05 October
Went to bed at 0200 (not a good idea) last night/this morning and before getting into bed read this story to "ready myself".
Woke at 0615 but made the mistake of answering my emails instead of diving into work (bad bad bad bad boy) so now it's 0700, time soon to wake the kids and it'll be 08:30 at best before I get round to the story.
Now, (cough) is there a moral to this story?
Prompts
Some Wear Blue Hats, Some Red
Poke
Before the Children Rise
Coracle
It is Better Not to Have Loved and Lost
SKIN
Champion the Wonder Chicken Lays a Plastic Egg
Jeremiah, Jonah
Incoming, Think of it as Heavy Rain
A Good Stoning
The Man Unluckily Killed When His Zippo Deflected a Bullet Into His Heart
Tits & Bollocks
I am Sailing, But Eventually I Will Hit the Ground
CHEESE
Dial or Push-Button?
Samantha Smith and Her One Good Thing
God's Walk-Off
Thursday, October 05, 2006
Midnight 4th/5th
04 October
(Midnight)
Managed another 1200 words but sheesh it's painful... (might do more yet, in the wee small hours)
Oh what a strained, frustrating day. I have this story and it's coming out in short, painful paragraphs. It feels so IMPORTANT but usually my good ones just pour out. I know why there's a problem (and I ain't saying) but I'm fearful of it imploding or the well running dry.
Spent a small fortune in Borders this morning (even with a 20% student discount) buying loads of set books, text books and 20th Century Novels and poems for my course
Some of the novels I have to read:
The Ghost Road, Pat Barker
Sunset Song, Lewis Grassic Gibbon
Paradise, Abdulrazak Gurnah
Rebecca, Daphne du Maurier
Kiss of the Spider Woman, Manuel Puig
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, Philip K Dick
Orlando, Virginia Woolf
The Collected Short Stories, Katherine Mansfield
Prufrock & Othe Poems, T S Eliott
Selected Poems, Seamus Heaney
HOWL, Alen Ginsberg
Poetry of the Thirties, and some Beckett and Chekhov plays
Then NEXT week, I have to read...
anyone wanna join me?
(Midnight)
Managed another 1200 words but sheesh it's painful... (might do more yet, in the wee small hours)
Oh what a strained, frustrating day. I have this story and it's coming out in short, painful paragraphs. It feels so IMPORTANT but usually my good ones just pour out. I know why there's a problem (and I ain't saying) but I'm fearful of it imploding or the well running dry.
Spent a small fortune in Borders this morning (even with a 20% student discount) buying loads of set books, text books and 20th Century Novels and poems for my course
Some of the novels I have to read:
The Ghost Road, Pat Barker
Sunset Song, Lewis Grassic Gibbon
Paradise, Abdulrazak Gurnah
Rebecca, Daphne du Maurier
Kiss of the Spider Woman, Manuel Puig
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, Philip K Dick
Orlando, Virginia Woolf
The Collected Short Stories, Katherine Mansfield
Prufrock & Othe Poems, T S Eliott
Selected Poems, Seamus Heaney
HOWL, Alen Ginsberg
Poetry of the Thirties, and some Beckett and Chekhov plays
Then NEXT week, I have to read...
anyone wanna join me?
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
Diary October 4th
04 October
Still can't shake this cold, dammit! Frustrated this morning. Want to fly into a story, the story I finally got round to yesterday, got 1,400 words in but had to go out. 98/100 stories I write the draft in one sitting. This one was very much a MOOD story so now I have to try and recapture that mood. I bet a judge will see the join. The story was inspired by a single image in a Stephen Dobyns poem.
School run shortly (two minutes ago) and then it's via Borders for a stack of textbooks for the Twentieth Century Literature Course in 2007 and a German course starts November 06.
Oh and to compound the life-gets-in-the-way-of-writing thing, I have to bag up Seventh Quark today. My HOPE is that come 09:15 I can blast out this story, THEN do all that admin, but if form is repeated i'll get back from the S-R and Borders and go brain-dead.
At least I wrote 1,400 words yesterday and at least the story is promising.
I see I have two publications today at Eclectica (with three other BC stories)
http://www.eclectica.org/v10n4/fiction_list_special.html
and I have a couple of reprints in the "comp winners" section of 7Q, though of course I can't count thoose as hits.
It still frustrates me how hard it is to get material that is above mere competence, hence we often have a lot of comp-winner reprints.
Alex
Still can't shake this cold, dammit! Frustrated this morning. Want to fly into a story, the story I finally got round to yesterday, got 1,400 words in but had to go out. 98/100 stories I write the draft in one sitting. This one was very much a MOOD story so now I have to try and recapture that mood. I bet a judge will see the join. The story was inspired by a single image in a Stephen Dobyns poem.
School run shortly (two minutes ago) and then it's via Borders for a stack of textbooks for the Twentieth Century Literature Course in 2007 and a German course starts November 06.
Oh and to compound the life-gets-in-the-way-of-writing thing, I have to bag up Seventh Quark today. My HOPE is that come 09:15 I can blast out this story, THEN do all that admin, but if form is repeated i'll get back from the S-R and Borders and go brain-dead.
At least I wrote 1,400 words yesterday and at least the story is promising.
I see I have two publications today at Eclectica (with three other BC stories)
http://www.eclectica.org/v10n4/fiction_list_special.html
and I have a couple of reprints in the "comp winners" section of 7Q, though of course I can't count thoose as hits.
It still frustrates me how hard it is to get material that is above mere competence, hence we often have a lot of comp-winner reprints.
Alex
CIN, Prompts
Another signee for Children in Need, and one more signee has paid their entry, so creeping up still!
Prompts for Today
Sheep, Cards, Bridge
Lorna Doone
Oh for a muse of fire!
Letters
"Turn here," I have told Allen.
Buttering up Johnny North
ASS
Simple Simon Met a Mugger, in the Pouring Rain
Ping, You Have Mail
Pencil, Ireland
The Industrious Life of a Comic
Convalescence
The Book Buyer
Weaning Her Off Colin
Ten Million Bicycles, How Many Wheels?
Poo
If I had one million pounds in this pocket, and a
million pounds in THIS pocket, what would I have?
Twice a half of two-and-a-half
Talking to Tinkers
Prompts for Today
Sheep, Cards, Bridge
Lorna Doone
Oh for a muse of fire!
Letters
"Turn here," I have told Allen.
Buttering up Johnny North
ASS
Simple Simon Met a Mugger, in the Pouring Rain
Ping, You Have Mail
Pencil, Ireland
The Industrious Life of a Comic
Convalescence
The Book Buyer
Weaning Her Off Colin
Ten Million Bicycles, How Many Wheels?
Poo
If I had one million pounds in this pocket, and a
million pounds in THIS pocket, what would I have?
Twice a half of two-and-a-half
Talking to Tinkers
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
My October 01-02 and part of 03
01 October
Having "re-started" as a writer (last month was removing cobwebs) and getting an issue of 7Q out I was raring to go at the start of the month, but unfortunately this start-running writing day coincided with a Boot Camp Primaries Deadline Day and that has to take priority as BC is currently my only income.
Primaries involves setting up a new spreadsheet, doing my own crits and posting them, then updating the grids with other scores as they come in, running a macro and then posting the results etc, occasionally getting into a discussion.
I had a choice. I could write and start the crits later (Monday or first thing Tuesday) but I figured getting the crits out of the way and setting a good example was better. The fact that I had an idea brewing that WANTED to come out was good. Hold it down and build the pressure!!
Then, of course there is Seventh Quark's Eleventh Frantic Flash Competition. This time round I was very disappointed to get ONLY Boot Campers entering and I also lost money, paying out more than the receipts after guaranteeing a £100 Prize.
The IDEA, of course is to raise a few bob to fund Seventh Quark Magazine. I run comps often to keep them SMALL. That way we get change, variety and typically £50 profit per comp) enough to soften the losses made by 7Q (but not cover them), but more importantly, get decent work coming in.
I was nicely surprised by the standard this time.
The marks of the top dozen or so were:
117
113
112
110
104
100
098
097
096
095
093
Note that a flash scoring 90 will usually place and anything 100 upwards is very good. The top 3-4 were really very good. One story arrived too much beyond the deadline (it would have won or come second) so it was disqualified from the competition but I took it for 7Q5 (so all was not lost).
It's worth mentioning here that it's not of my doing that non-BC writers chose not to enter the Frantic Flash. BCers have won most of the Frantic Flash Competitions but that's because BC stories have made up 55-75% of every FF competition, and this time they were 100% !!
It's been suggested that I ban BC writers from the comps, but I think that's unfair to them. They are good comps with decent prizes and they reward industry. Normally they are independently judged or reader-judged.
This time *I* have judged because the entry was 100% Boot Camp and the Boot Campers know me and trust me to be scrupulously fair. Four of the stories are easily up to the minimum standard of Seventh Quark and if 7Q doesn't take them I know they will easily place elsewhere.
See later in the diary for my moans about submissions to 7Q.
Sunday also meant taking PJ to Soccer (it pissed down and they lost 11-0 to a side top of the division above them) and then on return I felt achey and full of cold so just did more crits, not right for writing.
Read some Stephen Dobyns poetry (great for ideas) and also some of "Bloody Foreginers" by Robert Winder.
02 October
The school week, so early morning is kids' stuff, take them to school etc, get some bits and bobs from Tesco, buy The Independent.
I also have to pick up Seventh Quark 4 from the printers, asap after lunch.
One thing I HATE is not having to do things but the way they break into the time-stretches. I can never settle into a 4-5-6-7-8 hour writing stint.
A few years back we had an au pair and I used to start at 0500 and write straight through to 1300, make lunch listening to the news, eat lunch watching Neighbours, and then I'd do admin etc in the afternoon. That was a fabulously productive time.
I feel a story (a big/good one) threatening but in the car in Tesco's Car Park I do a Sudoko (in the Indie) then a second, third...
More than once this has happened. Some crude avoidance syndrome. It isn't just the time that's an issue (time lost) but the "edge" disappears. I am a great believer in striking when you feel "in the zone".
Now I've gone and depressed myself!
One excuse, this cold is worse and I have a badly upset tummy (don't ask), and my regularly recurring sore eyes (Blepharitis) are, well, recurring.
(And of course I know I'm going out to the printers, then going out AGAIN to get the kids, who of course finish at different times, 3:30 and 5PM and then PJ has to be taken swimming at 5:30, picked up at 7:30)
We have talked about moving from Kingfisher Barn and into town to save so many back-and-forth's. Ooooooh just think of the increase in writing slots!
Been agonising over Open University. I wanted to do introductory French as I like France and the feeling I get when there, but Deb's did high-level German and PJ and Bridie are both doing German. So German it is, a course starting November for 10-11 months, that allegedly takes me to GCSE standard.
Having seen the level of work my kids do I think I'll reach MODERN GCSE standard in about six days.
I've also decided to do a course at the OU on Twentieth Century Literature. As long as I pass that'll be fine, but the reason for doing the course is to force me to read stuff I otherwise wouldn't.
I'll list some of the set books etc some time.
We don't have the money for these courses. We have the money in the bank but all of that plus about another £15,000 is earmarked for doing up the Chapel in Wales. The German course, I can say is "for the family" but not the 20th Century stuff, but I need to have some part of my life where *I* am looking up at "teach" and not always giving out, talking "downwards".
Besides, for a serious writer my reading is SHIT and my academic background is not good. Yeah, I know I have three degrees, including an MA with Distinction in Creative Writing, but I've never done literary theory (including on the MA!), and there are a few million classics I haven't read (but should have).
Finished crits of Boot Camp Primaries.
I hear from an ex-BCer who puts me on to a very good magazine. I should contact the editor and send some stories.
Eventually I send three, two that missed the cut in Bridport (I'm amazed at that) and another that for some reason I'd shelved, yet when I re-read it it's 140+ and should be doing the rounds.
My keeping stuff out there mode has fallen apart and that's one thing I have to get right.
When I go to the printer I take away two boxes. I get home to find they wern't trimmed of the white edges. My fault, I wasn't clear, so that means another trip and then a return to pick up the trimmed copies.
I do the many school runs, take the boy to swimming, come back, collate some BC crits, then it's out again to get the lad FROM the pool. Dinner is next and I'm feeling rotten with cold, achey, tired and it's already 21:30.
That makes two days and no writing, yet I'm "flat-out"
This is a TRAP, however. IMO you simply have to find the time
[b]03 October[/b]
But I'm writing this at 11:17 3rd (Tuesday) still not a word written this month and the printer has just rung, 7Q is finally ready-ready and I'm another tenner worse off.
Of course now there's 7Q mailing and trips to the Post Office ... !
Still dipping into those books mentioned earlier but started reading The Ghost Road, (Pat Barker) one of next year's novels on the OU Course. One thing about "courses" is they make me read what I've bought. I buy 5 books per one read and have more books in my library than I could read in the years I have left (even if I live to be 80!) TGR I bought a long way back and I was always "going to read it"...
Doing my MA in CW got me reading black writers and women writers where previously (not consciously) I had never bothered. It was doing that course that got me to read Alice Munro, and I now love her work
The Stephen Dobyns ("Velocities") is sitting there begging to be re-read to fire me up again.
But now... the printers.
Maybe I'll write this afternoon?
(after Neighbours).
Alex
Having "re-started" as a writer (last month was removing cobwebs) and getting an issue of 7Q out I was raring to go at the start of the month, but unfortunately this start-running writing day coincided with a Boot Camp Primaries Deadline Day and that has to take priority as BC is currently my only income.
Primaries involves setting up a new spreadsheet, doing my own crits and posting them, then updating the grids with other scores as they come in, running a macro and then posting the results etc, occasionally getting into a discussion.
I had a choice. I could write and start the crits later (Monday or first thing Tuesday) but I figured getting the crits out of the way and setting a good example was better. The fact that I had an idea brewing that WANTED to come out was good. Hold it down and build the pressure!!
Then, of course there is Seventh Quark's Eleventh Frantic Flash Competition. This time round I was very disappointed to get ONLY Boot Campers entering and I also lost money, paying out more than the receipts after guaranteeing a £100 Prize.
The IDEA, of course is to raise a few bob to fund Seventh Quark Magazine. I run comps often to keep them SMALL. That way we get change, variety and typically £50 profit per comp) enough to soften the losses made by 7Q (but not cover them), but more importantly, get decent work coming in.
I was nicely surprised by the standard this time.
The marks of the top dozen or so were:
117
113
112
110
104
100
098
097
096
095
093
Note that a flash scoring 90 will usually place and anything 100 upwards is very good. The top 3-4 were really very good. One story arrived too much beyond the deadline (it would have won or come second) so it was disqualified from the competition but I took it for 7Q5 (so all was not lost).
It's worth mentioning here that it's not of my doing that non-BC writers chose not to enter the Frantic Flash. BCers have won most of the Frantic Flash Competitions but that's because BC stories have made up 55-75% of every FF competition, and this time they were 100% !!
It's been suggested that I ban BC writers from the comps, but I think that's unfair to them. They are good comps with decent prizes and they reward industry. Normally they are independently judged or reader-judged.
This time *I* have judged because the entry was 100% Boot Camp and the Boot Campers know me and trust me to be scrupulously fair. Four of the stories are easily up to the minimum standard of Seventh Quark and if 7Q doesn't take them I know they will easily place elsewhere.
See later in the diary for my moans about submissions to 7Q.
Sunday also meant taking PJ to Soccer (it pissed down and they lost 11-0 to a side top of the division above them) and then on return I felt achey and full of cold so just did more crits, not right for writing.
Read some Stephen Dobyns poetry (great for ideas) and also some of "Bloody Foreginers" by Robert Winder.
02 October
The school week, so early morning is kids' stuff, take them to school etc, get some bits and bobs from Tesco, buy The Independent.
I also have to pick up Seventh Quark 4 from the printers, asap after lunch.
One thing I HATE is not having to do things but the way they break into the time-stretches. I can never settle into a 4-5-6-7-8 hour writing stint.
A few years back we had an au pair and I used to start at 0500 and write straight through to 1300, make lunch listening to the news, eat lunch watching Neighbours, and then I'd do admin etc in the afternoon. That was a fabulously productive time.
I feel a story (a big/good one) threatening but in the car in Tesco's Car Park I do a Sudoko (in the Indie) then a second, third...
More than once this has happened. Some crude avoidance syndrome. It isn't just the time that's an issue (time lost) but the "edge" disappears. I am a great believer in striking when you feel "in the zone".
Now I've gone and depressed myself!
One excuse, this cold is worse and I have a badly upset tummy (don't ask), and my regularly recurring sore eyes (Blepharitis) are, well, recurring.
(And of course I know I'm going out to the printers, then going out AGAIN to get the kids, who of course finish at different times, 3:30 and 5PM and then PJ has to be taken swimming at 5:30, picked up at 7:30)
We have talked about moving from Kingfisher Barn and into town to save so many back-and-forth's. Ooooooh just think of the increase in writing slots!
Been agonising over Open University. I wanted to do introductory French as I like France and the feeling I get when there, but Deb's did high-level German and PJ and Bridie are both doing German. So German it is, a course starting November for 10-11 months, that allegedly takes me to GCSE standard.
Having seen the level of work my kids do I think I'll reach MODERN GCSE standard in about six days.
I've also decided to do a course at the OU on Twentieth Century Literature. As long as I pass that'll be fine, but the reason for doing the course is to force me to read stuff I otherwise wouldn't.
I'll list some of the set books etc some time.
We don't have the money for these courses. We have the money in the bank but all of that plus about another £15,000 is earmarked for doing up the Chapel in Wales. The German course, I can say is "for the family" but not the 20th Century stuff, but I need to have some part of my life where *I* am looking up at "teach" and not always giving out, talking "downwards".
Besides, for a serious writer my reading is SHIT and my academic background is not good. Yeah, I know I have three degrees, including an MA with Distinction in Creative Writing, but I've never done literary theory (including on the MA!), and there are a few million classics I haven't read (but should have).
Finished crits of Boot Camp Primaries.
I hear from an ex-BCer who puts me on to a very good magazine. I should contact the editor and send some stories.
Eventually I send three, two that missed the cut in Bridport (I'm amazed at that) and another that for some reason I'd shelved, yet when I re-read it it's 140+ and should be doing the rounds.
My keeping stuff out there mode has fallen apart and that's one thing I have to get right.
When I go to the printer I take away two boxes. I get home to find they wern't trimmed of the white edges. My fault, I wasn't clear, so that means another trip and then a return to pick up the trimmed copies.
I do the many school runs, take the boy to swimming, come back, collate some BC crits, then it's out again to get the lad FROM the pool. Dinner is next and I'm feeling rotten with cold, achey, tired and it's already 21:30.
That makes two days and no writing, yet I'm "flat-out"
This is a TRAP, however. IMO you simply have to find the time
[b]03 October[/b]
But I'm writing this at 11:17 3rd (Tuesday) still not a word written this month and the printer has just rung, 7Q is finally ready-ready and I'm another tenner worse off.
Of course now there's 7Q mailing and trips to the Post Office ... !
Still dipping into those books mentioned earlier but started reading The Ghost Road, (Pat Barker) one of next year's novels on the OU Course. One thing about "courses" is they make me read what I've bought. I buy 5 books per one read and have more books in my library than I could read in the years I have left (even if I live to be 80!) TGR I bought a long way back and I was always "going to read it"...
Doing my MA in CW got me reading black writers and women writers where previously (not consciously) I had never bothered. It was doing that course that got me to read Alice Munro, and I now love her work
The Stephen Dobyns ("Velocities") is sitting there begging to be re-read to fire me up again.
But now... the printers.
Maybe I'll write this afternoon?
(after Neighbours).
Alex
Monday, October 02, 2006
Help Children in Need
The Children-in-Need Gang grows, but slowly. We have 22 but want FIFTY
http://children-in-need-writing-marathon.blogspot.com/
alex
http://children-in-need-writing-marathon.blogspot.com/
alex
New Start
Starting a New "Thing", a New Year, You name it (October 1st) and here are the BC prompts
Should get 7Q4 from the printers today...
The New Wall
Sudoko in the Rain
Was That the Post?
The Chimes of Little Ben
The Gentleman in My Garage
Slither, Shiver, Splinter, Die
Bayonet
The Inconsequence of Love
Falling Perfected, Landing Needs Work
All Wok & No Pley
Telephone
The Gorilla and Her Baby
Various Sheep Arguments
BloodAxe the Almighty is a Fairy
Toothless in Seattle
Upton Park Ballet
The Miner's Strike
Should get 7Q4 from the printers today...
The New Wall
Sudoko in the Rain
Was That the Post?
The Chimes of Little Ben
The Gentleman in My Garage
Slither, Shiver, Splinter, Die
Bayonet
The Inconsequence of Love
Falling Perfected, Landing Needs Work
All Wok & No Pley
Telephone
The Gorilla and Her Baby
Various Sheep Arguments
BloodAxe the Almighty is a Fairy
Toothless in Seattle
Upton Park Ballet
The Miner's Strike
Friday, September 29, 2006
Seventh Quark & Prompts
7Q4 (Right) is printed and should go out this weekend/Monday.
Just waiting on the folding/stapling from the Printer
IMPORTANT NOTE
If you are a 7Q subscriber please email Alex Keegan and confirm
your subscription and current contact details. 7Q is only being sent
to those subscribers who do confirm and are checked off
REMINDER FRANTIC FLASH
Saturday-Sunday the Eleventh Frantic Flash
£6 Entry, or 3 for £15 pre-paid)
Minimum Prize £100
(50% of Entry guaranteed, average 65%)
Sign up as a possible entrant so we have your Email address.
Prompts sent 0900-1800-2100 Saturday and Sunday (UK Time)
You then have 75 Minutes to write your story and email back
80 minutes if you reply immediately and say "I'm in"
Shortlist at the latest Midnight Monday
Low Entry (typically 20-40 stories, so a great chance of winning)
It's a great way of accessing the unconscious (no time to make mistakes)
and the quality is surprisingly high.
Any surplus goes to fund Seventh Quark Magazine
If you would like to receive the emails, email
alex.keegan@btinternet.com
*******************************************
Friday Prompts
Hare, Today Hare Tomorrow
Going to the Dump
Man at Sunset
Geisha
The Photocopier Wars
My Life in Uniform and Other Lies
SAMSON
When Does a Dirty Handkerchief Become a Floorcloth?
Starry Story Night
TURKEY
Don'tcha Just LOVE Guns?
RIGHT
QUARK, Not QUARRY
The Liquorice Allsort Mines of Aberdifi
The Bastards
Tiger, Tiger, Burning Dimly
PEAS, Well at Least They're Green
Reports of My Suicide Have Been Underplayed
Just waiting on the folding/stapling from the Printer
IMPORTANT NOTE
If you are a 7Q subscriber please email Alex Keegan and confirm
your subscription and current contact details. 7Q is only being sent
to those subscribers who do confirm and are checked off
REMINDER FRANTIC FLASH
Saturday-Sunday the Eleventh Frantic Flash
£6 Entry, or 3 for £15 pre-paid)
Minimum Prize £100
(50% of Entry guaranteed, average 65%)
Sign up as a possible entrant so we have your Email address.
Prompts sent 0900-1800-2100 Saturday and Sunday (UK Time)
You then have 75 Minutes to write your story and email back
80 minutes if you reply immediately and say "I'm in"
Shortlist at the latest Midnight Monday
Low Entry (typically 20-40 stories, so a great chance of winning)
It's a great way of accessing the unconscious (no time to make mistakes)
and the quality is surprisingly high.
Any surplus goes to fund Seventh Quark Magazine
If you would like to receive the emails, email
alex.keegan@btinternet.com
*******************************************
Friday Prompts
Hare, Today Hare Tomorrow
Going to the Dump
Man at Sunset
Geisha
The Photocopier Wars
My Life in Uniform and Other Lies
SAMSON
When Does a Dirty Handkerchief Become a Floorcloth?
Starry Story Night
TURKEY
Don'tcha Just LOVE Guns?
RIGHT
QUARK, Not QUARRY
The Liquorice Allsort Mines of Aberdifi
The Bastards
Tiger, Tiger, Burning Dimly
PEAS, Well at Least They're Green
Reports of My Suicide Have Been Underplayed
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
Frantic Flash, Tuesday Prompts
Just a dozen pre-signed entries for this weekend's Frantic Flash Competition (£6 Entry, guaranteed £100 Prize) and usually actual entries come out around double the pre-signees, so a great chance to win £100.
For details see http://www.7thquarkmagazine.com
Tuesday Morning prompts
A Small Bird Dies
Gallerie Lafayette, Outside It's Raining
Two People Looking Opposite Ways, Sunset
Cormorant or Shag?
The Mathematics of Love
Riptide
The Land of the Last Biscuit
Chick-Chick-Chick-Chick-Chicken
The Oldest Working TV in the World (Provbably)
SCRUBS
Nice Face, Shame About the Politics
Man in a One Legged Suit
Clocks Melting
Novel, Navel, Novel, Navel
Porto, in the Gods
The Felt-Tip Graveyard
A Slow Boat to St Nazaire
Versions of the Word "Clap"
Mrs Browne, the Gladiola, Boy With a Crew-Cut
For details see http://www.7thquarkmagazine.com
Tuesday Morning prompts
A Small Bird Dies
Gallerie Lafayette, Outside It's Raining
Two People Looking Opposite Ways, Sunset
Cormorant or Shag?
The Mathematics of Love
Riptide
The Land of the Last Biscuit
Chick-Chick-Chick-Chick-Chicken
The Oldest Working TV in the World (Provbably)
SCRUBS
Nice Face, Shame About the Politics
Man in a One Legged Suit
Clocks Melting
Novel, Navel, Novel, Navel
Porto, in the Gods
The Felt-Tip Graveyard
A Slow Boat to St Nazaire
Versions of the Word "Clap"
Mrs Browne, the Gladiola, Boy With a Crew-Cut
Monday, September 25, 2006
SAtory Prompts, Monday Morning
Daedalus
Why We Love Rottweilers
Hole in the Wall
One Mug (Marilyn Monroe) Broken
Sing-a-Long'a Sound of Music
A Small Tube, Probably Ointment
Messages
Simon, Do You Deny Me?
Daddy, I Don't Feel Very Well
None of the blood and shit of war
Sitting on the ferry's stern, my son, my dad
On a beach, country uncertain
Cancer carried off his cherished wife
GREEN GREEN Green
Gratified Greed Gives Saws their grin
Sharon can't work any faster
Bum-Titty, Bum-Titty, Bum-Bum-Bum
Davis
Why We Love Rottweilers
Hole in the Wall
One Mug (Marilyn Monroe) Broken
Sing-a-Long'a Sound of Music
A Small Tube, Probably Ointment
Messages
Simon, Do You Deny Me?
Daddy, I Don't Feel Very Well
None of the blood and shit of war
Sitting on the ferry's stern, my son, my dad
On a beach, country uncertain
Cancer carried off his cherished wife
GREEN GREEN Green
Gratified Greed Gives Saws their grin
Sharon can't work any faster
Bum-Titty, Bum-Titty, Bum-Bum-Bum
Davis
Friday, September 22, 2006
A Few More Stories
Much as we love flashing in Boot Camp, I've noticed that the number os STORIES has fallen away and the Flash-Story ratio is too heavily weighted in favour of flash.
So in BC, at least for the rest of 2006, we are putting emphasis on STORIES, one a week being the ideal target.
We'll still have our daily prompts, but these can be used to start longer works.
and here they are:
Jingly-Jangly Rhymes and Things
A Silence Falls
The A-Z of Being Dead
Toast Before Breakfast, Age Before Beauty
Two People on a Hill, Sun Low
What Dambudzo Means
Waiting to Hear From the Level-Crossing Man
Never Marry a Man From Basingstoke (or a Mexican)
Fish food floating on a skin of water
Not Because of the Evening
CRAYON
"A Way Out," Zunzer said.
That Morning, They Took Clark's Desk
Gun-Loving
Red = Good, Grey = Bad
The Appendix Trials
PENCIL
She Was Pretty, Shadow of Death
The Difference Between Rayon and Nylon and Silk
Midnight, and I'm Not Famous Yet
On an October Day in 1939
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Mistakes I Like to Make
I posted the wrong name for one prize and turns out I missed yet another short-listing, so here is the list again
Total Winnings $5,950
56 Prizes 14 Firsts 9 Second 5 Third, 28 Finals
FIRST PLACE
01 Colin $200 First Place in Slingink's Eurofiction
02 Mike Joint-Winner in 7Q FF9
03 Dave Joint-Winner in 7Q FF9
04 Lexie Wins Adult SS of the Year ($600) in "Killie"
05 Cally Wins Dark Tales ($60)
06 BCer wins 7Q FF10
07 Hazera wins Doorknobs & Bodypaint First Place
08 Alex Wins Pencil Bantry $300
09 Lexie Wins Cotswold Prize $1,000
10 Cally wins Bank Street SS Prize $140
11 Alex wins Lichfield Prize $250
12 ColinU wins Cadenza $400
13 Caroline wins Poetry Prize TBA ($200)
14 Gabiotas wins FirstWriter $400
SECOND
01 Lexie $150 Second Place in "Dame Throgmorton"
02 TomC gets $100 second in JBWB
03 BCer 2nd in 7Q FF10
04 Cally Joint second in Writers Dock Comp
05 Lexie $300 second place Philip Good Memorial Prize
06 Cally in Woman's Own (Prize Value estimate $250)
07 Colin Second in FlashFiction Comp $50
08 Lexie 2nd in City of Derby Comp $400
09 Tom gets $200 2nd in Twyford with CIN Story
THIRD
01 Lexie in 7Q FF9 Third Place
02 BCer 3rd in 7Q FF10
03 Tom's $25 3rd in Oz
04 Lexie $200 3rd in The New Writer
05 Alex $150 third place Philip Good Memorial Prize
4ths, HRs, NAMED FINALISTs
01 Alex Night Train Yates Comp, Last 12 "Floating"
02 Alex Poem in "Out of Love" Anthology
03 Laurie (Nartje) in "Out of Love" Anthology
04 Lexie, State of Being" HR at HISSAC (only winner is announced)
05 Lexie, second story finalist at HISAAC
06 Colin finalist in HISAAC
07 Colin HR in JBWB
08 Cally in Final of Belvedere
09 Lexie in Fish Anthology ($100)
10 Lexie last 140 of 1800, Fish
11 Haz named in Best of the web shortlist
12 Lexie Final of Writers Forum
13 Alex last 3 in Carve "Overseas Writer"
14 TomC HR'd in Bank Street SS Comp
15 TomC 4th in Twisted Tongue
16 Alex at Philip Good Memorial (second story placed 3rd)
17 Lexie at Philip Good Memorial (second story placed 2nd)
18 Cally HR in Lymm Festival $20
19 Colin Finalist, $40, dinner at Frome
20 Cally Finalist Flash FictionComp
21 TomC finalist, ditto
22 Britbird shortlisted in Pier Pressure
23 Colin HM in Momaya III, in Anthology
24 XXX in Mere Final
25 YYY in Mere Final
26 CAROLINE in Bournemouth Shortlist
27 CHRISSIE in Bournemouth Shortlist
28 Cally on Writelink Weekender Shortlist
00 Laurie recently left but was also HR'd at Bank Street (not counted)
Lexie also recieved $25 & $10 payments
Winnings in Dollars, £ = $2, Euro = $1
for simplicity of calculation
Total Winnings $5,950
56 Prizes 14 Firsts 9 Second 5 Third, 28 Finals
FIRST PLACE
01 Colin $200 First Place in Slingink's Eurofiction
02 Mike Joint-Winner in 7Q FF9
03 Dave Joint-Winner in 7Q FF9
04 Lexie Wins Adult SS of the Year ($600) in "Killie"
05 Cally Wins Dark Tales ($60)
06 BCer wins 7Q FF10
07 Hazera wins Doorknobs & Bodypaint First Place
08 Alex Wins Pencil Bantry $300
09 Lexie Wins Cotswold Prize $1,000
10 Cally wins Bank Street SS Prize $140
11 Alex wins Lichfield Prize $250
12 ColinU wins Cadenza $400
13 Caroline wins Poetry Prize TBA ($200)
14 Gabiotas wins FirstWriter $400
SECOND
01 Lexie $150 Second Place in "Dame Throgmorton"
02 TomC gets $100 second in JBWB
03 BCer 2nd in 7Q FF10
04 Cally Joint second in Writers Dock Comp
05 Lexie $300 second place Philip Good Memorial Prize
06 Cally in Woman's Own (Prize Value estimate $250)
07 Colin Second in FlashFiction Comp $50
08 Lexie 2nd in City of Derby Comp $400
09 Tom gets $200 2nd in Twyford with CIN Story
THIRD
01 Lexie in 7Q FF9 Third Place
02 BCer 3rd in 7Q FF10
03 Tom's $25 3rd in Oz
04 Lexie $200 3rd in The New Writer
05 Alex $150 third place Philip Good Memorial Prize
4ths, HRs, NAMED FINALISTs
01 Alex Night Train Yates Comp, Last 12 "Floating"
02 Alex Poem in "Out of Love" Anthology
03 Laurie (Nartje) in "Out of Love" Anthology
04 Lexie, State of Being" HR at HISSAC (only winner is announced)
05 Lexie, second story finalist at HISAAC
06 Colin finalist in HISAAC
07 Colin HR in JBWB
08 Cally in Final of Belvedere
09 Lexie in Fish Anthology ($100)
10 Lexie last 140 of 1800, Fish
11 Haz named in Best of the web shortlist
12 Lexie Final of Writers Forum
13 Alex last 3 in Carve "Overseas Writer"
14 TomC HR'd in Bank Street SS Comp
15 TomC 4th in Twisted Tongue
16 Alex at Philip Good Memorial (second story placed 3rd)
17 Lexie at Philip Good Memorial (second story placed 2nd)
18 Cally HR in Lymm Festival $20
19 Colin Finalist, $40, dinner at Frome
20 Cally Finalist Flash FictionComp
21 TomC finalist, ditto
22 Britbird shortlisted in Pier Pressure
23 Colin HM in Momaya III, in Anthology
24 XXX in Mere Final
25 YYY in Mere Final
26 CAROLINE in Bournemouth Shortlist
27 CHRISSIE in Bournemouth Shortlist
28 Cally on Writelink Weekender Shortlist
00 Laurie recently left but was also HR'd at Bank Street (not counted)
Lexie also recieved $25 & $10 payments
Winnings in Dollars, £ = $2, Euro = $1
for simplicity of calculation
Boot Camp 2006 Prize Update
I'd missed a couple
Our Figures are now
14 First Prizes
09 Second prizes
05 Third prizes
27 Fourt'hs, HRs, Named Finalists
55 TOTAL
Total Winnings $5,950
FIRST PLACES
01 Colin $200 First Place in Slingink's Eurofiction
02 Mike Joint-Winner in 7Q FF9
03 Dave Joint-Winner in 7Q FF9
04 Lexie Wins Adult SS of the Year ($600) in "Killie"
05 Cally Wins Dark Tales ($60)
06 BCer wins 7Q FF10
07 Hazera wins Doorknobs & Bodypaint First Place
08 Alex Wins Pencil Bantry $300
09 Lexie Wins Cotswold Prize $1,000
10 Cally wins Bank Street SS Prize $140
11 Alex wins Lichfield Prize $250
12 ColinU wins Cadenza $400
13 Caroline wins Poetry Prize TBA ($200)
14 Gabiotas wins FirstWriter $400
SECOND
01 Lexie $150 Second Place in "Dame Throgmorton"
02 TomC gets $100 second in JBWB
03 BCer 2nd in 7Q FF10
04 Cally Joint second in Writers Dock Comp
05 Lexie $300 second place Philip Good Memorial Prize
06 Cally in Woman's Own (Prize Value estimate $250)
07 Colin Second in FlashFiction Comp $50
08 Lexie 2nd in City of Derby Comp $400
09 Tom gets $200 2nd in Twyford with CIN Story
THIRD
01 Lexie in 7Q FF9 Third Place
02 BCer 3rd in 7Q FF10
03 Tom's $25 3rd in Oz
04 Lexie $200 3rd in The New Writer
05 Alex $150 third place Philip Good Memorial Prize
4ths, HRs, NAMED FINALISTs
01 Alex Night Train Yates Comp, Last 12 "Floating"
02 Alex Poem in "Out of Love" Anthology
03 Laurie (Nartje) in "Out of Love" Anthology
04 Lexie, State of Being" HR at HISSAC (only winner is announced)
05 Lexie, second story finalist at HISAAC
06 Colin finalist in HISAAC
07 Colin HR in JBWB
08 Cally in Final of Belvedere
09 Lexie in Fish Anthology ($100)
10 Lexie last 140 of 1800, Fish
11 Haz named in Best of the web shortlist
12 Lexie Final of Writers Forum
13 Alex last 3 in Carve "Overseas Writer"
14 TomC HR'd in Bank Street SS Comp
15 TomC 4th in Twisted Tongue
16 Alex at Philip Good Memorial (second story placed 3rd)
17 Lexie at Philip Good Memorial (second story placed 2nd)
18 Cally HR in Lymm Festival $20
19 Colin Finalist, $40, dinner at Frome
20 Cally Finalist Flash FictionComp
21 TomC finalist, ditto
22 Britbird shortlisted in Pier Pressure
23 Colin HM in Momaya III, in Anthology
24 XXX in Mere Final
25 YYY in Mere Final
26 Cally in Bournemouth Shortlist
27 Chrissie in Bournemouth Shortlist
00 Laurie recently left but was also HR'd at Bank Street (not counted)
Lexie also recieved $25 & $10 payments
Winnings in Dollars, £ = $2, Euro = $1
for simplicity of calculation
Our Figures are now
14 First Prizes
09 Second prizes
05 Third prizes
27 Fourt'hs, HRs, Named Finalists
55 TOTAL
Total Winnings $5,950
FIRST PLACES
01 Colin $200 First Place in Slingink's Eurofiction
02 Mike Joint-Winner in 7Q FF9
03 Dave Joint-Winner in 7Q FF9
04 Lexie Wins Adult SS of the Year ($600) in "Killie"
05 Cally Wins Dark Tales ($60)
06 BCer wins 7Q FF10
07 Hazera wins Doorknobs & Bodypaint First Place
08 Alex Wins Pencil Bantry $300
09 Lexie Wins Cotswold Prize $1,000
10 Cally wins Bank Street SS Prize $140
11 Alex wins Lichfield Prize $250
12 ColinU wins Cadenza $400
13 Caroline wins Poetry Prize TBA ($200)
14 Gabiotas wins FirstWriter $400
SECOND
01 Lexie $150 Second Place in "Dame Throgmorton"
02 TomC gets $100 second in JBWB
03 BCer 2nd in 7Q FF10
04 Cally Joint second in Writers Dock Comp
05 Lexie $300 second place Philip Good Memorial Prize
06 Cally in Woman's Own (Prize Value estimate $250)
07 Colin Second in FlashFiction Comp $50
08 Lexie 2nd in City of Derby Comp $400
09 Tom gets $200 2nd in Twyford with CIN Story
THIRD
01 Lexie in 7Q FF9 Third Place
02 BCer 3rd in 7Q FF10
03 Tom's $25 3rd in Oz
04 Lexie $200 3rd in The New Writer
05 Alex $150 third place Philip Good Memorial Prize
4ths, HRs, NAMED FINALISTs
01 Alex Night Train Yates Comp, Last 12 "Floating"
02 Alex Poem in "Out of Love" Anthology
03 Laurie (Nartje) in "Out of Love" Anthology
04 Lexie, State of Being" HR at HISSAC (only winner is announced)
05 Lexie, second story finalist at HISAAC
06 Colin finalist in HISAAC
07 Colin HR in JBWB
08 Cally in Final of Belvedere
09 Lexie in Fish Anthology ($100)
10 Lexie last 140 of 1800, Fish
11 Haz named in Best of the web shortlist
12 Lexie Final of Writers Forum
13 Alex last 3 in Carve "Overseas Writer"
14 TomC HR'd in Bank Street SS Comp
15 TomC 4th in Twisted Tongue
16 Alex at Philip Good Memorial (second story placed 3rd)
17 Lexie at Philip Good Memorial (second story placed 2nd)
18 Cally HR in Lymm Festival $20
19 Colin Finalist, $40, dinner at Frome
20 Cally Finalist Flash FictionComp
21 TomC finalist, ditto
22 Britbird shortlisted in Pier Pressure
23 Colin HM in Momaya III, in Anthology
24 XXX in Mere Final
25 YYY in Mere Final
26 Cally in Bournemouth Shortlist
27 Chrissie in Bournemouth Shortlist
00 Laurie recently left but was also HR'd at Bank Street (not counted)
Lexie also recieved $25 & $10 payments
Winnings in Dollars, £ = $2, Euro = $1
for simplicity of calculation
Details of Frantic Flash (Sep 30 & Oct 1st)
See the Seventh Quark Magazine Website
www.7thquarkmagazine.com
for further details
The Seventh Quark Frantic Flash Competition. (Sept 30th & Oct 1st)
TWO Entry Days ("First weekend of the month")
SIX separate time-slots. (0900-1800-2100) (UK Times)
SIX sets of prompts. (6-20 prompts)
Entrants can enter 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 times with appropriate fees.
£5 per story. 3 stories for £15 if pre-paid.
NO word limit, minimum or maximum.
75/80 Minute time-limit for added pressure!
All entrants can access all stories for discussion (author-blind)
Within 30 minutes of story time-slot closing.
Titles scored and updated on website in real-time with scores
Short-List by Monday Midnight.
Independently Judged Results by Thursday Midnight
or
A Reader Vote, Shorter Short-List published in Seventh Quark
£100/$200 guaranteed First Prize.
Prizes updated on line as entries increase.
Minimum of 50% of Entry used for prizes, average 60% before costs.
To date:
3,527 in Entry Fees
2,130 in Prizes = 60.4% paid in prizes
Costs are taken out from the 39.6% surplus
All surpluses go to Seventh Quark magazine
Peer feedback available on all stories, if desired.
Feedback from Alex Keegan available on all stories
Note this is done privately so stories are not "published"
Any entrant can request their story NOT be seen by the group.
All stories are author-anonymous
Up to ten stories may be published in Seventh Quark Magazine
(maximum to date 5)
Run by a team that between them has won almost 40 first prizes.
Readers have won almost 100 First Prizes
www.7thquarkmagazine.com
for further details
The Seventh Quark Frantic Flash Competition. (Sept 30th & Oct 1st)
TWO Entry Days ("First weekend of the month")
SIX separate time-slots. (0900-1800-2100) (UK Times)
SIX sets of prompts. (6-20 prompts)
Entrants can enter 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 times with appropriate fees.
£5 per story. 3 stories for £15 if pre-paid.
NO word limit, minimum or maximum.
75/80 Minute time-limit for added pressure!
All entrants can access all stories for discussion (author-blind)
Within 30 minutes of story time-slot closing.
Titles scored and updated on website in real-time with scores
Short-List by Monday Midnight.
Independently Judged Results by Thursday Midnight
or
A Reader Vote, Shorter Short-List published in Seventh Quark
£100/$200 guaranteed First Prize.
Prizes updated on line as entries increase.
Minimum of 50% of Entry used for prizes, average 60% before costs.
To date:
3,527 in Entry Fees
2,130 in Prizes = 60.4% paid in prizes
Costs are taken out from the 39.6% surplus
All surpluses go to Seventh Quark magazine
Peer feedback available on all stories, if desired.
Feedback from Alex Keegan available on all stories
Note this is done privately so stories are not "published"
Any entrant can request their story NOT be seen by the group.
All stories are author-anonymous
Up to ten stories may be published in Seventh Quark Magazine
(maximum to date 5)
Run by a team that between them has won almost 40 first prizes.
Readers have won almost 100 First Prizes
Win a Prize. Free Entry
Talking of prompts (and see the Boot Camp Keegan blog most days for BC Prompts) I took a scan of my email trash and found this lot in about two minutes.
A bit like those "found poems"
IMO these spammers are wasted. They should be writers.
Anyway, an Alex Keegan Novel of your choice to the best story using some of the below as inspiration. Second prize is two AK Novels...
I'll judge FIRST on quality of story and second on ingenuity.
TIP: prompts work by "letting them happen" not by tortuously engineering texts to fit them in.
LOOK!
Your cash, orange throated
Your future, oyster tree
Your future, pearl hardening
Hi, narrow-necked
Your money, palm honey
Hi, much-branched
Your Health, North-Seeking
Your cash, olive family
Better future, woman movement
Hi, pale bark
Your health, pale reddish
Aggressor Punk
Guesswork Numb
Order status mid-thoracic
Top-hat letter-size
Encore hot seat
Out, his ferocious stars that about you have to us back
Gasp overtime
Bonjour/Salaam from marrakesh
Unauthorised Access to Your PayPal Account
Merciful
Spelled try different key words
Clutton Bunfight
And Maybe it's yours about
Fire hydrant
News maps
Wails on Sunday
Typo Merciless
Narcissism Predisposition
New Moderator Needed
Lard Ass Blake
South-East Yesterday
Axis of Two them, Appeal to Buy Off Enemies
Join Alerts Create
Mountainous Curse
Monday and Strikes
Sure Words
Substantially
And tackled him
Floodlight Anglican
Canal people
Overpower Acrobatics
A bit like those "found poems"
IMO these spammers are wasted. They should be writers.
Anyway, an Alex Keegan Novel of your choice to the best story using some of the below as inspiration. Second prize is two AK Novels...
I'll judge FIRST on quality of story and second on ingenuity.
TIP: prompts work by "letting them happen" not by tortuously engineering texts to fit them in.
LOOK!
Your cash, orange throated
Your future, oyster tree
Your future, pearl hardening
Hi, narrow-necked
Your money, palm honey
Hi, much-branched
Your Health, North-Seeking
Your cash, olive family
Better future, woman movement
Hi, pale bark
Your health, pale reddish
Aggressor Punk
Guesswork Numb
Order status mid-thoracic
Top-hat letter-size
Encore hot seat
Out, his ferocious stars that about you have to us back
Gasp overtime
Bonjour/Salaam from marrakesh
Unauthorised Access to Your PayPal Account
Merciful
Spelled try different key words
Clutton Bunfight
And Maybe it's yours about
Fire hydrant
News maps
Wails on Sunday
Typo Merciless
Narcissism Predisposition
New Moderator Needed
Lard Ass Blake
South-East Yesterday
Axis of Two them, Appeal to Buy Off Enemies
Join Alerts Create
Mountainous Curse
Monday and Strikes
Sure Words
Substantially
And tackled him
Floodlight Anglican
Canal people
Overpower Acrobatics
More Hits and Yet More Prompts
A few more hits to report. Two for Eclectica, one at Southern Ocean Review, a shortlisting for Caroline at Bournemouth and another finalist (results TBA) for "Britbird", takes the total to 166 for the year, down on last year, but we should pass 200.
Comp wins are still stuck at 14 for this year (compared to 26 last year) but places and finals take us up to 53 comp hits for the year
7Q4 is shaping up nicely, the Children in Need Marathon has 19 signed up (we want 50-100) and we are up to 181 stories 339 numbered flashes and 75 "recent" for the year, a total of 595 shorts/flashes.
Work-wise we've had
1600 Flash Crits & Scores
1500 Full Story Critiques and Grids
3100 Crits in 600 threads
add to that a hundred or so discussions of Quality Published stories and a few dzen craft threads, we are obviously getting lazy
TODAY's PROMPTS
I am heat, I am open flesh
Soli has a television, Peter has a radio
Cambrensis Redux
BLANK
Soup in the Basket, Ma'am
BLACKBERRY
Leonardo, the Other One
The Bastard
Pretty well every day now, at noon
Chink, Chink, Chink
A Silence Falls, a Small Bird Dies
I Know My Alphabet
Do Ghosts Fall in Love?
The Ex-Lovers Annual Reunion
It's 6 AM. Do You Know Where You Are?
Ambitious Flower Girls and Crusty Old Men
The Red Mini and the Yellow Rolls-Royce
Jago's forehead trembled against the glass
A woman, brazen
How did mother get here?
All of this happened when I was about fifteen
Comp wins are still stuck at 14 for this year (compared to 26 last year) but places and finals take us up to 53 comp hits for the year
7Q4 is shaping up nicely, the Children in Need Marathon has 19 signed up (we want 50-100) and we are up to 181 stories 339 numbered flashes and 75 "recent" for the year, a total of 595 shorts/flashes.
Work-wise we've had
1600 Flash Crits & Scores
1500 Full Story Critiques and Grids
3100 Crits in 600 threads
add to that a hundred or so discussions of Quality Published stories and a few dzen craft threads, we are obviously getting lazy
TODAY's PROMPTS
I am heat, I am open flesh
Soli has a television, Peter has a radio
Cambrensis Redux
BLANK
Soup in the Basket, Ma'am
BLACKBERRY
Leonardo, the Other One
The Bastard
Pretty well every day now, at noon
Chink, Chink, Chink
A Silence Falls, a Small Bird Dies
I Know My Alphabet
Do Ghosts Fall in Love?
The Ex-Lovers Annual Reunion
It's 6 AM. Do You Know Where You Are?
Ambitious Flower Girls and Crusty Old Men
The Red Mini and the Yellow Rolls-Royce
Jago's forehead trembled against the glass
A woman, brazen
How did mother get here?
All of this happened when I was about fifteen
Monday, September 18, 2006
Buzz!
Boot Camp is buzzing this weekend!
Eight stories (not flashes) in for the weekly critique session, and five crits in before the official crit period (they must have wet the bed)... and plenty signing up for The Children in Need Writeathon. Oh and the hit-count has gone up by four more!
Monday's Prompts
Mundane Monday
Thugs, Garroters, Pickpockets, Sweep the Fl;oor fer Yer Mister
People falling
Put Your Left Leg In, Pull Your Left Leg Out
Will be credited to your account
Peter Piper Picked a Peck of Pickled Pepper
Nothing for Breakfast
Last I Heard, They Were Running a Pub
A face like dirty parchment
Twins
Prison Break, Wghat's Next?
Before the Funeral
Metal Wrist, Metal Knee, Metal Shoulders, Hearts of Stone
Fire at Hayes or Langley
Wraps
What the Dickens!
The Difference Between Testicles and Bollocks
Going there a bit early
Marzipan
The Plum Tree
Mangificent Michael and the Problem With the Angel
Eight stories (not flashes) in for the weekly critique session, and five crits in before the official crit period (they must have wet the bed)... and plenty signing up for The Children in Need Writeathon. Oh and the hit-count has gone up by four more!
Monday's Prompts
Mundane Monday
Thugs, Garroters, Pickpockets, Sweep the Fl;oor fer Yer Mister
People falling
Put Your Left Leg In, Pull Your Left Leg Out
Will be credited to your account
Peter Piper Picked a Peck of Pickled Pepper
Nothing for Breakfast
Last I Heard, They Were Running a Pub
A face like dirty parchment
Twins
Prison Break, Wghat's Next?
Before the Funeral
Metal Wrist, Metal Knee, Metal Shoulders, Hearts of Stone
Fire at Hayes or Langley
Wraps
What the Dickens!
The Difference Between Testicles and Bollocks
Going there a bit early
Marzipan
The Plum Tree
Mangificent Michael and the Problem With the Angel
Saturday, September 16, 2006
More Prompts and a Heads Up
Children-in-Need Night is Friday November 17th.
We are looking for 100_ writers to join our group (23 last year raised £10,000) to write-write-write to prompts throughtout 30 Hours from 1800 THURSDAY to 23:59 Friday.
The main challenge is 2100 Thursday - 2100 Friday (24 Hours) but the time-slots are widened to allow for different countries etc.
Individuals may choose much shorter times - you do not have to sign up for the 24 or 30 Hour stints.
Entry is £25, of which £10 goes to prizes (as incentive), £10 goes to CIN, and £5 is for copies of the anthology at cost.
Entrants would also raise sponsorship and we would like to aim for £50,000.
We are liasing with a publisher as we speak but there WILL be quality publications from this.
Boot Camper TomC has signed up again. He writes: How could I say no? After last year's CIN Blast I sold eight pieces for £120!"
The above should tell you that the burst of energy (early) and writing when out of your skull, produces quality, stuff that suprises us all.
Join us and help kids.
Saturday 0805 Prompts
Maida Vale
I'm transitting from Oz, meet you for twenty minutes?
Soul Transplant
Then she began to move her arms, in a short, intricate dance
The Complicator
As she undressed she said, "Does it have cobwebs?"
The Varying Quality of Air
The Difference between a squared circle and a rounded square
I won't tell
I Have an Old Dictionary, About 500 Years old
The Man Who Hated Trees
The groom was losing his studied patience
101 Delicious Cat Recipes
When the Doctor's Wife Vanished, He
SCUM
Oh, come on, everything you DO is bent!
My Mother, Behind the Front-Room Door
and earlier, from Lexie
Spinach: Lethal Weapon
The Greatest of These is Charity
The Lion's Share
Roger the Lodger
The Phoenix: A Tale of Spontaneous Combustion
The Reds Versus the Reds
A Pair of Silver Scissors
Steradent and Spectacle Chains
The children will sing as the coffin disappears from view
How DO you solve a problem like Maria?
We are looking for 100_ writers to join our group (23 last year raised £10,000) to write-write-write to prompts throughtout 30 Hours from 1800 THURSDAY to 23:59 Friday.
The main challenge is 2100 Thursday - 2100 Friday (24 Hours) but the time-slots are widened to allow for different countries etc.
Individuals may choose much shorter times - you do not have to sign up for the 24 or 30 Hour stints.
Entry is £25, of which £10 goes to prizes (as incentive), £10 goes to CIN, and £5 is for copies of the anthology at cost.
Entrants would also raise sponsorship and we would like to aim for £50,000.
We are liasing with a publisher as we speak but there WILL be quality publications from this.
Boot Camper TomC has signed up again. He writes: How could I say no? After last year's CIN Blast I sold eight pieces for £120!"
The above should tell you that the burst of energy (early) and writing when out of your skull, produces quality, stuff that suprises us all.
Join us and help kids.
Saturday 0805 Prompts
Maida Vale
I'm transitting from Oz, meet you for twenty minutes?
Soul Transplant
Then she began to move her arms, in a short, intricate dance
The Complicator
As she undressed she said, "Does it have cobwebs?"
The Varying Quality of Air
The Difference between a squared circle and a rounded square
I won't tell
I Have an Old Dictionary, About 500 Years old
The Man Who Hated Trees
The groom was losing his studied patience
101 Delicious Cat Recipes
When the Doctor's Wife Vanished, He
SCUM
Oh, come on, everything you DO is bent!
My Mother, Behind the Front-Room Door
and earlier, from Lexie
Spinach: Lethal Weapon
The Greatest of These is Charity
The Lion's Share
Roger the Lodger
The Phoenix: A Tale of Spontaneous Combustion
The Reds Versus the Reds
A Pair of Silver Scissors
Steradent and Spectacle Chains
The children will sing as the coffin disappears from view
How DO you solve a problem like Maria?
Friday, September 15, 2006
Seventh Quark Issue 4
Good News Bad News?
A New Issue of 7th Quark goes out next Friday (Printer Dependent) and I have some time on my hands (oh time, time) so expect to see Issues 5 & 6 following close behind.
Still desperate for GOOD material.
If you look at a piece abnd think, "Yeah, I could send that..." it ISN'T good enough.
Winning Writers. We are happy to reprint comp 1-2-3s as part of our policy of showing aspiring writers what wins comps.
PS read the "winners" of a large international competition last week. One was utter DRIVEL and of the rest I don't think one was good enough for Seventh Quark
PS Today's hits take the BC total to 164 for the year.
Alex
A New Issue of 7th Quark goes out next Friday (Printer Dependent) and I have some time on my hands (oh time, time) so expect to see Issues 5 & 6 following close behind.
Still desperate for GOOD material.
If you look at a piece abnd think, "Yeah, I could send that..." it ISN'T good enough.
Winning Writers. We are happy to reprint comp 1-2-3s as part of our policy of showing aspiring writers what wins comps.
PS read the "winners" of a large international competition last week. One was utter DRIVEL and of the rest I don't think one was good enough for Seventh Quark
PS Today's hits take the BC total to 164 for the year.
Alex
Four Hits, Four Hundred Prompts
Rushing out now but turns out we have four more hits to post including one finalist (Results TBA)
Here are Two Batches of Prompts
The Holy Bubble
Heart Recycling
Jesus Wants Me for a Bridge Partner
Swim, Very Early, Tescos, Dying
Monogamy
Extracts From Forest Bibliography, Zagreb, 1909
The Extra Glass
If Oswald Missed
What to Do in London
68.9% Will Do
Shoot the Arch-Duke? Can't Mate, Girlfriend is Coming Over
Fair Traid
Alphonse Klauders was a Member of Seven Libraries
The Man Whose Penis Became a Chicken
Marries a Girl Called Hutch
Two Front Teeth and Passion
Everyone is in a Minority
The Most Beautiful Fire is in My Heart
Crocodile Aberdeen
and from Lee at some ungodly hour this morning
Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not
Ballad Of The Broken Seas
The Back Room
Through The Windowpane
Coles Corner
The Warning
Black Holes And Revelations
Melting Pot
Beloved One
White Bread, Black Beer
This Is My Demo
The Eraser
Here are Two Batches of Prompts
The Holy Bubble
Heart Recycling
Jesus Wants Me for a Bridge Partner
Swim, Very Early, Tescos, Dying
Monogamy
Extracts From Forest Bibliography, Zagreb, 1909
The Extra Glass
If Oswald Missed
What to Do in London
68.9% Will Do
Shoot the Arch-Duke? Can't Mate, Girlfriend is Coming Over
Fair Traid
Alphonse Klauders was a Member of Seven Libraries
The Man Whose Penis Became a Chicken
Marries a Girl Called Hutch
Two Front Teeth and Passion
Everyone is in a Minority
The Most Beautiful Fire is in My Heart
Crocodile Aberdeen
and from Lee at some ungodly hour this morning
Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not
Ballad Of The Broken Seas
The Back Room
Through The Windowpane
Coles Corner
The Warning
Black Holes And Revelations
Melting Pot
Beloved One
White Bread, Black Beer
This Is My Demo
The Eraser
Thursday, September 14, 2006
Loads of Them!
TWO Batches of Prompts, one posted by Lee at 02:30
On Thursday we will add 73% extra Funny
I'm English and I'm talking in French, trying to explain to my Japanese friend why it is when Saudi men crash planes into American buildings that British boys have to die in Afghanistan.
Oh look, here come the Vikings
Visitor Pass, Space Hopper, Chicken Sandwich Postcard Rejection
Valley of the Mists
Sun spin a grave grey
The Death of Loc Mac Emonis
How to be a Bad Birdwatcher
Original Pirate Material
Tell Me About Your Drugs
Inebriate me, venerate me, penetrate me
Do You Believe in Human Sheep?
It's a Raymond Chandler evening and I'm slowly turning grey
How graceful the falling man looks
The Fool Reversed and other Omens
See What You Made Me Do and other Life Games
The Stone Mind
No Attachment to Dust
Proceed from the Top of the Pole
Awaiting snow,
poets in their cups
see lightning flash.
- Basho
and...
No Musician Left Behind
A Different Kind of Tea
Girl in a Flammable Skirt
Issue
Madwoman in the Attic, Madman in the Cellar
Montreal, Again
Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned
His Schedule
Write a WORTHWHILE story with an animal protagonist
The Life and Work of Arbuthnott Grimes
The Difference Between Possible and Probable
Tiny, Smiling, Daddy
Brief Interviews With Hideous Men,
Extend Interviews With Pretty Women.
GOAT
Why He Isn't a Fireman or a Train-Driver
On Thursday we will add 73% extra Funny
I'm English and I'm talking in French, trying to explain to my Japanese friend why it is when Saudi men crash planes into American buildings that British boys have to die in Afghanistan.
Oh look, here come the Vikings
Visitor Pass, Space Hopper, Chicken Sandwich Postcard Rejection
Valley of the Mists
Sun spin a grave grey
The Death of Loc Mac Emonis
How to be a Bad Birdwatcher
Original Pirate Material
Tell Me About Your Drugs
Inebriate me, venerate me, penetrate me
Do You Believe in Human Sheep?
It's a Raymond Chandler evening and I'm slowly turning grey
How graceful the falling man looks
The Fool Reversed and other Omens
See What You Made Me Do and other Life Games
The Stone Mind
No Attachment to Dust
Proceed from the Top of the Pole
Awaiting snow,
poets in their cups
see lightning flash.
- Basho
and...
No Musician Left Behind
A Different Kind of Tea
Girl in a Flammable Skirt
Issue
Madwoman in the Attic, Madman in the Cellar
Montreal, Again
Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned
His Schedule
Write a WORTHWHILE story with an animal protagonist
The Life and Work of Arbuthnott Grimes
The Difference Between Possible and Probable
Tiny, Smiling, Daddy
Brief Interviews With Hideous Men,
Extend Interviews With Pretty Women.
GOAT
Why He Isn't a Fireman or a Train-Driver
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
Two Lots of Prompts
Stingray! Stingray!
Finishing the Assignment
Women's Lib? Yeah, Right!
One Chocolate
Two Teas and a Tea
A History of Respectable Fears
... and in my OTHER hand...
I Would Rather Not
Yam
A Wild Justice
Occasionally, Being Dead I Do Not Like
Poppycock, Balderdash and Nonsense, Solicitors
and earlier
In the long, slow, ungirling of our wives
Exiled Pumas
eDonkey is Dead. Long Live eMule
Put the Bunny Back in the Box!
Slut and SuperSlut
Stone, Paper, Scissors
The Voice of the Empty Page
The Night He Locked the Door
Death: The High Cost of Living
Finishing the Assignment
Women's Lib? Yeah, Right!
One Chocolate
Two Teas and a Tea
A History of Respectable Fears
... and in my OTHER hand...
I Would Rather Not
Yam
A Wild Justice
Occasionally, Being Dead I Do Not Like
Poppycock, Balderdash and Nonsense, Solicitors
and earlier
In the long, slow, ungirling of our wives
Exiled Pumas
eDonkey is Dead. Long Live eMule
Put the Bunny Back in the Box!
Slut and SuperSlut
Stone, Paper, Scissors
The Voice of the Empty Page
The Night He Locked the Door
Death: The High Cost of Living
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Two Batches of Prompts
Me and the Goat
The Girl Who Married a Dog
The Sixties
Captain Correlli's Trumpet
The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner
Black is Black, I Want My Baby Back
Hunger is Good Sauce
What's Better Than a Cello Under the Bed?
Protest
When Poverty Comes in the Window, Love Flies Out the Door
I Would If I Could But I Can't
Upper Crust, Well bred, Loadsa Dough, the Toast of the Town
What's For Tea? Shit and Sugar
Aubergine
and earlier
In the long, slow, unfurling of our livers
How to Make a Woman Happy
Whoever Used this Bed Last
Bush Tucker
The Man who Married a Kangaroo
Dandy versus Beano, Home and Away
Spencer Speaks
Leather and Soap
I Spy Something Beginning with Car
The Girl Who Married a Dog
The Sixties
Captain Correlli's Trumpet
The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner
Black is Black, I Want My Baby Back
Hunger is Good Sauce
What's Better Than a Cello Under the Bed?
Protest
When Poverty Comes in the Window, Love Flies Out the Door
I Would If I Could But I Can't
Upper Crust, Well bred, Loadsa Dough, the Toast of the Town
What's For Tea? Shit and Sugar
Aubergine
and earlier
In the long, slow, unfurling of our livers
How to Make a Woman Happy
Whoever Used this Bed Last
Bush Tucker
The Man who Married a Kangaroo
Dandy versus Beano, Home and Away
Spencer Speaks
Leather and Soap
I Spy Something Beginning with Car
Monday, September 11, 2006
Six Hits, Ten Nominations, Two Dozen Prompts
Heard over the weekend that ten Boot Camp stories have been nominated for inclusion in a University Funded Anthology. In the old days we would have considered mere nomination a "hit" but these days we simply acknowledge these minor hits as "notes". Still it's nice to be nominated!
A flurry of acceptances for Michael J Hulme, Tom C, myself at Eclectica and another for TomC at WingSpan Quarterly, six in all taking us to 160 Hits for the year, 14 First Prizes, 9 Second Prizes, 5 Thirds, 25 Finalists and $5,950 in prizes total.
Monday is Crit Day for Primaries (stories, not flashes) but we have a set of prompts nevertheless. Just reading and re-reading odd lists can make a germ set root. Try it!
PROMPTS on Monday at 0707
One Kit-Kat, an Apple, one Tangerine, a Packet of Crisps
The Best Girlfriend You Never Had
In the long, slow, unfurling of our lives
Sitting on the Toilet
Nobody Shot Before Noon
Broccoli
Then it is Dark
His Shoes Filled With Snow
The Bedroom Window Was Accessible From the Street
The Way Out of the Jungle
Stairwell B
A Perfect Day in the City Always Starts Like This
The Man Who Bricked Himself In
Write a Story "THe Half-Skinned Steer" only do better than Annie P
Prompts from Lexie: Sunday/Monday 0015
Pelicans, Cranes and Blue-Footed Boobies
More than Kin and Less than Kind
Arthur's Depression
The Place of Skunks
Gnat
Having Your Colours Done: The Emotional Spectrum
A Plectrum and a Pint
School Buses
The Water Carrier
A Very Public Convenience
A flurry of acceptances for Michael J Hulme, Tom C, myself at Eclectica and another for TomC at WingSpan Quarterly, six in all taking us to 160 Hits for the year, 14 First Prizes, 9 Second Prizes, 5 Thirds, 25 Finalists and $5,950 in prizes total.
Monday is Crit Day for Primaries (stories, not flashes) but we have a set of prompts nevertheless. Just reading and re-reading odd lists can make a germ set root. Try it!
PROMPTS on Monday at 0707
One Kit-Kat, an Apple, one Tangerine, a Packet of Crisps
The Best Girlfriend You Never Had
In the long, slow, unfurling of our lives
Sitting on the Toilet
Nobody Shot Before Noon
Broccoli
Then it is Dark
His Shoes Filled With Snow
The Bedroom Window Was Accessible From the Street
The Way Out of the Jungle
Stairwell B
A Perfect Day in the City Always Starts Like This
The Man Who Bricked Himself In
Write a Story "THe Half-Skinned Steer" only do better than Annie P
Prompts from Lexie: Sunday/Monday 0015
Pelicans, Cranes and Blue-Footed Boobies
More than Kin and Less than Kind
Arthur's Depression
The Place of Skunks
Gnat
Having Your Colours Done: The Emotional Spectrum
A Plectrum and a Pint
School Buses
The Water Carrier
A Very Public Convenience
Friday, September 08, 2006
Another Finalist, Another Set of Prompts
One more Final Placing, XXXXX in the final of Mere. Results announced October.
That's our 53rd prize/Place/Final this year.
This morning's prompts follow.
FRIDAY PROMPTS
The Resemblance Between a Violin-Case and a Coffin
Apples and Pears
Hitch-Hikers
When the Famous Turns Out to be Shite
The Dying Editor
Holiday on Man.
You Can Fool Some of the People
Albert Einstein's Not-so-Clever Elder Brother
My Dead Brother Comes to America
You Hear the One About Rankin, Bennett, and Runyan?
Inside the Sun
Where Are You Going? Where have You Been?
