Schedule for Friday 16th October

I thank you for your choice of winners from last week, while I visited what, to my husband, was the Jurassic coast, and to me was Hardy country, two books of whose referenced the hotel we'll be staying at.  

 this week’s words are: beard public rune

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.

Birds at the scarlet berries

Whatever the saying is about lots of berries meaning a hard winter, all I know is that I don't recall what has recently been identified as a whitebeam – a decades-old "free tree" opposite my kitchen window – ever having berries, never mind the quantity there this autumn. Only time - and snow - will tell.

In the meantime, I have to tell you I'm off again next week, so next Friday will schedule new prompt words and I'll ask you, once again to choose your favourite.

 This week, it's my turn, and, after two weeks off I find I'm sadly out of practice when it comes to making a decision about a winner, especially when the criteria, the factors that give pleasure vary for each and every one. In the end I decided Jim deserves a mention for his ability to keep me reading through eight episodes of 'The Box', despite the gruesome horror, but the second paragraph of Perry's 'Exiles' was so delicious that it had to be awarded first place.

 this week’s words are: proof tendon yawn

 Entries by midnight Thursday 15th October, new words posted Friday16th

  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.

Words for Friday 2nd October

 Thank you for last week's entertainment - please do name your favourite, then do your best with the  following:

this week’s words are: former, lake plaster

Entries by midnight Thursday 8th October, new 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 uses of the words and stems are fine. Feel free to post links to your stories on Twitter or Facebook or whichever.

  

Words for Friday 25th September

 

This week’s words are: Santana strain third

 Entries by midnight Thursday 1st October new words posted Friday 2nd

Please nominate your favourite entries for the above words at the end of the 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 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.

Eeny-meeny

 You will, I know, appreciate my dilemma: do I choose one from a selection of beautifully-written intrigues, such as Holly’s ‘An Unexpected Education’,  Perry’s  ‘Creggan’s Lost World’ or Patricia’s ‘Shattered?

Or, for unadulterated gut-punch horror, ably demonstrated by Patricia’s ‘Hush-a-bye. ‘ David’s ‘Hear no evil or Jim’s ‘The Box V’. In addition, John provided a shock of involuntary laughter, and Antonia a cheer for good news.

Took a lot of reading, mental ordering and re-ordering, but my last minute choice was Jim … by a whisker.

Thank you all for participation, for comment, and for enjoyment.

 Words for next week: foster manuscript stigma

Entries by midnight Thursday 17th September, words and winners posted Friday 18th

  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.

Fairy godmother?

This week felt like I’d sprinkled magic words and they each and every one sprung to life. To a different, magic, unanticipated life. Not that Merlot is a sparkling wine but each tale made it do so. And so it seems most apt to award John top spot this week for his ‘Grapes of Wrath', not that any made me wrathful,  Thank you one and all for the participation.

Words for next week: bubble demolish siesta

Entries by midnight Thursday 10th September, words and winners posted Friday 11th

 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.

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.

Branches laden to the ground

Our plum tree, that is. Don’t remember it ever being that laden before. Fruits aren’t all as sweet and juicy as they first appear, much like last weeks tales, some of which  held horrors akin to the wasp-buried, sap-leaking, mould-spotted monstrosities lurking amongst the good stuff.

All good stuff though, according to the rules of this stupendous site, and of a variety which, as usual, makes it hard to choose, but the fact that I had, after the first read, to avert my eyes from John’s ‘Afflicted’ suggests it deserves acclaim (and the dessert of ‘Revenge served cold’ confirmed it).

Words for next week: origin  pawn vacant

Entries by midnight Thursday 27th August, words and winners posted 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 uses of the words and stems are fine. Feel free to post links to your stories on Twitter or Facebook or whichever.

Scheduled words

Back now after a couple of days researching Scottish East Coast harbours North for my current wip - I only have to say 'Sometime I need to go to ...' for my itchy-footed husband to be booking a hotel and planning the route, thus we gain a night in a hotel in which to talk to each other instead of focus on our separate interests. And relieved to see the variation (and John's cop-out) in the naming of favourites - one vote each for Patricia, David and me  (Thank you Patricia) - from last week.

