tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14647534027523349272024-02-02T23:19:03.848+00:00Paul's Fantastic FictionWelcome to Paul's Fantastic Fiction!Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06473070741060049552noreply@blogger.comBlogger95125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464753402752334927.post-64112764551613418452020-11-20T18:30:00.000+00:002020-11-20T18:30:06.428+00:00Dubium<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><u>Dubium</u></b></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Tami pulled over onto a quiet side road with a view of the
church. It loomed foreboding above the tree line, conspiring to pierce the low
bearing clouds to the point of puncture. We all dream of sun for our wedding
day. Something about the rain’s intrusion just seemed… wrong.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘It’ll ruin your dress,’ her passenger said, staring out at
the gloom beside her.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘The car park’s quite close to the entrance,’ Tami
responded, ‘I’d only be out for a moment or two.’</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘That’s all it will take.’</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As they listened to the patter on the windscreen, they held
their silence. The time stretched itself thin, both agonisingly slow and way
too fast all at once, concluding in Tami’s sigh.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘If you don’t show up soon they’ll suspect I’m with you,
those that know about me anyway. Emily will start asking about me.’</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘No,’ Tami said firmly, turning to force eye contact. ‘She
won’t.’</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Tami stopped to examine her hair, the natural brown combed
back behind her shoulders, and caught sight of her own blonde twirls woven into
her headpiece in the passenger window.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘She can’t,’ Tami said more quietly, turning away from her
reflection.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘This isn’t you.’</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Tami felt intruding fingers uncurling the styled strands and
letting them fall flat to the side of her face. She had to make it stop. It had
taken so much effort to put things in place.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘It is today,’ Tami said catching the hand. She returned it
to its owner, summoning the courage to look her in her baby blue eyes. ‘And it
has to stay that way, forever.’ The latter elicited a scoff. It was perhaps a
tad naive.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘If marrying Emily is forever,’ her companion asked, ‘then
why aren’t you inside?’</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘I wanted to face you before the ceremony,’ Tami said, ‘so I
figured I’d go somewhere I knew you’d find me.’ She looked at the church. ‘Rather
than watch Father remarry I came out here and worried about how fickle the
heart can be. You were good company that day, but I didn’t expect us to grow so
close.’</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘I kept you safe for so long.’</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">That voice had been weaker. Tami looked at her with a measure
of pity and her expression softened, confrontational air waning.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘But you were unfaithful.’</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The delivery was so brutal it made Tami physically wince.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘Rachel started sniffing around and pretty soon you didn’t
have time for me anymore. It’s become a bit of a pattern for you, hasn’t it?’</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘Rachel was good to me,’ Tami said, closing her eyes against
the painful recollection.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘Until she wasn’t. You came crawling back to me soon
enough.’</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘She made a mistake,’ Tami said pensively, ‘letting you back
into my life was a bigger one.’</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘She wronged you.’</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘I could have forgiven her,’ Tami said, eyes beginning to
water. ‘I’m sure if I-‘</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘I won’t let you.’</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Tami nodded her head sadly, resisting the urge to touch her
face. The tears there wanted to fall, but she couldn’t let them. A streak in
her mascara would be too telling, an indication that she’d not been on her own.
Misery loves company.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘Poor Emily.’</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It came out as a surprise. Tami noticed her rock a little,
and felt revulsion as she noticed her grin and rub her hands with glee.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘Rachel was the best thing that ever happened to me,’ Tami
said quietly, ‘but it was you. You drove a wedge between us with your lies.
When Rachel left, you were worse,’ her voice faltered under the weight of
memories. ‘So much worse.’</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘That girl has no idea, does she?’</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘Emily keeps you away,’ Tami said. She felt close to
screaming.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘But not like Rachel did. With Emily I’ve been sharing you
this whole time.’</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘There’s,’ Tami struggled to finish her thought. ‘There’s
something different.’</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘You don’t love her.’</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Tami sighed. She sighed deep. So deep, that when her lungs
grabbed for air again she thought she might never stop inhaling and the air
would pass right through her. She felt ten times lighter.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘Thank you,’ Tami said. For the first time since she pulled
up, she bore a smile. Heck, even the rain started to subside. ‘I, needed to
hear you say it.’ She revelled in the stunned expression that greeted her.
‘Don’t think I haven’t noticed your family lingering around. When Emily and I
announced our engagement, they went away for a while, but they’ve been
everywhere I turn in the last couple of days. I can’t stand them. I won’t let
you use them against me anymore.’</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘This isn’t fair on Emily.’</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘Yes it is,’ Tami said, voice growing in confidence with
every word. ‘She loves me. I don’t-‘</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘It.’</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘Precisely,’ Tami said, grinning. ‘You wonder why you’ve
never met?’</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘Wait!’ Tami grabbed a hold of her fingers, and started
twisting her arm. ‘This isn’t fair on you!’ She yelped as Tami pinned her to
the seat, arm wrenching back behind her.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘It isn’t,’ Tami agreed. She took a deep breath. The time
had come. ‘I’ve made my choice. I may never be rid of you completely, you’ll
likely plague me forever.’ She battled the remaining arm that tried to fend her
off, forcing it down beneath her knee. ‘But marrying Emily will keep your
family away from me, and Emily will be happy. All she’s ever tried to do is
help me. I don’t love her, but that’s okay. She never needs to know.’</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Tami’s hands found their way up around her throat. It felt
good. She tried to push them together as hard as she could.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘This is not right!’</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Tami could barely hear the words as the airway tightened.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘What you’re doing is wrong!’</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">She stared her quarry in the eye, finding a power in the
weakening resistance. ‘I know.’</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">* * *</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Tami and Emily stood facing one another, both dressed in the
divine white plumage of a couple of radiant swans. Tami scanned the pews,
relieved to hold the duckling within at bay. Most of the congregation wore
their best excited smiles, but she found a few faces that were more subdued in
a pew on their own near the back. She knew they’d be there, and cocked an eye
at them in silent warning.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The most important smile was inches from her face. It’s lips
were moving but for a moment she couldn’t hear the words. Tami found herself
dumbfounded, Emily looked beautiful. It’s just a shame she was picturing
someone else.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘This is the part where you say it back, silly!’ Emily said.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘Right,’ Tami squeaked, suddenly aware of the minister’s
concerned glare. She had a quick glance toward those subdued faces again, who
were suddenly perking up with interest. ‘I mean I do.’ They slumped back down,
gathering up their belongings and heading quietly for the exits. Tami smiled in
relief, and turned to see the beaming faces of her family.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">When it came to the kiss Tami hesitated, but only for a
moment. She had a nervous glance towards the back pew, but thankfully none of
them had lingered long enough to catch it and the seats remained empty.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘You know I was joking when I said blondes have more fun,
don’t you?’ Emily said, reaching up and pawing appreciatively at Tami’s hair.
‘But I must admit, it does make your eyes shine like an ocean.’</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘Pardon?’ Tami asked, suddenly feeling on edge.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘What a cheesy thing to say,’ Tami heard from the back of
the hall. ‘But then, isn’t that just Emily?’ The voice cut across the clamour
like a knife. She turned around to see a lone figure staring across at her,
taking up residence in the vacated pew.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘I was trying to say something romantic! I think I’m just
getting swept up in the occasion,’ Emily said. ‘Carpe diem.’</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘Carpe diem?’ Tami asked distractedly. It had disappeared,
but she could still feel her presence close by.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘Seize the day. It’s Latin.’</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Tami looked over her shoulder but no one was there. She
turned back to Emily and jumped as the previously seated figure stepped out
from behind her.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘You should probably Google it if you’re not sure.’</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘I know what it means,’ Tami whispered to her under her breath.
‘I just don’t know why she-‘</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘You don’t need to keep it like that forever though!’ Emily
continued, completely unaware of the conversation going on around her.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘Oh good,’ the figure chimed in, running her fingers through
her own brown locks. ‘She’s practically begging you to introduce us!’</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">If Rachel couldn’t accept her then what chance did Tami have
if Emily ever discovered her? She’d leave, and Tami would get no respite from
her assailant. They’d be together forever. Together alone.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘I, I don’t?’ Tami stammered.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘Of course not!’ Emily giggled. ‘Forever is a long time!’</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The figure raised her hands to Tami’s throat and pulled her
close enough to pool their baby blue eyes together. ‘You’ll find that out soon
enough.’</span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">__________</span></p><p></p><p align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
* This story was first published 10/04/18 as part of <a href="https://bit.ly/3kGnYxr">Short Fiction Break</a>'s
2018 Spring Writing Competition - <a href="https://bit.ly/3kGnYxr">https://bit.ly/3kGnYxr</a></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
__________</span></p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Share using the
buttons below!</span></p><p><br /></p>Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06473070741060049552noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464753402752334927.post-46957733206304165132020-11-13T18:30:00.000+00:002020-11-13T18:30:02.415+00:00Partners in Crime<p style="text-align: center;"> <b><u>Partners in Crime</u></b></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 18.8pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 3.15pt; margin: 3.15pt 0cm 18.8pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Jason coughed and spluttered, the smoke catching in
his throat and part way up his nose.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 18.8pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 3.15pt; margin: 3.15pt 0cm 18.8pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘Maybe Cigar Club was not the best idea.’ Chase
laughed at the relief that swept across Jason’s face. ‘Let’s go back inside.
It’s cold out here.’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 18.8pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 3.15pt; margin: 3.15pt 0cm 18.8pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘Perils of you getting married in Autumn,’ Jason
said with a grimace. The smoke was quickly whisked away on a snapping breeze
that rustled the pile of damp brown leaves that had collected by their feet. He
made sure it was out, then swept it and the ashtray into a carrier bag full of
different sized boxes and tied it at the top, dumping it unceremoniously into the
bin as Chase hauled open the doors and buffeted them with a wall of sound
comprised of cheesy music and gaggled conversation.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 18.8pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 3.15pt; margin: 3.15pt 0cm 18.8pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘How many of those did you buy?’ Chase joked,
leading them to the bar.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 18.8pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 3.15pt; margin: 3.15pt 0cm 18.8pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘Too many.’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 18.8pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 3.15pt; margin: 3.15pt 0cm 18.8pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘You idiot. How did you expect us to get through
them all?’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 18.8pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 3.15pt; margin: 3.15pt 0cm 18.8pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘I dunno, I guess I thought it’d be like wine
tasting you know? I got us a variety, just in case.’ Chase smiled knowingly as
he signalled the hired barman to fetch them a drink.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 18.8pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 3.15pt; margin: 3.15pt 0cm 18.8pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘I appreciate it.’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 18.8pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 3.15pt; margin: 3.15pt 0cm 18.8pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Jason caught the knowing look and folded in on
himself. ‘I wanted to get it right. I feel bad that I’m not around anymore.’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 18.8pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 3.15pt; margin: 3.15pt 0cm 18.8pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘Haha it’s alright, honestly. I know all about life
getting in the way,’ Chase said, admiring the new shiny attachment to his
finger. ‘Man, the adventures we had! You’ve got to live it up for the pair of
us.’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 18.8pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 3.15pt; margin: 3.15pt 0cm 18.8pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Jason took a sip of his bitter drink. ‘Gallivanting
is not all it’s cracked up to be you know, it can get lonely too.’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 18.8pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 3.15pt; margin: 3.15pt 0cm 18.8pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Across the sparsely attended dance floor, Carla was
standing on her own beneath one of the house lights that edged the hired hall.
The yellow light highlighted her high cheekbones, framing her glazed ocean blue
eyes beneath her long dark locks, neatly curled and held in place by her subtle
bridesmaid’s tiara.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 18.8pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 3.15pt; margin: 3.15pt 0cm 18.8pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A hand wafted before him, its closeness obscuring his
vision. ‘… listening to me?’ Chase said, a goofy smile plastered across his
face.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 18.8pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 3.15pt; margin: 3.15pt 0cm 18.8pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘Sorry,’ Jason said, taking another deep swig of
his drink. ‘I just can’t shake the feeling-‘<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 18.8pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 3.15pt; margin: 3.15pt 0cm 18.8pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘That it should be me buying cigars for <i>your</i> wedding?’
Chase suggested.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 18.8pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 3.15pt; margin: 3.15pt 0cm 18.8pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Jason nodded. He’d not consumed enough alcohol to
diminish his inhibitions, with Chase he didn’t need to. He didn’t see him for
years at a time, but put them back in a room together and it was as if they’d
spent their entire life side by side.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 18.8pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 3.15pt; margin: 3.15pt 0cm 18.8pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘After sixth form I got into university and she
didn’t. Then when you had little Stevie she was with that prick James.’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 18.8pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 3.15pt; margin: 3.15pt 0cm 18.8pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘John,’ Chase corrected.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 18.8pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 3.15pt; margin: 3.15pt 0cm 18.8pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘Whatever happened to him by the way?’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 18.8pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 3.15pt; margin: 3.15pt 0cm 18.8pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘Fuck knows,’ Chase said, ‘walked out on her and
nobody ever heard from him again. That kind of thing happens to her a lot.’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 18.8pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 3.15pt; margin: 3.15pt 0cm 18.8pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">There was a weight to the sentence that hit Jason
deep in the pit of his stomach. A blow he was sure that Chase intended.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 18.8pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 3.15pt; margin: 3.15pt 0cm 18.8pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘Hey, that was in September too right?’ He
remembered the leaves outside of the venue, brittle and dry despite the chill
wind. He remembered wanting to be warmer. ‘The baby shower? Why is that?’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 18.8pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 3.15pt; margin: 3.15pt 0cm 18.8pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘Because me and Heidi were getting jiggy over
Christmas. Stop stalling. Go over and talk to her. If anything’s gonna happen
between you two it has to be now. I’m not conceiving another child just so you
can fly back from wherever and spend the evening staring at her again. One’s
enough, we’ve decided. I’m getting the snip.’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 18.8pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 3.15pt; margin: 3.15pt 0cm 18.8pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘You’re wha-‘ Chase shoved him away before he could
argue, then came in behind him and made a show of seeking out his new wife,
drawing all the attention of the room as they prepared for their first dance.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 18.8pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 3.15pt; margin: 3.15pt 0cm 18.8pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘Could’ve been us,’ Jason joked, as he stepped
before Carla and took a place beside her on the wall.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 18.8pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 3.15pt; margin: 3.15pt 0cm 18.8pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘Heaven forbid,’ Carla said and smiled.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 18.8pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 3.15pt; margin: 3.15pt 0cm 18.8pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">For a moment Jason lost himself in her eyes trying
to think of the right thing to say. His struggle seemed to please her and her
eyes screwed a little tighter as her smile widened and she placed a comforting
hand on his arm. ‘It does seem to,’ he said finally.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 18.8pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 3.15pt; margin: 3.15pt 0cm 18.8pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Carla looked at him intently.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 18.8pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 3.15pt; margin: 3.15pt 0cm 18.8pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘I was talking to Chase about all the near misses
we’ve had over the years,’ he said. ‘Something always gets in the way.’ Carla
took a sip of her drink. ‘Or someone,’ he said, staring down at the engagement
ring on her finger.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 18.8pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 3.15pt; margin: 3.15pt 0cm 18.8pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘That didn’t stop us last time at Stevie’s baby
shower,’ Carla said, pointedly removing it and slipping it into a stylish
clutch bag.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 18.8pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 3.15pt; margin: 3.15pt 0cm 18.8pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It drew a grin from Jason. He remembered wanting to
be warmer, then he remembered exactly how he achieved it. And who helped him.
‘You’ve not told anybody about that I hope?’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 18.8pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 3.15pt; margin: 3.15pt 0cm 18.8pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Carla shook her head. ‘That’s between us.’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 18.8pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 3.15pt; margin: 3.15pt 0cm 18.8pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Jason smiled. ‘Partners in crime,’ he said, which
drew another warm smile from Carla.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 18.8pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 3.15pt; margin: 3.15pt 0cm 18.8pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘Always.’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 18.8pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 3.15pt; margin: 3.15pt 0cm 18.8pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">They watched silently as Chase and Heidi danced,
camera flashes lighting the room, intermittently granting the illusion of
daylight.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 18.8pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 3.15pt; margin: 3.15pt 0cm 18.8pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘I meant me, actually,’ Jason said in an expulsion
of breath. Carla turned back to face him. ‘The amount of times we’ve nearly got
it together, and I’ve just taken off without a word.’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 18.8pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 3.15pt; margin: 3.15pt 0cm 18.8pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘It’s alright,’ Carla said, turning her gaze back
to the happy couple.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 18.8pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 3.15pt; margin: 3.15pt 0cm 18.8pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘No, it’s not Carla. That kind of thing can really
screw a person up. I’m sorry.’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 18.8pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 3.15pt; margin: 3.15pt 0cm 18.8pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘Don’t worry,’ she said smiling. ‘Partners in
crime, remember? We’ll find a way.’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 18.8pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 3.15pt; margin: 3.15pt 0cm 18.8pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">* * *<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 18.8pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 3.15pt; margin: 3.15pt 0cm 18.8pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘Nothing like death to bring two people together…’
Jason said. He’d caught up to Carla as she left the church, relieved that she
was at the back of the trail and set a few paces apart. Carla smiled, her eyes
partially hidden beneath the black funeral shroud.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 18.8pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 3.15pt; margin: 3.15pt 0cm 18.8pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘I didn’t see you inside,’ she said, taking a step
forward and initiating their rejoining of the melancholic procession.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 18.8pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 3.15pt; margin: 3.15pt 0cm 18.8pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘My flight got delayed.’ He shook his head. It was
only a month ago he’d taken a plane out of here. ‘I can’t get my head around
this. Poison? Was it something they ate on their honeymoon? God, it must have
been horrible!’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 18.8pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 3.15pt; margin: 3.15pt 0cm 18.8pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘Arsenic,’ Carla said dispassionately, ‘after they
got back.’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 18.8pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 3.15pt; margin: 3.15pt 0cm 18.8pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘Right.’ He supposed she must have put herself
through hell already, and simply had nothing left to give. Doubly so, if what
he’d overheard from the people at the head of the procession had been true.
