Buds and birds and crooked contrails

Several pieces this week filled with excellently depicted world-wide horror, but it is the tiny, personal ones I especially liked: Patricia’s ‘Cornus Rosea’ with its beyond terrifying theme of child abduction and murder, and newcomer Terri’s beautifully-expressed observations on the travails of writing. Which is not to say I didn’t immensely enjoy the others. Thank you all for both posting and so diligently commenting.

Words for next week: armadillo cheer theft

Entries by midnight Thursday 26th April winners and words posted 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. 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.

An insufficiency of cigarette papers

A week of richness, of  fat stories threaded with slender, insidious horrors (some of which simultaneously invoke guilty laughter). I love to read them as they trickle in but on Thursday, when my initial shortlist includes everyone, I know I’m in trouble. This week’s final, post-my-bedtime  spurt of offerings doubled that  trouble. Not that I’m complaining but I am acutely aware that to pick one winner, apart from being near impossible for me, appears to suggest others were in some way lacking – not true!

But choose I must ... and it is Jim’s ‘As always’ which, so very marginally, takes the top spot. And my thanks to you all.

Words for next week: dog opportunity ridicule

Entries by midnight Thursday 19th April winners and words 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 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.

Mops, buckets and disinfectant

For reasons I am unable to fathom, and  despite such innocuous words, several of last week’s entries had a high level of nastiness, reaching unanticipated depths. I thank you all for your enthusiasm and confess to a small amount of trepidation as to what those for next week will bring.

My favourite of the week, however, has to be R J Wayne’s for the action- and detail-packed account of a simple murder.

Words for next week: destination plug surreptitious

Entries by midnight Thursday 12th April winners and words 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 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.

Friday: Good and wet

Well, who’d have thought such innocuous words as fledgling, prick and transfer would have brought forth such a rich diversity of entrants and a wealth of reading?

I should be used to it, but once again I found myself struggling to pick a winner this week. Eventually, I settled for two runners-up: John for ‘Where’s the Body?’, its use of menace and, as Jim said, such wonderfully-chosen verbs, and Joe’s ‘Bad Luck’ for effective dialogue and the magnificent kick of its ending. The winner , who excelled herself this week, is Zaiure, for ‘Combust' – rich and delicious.

And thank you all for so assiduously commenting each week – bringing the essential life blood to this blog.

Words for next week: grunt jettison Saturn

Entries by midnight Thursday 5th April winners and words 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 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.

Horror comes in many forms

From a group of 15 other attendees and a tutor I was the only one who’d neither read not seen ’Silence of the Lambs.’ So I bought an omnibus which also contained ‘Red Dragon’ which my son said I should read first. I have tried, but ...

So it was a pleasure to return to this week’s offerings here, and instead judge these for their nightmare qualities. It doesn’t need to be blood and gore: Jim Deegan’s  ‘Sweet Revenge’, in which my namesake (not that that was relevant!) ‘raggedly pieced herself together’, truly held the quality of nightmare.

Words for next week: fledgling prick transfer

Entries by midnight Thursday 29th March winners and words posted Friday 30th

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.

In the event of ...

Another tricky choice! Many thanks for such a varied and imaginative response to last week’s words, and for your care in commenting on others’ posts. This week’s winner, after the usual see-sawing between possibilities, is Patricia’s ‘False Sense Of Security’, which sounds as if it had been inspired by her dizziness from the previous week (although there was no lack of pain in other entries!).

Words for next week: commission  pelvis  yesterday

Entries by midnight Thursday 22nd March winners and words posted 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 you prefer.

Anvil no longer required

I’m at a Crimewriting weekend near Gretna this weekend. Four of my favourite writers running workshops and twenty-nine fellow would-be crime writers participating. As a consequence I’m not sure when I’ll have the time to properly judge and pick a winner – maybe not until Monday. In the meantime, however, you need words to spin and weave into something so ...

Words for next week: obdurate pound waffle

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

and I'm awake early, as per usual, with time to say I pick Jim Deegan's 'Invitation' as this week's winner and Joe's 'Man for Hire' as runner up. Thank you all for another entertaining week.

