Macjest's Snippets

Snippets are a fun chance to indulge in a bit of character study, both traditional or not. Once I get started, some of the characters start talking and take me in a whole different direction. You never know what you'll get—drama, humor, and maybe even some romance. My snippet writing began back in 2013 with prompts from Jix. Since then I have collected a number of writing prompt books that I pull out when I need some inspiration - and have the time and inclination. I enjoy the freedom of seeing different sides of the characters and to be able to write short little bits that don't have to be a full story or even be entirely plausible. That's where JixeWriMo is a blessing. The goal is to write 1000 words a day every day during the month of February.
Most recently, I have been using the prompts as a jumping off point rather than a direct interpretation. So sit back and enjoy. Little bits for those times when a small bite is just enough.

February 2025
28 Days of JixeWriMo
1000 words a day for 28 days.

Day 1 - Watching another character shave
Day 2 - A wealthy woman is arrested for the first time in her life. (Sequel to 2/9/21 and CWE#20 Finishing Unfinished Trixie Business)
Day 3 - He looked out the window of his new apartment
Day 4 - Adventures in camping
Day 5 - Old clothes spilled from gaping boxes (Sequel to 2/5/24, 2/2/23, 2/1/22, 2/15/21, 2/16/21, 2/4/20, 2/4/19 and JixAnny 2016 Rewrite Missing Heiress)
Day 6 - He opened the bottle
Day 7 - He's not as smart as everyone told him he was when he was a kid
Day 8 - Old roll of unprocessed film
Day 9 - My calendar is full of people
Day 10 - Bra and bulldozer
Day 11 - Cooking with Mart
Day 12 - A car that breaks down (Sequel to 2/1/19, 2/14/19, 2/24/20)
Day 13 - The television had been droning in the corner all day
Day 14 - Toothpicks on cocktail weenies
Day 15 - When I returned to the table he was gone
Day 16 - A feeling of calm spread over me (Sequel to book #24 Mystery at Saratoga)
Day 17 - New traditions (Sequel to 2/14/25)
Day 18 - She pulled the mask over her face as they watched...
Day 19 - Perspectives on a demolition
Day 20 - Wrapped only in a sheet (Sequel to 2/2/2020, 2/23/2021, 2/28/21, 2/14/22)
Day 21 - They met at the playground (Sequel to 2/14/14, 2/15/14, 2/16/14, 2/12/19)
Day 22 - They met and laughed at their respective costumes (Sequel to Good Ole Summertime, my 85,000 word blockbuster)
Day 23 - Sunlight erupted into reds and oranges (continuation from Feb. 22)
Day 24 - He never thought he'd miss the place
Day 25 - Brown paper wrapper
Day 26 - You've got to pick your battles
Day 27 - The word was like a door
Day 28- It had become a home

February 2024 - 28 Days of JixeWriMo
1000 words a day for 28 days.
(With a bonus day because of Leap Year)

Day 1 - What am I supposed to do with all these extra...? (sequel to...see if you can figure it out)
Day 2 - Odd Roommates
Day 3 - Exploring
Day 4 - Late Mail (sort of a sequel to events from Jix Anniversary 2017)
Day 5 - The coffee can. (Sequel to 2/2/23, 2/1/22, 2/15/21, 2/16/21, 2/4/20, 2/4/19 and JixAnny 2016 Rewrite Missing Heiress)
Day 6 - Airport adventures.
Day 7 - Frost and lantern.
Day 8 - Pink and blue socks.
Day 9 - Reluctantly, he hand over the key. (Sequel to 8/12/16)
Day 10 - The basement.
Day 11 - Campfire and alone.
Day 12 - Message in the sky. (Sequel to 2/14/14 and 2/15/14)
Day 13 - Cactus and pantyhose.
Day 14 - Tropical paradise.
Day 15 - Hiding under a desk.
Day 16 - 3 in the morning.
Day 17 - Squirt gun
Day 18 - At the grocery store.
Day 19 - It was a wrong number that started it.
Day 20 - Don't go back to sleep. (References events from Secrets of the Mansion)
Day 21 - Random words - confused, defraud, shivering, popcorn, money.
Day 22 - The man upstairs.
Day 23 - The old house was silent, secretive. (References events from Secrets of the Mansion)
Day 24 - Reduced to nothing more than ashes. (Conclusion to 2/28/23, 2/20/22 and JixAnny Rewrite 2020 Old Telegraph Road)
Day 25 - Once in a lifetime.
Day 26 - Moving on?
Day 27 - By the time he was done, she was in hysterics.
Day 28 - Closed curtains.
Day 29 - New tradition.

