In Creative Writing, due to time constraints, our group writes stories of ‘up to’ 750 words. We know we have to get to the point of our story very quickly so can’t spend hundreds of precious words describing the view from a pavement cafe (although Noel Coward in his short (long) story ‘Wooden Madonna’ does it wonderfully well).

Keeping to this mantra ‘less is best’, a few weeks ago we had to write a story with exactly 100 words in it.

(I’ve added a quite a few words in the introduction that can be weeded out. Can you delete them but keep the main points?)

Hot-peppered steak by ©Angela Dold (a100 word story)

“I’m sorry, Tina. It’s over.”

I looked away from the stove at him.

“I’m sorry it’s over?” I repeated, confused. “Do you mean - us?”

“Yes, I’m very sorry. I’ve been seeing Rosina.”

“Rosina? The girl we met at Freddie’s last month?” I lowered my voice. “You’ve been seeing another woman behind my back?’”

Graeme fiddled with his fork. “Yes. I’m sorry.”

I turned, grabbed the hot saucepan and sedately tipped the contents over my now ex-boyfriend’s head. He screamed as it dripped down over his ears. It was hot-peppered steak and onions, his favourite…which, incidentally and obviously, I am not!