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.

If symptoms persist ...

At the risk of repeating myself, it has been another week of hard choices, of reading and re-reading, seeking a minuscule reason to move a post down from first place. Needless to say, it didn’t happen. Five went to four to three and the final two were agonising to tell apart. In the end, I chose John for his ‘Daughters of Anguish’ but have to confess David was so close behind as to be treading on their heels.

Words for next week: affair orifice pedestal

Entries by midnight Thursday 8th March winners* and words posted Friday 9^th

*I shall be at a writing retreat way from Thursday to Sunday next week. Words will definitely be scheduled, and if I don’t find time before, winners by Monday.

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.

Thursday’s child

Double-checking that the child born on a Thursday did have far to go a reference to Eartha Kitt came up and I was taken back several decades to a memory of being mesmerised by the quality of her voice, and thinking her perfectly named.

This week’s entries were pretty mesmerising too: week after week I am in awe of the talent in this group. I am also aware I don’t often acknowledge the comments made on my posts, but hope you know that is not lack of pleasure. This week’s winner, I’m delighted to say, is Zaiure for ‘Boda’.  Several of you were neck and neck but it was ‘rummages in the stolen tithe bag’ which tipped the balance when the time came to make my mind up.

Words for next week: fuse migrate song

Entries by midnight Thursday 1st March winners and words posted Friday 2nd

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.

A lack of satin hearts

Another week of top quality writing, with nary a red rose in sight. for which much thanks, despite the fact that it makes the task of choosing one piece above the others difficult in the extreme. Eventually, the choice came down to fake news or fancy tattoos, and I was unable to split them, so Patricia, for her ‘Modus operandi’ and David, for ‘Job description’ will have to teeter together on the topmost podium.

My thanks to all of you for posting and for the vital comments.

Words for next week: brazen relish tithe

Entries by midnight Thursday  22nd February winners and words posted 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 you prefer.

Overtures and arias

(I'm in Cardiff  to see a couple of operas this weekend, so apologies for brevity)

As I said last week, sometimes it’s just a choice of words, and I’m sure it will come as no surprise that John’s ‘Proxy doxy’ in his ‘The Dalliance’ propelled him into first place.

Thank you one and all for a feast of richness this week.

Words for next week: caustic erase scroll

Entries by midnight Thursday  15th February winners and words 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 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.

Blood sugar and jelly babies

The weekly choosing of a ‘winner’ – one story ‘better’ than the rest – is becoming near impossible. Not that I’m complaining, but you should all know that so often it is little more than a particularly appealing phrase, a choice of words or, even, a title that swings the balance after I’ve spent more time than I can afford trying to choose.

This week was especially hard. Eventually, on the strength of “weighing the ripened silence” I picked Jerry’s ‘Someday’; having also found the whole of the tale lingered in my mind. Huge thanks to the rest of you.

Words for next week:  bedlam proxy taunt

Entries by midnight Thursday  8th February winners and words posted Friday 9th

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.

Buttered scones and great imagination

This was one of the most exhilarating weeks for colourful and supremely imaginative leaps I can remember; it seemed the standard of offerings shot up tenfold (not that they are normally at all shabby!). Perhaps I should offer more in the way of misspelt and mildly obscure  prompt words?  

I thank you all for your contributions, and thank you all again for commenting so diligently – a vital part of this site.

As usual, near impossible to pick a winner, however, for the gut-punching  impact of her final line – Antonia’s ‘Deception’, aptly named drew a small squeal from me, so little did I anticipate it, and deserves top place this week.

Words for next week:  ladder ripe venture

Entries by midnight Thursday 1^st February, winners and words posted Friday 2nd

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.

Slush, salt and puddle jumping

Yesterday’s walk to fetch the daily paper. But later the sun came out and to have colour after days of grey was a bonus. And yet, this week I found myself most appreciative of the different brands of horror so many of you deliver on a regular basis.

Patricia deserves a mention twice over: one for the telling of the fascinating  real-life background to ‘Divisible by One’ and another for Heteropaternal Superfecundation – whose ‘I won't bore you with the details.  ending deserved a slapped wrist.

