From Deseret News archives:
Bad pennings from minds of smart kids
Fantasy
Once upon a time in a far, far away land, away from any kind of human contact, but close enough in case of a medical emergency, there lived a princess. —Randee Morris
Mystery
Inspector Baldworthy of the Wartshire Police Department used his keen ultra-sensory detective skills to examine the helpless victim bound to the chair with what seemed to be some sort of pantyhose, and then he knew this was no "accident." —Kiersten Pope
Romance
As he tried to pull himself out of the quicksand, he was inevitably reminded of the quagmire of his love life. —Brian Graham
Contemporary Realism
As Carol climbed to retrieve the paper from the roof, he began to wonder if he should increase the paperboy's monthly tip from a nickel. —Robert Gabbitas
Literary
He took my breath away (not mine personally, but my character's, since this is a fiction novel and he didn't actually take away her breath in the sense of stealing it — it's just a figure of speech to express the fact that he made her pause). —Mandy Murphy
She slowly moved forward, her limbs jerking robotically; but she wasn't really a robot—that's just a metaphor. —Sara Daw
You're Not From Around
Here, Are You, Stranger?
They could tell he was an outsider when he asked what funeral potatoes were. —Liz Gabbitas
Words to Live By
In all my years of learning, one lesson stands supreme — that life is like a doggy biscuit: crunchy on the outside and chewy in the middle. —Eric Ashby
More Words to Live By
As he lay dying, John reflected upon his most educational experiences in his lifetime; foremost, of course, was his most recent lesson — never taunt a unicorn. —Kim Gabbitas
The (Story) Road Not Taken
If one was to look in the box in Dave's closet, one might find the answer to everything or the answer to nothing, the greatest sight or the most horrible, but this box doesn't figure prominently in the story; in fact, this story is about Dave's pet cow. —Josh Wallace
Sweepstakes
