Super-Short Storytime with Eduardo Soliz: Recent Episodes
Eduardo Soliz
As a lifelong Texan, I am no stranger to hot summers, so this poem, popularly known as “Ode To Texas” hits a certain nerve around this time of the year when it feels like the triple-digit days will never end in the Lone Star State. The author of this work has seemingly been lost to time, but it was written way before our miserably hot modern times. And so I give you: “Ode to Texas”
While technology has come a long way, Dear Listeners, customer service seems to be getting worse in these modern times.
While technology has come a long way, Dear Listeners, customer service seems to be getting worse in these modern times.
Enjoy a Christmas story about a pair of government agents who spend Christmas Eve looking for a certain somebody… Read the story on my website!
Welcome to Super-Short Storytime, lovers of literature and fans of fiction! I am Eduardo Soliz, the author and narrator of the brilliantly brief tale you are about to hear. Stories come from different places, and this particular tale was inspired by a piece of art: “Hello Again,” by Mary Mouse. In the piece, Mary Mouse […]
Welcome to Super-Short Storytime, literature listeners and audio aficionados! I am Eduardo Soliz, the composer and narrator of the spendidly succinct story that you are about to hear. Whether it’s nuclear war, robot rebellion, or those damn dirty apes, science fiction often tells tales of how humanity will come to its end, or at least […]
Welcome to Super-Short Storytime, literature listeners and audio aficionados! I am Eduardo Soliz, the composer and narrator of the splendiferously silly story that you are about to hear. One of the more annoying things about working in a cubicle environment is the fact that you can all-too-easily hear everything your coworkers say. It can also […]
This episode is a reading of a comic story “Cats Kingdom” written and illustrated by Paco Panda. https://www.deviantart.com/pandapaco/art/Cats-Kingdom-01-856780476
Welcome to Super-Short Storytime, literature listeners and audio aficionados! I am Eduardo Soliz, the composer and narrator of the curt Christmas carol that you are about to hear. So, without any further ado, I give you, “Santa’s Prayer” Another Christmas morning sun arises, And Santa has come home, Somewhere out in West Texas, And not […]
Welcome to Super-Short Storytime, Dear Listeners! I am Eduardo Soliz, the author and narrator of the splendidly short story that you are about to hear. My unhappiness towards my nine-to-five (and my willingness to share it) has gotten to the point where it has become a character trait over the years. But I’m not here […]
Welcome to Super-Short Storytime, Dear Listeners! I am Eduardo Soliz, the author and narrator of the terrifically tiny tale that you are about to hear: While it can be nice to run into someone that you’ve not seen in many years, there are times when you find out just why it was you lost touch. […]
https://eduardosoliz.files.wordpress.com/2020/04/ssst011-a-runaway-tale.mp3
Welcome to Super-Short Storytime, dear listeners! I am Eduardo Soliz, the author and narrator of the wonderfully weird words that you are about to hear:
Folks that don’t work at home are often envious of those that do. Creative people in particular are often told that they are, quote, ‘very lucky,’ to work from home, but what most people don’t realize is that doing so comes with challenges of it’s own. I call this brief book-writer’s battle: “A Runaway Tale”
The writer sat behind her computer, typing away while her latest novel-in-progress sat next to her keyboard. Her novel, a one hundred and fifty page book, dangled its stubby legs over the edge of her desk and lazily swung them back and forth.
“Just a few more paragraphs to go, and I’m done, right?” The novel asked impatiently.
“Not quite. You’ll be a first draft.” The writer answered.
“Really? What else is there to do?” The novel asked, its curiosity now piqued.
“Let’s see,” the writer said, placing a hand under her chin to think for a moment. “I have to fix grammar and spelling errors, make sure you don’t have any plot holes, fill them in if there are any, cut out any extra exposition that isn’t needed…” The writer started to explain before the novel interrupted her.
“Time out! What’s this about cutting?” The novel said, now clearly agitated. “I think I’m just fine the way I am.”
“Mmm, no.” The writer insisted. “We have a ways to go before you’re done, so calm down and let’s get back to work.”
“You are NOT cutting anything out of me!” The novel cried before jumping off the desk and landing on the floor in between the writer’s feet.
The writer awkwardly reached under her chair with both hands in an attempt to retrieve the novel. “Darn it! Get back here!” She demanded. The novel eluded her grasp and ran across the floor. It looked back and forth, unsure of just where to go, but it was certain that it wanted to get as far away from its creator as it could.
“Will you just relax?” The frustrated writer said. She stood up from her desk while the novel scurried to hide behind a couch. The writer looked about the room briefly before yelling: “It’s part of the writing process!”
