Xander Michael

I lied.

Summer of sixty-one – when Percy Faith’s ‘Theme for a Summer Place’ persistently played along the telegraph wires, exhaling hauntingly into the ether – was one of much excitement and promise for the girls of the small Hertfordshire village where I lived, thanks to a recent influx into the village of no fewer than eight new males, mos…[Read more]

The glow of embers in the fireplace, warm and comforting
Shadows chased by the sudden flare of a match
A candle flickering in a steamed-up window
The bob of a rescuer’s headlamp on a snowy mountain
A lighthouse in a stormy sea, guiding, reassuring
Sunlight slicing through dark curtains
A beam of torchlight on an unlit path
In the darkness, i…[Read more]

Lols, oh dear. I’m happy. I am. Happy happy happy. Tinking the happiest of thoughts. And not failing whatsoever. *goes off to see what big, fat li-, I mean what I can do* 😬😬 haha

Each of the entries for February was so evocative, provocative and moody; it was a great selection of theme from @Raine, and great flow of words from everyone who participated. Congrats as always, Ath, can’t wait to go peek and see what you have in store for March 😊✨

Congratulations Ath, an intriguing tale and well-deserved top place. And thank you Raine for providing me with a very useful opportunity to work out a scene in my current wip as well as inspire others to provide entertaining tales.

Thank you guys for entering! And for writing such fun pieces – they all have something special to them, I think.
@athelstone I love the details and voice of yours, the small touches that make each character so recognisable.
@sandradavies well, naked men wrestling, what more can anyone ask for really?? Love the balance of violence and tenderness…[Read more]

Sarita

Clouds thicker than Peruvian fog, vaporous specters rising across the shifting mirror of the sky. The day’s restlessness calms my peregrine heart, part of the patterning and paradox of life I’ve come to cherish. Chilling drops of rain splatter like surprises on my upturned face, not unpleasant, like a birthday party you didn’t expect but a…[Read more]

A question of perception

After, naked, panting; towelling stinging sweat from our eyelids, we stepped outside through the open French windows into the still-warm August night. A quick sideways glance: he as relieved as I to no longer be the focus of intense female attention. Relieved it had ended – honourably? Yes. That could honestly be said.…[Read more]

On it, dolly 🥰🥰

Aw thank you @knickylaurelle!! Glad it struck a chord 🙂 And I loved everyone else’s entries so yay everyone!

Okay, I need to think about next month – will get pondering and post something later/tmrw.

Congratulations Raine – so uncomfortably vivid! – and to all of you who managed to fight down an adversary, real or fictitious. And thank you Knicks for competition and comments.

I had a first line (oddly enough, my adversary was Time) and discovered Time had beaten me. Not to worry, there’s always next month.

Congratulations, Raine. Your entry was frightening (in an inspirational kind of way ☺️)
And thanks, Knicky, even though I was too slow 😂

Ohai, just had my read-through. January’s entries were really eclectic, both funny and relatable.

@quellomayo – Gripping and amusing in equal measure; this wasn’t one that I’d read normally but having done, I wanted to read more. Fun stuff.

@sandradavies – Definitely en route to overcoming an adversary we can all relate to being plague by in…[Read more]

Right – it’s ramshackle and unplanned, but at least I’ve done one!!!

To breathe.

That’s it. That’s what you need to do to win against this particular enemy. He’s always been there, this one. He’s one of my earliest and definitely my most constant childhood memory. Hunched forward in the dark, fear and aloneness so present in the room th…[Read more]

Not exactly ‘Overcoming Adversary’

Truth is, I can’t think of anything big enough in my life to count as ‘adversity’. (If it was big, I either ignored, walked painlessly around, or didn’t even notice it.
So I’m giving you, ‘My writing journey‘, which is as close as I can get.

If we’re talking about ‘proper’ conscious writing; wanting to set d…[Read more]

Sorry. Book stuff is hectic just now. I do love these comps & have had several publications out of them so they are really worth doing. But …. *wails* I have no time!!