Civil Rights
The Half-Skinned Sheep
Lower Back
You're Pretty Too
Various Kinds of Tea
Olive Oil
Pink, Blue, Black, White, Pink, Blue
Since 1945
That's our 53rd prize/Place/Final this year.
This morning's prompts follow.
FRIDAY PROMPTS
The Resemblance Between a Violin-Case and a Coffin
Apples and Pears
Hitch-Hikers
When the Famous Turns Out to be Shite
The Dying Editor
Holiday on Man.
You Can Fool Some of the People
Albert Einstein's Not-so-Clever Elder Brother
My Dead Brother Comes to America
You Hear the One About Rankin, Bennett, and Runyan?
Inside the Sun
Where Are You Going? Where have You Been?
Civil Rights
The Half-Skinned Sheep
Lower Back
You're Pretty Too
Various Kinds of Tea
Olive Oil
Pink, Blue, Black, White, Pink, Blue
Since 1945
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
BC Prize Update
I don't know if this is complete but we've hit 52 Prizes/Places/Finals for the year now and are just under $6000
Total Winnings $5,950
FIRST PLACE
01 Colin $200 First Place in Slingink's Eurofiction
02 Mike Joint-Winner in 7Q FF9
03 Dave Joint-Winner in 7Q FF9
04 Lexie Wins Adult SS of the Year ($600) in "Killie"
05 Cally Wins Dark Tales ($60)
06 BCer wins 7Q FF10
07 Hazera wins Doorknobs & Bodypaint First Place
08 Alex Wins Pencil Bantry $300
09 Lexie Wins Cotswold Prize $1,000
10 Cally wins Bank Street SS Prize $140
11 Alex wins Lichfield Prize $250
12 ColinU wins Cadenza $400
13 Caroline wins Poetry Prize TBA ($200)
14 Gabiotas wins FirstWriter $400
SECOND
01 Lexie $150 Second Place in "Dame Throgmorton"
02 TomC gets $100 second in JBWB
03 BCer 2nd in 7Q FF10
04 Cally Joint second in Writers Dock Comp
05 Lexie $300 second place Philip Good Memorial Prize
06 Cally in Woman's Own (Prize Value estimate $250)
07 Colin Second in FlashFiction Comp $50
08 Lexie 2nd in City of Derby Comp $400
09 Tom gets $200 2nd in Twyford with CIN Story
THIRD
01 Lexie in 7Q FF9 Third Place
02 BCer 3rd in 7Q FF10
03 Tom's $25 3rd in Oz
04 Lexie $200 3rd in The New Writer
05 Alex $150 third place Philip Good Memorial Prize
4ths, HRs, NAMED FINALISTs
01 Alex Night Train Yates Comp, Last 12 "Floating"
02 Alex Poem in "Out of Love" Anthology
03 Laurie (Nartje) in "Out of Love" Anthology
04 Lexie, State of Being" HR at HISSAC (only winner is announced)
05 Lexie, second story finalist at HISAAC
06 Colin finalist in HISAAC
07 Colin HR in JBWB
08 Cally in Final of Belvedere
09 Lexie in Fish Anthology ($100)
10 Lexie last 140 of 1800, Fish
11 Haz named in Best of the web shortlist
12 Lexie Final of Writers Forum
13 Alex last 3 in Carve "Overseas Writer"
14 TomC HR'd in Bank Street SS Comp
15 TomC 4th in Twisted Tongue
16 Alex at Philip Good Memorial (second story placed 3rd)
17 Lexie at Philip Good Memorial (second story placed 2nd)
18 Cally HR in Lymm Festival $20
19 Colin Finalist, $40, dinner at Frome
20 Cally Finalist Flash FictionComp
21 TomC finalist, ditto
22 Britbird shortlisted in Pier Pressure
23 Colin HM in Momaya III, in Anthology
00 Laurie recently left but was also HR'd at Bank Street (not counted)
Lexie also recieved $25 & $10 payments
Winnings in Dollars, £ = $2, Euro = $1
for simplicity of calculation
Total Winnings $5,950
FIRST PLACE
01 Colin $200 First Place in Slingink's Eurofiction
02 Mike Joint-Winner in 7Q FF9
03 Dave Joint-Winner in 7Q FF9
04 Lexie Wins Adult SS of the Year ($600) in "Killie"
05 Cally Wins Dark Tales ($60)
06 BCer wins 7Q FF10
07 Hazera wins Doorknobs & Bodypaint First Place
08 Alex Wins Pencil Bantry $300
09 Lexie Wins Cotswold Prize $1,000
10 Cally wins Bank Street SS Prize $140
11 Alex wins Lichfield Prize $250
12 ColinU wins Cadenza $400
13 Caroline wins Poetry Prize TBA ($200)
14 Gabiotas wins FirstWriter $400
SECOND
01 Lexie $150 Second Place in "Dame Throgmorton"
02 TomC gets $100 second in JBWB
03 BCer 2nd in 7Q FF10
04 Cally Joint second in Writers Dock Comp
05 Lexie $300 second place Philip Good Memorial Prize
06 Cally in Woman's Own (Prize Value estimate $250)
07 Colin Second in FlashFiction Comp $50
08 Lexie 2nd in City of Derby Comp $400
09 Tom gets $200 2nd in Twyford with CIN Story
THIRD
01 Lexie in 7Q FF9 Third Place
02 BCer 3rd in 7Q FF10
03 Tom's $25 3rd in Oz
04 Lexie $200 3rd in The New Writer
05 Alex $150 third place Philip Good Memorial Prize
4ths, HRs, NAMED FINALISTs
01 Alex Night Train Yates Comp, Last 12 "Floating"
02 Alex Poem in "Out of Love" Anthology
03 Laurie (Nartje) in "Out of Love" Anthology
04 Lexie, State of Being" HR at HISSAC (only winner is announced)
05 Lexie, second story finalist at HISAAC
06 Colin finalist in HISAAC
07 Colin HR in JBWB
08 Cally in Final of Belvedere
09 Lexie in Fish Anthology ($100)
10 Lexie last 140 of 1800, Fish
11 Haz named in Best of the web shortlist
12 Lexie Final of Writers Forum
13 Alex last 3 in Carve "Overseas Writer"
14 TomC HR'd in Bank Street SS Comp
15 TomC 4th in Twisted Tongue
16 Alex at Philip Good Memorial (second story placed 3rd)
17 Lexie at Philip Good Memorial (second story placed 2nd)
18 Cally HR in Lymm Festival $20
19 Colin Finalist, $40, dinner at Frome
20 Cally Finalist Flash FictionComp
21 TomC finalist, ditto
22 Britbird shortlisted in Pier Pressure
23 Colin HM in Momaya III, in Anthology
00 Laurie recently left but was also HR'd at Bank Street (not counted)
Lexie also recieved $25 & $10 payments
Winnings in Dollars, £ = $2, Euro = $1
for simplicity of calculation
Sunday, September 03, 2006
I Can't Damn Sleep!
have the rottenest of colds (I hate colds) and my coughing woke me up at 04:30 (howling wind outside).
Ah well, I thought, at least I can write something... but nothing coes
So here's a batch of prompts, some mine and some from Lexie Fox
Airfix, oh Airfix!
The next night it happened again.
The Freedom of the Long-Distance Runner
Dog, computer
Putting on a Play For the Inmates of the Asylum
Why Was the Second World War Fought in Black & White?
Supermam Retires and Goes to an Old People's Home
SLOUGH
A Fire, Somewhere
Harry Palmer Grinds Coffee Beans
Majesty
The Three or Four Deaths of a Man Called Brian
Watching Osborne
Dorky Dorky Dorky!
After the Talkies, the Invention of the Silent Movie
Gaze of the Green Lady
Never Eat Shredded Wheat
Why is the Ecological Footprint of a Yeti So Small?
Trouble in Suburbia
Out of the Melting Pot, Into the Mould
Birth, Sickness, Death in the Royal Leicester Infirmary
Wildlife
David Hasselhoff: The Musical
First Steps
The Houses in Between
Tea and Crumpet
The Unbearable Lightness of Dying
Ah well, I thought, at least I can write something... but nothing coes
So here's a batch of prompts, some mine and some from Lexie Fox
Airfix, oh Airfix!
The next night it happened again.
The Freedom of the Long-Distance Runner
Dog, computer
Putting on a Play For the Inmates of the Asylum
Why Was the Second World War Fought in Black & White?
Supermam Retires and Goes to an Old People's Home
SLOUGH
A Fire, Somewhere
Harry Palmer Grinds Coffee Beans
Majesty
The Three or Four Deaths of a Man Called Brian
Watching Osborne
Dorky Dorky Dorky!
After the Talkies, the Invention of the Silent Movie
Gaze of the Green Lady
Never Eat Shredded Wheat
Why is the Ecological Footprint of a Yeti So Small?
Trouble in Suburbia
Out of the Melting Pot, Into the Mould
Birth, Sickness, Death in the Royal Leicester Infirmary
Wildlife
David Hasselhoff: The Musical
First Steps
The Houses in Between
Tea and Crumpet
The Unbearable Lightness of Dying
Saturday, September 02, 2006
Stick This Lot With the Last Lot
I posted a load of prompts last night, expecting NOT to manage it this morning.
Use these too. How many prompts can you incorporate and still produce a serious story?
Don't laugh. I've won two first prizes in literary comps with flashes incorporating ALL the prompts.
Sometimes it just doesn't happen, or sometimes you use one or eight, but using prompts, keeping their "buzz" alive often takes you into that place where all the connections are amazing.
The Ipcress Files
Sliced Bread, Tea-Bags, Spreadable Butter
Lady (Dead) in a Cello Case
The Rollerscate Archipelago
Hum of Night, Song of Morning
A story beginning: "An Egg...
A story ending: "an egg.
Picnic in Dachau
Shoot the Monkey
Blossom & the Idea of Fairies
Sugar
"Bollocks!" he thought as he started writing badly
Google "Wales Films"
How Many Exes in Sex?
Use these too. How many prompts can you incorporate and still produce a serious story?
Don't laugh. I've won two first prizes in literary comps with flashes incorporating ALL the prompts.
Sometimes it just doesn't happen, or sometimes you use one or eight, but using prompts, keeping their "buzz" alive often takes you into that place where all the connections are amazing.
The Ipcress Files
Sliced Bread, Tea-Bags, Spreadable Butter
Lady (Dead) in a Cello Case
The Rollerscate Archipelago
Hum of Night, Song of Morning
A story beginning: "An Egg...
A story ending: "an egg.
Picnic in Dachau
Shoot the Monkey
Blossom & the Idea of Fairies
Sugar
"Bollocks!" he thought as he started writing badly
Google "Wales Films"
How Many Exes in Sex?
Friday, September 01, 2006
Another Boot Camp Prize!
Well done to TomC for winning $200 for second place in "TWYFORD"
Here are a set of prompts for Saturday
Bandanas, Bananas
The Tiger Memorandum
POOP!
Tea With Truman Capote
CHERRY
Warts and All
The Sex Life of the Heffalump
Summer School
A Kind of Magic
Never Marry a Mexican
Tear Along the Dotted Line
Are These Actual Miles?
DO NOT BLINK!
My Mother's Memoirs, My Father's Lies
Why Don't You Choo-Choo, Deisel Train? Why Can't You Puff and Wheeze?
Golliwog
The Lizard at the Ritz
Helix, Cervix
Midgets and Dwarves
Sunday, Bloody Sunday
Today is Fish
Here are a set of prompts for Saturday
Bandanas, Bananas
The Tiger Memorandum
POOP!
Tea With Truman Capote
CHERRY
Warts and All
The Sex Life of the Heffalump
Summer School
A Kind of Magic
Never Marry a Mexican
Tear Along the Dotted Line
Are These Actual Miles?
DO NOT BLINK!
My Mother's Memoirs, My Father's Lies
Why Don't You Choo-Choo, Deisel Train? Why Can't You Puff and Wheeze?
Golliwog
The Lizard at the Ritz
Helix, Cervix
Midgets and Dwarves
Sunday, Bloody Sunday
Today is Fish
Article, More Prompts
Take a look at my latest article, "Napalm"
http://www.internetwritingjournal.com/jun06/keegan39.htm
Written my story for the day (11:23) so here are a few more prompts
Hollywood & Trawsfynnydd
Woooohooooo!
One Grey November Day, Elliot Went to Boston for the Afternoon
You've Got to Read This!
The Card
The Tea-Bag is in the Post
I Don't Know What to Do About My Husband's New Wife.
A Good Thing, a Very-Good Thing
An Alternative to Rain
The Inn of the Sixth Happiness, Bedgellert
Badgers
Mrs Jones' Confinement
I Stand Here Ironing
Lessons
The Grandmother Didn't Want to Go to Florida
NDSC
The End of the Holiday
DVD
Abominable Snowman v BigFoot, Home & Away
The Bakery, Three o'clock in the morning
The Good Moslem Cleric
Pancakes
Why Tick-Tock and Not Tock-Tick?
http://www.internetwritingjournal.com/jun06/keegan39.htm
Written my story for the day (11:23) so here are a few more prompts
Hollywood & Trawsfynnydd
Woooohooooo!
One Grey November Day, Elliot Went to Boston for the Afternoon
You've Got to Read This!
The Card
The Tea-Bag is in the Post
I Don't Know What to Do About My Husband's New Wife.
A Good Thing, a Very-Good Thing
An Alternative to Rain
The Inn of the Sixth Happiness, Bedgellert
Badgers
Mrs Jones' Confinement
I Stand Here Ironing
Lessons
The Grandmother Didn't Want to Go to Florida
NDSC
The End of the Holiday
DVD
Abominable Snowman v BigFoot, Home & Away
The Bakery, Three o'clock in the morning
The Good Moslem Cleric
Pancakes
Why Tick-Tock and Not Tock-Tick?
Another Month, More Targets, A Hit
September 1st, so a fresh set of targets in BC.
Mine are 1,000 words a day BEFORE LOGGING ON, a story or a flash every day, at least 4 x 2K+ stories for the month, 60 subs and to crit anything that moves. I'll also read one quality short and one quality poem a day.
Congrats to Caroline for an acceptance at Poetry Monthly, our 152nd hit of the year.
Here are today's prompts.
Vic Glover awoke with the noon-day heat ringing in his ears
Finally, Finally
The wind blew down from the mountain for two nights
The Darkness of Cinnamon
Robert Hurley's wife died in September, and by the middle of Ocotber he had more or less settled everything.
London is full of boys named Alex
Among the Dangs
Black & White Ball
So help me God it gets more and more preposterous
Centifrugal, centripetal
There's an interesting road leading south out of Aristotle
Halifax, My Halifax!
He was an orphan, and, to himself, he seemed like one, looked like one.
She seemed to remember him, something about his face, from before...
One winter evening, she looked at them: the husband durable, receptive, gentle; the child a tener golden three. The sight of them made her sad and sick she did not want to see them ever again.
Harry Belten and the Medelssohn Violin Concerto*
*or use the IDEA
Mine are 1,000 words a day BEFORE LOGGING ON, a story or a flash every day, at least 4 x 2K+ stories for the month, 60 subs and to crit anything that moves. I'll also read one quality short and one quality poem a day.
Congrats to Caroline for an acceptance at Poetry Monthly, our 152nd hit of the year.
Here are today's prompts.
Vic Glover awoke with the noon-day heat ringing in his ears
Finally, Finally
The wind blew down from the mountain for two nights
The Darkness of Cinnamon
Robert Hurley's wife died in September, and by the middle of Ocotber he had more or less settled everything.
London is full of boys named Alex
Among the Dangs
Black & White Ball
So help me God it gets more and more preposterous
Centifrugal, centripetal
There's an interesting road leading south out of Aristotle
Halifax, My Halifax!
He was an orphan, and, to himself, he seemed like one, looked like one.
She seemed to remember him, something about his face, from before...
One winter evening, she looked at them: the husband durable, receptive, gentle; the child a tener golden three. The sight of them made her sad and sick she did not want to see them ever again.
Harry Belten and the Medelssohn Violin Concerto*
*or use the IDEA
Thursday, August 31, 2006
A Few More Prompts, Early One Morning
Boogers
Sometimes I wake myself up laughing.
We will not be silent
REMAINS
What I see before anything else, is space
Bats
There is some sort of weight on her face
Playing Pool on Pen-y-Fan
I could smell him on my fingers, long after
Big-Eyed, on the Beach
Garway Hill, Real Meat, Rabbits
Bike on the Line
What is it With Michel?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/5286482.stm
Ship to Shore
Black Dahlia
Sometimes I wake myself up laughing.
We will not be silent
REMAINS
What I see before anything else, is space
Bats
There is some sort of weight on her face
Playing Pool on Pen-y-Fan
I could smell him on my fingers, long after
Big-Eyed, on the Beach
Garway Hill, Real Meat, Rabbits
Bike on the Line
What is it With Michel?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/5286482.stm
Ship to Shore
Black Dahlia
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
One More Hit and a Pile of Prompts
ColinU posts another small hit, a short to Giggle Water.
Here are half of today's prompts
Saturday Night and Sunday Morning
Lard, Rain
See the child, he is pale and thin.
What Beauty Doesn't Mean
China! Oh China!
A Taste of Honey
The Beat of a Bird's Wing, Dying
The Frank Child is Naughty
Simon Says
The paper max bought that morning carried the same news
Shark!
Up the Junction, Down the Dole
The lie detector was asleep when he heard the telephone ringing
GREY
Granted, I am an inmate in a mental hospital
CHEESE
There is a lovely road that runs from Ixopo into the hills
The Entertainer
Hale knew that they meant to murder him
Mother died today. Or maybe yesterday.
You are not the kind of guy who would be at a place like this at this time of the morning
Two mountain chains traverse the republic
This is a true story but I can't believe it's happening
Here are half of today's prompts
Saturday Night and Sunday Morning
Lard, Rain
See the child, he is pale and thin.
What Beauty Doesn't Mean
China! Oh China!
A Taste of Honey
The Beat of a Bird's Wing, Dying
The Frank Child is Naughty
Simon Says
The paper max bought that morning carried the same news
Shark!
Up the Junction, Down the Dole
The lie detector was asleep when he heard the telephone ringing
GREY
Granted, I am an inmate in a mental hospital
CHEESE
There is a lovely road that runs from Ixopo into the hills
The Entertainer
Hale knew that they meant to murder him
Mother died today. Or maybe yesterday.
You are not the kind of guy who would be at a place like this at this time of the morning
Two mountain chains traverse the republic
This is a true story but I can't believe it's happening
Monday, August 28, 2006
150th Hit of the Year
Catching up.
TomC had a subs blitz a week or two ago. That has returned three hits, at three different zines, courtesy of Duotrope. The third is our 150th of the year.
alx
TomC had a subs blitz a week or two ago. That has returned three hits, at three different zines, courtesy of Duotrope. The third is our 150th of the year.
alx
Two Sets
Back from a few days in Paris (Jeez my feet still ache)
Two different sets of prompts posted in BC for the Daily Flash Session.
Never Had it So Good
Davundra
The Smell of the News-of-the-World and Roast Beef
Vespa, Soho
Family & Kinship in East London
Gaggia Nights
When I read in the paper
a new car, a refrigerator, and a TV screen
Madrid is Full of Boys Called Paco
The Gambler, The Nin and the Radio
The Quick Red Fox
What a Difference in Jean Since She Was put on Horlicks
Amazing Race
A Tiger in the Bedroom
Hunter's Wife, Hunter's Wellies
Make Hunger History
The Great Lollipop Debate
Why They Don't Learn to Speak English Like What I Do
The Misrepresentation of Casanova
Tiny Tears
Why Did the Crocodile Cry?
The Oldest Gig in Town
The Importance of Being Burnished
Milky Coffee in a Bowl, Warm Croissants
Two different sets of prompts posted in BC for the Daily Flash Session.
Never Had it So Good
Davundra
The Smell of the News-of-the-World and Roast Beef
Vespa, Soho
Family & Kinship in East London
Gaggia Nights
When I read in the paper
a new car, a refrigerator, and a TV screen
Madrid is Full of Boys Called Paco
The Gambler, The Nin and the Radio
The Quick Red Fox
What a Difference in Jean Since She Was put on Horlicks
Amazing Race
A Tiger in the Bedroom
Hunter's Wife, Hunter's Wellies
Make Hunger History
The Great Lollipop Debate
Why They Don't Learn to Speak English Like What I Do
The Misrepresentation of Casanova
Tiny Tears
Why Did the Crocodile Cry?
The Oldest Gig in Town
The Importance of Being Burnished
Milky Coffee in a Bowl, Warm Croissants
Sunday, August 20, 2006
Sunday Bloody Sunday
Meeting again tonight at 8PM, but here are today's prompts
All that day she thought of Michaelis
What did you do in the peace, Daddy?
In their last, fading days
The water is brown but they say it's safe to drink
Juanita Creehan was a waitress in a piano bar
Kittiwakes
I don't know how I feel until I hold that steel
Saving Mrs Birch
Sometimes she wnted to tell her husband
Agatha Christie's AWOL
I stayed a boy for twenty-nine tears, became a man in twenty-nine minutes
BLUE
Once when she was sixteen, a boy kissed her at a barbecue
They went to Texas
He used to polish his wooden leg with sunflower oil
He was forty-nie the day he was born
Uncle Tom used to say "over-take, Ronnie, not take-over"
National Adultery Week
All that day she thought of Michaelis
What did you do in the peace, Daddy?
In their last, fading days
The water is brown but they say it's safe to drink
Juanita Creehan was a waitress in a piano bar
Kittiwakes
I don't know how I feel until I hold that steel
Saving Mrs Birch
Sometimes she wnted to tell her husband
Agatha Christie's AWOL
I stayed a boy for twenty-nine tears, became a man in twenty-nine minutes
BLUE
Once when she was sixteen, a boy kissed her at a barbecue
They went to Texas
He used to polish his wooden leg with sunflower oil
He was forty-nie the day he was born
Uncle Tom used to say "over-take, Ronnie, not take-over"
National Adultery Week
Friday, August 18, 2006
Friday on My Mnd
Another Blast for a Day, Folks.
You know where we are
Here are the Prompts
His Wife Rang Me and Asked Me Straight Out
53.9%
Tree of Night
Child, Beauty, Pageant
Jeremy and the Oggle-Goggle Box
Credit the Jew
Puke, Puce.
Believed to Be Carrying a Liquid
Dachau
On My Left is, On my Right
A Story Told Via a (TV's) Big Brother Scenario
Nazis and Testicles, the Truth
A Mink of One's Own
One day in the Life of Ivan Ellavanitch
The Man Who Looked Like Hitler
If George Best Had Been Scottish (and Played Bowls)
Why Time Travel Didn't Work Next Year
BLUE, No BLEU!
So Ugly He might Be Swedish
I Love Jennifer Eccles
Love, the Bloody Armistice: Discuss.
You know where we are
Here are the Prompts
His Wife Rang Me and Asked Me Straight Out
53.9%
Tree of Night
Child, Beauty, Pageant
Jeremy and the Oggle-Goggle Box
Credit the Jew
Puke, Puce.
Believed to Be Carrying a Liquid
Dachau
On My Left is, On my Right
A Story Told Via a (TV's) Big Brother Scenario
Nazis and Testicles, the Truth
A Mink of One's Own
One day in the Life of Ivan Ellavanitch
The Man Who Looked Like Hitler
If George Best Had Been Scottish (and Played Bowls)
Why Time Travel Didn't Work Next Year
BLUE, No BLEU!
So Ugly He might Be Swedish
I Love Jennifer Eccles
Love, the Bloody Armistice: Discuss.
Thursday, August 17, 2006
Five Flashes, Ten Prompts, One Hit
The Tuesday Blast Success was repeated last night, and we will run it again today/tonight with a get together at ten PM.
The Prompts are below
Very pleased to announce a BC "virgin" has now lost her virginity. Our 146th hit of the year goes to Bonzoid who has had a story accepted for www.wildviolet.net
happy Dances all round please.
Here are the prompts for today/tonight, email me if you would like to join us just for the day.
The Smell of Sundays*
The Smell of a Lonely Sunday
Deadline Friday
Awl's Fare
Sorting Out His Papers on the Kitchen Table
The Cobbler's last Pair of Shoes
Romeo & Juliet on MSN
The Owl & the Pussy-cat, a Marriage Made in Hell
Jenkins' Ear
Her Pea-green Boat and What happened With the HarbourMaster
TOAST!
Mrs Jones, the Gentleman From Hitachi is Here to See You
The View From the Cross
Asso Asoo Yogoshi. Me welsh-Speaking Japanese
On the Importance of Voice
The TXTD SUICIDE
My New Painting: A Black Cat in a Coal Mine at Midnight
Potatoes, Lamb, Peas, Mint-Sauce, Gravy
* I just remembered a poem wot I writ 40 years ago (some of it )
Sunday is Cabbage-Steam
Oxo, Mint and Lamb
Screams and squeals outside
and Spanish Eyes
Remember Family Favourites was it, the thing where they talked to troops overseas andplayed them a record... and remember "Spanish Eyes" was in the top thirty for 417 years...
The Prompts are below
Very pleased to announce a BC "virgin" has now lost her virginity. Our 146th hit of the year goes to Bonzoid who has had a story accepted for www.wildviolet.net
happy Dances all round please.
Here are the prompts for today/tonight, email me if you would like to join us just for the day.
The Smell of Sundays*
The Smell of a Lonely Sunday
Deadline Friday
Awl's Fare
Sorting Out His Papers on the Kitchen Table
The Cobbler's last Pair of Shoes
Romeo & Juliet on MSN
The Owl & the Pussy-cat, a Marriage Made in Hell
Jenkins' Ear
Her Pea-green Boat and What happened With the HarbourMaster
TOAST!
Mrs Jones, the Gentleman From Hitachi is Here to See You
The View From the Cross
Asso Asoo Yogoshi. Me welsh-Speaking Japanese
On the Importance of Voice
The TXTD SUICIDE
My New Painting: A Black Cat in a Coal Mine at Midnight
Potatoes, Lamb, Peas, Mint-Sauce, Gravy
* I just remembered a poem wot I writ 40 years ago (some of it )
Sunday is Cabbage-Steam
Oxo, Mint and Lamb
Screams and squeals outside
and Spanish Eyes
Remember Family Favourites was it, the thing where they talked to troops overseas andplayed them a record... and remember "Spanish Eyes" was in the top thirty for 417 years...
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Last Night, and a Coupla Hits, and Today
Yesterday in BC we had a set of flash prompts, all were invited to write a flash and we met at 10PM "live" to discuss the batch. It went well with six posted flashes, 37 critiques and almost all the flashes placeable with the odd tweak.
Another example of focus and incentive turning a dull time into a productive one. We plan to do the same today/tonight. If you are non-BC and care to join us for the session, email me, alex.keegan at btinternet.com
Before I post today's prompts, note a couple more hits, one is another flash from our July Blast (they are starting to land now). One story goes in RAW the other in Smokebox.
PROMPTS FOR WEDNESDAY BLAST
All Greek To Me
But then again, it was a Friday...
Do You Like Pie?
The Moment he Climbed Into the Lorry and Left the Compound
Ways of Dying
The Man in the Grey Flannel Suit
Gunners!