‘How are you coping?’ He bitterly remembered his and Chase’s conversation.
‘Paul walked out on you and nobody’s heard from him?’ he recited.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 18.8pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 3.15pt; margin: 3.15pt 0cm 18.8pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘We were arguing about you actually,’ she said, and
Jason found himself unable to form a reply before they joined the rest of the
mourners huddled around the double burial plot.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 18.8pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 3.15pt; margin: 3.15pt 0cm 18.8pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Jason had a feeling that they were forming a
protective shroud. The cold wind tore through them where it could, but their
frames prevented the worst of the leaves, Autumn scheming to fill the plot with
its own dead before they could lower the caskets.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 18.8pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 3.15pt; margin: 3.15pt 0cm 18.8pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The pastor relied heavily on the season during the
ceremony. One line in particular about being cruelly struck down in ‘the Autumn
of their lives’ struck a chord with Jason, and he reached out a hand to Carla,
who emotionally clasped it in her own.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 18.8pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 3.15pt; margin: 3.15pt 0cm 18.8pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘My plane leaves in a few hours…’ he said later,
after the others had gone and left the pair of them alone. Carla looked up
toward him from her place on his shoulder. ‘But what if this time you came with
me?’ Carla smiled, wider than he’d ever seen it, and nodded her head. ‘If fate
finally wants this to happen, surely there’s another seat available.’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 18.8pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 3.15pt; margin: 3.15pt 0cm 18.8pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">They were intercepted before they reached the
airport.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 18.8pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 3.15pt; margin: 3.15pt 0cm 18.8pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘Carla Veyhar?’ an officer said, lights and sirens
blaring from the squad car that pulled over their taxi. ‘You’re under arrest on
three counts of murder.’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 18.8pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 3.15pt; margin: 3.15pt 0cm 18.8pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘Three?’ Was all Jason’s mind could process’ ‘You
killed them! Your own sister, Carla, why?’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 18.8pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 3.15pt; margin: 3.15pt 0cm 18.8pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘After I killed Paul, I knew Chase’s funeral was
the only way to bring you back.’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 18.8pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 3.15pt; margin: 3.15pt 0cm 18.8pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘That’s one hell of a bat signal, lady,’ the
arresting officer said as he cuffed her. She seemed to take it as a compliment.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 18.8pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 3.15pt; margin: 3.15pt 0cm 18.8pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘Why aren’t you panicking?’ Jason almost shrieked.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 18.8pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 3.15pt; margin: 3.15pt 0cm 18.8pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘Because we’re finally together. Partners in crime,
remember?’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 18.8pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 3.15pt; margin: 3.15pt 0cm 18.8pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The officer shot a look in Jason’s direction.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 18.8pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 3.15pt; margin: 3.15pt 0cm 18.8pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘She doesn’t mean-‘ But the officer was already
reaching for Jason’s wrists.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 18.8pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 3.15pt; margin: 3.15pt 0cm 18.8pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘She kills her husband, sends the signal, and you
come back and book her a flight out of here? It’s not looking good.’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 18.8pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 3.15pt; margin: 3.15pt 0cm 18.8pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘But she! I mean!’ Jason turned to her, exasperated
further by her innocently uncomprehending smile. ‘This was supposed to be the
Autumn of our lives!’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 18.8pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 3.15pt; margin: 3.15pt 0cm 18.8pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘In that case,’ the officer said, tightening the
cuffs to an uncomfortable degree, ‘it’s gonna be a helluva winter.’</span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: black; line-height: 18.4px;">__________</span></b><span style="color: black; line-height: 18.4px;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>* This story was first published 05/09/17 as part of <a href="https://shortfictionbreak.com/">Short Fiction Break</a>'s 2017 Fall Writing Competition - </span><span style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://bit.ly/36pOcPU">https://bit.ly/36pOcPU</a></span></span></p><p></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18.4px;"><b>__________</b><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 18.8pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 3.15pt; margin: 3.15pt 0cm 18.8pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 18.4px;"> </span><span>Share using the buttons below!</span></span></p><p></p>Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06473070741060049552noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464753402752334927.post-30990278088041723012020-11-06T18:30:00.000+00:002020-11-06T18:30:03.955+00:00Professional Courtesy<p style="text-align: center;"> <b><u>Professional Courtesy</u></b></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing">I've learned that crossing one's legs to show a need for
the toilet is in fact, a hardwired universal convention. A group of young men
enter the small commuter waiting room en route to London and the man behind me
in the queue folds a leg in warning. Most are basking outside on the sun beaten
concrete beside the platform, only one urgent reason forcing them to roast
inside. The heat has encouraged a funky smell from the gents but with plenty of
time before the next train we've subconsciously agreed to pare down to single
file, politely allocating two minutes grace between users. The females come and
go unaffected.</p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">A neatly shirted man exits the public lavatory and makes
a visible snap judgement of my character based purely on which 'rag' I'm hiding
behind as he walks back past me. The upcoming election is forcing a host of
colourful behavioural slips I'm not usually privy to. It's making my job easier.
I'm not yet halfway to work and already closing in on my daily observational quota.</p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">Two minutes pass. I fold the newspaper quickly, and place
it on my seat. To dawdle now would be madness - I'm the centre of attention,
the star of the show, though if you'd looked through the window at that moment
you'd never have guessed it. I was so engrossed in the private performance I
never even considered the freshly entered businessman a threat. The villain of
the piece, he blustered past, swinging his briefcase in one arm and very
deliberately checking his wrist clock on the other. I stood shock still,
staring in disbelief as the door closed behind him.</p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">Sensing the boiling blood of those around me, I gave the
man in the queue behind me a woollen look. 'What planet is that guy from?' his mock-horror
expression read, and he tutted on my behalf. I was caught in no man's land -
I'd already promised my body that release was imminent in the standing up.
'When in Rome' I thought bravely, though in truth I've never been quite certain
of its application.</p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">I heard somebody gasp as I marched toward the door. Actually
gasp. I crossed my leg again upon arrival hoping to explain my raucous
behaviour, and then compounded my embarrassment when I failed to open the door.
Professional acumen dictated I return to my seat at this point, but I was too
frustrated to care.</p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">I forced it open, failing to register the green gloop
that stretched and snapped in the frame as I pushed through, in favour of the
man's vacated face staring up at me from the tiled floor. A scream formed in my
throat as I studied the empty skin, stretched out with nothing to pull around,
and eyes that caved inward for the same reason. The scream escaped as I panned
across from the shed fleshy, suited pile to lock eyes with its owner - a very
startled looking blubbery slob of a naked Zarganoid (at least that what I
presumed to name it) that drew a protective doughy limb across its sloped
middle half to protect its modesty, splayed in cosmic fashion around the
farthest urinal. Embarrassment, it appears is another convention shared across
the far reaches of the galaxy.</p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">'Is everything alright in there?' An alarmed voice called
from outside. I heard a few scraped chair feet<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>but nobody wanted to break the two minute grace without good reason.
Zaggy raised a gelatinous mandible in my direction, the green gloop from the
doorframe forming on the end of a digit in order to dictate my response.</p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">'Yes,' I called back, 'no problems,' and felt immediately
grateful for the reserved British policy of non-intervention.</p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">The sound of water running through the pipes above reminded
me of my need. I went out on my limb, crossing one leg in front of the other,
and took a tentative step toward the closest urinal. Old Man Zarg slowly
retracted his threat,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>but kept a casual
focus on me as I awkwardly concluded my business.</p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">Making sure not to step on his face on the way out, I <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>tuned in to hear the wet schnick as he
resealed the doorframe up double behind me. I smiled disarmingly at the
searching faces and escaped with my newspaper onto the platform before any
could find a voice.</p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">As luck would have it, when the train arrived my queue
neighbour settled down beside me in our two front two back row of seats. A
colleague once told me that men who go to war together become brothers because
of the blood spilled rather than the blood they share, and I figured an attack
on common decency in a public waiting room, a shared victimisation, must
account for much the same.</p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">Zargary took the seat directly opposite, openly staring
at me for the rest of the journey. I was a tad more discreet, examining him
with stolen glances as I turned the page.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>His human suit had been hastily reattached and lay off centre, the droop
it caused making him look nothing more than ugly in comparison to those around
us. No one else could see the alien beneath the man, but what was I supposed to
do? Scream?</p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">No. When that Zarganoid finished compiling his dossier on
human behaviour I wanted him to understand that stepping foot on Earth meant
abiding by its conventions. After all, a chance interstellar encounter on
neutral ground didn't necessarily make us enemies, and I knew full well what a
thankless job it could be at times. He might not have learned the intricacies
of queuing yet, or that privacy here is relative, but I think by the time he
left the train a couple of stops later, unexposed and free to carry on his
reconnaissance, that he went some way to understanding the bigger picture. Back
home they'd call it one thing, on Zargonia another. On this planet, you'd call
it a professional courtesy.</p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;">__________</span></b><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">* This story was first published 28/06/17 as part of <a href="https://shortfictionbreak.com/">Short Fiction Break</a>'s 2017 Summer Writing Competition - <a href="https://bit.ly/3mL30Pv">https://bit.ly/3mL30Pv</a></span></p>
<p></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>__________</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">Share using the buttons
below!</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></p>Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06473070741060049552noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464753402752334927.post-77426787892362919652020-10-23T13:00:00.000+01:002020-10-23T13:00:13.220+01:00Book Review - The Tower of Fools - by Andrzej Sapkowski<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://bit.ly/3nPfc3h" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="259" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhELU8QEKkPcQW5yAvpx4uANFdZoWyGo0WYiT-Ve15sEO4keXDsQScrxMZKi5oagcCo4VoARYHIqBsvzu_vC46nfWRZovn0eHAD8wBfUORBU94U6SWfMV4FTIGEM4CjPwlPqPN2b504C-uX/s320/tower+of+fools.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;">My Rating - 4 out of 5 Stars</p><p><br /></p><p>The first thing I want to point out is that this is a
translated book coming out almost twenty years after its initial publication.
I've seen a few comments from other readers with advance copies struggling to
get to grips with character names etc. and levelling that as criticism, which I
find hugely unfair. It's set in a historically grounded location - the rest of
the sentence might be translated into English but names / place names won't be.
It wasn't written for an English speaking audience so of course there'll be
some unfamiliarity, and whilst that made it a little hard at times to keep
track of the characters and their causes there's more than enough context to
figure out why a person appearing again proves significant, a half beat or so
later than those reading the original at most.</p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">I think the original date of publication plays into the naivety
of the main character as well. He's a red blooded young male led by romantic
obsession. As the lead perspective you can expect world views and attitudes to
largely fall in and around that bubble. The characters themselves are not
unaware of this, and the lead even calls himself out for it later (characters
should be allowed to grow after all). I don't know that there'd be much call for
this mindset if it were written recently, but with the Witcher series gaining a
huge spike in interest due to the recent adaptation for Netflix somebody was
probably looking to capitalise on the author's other works. I don't know what
time the decision was made for either undertaking but they are suspiciously
close together. It's a successful one too - I was lucky enough to get an
advance copy of a choice of books and picked this one specifically because I
was intending to dip into Witcher at some point on the back of playing one of
the games, and am now confident I'll take to the style of writing. Just be
aware that this dated attitude is quite prevalent, right from the off.</p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">I think this book took a little while to get going but I
thoroughly enjoyed it by the end. The layers of mystery deepen beyond the somewhat
vapid start, with pieces laid out early coming together in a satisfying way as
the situational crises worsen. As the first in a trilogy it's always worth
bearing in mind how the first third of the first book is going to be paced to
account for later escalation. It's a book that grants you POV into an opposing
entity (very briefly) so it falls into that category of knowing more about the
bigger situation than the characters do with them playing catch up, which is a
delicate balance that I found a little bit wearing at times. Though a sign of a
good book to me is one that leaves my writing pad brimming with inspiration,
and I certainly picked up a few ideas here!</p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">When it comes to character I didn't quite gel with
Reynevan. He only really caught my attention when he was doing something
irritating. I accept him more as the avatar holding the camera that enables us
to meet everybody else, and that's where I think the strength of the book is,
in the people that Reynevan pulls around him. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It's suspiciously effective. Scharley, the
real star in my opinion, COULDN'T work as well as he does if<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>we were granted POV insight. He operates
exclusively outside of our understanding. That's not to say that Reynevan is a
passive lead - the opposite in fact. We're dragged around entirely by his
whimsy, the trick I think the book pulls off is to construct reasonable
narrative on a case by case basis as to WHY (or a good amount of intrigue as to
why ACTUALLY) the characters accept him as the lead protagonist. Though I will
admit to several hard eye rolls at the advent of a recurring phrase that
highlight just how much benefit being the main character grants you should the
plot demand it... there's a little bit too much chance / coincidence that
contributed to me being unable to give the book any more than four stars.</p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">I don't read blurbs where I can help it. I was surprised
upon reading it after the book that Reynevan is mentioned as a magician
upfront. I found the slow unveiling of that fact one of the better points of
intrigue. One last thing that irked me then was how another great character,
Samson, received his physical strength. I found it a cheap gimmick and unnecessary
given that magic is an established part of the world - especially considering
his origins. I'll likely carry on the adventure at some point, but I'm more
interested in taking on The Witcher before then.</p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">__________</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face=""Calibri","sans-serif"" style="color: black; font-family: inherit; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">'The Tower of Fools' by Andrzej Sapkowski - <a href="https://bit.ly/3nPfc3h">https://bit.ly/3nPfc3h</a></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">More Book Reviews - <a href="https://bit.ly/35pYMWC">https://bit.ly/35pYMWC</a></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;"></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span face=""Calibri","sans-serif"" style="color: black; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Follow me on Twitter - </span><a href="http://www.twitter.com/PaulJIsaac"><span face=""Calibri","sans-serif"" style="mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">www.twitter.com/PaulJIsaac</span></a></span><span face=""Calibri","sans-serif"" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><p></p>Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06473070741060049552noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464753402752334927.post-39251566300655509222020-10-19T18:30:00.001+01:002020-10-20T15:43:46.010+01:00Update - 19/10/2020<p><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">Hey,</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face=""Calibri","sans-serif"" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Time, eh? Good... I'm glad that's covered. Anyway I
just wanted to assure you that writing is still very much what I want to do,
despite everything. I think and plan every day and am drowning in notes for
projects that may yet happen. I feel like I've grown so much as a writer even
if I have nothing tangible to show for it, and am still very excited to share
my fiction at some point down the line! <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face=""Calibri","sans-serif"" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://bit.ly/37kZlUg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="298" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN6lQN7qdlSbBxWCuJj5v-wjYCc7YRanocBhvqqzJGLdbR34kFRkiRgfh9G9rMVUupdP9HWcqHQR_Zs-3BrCCuY31Dw3LKwiGm31Kl698KJOmVLvhP_ia_cPQ7LOHjuRc5-3FfhVUs78Af/s320/Handsome.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face=""Calibri","sans-serif"" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">One of the things I have been up to in the meantime
was to try something external. My friend Theresa Jacobs writes at a phenomenal
pace so I knew she'd likely have something in the works as a discovery writer /
pantser. With my own projects getting very heavy work I felt like I needed a
bit of a break, and so reached out to ask if I could maybe get involved somehow
in one of her latest Horror offerings. To my delight she was kind enough to show
me her latest work, Handsome, that was in development. It was a departure as
she was trying her hand at writing for the Crime genre, which in itself felt like a bit of a
sign to me that I could maybe bed in as part of that point of change. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face=""Calibri","sans-serif"" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face=""Calibri","sans-serif"" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">It didn't really pan out as I was expecting. But I am
so, so, grateful for the experience. Without me outlining a clear plan I was
unable to stick to the brief and both under and over delivered as my role
changed - and where I was going into it hoping that some of her speed may rub
off on me, it actually went the other way with me holding her up unfairly as I
dragged her down to my level. It became painfully clear that editing for
someone else is not something you can easily walk into just because you write
yourself. In fact that was probably the biggest failing as I fell into the trap
of trying to mould it into my own image - the kind of editor that all the
advice screams to avoid avoid avoid. I'm just sorry that I was unable to clock
it happening, and mostly that coming from a position as a friend likely
complicated how easy it would be to turn me away earlier in the project. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face=""Calibri","sans-serif"" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face=""Calibri","sans-serif"" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The best thing to come out of that experience is that
Theresa held firm. The book is entirely hers, save for an inoffensive tweak
here and there on the back of what we agreed would instead be more of an Alpha
Reading role. It's reviewing well, and distinctly feels like SHE wrote it - the
former being the best compliment to the latter. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The story follows detective Marcy Gagon's efforts to protect Toronto
from a serial killer acting out of resurfaced trauma, against the complexities
of the new chief of police's reluctance to acknowledge the threat so soon in
the wake of the shadow cast by the real life misfortunes of the city, and the strain
that putting herself at risk causes to her relationship with tight-laced Krista;
holding Marcy back as a result of harbouring a little trauma of her own. </span></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face=""Calibri","sans-serif"" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face=""Calibri","sans-serif"" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I'd encourage you to have a
look for yourself and maybe pick up a few more titles from her back catalogue, as
it's interesting to essentially track her tangible development as a writer. I'm
very invested to see how far she'll progress with each title in the future! It
was great for me to get a taste for finishing something I was involved in, a
level of detachment that I'm very short on... and the level of my writing
certainly took a leap on the back of it. Thankfully things remain positive
between us, and I certainly feel better equipped should there be an opportunity
for some kind of collaboration in the future.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><br /></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face=""Calibri","sans-serif"" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">That said I've not resurfaced this time with something
specific in mind in terms of my own output. I've been absorbing a lot in my
time away and have finally come to the resolution to start reviewing books that
I enjoy. I've always been hesitant as I don't feel like it's my place to be
critical of others in my field, but the events surrounding the Black Lives
Matter movement in the summer really forced me to think and take notice of the
privileged position I inhabit. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face=""Calibri","sans-serif"" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face=""Calibri","sans-serif"" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I think the comfort of privilege for me has been that
I've excused myself from secondary thinking. 'I want in', I think whilst reading
and writing, pushing my way through a noisy crowd with my blinkers fastened
tightly and my hands mostly covering my ears as I stride (or stumble in my
case) towards my goal. I can still see the people ahead of me, knowing they'll
be the ones I'm bouncing off my hips shortly as they fall behind and I can stop
thinking about them. I can still hear the murmur, the conversation and debate
for change has always been there - I was born with my ears open, I've put my
hands in that position because it's easier to disengage without the definition.
