Whitening as I watch

Perhaps it’s the unexpected sight from my window of freezing fog and fuzzy-damp trees that dictated my choice of winners this week: Jim’s decidedly chilling ‘Tonight’s prey’. My writing week went pear-shaped when I realised that, book 5 having reached 42K words, I'd started in the wrong place, the MC was not the man I thought he was and the plot needs a total overhaul. Luckily, my beta reader returned notes and comment on book 4 which was far easier to pay attention to.

Words for next week:  share  shelf  turpid

Entries by midnight (GMT) Thursday 26th March, words and winners 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 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.

Black birds against spring sky

Another week of writing and reading richness and difficulty for me in choosing a winner from the many candidates, but while it was relatively easy to decide Terrie pipped the rest of you to the post, I was unable to decide which of hers – I was hovering between three – merited the topmost spot. So this is as much an award for  consistency as superb story-telling. Thank you all for so tirelessly posting and commenting each week; your participation propels this site to excellence.

Words for next week:  affect dregs journey

Entries by midnight (GMT) Thursday 26th March, words and winners 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 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.

Batter mix

The cookery book my mother bought me before I married is still referred to every pancake day, its ‘beat until the bubbles rise, then allow to rest’ followed slavishly. Judging this week’s entries here had similarities, except that so many of them rose to the surface only to be succeeded by the next and it was hard to pick a single one as ‘best’. But having allowed myself a couple of winners for at least the last two weeks I thought I ought to be more definite, and eventually, Jim’s ‘The Dark Side’ created a the longest-lasting bubble.

Words for next week: carillon  mail  petulant

Entries by midnight (GMT) Thursday 19th March, 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 social media you prefer.

A blossoming without a doubt!

Apart from the exceptionally  rich landscape of entries this week, I was interested in John's picturing Terrie’s army of SAS armadillos in a meadow. I’d not previously put it into words, but I see their landscape as an ancient, sometimes jungly woodland, hillocky, and rocky and covering an area of several miles.  I suspect we’ll each have our own version which is part of the magic of reading stories (and, for me, one reason I fail to find film or tv adaptions satisfactory).

This week, the winners leapt out on first read, and stayed there despite many excellent contenders who halted me but didn’t change my mind. And as I cannot choose between them I declare Patricia’s ‘Siblings’ and John’s ‘Shot in the dark’ joint winners.

Words for next week: onus plumage vouch

Entries by midnight (GMT) Thursday 12th March, 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.

Resumption (fingers crossed) of normality

A weekend with crime writers – brilliant workshops, bizarre conversations and friendly advice and encouragement from all – followed by reading one of Douglas Lindsay’s DS Hutton novels, which I described as ‘human, amusing and gruesome’ and then to return to this week’s many superlative offerings here, it seems obvious that John’s ‘Weekday Special’ merits top place, with Jim a close second with ‘And the verdict is….’

Thank you all for entries, comments, patience and votes.

Words for next week: sandwich turbulent violet

Entries by midnight (GMT) Thursday 5th March, 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.

Awaiting your verdict

And, having only a phone to squint at, a slept-in-and-late-for-breakfast morning and a day of workshops ahead of me I managed to delete rather than re-set the mistimed  scheduled post.

Deadline for mill, derelict and inefficient  is Thursday 27th.

(I noted what you say about late posting/fewer comments Patricia but doubt there's a lot I can do except trust most folk will have a final look. For myself I am as likely to be late as early.)

Hearts and arrows don’t have the same connotations here

So I’ve no intention of offering them as prompt words. what I am giving you is an opportunity to choose your favourite post which uses the words below, because I shall be away at a Crime and Publishment weekend; picking up tips on how to write and pitching ‘Drink with a dead man’ to an attending publisher.

This, of course, another week of richness on offer, for which I thank you, and am delighted to declare Terri the winner for her third episode of ‘Gathering magic’ – the whole of it enchanting.  

 Words for next week: broke elaborate key

Entries by midnight (GMT) Thursday 20th February, new words posted Friday 21st

STOP PRESS:  https://www.philsloman.com/2020/02/the-prediction-one-time-only.html?fbclid=IwAR2uPpe7G1VEnwwYYuT4FTvoy6hmB5qHbGaSli_b-akaICQGdNdcnKH6HTM

 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.

