Another half a dozen new books

I treated myself to today, well-knowing my excuse for reading them – 'research' – is as transparent as window glass. But it is fascinating how different books evoke different emotions, and I am in awe of those writers whose words keep me glued to my chair for the whole of an afternoon and evening, desperate to find out what happened, while simultaneously not wanting it to finish because I am enjoying it so much.  Much bigger is the problem of where to store them all, because I frequently re-read books many times so don't pass many on.

As, indeed I read and re-read the Prediction posts, admiring of deft phrases and world-building. This week both winners are expert practitioners of either: Terrie, for SAS Diaries 186, and Holly, for 'Casual Distraction'

Words for the coming week: crude, pudding, sorrow

Entries by midnight Thursday  7th April  new words posted Friday  8th April

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 

The addiction of reading

Apologies for the tardiness in posting this week's update – I was too much absorbed in the book I was reading (Peter Benson's 'The South in winter') to remember the need to write one – how much I admire and envy the ability of novelists to do that!  (And that despite both the rich variety of what was on offer this week from each of you, and including the welcome return of Holly!

So a quick re-read this morning and it is the final line of David's 'Better the Devil you know' tale of the Ark that takes my fancy, along with a nod of recognition to Antonia, once again, for her seamless inclusion of the prompt words into an account of her weekly shop activities. Thank you, both, and also to each of you for commenting, which is the life blood of this site.

Words for the coming week: gentle, goose, weave

Entries by midnight Thursday 23rd December,  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.

A mixed week of reading

Five books read this week, ranging from a really dire one star to a magnificent five star (Sarah Moss’s ‘Ghost’). The benefit of the dire was it made me reappraise the way I’ve attempted to show the vulnerabilities of my MC, and I am reminded to thank you for your indulgence in allowing me to post my random Snap pieces, as well as for contributing and commenting yourselves. It’s not so much that we need praise as to know we’ve been read.

And it is in the hope of reading more (and I’m confident I’m not alone) that Patricia gets a special mention for her ‘Pledge’ and, although not the only one, for reading pleasure received, Terrie takes top spot for ’Secret Armadillo diaries entry 120’.

Words for next week: echo  grind  Merlot

Entries by midnight Thursday 3rd September, words and winners posted Friday 4th

 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.

The guilty pleasures of binge reading

Is what I’ve been experiencing this week. One after another, addictively, all six of Jane Casey’s novels featuring  detectives Maeve Kerrigan and Josh Derwent.  And following Patricia’s question about publication, I should have mentioned ‘The Blacksmith’s Wife’ which was my first Prediction serial. Lulu seems to have lost the Preview, but if you click here  it’s possible to read all episodes and see at least the first 20 slightly disarranged illustrations.

This week’s winner? John, for both his witty comment on the English language and for the promise of ‘Mexican Cutie’, despite it having put a sliver of a relentless song in my head. In second place, Patricia, for ‘Autumnal Equinox’. Thank you all for a week of excellent reading, and I urge you to check out Zaiure’s too-late-to-qualify ‘Furrow’

Words for next week: felt map tenuous

Entries by midnight (GMT) Thursday 7th March, words and winners 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.

Scheduled words and serial thoughts

A couple of weeks ago I read Jilly Coopers latest bonk-buster, the style of which has answered a question I’ve pondered from time to time. Each episode of the serials I post here are intense, tight-written and aim to have a punch-line every hundred words. My novels are much slower-paced and at times I’ve wondered whether as a result  they are inferior. But the breathless intensity of Jilly has reassured me; a collection of Prediction episodes might not be a very comfortable read.

Words for next week: bundle truth vindaloo

Entries by midnight Thursday 11th May, new words and winners posted on 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 use 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.

Misadventures in the English language ...

... is the title of Caroline Taggart’s book, bought for me as a Christmas present, by my younger son, and not a week has gone by since without me using it to check on some grammatical quirk or item I need an explanation for. Having read a lot as a child, my grammatical grounding is instinctive rather than informed; all attempts to properly teach me merely confused and left me disinclined to write. This, being able to be consulted on a ‘need to know’ basis, is perfect.