February 2023
28 Days of JixeWriMo
1000 words a day for 28 days.

Day 1 - At first skipping a grade seemed like a reward.
Day 2 - Someone wrote that insanity is doing the same thing over again and expecting a different result each time. (Sequel to 2/1/22, 2/15/21, 2/16/21, 2/4/20, 2/4/19 and JixAnny 2016 Rewrite Missing Heiress)
Day 3 - Teen is sent to live with an eccentric relative over spring break.
Day 4 - A child decides to help their mom/dad with chores.
Day 5 - One arm in, head partially through, and stuck.
Day 6 - Do all your Christmas shopping at the last minute.
Day 7 - Hide in the bathroom for an hour to avoid another guest at a party.
Day 8 - My apologies. (Day 8, 9, and 10 are all PURPLE STAR!) Trigger warning for emotional content and scenes dealing with a bad car accident.
Day 9 - Browser history.
Day 10 - She grimaced in the mirror, plucking trash out of her hair.
Day 11 - Quick, hide behind the sofa. (Sequel to Day 19 - January 2022 snippet)
Day 12 - The girl on the other side of the cafe was scribbling something furiously.
Day 13 - The babysitter.
Day 14 - Bob-White version of the Newlywed Game.
Day 15 - Museum of Broken Relationships.
Day 16 - I thought I knew her well.
Day 17 - The breeze rippled through the leaves.
Day 18 - Hands against the wall and spread 'em.
Day 19 - Shopping mall on Dec. 23 at 10 pm.
Day 20 - Grown woman sitting in a tree.
Day 21 - I knew I would regret the question the moment the words were out of my mouth.
Day 22 - Best friends start to drift apart.
Day 23 - Teen frustrated by sibling who copies everything and wants to tag along.
Day 24 - It seemed like a good idea at the time.
Day 25 - The prank that went too far.
Day 26 - He stared at his hands in disbelief.
Day 27 - Fake flowers.
Day 28 - Spoiled teen gets their first job at a fast food restaurant. (Sequel to 2/20/22 and JixAnny Rewrite 2020 Old Telegraph Road)

February 2022
28 Days of JixeWriMo
1000 words a day for 28 days.

Day 1 - As the prison gate closed behind him, he saw someone waiting for him. (Sequel to 2/15/21, 2/16/21, 2/4/20, 2/4/19 and JixAnny 2016 Rewrite Missing Heiress) (Also a submission for CWE#25/CWE#5: Karma Bites Back)
Day 2 - Reporters are trained to develop a sixth sense, a nose for when a story smells fishy. And something about this one wasn't right.
Day 3 - "How could you?"
Day 4 - Well, that's one way of doing it.
Day 5 - We sat on his car watching shooting stars. (Submission for CWE#25/CWE#3: A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words)
Day 6 - Always the same old lines whenever she came home for the holidays, like her parents were rehearsing a play and never could get it right.
Day 7 - They were usually known as the "nice" couple, but on game night, that all went out the window.
Day 8 - "How did you know?" (Sequel to #5)
Day 9 - "Who me?" I asked, doing my best to sound innocent.
Day 10 - Tension eased out of my shoulders as my toes squished into the sand.
Day 11 - It was just ridiculous enough to be true. (Sequel to I Thought I Knew My Husband)
Day 12 - On my 60th birthday, I decided it was time.
Day 13 - She was the new girl.
Day 14 - We took turns guarding the door, neither sleeping very much. (Prequel to 2/2/2020 and 2/23/2021)
Day 15 - All he had left was pennies scattered across his empty desk.
Day 16 - All right, you've told your story. But there's another story: my story. (Sequel to 2/16/2020 and 2/17/2020)
Day 17 - "Deal?" he said, extending his hand toward me.
Day 18 - When you spend a night up in a tree, you discover balance you wouldn't think possible.
Day 19 - As a father of 3 girls who were into ballet and theater, he felt like an outcast in his own home. (Submission for CWE#25/CWE#11 Marvelous Mart)
Day 20 - She looked him up and down with naked disgust. (Sequel to JixAnny Rewrite 2020 Old Telegraph Road)
Day 21 - Three friends are retired and decide to share a house.
Day 22 - I can't believe you would do that to me.
Day 23 - In a family of secrets, he was often the one left out.
Day 24 - The moon broke through the clouds and they stood frozen.
Day 25 - People give me credit for seeing what was coming, but I thought it was more luck than anything else.
Day 26 - He was so late, he questioned whether he should bother showing up at all.
Day 27 - She kept checking her phone and email.
Day 28 - Perhaps it was a dream.

