Category Archives: Challenges

I love writing. I do. But with the self-imposed schedule of posting at least once a day, I sometimes find myself frantically looking around for inspiration. I found that visiting other blogs and answering to writing challenges posted there really helps. It sets the cogwheels inside my brain in motion and my fingers itching to start writing. Under this category, therefore, I will post all my answers to these challenges. Some are weekly, some daily, others are one offs, some are not even writing challenges per se, but I am grateful for anything that drags the words out of me and gets me going. Of course, the more content in this page will mean the less easily inspired I am, but lets not dwell on that, shall we?

The Knowing Arch

When leaves turn gold,

jennifer-pendergast4

Copyright -Jennifer Pendergast

I know that their time has come.

With roses for cheeks

And chirping laughter,

I watch them enter in loud hordes.

 

The sky grows dark,

Eclipsed by pearly clouds.

Fragile branches sag under heavy ice;

Bags droop under tired, learned eyes.

I watch as hordes become silent clusters.

 

Snow melts. Unveils

Emerald leaves no longer burdened.

With roses back on their cheeks,

Straight backs, relieved shoulders,

I watch as one by one they leave, triumphant.

Continue reading →

The Land of Opportunities

‘Your mama is so fat, that—’
A long, low booing resonated from the audience.
‘Okay! okay…Have you ever heard of the koi who was coy with his wife?’
‘Get off the stage!’
‘No, no wait…Okay; man walks in a bar—‘
Whizz. Glass shattered on the stage.
Damian ran out of the theatre for his life. He sat in the dark alley next to the backstage door analyzing the scribbled list in front of him.
‘Garbage Collector’ was next.
A man’s voice startled him; ‘How much for half an hour?’
Damian froze for a second, then shrugged. No reason ‘Male Prostitute’ shouldn’t be on that list.

koi

Copyright – Douglas M. MacIlroy

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For Trifecta and Friday Fictioneers. Two in one; economizing in this economy.  The word given by Trifecta is: BOO – 3 (verb) to show dislike or disapproval of someone or something by shouting “Boo” slowly. Friday Fictioneers, on  the other hand, gave us the lovely picture above.

Under the Carob Tree

There were once three men who used to sit on the bench shaded by the carob tree at the far corner of the square.  They were much younger than the tree, albeit as wrinkly and bent by age as its bark.

Everyday their vigil began right after the seven-thirty mass. They sipped English tea in a tall glass at eight-thirty, then bread and cheese at ten. The bench under the carob tree would be empty between twelve and two; which was precisely the span  of time it took the sun to graze the wooden bench before its rays were eclipsed by the second house on the left. Continue reading →

Rubbish on the Bay

TROLLEYS

copyright -Janet Webb

We stood on the sand and watched them go. ‘We’; the sick, the old, the crippled and the slow, surrounded by the debris they left behind; discarded bags, empty trolleys.

Some were still arriving at the bay, dragging injured legs behind; their expression turning to unspeakable desperation when they realized they were too late. Continue reading →

Sympathy

‘So, killing the Archduke…that was you?’

‘Yup.’

‘And the plague?’

‘Like sprinkling black pepper over Europe.’

‘But why?’

‘Imagine how boring life would be if nothing ever happens…I do it all for you.’

—

 

For Trifecta.  The challenge for this weekend was to get inspired by The Rolling Stones’ Sympathy for the Devil which just so happens to be one of my favourite songs.

 

Three Very Serious Sheep

‘Jack-ass!’ Angie spat before the last of the shattered head-lamps crumbled onto the ground.

She jumped out of the car frothing at the mouth.

‘You bitch!’ was how she was greeted by the other driver whose face was a similar shade of puce as Angie’s was.

The red Porsche she had hit was complete with waxed metal, platinum rims and two tail lights sprinkled on the ground like fine fairy dust.

It wasn’t her fault though.  There she was minding her own business, when a five-seater Mitsubishi passed by with three sheep packed at the back of it going ‘Beh!’ Continue reading →

Hand-me-downs

the_second_hand_shop-1

Copyright – John Nixon

The dress was made at a bargain; a war was on and all the bride cared about was her prince in his freshly-pressed uniform. The groom left for France the day after the wedding.  He was shot in a ditch a week later.

The second bride, a cousin of the first, married a doctor in that dress.  The bride died of a fever her husband couldn’t cure.

Being a scientific man, the doctor never suspected that it was the curse on the dress that carried his girl away, and so the dress now stands in the shop, attracting prey.

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For Friday Fictioneers,  I really like this week’s picture, particularly because I love vintage wear! I love the story each garment can tell; who wore the dress? Why was it thrown away? Was there a first kiss in this dress? Was there a break up?

I had about 10 other ideas for this picture, but since I’m quite late, all my crispy concepts where taken by the time I read through all the brilliant posts.  So, I settled for this one.  Hope you like it 🙂