Envy is allegedly a sin

Another week when it would be wrong to decide one had merit over the other – so my thanks to Antonia and Jim both for their entertaining entries and their comments on mine.

Currently I’m editing a second draft of ‘Snap is not a children’s game’, the fifth in my ‘Love triangles with murder’ series; struggling to find ways of including a few more cliff-hanger endings, because it badly lacks tension, while reading and much admiring writers such as David Mark, Emma Viskic and  Sharon Bolton, each of whose series are both beautifully-written and compelling. 

Words for the coming week: accuse purse question 

Entries by midnight Thursday November 17th,  new words posted Friday 18th 

 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

Squirreling elsewhere?

I've been head-down editing this past few weeks, little head space for much else. 'Snap is not a children's game' version 4 almost done, then it'll need 'resting' before I re-read. Re-reading this week's entries it's hard to decide which of Perry's or Jim's is the nastiest, so I declare a well-deserved draw and thank you, Antonia and Patricia for your posting and comment participation. 

words for the coming week:  allege  rash  seven 

Entries by midnight Thursday 23rd September,  new words posted Friday 24th 

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.

It's up to you again. Times two

 Next week I’m away to Leith and Portobello, to take photos for the covers of ‘Drink with a dead man’ and ‘Snap is not a children’s game’. The following week a wedding anniversary treat. On both occasions I shall be away Thursday and Friday so have scheduled new prompt words to appear on Friday 25th September and Friday 2nd October, but I ask each of you to nominate your favourite from this week and next. I shall be back inbetweentimes, so if I have cocked it up (again!)  I ought to be able to remedy.

This week, every piece held a similar quantity of appeal, and on different days a different style appealed, or  a particular phrase snared my delight. Because they were all so close, I’ve resisted naming each, but say, at this moment, after what must be a fourth read-through of them all, I’ve decided Perry’s ‘Lookout’ was my top favourite.Thank you all for your participation..

 Words for next week: Atlantic stupefy texture

Entries by midnight Thursday 24th September, new words posted Friday 25th

  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.

And the earth moved

Well, in fact the house sort of shifted a bit. I thought ‘if I was alone in the house I’d be worried’ but, 6 a.m. and no-one in sight, I wasn’t. Twelve hours later I learned it had been an earthquake, epicentre six miles away. 

Much more vigorous and upheaving were the stories here this week, and it’s taken several re-reads and a glass of wine to decide Patricia gets first place for the clever ‘Back to square one’, and John a somewhat crud-encrusted one-off, new-depths-of-depravity  medal for ‘One-off’.

 As mentioned as a comment, I am trying to develop new characters and often find prompt words kick-start a trait or a plot line, so intend to pursue them here. Anything prefaced with ‘Snap:’ is part of that process, There’ll be little in the way of continuation, but I’ll aim to make them entertaining. Thanks for your indulgence.

Words for next week: decipher hare water

Entries by midnight (GMT) Thursday 30th January, words and winners posted Friday 31st

 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.