Farewell to the EU

I haven’t written anything about politics generally or Brexit in particular for a long time now, but I’m sharing this from one of my favourite fellow bloggers. His concerns, by his own admission, aren’t as pressing as those of a someone younger who may be losing the right to live and work elsewhere in the EU, but his sense of despair at the folly of it all is palpable. What are we doing?

LIT.GAZ.

I am becoming more and more despondent as the days tick by to 29 March 2018…

It was during a conversation with a Luxemburger whose studio I’d rented for my last walking holiday, that I realised I’d spent my entire adult life as a citizen of, first the European Economic Community, then the European Community and finally the European Union: I was 18 when we joined back in 1973. Although I felt happy then joining all our neighbours in the twelve (as it was then), two years later, in my serious but short-lived very left-wing phase, I voted for us to leave, in the first-ever referendum. We didn’t, I got over it pretty quickly and over the years came to enjoy the – mostly unseen – advantages that being part of the union gave us. Travel gradually became so much easier as borders, though still visible, disappeared in…

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Pingbacks (PSA)

This is a useful read from the Haunted Wordsmith on the mysterious art of the successful pingback.

Vote now for 6 word stories: prompt HOME

I just got my entry in before the deadline this week. Cast your votes for this week’s #SixWordStoryChallenge winners!

Wonderwall

Thank you all for your enteries. There has been enteries from ‘homes’ relatively near to me; Nottinham, UK is only an hour by train from me. Plus lots further away; Ontario, Canada, Singapore, Apple creek, Ohio, Oregon and North Carolina in United States.

We have explored what ‘home’ means. It is now time  to vote on the stories regarless of whether you have entered a story, by clicking on the poll. The poll closes at 9pm GMT tomorrow. There may be a delay in abnnouncement of winners, because although I will be close to home, I will be listening to music as part of Sheffield Tramlines festival at 9pm.

This week’s roll of honour:

sumyannawrites.wordpress.com

Peter’s pondering

pollymermaid.wordpress.com

Sheryl biaatlas.wordpress.com

thehobbitgirl

Tienskye

Shweta Suresh

3 days ago

thesoulsearchersite.wordpress.com

www.stevieluplow.blogspot.com

Resting under Merlion’s shade – halcyon days

trE 

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Bedham

Reblogging this from my friend Dan – excellent photos and a stunning turn of phrase when writing about landscape: “The gloom of the woods that becomes a portal to an older world. A gloom that has persisted in smaller and smaller pockets since the ice retreated 9000 years ago and the great primeval forests that once covered this land first grew. These are the woods that humans found when they first came back to Britain” – visit his blog for more!

Things I Have Learnt

©Crown copyright 2018 Ordnance Survey. Media 076/18. Landranger: Sheet 197

©Crown copyright 2018 Ordnance Survey. Media 076/18

Somewhere to the north of Fittleworth in the Greensand Hills of West Sussex there lies, lost in the woods, a tiny, tiny little place that goes by the name of Bedham. The place is so small that it didn’t have its own church or school until late in the 19th century and when they were built, they were both in the same, small building – built out of brick and the local, golden sandstone. The little school/church didn’t last very long and now stands as a maintained ruin, lacking its roof and the lean-to side buildings that once stood. The walls have been prevented from falling into further decay with repointing and steel girders to hold up the precarious bell-cot.

I have tried to find out if there is a single name for…

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#SixWordStoryChallenge: Foundling

Unanswered questions followed my whole life

#6WordStory Challenge Open Saturday 30June – Thursday 5th July

Here’s this week’s #SixWordStory prompt from Sara. A bit of a tricky one this week, but I think it’s going to inspire some real serious storytelling. Get your thinking caps on folks!

Wonderwall

Challenge open Saturday 30June 2018 – Thursday 5th July 2018.

Welcome to the Six Word Story Challenge.

For those who have never dropped by before a new prompt is posted every Saturday morning at 9am GMT either here or on KirstyWrites.

And…. drumroll…. This week’s prompt is:

FOUNDLING

About the prompt

I’m thinking of Foundling as in baby abandoned shortly after birth but, you can interpret differently if you like.

