One of this week’s books was ‘The French
Lieutenant’s Woman’ which I at least began when it was first published in 1969,
and wish I’d known about when I was studying the Victorians a few years ago. An
incredible amount of authorial input melded with an ability to seize voice and
era and give the characters voice. And, talking of voice, I’d like to pay
tribute to two stalwarts of this site, without whom I’d spend half the week
talking, echoingly, to myself so a sincere thank you to Patricia and Antonia.
As to this week’s winners, they were chosen for the
conjuring of a single image. Rosie’s
‘blue tree’ enchanted and David’s
‘Magpie Road’ a promise of much to come.
Words for the
coming week are: judder, pure, popinjay
Entries by
midnight Thursday 10th March new
words and winners posted on Friday 11th
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
Change of focus [169]
ReplyDelete‘All prostitutes are popinjays!’ DI John Pettinger, driving to the Hare and Hounds,
DC Moth: ‘RSPB’d take a dim view of that –‘
‘As they would of ill-treated parrots these days –‘
‘Ill-treated?’
‘Tournaments. Used to tie them to a pole. Fire arrows at them –‘
‘No more than Dolly, and others of that ilk, set themselves up for –‘
‘Not the same –‘
‘Less pure for sure. Dolly a bedraggled bird –‘
‘There’s our man!’ Pettinger braked hard enough for the radio to near-judder from its fixing.
Moth grinned wickedly. ‘Is this where you ask him to “come quietly”?’
[Apologies - this only makes sense in continuation from last week. And no, I didn't pick 'popinjay' to fit - it's a much-enjoyed word I learnt from one of Dorothy Dunnett's wonderful Lymond series]
... and, twenty-four hours later, I realise I was thinking 'papingo' not popinjay for the tournament/Dunnett reference. :-(
DeleteSmoothly done Sandra. Not sure why but this week the voices came through as Jack Regan and George Carter. Although I am a tad squiffy this evening.
DeleteI loved this installment. Particularly fond of "bird" being associated with a female, as was common in my younger years, although the association isn't taken in the same spirit as it used to be any more. Especially liked the vision of a "Dolly Bird," yet another reference from my checkered past. Suspenseful and intriguing as ever...of course!
Deletecongratulations, Rosie and David, agree with both the comments, there is so much more to come.
ReplyDeletethis is a good instalment, like the idea of the radio nearly juddered from its fixing, that's one hell of a braking system... (says she having had her brake pads renewed this week and finding out how thin the old ones were... (LOL))
An 'historian' called the Woodvilles a family of popinjays. The nerve of it...
WOW! Thank you so much, Sandra. Humbled and encouraged by this surprise. I must apologise for not commenting but I did read last weeks stories and poems. I will try harder..! As for Magpie Road, it was inspired when I saw a single magpie on Wednesday when I was coming home from work. The old "one for sorrow, two for joy, etc" came into my head and onto my laptop - hence the last line of the story. :-)
ReplyDeleteMagpie Road will return...
Good.
DeleteDavid - while housekeeping might have accidentally deleted one of your comments, if so I sincerely apologise.
Congratulations Rosie and David an excellent winning pieces.
DeleteI Look forward to more
Congratulations to both Rosie and David. I am delighted to note that "Magpie Road" will return and look forward to that!
ReplyDeleteThis week's words are...interesting and unusual. I've already had to research the definition of "judder" and looked into whether "popinjay" could refer to anything different from what I already knew. I am rather confident about "pure," but you never know!
Unlike last week, I already have a vague formulation for how I will work these words into something hopefully cohesive and readable.
Congrats Rosie & David!
ReplyDeleteTime has gotten away from me again the past few weeks. Hope to play this week!
Kursaal (Episode Eleven) -- "Giselle"
ReplyDeleteGiselle, exquisite features reminiscent of French aristocracy, was married to Jasper Joad, owner of the Ghost Train and Haunted Mansion.
This wax effigy purist was propriétaire of the Timeless Tableaux Exhibition Hall. The posture of her Jeanne D'Arc was sufficiently believable to very nearly experience the juddering of a tortured body. The eyes of Baroness Orczy's so-called popinjay, The Scarlet Pimpernel, virtually alive with audacity.
Many of Giselle's spectacles were dedicated to her husband. Sans his generous contribution regarding certain necessities not otherwise easy to procure, the masterful authenticity of her historical and fictional tableaux would be decidedly lackluster.
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To read the earlier installments (a suggestion only) which led to this point in the tale, please visit:
http://www.novareinna.com/kursaal.html
A link to return to "The Prediction" can be found on the site. Thank you.