I feel like I've been handed a sheet and told I can use it to dress up as a
ghost, basically, and that so long as I'm careful not to bump too hard into
anybody the whole world will play along as they're too polite or tired to check
under every white blur that moves through them for good intentions. The general
understanding is that ghosts pick and choose when they participate in corporal
affairs after all, and that encapsulates my mind set. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face=""Calibri","sans-serif"" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face=""Calibri","sans-serif"" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">It's not on others to tell me that my feet are
showing, it's on me to realise that the sheet only fit me as a child. I don't
feel I have the strength of character or personal conviction to help aid the
change that is required on a larger scale, but I can't knowingly go on wearing
it now that I've caught sight of my reflection. I'm exposed now, others can see
me for what I am and judge me for how I act. At the same time I've got to
acknowledge my peripheral vision without believing myself ethereal until it
suits me. I might not be able to change the world, but it is on me to be an
active participant to those on the path around me. If we're journeying toward the
opportunity to share our fiction then I should acknowledge that that sheet I
was handed can now be repurposed as an occasional tool I can share with others,
and to be more human in helping push forward as a collective unit. A race would
have ended by now, so there's no harm in taking time to make sure more of us
get to reach our destination.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face=""Calibri","sans-serif"" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face=""Calibri","sans-serif"" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Thus... reviews. It's a small way to help and requires
me to get uncomfortable in the process as a kind of faux accountability for
personal growth. Hopefully it encourages me to engage further in future, but
for now it's a start. I'm turning it into a bit of a process that mixes in with
expanding my reading list to be more inclusive generally. You can read more
about the thinking / practicality of that on the new Book Reviews page that
will be added to the site soon for more info.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face=""Calibri","sans-serif"" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face=""Calibri","sans-serif"" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">On that note I just want to give you a heads up that
I'll be stripping the site back a bit, removing some of the old features like
the 'Three Words' writing prompts and the 'Artists' page etc. They are being
reverted to draft rather than deleted, so it's possible they could return at a
later date if I have the motivation to refresh them.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face=""Calibri","sans-serif"" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face=""Calibri","sans-serif"" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Also in terms of catching up with a bit of admin,
there are the stories that I wrote as part of my time writing for Short Fiction
Break's competition. I didn't follow through on getting some artwork to go with
them so they never made it to the site. I know it's not new content, but they've
long passed their period of exclusivity now so I'll probably set about bringing
them home over the next few weeks in case anybody missed them the first time around.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face=""Calibri","sans-serif"" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face=""Calibri","sans-serif"" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">That's pretty much that! I'm still plugging away on my
own works though there's not much sight of a horizon at present. Hopefully committing
to the occasional reviews will also encourage me to be more proactive
generally... but I won't make any promises given my track record! So look out
for the short stories if you missed them, and I'll be adding the first review
shortly. I'll be starting off with 'The Tower of Fools' by Andrzej </span><span face=""Calibri","sans-serif"" style="font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Sapkowski of Witcher fame, having
been lucky enough to get hold of an ARC ahead of its release on the 27th,
inadvertently helping me out by setting me a bit of a deadline... 'What's that?
Paul? You're ahead of the curve for once?' It would appear that way wouldn't
it? Except, true to form, I actually finished reading / reviewing it back in
June.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face=""Calibri","sans-serif"" style="font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face=""Calibri","sans-serif"" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Until next time, buh-bye!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face=""Calibri","sans-serif"" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face=""Calibri","sans-serif"" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">__________</span><span face=""Calibri","sans-serif"" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
</span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face=""Calibri","sans-serif"" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Discover Theresa Jacobs - <o:p></o:p></span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;"><a href="https://bit.ly/3dHhgp2">https://bit.ly/3dHhgp2</a></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face=""Calibri","sans-serif"" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face=""Calibri","sans-serif"" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Purchase Theresa's book 'Handsome' - <o:p></o:p></span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3kaGMWs">https://amzn.to/3kaGMWs</a></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face=""Calibri","sans-serif"" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face=""Calibri","sans-serif"" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">'The Tower of Fools' by Andrzej Sapkowski - <a href="https://bit.ly/3nPfc3h">https://bit.ly/3nPfc3h</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><br /></p><p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">Follow me on Twitter - </span><a href="http://www.twitter.com/PaulJIsaac"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">www.twitter.com/PaulJIsaac</span></a></p>Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06473070741060049552noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464753402752334927.post-15741127445387976502018-04-11T12:13:00.000+01:002018-04-11T12:13:40.625+01:00New Story Available!<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;">Hello!<o:p></o:p></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I've got a new story available to read as part of another contest
you can vote in! The limit was 1500 words and the prompt this time was 'The
Best Bad Decision', in which a character has to make the best 'bad choice'.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">After a pleasant exchange on Twitter I felt encouraged to try and
be a bit more experimental with this story, so I'd be interested to hear your
thoughts on it!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It may well end up on this site in the future when I can figure
out how I want to go about presenting things on here going forward, but for now
the link to the contest is listed below, and the Reader's Choice vote is open
for the next six weeks.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13.5pt;">Voting takes seconds! All you have to do is click on the green
button and select my story in the tiny form on this website! - </span><a href="https://shortfictionbreak.com/spring-18/"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">https://shortfictionbreak.com/spring-18/</span></a></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13.5pt;">My entry 'Dubium' is listed about half way down the page, or you
can follow the quick link and read it here - <o:p></o:p></span><a href="https://shortfictionbreak.com/dubium/"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">https://shortfictionbreak.com/dubium/</span></a></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;">Thanks in advance!<o:p></o:p></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;">Until next time, buh-bye! :)<o:p></o:p></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">__________<br />
</span></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 13.5pt;">Follow me on Twitter - </span><a href="http://www.twitter.com/PaulJIsaac" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 13.5pt;">www.twitter.com/PaulJIsaac</a></span></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"Like" my page on Facebook - <a href="http://on.fb.me/HKJOXk">http://on.fb.me/HKJOXk</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Follow me on Instagram - <a href="https://www.instagram.com/paul106i/">https://www.instagram.com/paul106i/</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06473070741060049552noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464753402752334927.post-37877196806468684222017-09-21T19:00:00.000+01:002017-09-21T19:00:05.228+01:00Quick Update - 21/09/17<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Hey!</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Another quick thanks for those who voted for me in the
recent contest I took part in at Short Fiction Break! The contest appears to be
quarterly, so I'll stop asking for your votes going forward. Aside from being
annoying, I have a few question marks over the validity of the contest's entry
form in the public vote element of the contest. Going forward I'll just post a
link to the stories via socials as an opportunity to read them before they go
up on my site a few months later, so be sure to follow my Twitter / like my
Facebook page for an advanced reading.</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
The judges are still deliberating over the contest proper,
but I'll only post about the results if I make the shortlist. This will be the
process for the foreseeable future in regards to this contest. Much like what
I've been doing with the Micro Fiction contest, I see it more as a prompt to
get more regular content out on this site for you guys to read!</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
In other news I have a new Micro Fiction piece (yes, the
missing piece from the previous batch) appearing on <a href="https://horrortree.com/" target="_blank">Horrortree.com</a> in their
weekly 'Trembling With Fear' segment! It'll be going up on Sunday (24/09/2017)
and is called 'Metronome'! I'll post links to it on my socials again, before
eventually whipping up a picture for it and giving it the 'Micro Complete'
treatment in due time and adding it to the site!</div>
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<br /></div>
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Pretty happy that the recent trio, based on the theme
'Ticking' have won one contest, and earned me an external pub between them!</div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Until next time, buh-bye! :)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Follow me on Twitter - </span><a href="http://www.twitter.com/PaulJIsaac"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">www.twitter.com/PaulJIsaac</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">"Like" my page on Facebook - </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><a href="http://on.fb.me/HKJOXk">http://on.fb.me/HKJOXk</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Follow me on Instagram - </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/paul106i/"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">https://www.instagram.com/paul106i/</span></a></div>
Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06473070741060049552noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464753402752334927.post-8646630592584283962017-09-09T17:08:00.000+01:002017-09-09T17:08:23.217+01:00I Won the Monthly Micro Fiction Competition!Hello!<br />
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I finally won the monthly Micro Fiction contest I
regularly enter this month! I've been near the podium a few times, but this is
the first time I've come out on top! It feels like a bit of a weight off my
shoulders given the relatively low number of entrants, but progress is
progress! As such I'm changing the way I do things a little bit, so I wanted to
take a moment to explain how. The eagle-eyed among you may have already noticed
I posted two Micros to the site yesterday instead of three...</div>
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I originally entered the contest as a writing exercise
first and foremost, because it's a hard discipline for a writer like me who
tends to waffle on. I've definitely seen improvement in my writing overall
since I started entering, so it's been worth it just for that! But then I
realised it was also a chance to WIN something! I came close a few times at the
beginning of the contest's inception, and suddenly it became a realistic goal.
The competition is still very much in its infancy, so while on the outside it
doesn't look particularly 'hard' to win, that also added a pressure to prove
myself at this level. Finally achieving the win DOES feel like graduating, but
there's no real reason to stop with the exercise!</div>
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A good side effect of the contest has been having regular
fiction to upload for you guys to read, but also the small format has helped me
look active across the board whilst I work on my much preferred longer form
pieces in the background without fearing I've fallen 'off the grid'. </div>
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BUT, I now want to start looking for other opportunities
to share my Micro pieces. As I seek alternative places for publication it means
that, as most places want a period of exclusivity, I can't lump them together
in their triple themed post on here the way I have been doing.</div>
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SO, sadly, the triple theme post format has come to an
end! I'll instead be dropping the individual pieces on site as they become
available, which could vary quite wildly depending on their publication status
and external rights! Just be aware of the new format / timescale!</div>
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<br /></div>
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View the contest results page here - <span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><a href="http://bit.ly/2vSX2pV">http://bit.ly/2vSX2pV</a></span></div>
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Or view the winning entry 'Letter Bomb' and another piece, 'Conflicted', here - <span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="http://bit.ly/2vTeDhn">http://bit.ly/2vTeDhn</a></span></div>
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---</div>
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<br />
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P.S - There's still time to vote for my latest contest
entry! The deadline is September 12th at midnight Pacific Time.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Voting takes seconds! All you have to do is click on the green button and select my story in the tiny form on this website! - <o:p></o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://shortfictionbreak.com/fall-17/">http://shortfictionbreak.com/fall-17/</a></span></div>
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My entry 'Partners in Crime' is listed about half way down the page, or you can follow the quick link and read it here - <o:p></o:p><a href="http://shortfictionbreak.com/partners-in-crime-2/">http://shortfictionbreak.com/partners-in-crime-2/</a></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Thanks in advance!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Until next time, buh-bye! :)<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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__________<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /><br /></span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm;">
Follow me on Twitter - <a href="http://www.twitter.com/PaulJIsaac">www.twitter.com/PaulJIsaac</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
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"Like" my page on Facebook - <a href="http://on.fb.me/HKJOXk">http://on.fb.me/HKJOXk</a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm;">
Follow me on Instagram - <a href="https://www.instagram.com/paul106i/">https://www.instagram.com/paul106i/</a></div>
Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06473070741060049552noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464753402752334927.post-85429986399394246292017-09-08T18:42:00.000+01:002017-09-08T18:42:14.925+01:00Letter Bomb - Conflicted<div style="margin: 0cm;">
Flash Fiction / Micro Fiction<o:p></o:p></div>
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Length - 100 words each<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Two pieces written for the competition theme 'Ticking'.<br />
<br />
* 'Letter Bomb' finished 1st place in the competition! :) It was first published 08/09/2017 on the competition result page at this address - <span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><a href="http://bit.ly/2vSX2pV">http://bit.ly/2vSX2pV</a></span><br />
<br /></div>
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<b>__________</b><u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />
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<b><u>Letter Bomb</u></b></div>
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You arrive home to a package. It's ticking, and it's
signed by your crazy ex. Do you open it?</div>
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(Read your choice backwards.)</div>
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No.</div>
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Chance a stood never you, damn. Detonator remote the blow
they before see you thing last the is face crazy ex's your. Bushes the in
movement there's. Phone your for reach you or, run to try you.</div>
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Yes.</div>
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Cared they know you time this least at, hey. Detonator
remote the blow they before see you thing last the is face crazy ex's your.