I think, it is a rich topic for stories. I have been and will share more reblogs of post related to the subject foundlings. However, the problem is condensing such a complicated situation into 6 words, as I found. So good luck with this tricky one!

My attempt

Pride and pain. Daughter another’s joy.

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How does it work?

1. Leave your story in the comments until Thursday 9pm (GMT)

2. Like, comment & engage with other authors

3. Come…

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Six word Story

It’s Wonderwall’s turn to host the #SixWordStoryChallenge this week – head over to her blog to find this week’s prompt!

Wonderwall

Challenge open Saturday 16 June 2018 – Thursday 21 June 2018

Welcome to the Six Word Story Challenge.

For those who have never dropped by before a new prompt is posted every Saturday morning at 9am GMT either here or on KirstyWrites.

And…. drumroll…. This week’s prompt is:

Wildlife

About the prompt

I have chosen wildlife as I’m following the Wildlife trust 30days wild challenge.

As this is an example, not an entry hopefully it is acceptable that I have based mine on a sweater shirt I used to have, which I think read:

A badger is so bashful,

He likes to wear a mask,

Across his eyes

My attempt

Shy badger wears mask across eyes.

*******

How does it work?

1. Leave your story in the comments until Thursday 9pm (GMT)

2. Like, comment & engage with other authors

3. Come back on Thursday to vote for your favourite

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In Theory: “There Is No Spoon”

It’s nice to share… and this piece by my blogger friend trE is just so good, it’s stayed with me since I first read it a few years ago. Enjoy.

A Cornered Gurl

Taken at theChrysler Museum of Art in Norfolk,VA

I tap —
backspace seven times,
an email I said I
would not sendandI am
here, in front of a computer
listening to music that
only reminds me of
you.

I flit —
I flow from one
word to the next.

there is no calming of
nerves
noantidote suitable
enough to render me
settled.

rice is bubbling,
broccoli roaring in the pot
turkey wings sizzling with
sweet potatoes, still I
backspace… tap — flit — start

and stop all over again.
I am not here.

I watch each word appear,
letter by letter
every thought is centered around
a looming memory.
my “E” key is stuck,
I strike it back to life.

I can’t have it dying
on me.
not now.
not today.

I am amusing myself,

you see?
This is a great space,
inbetween theories and spoons
and…

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Six word Story Competition week commencing Sat 2nd June

It’s #SixWordStoryChallenge time again. This week Sara is hosting, and the prompt is ‘journey’. Reminds me of Robert Frost’s ‘I took the road less travelled’… looking forward to reading what everyone comes up with for this one!

Wonderwall

Challenge open Saturday 2nd June 2018 – Thursday 7th June 2018

Welcome to the Six Word Story Challenge.

For those who have never dropped by before a new prompt is posted every Saturday morning at 9am GMT either here or on KirstyWrites.

And…. drumroll…. This week’s prompt is:

Journey

My attempt at today’s challenge:

Limo transported bride to new life.

Remember to share your entry on social media using the sharing buttons below! Let’s tell everyone about our challenge, the more the merrier!

Use the hashtag#SixWordStoryChallenge.

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How does it work?

1. Leave your story in the comments until Thursday 9pm (GMT)

2. Like, comment & engage with other authors

3. Come back on Thursday to vote for your favourite

4. Bask in glory if you’re a winner.

Never tried microfiction before?

Never fear, help is at hand. Click through to this post, on challenge founder Nicola Auckland’s blog on…

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Dialogue in Novels

Some interesting thoughts on the function of dialogue in fiction. It’s something I always enjoy writing, but always seems to sprawl out of control: I like the suggestion that it should be an improvement on, not a mirror of real life conversation, and serve to advance the plot. What do you think?

Douglas W.T. Smith

It’s that time of the week – Discussion Tuesday.

From those who are new, each week I post a topic (relevant to my WIP) and try to unravel the mysteries and perspectives of it.
Last weeks topic was Information Dumps, it wasn’t as engaging as the week prior (Profanity in novels) nevertheless it still attracted some engagement. But if you did missed out you can contribute on the link above.

For now, this week’s topic is:

Dialogue

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