100 words week 86

It has been a LONG  time since I blogged last- since Grandad died actually.

I still feel sad that he died just as we finished his memoirs and have had a bit of a writing block since.

So, I am going to have  a try with this week’s 100wcgu and see if I can get back into the swing of it.

I have been reading through my nanowrimo and am finding it incredibly hard to edit as some parts just annoy me as they don’t say things the way I want them to. I suppose I just need to persevere.

If I feel brave enough I might post a few extracts on here but not til I have done some more editing.

In the mean time here is my effort with the prompt, …the queue was so long…

Read all about it at Julia’s place http://jfb57.wordpress.com/2013/04/22/100-word-challenge-for-grown-ups-week86/

Aaarrgghhh!

“Come on!” Jess hissed under her breath, checking her watch for the umpteenth time and going nowhere fast. She was running late, as usual, and nobody was moving.

Who were they trying to kid with those ridiculous queue barriers?

Such a waste of time.

 It was far more fun in the old days when you used to try to second guess which queue would move first.

 

What fun was there in this system? The queue was so long that it actually went out onto the street.

 

When the alarms went off Jess just knew that it was going to be one of those days...

 

Read the rest over at http://www.linkytools.com/wordpress_list.aspx?id=193739&type=basic&AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1

Thanks for taking the time to read. I will endeavour to resume blogging on a more regular basis!!

100 words week 57

I haven’t taken part in the 100wcgu since July as I have been concentrating on a variety of mini writing projects as well as recharging ready for the new school year.  Now that the new term is underway I will endeavour to take part as often as possible in an effort to improve my writing skills. This week's prompt is:

...returning to the routine...

Details found at http://jfb57.wordpress.com/2012/09/10/100-word-challenge-for-grown-ups-week-57/

I have (so far) been unsuccessful with my submissions to various websites and competitions but will keep trying!

As always, constructive criticism is welcomed J

September

The alarm snaps me out of my dreams and the incessant bass of the music drums out the final vestiges of sleep. I reach for the snooze button, glowering at the illuminated numbers. I haven’t seen this time since the last day of term. I reluctantly leave the music playing, swing my legs over the side of the bed and half stagger to the bathroom, eyes beginning to focus. Not until the water is pulsing over my body do my eyes open fully. Stretching, I dry off and sing along. A new term and class awaits; retuning to the routine isn’t so bad.

Read the others at    http://www.linkytools.com/wordpress_list.aspx?id=162399&type=basic&AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1

100 words week 41

This week, Julia has given a picture prompt. http://jfb57.wordpress.com/2012/05/07/100-word-challenge-for-grown-ups-week41/

This prompt was used for the children's 100 words and I remember the creativity and originality they showed.

I am trying to use these challenges to "find my voice" or style. I have tried to do something a little different this week- not sure if it is "different" or not. I am never short of something to say (!) but want my writing to flow and excite the reader.

Here is this week's effort; please let me know what you think. Read the rest at http://www.linkytools.com/wordpress_list.aspx?id=143276&type=basic

As always, I have written mine before looking at the others... that is what I am now going to do ...

Mysterious disappearances...

Deep in the bowels of the long abandoned, once magnificent, manor where I sought shelter, I soon realised that I was not alone.
 

As my eyes gradually adjusted I saw his rag clad body- his twisted gnarled hands working frenziedly in the shadows.  Lightning caused him to shuffle back revealing his secret. I clasped my hands over my mouth.

 Carpeting the ground all around him were dozens of broken skeletons, their tiny bones picked clean - at their centre a monstrous ball of bones.

He looked proudly at his creation.

The mystery of the missing pets had at last been solved.




I am not entirely happy with the last sentence; not sure whether to include it or not. I wanted his creation to have been made from missing pets and felt without some nod to that, there would be too many unanswered questions. I had thought of beginning with "After fruitless inquiries and interviews, I was no closer to solving the mysterious disappearances of beloved pets."
Hmmm, perhaps I will come back to this later. Please let me know your thoughts.

100 words week 39

This week’s prompt was to include

“Shut the door behind you. I’m exhausted” (http://jfb57.wordpress.com/2012/04/23/100-word-challenge-for-grown-ups-week-39/)

I have been pretty busy with one thing and another and wasn’t too sure how (or if) to do this one. However, an idea came to me and this is what I have come up with. Suffice to say that current affairs influenced me somewhat but this  version is what I would have liked to happen rather than what is...

I’m not quite sure if I have achieved what I set out to; but here goes anyway...

Check out the rest at http://www.linkytools.com/wordpress_list.aspx?id=141719&type=basic

Heads will roll.

The tension was palpable. Heads would  roll, no doubt about that. Integrity and transparency- that was what had been promised. This error could signal the end.

  A waft of cologne arrived seconds before he strode in. Silence hung heavily as his narrow eyes flicked impatiently around the room until fixing on the perpetrator, “You’re fired! Shut the door behind you. I'm exhausted by your ineptitude.”

“But I’ve done nothing wrong. My behaviour was totally appropriate; any errors in judgement were beyond my control.”

“Enough! Your desk has been cleared.” 

Angrily pulling on his jacket he headed for the door,  “Those who live in glass houses...”  and entered the courtroom.

