Less than a drabble, but none the worse for that

Given the challenge of a word limit, I invariably find myself treating it as the target, rather than simply ensuring I don’t exceed it. Not everyone feels that way. This week there have been two absolutely stunning entries which are less than a hundred words, and which, thanks to precise and perfect writing, do the job with jaw-dropping effectiveness. Hence I’m handing congratulatory laurels to Chris, whose ‘Abominable horizons’ ran to 83 words, and Patricia for her ‘Blank canvas’ which was a mere 38 (Rosie’s late entry, at 68, is another good example.)

Thank you too, Kai, Antonia and Zaiure, whose entries all seemed to hit a peak of brilliance, and to everyone for commenting. Fingers crossed next week’s words do a similar trick.

Words for the coming week are: dulcet, bluff, patina

Entries by midnight Thursday 4th February new words and winners posted on Friday 5th

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.

A riot of purple ...

... from belly-buttons to extremities, feathers to stiletto and a nyckelharpa to a mark on a hand, for which I thank you all, but the week’s winner only said ‘it ‘ had arrived - with the hope that it would work. Antonia’s Captain, of course, his life taking a momentary upturn in episode 130.

Among my reading this week I stepped into the rarely-visited genre of long-ago historical. As a crime writer, Manda Scott‘s ability to describe and give life to her characters was of a calibre that, almost, made me give up writing. I was curious to see how she tackled the world of Boadicea, and found myself transported into another world, rather that just seeing extreme facets of my own.

It occurs to me that well over three-quarters of the tales here also have that other-worldliness which is why they are so compelling, with or without the expansion of a serial – and it is always good to have such generous feedback.

Words for the coming week are: jacket neutral sand

Entries by midnight Thursday January 28th, new words and winners posted on Friday 29th

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.

Lessons learned?

Too easy? Lacking that level of trickiness, that challenge, I spoke of last week? Whatever, it took me a very long time to come up with anything, from three relatively straightforward prompts, that was even part way to having the necessary level of impact, although everyone else seemed to manage it superbly well!

Top of my list this week is Kai’s The Immortal – episode 24 already – but once again I – we – have had a wonderful week of reading for which I thank you all. I’m also giving a mention to Rosie and to  Bill, whose last-arriving, but by no means least-accomplished, entries were so hugely entertaining – I urge you to go back and read them.

Words for the coming week are: buckle, deficit, purple

Entries by midnight Thursday January 21st, new words and  winners posted on Friday 22nd

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.

Snap, crackle and prompt - weekly delights

If I’d thought the slightly tricky combination of prompts might be off-putting I was soon proved wrong, since you all showed great imagination and very deft placing.  Hopefully this week’s words will be equally productive, but I know from my own writing the occasional ‘difficult’ word can bring out excitingly acrobatic feats.  It’s a treat too to see so many serials developing, even though, for myself, I find them so much easier than one-offs that I think I need to challenge myself a little more often.

After expressing unnecessary doubt, Patricia’s “Slithering like Cleopatra's asp into the bosom of the galley” in the twenty-seventh episode of Cripplegate Junction has won first place, with honourable mentions going to Chris and Zaiure.

Words for the coming week are: bark, chess, dry

Entries by midnight Thursday January 14th , new words and  winners posted on Friday January 15th

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.

In strong expectation ...

... of some very good writing and reading in 2016, especially if 2015 was anything to go by – thank you all for your continued participation.  And, par for the course, with the usual difficulty of who to choose for this week’s “winner” when all so evidently contribute to the high standard of the Prediction site. Difficulty aggravated by shortage of time to properly re-read and consider, so the choice this week is based on the more immediate impact for which I pick Zaiure. As Patricia so rightly says, the opportunity to re-indulge is very much welcomed, as are, I hope the first words of 2016.

Words for the coming week are: asp, personality, theft

Entries by midnight Thursday January 7th , new words and  winners posted on Friday 8th

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.