Words for next week: metronome poke spine

Entries by midnight Thursday 20th August, words and winners posted Friday 21st

 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.

Going on a trip!

I’m away next Thursday and Friday. I’ll schedule new words Friday morning but hand over to you the task of choosing a favourite from this week’s posts, and naming  it on Friday. I do so with some relief, especially because, as early as Wednesday morning, I knew selecting a ‘winner’ this week was going to be, in the nicest possible way, a nightmare. However, has to be done.

Jim’s ‘The sight below turned my breath to ice’ and Holly’s magnificently awful ‘Every sated breath he takes is one from my sister’s lungs’ are just two examples of the many high spots, buts top prize this week goes to David for his ‘We’re All Mad Here’ whose first line was so wonderful (and the rest to-the-point, and breath-takingly gruesome )cured me (albeit maybe only temporarily) of my knee-jerk antipathy to poems what rhyme. And I do feel bad for not mentioning the rest of you … Thank you indeed for ALL posts, so thoroughly entertaining.

Words for next week: abstain nothing shroud

Entries by midnight Thursday 13th August, words only posted Friday 14th

 Winners to be named by you

 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.

Although I hope not to repeat it, but remembering the mess of scheduling I made back in February, I do think it would be sensible to have some sort of back-up – a deputy, a sleeping partner – for Prediction. Unless called upon to take over, there would be no need for whoever to be excluded from being chosen as favourite.; the main requirement is to be a reliably regular participant here, of which there are several. If interested and/or willing to be nominated, let me know.

Byron’s comment on the seasons

“The English winter – ending in July, to recommence in August”

It hasn’t felt that bad, but this year’s July does seem to have had a dearth of blue skies.

Thank goodness, then, for Prediction, which this week was chock-full with off-the-wall ideas and epic offerings, my favourite of which was Perry’s ‘Beachhead’ which sent my mind travelling way beyond the words.

Top place this week, however, for its small-scale setting but colourful and vastly entertaining characters, goes to Terrie’s SAS diaries entry 116 – thank you both.

Words for next week: coin peacock twitch

Entries by midnight Thursday 6th August, words and winners 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 uses of the words and stems are fine. Feel free to post links to your stories on Twitter or Facebook or whichever.

Blurring of the days

Antonia said it – ‘Good Reads’ – and this another week of an excellence we have got so used to I initially took Terrie’s ‘Brain-fried’ as a straight-forward apology instead of the brilliantly prompt-led piece it was. 

As usual, what I name ‘winner’ for the week is not an indication that others are in any way less accomplished or entertaining, just the one I pick on has some particular hook that catches my attention. This week Patricia managed it twice, with ‘In Plain Sight’ and ‘First appearances’

Words for next week: greed  state usurp

Entries by midnight Thursday 30th July , 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.

Small but perfectly-formed

100% top quality this week, so I’m going to permit myself to indulge in my liking of the Scottish accent, and the knee-jerk reaction to anything with crows in it, and name David’s ‘On A Cold and Frosty Morning’ my undoubted favourite. Which is not, of course, to say I didn’t gain a great deal of enjoyment from reading each and every one of the others – thank you all. 

And thank you too for the endorsement of the importance of this group – I was enormously pleased to see three of us coincide here around 16.53 on the fifteenth,  and aim to keep it going as long as I am able.

Words for next week: deviate  emery  stunt

Entries by midnight Thursday 23rd July , words and winners posted Friday 24th

 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.

Back to Hot Chocolate, I fear ...

and yes, I know I’ve used it before, but when the lyrics are so appropriate …

Nevertheless, I’m well aware that at the Prediction it’s a beverage vigorously stirred with a liberality of horror – something which doesn’t come as easily to me to write as it evidently does to many of you. This week we’ve had several varieties: David’s haunting, Patricia’s chilling, Jim’s gruesome and John with a double dose of insidious and stomach churning which earns him this week’s number 1 spot.

