Phil W. Bayles

A Piece of Flash Fiction About Bad Artists

“No, I wasn’t stealing your notebook. I was just taking pictures of some of the pages.

“I’m a writer too, you see. In fact, I want to publish a fantasy novel as well! So, when you got up just now and left your notebook on the table, I couldn’t resist—

“Plagiarism? Don’t be so dramatic: I’m just getting inspiration from you.

“Ask you? Why should I ask you? Do you ask the authors you like for permission before you use their works as inspiration?

“What do you mean, it’s not the same thing?  What did Oscar Wilde say? “The good writers borrow, and the great ones…” Oh. Are you sure? No, I think you’re wrong about that. Well, who cares if it was TS Eliot? The point’s still the same.

“God, why do you have to be such a gatekeeper? You think you’re so much better than me, just because you can string a few sentences together in a shitty little notebook? Did you ever stop to think that I might have a disability that means I can’t do all that worldbuilding and character shit by myself? I’ll have you know that I’ve been diagnosed with aphantasia. It means I can’t picture things in my head.

“Yes, it is a disability.

“…well, it should be.

“Honestly, you were kind of asking for it. If you were really that worried about someone stealing your ideas you wouldn’t have left your notebook just lying out in the open on a train where anyone could see it, would you? I don’t even need your shitty ideas. I’m a master at writing a good prompt, I could generate a better story in a day if I wanted to.

“No, everything’s fine, mate, we’re just having a discussion.

“What? I’m not getting off the train, I’ve done nothing wrong! Get off me!

“This isn’t even my stop!”

This is one of my first forays into flash fiction. Hopefully it won’t be the last.