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This a promise of much more to come in this intricately-woven tale. Such a dascinating cast of characters.
DeleteExquisite. I have always been fascinated by L'Tableaux.
Deletewill the 'certain necessities' be revealed to the world at some later time, I wonder? cold chills abound here.
DeleteHope you like. May get chance to write about one of the other characters later in the week. I'm thinking Magpie Road has long legs... :-)
ReplyDeleteMagpie Road - Part 2
The car started and moved with a judder. Albert Cross stood at the door of number 13 Magpie Road, waving at the pretty woman who'd just 'sorted' his finances out. For the promise of cheap utilities Albert had given bank details to the popinjay who'd sweet talked him into handing over his life savings without him knowing it.
A mile from Albert's house the woman made the call. "Yes, everything in his accounts."
The wicked smile was wiped from the woman's face by the lorry which had jumped the red light.
Sorrow and karma in pure unison.
~End~
...to be continued
But not fast enough to save poor Albert ... or had she not yet passed the details on?
DeleteHow quickly you've drawn us into Magpie Road.
Not just like, I love it! I'm totally drawn in. Want more Magpie road.
DeleteSo happy you decided to continue with this. Lovely blending of the prompts into the story and the choice of Albert as a name for an elderly and naive victim is so perfect. I have only known one Albert and he was an ancient uncle when I first came into being. Thus, I find the name particularly apt. Love that the "pretty woman" got hers. I guess I'm feeling rather vindictive today!
DeleteExcellent instalment, looking forward to more Magpie Road as soon as you can...
DeleteIs it me, or are things moving at a snail's pace this week?
ReplyDeleteI'm a little late - been away for the weekend, but no more than usual Patricia, I think.
DeleteYou're probably correct, Sandra. There are times when I get far too impatient to indulge myself in the amazing tales that are posted here every week and they just can't appear soon enough!
DeleteSecond thoughts [Threshold 104]
ReplyDelete‘What a pair of popinjays!’
Burk’s father, already despaired of me, was looking to gain credit from Ravenscar.
Comment justifiable: O’Bedrun’s wife blethered an endless phlegm-ridden caw of cliché. Himself green-cloaked, vermilion beard and yellow eyes which, along with his loins, held promise enough to ignite pure juddering lust from groin to throat and back again.
Which I didn’t bother to hide.
But Burk’s father, blind to the warning of O’Bedrun’s red hair, spoke too loud. Lost teeth, then eyes then life, rendering me sick as the proverbial and Ravenscar impassive, raising a glass to O’Bedrun and utterly ignoring me.
How you manage to make your writings so distinctive in voice is a true talent. By that, I mean this installment could have easily been written by a totally different person than the one who writes of Pettinger. That's how distinctive the voices are. I'm constantly carried away by this particular serial since I always have to give it more than a once going-over in order to fully appreciate its impact. In a word, impressive!
DeletePatricia - your perceiving different voices pleases me enormously, since it is something I am less than confident about at times (though it is easier to differentiate between a Pettinger and a girl of some indeterminate future that it is the four MCs in my current wips). Thank you.
Deleteoh yes, the voices are very different. This one is extremely distinctive and this is a class instalment.
DeletePolitical viewpoint
ReplyDeletePuffed up and popinjay proud,
You think you’re the king of the hill,
but you’re just raucous and loud
with a viewpoint that’s patently ill.
You stain every good thing with a violent roar,
and a blessed assurance that no other is pure.
Your voice rocks the hall causing windows to judder,
the thought of you in power makes the whole world shudder.
You’re an ego on fire with a blazing ambition
Of global destruction in the name of tradition.
So blame everybody, but your friends who’ll do well.
You’ll lie through your teeth and condemn us to hell.
Very pertinent and brilliant use of the prompts, hammering home a chilling message.
DeleteTruly inspired use of the prompts. This was well-nigh perfect in execution, form and content. Could apply to so many politicians, both past and present. There is also a hint of the 666 personage in my opinion...the one who will apparently be heralded as a saviour of the word but bring it to ruin. I keep going back to read this, not because it's difficult to follow or understand but because it is so amazing!
DeleteWord = World (of course).
Delete:::::DUH:::::
cleverly done, utilising the prompts and coming out as a chilling warning. Good one!
DeleteCripplegate Junction/Part 36-Shunted
ReplyDeleteClive Bailey was not sure how he came to be in the passage at the rear of the Crossing Canteen surrounded by Tate & Lyle Pure Cane Sugar boxes and packets of Typhoo.
