These are all so engrossing, Barrie! Excellent examples. In your wonderful six-word, I immediately patched in my own three-word destination of no return. Made me smile to consider the possibility. As for the 50-word, you gave us such a solid sense of place, but I wasn't so sure he was immune to scaremongering... I will have to study it again. The 100-word creeped me out plenty with your collection of words like acrid, serrated, molten, slither, irascible, claw-like, razor-sharp, searing, and twisted! Wow! Nice work.
Thanks, Sharron. Such a useful point about the phrasing ‘immune to scaremongering’. I’ll go over that again. It’s quite the handful of adjectives when I see them lined up (as Andrei pointed out). I’ll be having another edit of that one, I’m sure.
These are great! If I may offer a slight suggestion—and feel free to disregard—as a reader, I’d have welcomed a bit fewer adverbs and adjectives, especially in the 100 word story. I’m generally a fan, but with such a small word count, it can break immersion, offering unnecessary detail. I’d wager you could have cut 20% off of it through limiting adverbs alone. That said, the images depicted were awesome, and I liked the 50 word story a lot! Cheers, Barrie!
I enjoyed all stories very much, Barrie! The fifty-worder was my favorite. “Island” is a great prompt, and I hope to take a stab at the challenge soon!
I'm already looking forward to your contribution. Thanks for the kind words, Justin. I feel well-tuned to the 50s ... it must be all that time by your campfire!
Seriously, though, always inspired by your efforts (and skills) in exploring writing in all of its forms, whether to signpost or encourage, share thoughts or tell stories. I think the smaller form scares me a little – I fear it would take away my focus from the longer form my mind seems committed to tackling. But mindful too that some of Beckett's finest writing was when he cut and reduced, and then cut and reduced some more, always trying to do away with the unnecessary.
Like haikus with long form poetry. I am going to experiment a little with short pieces that get stitched together into a single narrative. But I know exactly what you mean … I started on a piece for the Aesthetica Creative Writing Award yesterday - I have 2000 words to play with and it seems SO many. Again, I’m trying to focus on detailed moments of the whole and get the best (sharply edited) slices of the ‘loaf’ (to clutter the fables with the feasts). I’m always drawn to the Thomas Mann quote … “A writer is someone for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people.”
I bought two entries back in the January sale! It seemed like a safe commitment back then! I have the piece I wrote about scarpeta that I’m going to send in. It’s a piece I like and that’s a start! I had an idea yesterday, a more contemporary piece that touches on the human cost of daily life in Palestine but from a hopeful (always) stance. I hope to be able to do it justice. I have no other plans for August so I can play with words. Thanks for your kind confidence in possibilities of what might flow from my pen.
I think it’s possible to tackle the biggest subjects if you can do it from a standpoint of compassion. It’s why I always go back to Camus. He was flawed in his personal life, and many in France detest him for not choosing a side (Algeria/France) when the choice seemed not only binary, but necessary. His voice had become so powerful and his words were so often twisted to suit the editorial of the day… It’s why I revisit his Nobel speech and his books often. If only some today could choose their words so carefully whilst speaking their power. Bon chance, mon frere!
These are all so engrossing, Barrie! Excellent examples. In your wonderful six-word, I immediately patched in my own three-word destination of no return. Made me smile to consider the possibility. As for the 50-word, you gave us such a solid sense of place, but I wasn't so sure he was immune to scaremongering... I will have to study it again. The 100-word creeped me out plenty with your collection of words like acrid, serrated, molten, slither, irascible, claw-like, razor-sharp, searing, and twisted! Wow! Nice work.
Thanks, Sharron. Such a useful point about the phrasing ‘immune to scaremongering’. I’ll go over that again. It’s quite the handful of adjectives when I see them lined up (as Andrei pointed out). I’ll be having another edit of that one, I’m sure.
Oh no! Perfect just as it is! The foreboding heightens with every word!
Thanks for the encouragement, Sharron
These are great! If I may offer a slight suggestion—and feel free to disregard—as a reader, I’d have welcomed a bit fewer adverbs and adjectives, especially in the 100 word story. I’m generally a fan, but with such a small word count, it can break immersion, offering unnecessary detail. I’d wager you could have cut 20% off of it through limiting adverbs alone. That said, the images depicted were awesome, and I liked the 50 word story a lot! Cheers, Barrie!
Useful feedback, Andrei. Appreciated.
I enjoyed all stories very much, Barrie! The fifty-worder was my favorite. “Island” is a great prompt, and I hope to take a stab at the challenge soon!
I'm already looking forward to your contribution. Thanks for the kind words, Justin. I feel well-tuned to the 50s ... it must be all that time by your campfire!
Ditto!
Clicked a heart, encouraged a little.
This six words lark's a doddle, no...? ;)
Seriously, though, always inspired by your efforts (and skills) in exploring writing in all of its forms, whether to signpost or encourage, share thoughts or tell stories. I think the smaller form scares me a little – I fear it would take away my focus from the longer form my mind seems committed to tackling. But mindful too that some of Beckett's finest writing was when he cut and reduced, and then cut and reduced some more, always trying to do away with the unnecessary.
Like haikus with long form poetry. I am going to experiment a little with short pieces that get stitched together into a single narrative. But I know exactly what you mean … I started on a piece for the Aesthetica Creative Writing Award yesterday - I have 2000 words to play with and it seems SO many. Again, I’m trying to focus on detailed moments of the whole and get the best (sharply edited) slices of the ‘loaf’ (to clutter the fables with the feasts). I’m always drawn to the Thomas Mann quote … “A writer is someone for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people.”
Mann’s words have been close to my heart for a while too. Good luck with the Award. I’m sure it will stretch you and yet bring out your best.
I bought two entries back in the January sale! It seemed like a safe commitment back then! I have the piece I wrote about scarpeta that I’m going to send in. It’s a piece I like and that’s a start! I had an idea yesterday, a more contemporary piece that touches on the human cost of daily life in Palestine but from a hopeful (always) stance. I hope to be able to do it justice. I have no other plans for August so I can play with words. Thanks for your kind confidence in possibilities of what might flow from my pen.
I think it’s possible to tackle the biggest subjects if you can do it from a standpoint of compassion. It’s why I always go back to Camus. He was flawed in his personal life, and many in France detest him for not choosing a side (Algeria/France) when the choice seemed not only binary, but necessary. His voice had become so powerful and his words were so often twisted to suit the editorial of the day… It’s why I revisit his Nobel speech and his books often. If only some today could choose their words so carefully whilst speaking their power. Bon chance, mon frere!
The Island
Fear, retch, leap, splash. Iwo Jima.
Visceral. Nicely done, Garry.
Six words is hard... but you really nailed that Barrie!
I can only come up with a rather bland 'lost at sea, finder keeps all' could be anything though...
I love that you've leapt straight back into your writing after such a fabulous adventure, these are all so captivatingly good.
Too kind, as ever, Susie. I’m enjoying wrestling some words into submission after a few weeks off.