It’s Thursday! time for a T-A-S-T-e-write

T.A.S.T.e-write #1

The image above (from unsplash.com), inspired the following flash-fiction writing output:

Knowing she stands on the other side of the river, I reach forward, arms stretched out, palms upward to feel the warmth of the sun as I made my offering to her. I had no way of giving her a gift and she deserved so much more than an empty gesture.

I wonder how long it will be before the travel ban is lifted and I can journey to the city again to see her. I long to keep her safe. I worry for her, alone, trapped within the city limits.

If only I had a boat, I could try to reach her – though I might be shot for my intrusion. If I could swim against the current I might dare, for living without her is death itself. I wrestle with these thoughts all day and much of the night – oh, if I had wings and could soar the skies and swoop her to safety!

I cannot see her, but I know she is there. I hope she knows I am with her, in spirit.

[copyright, Stuart Mullen, 2016]

Both the images I selected (pic-step prompt #1) triggered a number of ideas and sparked some writing excercises and outlining other excercises and ideas. This result stands alone, fairly fine as is, in isolation from the muddled meanderings of other efforts, so this week I decided to share this for my self-led Take-A-Step-Thursday:E-write challenge. Maybe I’ll even continue weaving the story with other fragments … and if you’re inspired to write something yourself, from the picture prompts or my writing starter above, I’d love to hear about it via comments or pingbacks 🙂 Feedback most welcome too and will be reciprocated a.s.a.p.

Now for pic-step prompt #2, I must simply find an image for the prompt for this next week’s writing. (My TASTe:write goal-setting post will appear at my rough-work-book-blog,  Snailzpace Daily soon after, with links to be updated).

Title Troubles – Bandits – Role Play (flash fiction x3)

Story Bandit  challenge response to #writingdare

“We dare you to write a 99-word story using the following words: vixen, crazy, protect, seater, rudest.”

I’ve written three different flash fiction responses from this prompt, shown below.

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1: Title Troubles

Veronica slammed down her notebook, landing on the four seater sofa by the window with an almighty thumph.

“’Vixen’ was a great title! To change it now…”

“It is crazy…’Rudest’, honestly!”, Tammy chipped in.

“It’s our new sponsor’s conditions that we change the title,” their editor retaliated. “We have to protect our revenue – you’ll be paid your fee at the end of the day.”

“Exactly!” Veronica huffed, “three hours extra work when we already finished with ‘Vixen’ ready to go and I’m tempted to walk here and now and shove your fee!”

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2. Bandits

Vixen were the rudest six-piece student girl-band this city had ever seen or heard. ‘Rudest’ being the latest trending term for ‘greatest’ but often misinterpreted by outdated locals out of sync with the student scene. Parents on Saturday afternoon shopping jaunts were often heard forbidding their younger teens attending Vixen gigs or even allowing purchase of their merchandise to protect them from pornography and explicit lyrics, even though this expectation was crazy and unfounded. Vixen were a runaway success – until the day their customised seven seater and gigging gear was stolen from the Light Night performers car park.

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3. Role Play

“I got the part of Vixen!” Susie gleamed. “ Janie wanted it, but she’s the seater”

“Steward!” her brother scoffed, “she shows people to seats, she’s not a seater!”

“Oh, darling, that’s wonderful”, her mother enthused, clipping his ear with her tea towel.

“It’s crazy!” her father complained. “Rehearsals are too late, costumes are too revealing and that script is the rudest school play I’ve ever witnessed!” he placed his newspaper and spectacles on the table and stood up. “It’s my duty to protect you – I’ll be seeing your Head tomorrow!”

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All works original and copyright 2015 stu06bloc9