Interim

Herewith words for next week. A snatched half hour before others wake up have given me time for a quick re-read, and I declare David's Bring home for Emma  winner for last week.  You’ll have a turn to choose in a couple of weeks. As ever, I thank you for your participation and comments, which is what keeps this site alive.

Words for next week: daisy opportunity stripe

Entries by midnight (GMT) Thursday 13th February, words posted Friday 14^th

 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.

Peace, prosperity and friendship

Not yet apparent across the pond I dare say, but some 52 million Brits will be gearing up for celebration tonight. So it seems very fitting indeed to declare Antonia’s ‘Mad Italian’ episode 141 the supreme entry for last week and hope that this week’s words, along with February, draw dozens of customers to her shop.

Thank you, as ever, for your contributions and comments.

Words for next week: custom heal pound

Entries by midnight (GMT) Thursday 6th February, words posted Friday 7^th

(winners may be a little later because I’ll be away from home)

 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.

And the earth moved

Well, in fact the house sort of shifted a bit. I thought ‘if I was alone in the house I’d be worried’ but, 6 a.m. and no-one in sight, I wasn’t. Twelve hours later I learned it had been an earthquake, epicentre six miles away. 

Much more vigorous and upheaving were the stories here this week, and it’s taken several re-reads and a glass of wine to decide Patricia gets first place for the clever ‘Back to square one’, and John a somewhat crud-encrusted one-off, new-depths-of-depravity  medal for ‘One-off’.

 As mentioned as a comment, I am trying to develop new characters and often find prompt words kick-start a trait or a plot line, so intend to pursue them here. Anything prefaced with ‘Snap:’ is part of that process, There’ll be little in the way of continuation, but I’ll aim to make them entertaining. Thanks for your indulgence.

Words for next week: decipher hare water

Entries by midnight (GMT) Thursday 30th January, 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 social media you prefer.

January going on … and on

As do, thank goodness your contributions of comments and posts to this site – a rich bag this week. Nevertheless, not an easy choice for winner, so I’ve opted for two to share the honours:  Jim for his ‘Hiding in plain Sight’ and Holly for The Elders.

Words for next week: eighth filth shadow

s Entries by midnight (GMT) Thursday 23rd January, 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 social media you prefer.

If music be the food of … winning?

No. Don’t be led into thinking that, because it isn’t always the case, and David’s so very obviously stand-out winner, with ‘Bobby Thumbed a Diesel Down’ was as much on merit for the choice of words, the wonderful phrasing and the big story in so few words as the song, and that I YouTubed it while re-reading was only a small part of it. So thank you, David.

And thank you all, for the start of another Prediction year.

Words for next week:  cradle rupture poetry

Entries by midnight (GMT) Thursday16th January, 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 social media you prefer.

NOT starting as I mean to go on …

For a rag-bag of reasons, none of which in themselves were that involving but which, as a whole, seemed to have filled my time, I arrive at the first Friday of 2020 totally unprepared for judging the relative merits of the past couple of week’s entries as well as having failed to post a couple of more rule-abiding pieces, as intended. So, my apologies for such lack of discipline, but I’m declaring everyone a winner and promise to do better in future, to which end I’ve selected suitable reminders:

Words for next week:  discipline grit vow

Entries by midnight (GMT) Thursday 9th January, 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 social media you prefer.

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Once upon a time …

Patricia’s comment about how far we’ve come since or beginnings her sent me searching for my first effort, back in February 2011. Entitled ‘Bastard, it ran to just 54 words: “He had coached her, not wisely, except in his own self-interest, but too well, and when her third “I’m late” was said too late, and the grey of his eyes changed as speedily as the Irish weather, from promise to perdition, she knew to jump. Into the outgoing, grey-green, full moon, Spring solstice tide.”

I ran away after this  –  the competition was hugely daunting! – only to creep back, already addicted, later in the year.