Bushes the in movement there's. 'You love I' reads clock ornamental engraved
an.</div>
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<b>__________</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><u>Conflicted</u></b></div>
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There's a clock on the wall drowning out my heartbeat. In
a way that clock is my heartbeat. It holds the same power.</div>
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That power is life or death. Without treatment I'll die
for sure, but the operation is supposedly very risky. It means no one can truly
tell me if I should be scared or excited. I'm conflicted. Meanwhile the clock
keeps ticking. </div>
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My parents have left, taking their mindless prattle with
them. All I have to distract myself now is that clock. To give in and count the
seconds.</div>
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But I can't. Because I'm unsure of which direction. </div>
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<b>__________</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />
<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://ws-eu.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=GB&source=ss&ref=ss_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=paulsfantfict-21&marketplace=amazon&region=GB&placement=B00QJDO0QC&asins=B00QJDO0QC&linkId&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><br />
<b>__________</b></div>
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<br /></div>
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Share using the buttons below!</div>
Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06473070741060049552noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464753402752334927.post-67591637276864981202017-09-06T19:50:00.001+01:002017-09-09T17:35:06.864+01:00Give me your votes!<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
Hello!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Same dealio as the previous Summer
Contest I entered! The limit this time was 1500 words and the theme was dubiously
titled 'Let's Fall in love'... <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I had to scrap my ideas as this was sequentially unpacked! At
first I planned my story to be about the sentence - a love story using the line
directly. Then it was revealed that it was not to do with the sentence at all
but instead had to be written around the words 'Fall' and 'Love'. Not ideal, as
it meant the story I'd planned didn't work! So I had to plan another! And did!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
Then it transpired that the word 'Fall' specifically meant the
season! (Not very kind given that it's an international contest!) No wiggle
room on interpretation allowed either! This caught a lot of us out on two
fronts - people in my camp who took the word to mean 'the act of falling down',
(So there was another complete story scrapped!) and the secondary impact in
that other people set their stories in a different season! It's not just a case
of simply changing the setting! Not if you want to win! It has to be a key
factor in the story... making a lot of peoples' ideas redundant! (Unfortunately
some of the authors in my group clearly didn't get the memo! Great stories, but
now ineligible for the contest!)<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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So I had to come up with something else entirely and didn't have
long to do it! In truth, my entry was a little rushed and that probably comes
across in the ending. I tend to over write my stories and pare them down naturally
but didn't have as much time as I'd like. It means that at the conclusion of
the contest I'll post the competition version of the story on here in the
future, but I also have plans to develop this one into something larger at a
later date!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
Unfortunately the entry form played havoc with the formatting! In
my version there's a scene change that is indicated by a line break, but the
version on the website has converted the entire story to double line spacing
and swept away the transition to make it look like the conversation carries on
and suddenly we're in another place! Aside from definitely leaving my entry
dead in the water in terms of the contest, it means it doesn't read properly
for you guys either which I'm annoyed about!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
Please take a look in any case, and help me out by voting for me in
the 'Readers' Choice Award' and maybe drop me a comment telling me what you
think of the piece! We DO have an end date to voting this time around (probably
down to those of us that asked for clarification the last time) and it's
September 12th at midnight Pacific Time.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Voting takes seconds! All you
have to do is click on the green button and select my story in the tiny form on
this website! - <o:p></o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://shortfictionbreak.com/fall-17/">http://shortfictionbreak.com/fall-17/</a></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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My entry 'Partners in Crime' is
listed about half way down the page, or you can follow the quick link and read
it here - <o:p></o:p><a href="http://shortfictionbreak.com/partners-in-crime-2/">http://shortfictionbreak.com/partners-in-crime-2/</a></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Thanks in advance!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Until next time, buh-bye! :)<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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__________<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">* 09/09/2017 - The team at Short Fiction Break have since amended the scene change! Thanks to them for responding and reacting in time for the change to take place before the end of the public vote! :)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">__________<br />
<br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
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<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
Follow me on Twitter - <a href="http://www.twitter.com/PaulJIsaac">www.twitter.com/PaulJIsaac</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
"Like" my page on Facebook - <a href="http://on.fb.me/HKJOXk">http://on.fb.me/HKJOXk</a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
Follow me on Instagram - <a href="https://www.instagram.com/paul106i/">https://www.instagram.com/paul106i/</a></div>
Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06473070741060049552noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464753402752334927.post-19160240449775438762017-08-18T16:48:00.000+01:002017-10-12T13:38:05.219+01:00The Midnight Train - Amicable Split - Viper's Nest<div style="margin: 0cm;">
Flash Fiction / Micro Fiction<o:p></o:p></div>
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Length - 100 words each<o:p></o:p></div>
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Three pieces written for the competition theme 'Strangers on a Train'.<br />
<br />
* 'Amicable Split' featured on <a href="http://www.thedrabble.com/" target="_blank">The Drabble</a> 's website on 10/10/2017 - <span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><a href="http://bit.ly/2wQF2ce">http://bit.ly/2wQF2ce</a></span><br />
<br /></div>
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<b>__________</b><u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><u>The Midnight Train</u></b></div>
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As I boarded, a young couple wearing clothes better
suited to the '50s had a frightened look in my direction. The modern train made
them look strangers to their surroundings. He wrapped his jacket around her
shoulders like I'd let the cold in with me.</div>
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Despite the journey our train hadn't actually moved. I
got off at the next 'stop' to find myself back at the station where I started.
I posed the silent question, and its modern face shimmied to reveal the steam
locomotive at its head. They weren't strangers on my train, I was a stranger on
theirs.</div>
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<b><u>Amicable Split</u></b></div>
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Head down I boarded the train and almost bumped into a
beautiful, blonde-haired woman. I gaped as long as the train guard would allow,
before squeaking an awkward 'hello' I'm certain she heard over her headphones. No
response.</div>
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Instinctively I felt for my wedding ring, forgetting it's
not there anymore. Hers wasn't either. You can scream 'amicable split' until
you're blue in the face, but the truth is one of you has to suggest it first.</div>
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Lives once so tightly intertwined unravel with a single
pull. You feel. Then you heal. Until one day you're just strangers on a train.</div>
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</div>
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<b><u><br />Viper's Nest</u></b></div>
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Beware the helpful stranger's pleasant face, and listen
for the rattle beneath.</div>
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On her maiden commute to the big city, Mike offered Jen
his seat. Deaf to protest, they exchanged phone numbers. The text she later
received was originally intended for Mike's wife.</div>
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Nigel charmed her a week later. She thought her luck had
changed, but the roll came up double-one. He was squeezing the attentions of
another doe-eyed girl on the return journey. </div>
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Brad presented his ornate hood, but Jen stood, barking
the words a famous man once (almost) said. 'I've had it, with these snakes, on
this train!'</div>
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</div>
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<b>__________</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />
<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://ws-eu.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=GB&source=ss&ref=ss_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=paulsfantfict-21&marketplace=amazon&region=GB&placement=B00QJDO0QC&asins=B00QJDO0QC&linkId&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><br />
<b>__________</b></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" style="margin: 0cm; text-align: center;">
Share using the buttons below!</div>
Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06473070741060049552noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464753402752334927.post-65599705022833155202017-07-20T18:08:00.001+01:002017-07-20T18:08:49.830+01:00Thanks for your help! <div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Hey!</div>
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Just a quick one to say thank you to anyone who voted for
me in the recent contest I took part in! Unfortunately I didn't win the public
vote, or place on the Judges' shortlist, so rest assured I'll be posting the
story to the site in a few months with a horrible new cover image at some point
in the near future! </div>
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<br /></div>
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The winner of the Readers' Choice Award was a story
(perhaps provocatively) titled 'It.' Well, I say story, it was actually a 1000
word poem. It's a powerful piece, and well worth a read... but I feel it had a
tiny unfair advantage in subverting the contest slightly. Yes, I'm bitter, but when
you're reading through hundreds of long form stories, a poem cropping up is
obviously going to feel like a breath of fresh air. To be fair to the author
they've really taken full advantage of the structure of the poem, creating dark
and powerful suspense, and making it look visually appealing. I'm just saying,
if I submitted a <b>short story </b>to a <b>poetry</b> contest, I doubt many would feel
it acceptable that way around. But - it's a public vote and not bound to the
same constraints as the main contest.</div>
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<br /></div>
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The overall winner was a wonderful story called 'Subject
34'. It's clever, current, and the concept is great! The 'subject' himself is
also really well portrayed. So for a couple of minutes, definitely worthy of
your perusal!</div>
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<br /></div>
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The link to the contest results announcement page is here
- <a href="http://bit.ly/2vnBvBH">http://bit.ly/2vnBvBH</a></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Thanks again for your votes! I'm just glad two entries
that at least made the short list came from my group!</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Until next time, buh-bye! :)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">__________</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Follow me on Twitter - <a href="http://www.twitter.com/PaulJIsaac">www.twitter.com/PaulJIsaac</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">"Like" my page on Facebook - <a href="http://on.fb.me/HKJOXk">http://on.fb.me/HKJOXk</a></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Follow me on Instagram - </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/paul106i/" style="font-family: inherit;">https://www.instagram.com/paul106i/</a></div>
Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06473070741060049552noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464753402752334927.post-74899162534219661312017-06-30T12:22:00.001+01:002017-06-30T12:22:09.747+01:00Summer Writing Contest - I need your help!Hello!<br />
<br />
I've taken part in a themed 1000-word short story contest. The organisers have introduced a 'Readers' Choice Award' in order to make their entrants engage in a bit of cheeky promotion on their behalf whilst the judges make their official decision.<br />
<br />
It's clever if not see-through, in that making it an 'open' vote has essentially turned it more into a popularity contest than anything else. There's no sign up required, you just have to fill in a tiny autocomplete box by typing your (friend's) name. You don't even have to read the story.<br />
<br />
I understand that it's 'just a bit of fun', but I'd be much happier if there was perhaps an additional award voted for by the other contestants. Similar to the 'Players' player awards' you find in sport.<br />
<br />
A quick look at some of the other stories show some have well over a hundred 'shares' already, so I'm lagging behind by, well, over a hundred shares! In truth it might be too late to make up the ground (there's no formal indication of a closing date) but I'll encourage you to show my story a little love anyway!<br />
<br />
In fact, it'd probably mean more to me if you'd have a read and drop me a comment at this stage! If I don't win by judges' vote, rest assured it'll end up on here anyway at some point in the future!<br />
<br />
Voting takes seconds though so it'd be cool to have your support! All you have to do is click on the green button and select my story in the tiny form on this website! - <a href="http://shortfictionbreak.com/summer-17/">http://shortfictionbreak.com/summer-17/</a><br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
My entry 'Professional Courtesy' is listed about half way down the page, or you can follow the quick link and read it here - <a href="http://shortfictionbreak.com/professional-courtesy/">http://shortfictionbreak.com/professional-courtesy/</a><br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
A comment or a share, to show you care, guys! (I'll see myself out.)<br />
<br />
Until next time, buh-bye! :)<br />
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt;">__________</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br /><br /><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Follow me on Twitter - <a href="http://www.twitter.com/PaulJIsaac">www.twitter.com/PaulJIsaac</a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br />
"Like" my page on Facebook - <a href="http://on.fb.me/HKJOXk">http://on.fb.me/HKJOXk</a></div>
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<br /></div>
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Follow me on Instagram - <a href="https://www.instagram.com/paul106i/">https://www.instagram.com/paul106i/</a></div>
</div>
<br />
<br />Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06473070741060049552noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464753402752334927.post-20405286361737766212017-06-09T14:11:00.000+01:002017-07-31T15:21:58.257+01:00A Comic's Story - The Comic Book Artist - Punch Line<div style="margin: 0cm;">
Flash Fiction / Micro Fiction<o:p></o:p></div>
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Length - 100 words each<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm;">
Three pieces written for the competition theme 'A Comic Story'.<br />
* 'The Comic Book Artist' finished 3rd place in the competition!</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>__________</b><u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />
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</div>
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<b><u>A Comic's Story</u></b></div>
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I wake, my hotel room startling in its simplicity. I
panic. Where am I? I check the date - it's the fifteenth. 'Oxford' I think, and
breathe easy.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Almost three-hundred miles and seven hours later I croak
my opening witticisms, birthing worded wings for thirty minutes in a complex,
dazzling display. The social butterfly. Everybody's friend. Kind of funny
really. I shed them there, and crawl back to my hotel room alone.</div>
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I wake, my hotel room startling in its simplicity. I
panic. Where am I? I check the date - it's the sixteenth. 'Newcastle' I think,
and breathe easy.</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
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</div>
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<b>__________</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhebgOs9h_-z3sEIJeD91_CmEubASlakqAlFBQSfoZVM-avBApI_TehXDu_ypez4B4nvCLigQDKlth1fPDupbr1fS54fkNLOjWogu1z6h4kLEaxVL-yE1rKbbKEwU2DJHcCHy2czrYor7R/s1600/The+Comic+Book+Artist+-+scaled+250x300+-+white+backed+-+watermarked+-+da+blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhebgOs9h_-z3sEIJeD91_CmEubASlakqAlFBQSfoZVM-avBApI_TehXDu_ypez4B4nvCLigQDKlth1fPDupbr1fS54fkNLOjWogu1z6h4kLEaxVL-yE1rKbbKEwU2DJHcCHy2czrYor7R/s1600/The+Comic+Book+Artist+-+scaled+250x300+-+white+backed+-+watermarked+-+da+blog.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b><u>The Comic Book Artist</u></b></div>
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'Be ready,' The Hero whispers to his freshly inked
nemesis, staring up the nostrils of The Artist. 'We're looking more and more
like him with every panel. Our time will come.'</div>
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<br /></div>
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The Artist stares down at the outlined empty face of The
Bystander, caught up in the collateral damage of the fight. 'Cameo?' he thinks,
'why not? It's good enough for Stan Lee.'</div>
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<br /></div>
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Image mirrored, the pen fights back. He cannot escape
'The Pull'.</div>
<br />
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He wipes debris from his eyes. Above him, The Hero and
The Villain loom before a battle ruined sky. 'Oh the things you've put us
through...'</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
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<b>__________</b><o:p></o:p><br />
<b><u><br />Punch Line</u></b></div>
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'Quick, Mum! Grampy's fallen off the sofa!'</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
The
poor boy wants to laugh but he's worried, so I bark it out for him. He's
shocked, but he joins me and I hang an old arm around his shoulders.</div>
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'Why
are we laughing Grampy?'</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
'We
call it slapstick comedy.'</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
'But
I'm young. You're old.'</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
'The
pointy-tailed man downstairs doesn't discriminate. You fall, we laugh, and you
grow taller. At my age people forget it's funny. The man whispers his own joke
instead and we shrink towards its terrible punch line. Go ahead and laugh,
please, I'm not ready to hear it.'</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
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<b>__________</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />
<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://ws-eu.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=GB&source=ss&ref=ss_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=paulsfantfict-21&marketplace=amazon&region=GB&placement=B00QJDO0QC&asins=B00QJDO0QC&linkId&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><br />
<b>__________</b></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" style="margin: 0cm; text-align: center;">
Share using the buttons below!</div>
Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06473070741060049552noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464753402752334927.post-77017274937144432362017-05-14T18:29:00.000+01:002017-06-28T18:17:34.908+01:00Playing the Fool - Troll Country - Not Okay<div style="margin: 0cm;">
Flash Fiction / Micro Fiction<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm;">
Length - 100 words each<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm;">
Three pieces written for the competition theme 'Fool'.<br />
* 'Not Okay' finished 2nd Place in the competition!</div>
<div style="margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" style="margin: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<b>__________</b><u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />
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</div>
<div align="center" style="margin: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<b><u>Playing the Fool</u></b></div>
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David rolled his eyes as Jon argued, shaking the will
above their father's hospital bed. 'An equal share, Dad? He's leaving your
company to work for a charity for chrissakes! That fool clearly doesn't
understand how money works!'</div>
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Their father politely declined revision.</div>
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'... unless a listed beneficiary should have fallen on
hard times and is unable to command an income. Under such circumstances the
entire sum reverts to the aforementioned in order to support-'</div>
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'The
entire sum!?' Jon balked.</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
David
nodded his head. 'A little while working for nothing has given me everything.
Not such a fool now, eh?'</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div align="center" style="margin: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<b>__________</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm;">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>
<div align="center" style="margin: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<b><u>Troll Country</u></b></div>
<div align="center" style="margin: 0cm; text-align: center;">
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'Through there?' Mandrag said, 'I don't know, Sir. It's
marked here on the map as 'Troll Country'.'</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
'Don't
be a fool.' His master said, snatching the aged parchment. 'Lazy cartography is
all. You've heard of 'Here be Dragons?' It's just a local variation.'</div>
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<br /></div>
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Three deformed hulking brutes roared appreciatively as
they stripped the cooked flesh from another human leg, the discarded femur
taking its place upon an ivory pile some two feet high.</div>
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Sir
Geoffrey watched from their hanging metal cage with sunken eyes. 'I bet nobody
ever leaves this place.'</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Mandrag
quietly tore the map to shreds. 'Someone did.'</div>
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<b>__________</b><o:p></o:p><br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0w5bzMf2BBq3a0HNRyb5mcV6ZaVLnfQU0SSAVat-y6atpzXyAygilvbUsQtX9MX0KdyNJOXr9ksyhAgWnLVdRiurO5y-xVV7U53al025eFUAMZYZRK1i47c_o6ghCS0vGTRVGT9tFrD55/s1600/Not+Okay+-+scaled+250x300+-+white+backed+-+watermarked+-+blog+da.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0w5bzMf2BBq3a0HNRyb5mcV6ZaVLnfQU0SSAVat-y6atpzXyAygilvbUsQtX9MX0KdyNJOXr9ksyhAgWnLVdRiurO5y-xVV7U53al025eFUAMZYZRK1i47c_o6ghCS0vGTRVGT9tFrD55/s1600/Not+Okay+-+scaled+250x300+-+white+backed+-+watermarked+-+blog+da.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<b><u>Not Okay</u></b></div>
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<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Caught adrift in a supermarket aisle, grief, pure and
simple, washed through me like a wave. I hastily concocted cover and dropped
some canned food onto my foot.</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
'These
damned hands!' I said, forcing a smile through freshly salted cheeks. 'Help me
pick these up will you?'</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
'No.'
