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.

Finger-crossing good

Thanks to crossed fingers or extra January energy, this was a week of rich and inspirational pickings for which I thank you all equally, while awarding Rebecca a ‘welcome-back’ prize - hope you are able to re-join the regulars.

 Words for the coming week: ash salt seed

 Entries by midnight  Thursday January 18th,  new words Friday January 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.

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.

Still struggling …

 But at least I’m on time. Ten days away from my laptop appears to have wiped my memory of how to use it to full effect – or it’s trying to trick me. Plus years of Raven and Pettinger episodes have likely gone forever, so it might be time to begin something new (but I’m still mourning) Thankfully, Jim’s AGAIN AND AGAIN provided much needed solace, pushing it to the top of the pile (while Terrie’s SAS entry 236 provoked relief, for Sarg’s safety.)

Words for the coming week: adapt chafe whittle  

And a little longer deadline: Entries by midnight  Thursday 15th September,  new words and winners Saturday 16th

 

 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.

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.

And turn about

Last week impossible to choose between Jim and David, this week –  again for reasons of competing, captivating writing – honours have to be shared between Terrie for the 230th entry in The Secret Armadillo Soldier (SAS) Diaries, and David for ‘The end of an Era.  Thank you both, for the high class entertainment  – and Antonia whose comments never fail to highlight a particular merit.

Words for the coming week: lion tender unpack

Entries by midnight Thursday July 6th, new words and winners Friday 7th

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.

This week, all win

 Because all, as ever,  are such top-class, entertaining  entries, deserving of praise and prizes, I’m  opting out of declaring a ‘winner this week and will also do so for posting entries for a couple of weeks, because I’ll be away from home. I will schedule new words on 12^th and 19^th of May and it would be encouraging (and reduce the echoing absence) if each of you could comment and name your favourites.

Words for the coming week: battery diamond remove 

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.

Outclassed

A slender week for entries but evidence (if such were needed) that I’m outclassed when it comes to creating tales of horror, since both David’s ‘Apples from Eden’ and Jim’s ‘The Voice’ were such perfect, clever and impactful examples of how to unsettle their readers, with skill, inventiveness and freshness – a skill they demonstrate week after week.

Which makes the selection of words for each coming week a pleasurable, but minor challenge; I seek a catalyst and a couple of non-obvious companions, then sit back and enjoy seeing how they are used. This weeks I found on the spines of the pile of books I’ve yet to read.

Words for the coming week: pearl, razor, trespass  

Entries by midnight Thursday 4^th May, new words and winners Friday 5th

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.

 Distractions

There’s nothing like a weekend away, discussing the crafting of crime novels to ensure a mind gone off  in several non-routine directions. Plus I had the shock of a publisher actually asking me to send her the first four novels in my ‘Love triangles with murder’ series. (It came to nothing, as I suspected it would, my writing style quite different to their in-house style.) And then to return to a double helping of prompted pieces  – thank you Jim for your excellent words – and a wealth of 'dillo tales, for which, notwithstanding the enjoyment of reading the others,  I have to thank Terrie for.  

 Words for the coming week: forge mourn waver

Entries by midnight Thursday March 9th, new words  Friday 10th.

 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.

Not all so skilled

My husband, querying this week’s words displayed on the shelf above my monitor and told they were prompt words, immediately said ‘The yellow Venom weighed 200 kilogrammes.’ He was talking Velocettes, of course (though the one he has is black). Luckily, those who took the challenge more seriously were more skilled, and once again I was vacillating between entries trying  to separate a winner.  In the end I plumped for the murky originality of Jim’s ‘The bowel and bladder’ and thank you all for your participation. 

Words for the coming week: graft ovoid soap

And, because I’ll be away for a few days over next weekend you have an extra week to ponder. Entries by midnight Thursday March 2nd new words Friday March 3rd

Unless  Jim, as winner, would be so kind as to suggest three new words on the 24^th February?

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.

Hearts no doubt viewed differently here!

 Even though the week includes St Valentine’s Day, in memory of a priest who was clubbed to death, I’ll not be offering it as  next week’s prompt, but instead offer congratulations to those of you who made more than a decent stab at last week’s words . For the mind-soaring poetry of ‘Undertones of whisper and the sound of claws on dirt’ I award Terrie top prize. Thank you all for the entertainment.

Words for the coming week: venom  weigh  yellow

Entries by midnight Thursday February 16^th, new words  Friday 17th.

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.

The fascination of variations

Each week you are offered  three random words. Each week, each of you takes those words and uses them to conjure  up something new, unique and entertaining. That ‘unique’ has always appealed to me because, as a writer it underlines the fact that there is no single ‘correct’ answer; that whatever I do with those words is  ‘right’, and the joy is in seeing just how various are the ways in which the words are combined, to tell a tale that’s never been told before. This week, a lot of intrigue and individual uses; a lot of pleasure in the reading thereof. But I felt quite strongly that Antonia’s ‘Sometimes the Hunger takes over…’ deserved the top spot.