January 2022
Jixemitri CWE#1 Writing Resolutions Challenge
Participants had to post their prompt-inspired snippet every day in January 2022.

July 2021

July 7 - Candles blazed before them in the cold house. The companies had shut off the power. (Sequel to 1/1/21)

February 2021
28 Days of JixeWriMo
1000 words a day for 28 days.

Day 1 - This is why I can't have nice things. Covered in hot, foamy coffee and the center of attention, I tried to make a discreet exit, but Heaven forbid I get out of this with my dignity intact. The person I wanted to see least in the world walked in just as...
Day 2 - It was a rite of passage in our family, had been for generations, and I couldn't put it off any longer. I had to...
Day 3 - People pretty much hear what they want to hear, see what they want to see, believe what they want to believe. And I guess I fell into that trap as well. I wanted to believe...
Day 4 - On the 4th day of the 10-day selfie challenge, I wished I'd never bought a smart phone. The photo of me was innocent enough, but what I'd accidentally captured in the background opened up a whole world of trouble. I had been walking...
Day 5 - A family reunion ends in a vicious food fight. (Fair warning. Take this story with a grain of salt.)
Day 6 - He had hunted and hiked and led backpacking trips through these woods for twenty years, and he had never seen an animal track like that. At first glance, it resembled...
Day 7 - It's hard to imagine a date getting off to a worse start. And believe me, I know about dates and bad ways to start them. You could almost say I've become an expert on the subject. On my first bad date... (Sequel to Day 14, 15, 16 of Jixewrimo 2014)
Day 8 - A child is riding his bicycle through the pouring rain as fast as he can.
Day 9 - Someone wakes up in the middle of the night to find their spouse is missing. The car keys and the car are gone, but cellphone and wallet/purse are sitting on the bureau. No other belongings are missing... (Sequel to Mysterious Prankster)
Day 10 - A teenager discovers a note in their locker from a secret admirer.
Day 11 - Dating has been compared to a game, a sport, a hunt, a dance, and it is all of these things most of the time. This time, it was more like skydiving without a parachute. We met...
Day 12 - Someone carves a message into a tree.
Day 13 - It was time for the countdown. He was ready...
Day 14 - Let me give you a list, a top ten list of the things NOT to do when you're breaking up with a girl. At number 10...
Day 15 - He flipped the coin. It spun in the air above him before clattering to the floor, ready to reveal his fate. (Sequel to 2/4/20, 2/4/19 and JixAnny 2016 Rewrite Missing Heiress)
Day 16 - The landlord showed me the place; a basement apartment with no view, no windows, out of sight, invisible to the world. It was perfect. There wasn't much room, either, but that was okay. All I needed was... (Continuation of Day 15 and sequel to 2/4/20, 2/4/19, and JixAnny 2016 Rewrite Missing Heiress)
Day 17 - Who did I think I was fooling? I wasn't fooling myself, that was for sure. But maybe I could stay one step ahead of them, at least for a while. It would give me time to...
Day 18 - The story takes place in a cemetery on a foggy, chilly night.
Day 19 - "Um, it's not what it looks like!" I nervously exclaimed as I heard a gasp behind me.
Day 20 - A letter in the mailbox, an email in her inbox, a text, and a phone call all came from the same person on the same day. She hadn't answered any of it, but when a knock woke her at 11:48 pm, she knew who it would be and that by midnight she would... (hanky warning)
Day 21 - A teenager's best friend goes to the restroom during first period, but disappears for the rest of the day.
Day 22 - "This isn't going to be easy."
Day 23 - Someone discovers an hourglass in an attic. The sand is currently pouring from the top half to the bottom, with most of the sand already in the bottom half. Attached is a note that says, "When time runs out ___" (Fill in the blank)
(Sequel to 2/2/20)
Day 24 - After waiting in my car for an hour, I started to wonder if he would ever show up.
Day 25 - "Are you kidding me? Again?"
Day 26 - Peace can never last.
Day 27 - She knew that she shouldn't, but she just couldn't help herself.
Day 28 - I love surprises. Whether it's good news, a spontaneous trip, or a gorilla-gram at work, I love them all. In fact, I'm pretty sure my wife is planning a surprise party for my birthday. It's kind of a big deal, after all. I think...