My son's eyes were smouldering. 'You're not hurt. You're crying. Again. You're
not fooling anyone,' he sighed. 'Just admit it.'</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
'I'm-'</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Ten years
young and freshly motherless, it should be <i>me</i>
keeping <i>him</i> afloat. An approaching
sea of faces whispered their symphony of sympathy.</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
'I'm...'
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Worse.
They circled with concern.</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
'I'm fine.'</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" style="margin: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<b>__________</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="center" style="margin: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<br />
<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://ws-eu.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=GB&source=ss&ref=ss_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=paulsfantfict-21&marketplace=amazon&region=GB&placement=B00QJDO0QC&asins=B00QJDO0QC&linkId&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><br />
<b>__________</b></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" style="margin: 0cm; text-align: center;">
Share using the buttons below!</div>
Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06473070741060049552noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464753402752334927.post-57135543674562593252016-12-20T08:00:00.002+00:002020-11-02T17:08:03.636+00:00Picture Perfect<div style="margin: 0cm;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmG2R74rLOl0N6J89V_qiVBpsS7LO0Cmbgovo-kwDga-X7362o73E147yTxV7W5Mtt0BPfeHHcAbAvBrf2oPSglazlYcfsyCLUroOFG9IQmUk03nqYy5tzZLTE1HXATuM6Y3kHYfQCNoST/s1600/pp+-+sized+500x425+-+titled+-+watermarked.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmG2R74rLOl0N6J89V_qiVBpsS7LO0Cmbgovo-kwDga-X7362o73E147yTxV7W5Mtt0BPfeHHcAbAvBrf2oPSglazlYcfsyCLUroOFG9IQmUk03nqYy5tzZLTE1HXATuM6Y3kHYfQCNoST/s320/pp+-+sized+500x425+-+titled+-+watermarked.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u>Picture Perfect</u></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
The sun sets behind the trees, stoking the thinner patches
of foliage to bleed through as though from behind a brighter filter. A golden
streak of light exposes a gap between the leaves to cross the grass blades,
stopping just shy of my feet. I will it forward, but its constant failure
worries me I might have become a place where the light cannot penetrate. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My
brother jostles my arm and I let the thought fall onto the breeze, favouring
him with a smile. We're squeezed together onto an aged park bench, Mother
complaining about the state of it and causing the commotion as she frets over a
weathered stain on the brittle wood that is probably older than I am.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
"People
are staring." My brother complained. Well I can't say I blame them.
Dressed to the nines in our summer finest, the park appeared to be nearing
capacity. The photographer is struggling to capture the moment without granting
Frisbee catching youngsters or small inquisitive dogs honorary membership to
our family. He's stood arms crossed and brow furrowed as he analyses the latest
snap on his tripod mounted digital camera.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
"We
can't get her to wear a jacket or something?"</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
"I'm
not cold." I said instinctively. The breeze is not unpleasant. Mother looked
at me with those beautiful blue eyes of hers. This morning when choosing my
dress I made an effort to match them. Twirling in the mirror I thought I'd done
it, but the fabric had been unable to replicate the soft nervousness an eye can
hold. I got Father's brown eyes, and right now he is narrowing his, a surly
expression on his face as the man approaches with the camera. He'd brought it
over to prove a point.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
"The
pose is perfect." He explained, all the while my father's anger rising.
"It's just-"</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As he turned
the camera to show him the image I accidentally caught a peek, and my world
began to crumble like so many times before it. I pitched to flee, but Mother
caught me and took me in her arms. I looked at her and she looked at me, those
blue eyes of hers truly a beauty I'd lost the chance at forever, and suddenly
she grew steely. She reached around for the arms I had hidden behind my back. I
tried to fight, but her grip was so strong. She pulled them out in front and
held them up for me to see.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
"Look
at them." She said, stern yet kind. It took every ounce of will to shift
from gentle blue to the horror that was to follow.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Searing
pains shoot out across my arms. I watch a helpless passenger as the red streaks
reveal themselves to me, one by one in assorted order, crawling across my
flesh, etched in by memory's painful quill. As they twin and twist I wish I'd
had the foresight to select a kind of pattern, instead of giving in to life on an
edge, especially when they're so readily available.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Over
time I'd trained myself not to see them. I'm so good, a mirror can't even break
the spell. But somehow a photo, that subjective third eye, had punched a hole
in my self deception, and the tears flowed freely. Through the murky filter I stared for as long
as I could, my mind's eye confusing a second or two for a lifetime. Too deep, I
grasped for the shallows of her eyes once more. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
"I'm
sorry." I whispered. Mother shook her head.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
"Stop
hiding and embrace it. Your past makes who you are." She released my arms and
reached down for her blouse. Before I could render what was happening she'd removed it completely. It was like a
dream, the petals woven into the fabric's design dropping to the ground like
nature had called them back to wither. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A group
of boys cheered and wolfed a whistle. Father, who had his back to us span round
before freezing in shock. My brother buried his head in his hands in embarrassment.
Mother, though, cared for none of it. She pointed at the discoloured cross
section on her exposed stomach. "This scar tells me about one of the
proudest moments of my life." She declared. "Even if it did turn out
to be your brother." She added, with a wink.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
"Hey!"
I gawped at it, not quite sure how to react. There must have been something
solemn in my expression, because out of the corner of my eye I saw my brother's
face soften from outrage to understanding, and he began unbuttoning his own
shirt. He threw it to the ground in triumph, the same shirt he spent over an
hour ironing this morning, and pointed to a line of damaged flesh on his stomach.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
"Appendix."
He grinned. "Doctor said I needed it removed or the pain would be
unbearable. I held out for six weeks." He framed it in a grid made between
his thumbs and his forefingers. "Hashtag Legend." I couldn't help but
smile a little at Mother's frown.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
"The
point is," She said, taking my arms again, "they're a part of you
now. When I look at these scars," softly, she began tracing them with a
finger "I think of every battle
you've fought against a darkness that many would not be strong enough to
conquer. Every battle you've <i>won</i>. I
see them," she said, and it rang true - every ragged path she followed
matched the order I'd woven them, "and so should you." </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I know now,
that I've been doing it wrong. Denial is the choice I'd made. A secret buried further
and further over time, though a fresh layer of earth added to the grave has
turned that hole in the ground of my subconscious into an unusual looking mound
that draws suspicion. Secrets crave discovery. All they want is for one strong
wind, one shift in the plates beneath the earth, one glimpse of a tiny screen
on a digital camera.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The
photographer <i>still</i> sneered at me, the
ribbons I wear more offensive to him than the clothes my family lack. I wanted him
gone, and that meant taking this damn photo. I look down at my brother's ruined
shirt, shrug Mother's hand free, and then my dress. Another round of cheers
goes up from those nearby and I expect my mother to panic, but instead she
laughs heartily. It is a good sound. Father, however, lost control of the lower
portion of his face. I think it came with a dawning realisation of the
direction things were heading. He had a nervous glance towards my brother,
which on reflection, was probably not the wisest decision. My brother's
expression twisted with devil, and he cupped a hand to his mouth.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
"Off!"
There it was, one single word. The key to bedlam. The wolf pack started first,
baying at random before falling in line with my brother's pulsing decree. Those
nearby stopped to stare before joining the chant, spreading to the far reaches
of the park like wildfire. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As the
circle closed, Father looked around in panic before settling his eyes on me. I
smiled sweetly and shrugged my shoulders. He smiled back. "You know me and
your mother met in A&E." He said, fiddling with the button on his
collar. "You didn't know it was because of an incident involving a lot of
alcohol and a broom handle." He ripped his shirt free, popping the buttons
from their thread restraints like the Hulk, exposing a nasty score that cuts a
line in the hair of his chest. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Those
around us erupted in cheer. He span round, seeking the photographer who looked
very small amidst the conflagration. "Take the picture Dammit!" He
commanded, barely audible over the crowd. As the photographer failed to shake himself
free of whatever nightmare he thought he was having, my father marched over and
ripped the camera from him, turning it over and thrusting it back into his hand
with the lens pointing towards us on the bench, wrenching him from his stupor. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Eventually
his hand steadied long enough for him to take the picture, tripod lost to the
encroaching throng, and he traipsed over to us uncertainly, flinching at every
new voice bawled from the shifting mass that surrounds us. He flipped the
camera round, and showed us the image on the screen. Of course, my red ichor
twists were the first thing I noticed. But somehow, they seemed in place, flanked
either side by those borne by my family. A collection of tales sat side by side
against a backdrop of half a clamouring community, all crammed into one chaotic
frame.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
"It's
perfect." I said. No denial. I meant it. As Mother put a hand on my shoulder,
I looked down to see the sun's dying light dance upon my painted toenails. We'd
broken through together. I vow to accept its gracious end as my new beginning.<span style="font-family: "merriweather" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>__________</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="center" style="margin: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<br /><span style="text-align: left;">* This story was first published 25/08/16 as part of </span><a href="https://shortfictionbreak.com/" style="text-align: left;">Short Fiction Break</a><span style="text-align: left;">'s 2016 5th Anniversary Competition - </span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; text-align: left;"><a href="https://bit.ly/2H2zk0L">https://bit.ly/2H2zk0L</a></span><br />
<b>__________</b></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" style="margin: 0cm; text-align: center;">
Share using the buttons below!</div>
Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06473070741060049552noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464753402752334927.post-46561083241909534812016-12-09T14:32:00.000+00:002017-07-13T19:02:14.625+01:00The Button - [Redacted] - Dead Man's Bar<div style="margin: 0cm;">
Flash Fiction / Micro Fiction<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm;">
Length - 100 words each<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm;">
Three pieces written for the competition theme 'America'.<br />
* '[Redacted]' finished 3rd Place in the competition!</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>__________</b><u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>
<div align="center" style="margin: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<b><u>The Button</u></b></div>
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It started as locker-room banter. The big 'What if?' Now
he's President.</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
His
first tour of the office, he nervously bides his time until they show him the
button, and the old man breaks free of his handlers to slam reset.</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
It's
not a flex of power. It's not about building walls, or breaking them. 'What
if?' has graduated to 'What now?' and he simply wants out. </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
'These
people can't look after themselves anymore.' I whisper into the microphone
hidden inside my sleeve. 'Things have gone nuclear.'</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
We
gave you your chance, but the joke is over. Democracy has failed.</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div align="center" style="margin: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<b>__________</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm;">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPegcG6CJdRRPr-9MhFuMvwmaxiUNAgaBkmwCE2ngPPF7i8zlBp4v8e2kJR2sWpSdQjILRPANwlFRnUalLK2hCe9YVExE18ONS9CVB-q1wze7X9Fb2xwJvOd02BMj6qElfPyLDtN0u1Cgb/s1600/Redacted+-+scaled+250x300+-+white+backed+-+watermarked+-+da+blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPegcG6CJdRRPr-9MhFuMvwmaxiUNAgaBkmwCE2ngPPF7i8zlBp4v8e2kJR2sWpSdQjILRPANwlFRnUalLK2hCe9YVExE18ONS9CVB-q1wze7X9Fb2xwJvOd02BMj6qElfPyLDtN0u1Cgb/s1600/Redacted+-+scaled+250x300+-+white+backed+-+watermarked+-+da+blog.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>
<div align="center" style="margin: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<b><u>[Redacted]</u></b></div>
<div align="center" style="margin: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
The report, said to have been leaked following an alleged
'incident' at the infamous Area 51, has since resurfaced.</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
'Attention to all residents of [Redacted]. With immediate
effect [Redacted]. Until further notice [Redacted]. If you suspect [Redacted].
If symptoms persist [Redacted]. Avoid the elderly. [Redacted]. Do not attempt
[Redacted]. Serve your country, be vigilant, and remain indoors.'</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
In light of the outgoing American President's directive,
some of the following words have been recovered, though their order or
placement within the document remains unknown:</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Outbreak. Virus. Host. Candelabra. Execution. Global.
Defenestration. Airborne. </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
The truth is out there. Have a [Redacted] day.</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
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<br /></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div align="center" style="margin: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<b>__________</b><o:p></o:p><br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Y2qCiEioKcjDlOLAR3h_uSuHX_oIYzbMX1A5V7evmqChCG32xbH9xNvZWe8mkUbBXvGSXWuEv12jSZDJIWoEiQmwQvZV8hFQSOen6G5izETohyphenhyphend4ZBiJw2lIfgImi80fqLrhiCEt-3HN/s1600/dead+man%2527s+bar+-+scaled+250x300+-+white+backed+-+watermarked+-+blog+da.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Y2qCiEioKcjDlOLAR3h_uSuHX_oIYzbMX1A5V7evmqChCG32xbH9xNvZWe8mkUbBXvGSXWuEv12jSZDJIWoEiQmwQvZV8hFQSOen6G5izETohyphenhyphend4ZBiJw2lIfgImi80fqLrhiCEt-3HN/s1600/dead+man%2527s+bar+-+scaled+250x300+-+white+backed+-+watermarked+-+blog+da.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<b><u>Dead Man's Bar</u></b></div>
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<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
'Hicks' hangs above the saloon door on a wooden sign, but
the locals know it by a different name. It's empty, 'cept for one man propping
up the bar.</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
'They
credit me the man with the fastest hands in all America,' I tell him in warning.
I reached into my pocket for my warrant and immediately decided to take a seat
right there in the doorway instead. </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
'Fastest
<i>man</i>.' I heard, as the cold crept out
from a hole in my soul, and dumbly I looked to its dealer.</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
An
unturned head. A smoking gun. And lipstick on the glass.</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" style="margin: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<b>__________</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="center" style="margin: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<br />
<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://ws-eu.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=GB&source=ss&ref=ss_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=paulsfantfict-21&marketplace=amazon&region=GB&placement=B00QJDO0QC&asins=B00QJDO0QC&linkId&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><br />
<b>__________</b></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" style="margin: 0cm; text-align: center;">
Share using the buttons below!</div>
Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06473070741060049552noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464753402752334927.post-10770630168388845122016-12-08T08:00:00.000+00:002016-12-08T08:00:01.446+00:00Blog - 08/12/16<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Hey,</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Just a quick one to say I'm winding things down a bit.</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
It's been almost a year and I have had no interest in the
Micro Pic Competition, so I'll officially close it for the turn of the year.
