Aiming for inspirational variety

 Sincere apologises for the occasional repetition of prompt words (but not too sorry insofar as it prompted Terrie’s erotic herbalist!) Thank you for much appreciated participation.  

This selection of words for the coming week - flesh jagged thief - taken from the CD titles on the shelf above my monitor:

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

 Usual rules: 100 words maximum (excluding title) of flash fiction or poetry using all three words 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.

Nothing entertaining to say

 Having remembered, at 5 a.m., I’d this post yet to write – distracted yesterday evening by following up family history queries (interest recently awoken after some fifteen or so years, it’s taking time to remember who’s who, and how I ascertained it) I find I’ve nothing to say, except my usual thanks to you for turning up and posting and commenting, so …

Words for next week: ancestor evidence  probate 

Entries by midnight Thursday 2nd May, new words posted Friday 3rd

 

 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.

Bringing characters alive

Terrie’s surprise , at the unexpectedness of Raven’s companion wearing a skirt, echoed mine when I I saw her readying herself for Raven’s healing applications. I saw her  complete and vivid, recognised the likely input of Westerns but carried on regardless, which is one of the glorious charms of being a writer. Reading other’s  creations is the other side of a valuable coin, for which I thank you.

Words for next week: starch, steam, stonemason 

Entries by midnight Thursday 25th April, new words scheduled  posted Friday 26th 

 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.

 

Binge-reading books in a series

 Tuesday saw the long-awaited arrival of book #11 in Jane Casey’s Maeve Kerrigan series, so that day lost to reading, Wednesday ,I re-read the entire book. Which not only explains my tardiness in posting and commenting but also leaves me very envious of Jane Casey’s talents, and prompts; hence the following prompt words:

Words for the coming week: adopt jealousy talent

Entries by midnight  Thursday March 28th,  new words Friday March 29th

 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 Facebook or whichever.

Sticking to essentials

 Because having been nigh on a week without internet (changing suppliers not as problem-free as hoped) I’ll supply words for the week and get round to reading last week’s entries as soon as time permits. (And thank you for the 'January's gome'  suggestion, Patricia; I've not yet followed that up. 

Words for next week : boil funnel wither

Entries by midnight Thursday 15th February, words and winners posted Friday 16th

 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.

‘January’s gone’

Which, I’m fairly sure is the title of a song, but nothing on Google rings any bells, and no further clues (unless I accept cookies) so I’ll maybe have to spend time searching the tapes made for me by my youngest son some years ago.

Another week with no need to declare a ‘winner’, since both of you are stars,  just to thank you for your participation. As ever I wonder about my choice of words, recognising the need for something which ignites a spark of inspiration, but does nothing to stifle direction.

Words for the coming week: fillet gnome yelp

Entries by midnight  Thursday February 8th,  new words Friday February  9th

 

 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 Facebook or whichever.

Lateness rewarded

 Sometimes, I draft this post some hours before midnight strikes and schedule it to appear earlier than I can guarantee I’ll be up. Today, my sometime tardiness in doing so has been amply rewarded with Terrie’s entry 256 from ‘The Secret Armadillo Soldier (SAS) Diaries’ ,  posted with just seven minutes to go, when I was tucked up in my bed. (A chilly walk to a local pub for a Thai chow mein having taken up my evening)

And while I’m sure we  all agree David’s ‘The Green Boy of the Wild Woods’ was the top place knockout entry of the week, I’m also awarding Terrie consolation prize for persistence, along with one to Jim for his weekly dose of gruesomeness and never-failing, always thoughtful and very welcome, comments. 

 Words for the coming week: behind coast laconic

Entries by midnight  Thursday January 25th,  new words Friday January 26th.

 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.

Today’s tasks

 

1)     Finish re-loading bookshelves

2)     Pack for going away

And I’ve finally done the bookshelves! Not as efficiently or accurately as I ought to have done, but at least the half dozen crates have been collapsed.

 And I was sorry not to get round to using last week’s prompts, because I did have a story hovering. Nevertheless I much enjoyed reading  those posted, and thank you both for your sterling efforts throughout this year and send best wishes to you and yours, both for your health and happiness during  the festive period and for 2014

 Now to do my packing!

 Words for next year : oblique reckless scrawl 

 Entries by midnight Thursday 11th January, 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 uses of the words and stems are fine. Feel free to post links to your stories on Twitter or Facebook or whichever you choose

Goodness, it's Friday again!!

 And I have at least bought and wrapped all Christmas presents, but then hoped to progress an intended offering for a short story challenge, so trust my thanks for contributions and comment will suffice, along with new prompt words for the coming week: necklace origin pathetic

 Entries by midnight  Thursday December 21st 14th,  new words Friday December 22nd.

  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.

Decorating

 A leaking waterpipe just before we left for Australia was sealed before we left,  but we returned to holes in the wall and ceiling needing restoration and a room needing redecoration, which meant several bookshelves needed emptying so as to shift them. The plus is I found many books I’d forgotten and now wish to re-read.

Another good thing  realised is that by picking up my abandoned serial I found greater impetus to respond to the prompt words;  we’ll see how that goes.  

So … words for the coming week: agitate  cow sweet

 Entries by midnight  Thursday December 14th,  new words Friday December 22nd.

  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.