January 2021

January 1 - A well-to-do family from the city has lost all their wealth except an old, run-down farmhouse in the country. They are forced to move into it and learn to live humbly.

February 2020 - 28 Days of JixeWriMo
1000 words a day for 28 days.
(With a bonus day because of Leap Year)

Day 1 - The wisdom of old age is a curse and a blessing. So many things I would do again, for pleasure or for redemption. If I could turn a dial and go back, the first thing I would do... (includes reference to Tumble, Tumble They All Fall Down) (Also a submission for Jixanny 2020 Picture Prompt Challenge.)
Day 2 -The text message simply said — very clever.
Day 3 - My legs were starting to cramp from hiding so long in the same position. It would be dark soon, and...
Day 4 - Can I give you a piece of advice? (Sequel to 2/4/19 and JixAnny 2016 rewrite Missing Heiress)
Day 5 - A story that takes place in a full station wagon on a road trip.
Day 6 - Everyone always expected so much out of me. One day, I just cracked.
Day 7 - A crotchety old man defends his yard from kids.
Day 8 - “Why are you looking at me like that?” “Like what?” my sister replied, that look of feigned innocence in her eyes. I raised my eyebrow in that way our mother did. “Okay,” she continued, “if you must know...”
Day 9 - She felt for the lock in the dark.
Day 10 - “Do we have a deal?” He looked me in the eye, oozing confidence. I had visualized this moment, and my brain knew I was ready, but I had to make an effort to keep my hand from shaking as I reached out and took his. “We have a deal.” Now all I had to do was...
Day 11 - She never thought she would see it again, but there it was nestled in a box of random mementos. The sight of it, the smell of it brought memories flooding back. Her first thought was...
Day 12 - This had to be illegal. It was completely dark, and he had just climbed over two chain link fences. That's two more than he'd ever climbed over in his life. Surely people only did that on television. But here he was with a flashlight in his hand, following...
Day 13 - I was so quiet that nobody even noticed me. They didn’t notice that I was listening to every word they said.
Day 14 - Valentine’s Day dance that takes place at a retirement home.
Day 15 - Daniel is waiting at a restaurant to meet a blind date. He’s holding flowers for her under the table. She’s five minutes late. What happens next?
Day 16 - She kept pacing the living room, back and forth, not saying a word. It would have been easier if she’d just come out and told us disappointed she was, announced our punishment, and sent us to our rooms. But she wanted us to apologize, or explain, or something. Finally, I couldn’t stand the silence any longer and I ...
Day 17 - Yes, he was one of us. But we weren’t going to take the fall for him, not this time. He’d gotten us in trouble before, when... (continuation from #16)
Day 18 - It was a long shot, but at the time it seemed worth it. What did I have to lose anyway? I was divorced, and I hated my job. So, when I saw the piece in the paper advertising...
Day 19 - I knew that she was jealous, but I never thought it would go this far.
Day 20 - I have spent my whole life pretending to be someone else. It became easy after a while, second nature, like a snake shedding its skin. Now that I don’t have to do it anymore, I’m not sure who I really am.
Day 21 - My mother showed up to her 90th birthday party with her hair dyed bright pink. I was staggered by another shock. "Mom, is that a tattoo?" I pointed to the candy skull on her forearm. "Yep!" said Mom with her chin high and proud.
Day 22 - After the funeral, I spent the next few days in the attic, reading the letters my mother had written him in the years before they were married. He had never been the sentimental type, so was surprised to find a whole box of them, carefully bundled. Even more surprising was...
Day 23 - An arrogant businessman hits a car full of old ladies. He gets out and approaches their vehicle, blaming them for the accident. The old ladies show him what’s what.
Day 24 - I wanted to believe him. I really did. But I had trusted him before, and it hadn’t worked out that well. So now when he assured me that... (Sequel to 2/1/19 and prequel to 2/14/19)
Day 25 - “When did you fall in love with him?” she asked her mother. She wanted to know. She needed to know. Especially on this day, when...
Day 26 - I wasn’t expecting it, but I wasn’t exactly surprised either. Maybe I’d seen it coming. At the very least I should have. There had been signs, of course. I should have noticed. (continuation from #25)
Day 27 - I knocked on the door again. No one answered, but I knew the house wasn’t empty. They were expecting me to give up and go away, but I had other plans. I climbed the...
Day 28 - It was too quiet, too peaceful to be true. He should have known better. But he was hoping it was over, hoping to return to his everyday routine, instead...
Day 29 - I wouldn't have recognized him. It was my wife who pointed him out to me, and she'd never met him, only seen him from a distance. But she knew it was him because of the way...