And it was a week of near perfect enjoyment of reading Prediction posts, with the usual difficulty of picking a favourite, since so many offered an especial treat. So ... I juggled, somewhat inexpertly, with three, and the one I was left with was John’s inflammable tale, as Perry’s ‘Can’t get the staff’ and Rosie’s ‘Who Spies on the Spies?’ tumbled to the floor.

Words for next week: brink freckle stalk

Entries by midnight Thursday 30th March, words and winners posted on 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 use of the words and stems are fine. Feel free to post links to your stories on Twitter or Facebook or whichever social media.

Late year, long nights, big moons

I’ve one of those unimaginable birthdays coming up next week, which perhaps explains why I’ve been on a Mary Wesley bender, re-reading one novel after another of hers which I so much enjoyed in the 1980s and 1990s, revisiting in a small way, a section of my past.

Thank you for your understanding of my dilemma last week! I have tried harder this week to rank them in some order. Each week the criteria shift a little, by process more of osmosis than logic, and this week I found the delivery of initially everyday scenarios which suddenly snap sharp teeth hit the winning spot. Jeffrey’s ‘Two nights before Christmas’, Antonia’s ‘Clean-up Brigade’, and Kai’s ‘Breaking Point all came into this category, but for me Patricia’s ‘A rare breed’ took the top spot.

Words for next week:  miracle spoon still

Entries by midnight Thursday 22nd December, new words posted on Friday 23rd

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 use of the words and stems are fine. Feel free to post links to your stories on Twitter or Facebook or whichever social media.

Writing and inhabiting new worlds

I’ve spent much of this week with my head in the seventeenth century, reading textbooks and novels of the period to enable me to pick up the voice of my narrator, and have been pleasantly surprised how easily I’ve invented likely-sounding phrases for her and her peers. It strikes me it’s somewhat akin to writing Fantasy, and also that I’m going to have to read something very different to re-enter the world of modern-day murder as required by my current works in progress.

And this week’s entries here well-demonstrate the practised writer’s facility for creation. I look forward to Patricia’s knitting together of her Kursaal world, to Antonia’s Captain a-sail on the high seas and add my plea for Bill to deliver a little more Emilio. This week’s winner, for her orphaned stockings and Princess Rosebud’s endlessly intriguing adventures, is Rosie, with William a brave runner-up for his paean to his absent muse.  

Words for next week:  corrugate, seventeen, butcher

Entries by midnight Thursday 27th October, new words posted on Friday 28th

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 use of the words and stems are fine. Feel free to post links to your stories on Twitter or Facebook or whichever social media.

And not a mention of a goat

Bill’s Black Widow – this week’s standout winner – was a fully complete and satisfying  story in 100 words. The joy of reading such perfection is much enhanced when, like me and Pettinger, William and his butter knife this week, you’ve tried umpteen times to arrange words which not only incorporate the prompts but contain a bit of a buzz. Now and again, words assemble themselves with ease and almost without input, and I’m tempted to put it down to luck, but in truth I see it as a small reward for the constant practice put in the rest of the time. And for not so much a buzz as a kick, Patricia’s ‘Tough love’earns‘ an honourable mention.

Words for the coming week are: Shakespeare, six, pattern

Entries by midnight Thursday 14th April , new words and winners posted on 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. 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 and, if you like, remind your friends that we are open to new and returning writers.

Litotes (or that Tom Jones song)

'Litotes' being a) one of those words I can never remember the definition of, and b) yet another of those writing processes I do without needing to know what it is called. Mark Forsyth’s ‘The Elements of Eloquence’ calls them ‘elements of rhetoric’ and devotes thirty-nine challengingly-titled chapters to describing them. I was readily familiar with only three of such terms, and found the book a fascinating read, but I’m still unable to name any more. I don’t anticipate using any of them as prompts!