And though I do try to name but a single winner, this week the honours have to be shared between Jim E Deegan (appearing as Anonymous) for his untitled piece and Jerry for ‘I See Red’

Words for next week:  collapse sauce tumbrel
Apologies - a last minute change of mind (from 'tendril') and I forgot to check the spelling

Entries by midnight Thursday  25^th January winners and words 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 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.

Purple strap, orange hearts and dustballs

Another reference to what is on my desk.  (Just so you know, I’m not the sort does housework, so dust and other oddities are inevitable.)

Which is why no mention, by me, of a feather duster. But plenty other fascinating uses of last week’s prompt words, and a richness of submissions from which to try and pick a winner. I had a short list of four ...(and had Rosie and Bill not been past the deadline with their pieces that would have risen to six)  but eventually, almost inevitably, it is Dan’s ‘The Hulder Nymph’ which especially delighted me with both the language of its dialogue and the background to the exchange.

Words for next week:  hiatus scrub twin

Entries by midnight Thursday  18^th January winners and words posted Friday 19th

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.

Soaring into the high cold dawn of a new year

I’m not one for resolutions (and doubt any such would have prevented the last few week’s disruption) but it might be worth suggesting any thanks for my consistency of administration be kept within your own minds!! Fingers crossed, this time to encourage a retreating virus, I am finally on the mend. I hope the rest of you had a week or so of joy and contentment.

This week’s winner – in large part because of the subtlety of its under-writing which is a skill I am trying hard to develop myself – is Zaiure for her ‘Frozen’ Each time I read it I come up with a different interpretation, and were it a novel, would not yet have put it down.

Words for next week:  clot feather third

Entries by midnight Thursday  11^th January winners and words 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 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.

Maps and wires, bookmarks and guitar strings

Another twelvemonth passed; another year of exciting writing to look back on and my thanks to every one you for your support.

I’ve been re-reading William McIlvanney’s Laidlaw trilogy this week; a strongly-drawn detective with a philosophical bent, I suspect it is this that warmed me to Dan’s ‘Confessions of a Reaper’ (and if crime is not your thing, there is much more to McIlvanney than his detective fiction). Additionally, I was delighted to have the treat of another episode of jk’s’ Ellis series so these are the final winners of 2017.

Here’s to 2018 – and best wishes to all of you the forthcoming holiday season.

Words to use in the next two weeks:  gutter rime thrift

Entries by midnight Thursday 4^th January winners and words posted 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. 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.

Ink blots, gouges and sticky shadows

All these and more tell the history of the plan-chest acquired at auction by my husband who knew  I needed one but had no idea of the space available to put it. Took a while but he has ceased offering to clean it up a bit.

And Patricia was on the verge of cleaning up this week, since at first read all her offerings were winners, but ultimately, despite my declaring a tie between ‘Persona Non Grata’ and ‘Crowning Glory’ , she has to share the No.1 spot with Rosie for her ‘Normal is overrated.’

Thank you all for your magnificent contributions and comments.

Words for next week:  pride quirk wedge

Entries by midnight Thursday 21st December winners and words posted Friday 22nd

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.

Mislaid plans, and permutations of disaster …

Not exactly High Noon (and I can’t remember the story anyway, but I’d like to say a big ‘Thank you’ to Patricia for deputising for my so ably and for much longer than anticipated over the past few weeks. The hospital stay was beyond my control, but my stupidly wiping my laptop certainly didn’t help!

And so to this week’s winner – as problematical as ever to make a choice – but I think it has to be David’s ‘Heaven will Fall’ for much more than the unique conjunction of defibrillators and angel flesh.

Words for next week:  conform, lichen, stamp

Entries by midnight Thursday 14th December winners and words posted 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. 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.

Broad expanses, stretching the mind ...

... Something all entries had in common last week - an escape from these four walls which was very welcome, and my thanks, in advance to Patricia who has so ably kept this site going in my prolonged absence, providing the necessary fillips of comment and order of merit. 

Words for next week: cherub, flicker, short

Entries by midnight Thursday 7th December winners and words 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 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.