I'll leave the contest page up in case there's a call for it in the future, but
for now if anyone wants to contribute an image for the Social Postcards just
look ahead to the schedule which I'll keep updated on the Micro Pic Competition
page, follow the instructions, and there's a good chance I'll use your image.</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
That goes for the blog posts too. As I feared, I'm just
not productive enough to justify a round up. I'll go back to posting when I
have something significant to talk about, but I'll be keeping up with the
Micros and the Social Postcards, and maybe, just maybe, the odd piece of Flash
Fiction or a Short Story here and there.</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
On that note, I'll hit you up with the new short story 'Picture
Perfect' on the 20th. Have a good Christmas and a Happy New Year. Hopefully
I'll have more to shout about in the near future. </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Thanks for sticking with me. </div>
</div>
<br />
Until next time, buh-bye!<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">__________</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br /><br /><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Follow me on Twitter - <a href="http://www.twitter.com/PaulJIsaac">www.twitter.com/PaulJIsaac</a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br />
"Like" my page on Facebook - <a href="http://on.fb.me/HKJOXk">http://on.fb.me/HKJOXk</a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
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Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06473070741060049552noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464753402752334927.post-394671982310184312016-11-05T08:00:00.000+00:002016-11-05T08:00:24.832+00:00The Month That Was... October '16<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<b><u>Intro<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
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Hello!</div>
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Welcome to, The Month That Was - October '16 !</div>
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<b><u>Achievements</u></b></div>
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Finished third in <a href="http://bit.ly/1Lu958r" target="_blank">MorgEn Bailey's 100-Word Free Competition</a> this month, with my entry <a href="http://bit.ly/2eaRUFm" target="_blank">'Good Decision'</a>.<br />
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You can view this month's winning tales here - <span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><a href="http://bit.ly/2dBXH1F">http://bit.ly/2dBXH1F</a></span></div>
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<b><u>New Content This Month</u> - </b>(What can you actually read this month!?)</div>
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All three entries to to <a href="http://bit.ly/1Lu958r" target="_blank">MorgEn Bailey's 100-Word Free Competition</a> , including third placed finishing piece <a href="http://bit.ly/2eaRUFm" target="_blank">'Good Decision'</a>, have been added to the site. The theme this time was 'Cool'.<br />
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You can find them here - <span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><a href="http://bit.ly/2eaRUFm">http://bit.ly/2eaRUFm</a></span><br />
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Two of the Micro Fictions have been turned into my Social postcards, and hit Media on the first and fifteenth of the month.<br />
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(I'm still yet to receive a single entry into the <a href="http://bit.ly/1VrAN0k" target="_blank">Micro Pic Competition</a> ! You could have your artwork seen by a wider / different audience AND win a free coupon to an online Writing Course!)</div>
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<b><u>The Graft</u></b> - (Daydreaming is well and good - you've got to have goals. But what have I actually <i>done</i> this month?)<br />
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Not a lot. :( The Micros didn't require much attention (excluding the time it took to generate a few ideas!), and a couple of attempts proved satisfactory. Got a little bit more done on TfTT, and for MFS I finished another couple of sections. The current section is a lot longer, so in future I might change to tracking words written as a better reflection. It's a struggle - writing an entire section that is already a candidate for the chop in the next revision! Certainly slows down the process for me when I'm trying to 'get though it'!</div>
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<b>Monthly Micros</b> (Three pieces at 100 words each, set theme)</div>
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<b>Project X</b> (Competition Short Story - x words)</div>
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<b>MFS </b>(Ongoing fantasy series, broken down into events, plus any note overhauls)</div>
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- Planning + Ordering<br />
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<b>Bigger Project </b>(Aside from MFS *MFS1 currently occupies this slot until I can finish the first draft!*)</div>
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- Nada! :(</div>
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<b>TfTT</b> (Special project)</div>
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- Planning<br />
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<b>Micro Pics </b>(One Micro Pic taken from last month's best reaction to recent three Micros, plus one pic generated from archives)</div>
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This month, the popular Pic was <a href="http://bit.ly/2eaRUFm" target="_blank">'Good Decision'</a>, and the archived Pic was <a href="http://bit.ly/29smA0o" target="_blank">'It's All in the Planning'</a>. Don't forget, by voting on the <a href="https://twitter.com/PaulJIsaac" target="_blank">Twitter</a> poll each month, you can have an impact on which Micro gets 'The Complete Treatment'! :)<br />
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<b>Peripheral Tasks of Note</b><br />
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<b>- </b>Nada! :(</div>
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<b><u>What I've Read<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dark-James-Herbert-ebook/dp/B0050AM5M6/ref=as_li_ss_il?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1477656197&sr=1-20&linkCode=li3&tag=paulsfantfict-21&linkId=859cd549883a7c38f7620a974e20303c" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-eu.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B0050AM5M6&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=GB&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=paulsfantfict-21" /></a><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Romance-Kingdoms-Tuttle-Classics-Literature/dp/0804834679/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1476613879&sr=8-3&keywords=romance+of+the+three+kingdoms&linkCode=li3&tag=paulsfantfict-21&linkId=42255ccd4786c3850bf7007c4ac61f6b" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-eu.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0804834679&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=GB&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=paulsfantfict-21" /></a><br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Best-Science-Fiction-Fantasy-Year-ebook/dp/B01CGPYPLQ/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1477927639&sr=8-1&keywords=the+best+science+fiction+and+fantasy+of+the+year+volume+ten&linkCode=li3&tag=paulsfantfict-21&linkId=35f40503d54310da97a6e6c38c45e798" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-eu.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B01CGPYPLQ&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=GB&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=paulsfantfict-21" /></a><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Swords-Empire-Warhammer-Novels-Gascoigne/dp/1844160882/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1470682479&sr=8-4&keywords=swords+of+the+empire&linkCode=li3&tag=paulsfantfict-21&linkId=275b3db20aac7320a2d6c8637084d690" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://ws-eu.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1844160882&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=GB&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=paulsfantfict-21" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-uk.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=paulsfantfict-21&l=li3&o=2&a=B01CGPYPLQ" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-uk.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=paulsfantfict-21&l=li2&o=2&a=B01CGPYPLQ" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></div>
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I loved the 'Dynasty Warriors' series on the Playstation growing up, 'Dynasty Warriors 4' being the pinnacle in my opinion. I finally got round to reading the literature the games are based on, and much enjoyed the alternate perspective. I managed to get the first of three volumes for 85p! The next two are over £10 each... so unfortunately it may be a while before I return to series! :(<br />
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Being close to Halloween and all, I decided to read a stand alone horror from the books on my shelves. I was surprised how difficult this was! Mainly because I'd read a lot of them and fancied something new, but the eye opening thing was that it was difficult to find one that was not part of a series! It made me think about my own writing, and I hope to learn a lesson in this - not every character or idea deserves a series!<br />
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I also read a couple more stories from each of the compilations I currently have on the go.<br />
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<b><u>Useful Articles I've read<o:p></o:p></u></b><br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>Nada. :(</div>
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<b><u><br /></u></b><b><u>Competition Results + Reader Contributions<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
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I've yet to receive any entrants to the <a href="http://bit.ly/1VrAN0k" target="_blank">Micro Pic Competition</a> that I run on this site! :( Don't forget you can get more exposure for your artwork, and even win a free coupon to an online writing course!<br />
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At time of writing, the current competitions that are open are;<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4oMkp8SMelJFVKwHd8FGRZNECDiWHiQqHL3OLFEnnX0L2ZBe_nJOZ2sXdE-884MsEz9DFzfMnMKJ5yFjXSewC62Cgimlve6mY5XqjW9_goIPdO8vYRtuTIoUoAMBJfMKKFAdpTlX3UHq5/s1600/gooddecision+-+scaled250x300+-+white+backed+-+comp+layered+-+blog+da+insta+twit+fb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4oMkp8SMelJFVKwHd8FGRZNECDiWHiQqHL3OLFEnnX0L2ZBe_nJOZ2sXdE-884MsEz9DFzfMnMKJ5yFjXSewC62Cgimlve6mY5XqjW9_goIPdO8vYRtuTIoUoAMBJfMKKFAdpTlX3UHq5/s1600/gooddecision+-+scaled250x300+-+white+backed+-+comp+layered+-+blog+da+insta+twit+fb.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiioYiyGKx-zgJGq6XGRv8xxZM9HlCl0do6b6cpoM_2M6J-YBIbrA4GXmDqN5qwpP4dIhkqNRX14kxeUcg2F52b_uGWUtn1R1N_F4V9z5O7IPvg_9XG8zO6MJJhCOT0eMwFZqoPEovyxAoY/s1600/iaitp+-+white+backed+-+scaled+250x300+-+watermarked+-+tagged+-+comp+layered+-+blog+da+insta+twit+fb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiioYiyGKx-zgJGq6XGRv8xxZM9HlCl0do6b6cpoM_2M6J-YBIbrA4GXmDqN5qwpP4dIhkqNRX14kxeUcg2F52b_uGWUtn1R1N_F4V9z5O7IPvg_9XG8zO6MJJhCOT0eMwFZqoPEovyxAoY/s1600/iaitp+-+white+backed+-+scaled+250x300+-+watermarked+-+tagged+-+comp+layered+-+blog+da+insta+twit+fb.jpg" /></a></div>
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The results of this month's <a href="https://twitter.com/PaulJIsaac" target="_blank">Twitter</a> poll, regarding which of the three Micro Fictions you liked best, was a tie between <a href="http://bit.ly/2eaRUFm" target="_blank">'Fool's Gold'</a> and <a href="http://bit.ly/2eaRUFm" target="_blank">'Taking the Biscuit'</a> with one vote apiece!</div>
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<b><u>Any Other Business<o:p></o:p></u></b><br />
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The next batch of Micros have been generated for the <a href="http://bit.ly/1VrAN0k" target="_blank">Micro Pic Competition</a> . I've been running it for almost a year now without a single entry, so the curtain may be falling on the idea shortly. :(<br />
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<b><u>Outro<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
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Must. Try. Harder.</div>
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Until next time, buh-bye!<br />
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<span style="font-size: 10pt;">__________</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br /><br /><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Follow me on Twitter - <a href="http://www.twitter.com/PaulJIsaac">www.twitter.com/PaulJIsaac</a></div>
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"Like" my page on Facebook - <a href="http://on.fb.me/HKJOXk">http://on.fb.me/HKJOXk</a></div>
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Follow me on Instagram - <a href="https://www.instagram.com/paul106i/">https://www.instagram.com/paul106i/</a></div>
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Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06473070741060049552noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464753402752334927.post-84499699689178730062016-11-04T15:39:00.001+00:002017-05-21T18:36:21.834+01:00The Money Tree - Oh Snap! - Show and Tell<div style="margin: 0cm;">
Flash Fiction / Micro Fiction<o:p></o:p></div>
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Length - 100 words each<o:p></o:p></div>
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Three pieces written for the competition theme 'A Crime Story'.<br />
* 'The Money Tree' was 'Highly Commended' in the competition!</div>
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<b><u>The Money Tree</u></b></div>
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'Curiosity killed the cat'. Misquoted so often, we humans
have sprouted a cautionary tail. But <i>you</i>
know better. After all, satisfaction brought that cat back.</div>
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It's
why you're here... no?</div>
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Speculative
small ad in a magazine, an impossibility. But what if it wasn't? What if that
cat came back filthy rich?</div>
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Hey
now, 'just a tree' to you, but that cash investment you brought sure looks like
money to me.</div>
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There,
there, little kitten; when they find you downstream in a sack with the others,
know that one of us was satisfied. I'm really more of a dog person anyway.</div>
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'Well done,' the police officer said, handing her back
her phone. Witnessing an attempted assault, Haley had instinctively started
filming. 'Although we didn't need to see you collecting your parcel.' He
smiled, and Haley blushed accordingly.</div>
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Panting, the man withdrew his phone. The girl had filmed
him. He opened the App, searched 'Nearby' and began watching the stories.</div>
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One new notification. <i>Huh</i>,
she thought, <i>must have left it on 'Open'</i>.
Her new follower sent her a video. A single angry emoji followed by a full
profile view. She recognised his clothes instantly. </div>
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The
last segment showed him approaching her porch.</div>
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'Colour me impressed.' The big boss said, rolling a cigar
from one side of his mouth to the other. He clapped his hands together, more
clang than slap, and his cronies relieved me of his rival's head which I'd
presented in a once white drawstring bag.</div>
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'My
men say you had no weapon?' He chuckled, 'That you just walked straight into
his office and BAM! The guy was dead!' He smiled, displaying a full row of
golden teeth. 'So tell me, how did you do it?' </div>
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'Well,'
I said, my own smile mere ivory, 'probably easier if I show you.'</div>
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<b>__________</b></div>
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Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06473070741060049552noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464753402752334927.post-5986834202681595102016-10-14T17:07:00.000+01:002017-05-28T16:08:41.592+01:00Good Decision - Fool's Gold - Taking the Biscuit<div style="margin: 0cm;">
Flash Fiction / Micro Fiction<o:p></o:p></div>
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Length - 100 words each<o:p></o:p></div>
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Three pieces written for the competition theme 'Cool'.<br />
* 'Good Decision' finished 3rd Place in the competition!</div>
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<b><u>Good Decision</u></b></div>
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'Sorry mate. It's all over the internet.'</div>
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Johnny
set the cracked wing mirror down atop the wreck as his friend showed him
footage from his smartphone. In it, Johnny's now ex-girlfriend appeared to lay
into his new car with a sledgehammer.</div>
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'She
asked me to choose,' Johnny said, shrugging his shoulders. 'I guess she didn't
like my answer.'</div>
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'You
seem remarkably cool about this.'</div>
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Johnny
grinned, took his car keys from his pocket and raised them into the air,
pressing the button. Behind him, an identical make and model blinked into life.</div>
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'I
bought mine because I liked my neighbour's...'</div>
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<b><u>Fool's Gold</u></b></div>
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He hauled the heavy rune-inscribed stone door shut, the remainder
of their company catching a breath after their flight through the volcano's
sweltering basalt passages. Odd then, that he could see it, their deep
expulsions lingering as mist in the guttering torchlight.</div>
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'Why's
it so cool in here?' </div>
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A
brittle tinkling melody encroached their position. Panicking, a man cracked
open the native's special fire ward and it lit the room, dazzling them from a
multitude of ice facets all about them. It'd do little else.</div>
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He
slumped down. 'Tricked'. A blue-white scaled beast shot into view. 'Wrong type
of dragon.' </div>
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<b><u><br />Taking the Biscuit</u></b></div>
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'So you poured them over his head? Are you crazy!?'</div>
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'They
were clearly labelled! He used my chilli sauce too!' </div>
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Chris
looked at the mess. Light biscuit fragments scattered from an upturned bucket
by their new flatmate's bedroom door. A flaky trail led to the bathroom where
he was about to shower.</div>
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'Well
at least you didn't pour that over him as well.'</div>
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'I
said he could use my shampoo...' Michael sat at the table with steepled
fingers.</div>
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Then
Chris noticed the empty chilli sauce bottle, a jug full of white, viscous
liquid beside it. 'Not cool, man. Not cool.'</div>
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<b>__________</b></div>
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Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06473070741060049552noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464753402752334927.post-89082297839215023742016-10-05T08:00:00.000+01:002016-10-05T08:00:15.127+01:00The Month That Was... September '16<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
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<b><u>Intro<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
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Hello!</div>
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Welcome to, The Month That Was - September '16 !</div>
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<b><u>Achievements</u></b></div>
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Finished with another piece on the 'Highly Commended' list in <a href="http://bit.ly/1Lu958r" target="_blank">MorgEn Bailey's 100-Word Free Competition</a> this month, with my entry <a href="http://bit.ly/2cc307j" target="_blank">'Emily'</a>. It's a year since the competition's inception, and brings me to a grand total of ten out of twelve placings on the shortlist or higher. The aim this year is to win one outright! Haha.<br />
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You can view this month's winning tales here - <span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://bit.ly/2cfnjk1">http://bit.ly/2cfnjk1</a></span></div>
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<b><u>New Content This Month</u> - </b>(What can you actually read this month!?)</div>
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All three entries to to <a href="http://bit.ly/1Lu958r" target="_blank">MorgEn Bailey's 100-Word Free Competition</a> , including the 'Highly Commended' piece <a href="http://bit.ly/2cc307j" target="_blank">'Emily'</a>, have been added to the site. The theme this time was 'An Unwanted Birthday'.<br />
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You can find them here - <span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://bit.ly/2cc307j">http://bit.ly/2cc307j</a></span><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="OLE_LINK68"></a></div>
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Two of the Micro Fictions have been turned into my Social postcards, and hit Media on the first and fifteenth of the month.<br />
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(I'm still yet to receive a single entry into the <a href="http://bit.ly/1VrAN0k" target="_blank">Micro Pic Competition</a> ! You could have your artwork seen by a wider / different audience AND win a free coupon to an online Writing Course!)</div>
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<b><u>The Graft</u></b> - (Daydreaming is well and good - you've got to have goals. But what have I actually <i>done</i> this month?)<br />
