The Polls Are Open

The Polls Are Open

Magnificent array of stories, as always. I am beginning to appreciate more and more, the dilemma Sandra must face every week. Glad this is only a temporary position! I have decided to make this week's voting an open project. Please choose your favourite tale before the entry deadline given below, post it to the forum (no need to specify why it was chosen, a simple "LOVED IT" will suffice) and I will tally the votes to be announced the next day (Friday). Sandra has done this once or twice and I think it's always nice to have a say in who makes the honor roll every now and again. In the event of a tie, I will exercise my supreme and unchallenged authority to declare the name of Top Dog.

As for this week's winners, the "COLD" collaboration between Jerry and David once again featured in the running, as did Terrie's "Back Into The Light" (Entry 26 of the "SAS Diaries"). How those 'dillos do capture our imagination every week. But, it was the beauty of language featured in Zaiure's "Tosca" (Part 7 of "Glimmer") that nosed ahead. Ye Gods, this was a difficult decision. So happy I'm off the hook next week!

 Words for next week (selected via a random word generator):

Loop  Blister  Prophesy

 

Entries by Midnight (GMT) Thursday 1st November
Words and Winners posted by Noon (GMT) Friday 2nd November

  

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. Serialised 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 you prefer.

Stepping Into The Breach

Stepping Into The Breach

And so, while Sandra is on walkabout, I have been appointed (for good or for worse) as her substitute....her stand-in...her understudy. I must admit, the thought of choosing a winner among the magnificent entries that are submitted week after week is both exciting and intimidating. Let's hope the power doesn't go to my head! I consulted with the random word generator oracle to come up with this week's prompts and will probably continue to do so during the course of my brief reign. I would like to bookmark a week while Sandra is gone where everyone gets a chance to vote for their favourite tale. It's always nice to have a say in who will clamber to the top of the podium and it takes some of the pressure off me, which can only be a good thing, right? Thoughts on that?

Anyway, now to the task over which I have been given jurisdiction...selection of this week's winner. As always, I do not envy Sandra the job of doing this every time. The decision is always difficult I'm sure and this week was certainly no exception. That having been said, the double offering provided by RJ ("Cold") and David W's continuation was nothing short of inspirational. Easy to see that they have worked together on this type of tale before and John's "Narrow Minds" with its imaginative and brilliant interpretation of the prompts (to say nothing of that trademark sense of humour) was a definite front runner. However, I cannot pass up this opportunity to award top honours this week to Sandra for "Considering The Nature Of An Ambush" and its ever-fascinating characterization of Raven, an episode made even more incredible by the fact that it is the 224th installment of the "Threshold" serialization.

Words for next week (selected via a random word generator):
trick  inhale  sadden
 

Entries by Midnight (GMT) Thursday 25th October
Words and Winners posted by Noon (GMT) Friday 26th

If the formatting or presentation of this post appears to be out of whack, please bear with me. I am a inept novice when it comes to Blogger and still striving to master the intricacies of appearance.

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. Serialised 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 you prefer.

  

Surpassed and surprised again!

Despite last week’s horrible words – unfortunate rather than deliberate, I promise you (and they caused me a lot of trouble) – you all came up with as much top quality entertainment as ever, for which I sincerely thank you - I did fear I might have driven you all away. Rest assured, Patricia has been carefully schooled in the art of choosing words apt and challenging while I’m on holiday in Australia, a couple of weeks of which will be spent riding pillion on a 45 year-old BSA, far too rattley to risk taking my Chromebook on.

Such was the length of my short-list this week that I resorted to possibly unethical methods to reduce it, and ruled out the three who featured last week, which let me put David W’s epic ‘When we die in dreams’ in second place and  name Patricia as winner for ‘Opposites Attract’, a stunning example of her ability to pull the rug from under my feet.

Words for next week: queer  north  rowan

Entries by midnight* Thursday 18th October, words and winners posted Friday 19th

*GMT or Patricia’s preference

  

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. Serialised 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 you prefer.

Temporarily times will be a’changing

I’m well aware I’m repeating myself, but truly the ever-rising standards of each week’s offerings both excite me and give me  a colossal headache  trying to pick what must, by custom , be labelled ‘winner’. I trust you all realise that if you are not named it means you are likely little more than a whisker away from being so. At least this week, there were suggestions from some of you as to which ought to win, and since I agree, I’m declaring David T’s ‘South of the Border, Down Mexico Way’ this week’s number one but would also honourably mention Zaiure’s  ‘Hammer & Seal [4] and newcomer Timewalkerauthor for ‘At the Edge’.

Next week will be the last week I have this problem for a bit, but I’m delighted and relieved that Patricia has agreed to step into the breach from 18th October until ~22nd November, and will be hosting, posting words and picking  winners.

Words for next week: cauterise miracle Tosca

Entries by midnight Thursday 11th October, words and winners posted Friday 12th

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. Serialised 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 you prefer.