George talks and December looms

Those of you who have long had Windows 10 will no doubt be familiar with its read aloud facility but it was a revelation to me as George ploughed through all 405 pages of ‘Drink with a dead man’, the fourth in my ‘Love triangles with murder’ series, mis-pronouncing names, not noticing italics, and assuming en dashes (of which I’m very fond) were hyphens and thus running words together. But showing up missing words and my lack of commas.

And this week’s winner is David, for the chilling portentousness of his ‘Once Upon a Time in 1979’. Thank you all for your contributions – posts and comments being the lifeblood of this site.

Words for next week: bright enunciation scald

Entries by midnight (GMT) Thursday 25th December, words and winners posted 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. Serialised 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 you prefer.

Lost and found

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Next week’s words are  accent interfere stark

Entries by midnight Thursday 28th November, words and winners Friday 29th

New laptop yesterday, files all gone AWOL or lunatic and this cobbled from a folder of years ago (and posted out of order because the margins aren't behaving). And not one of you has made an effort to make this week’s choice of “a winner” in the slightest bit easy; truly I don’t know when I’ve had a harder selection to choose from. But needs must, so I’ve picked two – Holly for the gorgeous sensuality of her ‘Climate change’ and Jim for what I think is just about the yukkiest of the many gruesome ones this week:  'Doing my job'.

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 

'November Rain' very apt this month

Oof, woken from one of those running for the train/where is he?/who’s got the tickets/forgot to put my phone on dreams to find it’s an hour later than usual. So, a hastier than usual read-through whereupon Patricia’s Cripplegate Junction/Part 211 - Connections, featuring Clive Bailey, feels particularly apt as this week’s winner.

Thank you, as ever, for participation with posts and comments without which this place would wither and die.

Words for next week: bookmark interior supine

Entries by midnight (GMT) Thursday 21st November, words posted 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. Serialised 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 you prefer.

On road and rail again

I’m travelling today, and won’t be home until late, so herewith words for next week. Winners to be posted sometime Saturday.

And apologies - Craigievar Castle was a wonderful location for a writing retreat, in part (unexpectedly) because it totally lacked any sort of signal. I've commented on last week's entries and doubt anyone will dispute me naming David's 'There’s a Seuss Loose Aboot This Hoose' the winner.

Words for next week: augment  Eve* surgeon

*Eve to be used as a name, not a noun (so not just at the start of a sentence)

Entries by midnight (GMT) Thursday 14th November, words posted 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. Serialised 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 you prefer.

Pinch and a punch

I’ve said it so often it’s beginning to sound insincere (which definitely is not my intention, not am I complaining!)  but when, week after week, each  and every entry appears to surpass the previous ones – at least until I re-read them on Thursday prior to making a choice – the need to set one of you above the rest does feel, no matter how I shift and re-shift the goalposts, more than a little unfair. This week I juggled endlessly with three entries, all of equal merit, but in the end, my ball skills being what they are, dropped two and was left with John’s ‘Cause and effect’. And the need, again, to thank you for all the comments you make on my somewhat self-indulgent pieces.

Next week’s words have a spark of topicality:

Words for next week: census extrovert bonfire

Entries by midnight (GMT) Thursday 7th November, words posted 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. Serialised 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 you prefer.