Too spicy?

A drop in entries this week – ‘turmeric’ a challenge too far for some, perchance? –  but no less difficult to choose one above the rest.  In the end I could not separate Zaiure and Newbie so have to declare them joint winners for this week - congratulations to you both - and Fergus, for his second entry, which used the word so cleverly, runner up.  

Next week’s words are  arch,  piano,  vegetate

Entries by midnight Thursday 2nd July, new words and winners posted on Friday 3rd

Usual rules: 100 words maximum (excluding title) of flash fiction or poetry using all of the three words above in the genres of horror, fantasy, science fiction or noir. Serialized fiction is, as always, welcome. All variants and use of the words and stems are fine.

Feel free to post links to your stories on Twitter or Facebook or whichever social media best pleases you and, if you like, remind your friends that we are open to new and returning writers.

It's only words ...

Another week of a dozen participants, several submitting more than once (Hooray!) and the standard, it seems, ever-rising.

 As Mashie said, elsewhere – ‘it’s only words’ – but the power they have,  to evoke disgust and discomfort, along with open-mouthed admiration and applause,  has been well-exploited this week.  For the impact of his words in ‘The Lesson’ – and I doubt many of us will forget that skin heart in a hurry – Mashie wins this week’s first place.

My short-list for second place includes Patricia, for ‘Bliss’, Rebecca for ‘Tit for Tat’, Red Ruth and Fergus, with Patricia just nudging ahead.

Via her blog Unusual Diction – link on the sidebar – I learn that Zaiure has published a collection of her ever-delicious flash fiction.   Do let me know if you’d like your blog to be added to the list.

Next week’s words are middle,  turmeric,  wail

Entries by midnight Thursday 25th June, new words and winners will be posted on Friday 26th

Usual rules: 100 words maximum (excluding title) of flash fiction or poetry using all of the three words above in the genres of horror, fantasy, science fiction or noir. Serialized fiction is, as always, welcome. All variants and use of the words and stems are fine.

Feel free to post links to your stories on Twitter or Facebook or whichever social media best pleases you and, if you like, remind your friends that we are open to new and returning writers.

Lovely thirteen

What an astonishing response to my first week as Prediction host!!  The last time comments on this site went into treble figures was June 2013, although those on Lily Childs Friday Prediction often reached 200. 

I’m truly grateful for the wonderful response from regulars and from friends from both the Word Cloud and the House of Writers who not only submitted pieces of startlingly vivid writing but also, knowing how we writers crave recognition from our peers, took time to comment on others.

With thirteen participants, judging WAS difficult.  Above all else it was the imagery evoked that grabbed me and enabled me, eventually, to whittle down a shortlist of ... eight.  From Tim’s blue-eyed rats, through Rich’s Code Blue, via moving war-time evocations from Mashie and Baz to Rebecca’s ever-addictive prose and Michael’s succinctness.  But in the end I had to choose so, I went for those who gave me the biggest surprise.  Which narrowed it down to Abi and Gita.  By the merest whisker, Gita’s ‘orgasm that was building but still had a ways to go’ beat Abi’s jism and ‘kinda peachy tang, thick as crude and mighty fillin’

Next week’s words are:  cost, exquisite, slow

Entries by midnight Thursday 18th June, new words and winners will be posted on Friday 19th

Usual rules: 100 words maximum (excluding title) of flash fiction or poetry using all of the three words above in the genres of horror, fantasy, science fiction or noir. Serialized fiction is, as always, welcome. All variants and use of the words and stems are fine.

Feel free to post links to your stories on Twitter or Facebook or whichever social media best pleases you and, if you like, remind your friends that we are open to new and returning writers.

Five minutes into the job

And without further ado I'll post words for this week's Prediction:

army
break
blue.
.
The usual rules apply: 100 words maximum (excluding title) of flash fiction or poetry using all of the three words above in the genres of horror, fantasy, science fiction or noir. Serialized fiction is, as always, welcome. All variants and uses of the words and stems are fine.

Feel free to post links to your stories on Twitter or Facebook or whichever social media best pleases you and, if you like, remind your friends that we are open to new and returning writers.


This week you have until midnight (GMT) Friday 12th June to post.  New words and winners on Saturday.  Next week I'll revert to the pattern of Lily Child's original Friday Prediction, and have a Thursday deadline, with new words on Friday.