Framing
On 2017 September 1st by montyFrom the top? Okay, officers. I weren’t even anywhere near the bank at the time. Which bank? And when was this again? This morning? No, certainly not this morning. Why would I need to go to the bank so early? Nobody goes to the bank that early, especially not me. Besides, I don’t even
Crossing
On 2017 August 2nd by montyI have seen people crossing the river; some have reached the far bank, some began to cross a while after I started, but everyone crosses the river. For many people the river is wide, and their journey across is a long one. A few people cross where the river is narrow, and reach the other
Another Life (Home is Elsewhere)
On 2017 July 27th by monty‘Hero, you are our last hope against the evils of tyranny.’ Next. ‘The forces of Dark Sorcerer Xashar have descended on our peaceful realm, murdering our village folk and sapping this land of its natural resources.’ Next. ‘Will you lend us your strength and help vanquish this villain that holds dominion over us?’ Accept. ‘Thank
Imperfections
On 2017 July 14th by montyThere were imperfections.
The eyelashes were too uniform, and a heavier grade than the hair. It shouldn’t have bothered him, but he spent so much of his time seeing them up close. The eyes, however, were perfect. Expensive. Worth every cent. The fabricated recreation was, to him, breathtaking. Breath.
It is Dark
On 2017 June 22nd by montyI thought I would have a go at a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure gimmick, using the infinitely enjoyable Microsoft PowerPoint. I stuck to the most traditional tropes of the genre; dark cave fantasy, brimming with consequence and peril. There is a way out, and the path to failure is littered with clues and advice for an eventual success (and escape!)
Charlie’s Magical Reading Time
On 2017 June 9th by montyThe prompt was “Insect, Dinosaur, Bird”. We all laughed as the random words were pulled out of the hat, and seemingly willed us to write Jurassic Park fanfiction. Having the names of three creatures put me in mind of those fun picturebooks that some children have, where you can mix-and-match the body parts of existing creatures to make myriad new freakish things. Oh, what fun could be had…
The Warrior and the Wyvern
On 2017 June 5th by montyThe goal was to create any short piece, and the prompt was ‘Double’. I was inspired by this prompt to revisit a previous challenge (writing something from two perspectives), and create a short piece between two characters, then send one version to the group, but read out the other perspective version during our session.
I have emulated this below by including the other character’s voice in the hover text of the first character’s voice! So hover your mouse over the italicised coloured text, and enjoy…
Parasite
On 2017 May 3rd by monty“Ready, babe?” The words left his lips unconsciously; he didn’t need to pay attention to a question -even one he was asking- when he wasn’t going to care about the answer. She saw this and didn’t break eye contact. That must have been a yes, because the very next moment he was all
The Way-Wailer in the Wall
On 2017 March 1st by monty(This has now been adapted into a campfire story here)
I was given the prompt, “The Road Less Travelled”, to create any 500-word piece. An idea came to mind in a fantasy setting. As I haven’t established a fantasy world of my own yet, I pictured this little scene happening in Analand, a region of Titan from Steve Jackson’s Fighting Fantasy series.
Shopping List
On 2017 February 15th by montyEggs Lettuce Envelopes Pickles Hacksaw Aspirin Nytol Toothbrushes Bulbs Utterly butterly Rhubarb Shovel Tarpaulin Seeds Towels Raincoat Anchovies Wire Bleach Energy drink Raspberries Roses Yoghurt Juice Alkaline Acidic salt Mother’s day card
Simon Garrington Goes to Hospital
On 2017 February 2nd by montyAnother 500-word creative writing challenge – write something based on real-life events. When I visited Minsk almost a decade ago with a student theatre group, I kept track of everything in a leather-bound diary (snarf snarf snarf – what a nerd). The one momentous happening that never reached the pages of my journal was when Simon had to go to a Belarusian hospital, where a burly nurse administered an injection to his rump, for which he was expressly thankful. I used this opportunity to write down Simon’s experience, from the time-damaged memory of his own recount at the time (plus a few embellishments, natch).
Basildon and the Thin Man
On 2017 February 2nd by montyA Creative Writing set task from 2009 – we had to write a short narrative in a fantasy dreamscape. I assume now that my lecturer at the time was a Twin Peaks fan.
I have since tried writing ‘better’ dream logic (the futility is not lost on me), and I even had a dream diary for a while. You can check out a more recent dream piece here: Hypnopomia