This week’s winner is someone whose writing never fails in its eloquence, but it was for the impact of “Well, there be many a person with a different skin under the one we all see” that I declare Antonia’s one hundred and fortieth episode of ‘Infinity’ this week’s winner.

Thank you all for participating – even the late-arriving Rosie whose 18th episode of the Princess Pirate is hugely entertaining ­and for commenting – such a strong element of this blog.  

Words for the coming week are: absent exact, butter

Entries by midnight Thursday 7th April , new words and winners posted on 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. 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 and, if you like, remind your friends that we are open to new and returning writers.

Daisy fresh, but dastardly

One of the five books I read this week was Howard Spring’s ‘Shabby Tiger’, first published in 1934. Not read for some forty years I was delighted to find was just as beautiful, fresh and wonderful as ever.

Hundred word drabbles are a very different breed to novels, but no-one can doubt the freshness of what turns up on the Prediction each week, prime examples of which are Rosie and Zaiure for their party-themed pieces (late arriving, but worth waiting for). For the vividly-delivered kick of macabre, this week’s top spot goes to Patricia for her ‘Artistic licence’. Her use of ‘Christian’ as a first name is guaranteed to creep me out, after ‘Jane Eyre’. And thanks to Kai for his double helping of 'Immortal'

Words for the coming week are:  hare justify slurry

Entries by midnight Thursday 25th February new words and winners posted on 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. 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 and, if you like, remind your friends that we are open to new and returning writers.

Less than a drabble, but none the worse for that

Given the challenge of a word limit, I invariably find myself treating it as the target, rather than simply ensuring I don’t exceed it. Not everyone feels that way. This week there have been two absolutely stunning entries which are less than a hundred words, and which, thanks to precise and perfect writing, do the job with jaw-dropping effectiveness. Hence I’m handing congratulatory laurels to Chris, whose ‘Abominable horizons’ ran to 83 words, and Patricia for her ‘Blank canvas’ which was a mere 38 (Rosie’s late entry, at 68, is another good example.)

Thank you too, Kai, Antonia and Zaiure, whose entries all seemed to hit a peak of brilliance, and to everyone for commenting. Fingers crossed next week’s words do a similar trick.

Words for the coming week are: dulcet, bluff, patina

Entries by midnight Thursday 4th February new words and winners posted on Friday 5th

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 and, if you like, remind your friends that we are open to new and returning writers.

A riot of purple ...

... from belly-buttons to extremities, feathers to stiletto and a nyckelharpa to a mark on a hand, for which I thank you all, but the week’s winner only said ‘it ‘ had arrived - with the hope that it would work. Antonia’s Captain, of course, his life taking a momentary upturn in episode 130.

Among my reading this week I stepped into the rarely-visited genre of long-ago historical. As a crime writer, Manda Scott‘s ability to describe and give life to her characters was of a calibre that, almost, made me give up writing. I was curious to see how she tackled the world of Boadicea, and found myself transported into another world, rather that just seeing extreme facets of my own.

It occurs to me that well over three-quarters of the tales here also have that other-worldliness which is why they are so compelling, with or without the expansion of a serial – and it is always good to have such generous feedback.

Words for the coming week are: jacket neutral sand

Entries by midnight Thursday January 28th, new words and winners posted on 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. 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 and, if you like, remind your friends that we are open to new and returning writers.

Rejection and compensation

This week, unusually for me I started and rapidly discarded three books, one after another. The first for the style (flippant crime, which fell flat), the second because twice in forty pages my number one bête noir was used (“smiling happily”) and the third was a previously much-enjoyed writer who’d chosen to tell a tale based on a true story, but had omitted the emotion.

Here on the Prediction, I’ve no desire to discard or reject any. Have, in fact, picked three ‘winners’ for the kick of immediate pleasure which each gave me. These are Zaiure, for the kick-in-gut final line; Patricia for the knock-out brevity of ‘Order of the Day’ and Bill for ‘Subject Number Eleven; because the quality of the gory description was admirable, (though I have to say the ‘chameleon coating’ almost beat that )

Words for the coming week are: forensic, seed, imagine

Entries by midnight Thursday December 3rd, new words and winners posted on Friday 4th

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 and, if you like, remind your friends that we are open to new and returning writers.

