinking alone

Sing us a song you're the piano man
Sing us a song tonight
Well we're all in the mood for a melody
And you've got us feeling alright

It's a pretty good crowd for a Saturday
And the manager gives me a smile
'Cause he knows that it's me they've been coming to see
To forget about life for a while

And the piano sounds like a carnival
And the microphone smells like a beer
And they sit at the bar and put bread in my jar
And say "Man what are you doing here?"

Sing us a song you're the piano man
Sing us a song tonight
Well we're all in the mood for a melody
And you've got us feeling alright...

***

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4-9-15 Thursday Tease

6:09 PM

4-9-15 Thursday Tease

#Billy #Joel #thursdaythreads

Thursday, April 2, 2015

We often give you whole-cloth stories or tantalizing tidbits; on Thursdays we usually challenge you with Thursday Threads. However, we're going to scale back and offer you some visual teasers and short story seeds to help get those creative juices going. Look, read, write, draw, plot...go wherever the creativity spike takes you!

Here are some of Corey Blankenship's favorite inspirational artists (He may even turn some of these into more "Crazy Good Stories" later on. Ya never know ;)

"The Wizard and the Hare" © Christopher Balaskas

Magic is just a sleight-of-hand in most people's imagination--Trapped like rabbits in their cubicle-mindsets, they miss out on the thrill that comes when you step through the rabbit hole and into the Mystery. That's how I got my start, ol' Wesley the Warlock and his harrowing Hare...

"Epiphany" © Christopher Balaskas

The label on the box read "EXPLOSIVE RUNES: So Good They Will BLOW Your Mind!" I should have regarded that as a warning, not a trite marketing ploy. My teeth bit down on the first non-euclidean, sugary morsel, only to be kicked violently through my skull--amazingly that's when I truly began to see...

"Umbrella" © Tu Bu

Rain hammered the flagstone pavement as the boot struck the oak haft. The hatted defendant reversed his grip, scooping the leg midair and throwing the assailant into the miry drain. Covered in sludge, the fighter leaped onto his feet and charged his mark once more...

"Saloon" © Biwer Vincent

"CHEAT! Your kind always was a cow-thievin', wife-spoilin', son-of-a--" "Enough! No bigotry or blaspheming in my bar! I barely tolerate gambling. Take your grievances elsewhere!" The Nordic cattle hand glared at the innkeeper and then at the topknot-bearing drifter, "So be it. If you're more man than machine, I better see your sorry cyborg hide in the streets at high noon..."

***

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Already in the Amazon Top 50!

4-2-15 Thursday Tease

2:28 PM

4-2-15 Thursday Tease

#Blankenship #Corey #thursdaythreads

Thursday, March 19, 2015

Thursday Threads

Brought to you by Four Fools Press: “Crazy Good Stories”

Thursday Threads is a fun little idea that we're going to try out here at Four Fools Press. The idea is simple, we give you the threads: an image, an inspirational tune, a writing prompt, and a list of words. You have to weave the threads together to form a word tapestry. When you're done, if you like, post your story as a response to our Google + thread: https://plus.google.com/100753594685473747766/posts/S1ucDv1dJTc and we'll pick the best of the batch and name a winner. (You must use all of the elements in some manner to be considered to win).

The winner gets featured on our website and you win a free Four Fools Press Product!

Think of it like Iron Chef, but for writers! We hope you have a blast and we're looking forward to getting those responses!

Here are your threads for Thursday, March 19th, 2015:

Writing Prompt (must use in some manner):

"He was as vicious as he was quick..."

Image (must incorporate in some manner):

Vocab (must incorporate all three):

collywobbles

knackered

quixotic

Tune (use as inspiration, but bonus points for incorporation):

Good luck! We look forward to seeing you submissions! Get those creative juices flowing and those pencils moving! :D

***

Grab your copy of our latest Four Fools release: The Truth Is Out There.

Already in the Amazon Top 50!

3-19-15 Thursday Threads

9:40 AM

3-19-15 Thursday Threads

#ironchef #thursdaythreads #WritingExcercise

Thursday, March 12, 2015

Thursday Threads

Brought to you by Four Fools Press: “Crazy Good Stories”

Thursday Threads is a fun little idea that we're going to try out here at Four Fools Press. The idea is simple, we give you the threads: an image, an inspirational tune, a writing prompt, and a list of words. You have to weave the threads together to form a word tapestry. When you're done, if you like, post your story as a response to our Google + thread: https://plus.google.com/100753594685473747766/posts/6Sxk3TCdcJ1 and we'll pick the best of the batch and name a winner. (You must use all of the elements in some manner to be considered to win).

The winner gets featured on our website and you win a free Four Fools Press Product!

Think of it like Iron Chef, but for writers! We hope you have a blast and we're looking forward to getting those responses!

