Creative challenge – 1006words

Lesson learnt. Will water next budgie.

1006words: Paint / shoot 1000 words, write six.

Please join in!

Create a 1006-word story and publish it on your blog. Add the tag 1006words to your post, and leave a comment below “1006words + link to your post”, so others can also find them. If you can’t leave a comment, just contact me with your link.

I look forward to your stories!

Neighbours

You inherited feuds and prejudices like you inherited clothes or memorabilia. But those you threw in the bin.

Yes, her parents had been outraged when the international courts had given the Browns full citizenship rights. And had steered clear of them ever since.

You’d think it would be the other way round. It wasn’t the Browns who’d slaughtered people. And none of them had ever indicated anything like hatred or reproach. To anyone. Ever.

Did she really want this legacy?

She walked over to the old one and touched his gnarled limb. His leaves rustled softly over her hair.

Neighbours now.

***

I decided to give you two-stories-for-the-price-of-one, as this week’s 100wcgu prompt “Legacy” inspired both.

3. Abandoned

You cannot know what hardship is, you live a life of ease.
Your birth’s no effort of your own, your smile is sure to please.

My kind and I we have to fight to see the light of day,
Persuade a maker we’re just right and let them have their way.

And if we’re sketched out on a page, our struggle isn’t done.
For those who’ve made it safe thus far, the fight has just begun.

For each idea that makes it through, a thousand, maybe more
Have ended screwed up in a ball and thrown down on the floor.

Queen Petra’s challenge. Coming up: 4. Crisis.

I was writing some nonsense-verse earlier this week, and thought, why not go on?

2. Poison

By the steps she could see three young jewish women.  She looked at their flat shoes and thick black stockings, their awkward looking wigs. How could any woman consent to shave off her hair, her beauty, her sensuality? Samira gave a shudder. Nobody saw her expression of distaste.

Whores, she thought, baring their noses and chins for all to see, exposing their naked lips to the gaze of strangers. The voices of her teachers had melted into a single melodious stream in her head.

Thankfully she had been taught better. She peered through the thick black cloth and walked on.

Limited outlook.

Queen Petra’s challenge. It doesn’t have to be a story. A photo, a drawing, a poem. Just create something for each word on the list.

Next up on the list: 3. Abandoned.

The Unexpected Joy of WordPress

I started a blog to try and sort some ideas out, and maybe draw some pictures.  I didn’t really think about reading blogs: I already have a feed reader. So the joy of reading tags came as a complete surprise. 

Scrolling through a world-wide selection of cartoons, drawings and photos has been a real eye-opener. I learnt about photo trends like light field photography (play with pics here) and HDR. Yes, I guess I have been living under a rock… A friend showed me a friend’s website:

Photo by J. Brillowski. Click for more at brillowski.com.

Nor did I know about flash fiction: my first contact was Laura of 100000 words. Then I came across the challenges, and suddenly I’m writing again. Restriction does spur creativity. Try these:

• The weekly photo challenge
• The story challenge (and more)
• The 100 word challenge – come on: you can write 100 words!
• The list challenge – write, paint, anything goes.

Try it: you are an artist too! Wanna make a bet?

Bertie in his artistic vein.

1. Introduction

It was Snuffles dog-biscuits. Another advertiser was making their pitch. A lovely building, modern and airy, light-filled rooms, the works.

The company president was there looking serious to show how important our account was. The designer was to show the campaign on an overhead projector – do you remember those?  –  and the cable was too short. Impatiently, the young president got up and tugged on it. His shoe caught on the shagpile and he pitched forward.

A man who can laugh when he’s covered in complimentary champagne and cream cakes is utterly irresistible.

I tell him that each anniversary. With champagne.

Canine introduction.

Queen Petra’s challenge. It doesn’t have to be a story. A photo, a drawing, a poem. Just create something for each word on the list.

Next up on the list: 2. Poison.