March, 2026 Archives
Mar
NEWS: A New 100-Word Site is on it’s Way
by thegooddoctor in News
Hey everyone,
Thanks for everyone who has filled out my survey (see below). It’s been very helpful, and I’ve decided to create a new site.
After much trial and error, and several painful dead ends, I’ve figured out a new host for the site. I’ve successfully ported over all of the (more than 2,000!!!!) stories from here, so we’re not losing any content. And in a coup that’s probably only of interest to me, we’re retaining all of the tags, meaning you’ll be able to search the site by subject, topic, proper noun, or your name (assuming you’ve submitted stories in the past). It was the tag import that was the major sticking point, but thankfully I found a solution that didn’t involve me paying someone to do the whole thing manually.
There’s still a lot of work to be done, and I have a full time job, so it is going to be a couple more weeks before the site’s ready to go live. It will have a new domain, which I will announce here once I’ve finalized the new name. And here’s a sneak peak of what the site is going to look like:
In the meantime, I won’t be posting stories here anymore. But please keep submitting stories. They will be read and posted once the new site goes live.
One final question: If you want to help, I could use a few sets of eyes to look at the new site and give me feedback before I unveil it to the world. If you’re willing, shoot me an email and I’ll add you to my list.
Thanks as always!
That is all.
Mar
Jog
by thegooddoctor in 100 Words
I jog along the pathway with my Shih-Tzu Bentley, but the sunshine and heat cause me to stop and rest. Bently jumps on the bench panting. I pour water in the large plastic bowl I brought for him and drink the rest out of the bottle. I probably shouldn’t be jogging in this heat, but my compulsive tendencies tell me otherwise. After a ten-minute rest, I start again along the path.
Sweat drips down my forehead and the temperature feels intense. Suddenly, I get a shooting pain in the chest, and collapse to the ground, Bentley barking.
Everything goes black.
From Guest Contributor Lisa M. Scuderi-Burkimsher
Mar
Sweet World
by thegooddoctor in 100 Words
“I agree. I do find the world very sweet. I know there’s a lot of ugliness in the world, and not everyone is as fortunate as we are, but there’s always a bright side, even at the darkest moments. Like puppies. If there’s one thing that we can all agree on it’s that puppies are the sweetest thing under the sun. Nothing can be so bad that a litter full of puppies won’t bring a smile to your face. Know what I mean?”
After a long awkward pause…
“I was talking about ‘Sweet World.’ The candy shop. I’m craving sugar.”
Mar
Headless
by thegooddoctor in 100 Words
Mr. Morgan was incapable of making wise decisions.
He constantly confused compost and garbage pickup weeks. Waste-collection trucks drove past his house without stopping.
Mr. Gerald down the street didn’t receive his disability payments. A mail-delivery person was reprimanded for not noticing one differing number between the addresses of Mr. Gerald and Mr. Morgan.
The latter meant to take them over to his neighbor but didn’t after a rumour circulated: he was seen stumbling outdoors in the dark appearing to have no head.
Truth be, he wore a coat over his head for warmth because he often forgot his hat.
From Guest Contributor Krystyna Fedosejevs
Mar
Medley
by thegooddoctor in 100 Words
Jason worried his life lacked a central essence that defined his identity, and it was preventing him from being his true authentic self.
Jason’s therapist suggested he might consider that life is more of a medley than a single guitar solo.
Jason lay on the couch and considered the possibility Mr. Johnson might be right. Perhaps he was trying too hard to be the lead at everything, and it was okay to enjoy being part of the ensemble.
Then Jason glanced the photograph of Mr. Johnson’s cover band on the wall behind him and decided he needed a new therapist.
Mar
The Dean Of The Old School
by thegooddoctor in 100 Words
Dad segues into another riveting anecdote with, “That’s not how we did things back in the day.”
All three teenagers glaze over in unison. Closed. They nod if eye-checked for confirmation, but almost immediately they’re not listening. Their father is a bundle of clichés glued together with corn.
Had the kids been striving to understand, they could now know more about activities from back in the day than they know of current events. It seems Dad rides that tangent whenever possible.
Before the present era, everything was more superlative. Right kids? Whereas now it’s flat and probably made from plastics.
From Guest Contributor Todd Mercer
Todd writes fiction and poetry in Grand Rapids, Michigan. His collection Ingenue was published by Celery City Press. Recent work appears in Literary Yard, The Lake and the Michigan Bards Poetry Anthology.
Mar
Above Average Wear And Tear
by thegooddoctor in 100 Words
Pete grabbed his lucky t-shirt from the back of the closet and threw it on.
“I’m ready.”
“You are not wearing that.”
“What? It’s a classic.”
“It’s barely holding itself together. It must be 20 years old.”
Pete was proud of his vintage Pearl Jam concert tee. Sure it may have seen better days, but the real ones would know. “25 actually. I got it when they played Bridge School in ’99.”
“You promised me you’d dress up tonight.” Rebecca sighed, realizing it was a lost cause.
“Why are guys always more attached to their old clothes than their wives?”
Mar
Furry Friends
by thegooddoctor in 100 Words
The park is filled with pets. It’s a hot summer day and I can feel the perspiration on my back. I come here every week to watch the dogs run and play, catching frisbees. It’s comical when one small dog grabs the frisbee and runs away under the tree when the owner is waiting.
You can see in the kids’ and parents’ faces, how their dogs make the family complete with their huge smiles, laughter and affection toward their hairy friends.
I didn’t realize the time. I must leave for an important appointment.
A new furry companion awaits my arrival.
From Guest Contributor Lisa M. Scuderi-Burkimsher
Mar
Unlucky Day
by thegooddoctor in 100 Words
Being a leprechaun is a delight 99.75 percent of the time. All rainbows and clover and pots of gold. But for a single day in March, everyone wants their three wishes and suddenly life gets a lot more complicated.
Sean O’Patrick O’Reilly knew enough to scout his hiding place early. You never wanted to be caught because you’re scrambling for an empty cave or secluded tree hollow and without warning someone has you by the ankle demanding a million dollars or world peace.
But who could have foreseen an old, fat man’s metal detector stumbling upon Sean’s golden hat buckle?
Mar
Unfinished Business
by thegooddoctor in 100 Words
I returned from the dead, a list in my pocket: wrongs to right, pleasures to reclaim, truths to confess, sins to own. Mostly I needed to know how the world had fared without me. Apart from my poor mother, a grieving ghost of her former self, it was as if I’d never lived. Never loved. Never mattered. A stranger slept in my bed, alongside my darling wife, in my home, the one I’d slaved to pay for, my manicured garden now wildly overgrown. I fed the list to the fire. I’d start over from the very beginning, wherever that was.
From Guest Contributor Elizabeth Murphy