“If at first you don’t succeed, then skydiving is not for you”. Brian grinned inwardly as he read the flyer advertising a parachuting course at a local airfield. He liked the droll humour of the advert and this was just the kind of challenge a young,gun in his position ought to be pursuing to maintain the interest of the stockbroker’s daughter to whom he was engaged.
Category: Stories
No Solution
“Mum! Nooooooo.”
His scream was shrill and distraught. My heart beat hard against my chest. What on earth was wrong, this time? But before I could call back, an angry shout came towards me accompanied by footstamps on the stairs.
“What have you done? I can’t wear this.”
I quickly unlocked the bathroom door, still doing up my flies.
“You know Mum’s not here; I’ll be there in a moment, James.”
But he was already standing outside the door, waiting for me.
“Look, Dad.” He held out two articles of clothing. Two pink articles of clothing, still wet from the washing machine. Continue reading “No Solution”
Deadlines
In case anyone is interested in submitting to this thread, there is a deadline of elecshun nite, by 8 pm.A short story in 500 words or less, including the question
Why didn’t you ring?
Come on flashers, where are you?
Living up to a name: flash fiction
In an attempt to live up to Bearsy’s description on the front page, here’s a little creative writing challenge for you all.
A short story in under 500 words, please.
To include the line,
“Why didn’t you ring?”
‘Skinny Dipping’ and other swimming adventures *
Well, the last time I swam in the nude was many years ago BC** …
We were in Malawi and climbing Mount Mulanje – a group of six adults with a couple of porters, on a four day three night hike. Continue reading “‘Skinny Dipping’ and other swimming adventures *”
An African Misadventure
Stephen had recently returned to the farm having spent several months travelling and supposedly working in the Philippines. During his short time there he had witnessed a military coup, a volcano and an earthquake thus adding justification to the already well-earned sobriquet, ‘Comrade Disaster”. Continue reading “An African Misadventure”
Storytime
A long time ago, when the world was young, I sat with a teenager who was reluctant to write and we composed a story. All the words had to be three letters long and no longer. I thought I had a copy, but If so I don’t know where it is. But it started something like this:
Pip the Dog met Ron the Cat.
‘Hey Ron! Man, hip hat!’
‘Hey Pip! Bow man wow! Say, you see the rat?’
‘The rat?’
‘The big rat.’
‘Reg the big Rat?’
‘Yeh. Man, the rat was hot.’
It was interesting (at least to us) how the word length created a distinctive sound and rhythm. So I was wondering if anyone would like to start a story on the same lines here, or go on with the one just started above.
It might be a bit of light, uncontentious stuff for a rainy Tuesday afternoon.
Orange Prize Long List 2010
Well here it is:
2010 Orange Prize for Fiction longlist:
Rosie Alison: The Very Thought of You
Eleanor Catton: The Rehearsal
Clare Clark: Savage Lands
Amanda Craig: Hearts and Minds
Roopa Farooki: The Way Things Look to Me
Rebecca Gowers: The Twisted Heart
M.J. Hyland: This is How
Sadie Jones: Small Wars
Barbara Kingsolver: The Lacuna
Laila Lalami: Secret Son
Andrea Levy: The Long Song
Attica Locke: Black Water Rising
Maria McCann: The Wilding
Hilary Mantel: Wolf Hall
Nadifa Mohamed: Black Mamba Boy
Lorrie Moore: A Gate at the Stairs
Monique Roffey: The White Woman on the Green Bicycle
Amy Sackville: The Still Point
Kathryn Stockett: The Help
I’ve read Wolf Hall and another one of Andrea Levy’s, but I don’t know the others. Oh wait, maybe I’ve read a novel by Roopa Farooki too. Has anyone here read any of the others? and if so, how did you get on with them?
thanks. 🙂
Pinched idea
Just found on another page a writing idea. Someone writes three or four words, eg ‘It was a’
then stops. Next person continues with three or four words, and stops. People go on adding being as silly and surreal or serious as they want until story is written.
Any takers?
‘It was a..’
Boadicea's Chariot 