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.

Absence

 A week of catch-up and recovering from 27 hours travelling on about an hour's sleep (time in Australia hugely enjoyable and very well worth it!) but nil activity on Prediction suggesting all is unwell with Blogger. When this happened before I think it solved itself within a few weeks, so am inclined to give it a chance and post new words today and see what happens.

Try scissors. snore  and waterfall and we'll see how it goes. Any other suggestions warmly welcomed.

Scheduled words week beginning 23rd November

 

huddle onion impotent

Please nominate your favourite from last week

Scheduled words for week beginning 16 November

 

Please nominate your favourite from last week

fur legend quilt

Scheduled words for week beginning 9 November

 

Please nominate your favourite from last week

godforsaken loom result

Scheduled words for week beginning 2nd November

 Please nominate your favourite from last week

concert ivory plaster

Scheduled words for week beginning 26th October

 

abandon clarify parent

Busy, busy and distracted

 I've been trying to knock a short story into shape, but made three 500 word + beginnings and then they died, and what with that, rugby World Cup, packing and a plumbing leak that necessitated removing books from three bookcases, I’ve been drastically short of time, hence no post and no comments.  

 So … words for the coming week: plaster  plumb  thesaurus after which scheduled words will be posted from the 26^th October. I’ll hope to read but not necessarily comment, and fingers crossed, will be back and fully functioning soon after 20th November. Hope you manage to keep Prediction ticking over.

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.

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.

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.

Normal service not quite yet

 It's been a tricky week with technology. culminating with the collection of a fully  set-up new laptop which was the wrong model, so I've resurrected my Chrome book (my clogged old laptop also having died on me) and sincerely hope normal service will be restored shortly, at least for a little while (I'm off to the Netherlands on the 23rd, for a week) Thank you for all the entertaining posts last week.

Words for the coming week:  educate juice mirror

 Entries by midnight Thursday August 17th, new words and winners Friday 18th

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.

Apologies for tardiness

 I'm struggling with a  long-retired and overstuffed laptop. so this will be short and sweet(-ish). with me once again declining to name a winner - except for all of us.

Words for the coming week: precious remote shift  

 Entries by midnight Thursday August 10th, new words and winners Friday 11th (I expect to collect repaired or new laptop on the 10th so might ne a bit late with that.too.)

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 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.