Words for next week: blaspheme fizz ugly

Entries by midnight Thursday 16th July , words and winners posted Friday 17th

 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.

This week stalled

Despite flow charts and spreadsheets, re-writings and a new starting  point, my current novel has refused to make any progress this week, thus my inability to add scenes – i.e. no reason to write – is making me bad-tempered. All the more reason, therefore, to thank you for the encouragement given by your comments on what I did post here.

I’ve said before, I’ve no interest in “winning” because, as most of you know, that’s not, and never has been, the raison d’être of this site. I assume, like me, participants primarily welcome the opportunity to exercise writing muscles by attempting to match in quality the best of what appears here and thereby entertain. Motivation is personal. As host, my weekly obligation is to choose three words and to name those who particularly entertained me. This week (and remembering Jim won last week) I name three who regularly contribute do so; all very different, all superb: Terrie for ‘SAS Diaries entry 112’, David for ‘Sisters are doing it for themselves’ and Patricia for ‘Collared’.

Words for next week: amuse decrepit platform  

Entries by midnight Thursday 9th July , words and winners posted Friday 10th

 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.

"Brought to you by courtesy of …"

Words for next week, that is. I brought up a blank page to begin to write this, decided another chore needed attending to first and, in the process, gleaned words which accompanied action. Plenty action in this week’s entries, but the darkness – and the potential – of Jim’s ‘Go figure’ propelled it to top place.

As ever, I thank you for your  continuation – this site healthier by far than others I visit, a true indication we are first and foremost writers, more interested in doing so than images of  … kittens …

Words for next week: clatter, fingernail, pure  

Entries by midnight Thursday 2nd July , words and winners 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. Feel free to post links to your stories on Twitter or Facebook or whichever.

Weather to be coloured in

A week of waking to pale grey skies which offer only the dreariness of dishcloths, and hinting at November, except it is not cold and the lush greenness of full-leaved trees is incongruous.  That not the reason, but despite a couple of days usefully drawing flow charts I’ve made no progress with ‘Snap’ and resorted again (and happily) to editing ‘Drink with a dead man’ – all but done and awaiting the attentions of one of my beta readers.

This weeks’ winners arrived at with a little less trauma too: David’s ‘The Generation Game’ takes top spot for providing a novel quantity of remarkable story in just 100 words, and very different but equally as entertaining, Terrie’s 'The Secret Armadillo Soldier (SAS) Diaries - entry 110' scampers up in second place.

Words for next week: interfere kitten profile

Entries by midnight Thursday 25th June , words and winners 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. Feel free to post links to your stories on Twitter or Facebook or whichever.

running late today

so I’ll just post last week’s equally merit-earning winners, which were John’s ‘Utopia USA’ and Patricia’s  Cripplegate Junction episode 234 –– and come back to tidy up later.

I was glad to see the Shadow had other plans for Jim and totally agree with his comment about the wonderful verbs choice of Patricia’s – I read somewhere that’s possible the most important thing for vivid writing.

Words for next week:  distinguish pursue, sodden

Entries by midnight Thursday 18th June , words and winners 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 uses of the words and stems are fine. Feel free to post links to your stories on Twitter or Facebook or whichever.

Inspiration: the act of breathing in

Adding up to ninety-seven words to the three provided, and crafting them to the standard most of us achieve here, on a regular basis, is no mean feat. For myself, there are occasions when an opening sentence arrives in an instant, and the rest follows, needing only a minimum amount of polish. Other times (on a ratio of approximately 7:1) it takes days for a story to emerge; another for the lumpiness to be beaten out, but as the standard of entries rises it becomes more imperative that I do so. In turn I thank those of you who do likewise. The prompt words themselves are mostly culled from cryptic crosswords, book or CD titles, and I do aim to include one verb and a couple of words that do not obviously combine. That you so frequently do precisely that is credit to your powers of inventiveness; no wonder they are occasionally capricious.

The winner this week, from a slightly smaller field, is Jim for what I very much hope is not the end of The Shadow Series.

Words for next week:  blanket lacerate Victorian

Entries by midnight (GMT) Thursday 11th June , 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.