Here are your threads for Thursday, March 12th, 2015:

Writing Prompt (must use in some manner):

"The truth is out there..."

Image (must incorporate in some manner):

Vocab (must incorporate all three):

spondulicks

magniloquent

chronometer

Tune (use as inspiration, but bonus points for incorporation):

Good luck! We look forward to seeing you submissions! Get those creative juices flowing and those pencils moving! :D

***

Grab your copy of our latest Four Fools release: The Truth Is Out There.

Already in the Amazon Top 50!

3-12-15 Thursday Threads

8:59 AM

3-12-15 Thursday Threads

#ironchef #thursdaythreads #WritingExcercise

Saturday, March 7, 2015

Saturday Successes

Brought to you by Four Fools Press: “Crazy Good Stories”

We are so happy to announce the winner of our first Thursday Threads Contest: Colin Boggs! Check out Colin's awesome entry below!

***

I fell into a hole. This is the last thing I remembers before waking up here, in this hell. It was a normal day, I was walking to my dorm after my physics lecture when, all of a sudden, the ground opened wide and swallowed me whole.

Now I was here, a place so hot the rock walls glowed shades of red and orange, and I could feel the magma flowing beneath me. All I had on me was my phone, which had somehow survived the fall but would do no good here, my wallet, don't think I'll be paying my way out, and my brolly, as it had been raining that morning. As I observed my surroundings further, I found that I was in a tunnel, a long but straight tunnel that went farther than I could see. So, I decided that if I wanted to ever see the surface again, I would have to start moving.

As I moved through the tunnel I noticed eyesome murals of battles and of brave rulers carved into the walls. The people in the carvings had strange features, vaguely human but with more of a robotic complexion. Their symbol was the head of a snake and they wielded medieval weaponry, swords and shields and pikes and lances, but there were no carvings of peace time, only war and death. "What kind of civilization brought me here?" I thought, "And how am I going to convince them to let me go?"

It wasn't long before I found evidence of the last person they brought here. Their skeleton lied against the wall of the tunnel with a dagger, with about a six inch blade lying beside what would have been their leg. "I'll trade you," I said as I laid my brolly down beside the skeleton, and took the dagger. As I inspected the dagger I noticed that an emblem was engraved into the pommel. It looked like the head of a lion, but I couldn't be sure, as it had been worn from use.

For hours and hours I walked with no more hints of life clinging to the small hope that this tunnel ever ended. I was about to quit, just give up, lay down and wait for death come for me, when I saw it. A door, massive and golden, was only about two or three hundred yards away.

I ran, I ran for life, I ran with everything I had left in me, I ran thinking of home, thinking of my family and my friends, and I started to weep as I ran. As I finally approached the door I could see the intricate detail that was blurred by distance. Engraved into the door was a giant snake, the symbol that had filled the halls of this tunnel for miles. "Well, time to find out who trapped me down here," I thought, seeing as the only way I could go was through that door. So, I walked up to the door and, not seeing a handle, I knocked, practically punching the door to get any sound out of it. I waited for a few minutes and, receiving no response, decided to try again. I stepped up, and as soon as I raised my hand to strike the door, I heard a massive cracking sound, and a massive gust of air threw me back. As I regained my feet I looked up and saw that the door was opening. When the door had opened all the way, my heart dropped.

Out of the darkness behind the door steeped a massive robotic being that looked similar to the people in the murals. It was well over seven feet tall, and extremely strong. It was hiding a giant longsword, with a snake engraved down one side of the blade. Its armor was probably supposed to be all black, but the heat from the magma made it glow a dark red. Then it spoke, "You are here without permission of the council of the snake," it said in a voice that made the walls shake, "Either state your business here or prepare to die."

***

Not only is Colin featured on our website but he also wins a free Four Fools Press Product!

Congrats to Colin for his awesome entry and all of you need to be ready for next week's Thursday Threads Contest!

***

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3-7-15 Saturday Successes

4:20 PM

3-7-15 Saturday Successes

#saturdaysuccesses #thursdaythreads #winner

Thursday, March 5, 2015

Thursday Threads

Brought to you by Four Fools Press: “Crazy Good Stories”

Thursday Threads is a fun little idea that we're going to try out here at Four Fools Press. The idea is simple, we give you the threads: an image, an inspirational tune, a writing prompt, and a list of words. You have to weave the threads together to form a word tapestry. When you're done, if you like, post your story as a response to our Google + thread: https://plus.google.com/100753594685473747766/posts/PPqpnswPwSf and we'll pick the best of the batch and name a winner. (You must use all of the elements in some manner to be considered to win).

The winner gets featured on our website and you win a free Four Fools Press Product!

Think of it like Iron Chef, but for writers! We hope you have a blast and we're looking forward to getting those responses!

Here are your threads for Thursday, March 3rd, 2015: