Storybook Corner – Pulse
Here is my submission for February’s Storybook Corner. This is a 300-500 word photo prompt hosted by talented fiction writer Adam Ickes. Here’s the cool logo.
Why not give this a go yourselves – you still have a couple of hours left for February! The word limit gives a little more scope than many of the photo prompts out there. You can read all the submissions by clicking on the little blue froggy below.
Weekly Photo Challenge: Inside
This week’s Photo Challenge from The Daily Post wants a photo which says “Inside”. I have two photos which show inside and outside!
When it’s a bit chilly outside (even though the sun has come out)…
Truro, Cornwall one early chilly but sunny Saturday morning
… it’s nice to snug up nice and warm in the living room of my new house with the gas fire on (and watch Dr Who).
Inside the sitting room in my new house
Double flash reflection and a finger in the way! I am such the photographic professional 🙂 .
Sharing My World Week 10
It’s time for me to share my world again! Actually, it was time to share my world almost a week ago, but this last week I picked up a bit of a social life. I know, me!
I’m also still spending time getting the house in order. The sitting room is all spick and span and the kitchen is pretty much there, but I still have a lot to do in the bedroom.
This week has some tricky questions. It’s all based on introvertism (I think I just made that word up – my browser is not happy with it), and is hosted by Cee over at Cee’s Photography Blog.
Describe yourself in a word that starts with the first letter of your name.
Hmm, the only word I can think of (avoiding the obvious) is “average”, so I’m going to use my bloggy name and go for “dark”, which pretty much describes my character, and is easily divined from my stories.
If 100 people your age were chosen at random, how many do you think you’d find leading a more satisfying life than yours?
Now this is a hard one. Most of them, but that would be my perception. They would have problems and worries that don’t show on the outside, I’m sure. The grass is always greener, and all that.
If you were a tree, would you become a book or furniture? Please describe.
I think I would prefer to stay a tree, thanks. Looking out over the world, enjoying the sunshine and rain and the wind blowing through my leaves or needles.
I wouldn’t want to be a book, leafed through, falling to bits and discarded. I also wouldn’t want to be sat on. Please don’t chop me down!
You are trapped in an elevator, who would you want to be trapped with?
I don’t generally use lifts. Fortunately most buildings in Cornwall are not so tall that you can’t use the stairs. I’d definitely walk up three or four flights rather than getting all squashed in a lift with strangers. Enclosed spaces are fine as long as I’m in there alone.
Bonus question: Â What are you grateful for from last week, and what are you looking forward to in the week coming up?
I guess I’m grateful that nothing went horribly wrong last week. There was no reason why anything should, but you never know. “Dark”, remember? I’m looking forward to a couple of days off next week.
That’s all the questions for this week, most of which I have managed to avoid answering correctly!
Everything Changes
Hello and welcome to my Friday Fictioneers entry, which is hosted as always by Rochelle and this week features a photo by Friday Fictioneerer Adam Ickes.
I wrote this story on Thursday, but only now have time to post it! To read the other entries for this week, click on the little blue froggy.
Copyright Adam Ickes
Shelley summoned her courage and approached the little wooden bridge. The new varnish gleamed – one could never tell that it had been damaged.
Edging forward she looked into the gulley, a run-off for melting winter snow. A tear stung her eye as she cast her mind back to last week when everything was all right, everything was normal. The buzzing of the little dirt bike, the laughter of her brother, his excitement as he tore onto the bridge.
A tiny miscalculation. That was all it took to change everything.
Forever.
She placed the flowers next to the bridge and walked away.
Sharing My World Week 9
Hello friends! It’s time once again to Share My World, part of Cee’s Share Your World series of questions which helps bloggers to get to know one another a little better. Peace out!
This week’s questions are all about our dream house.
Would you prefer a reading nook or an art, craft, photography studio?
Reading nook? Art studio? What what what? Where’s “kick-ass soundproofed and fully stocked entertainment room”? Somewhere I can turn up the volume and shoot aliens, or watch Hobbits (yay, Hobbits) kicking Orc ass, all without disturbing the neighbours with fully surround-sounded gunfire and whatnot.
And I could read in there as well.
Would you prefer the TV in the living room or another room?
I would prefer a TV in every room, thanks.
Especially in my kick-ass soundproofed and fully stocked entertainment room.
What colour would you like your bedroom to be?
Who cares, when I’ll be spending all my time in my kick-ass soundproofed and fully stocked entertainment room?
Okay then, lavender.
Would you prefer a one floor house or multiple levels?
Well, I just bought a house with two levels. While I’m a little worried about the stairs when I get older, it’s nice to go upstairs to sleep at the end of the day.
At least it would be if my bed wasn’t still in bits and I wasn’t still sleeping on the sofa in the living room.
Bonus question:
Ooh, a bonus question! What could it be, what could it be?
As I was saying, Bonus Question: What are you grateful for from last week, and what are you looking forward to in the week coming up?
I’m grateful that my house move went reasonably smoothly. In the upcoming week I’m looking forward to getting my bedroom sorted out so I can invite the people round who have been eager to see my new abode (and so I can sleep in a bed again, because I’m getting too old for sleeping on sofas. Especially two-seater sofas).
That’s all for this week. Have a lovely week everybody!