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Admittedly not a lot has happened on paper this month. Mostly it's been about ideas and planning, so we're a little bit light on the ground for actual content. The Micros required a bit of extra work this month to make them right, and I was unable to achieve any of the peripheral tasks I set out to complete.<br />
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I'm most annoyed I haven't found time to type up handwritten drafts of MFS1 events as I write them. It's a problem that most modern writers probably don't have to worry about, usually going straight to laptop, but better for me in that I prefer to have the time off screen. It actually feels like <i>writing</i> to me that way too! My chicken scratch handwriting has become a bit of a problem though - if I don't type it up straight after, I struggle to make sense of it most times... Although this month I've started to write in CAPITAL LETTERS to try and help myself on the return journey!<br />
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Following the introduction of TfTT Tuesdays, I've actually managed to make a start on a project I've wanted to for ages, (almost) guilt free! Though at a rate of four days a month, you shouldn't expect to see anything in the near future... :(</div>
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<b>Monthly Micros</b> (Three pieces at 100 words each, set theme)</div>
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- Draft 1, Draft 2, Draft 3, Draft 4, Draft 5</div>
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- Submitted to competition</div>
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<b>Project 10</b> (Competition Short Story - 1700 words)</div>
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- Submitted to competition</div>
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<b>MFS </b>(Ongoing fantasy series, broken down into events, plus any note overhauls)</div>
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- Planning + Ordering<br />
- Creation - Two events :(<br />
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<b>Bigger Project </b>(Aside from MFS *MFS1 currently occupies this slot until I can finish the first draft!*)</div>
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- Nada! :(</div>
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<b>TfTT</b> (Special project)</div>
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- Planning<br />
- Part of a first draft of a section :(</div>
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<b>Micro Pics </b>(One Micro Pic taken from last month's best reaction to recent three Micros, plus one pic generated from archives)</div>
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This month, the popular Pic was <a href="http://bit.ly/2cc307j" target="_blank">'Emily'</a>, and the archived Pic was <a href="http://bit.ly/250qjdi" target="_blank">'Stain(Ed)'</a>. Don't forget, by voting on the <a href="https://twitter.com/PaulJIsaac" target="_blank">Twitter</a> poll each month, you can have an impact on which Micro gets 'The Complete Treatment'! :)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglBN1bxL5Slw6q0_jcPK92BeeDZ3RPkiUnUzflbi0JIIaXjQ-ylh1-JnH15grNGhykJaJzFzjYOxvKQzL-WY7KnI9UgxyQFzRQHt4dsvodgFpVPthyphenhyphenk3ohavjNEyHzXhUkl_vI-id7Xu0g/s1600/StainEd+-+white+backed+-+scaled+250x300+-+watermarked+-+da+blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglBN1bxL5Slw6q0_jcPK92BeeDZ3RPkiUnUzflbi0JIIaXjQ-ylh1-JnH15grNGhykJaJzFzjYOxvKQzL-WY7KnI9UgxyQFzRQHt4dsvodgFpVPthyphenhyphenk3ohavjNEyHzXhUkl_vI-id7Xu0g/s1600/StainEd+-+white+backed+-+scaled+250x300+-+watermarked+-+da+blog.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b>Peripheral Tasks of Note</b><br />
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<b>- </b>Nada! :(</div>
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<b><u>What I've Read<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
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<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-uk.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=paulsfantfict-21&l=li3&o=2&a=B00R6X6J4K" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wheel-Osheim-Red-Queens-Book-ebook/dp/B0191FND6W/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1473088488&sr=8-1&keywords=wheel+of+osheim+kindle&linkCode=li3&tag=paulsfantfict-21&linkId=9fe5566194e7cd824805fbeab36a299e" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-eu.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B0191FND6W&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=GB&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=paulsfantfict-21" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-uk.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=paulsfantfict-21&l=li3&o=2&a=B0191FND6W" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></div>
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<span style="color: #0000ee;"><u><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-uk.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=paulsfantfict-21&l=li3&o=2&a=B00GLGXMBG" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></u></span></div>
<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-uk.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=paulsfantfict-21&l=li2&o=2&a=B00GLGXMBG" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></div>
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Finished '<a href="http://amzn.to/2av5vVu" target="_blank">The Wheel of Osheim</a>' this month, concluding the <a href="http://amzn.to/2bqnlHB" target="_blank">'Red Queen's War'</a> series from <a href="http://www.marklawrence.buzz/" target="_blank">Mark Lawrence</a>.<br />
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I've mentioned before how it feels like a very successful re-skinning of his previous series '<a href="http://amzn.to/2dy3iuf" target="_blank">The Broken Empire</a>', set in the same world and time frame with glorious crossovers, and that feeling remains true, right down to a moment where both main characters are rescued by an unexpected moment of 'modern' technology. Not only that, but I feel this series did it <i>better. </i>I think I can pinpoint it to the feeling I had upon walking away from the series upon completion. I distinctly remember walking away with two major criticisms of the first series.<br />
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Firstly, I felt the story held up so well as a medieval series, that when more and more technology was introduced (it's set in a post apocalyptic world of the nuclear variety) I didn't like it. Of course the story is all about it, and a gradual revelation of what happened and how it's changed the world going forward, but I'm not particularly fond of technology / sci fi, and just wanted it to stay medieval. But here's the thing, during <a href="http://amzn.to/2bqnlHB" target="_blank">'Red Queen's War'</a> I was now prepared to accept it as part of the world / story, that familiarity now improving my overall experience.<br />
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Secondly, I remember walking away from the first series unhappy with the ending. By which I mean the end ending. The, let's call it 'mortal' ending was suitably epic, but what happens next left me feeling unsatisfied. Well this series did it better. Whereas in the first, the endings are sequential, this series had them running parallel and I feel it was a vast improvement, all things coming to a head at once, the best stacking of the main character's nemeses, collected throughout the series, (they just kept coming and coming to the point you had to applaud the character for getting this far!) I've ever had the pleasure to read, and an ending, crucially, that made sense to me - again better knowing how it all worked from the first time. It's hard to describe the two layers of the story, but first time round he addressed them separately as an ending, this time they tied in together.<br />
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The world is finished now, aside form a collection of shorts I'll get called '<a href="http://amzn.to/2dv3Mxs" target="_blank">Road Brothers: Tales From the Broken Empire</a>', but I'm much looking forward to reading his next series when it comes out, the first book being '<a href="http://bit.ly/2dv4CKj" target="_blank">Red Sister</a>'.<br />
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<span style="color: #0000ee;"><u><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Swords-Empire-Warhammer-Novels-Gascoigne/dp/1844160882/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1470682479&sr=8-4&keywords=swords+of+the+empire&linkCode=li3&tag=paulsfantfict-21&linkId=275b3db20aac7320a2d6c8637084d690" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://ws-eu.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1844160882&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=GB&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=paulsfantfict-21" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-uk.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=paulsfantfict-21&l=li3&o=2&a=1844160882" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></u></span></div>
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<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-uk.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=paulsfantfict-21&l=li2&o=2&a=1844160882" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></div>
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I've started using this book as a 'tone text' read before I start work on TfTT on a Tuesday. I've mentioned before how closely tied the worlds are, so it's a perfect read to get into the right head-space for a dark, apocalyptic, and dreary atmosphere / environment. The story I've read this month was 'The Case of the Scarlet Cell', which is my favourite from the book, mainly because it focuses on my favourite army from the world, Chaos, and the division therein. It's an interesting application of the rivalry from a great army, scaled down in a practical metropolis setting to a detective murder mystery.</div>
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<b><u>Useful Articles I've read<o:p></o:p></u></b><br />
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Following on from last month, this would be better titled 'Useful Articles I've <b>Listened</b> too.' Bingeing on all things <a href="http://brandonsanderson.com/" target="_blank">Brandon Sanderson</a> recently, I've now added the Podcast he is part of '<a href="http://www.writingexcuses.com/" target="_blank">Writing Excuses</a>' to my consumption. It's a weekly release packed full of useful tips and practical applications thereof, all compacted to around fifteen minutes, and has been so helpful to me in terms of ideas and understanding of things already. The content is not just limited to the art of writing, and includes information and advice on 'being a writer' too, such as the publication process and interviews with those involved for a different industry perspective. I'm catching up from deep, not wishing to listen to more than one a day, because I want time to process / practice what I'm learning.</div>
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<b><u><br /></u></b><b><u>Competition Results + Reader Contributions<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
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I've yet to receive any entrants to the <a href="http://bit.ly/1VrAN0k" target="_blank">Micro Pic Competition</a> that I run on this site! :( Don't forget you can get more exposure for your artwork, and even win a free coupon to an online writing course!</div>
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At time of writing, the current Competitions that are open are;<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5dVUXiGT5x79kXqD1BItVYBSNPeFvvJTjgXbxvTwLGun3KRpl1eHoLGyv2WPQXLCp4H__vGnxjo8C9ie_VV-7lbOvamzY6B5F86fKvE4dQKwD9NH20LUuMnbOYQDHEyItBQTs8dT949RT/s1600/StainEd+-+white+backed+-+scaled+250x300+-+watermarked+-+tagged+-+comp+layered+-+da+blog+insta+twitter+fb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv0WvuH_eMOCNoAkNT7_GGMLNW0tlsr86rLbsJZxf2XtYa2nqwVU-kH-1tHfjHYkAYIBTUaYEryYGEa9h23ZV-bnsFmVZLubz-_bBbwvyVpGhvaRtvQ7IaTStxfMrjPWsTffR3n7rwNMHM/s1600/emily+-+white+backed+-+scaled+250x300+-+watermarked+-+tagged+-+comp+layered+-+blog+da+insta+twitter+fb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv0WvuH_eMOCNoAkNT7_GGMLNW0tlsr86rLbsJZxf2XtYa2nqwVU-kH-1tHfjHYkAYIBTUaYEryYGEa9h23ZV-bnsFmVZLubz-_bBbwvyVpGhvaRtvQ7IaTStxfMrjPWsTffR3n7rwNMHM/s1600/emily+-+white+backed+-+scaled+250x300+-+watermarked+-+tagged+-+comp+layered+-+blog+da+insta+twitter+fb.jpg" /></a><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5dVUXiGT5x79kXqD1BItVYBSNPeFvvJTjgXbxvTwLGun3KRpl1eHoLGyv2WPQXLCp4H__vGnxjo8C9ie_VV-7lbOvamzY6B5F86fKvE4dQKwD9NH20LUuMnbOYQDHEyItBQTs8dT949RT/s1600/StainEd+-+white+backed+-+scaled+250x300+-+watermarked+-+tagged+-+comp+layered+-+da+blog+insta+twitter+fb.jpg" /> </div>
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The results of this month's <a href="https://twitter.com/PaulJIsaac" target="_blank">Twitter</a> poll, regarding which of the three Micro Fictions you liked best, was a tie between <a href="http://bit.ly/2cc307j" target="_blank">'Emily'</a> and <a href="http://bit.ly/2cc307j" target="_blank">'Betrothed'</a> with one vote apiece!</div>
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<b><u>Any Other Business<o:p></o:p></u></b><br />
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Finally got the judges' critique back for my short story 'Picture Perfect'. To say I'm disappointed would be a bit of an understatement, and I certainly won't be paying extra for it, at least from that site, again. Raw and defensive I may be, but there was one glaring contradiction I can't get my head around, so it may be some time before I decide to give it another shot from a different source.<br />
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Now I did get a sneaky idea to release 'Picture Perfect' this month at same time as <a href="http://www.skylargreymusic.com/" target="_blank">Skylar Grey</a> released her new album '<a href="http://amzn.to/2daVBeg" target="_blank">Natural Causes</a>'. It's that mad thing, as soon as I came up with the title I started noticing it everywhere, starting with the old film starring Jennifer Aniston popping up on <a href="http://amzn.to/2daUpaV" target="_blank">Amazon Prime</a>, and culminating in one of my favourite musicians releasing it as a track on her upcoming album! I thought maybe I could piggyback some success if people enjoyed the song (she herself describes it as her favourite song off the album) and maybe snatch a couple of hits via an unwitting google search or two.<br />
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But! I decided against it. No, it was not a retreat on moral ground, (just google the title of my site for an example of my desperation, I've tracked a whole <b>three</b> hits since the blog's inception as a result) instead, it's the result of a new fear I've developed when releasing fiction online.<br />
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Nobody reads anything now without a picture! When I release the three Micros and link to them with plain text, I get zero hits. You just keep scrolling down until something catches your eye. It's why I developed the Micro postcard idea, the stats confirm the same story released with one of my terrible little drawings get multiple interactions! Some social media platforms have a 'media' feed that text links just don't get onto. I asked a friend if he read my Micros, and after some gentle probing, it turned out to be just the Micros released as postcards. I re-linked to an old story '<a href="http://bit.ly/1GpfTbG" target="_blank">Head Full of Memories</a>' with added picture a while back, and it got a jump, '<a href="http://bit.ly/1Uq45Gq" target="_blank">Mount Wulf</a>' despite its hideous picture did comparatively well too, and now I'm scared to release anything without an image!<br />
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So I bailed! I'm not prepared to pay for an image to go with a lowly short story released on an unknown's blog. I'll probably draw a picture similar to those I draw for the Micros, just to have <b>something</b> to accompany it with. Missing that window, I'll probably release it on the blog at Christmas.<br />
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<a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Picture-Perfect-DVD-Jennifer-Aniston/dp/B000284920/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1475182249&sr=8-2&keywords=picture+perfect&linkCode=li3&tag=paulsfantfict-21&linkId=599db61dab8eea5d3336890303da8a50" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-eu.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B000284920&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=GB&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=paulsfantfict-21" /></a><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Natural-Causes-Explicit-Skylar-Grey/dp/B01KRII1MS/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1475182337&sr=8-3&keywords=natural+causes+skylar+grey&linkCode=li3&tag=paulsfantfict-21&linkId=92a2fc23776ed03c7a44ecdcee2cf47b" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-eu.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B01KRII1MS&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=GB&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=paulsfantfict-21" /></a></div>
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<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-uk.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=paulsfantfict-21&l=li3&o=2&a=B000284920" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
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<b><u>Outro<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
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So that's it. Nothing much to do but reiterate an intention to try harder next month. Thanks, and it's a big one, to anybody sticking with me.</div>
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Until next time, buh-bye!<br />
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<span style="font-size: 10pt;">__________</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br /><br /><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Follow me on Twitter - <a href="http://www.twitter.com/PaulJIsaac">www.twitter.com/PaulJIsaac</a></div>
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"Like" my page on Facebook - <a href="http://on.fb.me/HKJOXk">http://on.fb.me/HKJOXk</a></div>
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Follow me on Instagram - <a href="https://www.instagram.com/paul106i/">https://www.instagram.com/paul106i/</a></div>
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Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06473070741060049552noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464753402752334927.post-68441613674001828692016-09-09T11:17:00.000+01:002017-08-31T16:52:03.395+01:00Emily - Betrothed - Class of '89<div style="margin: 0cm;">
Flash Fiction / Micro Fiction<o:p></o:p></div>
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Length - 100 words each<o:p></o:p></div>
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Three pieces written for the competition theme 'An Unwanted Birthday'.<br />
* 'Emily' was 'Highly Commended' in the competition!</div>
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<b><u>Emily</u></b></div>
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Back again, drawn from nowhere. Dad sits with his party
hat on, Mum busy lighting the candles on my cake whilst I dance alone in the
dress she bought me, all mauve with stencil flowers on it. </div>
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The
last candle won't light, the wick is wet with sorrow. Dad doesn't even bother
to comfort her, a me-shaped chasm open between them since Mum miscarried all
those years ago.</div>
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Dead
before I'd even lived, a special kind of ghost. I am an anomaly, though they'd
have called me Emily, a conscience born of tragedy, on the day that hurts them
most.</div>
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<b><u>Betrothed</u></b></div>
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She pulled back from their secret moonlight embrace,
resisting his questing fingers.</div>
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'I'm
betrothed to Count Valer, Sir Henry. Tomorrow when I come of age, Father will
have his wish.' She went to kiss him again, but he stood firm, a dark
expression staining his face.</div>
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'Suppose
Count Valer isn't around tomorrow.' Fingers danced atop his sword pommel.</div>
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'Father
has gambled our meagre lot arranging the ceremony, I have to marry someone.'</div>
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'Marry
me, instead.' She drank in the murder that spilled from his eyes, her breaths
growing heavy.</div>
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'There's
not much time.' She said, quivering, 'bring me his head.'</div>
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<b><u>Class of '89</u></b></div>
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All my friends are dead. I thumb through pages of an open
yearbook, reading by mounted candlelight their signed, hopeful messages.</div>
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'Something
to drink, General?' She hands me a glass, looks from me to her departed
brother, centre page, and raises her drink in silent toast. All the women do,
clustered in solemn huddles about our old school hall.</div>
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Turning
point in the war. Emergency conscription. The class of '89, wiped out after one
week of fighting.</div>
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'Happy
Birthday.' She whispers, and takes her leave.</div>
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All
my friends are dead. Born a week earlier, and I'd have shared their fate.</div>
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Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06473070741060049552noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464753402752334927.post-23402181994860672322016-09-05T15:50:00.000+01:002016-09-05T15:50:01.916+01:00The Month That Was... August '16<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
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<b><u>Intro<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
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Hello!</div>
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We're onto month two! It's the fifth of the month today, which will be the new regular time spot going forward! Welcome to, The Month That Was - August '16 !</div>
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<b><u>Achievements</u></b></div>