Once again declaring a tie

 

So hard to choose between the clarity and claustrophobia of Jim’s ‘What Now?’ and the curling horror of David’s  ‘Day of the wreaths’ that I’ve decided not to, so thank you both and also Terrie for the poetry of ‘The Oracle speaks’ .

I have scheduled prompt words to appear on the Thursdays I’ll be absent, but don’t anticipate posting myself, so hope with posts, comments and votes you can keep the site ticking over until I return.

 Words for next week: congratulate seep year

Entries by midnight Thursday 19th October, words and winners posted Friday 20th

 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 you choose

Five pieces of near perfection

And in counting mine I’m not boasting so much as acknowledging the effort to produce something closer to Prediction’s brief – can’t say I enjoyed it. Certainly not as much as I did reading and re-reading  David’s “Dawn of the living wreaths” which wins top spot this week.

 Words for next week:  epiphany erect wise

 Entries by midnight Thursday 12th October, words and winners posted Friday 13th

 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.

'Unpeeled’ revealed inspiration

 And what a lovely use it was put to! Along with Terrie’s “teeth of needled bone”, Jim’s “ senses congealed then slowly unpeeled” truly exhilarated, and I can do no more than declare both joint winners for the week - thank you both.

 Words for next week:  experiment fluid knell

 Entries by midnight Thursday 5th October, 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.

Forewarning of absence

 I shall be out of the country, and probably sans laptop, for four weeks beginning 24th October. To keep Prediction going I can do the minimum of scheduling weekly prompt words, relying on you to comment and, if possible, name a favourite each week. Alternatively, if one of you is willing, I could grant administrator access, so the weekly post of comment and words, and any necessary problem solving (mostly permanently deleting mistaken posts) can be dealt with. Please let me know which you prefer.   

 This week the choice of ‘winner’ was easy – Jim’s ‘A train ride’ surprising and entertaining, leaving us eager to know more.

Words for next week:  elaborate unpeel yelp

 Entries by midnight Thursday 28th September, words and winners posted 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. 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.

Saturday, as promised

 And just returned from a two-day city break in (Manchester) I'm not only giving you new prompt words but also naming  a winner – David, for the memorable poetry of his “saggy skin never shrunk to fit small bones.” Also, of course,  thanking all of you for your participation. 

So cotton, sign and tram-lines are words for the coming week. Entries by midnight  Thursday 21st  September,  new words and winners Friday 22^nd. 

 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.

Friesland flat with beer, big skies, delicious cheese and creamy cakes

Not that I can blame any of that for failing to prepare an on-time scheduling of words, and since I’m unsure many spotted my guilty and belated comment I’ll offer again memory, organise and heart for prompt words this week, with a  deadline of 7^th September.

 What each of you did with child, scatter  and waterproofs was terrifying in many ways; Terrie’s in particular because of the contrast of the poetry with which she told her tale. David’s strongly-voiced complaint about  a malfunctioning child rang too true to life to rest easy in my mind, as also did Jim’s understanding of the ways a child misinterprets adult actions.  

So I’m declaring a three-way winner this week and thank you for the snatched entertainment.

 Usual rules: 100 words maximum 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 Facebook or whichever social media you prefer.

Scheduled new words – deadline 31st August

 

Last week had a quantity of exceptional riches. Let us know which you liked best 

Words for the coming week: child scatter waterproof

deadline 31st August

Convalescent

 So … yes I’ve a shiny new laptop, but it’s stuffed with suggestions of how to do more new shiny things, when all I want to do is return to the comfortable, familiar old. PLUS memory sticks, external hard drive and the like are either buzzing uselessly or take me back to January 2020 and Threshold and Pettinger AWOL, however one silver lining as but being forced to do a one-off stretched my writing muscles more than required for a serial, enjoyably so; telling me I need to do that more often.

So, I thank you for your patience, and for the shiny posts this week, and declare Terrie the week’s winner for the unsettlingness of ‘Juice extraction’.

Words for next week:  bristle heavy welcome 

Entries by midnight Thursday 24th August, 

New words scheduled Friday 25^th (but no winner, so feel free to nominate your favourite) 

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 Facebook or whichever social media you prefer.

Not quite eighty years of ‘Satisfaction’

 But as with Mick Jagger, the pleasure measures up, and this week no exception. Nor is, of course, the difficulty of choosing, but in the end David’s  ‘The Wizard of Combustion’ most accurately hit the spot for me, which is not to say all other entries lacked in any way. Regrettably, I could not bring Pettinger to perform so well.

Words for the coming week: blind pivot youth

 Entries by midnight Thursday August 3rd, new words and winners Friday 4th

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.

Picking the perfect word

This week rich with wonderfully intriguing and sense-tickling phrases : Terrie’s ‘the smell of blood clotted the air’,  Jim’s, ‘stood dumbfounded as Byrdie’s knife plunged into his chest’ (even though I could not fully rid my mind of Rowdy Yates) and Antonia’s ‘foreboding’ china Angels (Terrie picked the perfect word there) has me wondering why so few participate, even though I know all writing sites are struggling for participants. Fingers crossed each of you will be inspired by this week’s prompt words, and accept my decision to name Terrie as the week’s ‘winner’.

 Words for the coming week: immobile key stretch

Entries by midnight Thursday July 27th, new words and winners Friday 28th

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.