The lunatic, the lover and the poet ...

... are, as Shakespeare said, “of imagination all compact”, a concept all ten entries demonstrated in spades this week (do check out Bill and Rosie, who squeezed in at the end). Once again, references were made – and praises extended – to the strength of images evoked. What is even more impressive is the subtlety by which they were conveyed, enabling each of us to carry away our personal, and highly satisfying take on both what we were seeing and what the protagonists were experiencing.

With so much excellence it is, as I keep saying – and Patricia pointed out – very hard to pick any one above the others (not that I am complaining) but for me, this week, Zoë’s ‘In the driving seat’ especially took my fancy. But I thank you all for contributing, and entertaining so richly.

Words for the coming week are: bandage, frustrate, olive

Entries by midnight Thursday November 26th, new words and winners posted on Friday 27th

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 and, if you like, remind your friends that we are open to new and returning writers.

All treats, no tricks

If you check the blogs at the RH side of this page, you’ll see I’ll be starting NaNoWriMo this Sunday, writing the fourth in a series of what are best described as ‘murder mysteries’.  They feature DI Luke Darbyshere who came face to face with DI John Pettinger in book three (poor Pettinger struggling, as ever). From past experience, writing and reading Prediction pieces comes as a welcome diversion, so I don’t anticipate any reduction of activity here. So please keep entries – and comments – coming; both essential to the health of this site.

And this week, a thorough treat! From MDJB’s opening words to Patricia’s ‘Last Words’ and Kai’s closing line. Antonia’s supremely clever blending of the prompts and Bill’s triple offering. Every one a winner in my mind, but since tradition says I have to name a Winner, I declare Bill’s ‘Bad Habit’ to be my favouritest favourite this week.

Words for the coming week are: knuckle, reverberate, sense

Entries by midnight Thursday November 5th, new words and winners posted on 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. 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 and, if you like, remind your friends that we are open to new and returning writers.

Shocking - real and imaginary

Yes. Here we deliberately set out to shock, the ‘rules’ requiring us to write in specific genres so as to do so, but we do so for pleasure, to entertain and because of some sort of writerly compulsion. Last week, for Antonia, Real Life stepped in and demonstrated how much more of a shock it can deliver, but also that writing can be a palliative, if not a cure. 
Not that it cures everything, as the illegal immigrants who this week climbed into the back of a lorry must have found, when they discovered themselves sharing space with a polar bear.

The shock that Bill delivered wins him first place, but Antonia’s brave despatch of the Creature deserves special mention, and thanks are due to Michael for his directing me to onion futures.

Words for the coming week are: alphabet, dairy, vigil

Entries by midnight Thursday October 22nd , new words and winners posted on Friday 23rd

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 and, if you like, remind your friends that we are open to new and returning writers.

Rule-breaking makes for entertainment

It has to be said that honing one’s craft as a writer changes and occasionally reduces one’s enjoyment of reading. I’ve just finished Stuart MacBride’s ninth in his detective series. High-paced, humorous and thoroughly entertaining, I couldn't help notice how much in the way of superfluous to plot anecdote and information was included. At total variance to what we do here, but good to know it can be “allowed” if that’s what we want t do. And, hard though it is, and aware of my lack of academic knowledge as I am, I still feel it a privilege to read these submissions and choose what I consider, often using different criteria each week, to be the “winner”.   This week, partly for the pleasure of reading her distinctive voice again, but also because it was such a mentally stunning read, I unhesitatingly pick Zaiure, but thank you all for both writing and commenting.

Words for the coming week are: detonate verdict wraith

Entries by midnight Thursday October 15th , new words and winners posted on 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. 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 and, if you like, remind your friends that we are open to new and returning writers.