Somehow, several of you misinterpreted my selection of winner for last week as David and not Jim – apologies for not making it clear, The final nomination of 2019, as difficult a choice as ever, but because I’ve always had a soft spot for Hamnet, is Patricia’s ‘Hamnet’s Quandry‘, but I hope all you regulars know how much your immense contribution to this site is appreciated – thank you and may 2020 be as enjoyable.

I hadn’t intended to set words for next week, but if desired, have a go with my very first-encountered

prompt words – Irish, coach, tide.

First words for 2020 entries:  feint northern opt

Entries by midnight (GMT) Thursday 2nd January, words and winners posted Friday 3rd

 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.

It wasn't such a dark and stormy night … and the sun rose well before morning

Which is good to see: I don’t remember December being quite so gloomy as it was yesterday.

At least no gloom here, Plenty other nasty stuff, headed by John’s ‘Unscrupulous’ but also clever stuff (David’s  Steamy Punk Tale) In the end I was torn between either Antonia’s ‘Sending a postcard home...’ or  the untitled Magi tale; then halted for an age on Patricia’s ‘Undeliverable’. In the end, however, it had to be Jim’s  ‘The Journey’ for sheer impact. 

Thank you all for your contributions.

Words for next week: replete thrill yoke

Entries by midnight (GMT) Thursday 19th December, 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 social media you prefer.

Blue hills wearing a flamingo-tinted scarf

Is how today began. Regrettably, after a Blake display of cloudscapes, it all went gloomy. Back to the laptop screen where ‘bright’ added extra sparkle to this week’s entries.

Winner this week is John for the latest episode of ‘The Bray Chronicles’ detailing Bartholomew’s insatiable desire for Moroccans. Thank you all for your contributions and comments, which makes this site what it is.

Words for next week: intercourse postcard tobacco

Entries by midnight (GMT) Thursday 12th December, words and winners posted Friday 13^th*

*But maybe late because I’ll likely stay up much of the night for the election results

 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.

George talks and December looms

Those of you who have long had Windows 10 will no doubt be familiar with its read aloud facility but it was a revelation to me as George ploughed through all 405 pages of ‘Drink with a dead man’, the fourth in my ‘Love triangles with murder’ series, mis-pronouncing names, not noticing italics, and assuming en dashes (of which I’m very fond) were hyphens and thus running words together. But showing up missing words and my lack of commas.

And this week’s winner is David, for the chilling portentousness of his ‘Once Upon a Time in 1979’. Thank you all for your contributions – posts and comments being the lifeblood of this site.

Words for next week: bright enunciation scald

Entries by midnight (GMT) Thursday 25th December, 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.

Lost and found

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Next week’s words are  accent interfere stark

Entries by midnight Thursday 28th November, words and winners Friday 29th

New laptop yesterday, files all gone AWOL or lunatic and this cobbled from a folder of years ago (and posted out of order because the margins aren't behaving). And not one of you has made an effort to make this week’s choice of “a winner” in the slightest bit easy; truly I don’t know when I’ve had a harder selection to choose from. But needs must, so I’ve picked two – Holly for the gorgeous sensuality of her ‘Climate change’ and Jim for what I think is just about the yukkiest of the many gruesome ones this week:  'Doing my job'.

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 

'November Rain' very apt this month

Oof, woken from one of those running for the train/where is he?/who’s got the tickets/forgot to put my phone on dreams to find it’s an hour later than usual. So, a hastier than usual read-through whereupon Patricia’s Cripplegate Junction/Part 211 - Connections, featuring Clive Bailey, feels particularly apt as this week’s winner.

Thank you, as ever, for participation with posts and comments without which this place would wither and die.

Words for next week: bookmark interior supine

Entries by midnight (GMT) Thursday 21st November, 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 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.

On road and rail again

I’m travelling today, and won’t be home until late, so herewith words for next week. Winners to be posted sometime Saturday.

And apologies - Craigievar Castle was a wonderful location for a writing retreat, in part (unexpectedly) because it totally lacked any sort of signal. I've commented on last week's entries and doubt anyone will dispute me naming David's 'There’s a Seuss Loose Aboot This Hoose' the winner.

Words for next week: augment  Eve* surgeon

*Eve to be used as a name, not a noun (so not just at the start of a sentence)

Entries by midnight (GMT) Thursday 14th November, 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 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.