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Make that 9 out of 11! Back to finishing with a piece on <a href="http://bit.ly/1Lu958r" target="_blank">MorgEn Bailey's 100-Word Free Competition</a> in the 'Highly Commended' position this month, with my entry <a href="http://bit.ly/2bc3Ssn" target="_blank">'Binnie'</a>. :)<br />
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You can view the winners' tales here - <span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://bit.ly/2bcISWJ">http://bit.ly/2bcISWJ</a></span></div>
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<b><u>New Content This Month</u> - </b>(What can you actually read this month!?)</div>
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All three entries to <a href="http://bit.ly/1Lu958r" target="_blank">MorgEn Bailey's 100-Word Free Competition</a> , including the 'Highly Commended' piece <a href="http://bit.ly/2bc3Ssn" target="_blank">'Binnie'</a> , have been added to the site. The theme this time was 'Holiday'.<br />
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You can find them here - <span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://bit.ly/2bc3Ssn">http://bit.ly/2bc3Ssn</a></span></div>
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Two of the Micro Fictions have been turned into my Social postcards, and hit Media on the first and fifteenth of the month.<br />
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(I'm still yet to receive a single entry into the <a href="http://bit.ly/1VrAN0k" target="_blank">Micro Pic Competition</a> ! You could have your artwork seen by a wider / different audience AND win a free coupon to an online Writing Course!)</div>
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<b><u>The Graft</u></b> - (Daydreaming is well and good - you've got to have goals. But what have I actually <i>done</i> this month?)</div>
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Frustratingly inactive this month! It doesn't make a lot of sense. As discussed last month, I wanted to scale things down and just focus on MFS. While that is the case, for the most part, the reintroduction to the project was overbearing and almost paralyzing! I managed to eek out a bit of actual writing towards the end of the month, but it's become unnervingly clear that it's not going to be as straightforward as I'd like. I've got about ninety 'scenes' left to write for the first draft. But even writing just the one actually split into three...<br />
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According to Brandon Sanderson's lectures (more on that later) I'd say I'm mostly a 'discovery' writer that likes to think he's an 'outliner'. So when I have my neat frames and plot structures which take ages to construct, I'll be in the process of writing and suddenly actually putting pen to paper (literally, I like to do my first draft by hand) I'll get a few ideas that change EVERYTHING! Which means I doggedly finish the small section I'm working on, and then proceed to overhaul the entire project! It's massively time consuming, and also mentally exhausting, and then I'm at risk of walking away from the project for 'space', coming back after too long and oh here comes that lengthy reintroduction period again!<br />
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I do however feel the project grows stronger each time through the process. But I'm not the type of person who can churn out 'dead' text, just to have finished something. At least I know my foibles though right? Maybe one day I'll learn another way...<br />
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Ultimately not a lot has visibly happened. I finished the scene in question on the final day of August, coming out fourteen pages in my handwriting, which usually equates to about 250 words per page. So that's... something! Hopefully September will see an improvement!</div>
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<b>Monthly Micros</b> (Three pieces at 100 words each, set theme)</div>
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- Draft 1, Draft 2, Draft 3, Draft 4</div>
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<b>Project X</b> (Competition Short Story - ??? words)</div>
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<b>MFS </b>(Ongoing fantasy series, broken down into scenes, plus any note overhauls)</div>
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- Reformatted and overhauled Noting system of everything to this point (but not beyond active chaps)<br />
- Typed up all produced so far, formatted into Kindle for easier re-reading<br />
- Creation - One scene! :(<br />
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<b>Bigger Project </b>(Aside from MFS *MFS1 currently occupies this slot until I can finish the first draft!*)</div>
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<b>TfTT</b> (Special project)</div>
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<b>Micro Pics </b>(One Micro Pic taken from last month's best reaction to recent three Micros, plus one pic generated from archives)</div>
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This month, the popular Pic was of course <a href="http://bit.ly/2bc3Ssn" target="_blank">'Binnie'</a>, and the archived Pic was <a href="http://bit.ly/1RdwV0q" target="_blank">'Last Ride'</a>. Don't forget, by voting on the <a href="https://twitter.com/PaulJIsaac" target="_blank">Twitter</a> poll each month, you can have an impact on which Micro gets 'The Complete Treatment'! :)</div>
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<b>- </b>Devising this very post!<br />
- Desperately trying to come up with a new timetable...</div>
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<b><u>What I've Read<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Liars-Key-Red-Queens-Book-ebook/dp/B00R6X6J4K/ref=as_li_ss_il?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=&linkCode=li3&tag=paulsfantfict-21&linkId=acea89df8ab80a34e93316a36f614ba6" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-eu.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B00R6X6J4K&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=GB&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=paulsfantfict-21" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-uk.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=paulsfantfict-21&l=li3&o=2&a=B00R6X6J4K" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></div>
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<span style="color: #0000ee;"><u><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-uk.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=paulsfantfict-21&l=li3&o=2&a=B00GLGXMBG" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></u></span></div>
<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-uk.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=paulsfantfict-21&l=li2&o=2&a=B00GLGXMBG" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></div>
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Finished the second in the <a href="http://amzn.to/2bqnlHB" target="_blank">'Red Queen's War'</a> series by <a href="http://www.marklawrence.buzz/" target="_blank">Mark Lawrence</a> this month. Fantastic stuff, and that ending! Last month I talked about how Snorri's tales gave the author his format for recounting the past as new material for the reader. This time around it falls on the main character, Prince Jalan, to fulfill that role and it's done expertly, and crucially, entirely feasibly. By this point in the story we've uncovered enough information about the past to <i>want </i>to know more, not as often happens an annoying sidetrack that we have to 'get through' until we get back to the good stuff, and the author delivers it seamlessly, the passing of the baton a really practical thing from a writer's viewpoint, but so effective in the storytelling too. So now, I've finally 'earned' my place at the foot of the third and final installment, '<a href="http://amzn.to/2av5vVu" target="_blank">The Wheel of Osheim</a>'.<br />
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<span style="color: #0000ee;"><u><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Swords-Empire-Warhammer-Novels-Gascoigne/dp/1844160882/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1470682479&sr=8-4&keywords=swords+of+the+empire&linkCode=li3&tag=paulsfantfict-21&linkId=275b3db20aac7320a2d6c8637084d690" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://ws-eu.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1844160882&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=GB&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=paulsfantfict-21" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-uk.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=paulsfantfict-21&l=li3&o=2&a=1844160882" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></u></span></div>
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<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-uk.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=paulsfantfict-21&l=li2&o=2&a=1844160882" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></div>
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Another story rattled off, I need to figure out a way to schedule my reading from the short story collections more often. The problem I think is that a lot of 'short stories' in this collection and collections in general are a little misleadingly titled. Maybe we all have different interpretations of the word 'short', but I would prefer to able to read a story in one sitting without having to allocate 'extra time'...</div>
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<span style="color: #0000ee;"><u><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Best-Science-Fiction-Fantasy-Year-ebook/dp/B01CGPYPLQ/ref=as_li_ss_il?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1470681716&sr=8-1&linkCode=li3&tag=paulsfantfict-21&linkId=cabdf062bd64231dd303f3c1e7794b6b" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://ws-eu.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B01CGPYPLQ&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=GB&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=paulsfantfict-21" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-uk.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=paulsfantfict-21&l=li3&o=2&a=B01CGPYPLQ" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></u></span><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-uk.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=paulsfantfict-21&l=li2&o=2&a=B01CGPYPLQ" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></div>
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See above...</div>
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<b><u>Useful Articles I've read<o:p></o:p></u></b><br />
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This should probably be re titled 'Useful Articles I've <b>Watched</b>'. On an email from <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/14620369-paul-isaac" target="_blank">Goodreads</a> (which tell you about new posts from authors you follow) I spotted one about 'World Building' from <a href="http://brandonsanderson.com/" target="_blank">Brandon Sanderson</a>. I regard Brandon as the best world builder I've ever had the pleasure to read after an introduction from a friend to his '<a href="http://amzn.to/2c3vweF" target="_blank">Mistborn</a>' series. The link was to a class he teaches that has been filmed for Youtube and was the fourth in the series. Captivated, I'm slowly caching up on the series, learning lots of potential techniques and terms in the process.<br />
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You can view them for yourself here - <span style="color: #a3aaae; font-size: 15.6px; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://bit.ly/2bW2Fdj">http://bit.ly/2bW2Fdj</a></span></span><br />
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Aside from that, I'll just quickly mention <a href="http://www.danpurdue.uk/" target="_blank">Dan Purdue</a> again, as he had some success recently, finishing on the shortlist for a competition held by Writing Magazine and Just Write - having his story put in print as well being invited to a reception evening to announce the winner. The fact he blogged about it is invaluable for writers like me looking up, as it's not a million miles from what I hope to be the next step in my development, so little windows into the world of a successful writer both educate and inspire. Similarly, he also blogged about his attendance to the <a href="http://curiousartsfestival.com/" target="_blank">Curious Arts Festival</a> which provides a similar effect.<br />
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You can read his account about the competition evening here - <a href="http://bit.ly/2bVcjLO">http://bit.ly/2bVcjLO</a><br />
And his visit to the Curious Arts Festival here - <a href="http://bit.ly/2bVcjLO">http://bit.ly/2bVcjLO</a></div>
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<b><u>Competition Results + Reader Contributions<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
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I've yet to receive any entrants to the <a href="http://bit.ly/1VrAN0k" target="_blank">Micro Pic Competition</a> that I run on this site! :( Don't forget you can get more exposure for your artwork, and even win a free coupon to an online writing course!</div>
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At time of writing, the current Competitions that are open are;<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6WZ0bhiuOxbf_-RAcAOmgE1T_10LvlUr1IGOE4OQOTmh0cqB2QJdDf40IOYFR8GI-P06KXdSErR_sgQamd0vml15lLQufok7pc_SG7qxSXWJHLDJ-GBHgkmo9RueB1a48ZtCCKhStiAiZ/s1600/lr+-+extracted+-+white+backed+-+scaled+250x300+-+watermarked+-+tagged+-+comp+layered+-+da+twit+fb+insta.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6WZ0bhiuOxbf_-RAcAOmgE1T_10LvlUr1IGOE4OQOTmh0cqB2QJdDf40IOYFR8GI-P06KXdSErR_sgQamd0vml15lLQufok7pc_SG7qxSXWJHLDJ-GBHgkmo9RueB1a48ZtCCKhStiAiZ/s1600/lr+-+extracted+-+white+backed+-+scaled+250x300+-+watermarked+-+tagged+-+comp+layered+-+da+twit+fb+insta.jpg" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRwCR2TegE95FvMk1-cqsFu-byx3SpJrVRf6351tYx4LY_AeUKYwSGyzGb6WIw20OBp3pzZFtBMZpyWaBWF5eMXPb7y2y6BQOs_oc_UiqAFZADfk8fUQsIIqnRp8HGWDnX1kyqlvMBpWSw/s1600/binnie+-+white+backed+-+scaled+250x300+-+watermarked+-+comp+layered+-+da+blog+insta+twitter+fb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRwCR2TegE95FvMk1-cqsFu-byx3SpJrVRf6351tYx4LY_AeUKYwSGyzGb6WIw20OBp3pzZFtBMZpyWaBWF5eMXPb7y2y6BQOs_oc_UiqAFZADfk8fUQsIIqnRp8HGWDnX1kyqlvMBpWSw/s1600/binnie+-+white+backed+-+scaled+250x300+-+watermarked+-+comp+layered+-+da+blog+insta+twitter+fb.jpg" /></a></div>
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The results of this month's <a href="https://twitter.com/PaulJIsaac" target="_blank">Twitter</a> poll, regarding which of the three Micro Fictions you liked best, was a tie between <a href="http://bit.ly/2bc3Ssn" target="_blank">'Sentence'</a> and <a href="http://bit.ly/2bc3Ssn" target="_blank">'Sunken Valley'</a> with one vote apiece! Always interesting when the tide goes against the one that the judge of a competition chose! (I am painfully aware that both votes may be cast by spam bots, <a href="https://twitter.com/PaulJIsaac" target="_blank">Twitter</a> uses anonymity on their vote polls!)</div>
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<b><u>Any Other Business<o:p></o:p></u></b><br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>So I got the results back from Project 4's competition this month, and sadly, I didn't make the top six. I have no problem with that. I do however, feel a little misled. It's my own fault, you should always be cynical to avoid disappointment. That may not be a happy way to lead your life, I'll admit, but sometimes it's a necessary way to cope in an industry grounded in continual rejection.<br />
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So you may remember, I entered partially because I was drawn in by the promise of publication. Every entry guaranteed! It boasted. Who knows? I thought. Maybe somebody new, aside from the judges I'm paying, will cast my story a glance and tell me they enjoy my writing! Which may have been the case if they were presented as a free giveaway eBook collection, or a recommended article sent out on a weekly email and with third party backing or announcement. Maybe not however, if you just list 289 entrants in an alphabetic list on a static webpage. As expected, the shortlisted have a few shares and comments, but a quick glance at a few other entries show that's where exposure seems to end.<br />
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Yes, if I hadn't been so needy at time of submission I'd have chosen against publication so I could rework the story for another competition. I'm quite pleased with how it turned out though, so I'll be posting 'Picture Perfect' to the site at some point in the near future, and removing it from my active project list. I'm still waiting on the judges critique I paid extra for, so I'll reserve judgement on the overall degree of uselessness until such a time.</div>
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<b><u>Outro<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
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Thanks for reading! I'm thinking of trying a tactic to devote one day a week to a certain project. So TfTT Tuesday for example. I wonder if it will be nice to wake up thinking I can give it all to a certain project without feeling the guilt of neglecting what I should really be doing... We'll see how that goes! </div>
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Until next time, buh-bye!</div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt;">__________</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br /><br /><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Follow me on Twitter - <a href="http://www.twitter.com/PaulJIsaac">www.twitter.com/PaulJIsaac</a></div>
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"Like" my page on Facebook - <a href="http://on.fb.me/HKJOXk">http://on.fb.me/HKJOXk</a></div>
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Follow me on Instagram - <a href="https://www.instagram.com/paul106i/">https://www.instagram.com/paul106i/</a></div>
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Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06473070741060049552noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464753402752334927.post-49562071413660944652016-08-12T14:18:00.000+01:002017-05-14T19:40:22.681+01:00Sentence - Binnie - Sunken Valley<div style="margin: 0cm;">
Flash Fiction / Micro Fiction<o:p></o:p></div>
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Length - 100 words each<o:p></o:p></div>
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Three pieces written for the competition theme 'Holiday'.<br />
* 'Binnie' was 'Highly Commended' in the competition!</div>
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<b><u>Sentence</u></b></div>
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'Up.' He said, clattering the ladder against the sofa. It
wrenched his son from newspaper-abetted slumber, and he shrieked in
fright. 'I'm going to patch that crack in the ceiling.'</div>
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'No,' His son said. 'You're not. You need to slow down. They forced retirement
on you for a reason. Think of it like those holidays you went on with Mum.'</div>
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He heard her sweet laugh echo, felt her last kiss on the back of his hand.</div>
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This was no holiday, not without his Muriel. It was a sentence, with but one
way to survive it.</div>
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'I'll go tile the hallway.'</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgANdQtkqlqVTcSVzrtKCoGL4aohchcteWWg4vIuAI8CHRYFFxY6QlWgmc_5Ndv_Vfsx9WE5wvd-DMPDdhcCipLpCtADiRsCWPybE1whSKWvqyz0z2u3QvBsT4mdfOd9zSVII8-E120vwpn/s1600/binnie+-+white+backed+-+scaled+250x300+-+watermarked+-+da+blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgANdQtkqlqVTcSVzrtKCoGL4aohchcteWWg4vIuAI8CHRYFFxY6QlWgmc_5Ndv_Vfsx9WE5wvd-DMPDdhcCipLpCtADiRsCWPybE1whSKWvqyz0z2u3QvBsT4mdfOd9zSVII8-E120vwpn/s1600/binnie+-+white+backed+-+scaled+250x300+-+watermarked+-+da+blog.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b><u>Binnie</u></b></div>
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Andrew burst through the door with his arms open
wide and his eyes closed, bracing himself for
impact. Once again, the anticipated whirl of fur and tongue
slobber was not forthcoming. Instead, his father came into the hallway,
sorrow written on his face.</div>
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'Binnie's... gone away.'</div>
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Andrew took a breath, 'On holiday?'</div>
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'If you like. He might be gone for some time
though.' </div>
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'That's okay.' Andrew said, smiling. His father didn't see it as he patted
his head. Andrew nodded and made to leave. 'Where are you off to now?'</div>
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'To make him a present. For when he gets back.'</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1C3lUierHgc9Bm5_5wbZASBz2IUQNRdHcdoi41fUykBFlXwvfMVniCQeUZby3DPEk-UBDZ9hUX7BuGjXUC7ZxlHAURfzbyrCAhDHOPXSFj65yerL1Q80SA74oIVDLDUkkOjBicy0vgZ-r/s1600/sunken+valley+-+scaled+250x300+-+white+backed+-+watermarked+-+blog+da.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1C3lUierHgc9Bm5_5wbZASBz2IUQNRdHcdoi41fUykBFlXwvfMVniCQeUZby3DPEk-UBDZ9hUX7BuGjXUC7ZxlHAURfzbyrCAhDHOPXSFj65yerL1Q80SA74oIVDLDUkkOjBicy0vgZ-r/s1600/sunken+valley+-+scaled+250x300+-+white+backed+-+watermarked+-+blog+da.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b><u>Sunken Valley</u></b></div>
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'You didn't bring a lighter? Matches?' Ben snapped the
twigs he'd been rubbing together.</div>
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'I did. But they're currently three feet underwater.'</div>
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The three of them drew in a tight pathetic huddle beneath the
makeshift shelter they'd constructed following their escape. Lightning
blazed, rain dancing along the sodden underwear they'd
substituted for guy ropes. It drummed<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "merriweather" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; letter-spacing: -0.5pt;"> </span></span>on the bed sheets tied to branches
overhead as thunder crashed its frightening crescendo.</div>
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'Why did you park it downhill?' Becky muttered, clutching their
whimpering daughter. 'When I said we should go on a<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "merriweather" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; letter-spacing: -0.5pt;"> </span></span>caravan holiday
in the Valleys, I didn't mean inside one.'</div>
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<b>__________</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>__________</b></div>
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Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06473070741060049552noreply@blogger.com0