Maybe bold and tricky better than too bland

Antonia, Chris and William might concur with this.

I looked back at the prompts offered in 2012 by Lily Childs (Prediction’s originator - check out http://lilychildsfeardom.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/lilys-friday-prediction.html for a taste) and Phil Ambler. Rarely were they innocuous or multi-interpretable as have been offered here lately, and I’m wondering whether stronger, less compromising words might be better received. To which end I plan to separate and stir and occasionally re-offer some of these old ones for a bit and see what happens.

That said, this week’s planned words are challenging enough for me to have to look up the meaning of one of them! And, bland words or not, you all managed to make something entertaining. By the usual whisker, for the lightness of his rhymes and the weightiness of his message I declare  William’s  ‘Bitter Illusion’ this week’s winner.

Words for the coming week are: bracket, diagnose, ludic

Entries by midnight Thursday 5th May , new words and winners posted on Friday 6th

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 so

DIY Illustration

It occurred to me that The Prediction has much in common with a weekly magazine – one with a central core of regular contributors plus guest writers whose contributions appear when time and inspiration permit. On second thoughts, so vivid is the writing that it is more a comic, each piece accompanied by a strip of illustrations, drawn by an equally varied core of artists.

In some ways the requirement to declare a weekly ‘winner’, as well being near impossible because each chimes with a different sort of pleasure, seems superfluous, but since it is expected I assign top place on the podium this week to Chris for his Ellis Island. As ever, the rest of you are jostling just half a step down. Antonia and Patricia were kind enough to nominate my watercolour inspired piece as a worthy winner which I much appreciate. As I’ve said before, we all write for the pleasure and approval of our peers, and the giving and receiving of comments is what gives this site its especial strengths.

Words for the coming week are: dock, register, settlement

Entries by midnight Thursday 28th April , 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.

“And such a deal of skimble-skamble stuff”

I’m not waving a banner for Shakespeare, after last week’s polarisation of opinion, but spotting the above, from Henry IV part 1, I though it might catch the eye on Facebook. Also, of course, we’ve had a deal of gloriously rich offerings, from which I declare ... well, really it is exceptionally hard this week, so I’ll say Patricia by the merest whisper, and ditto for the sixteenth episode of ‘Kursaal’, and each and every one of you runners up.

And thank you all for so diligently commenting - it is the life-blood of this site.

Words for the coming week are: bruise, benevolent, margin

Entries by midnight Thursday 21st April , 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.

And not a mention of a goat

Bill’s Black Widow – this week’s standout winner – was a fully complete and satisfying  story in 100 words. The joy of reading such perfection is much enhanced when, like me and Pettinger, William and his butter knife this week, you’ve tried umpteen times to arrange words which not only incorporate the prompts but contain a bit of a buzz. Now and again, words assemble themselves with ease and almost without input, and I’m tempted to put it down to luck, but in truth I see it as a small reward for the constant practice put in the rest of the time. And for not so much a buzz as a kick, Patricia’s ‘Tough love’earns‘ an honourable mention.

Words for the coming week are: Shakespeare, six, pattern

Entries by midnight Thursday 14th April , new words and winners posted on Friday 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.

Litotes (or that Tom Jones song)

'Litotes' being a) one of those words I can never remember the definition of, and b) yet another of those writing processes I do without needing to know what it is called. Mark Forsyth’s ‘The Elements of Eloquence’ calls them ‘elements of rhetoric’ and devotes thirty-nine challengingly-titled chapters to describing them. I was readily familiar with only three of such terms, and found the book a fascinating read, but I’m still unable to name any more. I don’t anticipate using any of them as prompts!

This week’s winner is someone whose writing never fails in its eloquence, but it was for the impact of “Well, there be many a person with a different skin under the one we all see” that I declare Antonia’s one hundred and fortieth episode of ‘Infinity’ this week’s winner.

Thank you all for participating – even the late-arriving Rosie whose 18th episode of the Princess Pirate is hugely entertaining ­and for commenting – such a strong element of this blog.  

Words for the coming week are: absent exact, butter

Entries by midnight Thursday 7th April , 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.