Author: Sarah

The last post of short short stories reminded me of the idea of Six Word Summaries. Once asked to write a full story in six words, legend has it that novelist Ernest Hemingway responded: “For Sale: baby shoes, never worn.”
“Not Quite What I Was Planning,” is a collection of six-word memoirs by famous and not-so-famous writers, artists and musicians.
I like: Fifteen years since last professional haircut, David Eggers.
(found at http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18768430)
What would your six word memoir be?

I also found the idea of six word synopsis as a review of a film.
http://www.criticaloversight.com/category/sixword/
Forget the Delorean, time travel’s genetic (review of ‘The Time Traveller’s Wife)

What film would you review in six words?

Age Activated Attention Deficit Disorder. Do you recognise the symptoms?

This is how it manifests itself: Continue reading “Recognise this?”

The Sunday Times yesterday announced the short list for the short story competition and in the Culture section AS Byatt wrote a piece about what makes a short story.

The short story is defined and redefined year on year.

What makes a good short story for you?  And can you name an author and a short story that has made a difference to you, or at least an impression on you?

And thirdly, a challenge.

A short short story. You have 150 words: post as a comment in the thread. Subject or theme, ‘Envy’. To include the word ‘audacious.’

I am left handed. Not in the, “I can’t do anything with my right hand,” type of way – as I have never resorted to buying left handed scissors, secateurs or anything like that.

As a left hander, Continue reading “Left against right”

I have spent a couple of hours in the sunshine, wrapped up against the cold wind, listening to the radio, and tidying the  front garden. How therapeutic! The drive is swept and the brown bin full of twigs, leaves and the seed-heads of various plants. I have trimmed the Nellie Moser and the tips of the bay tree which were nipped by the frost. Evidence of Spring is bursting forth. Sedum shoots tightly packed, furry magnolia buds – in fact buds on most things; bulbs pushing through. Marvellous. My mood has improved by an immeasurable quantity.

In the back garden the lawn is scattered with snow drops (in the deep shade of the yew hedge) and various crocus and anonites among the tussocky grass and under the trampoline.

A cheery deliver of my Ocado groceries complained of the cold.

“More  snow in its way, I wouldn’t be surprised,” he said.

Bearsy, thank you for the blog roll. I thought I’d better post something on mine, since you have now provided a link to it.

So with that in mind I have posted a poem.

Maybe if the MyT site collapses under the weight of fighting-fool feuds, the ‘Creative Writing’ posts I have on there could find a home over on my word press blog?

Wiremu, a New Zealander, was in Australia to watch the upcoming Rugby
World Cup and was not feeling well, so he decided to see a doctor.

‘Hey doc, I dun’t feel so good, ey’ said Wiremu.

The doctor gave him a thorough examination and informed Wiremu that
he had long existing and advanced prostate problems and that the only
cure was testicular removal.

‘No way doc’ replied Wiremu ‘I’m gitting a sicond opinion ey!’

The second Aussie doctor gave Wiremu the same diagnosis and also
advised him that testicular removal was the only cure.

Not surprisingly, Wiremu refused the treatment.

Wiremu was devastated, but with the Rugby World Cup just around the
corner he found an expat Kiwi doctor and decided to get one last
opinion from someone he could trust.

The Kiwi doctor examined him and said: ‘Wiremu Cuzzy Bro, you
huv  Prostate suckness ey’

‘What’s the cure thin doc ?’ asked Wiremu hoping for a different answer.

‘Wull, Wiremu’, said the Kiwi doctor ‘Wi’re gonna huv to cut off your
balls.’

‘Phew, thunk god for thut!’ said Wiremu, ‘those Aussie bastards
wanted to take my test tickets off me!

I am at the kitchen table surrounded by books and articles as I start to try and put together an essay (3000 words) for a Uni module –  “Facilitating Workplace Learning.” It has been decreed that all nurses in our area (of band five and above) have to have this qualification. When asked my preference for when I’d like to do it I said, “As long as it doesn’t interfere with my gardening.” Three weeks later I had been allocated a funded place. Continue reading “Procrastination”