Hammers
Cities of Sawdust (100 Word Story)
The King’s sigil is a hammer, so stout it looks bloated, more cask of ale than carpenter’s tool.
Attached to the hammer is a tether, a tether unmistakably a noose.
I stared at that sigil, drew it with my finger in sawdust at my father’s feet.
They thought I wished to be King, a king in the likeness of him.
I simply wished to have that hammer, so fat it could never miss a nail, to make my father proud, to build us a home in a land where Kings didn’t hang people, or there were no Kings at all.
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My first month at Substack I published a few 100 word stories, and have thrown a few in over the years. They are a good tool for a writer to find the heart of the story and to learn to ditch unnecessary words.
Some people call them drabbles but that moniker seems to indicate humor. When I started my publishing streaks here (one of around 500 waylaid by COVID, the second 1226 ended by personal choice) I set 100 words as the minimum length story I would allow myself to publish. 50 word stories had caught on on Medium and made their way to Substack, and while I think they’re a fun challenge it’s nearly impossible to tell a compelling story that short, Hemingway’s famous 6 word story notwithstanding.
If you like reading the very short form or think you might want to try it yourself, I have a book of 365 of them. The collection was edited by Substacker Dascha Paylor 🇨🇦🍁🐻❄ , who was among the first to encourage me to write 100’s and really made the book happen.
You can order Humans Being by clicking HERE.
Thanks for reading!



I'm with you. I did a story-a-day for Leap Year 2024 (366 stories), and I've kept going since.
I just wanted that hammer.
Wanting, yearning, being.
Everyone needs a goal.
I just wanted that hammer.