His Favourite Place
It’s Friday Fictioneers, hosted as always by the talented Rochelle. This week’s picture comes courtesy of Danny Bowman – my (roughly) 100 word story follows.
Have a look at all the other great entries here, and why not give it a go yourself?
Copyright Danny Bowman
Andriy mopped the sweat from his brow as he looked out over the stunning landscape.
What rugged beauty, he thought. Much like my native Ukraine.
He had emigrated to this land years ago, quickly finding work in a job he was eminently suited to. It was these moments of solitude however, surrounded by such incredible views, that he lived for.
Bracing himself, he dragged his burden to the edge of the cliff and pushed it over. For a moment he wondered what the poor sod had done to deserve such a brutal end, but then shrugged and settled down to enjoy the view.
Sharing My World Week 8
In an attempt to put off unpacking, I’m going to Share My World! Thanks to Cee over at Cee’s Photography Blog for posting the weekly questions!
Here’s the mess I need to tackle shortly 🙂 .
Oh no!
Yes, that’s my bed.
So, on to the questions!
Would you rather be given $10,000 for your own use or $100,000 to give anonymously to strangers?
Well, not to sound selfish, but I’ll take the cash, thanks. I could pay off my credit cards! And whatnot.
When you’re 90 years old, what will matter most to you?
Where I’m buried, I expect. On the off-chance that I’m still alive and kicking I hope my mind will still be functioning correctly.
Candy factories of the entire world have become one and will now be making only one kind of candy. Which kind, if you were calling the shots?
I’m not sure if the American word “candy” covers chocolate, but I’m going to assume it does. Therefore I’m going for some nice standard milk chocolate because that works for me in any situation!
So, you’re on your way out and it’s raining. Do you know where your umbrella is or do you frantically search for it all over your apartment/house?
While I was packing, I did actually stumble across a little umbrella. However, I don’t use umbrellas. I’m a hazard. I either turn it the wrong way and it gets blown inside-out and/or shredded, or I put some poor innocent’s eye out with it. For safety’s  sake, I stick to using a hat (I’m not bothered about the rain per se, but I do like to keep it off my glasses, otherwise it can get difficult to see where I’m going!).
That’s all for this week, back to the unpacking for me!
More Haste…
I have completed my house move! Well, I have yet to re-assemble my bed, and I can barely move for boxes, but still… I missed last week’s Friday Fictioneers but I now have my internet connected. Fibre at last! Call me Mr Speedy.
So without further ado, here is my submission, written to a photo submitted by Fictioneerer Sandra Crook. As always, Rochelle is hosting the whole shebang, so be sure to check out her website, and you can also read the other submissions here.
Copyright Sandra Crook
I don’t believe it. Another tractor! Can’t these farmers move their straw in the middle of the night or something? What’s he doing? Fifteen miles per hour? Ridiculous. What about my dinner?
Ah, I think I can slip past… no! That was close. Damn cars coming at me. Maybe in a minute, I think there’s a straight bit. Here we go… oops. Dammit! More traffic. I can’t believe this. Pull over, moron! I’ve had enough of this. I’m going past. There’s never anything on this stretch. Foot down, yes! No! NO!
Jim Preston. Loving husband. Father of three.
Idiot.
Dead.
Sharing My World Week 7
I’m supposed to be packing and disassembling furniture and whatnot. I don’t think I’ll have time to write my usual flash fictions but I didn’t want to miss sharing my world (hosted by Cee of Cee’s Photography Blog – check it out!), especially since it’s all about couch potatoes, so I’ll quickly bang this out and then get on with my house move.
What is your favourite couch potato activity: readings, watching movies, watching sports, napping, anything on TV, computer games, play cards, or other?
Yes.
What is your favourite toppings on pizza?
Mmm, pizza. Cheese, pepperoni, cheese, chilli beef, chillies, cheese, cheese, ham and not forgetting cheese. Plus half a bottle of Tabasco sauce.
Is that extra cheese? Why yes, yes it is.
 Mmm, extra cheese.
What is is favourite genre of movie or book?
Fantasy/swords and sorcery (eg Terry Brooks, David Eddings, Raymond E. Feist, James Barclay, Elizabeth Moon), urban fantasy (eg Kim Harrison, Ilona Andrews), sci-fi (eg Elizabeth Moon again), cool and clever humour (eg Janet Evanovitch, Terry Pratchett, Douglas Adams).
Do you prefer eating the frosting of the cake first?
Both together. That’s why they’re both on the cake. Mmm, cake.
Service Interruptus
Hello, my friends! It has finally happened – I am moving house!
I will be busy packing, ferrying stuff to the new house before/after work and generally having not a lot of time over the next couple of weeks. At some point I will lose my internet while my service gets transferred (which could take up to 2 weeks! To push a few buttons!).
So I wanted to give you the heads up. I haven’t forgotten or abandoned you! I will try to read and comment as much as possible but I may not be posting much (if at all), even my regular Share Your World, Friday Fictioneers and Chain Writing Game posts 😦 .
In the mean time, here are some dodgy photos I took of my new home. To be honest, the Estate Agent pictures were far better.
Click for a random post!
Woohoo!
I totally didn't win!
Share Your World
Friday Fictioneers
draliman on life 