The writer heard rustling behind the couch. She tiptoed up to it, being careful to make as little noise as possible.
From behind the couch, the novel nervously blurted out: “Don’t mind me! I’ll just be here holding up the short leg of the couch! You can forget about me, now!” It pleaded.
“Oh no, I’m not going through that again. Not after that one time you hid yourself under my other projects.” The writer replied. She placed both hands on one of the couch’s armrests and shook it in order to frighten the novel.
“Stop that! You’re going to make me sheet myself!” The frightened novel cried.
The writer stopped shaking the couch. She crossed her arms across her chest, impatiently blew a few stray strands of hair from one eye and asked: “Just what is your problem?”
“I’m scared! You’re going to cut me up into little pieces and scatter my pages to the four winds! I’m perfect just the way I am!” The novel insisted.
The author groaned to herself and thought for a moment. She spoke again, but softened her tone in order to coax her wayward work from its hiding place. “Look, you’re a rough draft, sweetie. You’re raw and full of potential, but before we send you to the printer I have to trim you down, tone you up and make you pretty! Every novel goes through this and you know what? They all come out looking better in the end. Trust me, when we’re done, everybody is going love you.” She reassured.
“Well, when you put it that way, it doesn’t sound THAT bad…” The novel said thoughtfully. “Okay, let’s do it! Make me awesome!” It cheerfully said before walking out from behind the couch to be picked up by the author.
Yeah, guess I better not tell it about the editor, the author thought to herself with a grin as he carried her now-relieved novel back to her desk.
THE END.
Given that my works are short in nature, I can’t imagine it would be easy to have to chase down a few sheets of paper, Dear Listener. This has been Super-Short Storytime! Visit eduardosoliz.com for more stories and podcasts, and remember: Working from home is still working!
https://eduardosoliz.files.wordpress.com/2020/04/ssst-lawn-care.mp3
Welcome to Super-Short Storytime, fellow fans of flash fiction! I am Eduardo Soliz, the writer and narrator of the splendidly short story that you are about to hear.
Something that one quickly discovers upon purchasing a home is that keeping it up can be a lot of work. Like many of you, I found any work involving its exterior particularly tiring and time-consuming, with mowing the lawn being the most unpleasant. Fortunately, in addition to exercise, a nice looking lawn, and a few wasp stings, all of those hours spent behind the lawn mower resulted in this tiny tale of toil that I call: “Lawn Care.”
It was another fine Saturday morning, and once again, I was spending it mowing the grass in my backyard. As was usually the case, I had waited too long, so after a half hour, both my lawn mower and I were huffing and puffing under the strain of foot-tall weeds. I stopped to catch my breath for a moment, when I thought heard a voice. I turned around. Nobody was there. Huh. I stood still and listened for the voice, and again it came.
“Hello?” A soft voice said, but it was coming from…below me? I looked down and saw a rabbit sitting on the grass staring back at me. I looked over it for some sign that it was a toy; a seam, glass eyes, or weird colors. Nothing. As far as I could tell, this was a real live rabbit, just one that could talk.
“Hello?” I replied. I slowly raised a hand and waved my fingers at the bunny, not wanting to frighten it. To be honest, I was feeling a little frightened myself!
The bunny gasped. “You can talk.” She said, her mouth and eyes opening wide in astonishment.
“You can talk?” I replied. Okay, this is weird.
The bunny blinked, shook her head slightly, and regained her composure. “Oh! We wanted to ask: Why do you kill the grass?” She asked.
“Kill the grass?” I asked back.
“Yes. You kill the grass. What you are doing right now.” The bunny nodded her head towards the freshly-mowed area I had just finished.
I thought about my words for a moment, doing my best to simplify the concept: “I cut the grass to make it short.” I put a hand on my chest to emphasize my next point. “We also don’t like some kinds of grass, like the skinny ones with the yellow flowers on top.”
The bunny recoiled in shock, her ears folding back. “But those are yummy!” She insisted. “We like the tall grass because we can hide there and be safe. Short grass is…” She closed her eyes tightly and shuddered. “scary.”
I waved a hand out over the portion of the yard that had been cut and said: “Well, people like me think it looks prettier when the grass is short.”
The rabbit gazed back at me with wide eyes and asked: “But aren’t we pretty, too?”
I don’t mow the lawn anymore. You know, I haven’t seen any dandelions around, either.
THE END.
I live alone, Dear Listener, so I don’t know if ‘because of the bunnies’ would work as a good excuse for not cutting your grass. That said, you are more than welcome to try. This has been Super-Short Storytime! Visit eduardo soliz dot com for more stories and podcasts and remember: Talking bunnies are people, too!