Wednesday, May 6, 2015

Where'd You Come Up With That?! Wednesdays- "Operation Onion"

Operation Onion is a short story about Samuel Clemens, a young man born with a strange affliction. His body emits different unpleasant odors that change with his mood. Samuel's story is about his journey to find his place in the world. His mom told him God doesn't make mistakes, but Samuel isn't so sure. 

This idea came to me because I hate body odor! I was standing in line at a grocery store and the person in front of me did not smell too pleasant, and my husband suggested maybe the person couldn't help it. That's what got me thinking--what if someone had no control over how they smell? What could possibly cause it? How would he deal with it?

I gave it some thought and realized you can't really control your mood, even if you pretend to be happy on the outside, you may still be feeling sad, angry, or even nervous on the inside. So, I tied mood with odors and came up with Samuel, aka Stinker. 

The story is light-hearted and humorous, and here's what one Amazon reader had to say about "Operation Onion":

"OPERATION ONION: HYSTERICAL!!! (And I just raised it from 3 to 5 stars!) Seriously: I was laughing so hard I finally gave up. Went into the other room and read it aloud to my husband. This one alone would have been enough, but so far I have liked them all!

Samuel Clemens was born with a problem. Because of that problem his Mom gave him the nickname Stinker. Seems that even at birth he could not hide his feelings: he smelled differently depending upon his mood. Made for some unbelievably funny stories (for the reader), and a very difficult life for Samuel. Can you just imagine trying to get through school or find a job with such a problem?

The ending to this story was great! Would not have thought of that in a million years, but it was the perfect solution! Way to go Stinker! Glad it finally worked out for you!"


"Operation Onion" was first published in Separate Worlds.  Now, you can read about Samuel Clemens in Flashes of Fiction: Volume 1 from Amazon Kindle.

You can also listen to the stories on audible and iTunes. 

Happy Reading! (and listening)

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