July 2019

July 8 I thought it was over, but it had only just begun (part 7 of I Saw My Husband-Nov. 28, 2018)

February 2019

February 13 He didn't hear them enter the room (part 6 of I Saw My Husband-Nov. 28, 2018)

February 2019
28 Days of JixeWriMo
1000 words a day for 28 days.

Day 1: He awoke, engulfed by a new world.
Day 2: She stood alone in the airport, her only companion the suitcase beside her.
Day 3: As he rolled his cigarette, he looked around to see if there was anyone he knew.
Day 4: She had kind eyes, but anyone you ask would be able to see through them. (Sequel to JixAnny 2016 rewrite Missing Heiress)
Day 5: There was a knock on the door. Everyone in the house knew what it meant.
Day 6: More and more he had begun to ask himself, "why me"?
Day 7: Wind blew the tails of his coat out of control as he continued towards his destination.
Day 8: In that moment they felt limitless.
Day 9: It had finally arrived. It was finally here.
Day 10: There was a faint ticking noise coming from the bag.
Day 11: He was five years old the last time he truly felt happy.
Day 12: No matter how hard she pressed down, the words didn't seem to get erased.
Day 13: Have you finished it?
Day 14: He was too young to watch it, but he looked much older and so he managed to sneak in.
Day 15: Light returned to the old house as she stepped into the memories held deep within the walls.
Day 16: The car’s tires spun and smoked as it departed.
Day 17: Crowds began to gather in the street, all looking at the same thing.
Day 18: Hours began to mesh together, blurring into one single passage of unnoticed time.
Day 19: The bottle stood before him. He couldn’t help but stare and hope that its contents would work.
Day 20: The watch was broken. It had been broken for years upon years, but she never kept it just to tell time.
Day 21: A rainbow emerged above them, counterpointing the pain below.
Day 22: The cork popped, the bottle streamed onto the carpet around them.
Day 23: She knocked. There was no response.
Day 24: They embraced, possibly for the last time.
Day 25: Her phone buzzed on the desk. She decided to ignore it.
Day 26: There was but one light in his room, the light of his open laptop.
Day 27: Grease lay on the plates in the dilapidated kitchen.
Day 28: The light pierced through the ceiling of the cell.

January 2019

January 3 A couple has been broken up for a year
January 13 His jacket felt heavy on his shoulders (part 4 of I Saw My Husband-Nov. 2018)
January 31 He wasn't a hero, but everyone else had a different idea (part 5 of I Saw My Husband-Nov. 2018)

December 2018

December 6 I thought I knew my husband (part 2 of I Saw My Husband-Nov. 28, 2018)
December 22 Weakness had always overcome him (part 3 of I Saw My Husband-Nov. 28, 2018)

November 2018