Take a gander, stay for a while and rummage through this awesome collection — JA Vassili and I are coming up with new ideas for writing prompts and challenges for any and everyone who wishes to participate. Suggestions or ideas as to what you would like to try or see more of in Pure Fiction are welcome in the responses. Here is a collection of stories published over the past 4 weeks. Buon apetito!

The ups and downs and all arounds brought me to this state and I am HERE for It — Due to some major changes in my life recently, I stopped writing consistently which I started doing in September 2021. This past Tuesday I started a full-time job working with children to help them learn English in playful and fun ways. I am enjoying it much more than I expected…

Considering the majority of people are extroverts, this seems like it will be a lifelong issue — The above photo is me basking in the delight of pure blissful solitude in a private garden all to myself that was right in front of my “boutique” hotel room located along a mountainside near the Italian Alps. I found an amazing deal for a round-trip flight and hotel stay…

Get out of your own way and learn to play whatever instrument your heart desires — I did not learn to play guitar until I was 29 years old. I had only played the flute for a few years when I was a child and completely forgot everything I’d learned, such as reading music. A girlfriend of mine moved to…

Earlier this week I started writing a story about the challenge of getting older. I never finished writing it and abandoned it altogether in favor of other stories. Ironically, Natasha Nichole Lake wrote a story I read today which emphasizes how hard it can be to find stories related to women who are 30+. It inspired me to write more about my journey as a woman in my mid-40s who’s doing things that are quite unusual for my “age bracket”.

Yes, sometimes I am a 10-year-old little girl (or boy) and smile every time I see this — When I spotted this game in a store the other day, I stopped dead in my tracks, raised an eyebrow and smirked. Ass Spiele??? What the bloody hell?!?? (I am American, not British, but I love the expression) I knew that “spiele” means play or game, but I didn’t know what “ass”…

I used to believe my will was very strong and free- now I see things much differently — Free will is something that I have been wanting to write about for weeks. Free will vs determinism is a classic debate that I didn’t even take seriously until about 6 years ago. I was a FIRM believer in free will and was surprised to learn that some of my…

Luck plays a factor but there is a helluva lot to be said for research, patience, thoroughness and persistence — Monday, May 9, 2022 — 9:13pm A huge new chapter of my life has officially begun. Today, after 7 months of painstaking paperwork, uncertainty and delays, I received confirmation and approval that I can start working as an employee for an well-established organization in Germany. What began as a thoroughly…

One of my favorite things to do since I was a child — It has been a while since I have written a story featuring food. No recipes today — mainly photos to inspire and tantalize some taste buds.