Words for the coming week: shake pink wheel

Entries by midnight Thursday August 25th,  new words posted Friday 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.

Flexibility of rules

And, yes, I admit, despite strict adherence with my own word count, I don’t do the necessary cut and paste to check others. And on this occasion, I’m accepting Anonymous Dave’s explanation he meant to substitute ‘logs’ with the required ‘triangle’ because the ‘terrible fruit’ of the described scene gave such a kick to the imagination.

Thank you all for a week of high class entertainment.

 Words for the coming week:   ash   stitch welcome

Entries by midnight Thursday August 18th,  new words posted Friday 19^th

 

 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. 

Sorry for the delay (but longer to ponder)

And with apologies - a visit to family in Suffolk and a school-friend in Norfolk took up all lap-top time - I have now read and much enjoyed all entries and am putting Jim in the top spot for his Seeking Refuge Part II   -- scary place, threatening happenings and a worrying conversation. 

Words for the coming week:  divert, gravel and triangle. 

entries by midnight Thursday August 11th,  new words posted Friday 12th

 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. Lots to catch up on, but in case you are waiting for words for next week, have a go at: divert, gravel and triangle

Winners later today.

Living in the north-east

 Has, for the most part meant we’ve escaped the high temperatures much of the south of the UK experienced of last week. Next week, however, I’ll be heading to London for the first time in seventeen years, to meet a writing friend visiting from Alabama, and will need to think carefully  about cool clothes (in the temperature sense!)

Here, the final line of Antonia’s short piece  winner provided chill enough to declare it winner – well done to her and to all of you for contributing such entertainment this week. 

Words for the coming week:  blush fiction tantrum 

Entries by midnight Thursday 21st July, new words posted Friday 22^nd (but maybe not the winners)

 

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.

Pleading Mercy for my absence

 Apologies, but mind-space as much as time ran out last week; I did make progress with ‘Mercy for a Friday Child’, having had good advice and encouragement from writing friends and didn’t want to waste the inspiration. So thank you to those who did contribute, and to Holly in particular for her intriguing ‘Salacity [23] which left a lot of space for imagination to roam. 

Words for the coming week:  burn quicksand  result 

Entries by midnight Thursday 7th July, new words posted Friday 8th  July 

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.

Left us all with fingers crossed

Antonia, that is. One of the more disturbing but beautifully written  posts this week – all  intricate but light in touch as filigree – and it’s also good to see so many comments, which I think is an important element: if only to let us know what we’ve posted has been read. This week, the top spot goes to MRMacrum for his ‘The Secret of God’ – a large tale told in a small number of words.

Words for the coming week:  cast ringlet suicide 

Entries by midnight Thursday 23rd June, new words posted Friday 24thth 

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.

Problems ☹ ☹ ☹

Firstly, apologies for my lack of posts this week -- a week without time spent on 'Mercy', my current wip, left  me desperate to pick it up again and note down the random ideas I had while away (and I'm not done yet!) A good time had, though, weather kind and I re-established my liking for mussels, scallops and whisky.

Jim's struggles to post fill me with despair as I have no remedy to suggest. There seems to be some blame levelled at Google, who apparently recently took over Blogger, but the lack of logic – why do comments stick but not posts? – defeats me. If the problem persists all I can do is ask if someone else has the know-how to set up a site with similar functions.

What MIGHT be a solution - the site might be full. I propose going to the archives and attempting to delete some of the 472 posts, starting from December 2013, trusting you have all saved what you'd like to keep

What was easier this week was the picking of a winner - I was enchanted by Antonia's incorporation of Charon in her untitled piece, but much enjoyed all other entries.

 Words for the coming week (fingers crossed all may play) decide lace tide

Entries by midnight Thursday  19th May, new words posted Friday  20th

 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.

Heading North

A week planned in Scotland, fingers crossed, visiting (among other places) the western Islands of Skye and Mull. Neither of us big on walking, long distance or uphill, but nevertheless expect to enjoy what each has to offer.

 Which means that,  although  I'll schedule  prompt words, to appear, as usual, on Friday 6th May, I am unlikely to find the time to properly peruse the week's entries and  pick a winner; it would be a good thing if each of you were able to indicate a favourite from the entries using this week's words. This week, as so often, I am finding it exceptionally hard to choose but eventually decided Terrie's superbly continuing SAS Diaries deserved the accolade.

Words for the coming week: detonate lip spice

Entries by midnight Thursday  5th May, new words posted Friday  6th

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.