Ahead, a pinprick of light and the harsh judder of disagreement between a raucous rook and a squawking popinjay; behind, the distinct rattle of crockery and spoons.
"There you are, my dear fellow," announced the Station Master. "I thought we had lost you!" His fingers were claws upon Clive's shoulder.
"So, shall we join the birds of a feather or is there time for tea?"
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To read the earlier installments (a suggestion only) which led to this point in the tale please visit:
http://www.novareinna.com/cripplegate.html
A link to return to "The Prediction" can be found on the site. Thank you.
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"and from the strong came forth sweetness" - ah yes. And is there time for tea? How well you evoke the period, and how pertinent the title.
DeleteMost enjoyable, and skillful deployment of the prompts.
Deleteone of those where I had to look for the prompts on the second read, the first was for pleasure.
DeleteLong Way Down
ReplyDeletePopinjay!
You balk at the accusation? Well, vanity would dictate as much. It's purely symbolic.
You peer over the brink of the precipice. It is quite a distance to fall. I'm sure the descent will be a juddering shock to the system. Perhaps you would prefer a gentle nudge?
No? Excellent!
Humble and self-effacing at last.
I'm at a loss to see how, time and again, you so effortlessly impart such subtle horror. I've tried to do the same, believe me, but can rarely manage such as this.
Deleteyou make it seem effortless...
DeleteThank you! I'm glad people liked Rosebud's blue tree. By the way, that morris team is On the Border Morris, friends of mine who I borrowed because they have awesome kit.
ReplyDeleteThe Adventures of Rosebud, Pirate Princess #15
Pirates are not to be Inspected
Natasha gave a judder of pure annoyance as that idiot, Inspector Peterson, walked towards us. He was dressed in the moronic style of a London dandy, as usual.
“Inspector Popinjay, how are you this morning?”
“I’m well, how are you? This weather has been gorgeous.”
“Yes, it has been lovely.”
“ ... Now I’d better get to work. Have you any cargo aboard? I have to look extra closely at your pirate ship of course,” the Inspector simpered.
At this point Natasha threw him into the harbor, above which we were hovering. He was starting to smell fishy.
Checked out the Morris Dancers, yes indeed, the costumes, and loved the falsity behind this episode, as well as the use of'simpering'
Deletevery picturesque in every way, the inspector's character came over clearly, as did Natasha, I like the idea she threw him in! Great last line.
DeleteAlways amusing and always unique. That last line is inspired.
DeleteGrandmother’s footsteps
ReplyDeleteThe colour in the room came from the patchwork quilt. That is, if you don’t count the black and white I made of him, if I squinted.
Which I did.
He’d chosen to stand immediately below the ceiling light, the shadow across his deep-set eyes masking his expression.
The quilt’s plain and floral-patterned squares, once popinjay, had faded; lost their ability to fly. I’d inherited it from my grandmother, along with her less-than-pure morals.
Regrettable, but when the barrel of his rifle juddered upwards, no more than mine that she’d not stitched it big enough to cover two of us.
Whoo, this is a nasty little one! Like it a lot.
DeleteThis was a decided little chiller. Beautiful seamless incorporation of the prompt words. And you talk about me being effortless...Pshaw...!!!
DeleteInfinity 137.
ReplyDeletePure contentment, all that loot and all those memories. Thems as calls me popinjay because of my clothes and beard should be aboard the Infinity when we sails into battle, when you feel the dead man judder on the end of your cutlass and you throws the body over the side –
Tis enough. We be sailing on, looking for more ships to conquer, more loot to store, more women to pleasure us and there be many who like a bit of pirate love... We be the very best there is, because we be more experienced than most.
Great life.
Oh, I truly love the image of the dead man juddering on the end of a cutlass! And the Captain almost sounds human - I don't remember him mentioning women for himself before.
DeleteOur Captain is very satisfied with his lot in life during this installment. He seems to have much to be thankful for. Here's hoping his good times will last...for a while anyway. This was more lighthearted than some of the other episodes and was a lovely change of pace.
DeleteI did ask the Captain to come earlier this week but I see he has been rather busy gloating over his exploits to come. Finally dragged him here...
ReplyDeleteBusy with too many things at the same time, both the Captain and me!
Brilliant reading, thanks so much, people!
I for one can only be thankful that the Captain is generous enough to visit us at all. What a less inspired place this would be without him.
DeleteIt is only since I retired that I have mental space for writing - I am forever in awe of those with more demanding lives, who manage it, and echo Patricia's gratitude.
Delete