Mad Iguana

  • <p style=”text-align: center;”><b>Behind Closed Curtains</b></p>
    ‘Jimmy look, that rude electrician is back!’ Marjorie adjusted her glasses and squinted towards the bungalow. ‘And he’s wearing that t-shirt again, you know, the orange one with large red letters saying Bog Off You Nosy Neighbour!’ She poked her tongue out in the general direction of…[Read more]

  • Brutal

    Graham was beside himself. Furious, speechless, incandescent with rage. They had demolished the ancient well in his garden, thrown the centuries old stonework down inside, and constructed a former which showed their intention to pour footings a full twenty metres from where the summerhouse should be. He leaned forward and peered down. All…[Read more]

  • And we’re there. Thank you to all the generous donors. We’re here for another year!

  • One More Year!
    Probably daft, bearing in mind we have maybe 10 to 15 members who are even close to regular, and perhaps half a dozen who are. I need to raise about £150 this month to keep the site going. It will keep going; it’s just a case of finding as much as I can. SO… please see the donations group for details. Simple as that.

  • The Mausoleum

    The star broke down as wife Stephanie’s casket was taken into the mausoleum. The stone masterpiece, testament to their love, could have been fashioned by Wren …’

    Justin Mallory’s architect had also been proud of the secret panel to facilitate re-entry: stone-clad, freed by hidden lock and latch. Justin pocketed the key. He swiped…[Read more]

  • Hi Janette – as discussed, it’s gone. Feel free to post again when ready.

    Ath.

  • I knew from the minute I started reading these that judging would be a tricky business…

    Thanks all for entering! I love that you each took a perfectly mundane experience – like sitting in traffic – and gave me a fabulous peek into the headspace of your characters.

    Ath, straight in there with your character reference of the man in the siler GT. T…[Read more]

  • What is this? I turn my back for TWO days and I’m inundated!! ????

    Please bear with me. Worked a fifteen hour shift today (with the same tomorrow). I promise to come back with a winner by Monday at the absolute latest x

  • Car

    Look at that bloke. Arm out of the window, cigarette in hand. Marks and Sparks polo shirt that his wife bought him. Revving the engine every five seconds; counting down the time until death. And he got the silver car, the GT model. He chose that. He calls it “my car”. But if anybody asks, “We chose it. Me and my lady.”

    How old do you reckon?…[Read more]

  • Hand Signals

    Molly matched the testy huff coming from the seat to her left, though neither were on account of the tailback as school runs jostled with motorway traffic on the approach to the roundabout. ‘For God’s sake, Jake. You’ll appreciate one day why I put school first, holidays with your father second.’

    She ignored his mouthed words;…[Read more]

  • RichardB replied to the topic For Those in Peril… in the forum Blogs 2 years, 10 months ago

    Since writing this blog I have put my money where my mouth is and become a paid-up RNLI supporter, paying a direct debit every month. One of the consequences of this is that I receive a quarterly magazine. In the latest edition, which came a few days ago, I read that the old Penlee lifeboat station has now been granted Grade II listed building status.

    • Thanks, Richard. I hadn’t realised how small the station is. It’s good it’s now listed. I imagine it would be vulnerable to being left to fall apart without a team of dedicated voluteers.

      • Yes, when i stumbled across the place two or three years ago, though the memorial garden was well maintained the actual building did look just a little sorry for itself.

  • Janette posted an update 2 years, 10 months ago

    Apologies for the absence. I have been writing and reading disturbingly little while I’ve wrestled with other things, mainly concerning health and other shit that saps far too much energy, not to mention confidence. Anyway, I had a gentle nudge (thanks, @sandradavies) to perhaps ease myself in with an entry into the Den comp. It’s been ages, so…[Read more]

  • John T posted an update 2 years, 10 months ago

    Sorry for my prolonged absence from here. What with writing a new novel and proofreading two other, as well as all the drama and complications of choosing to self-publish, all my writing energy has been directed in less sociable pursuits. But, I have news. My first book should be published within a month or so, when the wonderful Leigh Forbes has…[Read more]

    • Drama and complications, John? Nothing you won’t overcome, I’m sure. Great news about the books, and loving the website.

    • Cheers, Athelstone. Since I wrote that, ‘a month or so’ now looks optimistic, at least for the ebook version. Amazon are giving Leigh less freedom to format the book, and what looks perfect on Apple Books or Kobo looks a mess on Kindle. We need two different ebook versions to work around the limited options they now give. The paperback version is…[Read more]

  • The 2023 HWA Dorothy Dunnett Short Story Competition is now open for entries. Up to 3,500 words, set 35 or more years ago, exploring every aspect of historical fiction.

    Deadline 1 July

    Full details and how to enter: https://historicalwriters.org/awards/ddshwass-award-2023/

    • Thanks, Daeds. I’m trying to get a story ready in time. Are you going to enter?

      • I was thinking of entering one I’d already written, thought I’d missed the deadline but I haven’t, so I might go for it. How’s yours coming along?

        • @daedalus
          Mine is becoming a more interesting story than I’d thought it was but it needs more time so I’m not going to enter. Good luck with yours if you do enter.

  • You’re sitting in traffic. Tell me about the car and the person (people) in the car next to you.

    400 words

  • Pleasantly surprised by this, especially given the company ☺️

  • Wow! They were all classy little pieces of writing. Seagreen, I really enjoyed that. Well done.

  • Thank you all for a fabulous batch of stories.

    Seagreen – you had me on the edge of my seat wondering what was in that letter.

    Sandra – such a lovely heart warming tale.

    Athelstone – I love that kind hearted Brenda got the reassurance she needed.

    Alex – oh! Such a tale of mystery and deceit. Thus feels like the basis for a longer story.

    A…[Read more]

  • The Unmarked Letter

    It’s a circular, sitting there on the mat. Or is it? It doesn’t look like the sort of envelope they use. And they usually say To the Householder or something like that. When Arthur was alive, he’d say, ‘That’s me. The householder,’ as though I didn’t count. This one has nothing on it.

    Right, that’s Edith at the door. I’d b…[Read more]

  • UNTITLED  (321 words)

    On Thursday, I wrote a letter. Not to send, you understand, since it wasn’t really to someone, and not to keep either, because once I had written it, and re-read it in that way that people do when they are shocked by their candour, I felt embarrassed by it.  Embarrassed by the uncontrolled rage and disappointment that I had…[Read more]

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