Plus Scrivener going rogue on me and my very excellent beta-reader pointing out (quite rightly) where novel #5 has lost the plot and gone soggy, has made this place an even more welcome diversion. As ever, I had no idea where a word such as 'hotel' might take you but was hugely entertained by all the variations, and after re-reading several times, eventually decided Jim's 'The Hotel Harrow' best hit the spot.
This week's words are taken from the spines of the dozen books acquired in the past seven days.
Words for the coming week are: curate pretend trilogy
Entries by midnight Thursday 18th
March, new words posted Friday 19th
Usual rules: 100 words maximum (excluding title) of flash fiction or
poetry using all 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.
WHAT WAS MISSED
ReplyDeleteThe foundling stood in the ruins, just at the border of the chaos without, weaving a strange little dance, her nightie – one of the newer cotton shirts dug from the rubble of the old City Factory – flowing with her liquid grace.
A large contingent of brown rats, minus their pale overlords, crouched rapt not five feet away. In their silence Caolin, not usually given to fantasy, found it easy to pretend that they were a congregation mesmerized by a new curate’s take on a familiar sermon.
Ordinarily he would have recognized this whimsy as step three in the crisis trilogy.
Didn't meant to read this, but did so three times ... totally mesmerising.
DeletePraise indeed - thank you.
DeleteI wondering about the first two steps in the crisis trilogy. A colorful entry, Perry.
DeleteI came across it when hunting a reason to use the word trilogy within the storyline - in psychological the trilogy definition of a crisis is Traumatic event - the person's perception or reality in terms of event which fails to allow them to resolve it - and the overload (e.g. breakdown/fugue/ withdrawal from reality. There are several levels of this. Caolin's whimsical aberration from his normal control freakdom is a mninor one. ;)
DeleteAnd now I realise I should have explained that in 100 words using the prompts.
DeleteThought provoking and heart breaking. Imagine finding your clothing beneath the rubble.
DeleteOne Singer One Song
ReplyDelete“What’s the worst job God ever gave you?” asked Michael.
“Curating a collection of the best songs of the 20th century, as chosen by departed artists themselves,” said Gabriel. “Nightmare. First off, Elvis chooses An American Trilogy.”
“Far from his best,” agreed Michael.
“Freddie Mercury goes with The Great Pretender.”
“ You’re joking? That’s a cover version.”
Gabriel nodded. “Lennon refuses to participate till Yoko kicks the bucket and helps him choose. Same with Kurt and Courtney.”
“You must have been livid.”
Gabriel felt his wing feathers bristle. “Don’t even get me started on Janis Joplin and Judy Garland.”
Quite the interesting conversation between Michael and Gabriel, David. I loved the part about Lennon and Yoko.
DeleteBrilliant example of prompt-led creativity, David.
DeleteFunny - a kingly/queenly platter of musical references and not afraid to mention the plastic.
DeleteI think I know what Janis Joplin would choose, but who really knows with her. Clever one, David.
Deletethis is seriously funny, David, loved it.
DeleteTHINK BEFORE YOU SQUEAK
ReplyDelete“You should read The Sorcery Saga, the trilogy by Katie Morrow.”
“Who’s Katie Morrow?”
“Drop the pretense. You know who she is.”
“Okay… the gal who travels the world and writes about her macabre experiences. Didn’t she become a curate with some weird religion?”
“Nope. She’s just writes. Damn well, too.”
“That so? You read her trilogy?”
“Yes.”
“And?”
“And what?”
“And what were they about?”
“Magic.”
“Magic! You learn anything?”
“Yep. I can turn people into mice.”
“Don’t make me laugh. Prove it.”
“You sure about that?”
“Prove it.”
A few seconds pass.
“What’s that you’re saying? Squeak up.”
I'm always a sucker for dialogue, Jim, and this a shining example.
DeleteLOL - say cheese.
DeleteHigh entertainment, Jim.
Deleteoh gorgeous last line, Jim!!
DeleteChange of focus [417]
ReplyDeletePettinger dragged his mind back to the present. To his kitchen, the three of them staring at the yolk-bespattered wall, just as good an example of modern art as he'd seen in an exhibition curated by a colleague's graduating daughter, alongside a trilogy – or triptych maybe the more authentic word – of spatters which could've been blood or tomato ketchup. He'd been unable to even pretend he liked it.
He clapped his hands to gain attention. 'Enough. Aleks, you can start by washing that wall, And Philly, before you leave, I need a statement –'
Smirking, 'Of intent? Yours or mine?'
Killer last line, Sandra! That Philly is something else.
DeleteOh that's a clever insertion of trilogy there - matches the story and character.
DeleteI think a lot of us can empathise with the modern art thoughts!! and there goes Philly, stealing the limelight again!
DeleteGreat opening line. I'm trying to recall what prompt word led to the egg on the wall. It's funny how such things can get started and add so much to the story.
DeleteBlack thoughts [Threshold 340]
ReplyDeleteI doubted Raven had the humour to pretend to hide. Nor was he the sort of man who – curate's egg-wise – would pretend all was well when it patently was not. Perhaps I was over-reacting and he'd found a secret portal, beyond which was a stairway leading down to some place with food and warmth and beds with clean sheets – things which formed my current trilogy of wished-fors.
All of which I'd much prefer to share with him.
With hesitation I turned off the noise of the quad bike, suppressing thought it might never start again.
Stared into blackness and silence.
that gobbles up the prompts and spits them out in a quietly unasuming but killer episode in Threshold.
DeleteSometimes nothing can be a scary place. Good luck finding a portal to bliss in this world.
