Happy new year and return to 100WCGU

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

It's been a while since I last blogged. 

I have completed my Grandad's memoirs- hurrah. He was delighted with them so I am very pleased to have achieved what I set out to do. It has been wonderful finding out so much about him and his time in the war and his working life. I hope the rest of the family enjoy it.

Term starts for me tomorrow and I have just about got the planning finished. I never plan too far ahead as it changes on  a daily basis depending on the needs of the children; but it still takes what seems like an age.

I am now going to edit my nanowrimo in earnest and see if I can manage to get a few more of these 100wcgu completed now. 

I also must get the decorating done. My lovely hubby and son worked out that if I keep on the present rate it will take me nine years to finish so I need to hurry up a bit!! Will do some after lunch...

Anyway, enough prevarication.

This week's prompt from Julia is

 ... you said you’d do WHAT?….

 Read all about it at http://jfb57.wordpress.com/2013/01/07/100-word-challenge-for-grown-ups-week72/ 

Here is my effort. One of my aims this year is to tell less to the reader! I will try. 

Feedback is always welcomed- (comments are moderated to avoid spam) If you don't like it please tell me why!!

Read the rest over at http://www.linkytools.com/wordpress_list.aspx?id=179012&type=basic

WEEK 72

Clouds of smoke swirled as Big Jake exhaled. He stared penetratingly at Mickey.

“You said you’d do what?”

“Well, uh, I sorta thought it would help the guys.”

“You did, did ya?”

“Jonny said he’d help. ”

 “Hell no, it’s the first I’ve heard of it Boss. We gotta cut him loose, know what I mean?”

“Now c’mon guys, it’ll be cool. We’ll be outta there before you know it. All I need is...”

Big Jake leant forward and blew a cloud of cigar smoke in Mickey’s face. “All you need kid is to go back and tell them you’re not gonna do it.”

100 words for grown ups week 43

This week the challenge set by Julia at  http://jfb57.wordpress.com/2012/05/21/100-word-challenge-for-grown-ups-week43/#comment-10744 is

….The flame flickered before….

I was thinking along the lines of the Olympic flame as I was amongst the crowds today cheering ! However, sitting enjoying the sunshine this afternoon a different idea started to flow so, here it is:

The right time

As Leanne reached for the bottle and her dress slipped ever-so-slightly, Grant knew it was the right time... “Are your parents home?”

“Not ‘til late.”

“Wanna...?”

She gently kissed him. Their picnic lay forgotten as they set off.

 The mid-afternoon sun found the empty bottle, its rays igniting the carelessly abandoned.  The flame flickered before stretching out its orange fingers. The discarded bottle’s label curled futilely away, edges turning golden. Wisps of grass and long shed remnants from overhead trees quickly consumed.  Fingers gained strength, spreading ceaselessly.

As the lovers lay entwined they were unaware of what was heading their way...

Read the rest at http://www.linkytools.com/wordpress_list.aspx?id=145885&type=basic

Thanks for reading. Comments and critiques welcomed. 

100 words for grown ups- another for the holidays

I enjoyed this week’s challenge so much that I thought I would try another one. There were so many that I enjoyed reading, but firefly Phil’s stood out . Maybe it was all those rabbits! 

http://fireflyphil.wordpress.com/2012/04/01/i-wonder-what/

Anyway, I have carried it on. As always, love to know what you think.

 I have been doing some writing this Easter for the 1000 flash fiction site http://1000words.org.uk/ I thought I would see if anything I submitted would be chosen for the blog... I thought it would be a useful exercise to see if anyone outside the 100WCGU group would be at all interested in my writing. If not, then I know I still have a VERY long way to go, and if so then I know I have even further to go if I want to stretch my writing beyond these 100word challenges!

In the meantime, here is my continuation of I Wonder What…

Alice has a surprise!

She headed towards the hole, stopping to think if it would be bad manners to arrive at a wedding, if of course it was a wedding, with neither invitation NOR gift. As she thought, the edge of the hole gave way and she fell, landing with a bump at the paws of a VERY cross looking white rabbit. "We're late!"

 Hand in paw she was taken to the quaintest church imaginable, with  a colony of rabbits filling the pews. “How splendid!”

To her dismay, the rabbit kept pulling her towards the altar.

 "All rise!"

 Alice’s legs turned to jelly as she realised this was HER wedding...

But, to whom?

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 words for grown ups week 21

I have finally got round to this week's effort. Have still not come up with a great idea for the other competition, but loving the idea of randomly choosing a prompt. Is on my "to do" list.

I would welcome any constructive criticism on my 100 word pieces. If you like it/hate it/feel ambivalent please let me know! I very much enjoy the weekly challenge set by Julia (find it at http://jfb57.wordpress.com/2011/11/28/100-word-challenge-for-grown-ups-week-21/ ) 

 I hope to develop my writing; as a teacher I am constantly providing my class with (what I hope to be ) stimulating writing opportunities with follow up to improve work. I'd be very interested to have feedback to help me improve my writing.

The other entries can be found by clicking here- http://www.linkytools.com/wordpress_list.aspx?id=117959&type=basic

I'm going to take  look now.

In the meantime, here is mine for this week. The prompt was a photo showing a view through a wooden window. I took this to be the shed in the garden that Kit had been back to in previous posts of mine (http://mrshalford.blogspot.com/2011/09/100-words-for-grown-ups-week-10.html )

SECRETS IN THE GARDEN

“You’ve got a nerve, turnin’ up after all these years!”

Kit spun round at the familiar voice, “I... was just...”

“Stickin’ your nose in. It’s been too long. Just turn round and this time, never come back.” With a dismissive sniff she turned sharply and headed towards the garden gate.

“Wait! Please. I can explain.” Kit’s voice was barely a whisper. “Mum!”

The older woman stopped as though frozen, quickly regained her composure and walked slowly back, her face set. “Don’t ever call me that again, d’you hear me? You’re no daughter of mine, not after what happened.”

Kit pulled the letter from her pocket.

100 words for grown ups week 16

This week, Julia’s  prompt was a picture of a burger (made from paper mache by the looks of it) with the challenge  to write from the point of view of a vegetarian.
Interesting.
 Not being a vegetarian this has been a challenge and a half!


If you haven't looked at the 100 word challenge before, where have you been? You will find it at http://jfb57.wordpress.com/2011/10/24/100-word-challenge-for-grown-ups-week-16/

There are already some fab entries, my favourites so far this week are http://dughall.posterous.com/100-word-challenge-for-grown-ups-week16 , http://abgreenteacher.blogspot.com/2011/10/week-16-this-just-gets-more-interesting.html and http://wordpress.sjbteaching.com/wp/?p=627.  It is great fun reading the other entries each week and seeing the variety of interpretations.

Anyway, I digress

So, here goes with my entry- WHY?

Why?

In the 21^st century

Why?

Are animals still disrespected?

How?

Caged, over-farmed, pumped with drugs.

So?

Have you not read Animal Farm?

And?

Animals have rights.

Why?

Our future depends on it.

***

What good have these burger chains done?

Why?

Look around you at the litter on our streets

What?

I bet it’s a burger box

It wasn’t me

Turn around, make a better choice.

How?

Choose local. Respect your body.

Why?

Heart disease, cholesterol, obesity

So what?

Choose a different path, make a difference and be free.

How?

Meat free,  guilt free. Why not?