100 words week 34

This week, Julia's prompt is …but I turned it off….
All the details can be found on her page at 
http://jfb57.wordpress.com/2012/03/12/100-word-challenge-for-grown-ups-week34/

I loved last week's picture prompt as I could go to town with descriptions. This week's was a lot more difficult. I have attempted a sci-fi theme; not one I feel especially confident with- but that is what these challenges are all about!
Writing 100 words becomes easier with practice (Better? that's the aim!) although I am still striving for inspiration for a longer project. Have written some book reviews recently which has heightened my desire to be able to do what a novelist does- keep the reader wanting to read on...

Anyway, here is my piece for this week. Find the rest at http://www.linkytools.com/wordpress_list.aspx?id=135539&type=basic


Journey's end.


With all lines of communication severed, Crane and Parks knew their journey home would be perilous. Electrical systems had failed systematically. Fuel levels were sufficient, but oxygen tanks were on critical. All non-essential areas had been shut down and the two surviving crew had relocated to the bridge.
Deep in the recesses of the medical bay, their sought after discovery lay- no longer in suspended animation. LEDs blinked in quickening sequence. Hairline fractures radiated across the toughened glass as the LEDs blink turned to a constant glare. Warning sirens echoed.
“I told you to shut it all down!” hissed Parks.
The lights flashed off-on-off...
“But I turned it off...”

100 word challenge

I am very glad that half term is not far away; am shattered at the moment. The return of the cold weather has made waking up on these dark mornings even more of a challenge! And our esteemed education secretary wants teachers to work longer hours.

BAH.

The children are shattered by the end of the day as they go from one guided session to another. 

I remember ERIC (Everybody Reading In Class) when we spent half an hour EVERY DAY  (usually after lunch) reading FOR PLEASURE!!! None of the guided reading sessions, none of the reading activities and reading journals, reviews and the like.

It was a lovely part of the day where we as teachers modelled reading with our classes. Children are like flowers- they need the sunshine and fresh air. (Thanks Mum for this quote :) ) NOT longer hours in school.

Longer school days aren't going to be the answer. Less pressure on teachers to get children to make "more than expected progress" and more time to teach them a love of learning. Now THAT would get my vote.

OK, rant over.

Now onto the challenge.

This week, 100 words to include the word Wednesday.

http://jfb57.wordpress.com/2012/01/30/100-word-challenge-for-grown-ups-week-29/

Here's mine:

Wednesday

Old English wodnesdæg "Woden's day" (chief Anglo-Saxon/Teutonic god.)

 In Middle English time (12^th century) this became wednesday, or wednesdai .

 The latin form , dies Mercurii, meaning day of Mercury,  dates to the late 2nd or early 3rd century . (Mercury is the Roman god of commerce, travel, theivery, eloquence and science. )

 Many European countries follow the latin form closely- mercredi (French), mercoledì (Italian), miércoles (Spanish) Mercuri (Corsican), miercuri (Romanian). 

The German name for the day, Mittwoch(literally: "mid-week"), replaced the former name  wodnesdæg in the tenth century. Most Slavic languages follow this pattern and use derivations of "the middle".

Now, I'm not sure if I have followed the rules here really, but I didn't know this before now. I knew about the Wodin part, but hadn't really given it much thought. Write the day on the board in school without a moment's thought each day. Tomorrow I will share this with my class.

Check out the others at http://www.linkytools.com/wordpress_list.aspx?id=128273&type=basic I am going to take a look now.

Next week I shall try something completely different...

100 word challenge for grown ups- wk 28

Goodness; this is the 28th WCGU; I think I have done most of them so far; where does the time go?

I have been really pushing the children's 100WC with my class recently and have been thrilled to have more taking part; challenge now is to get the parents on board with the whole blogging idea. There is a lot of distrust out there with blogs it seems. although many of the children use the internet for all sorts of things. I haven't been able to put my finger on it yet.

It doesn't help that so many blogs are filtered out at school- I have been trying (unsuccessfully so far) to persuade my HT to let us unblock various sites but he is reluctant to do so. 

I understand that there are lots of things on the web which are totally unsuitable for primary aged children, but school filters are somewhat of a "head in sand" approach to internet safety. Surely we need to teach children how to use the internet safely...

Anyway I could go on and on about this, but wont for now as I need to think about how to integrate blogging more effectively into my teaching and encourage parents to do so too. 

In the meantime, this week Julia  (http://jfb57.wordpress.com/2012/01/23/100-word-challenge-for-grown-ups-week-28/)  has given us a word prompt    : ...you bought her what…

That plus 100 words is the format. My first plan was for a Dad and a son to have bought the same thing for their wife/mother but that didn't work, I tried to see if I could use the ever faithful Kit (see previous 100WCGU entries) but that didn't work either, so I have gone for this...partly influenced by an incredible video a friend of mine sent me a link to...

 “You bought her what?  Are you mad?” Kay’s eyes were so wide that Sky was beginning to wonder if they’d ever revert to usual.

“So?”

“Sometimes you’re SO dumb!” Kay grabbed the phone, “Fine, let’s see what Jo thinks of it; she’s known Mum like forever.”

“Whatever.” Sky nonchalantly twirled her hair as Kay made the call.

“Yeah, hi, um can I ask you something?...... Sky’s only gone and bought a.... Oh, you already know......you were with her? Oh....but.........OK, bye.”

Kay glared angrily, her eyes narrow slits.

Sky smiled sweetly, “Mum’s had enough of Zumba- pole dancing is her latest fad. I think it’s cool.”