DeleteNovels
ReplyDeleteResearching book three of The Rockwell Manor Trilogy, Ashley made her way over the jagged rocks.
She’d written herself into a colossal corner. There seemed no way out. The curator was a problem.
From the start, she’d pretended to think she could solve it, but the elusive bastard was acting up again. She stood on the precipice and shouted.
“God damn it, Cedric, why won’t you die!”
Cedric said nothing.
The urge to jump was overwhelming. It would solve all her woes. Her legs trembled and her hands shook.
“Screw it,” she said, turning around. “I’ll just write book four.”
I hope writing book four turns out to be a satisfactory solution for this troubled lass, John.
Deleteevery author's nightmare, that corner we write ourselves into... not often recognised so thanks for that, John. Clever little piece.
DeleteHorribly familiar this, John - in my experience the corners one can dig oneself into get deeper with each succeeding book.
DeleteJim, congrats on high praise for The Hotel Harrow.
ReplyDeleteFirst, I need to share with you what the big hearted Sandra did, got a printer out of her loft, found a box, packed it, sorted it, sent it and I got it in record time and - as it's one step back from the printer which died, it runs the older programmes and I can use Pagemaker again!!! I'm telling everyone because such genero9us acts of kindness are rare - thank you, Sandra! (I refunded the postage, BTW)
ReplyDeleteSecond, this I have to share with you, it was on the local paper's website - brilliant journalism, don't you think?
A spokesperson for IW Cats Protection said: "We took in a cat from Binstead who had turned up as a stray six years ago and moved in, on asking if it had ever been scanned, the answer was no."
Thank you, Antonia, for mentioning one was needed - I've thrown stuff in the tip before that has been fully functional, but no-one wants, it gave me much pleasure to pass this one to a good home.
DeleteWell, the cat should know if it has been scanned. Probably could have used some different wording.
DeleteThe Joys of Mediumship no 46
ReplyDeleteTwenty years ago a talented medium told me I would see spirit as clearly as I saw him. It seemed impossible but it’s happening, curated by calling spirits to my books. There is no pretence any more, the spirit I saw so resembled my sister it was unbelievable. Meantime the books are falling into a trilogy, maybe more, as pressures mount to write the words of this one or that. So far no other spirit has that clearly manifested themselves in my home, but it takes a lot of energy, maybe they need building up first, like pandemic tired me.
Energy sapping, indeed. I think I asked this before, but can you ignore it if you are too tired?
Deleteif I'm too tired, no one comes! It's as simple as that. It's all in their hands and they do what is best for us who work for and with them.
DeleteStop The Week, I Want To Get Off (147)
ReplyDeleteDon’t you just love the word curated? Wow, makes me feel enthusiastic – but not for long, pandemicitis has invaded… it’s hard to pretend I’m keen to rush here and there... but we have plans, enough to fill a trilogy, should we be fit to work that long… another problem revealed itself yesterday, planking covering the party wall is coming away – looks loaded with moisture, more to claim, more to do… and could be the reason next door (busy renovating – three years and counting) is still getting condensation. (We’re not.) We’ll get through but it’s tough. Freedom can’t come too soon.
Pandemicitis, good name for what's going on. I get my vaccine tomorrow and I'm excited about it. Not sure if it will solve all, but I'll feel better.
DeleteThe Mad Italian 193
ReplyDeleteAnd still the ‘poor me’ attitude persists with those who should know better. A curated life, crafted and built over hundreds of years, she wishes thrown aside for her benefit and her child. She cannot pretend she doesn’t know, the monarch made sure she was informed on all aspects of royal life. The current nonsense will no doubt fill a trilogy of ‘poor misunderstood me’. It is doubtless being planned even as I write this. Meantime I send my best wishes to the Queen’s Consort. It looks as if he needs lengthy convalescence if he is to reach 100.
Good information for a westerner. I probably shouldn't have watched "The Crown." It encourages the lay person to lack sympathy.
DeleteShe sings a mangled version of that Cliff Richard song ... 'Manipulation'
DeleteAnd the two of them begging for privacy while shilling for their reality show. Heaven help us!
ReplyDeleteTOUCHING BASE
ReplyDeleteUna - strange sounding to one whose infancy had been curated by the brood.
The Rat Princess - for such one may inadequately define the girl adored by the brood before the white pelts had appeared and imposed their rule - had quickly figured out that she should not only allow herself to be clothed … but pretend to enjoy the experience.
Tapping into the all-encompassing race-memory of rodents, Una was able to recall the sad trilogy of prejudice surrounding royalty like herself - Sarah, Diana, and Meghan - and knew she’d be victimised for free-thinking.
This is why she secretly met her family that day.
Oooh - claws as well as teeth.
Deleteoh nicely done, Perry!!
DeleteI like the punctuation in this. It adds to the drama.
DeleteVery clever, Perry! A very entertaining read!
DeleteThe Summit
ReplyDelete“Marko, Sidney, it’s good to see you both again. We’re back to being a trilogy.”
Marko rolled his eyes. “Surely you mean trio.”
Sidney recognized Patrick’s confused blink. “Yes, all for one and all that.”
“Don’t pretend, Sidney. Clearly, Marko is making a play to become curator.”
“As if I’d want to curate this mess,” Marko said, eye roll even more pronounced.
Patrick stormed off, a wake of scorn wafting.
“Tell me again why we like this kid,” said Marko.
“Well, he does have this nifty clubhouse.” Sidney gaveled the meeting to order. “He’ll be back.”
" a wake of scorn wafting" - I can both see and smell it.
ReplyDelete