On the Importance of Never Being Caught
Lost
The Taming of the Shoe
Pink Skin, Black Heart
Her Magic Cloak, Again
High Definition, Divorce
Green, Green, Green Oh Green!
Another example of focus and incentive turning a dull time into a productive one. We plan to do the same today/tonight. If you are non-BC and care to join us for the session, email me, alex.keegan at btinternet.com
Before I post today's prompts, note a couple more hits, one is another flash from our July Blast (they are starting to land now). One story goes in RAW the other in Smokebox.
PROMPTS FOR WEDNESDAY BLAST
All Greek To Me
But then again, it was a Friday...
Do You Like Pie?
The Moment he Climbed Into the Lorry and Left the Compound
Ways of Dying
The Man in the Grey Flannel Suit
Gunners!
On the Importance of Never Being Caught
Lost
The Taming of the Shoe
Pink Skin, Black Heart
Her Magic Cloak, Again
High Definition, Divorce
Green, Green, Green Oh Green!
Sunday, August 13, 2006
Sunday Evening Prompts
if you're good you write a story including them (responding to) all
They Used to Play Football
The First Sign Was Losing Things
".. so Grant just said to them come on along to a wonderful party..."
Abracadabra
The Train Now Arriving at Platform Nine
The Portable Dinosaur
Tiger, Tiger, Burning Bright
Mrs. Munson finished twisting a linen rose in her auburn hair...
Shingle Dear, Not Sand
They Used to Play Football
The First Sign Was Losing Things
".. so Grant just said to them come on along to a wonderful party..."
Abracadabra
The Train Now Arriving at Platform Nine
The Portable Dinosaur
Tiger, Tiger, Burning Bright
Mrs. Munson finished twisting a linen rose in her auburn hair...
Shingle Dear, Not Sand
Scottish Football? An Oxymoron?
Tom gets his second July Blast Story Hit in a week, a stroy about the woes of being a Scots footie fan, going in print mag "Delivered"
Sunday Morning's Prompts
Crash
Puncture 17
This Squashed Cabbage Leaf
To the Last Man
On the Origin of Woman
Dr Dicksheet & the Village Boy Ahman
God's Jukebox
And on Your House, and on Your Family
Cheese, but then again, it could be Brain
Foxglove
Known Each Other Years, May Have Been Lovers...
The Wedding Day of Di & Dodi
Sunday Morning's Prompts
Crash
Puncture 17
This Squashed Cabbage Leaf
To the Last Man
On the Origin of Woman
Dr Dicksheet & the Village Boy Ahman
God's Jukebox
And on Your House, and on Your Family
Cheese, but then again, it could be Brain
Foxglove
Known Each Other Years, May Have Been Lovers...
The Wedding Day of Di & Dodi
Thursday, August 10, 2006
Hits & Prompts
A hit at Laura Hird and Southern Ocean review (details shortly).
Here are today's prompts
Mr & Mrs Dee and Their Daughter Elsie
In My Carry-On Bag
It Looks Like a Turtle, But...
Sore Throat
Probably Tuna
Calling it Off With Elaine
Uncovered
Archeology: Uncovering the Unknown
Diplomacy: Covering up the Known
What's Wrong With False Hope?
Sister Susan Sitting on a Sofa
Various Outrages Also Known as a Restaurant Bill
Maximum Effort, I Think it Moved
Here are today's prompts
Mr & Mrs Dee and Their Daughter Elsie
In My Carry-On Bag
It Looks Like a Turtle, But...
Sore Throat
Probably Tuna
Calling it Off With Elaine
Uncovered
Archeology: Uncovering the Unknown
Diplomacy: Covering up the Known
What's Wrong With False Hope?
Sister Susan Sitting on a Sofa
Various Outrages Also Known as a Restaurant Bill
Maximum Effort, I Think it Moved
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
DryzaBone
I've had a lot of distractions lately, family stuff, the cabins, the chapel, doing an academic course (horribly behind on that too) remodelling Kingfisher Barn to make it more marketable,,,
I'm blocked, have been for a while.
Am I filling my life with "things" to cover over the cracks in what really matters to me (writing) or is this just a phase where genuinely, the many other things are in the way, have to be done and are taking my physical and psychical energy?
Or has the well run dry?
I usually poo-poo "block". It often comes down to laziness, self-indulgence, the attitude of the wimp, but my problem is less about wanting to write or being able to put sentences together, right now it's a deep lack of worthwhile themes, kernels, ideas that will produce a story that could be aimed higher than some lowly ezine.
I'm back from a week away, trying to kick some ass in Boot Camp (feels like wresting with a blancmange) and subbing the many stories still not packed away (why does the better stuff languish, the comfortable fly off the shelf and into magazines)
That's another point, dissillusionment with the market, especially the UK.
But I know the way out of these things. READ READ READ, poetry, shorts, newsprint, and write ANYTHING. A poem, a rant (hell I could wrie an article about how to break block, I've given enough advice on the subject)
But I still feel impossibly barren.
Today's Boot Camp Early Morning Prompts.
Not Required on Journey
Behind the Mask
Sucrose, Fructose
The English Civil War, 2027
Why Ping Pong Balls Are Never Pink
The Man Who Rushed to Catch United Airlines Flight 63
Blossom's First Kiss
Running Lights, Running Scared
Slate
Google "Slate Dreams"
A story beginning: "We were on the outs, had been for a couple of months..."
A story ending: "... but then, what did she expect?"
and these were posted too
Woden's Day
Giant Lizards, Flightless Birds with Whiskers and Penguins in a Rainforest
Burning Ciphers on the Round of Space
Bloody Heroes, Dirty Zeroes
Runequest
My Life With Master
Eating From the Freezer of Doom
Attention Scum! – A Guide to Parenting for The Working Classes
How to Divide and Conquer Via Taxation
Dinamo Who?
Watching Paint Die
Bye, Bye Shadowlands
I Have Heard the Big Music (and I'll Never Be the Same)
I Left My Heart in Aberaeron
Purple Pontrhydfendigaid
When I'm on fire (about 200 years ago) I'd get seventeen stories from the above, might well write a story combining 4-10 prompts. Now I look, read, look, read, and nothing happens, nothing happens.
You think I'm beat?
Just watch this space.
Alex
I'm blocked, have been for a while.
Am I filling my life with "things" to cover over the cracks in what really matters to me (writing) or is this just a phase where genuinely, the many other things are in the way, have to be done and are taking my physical and psychical energy?
Or has the well run dry?
I usually poo-poo "block". It often comes down to laziness, self-indulgence, the attitude of the wimp, but my problem is less about wanting to write or being able to put sentences together, right now it's a deep lack of worthwhile themes, kernels, ideas that will produce a story that could be aimed higher than some lowly ezine.
I'm back from a week away, trying to kick some ass in Boot Camp (feels like wresting with a blancmange) and subbing the many stories still not packed away (why does the better stuff languish, the comfortable fly off the shelf and into magazines)
That's another point, dissillusionment with the market, especially the UK.
But I know the way out of these things. READ READ READ, poetry, shorts, newsprint, and write ANYTHING. A poem, a rant (hell I could wrie an article about how to break block, I've given enough advice on the subject)
But I still feel impossibly barren.
Today's Boot Camp Early Morning Prompts.
Not Required on Journey
Behind the Mask
Sucrose, Fructose
The English Civil War, 2027
Why Ping Pong Balls Are Never Pink
The Man Who Rushed to Catch United Airlines Flight 63
Blossom's First Kiss
Running Lights, Running Scared
Slate
Google "Slate Dreams"
A story beginning: "We were on the outs, had been for a couple of months..."
A story ending: "... but then, what did she expect?"
and these were posted too
Woden's Day
Giant Lizards, Flightless Birds with Whiskers and Penguins in a Rainforest
Burning Ciphers on the Round of Space
Bloody Heroes, Dirty Zeroes
Runequest
My Life With Master
Eating From the Freezer of Doom
Attention Scum! – A Guide to Parenting for The Working Classes
How to Divide and Conquer Via Taxation
Dinamo Who?
Watching Paint Die
Bye, Bye Shadowlands
I Have Heard the Big Music (and I'll Never Be the Same)
I Left My Heart in Aberaeron
Purple Pontrhydfendigaid
When I'm on fire (about 200 years ago) I'd get seventeen stories from the above, might well write a story combining 4-10 prompts. Now I look, read, look, read, and nothing happens, nothing happens.
You think I'm beat?
Just watch this space.
Alex
Monday, August 07, 2006
July Blast Final Figures and a Lesson
156,573 Words
144 Items Written
134 Submissions
064 Rejections
018 Hits
Top performer was TomC wirh a solid 32,612 words, more than one story per day average, 30 subs. In July Tom had 4 hits and has reported an August hit with a July Blast story.
I should say that my own performance was abysmal. I usually aim to be Number One in all our challenges and up to now have always managed it. But this time Tom deserves the credit as THE MAN.
The LESSON
You think these figures are good?
They STINK!
Boot Camp is aptly named as a hard-working, highly-motivated place, yet look at the averages for the figures above. In a place where the ethic is WORK-WORK-WORK these were the figures, with about half a dozen not recording ANY writing.
(They may have written and subbed, but if they don't post to say so...)
032,612
018,800
016,767
016,350
014,660
009,917
009,387
009,120
006,788
005,540
004,500
003,500
003,001
002,785
001,571
001,275
Now divide by 31 (the number of days...)
1052
606
541
527
473
320
303
294
219
179
145
113
97
90
51
41
If we are writers we must write and 300 words is a single page of writing. Anything less means we aren't even pretending to be writers.
When I have done surveys at Writing Conferences the average word-count REPORTED (and I strongly suspect it is an inflated figure) is 147 words "per day". These again are relatively motivated people but they write (probably) less than 3,000 words a month.
I think it was Ray Bradbury who said we have to write a million words just to BECOME writers. I'd agree with that.
We have to have daily, weekly, monthly targets and EXCEED them.
Look at Boot Camp's successes, just for 2006. 13 First prizes, 50 Prizes-Places-Finals. What percentage of all the prizes are we taking and yet we have (officially) 27 members (about 2/3 active).
What would we be doing if the 27 WORKED (and I include me in that), what if we had thirty members working HARD, writing 500 words on a bady, 1000-1500 on a good day? Well, for one thing. Just 16 people signed up for the July Blast, 12 did not. One individual paid £30 to join us for the month and then wrote the dizzy total of 1,571 words, 51 per day. If that's a blast, what is coasting? (Of course his lack of productivity was somehow my fault...)
Had we had 32 not 16, and each working hard to match Tom's output (just 1,052 per day) we would have produced a million words, 550 submissions and more than 100 hits.
There is no "magic" in the process. The more we write the better we get, the more we critique, the better we get, the more we sub and get feedback, the better we get, the more subs we make, the more hits we get.
And you need to know one very important thing: quantity does NOT mean lower quality. The buzz, the drive, the extra mile walked often produces from somewhere within, something special.
Sure maybe 20% of the output isn't that good, but the good pieces are often VERY good, and it's all material for future rewrites. Half of my competition winners were written during "Blasts" and many were flashes.
The key is start working harder, more regularly, without excuses. Stop pretending.
In July how many words did YOU write? What did you do to make yourself a better writer? How many competitions did you enter? How many submission did you make?
You have 31 days less to live. You will NEVER get them back.
Alex
144 Items Written
134 Submissions
064 Rejections
018 Hits
Top performer was TomC wirh a solid 32,612 words, more than one story per day average, 30 subs. In July Tom had 4 hits and has reported an August hit with a July Blast story.
I should say that my own performance was abysmal. I usually aim to be Number One in all our challenges and up to now have always managed it. But this time Tom deserves the credit as THE MAN.
The LESSON
You think these figures are good?
They STINK!
Boot Camp is aptly named as a hard-working, highly-motivated place, yet look at the averages for the figures above. In a place where the ethic is WORK-WORK-WORK these were the figures, with about half a dozen not recording ANY writing.
(They may have written and subbed, but if they don't post to say so...)
032,612
018,800
016,767
016,350
014,660
009,917
009,387
009,120
006,788
005,540
004,500
003,500
003,001
002,785
001,571
001,275
Now divide by 31 (the number of days...)
1052
606
541
527
473
320
303
294
219
179
145
113
97
90
51
41
If we are writers we must write and 300 words is a single page of writing. Anything less means we aren't even pretending to be writers.
When I have done surveys at Writing Conferences the average word-count REPORTED (and I strongly suspect it is an inflated figure) is 147 words "per day". These again are relatively motivated people but they write (probably) less than 3,000 words a month.
I think it was Ray Bradbury who said we have to write a million words just to BECOME writers. I'd agree with that.
We have to have daily, weekly, monthly targets and EXCEED them.
Look at Boot Camp's successes, just for 2006. 13 First prizes, 50 Prizes-Places-Finals. What percentage of all the prizes are we taking and yet we have (officially) 27 members (about 2/3 active).
What would we be doing if the 27 WORKED (and I include me in that), what if we had thirty members working HARD, writing 500 words on a bady, 1000-1500 on a good day? Well, for one thing. Just 16 people signed up for the July Blast, 12 did not. One individual paid £30 to join us for the month and then wrote the dizzy total of 1,571 words, 51 per day. If that's a blast, what is coasting? (Of course his lack of productivity was somehow my fault...)
Had we had 32 not 16, and each working hard to match Tom's output (just 1,052 per day) we would have produced a million words, 550 submissions and more than 100 hits.
There is no "magic" in the process. The more we write the better we get, the more we critique, the better we get, the more we sub and get feedback, the better we get, the more subs we make, the more hits we get.
And you need to know one very important thing: quantity does NOT mean lower quality. The buzz, the drive, the extra mile walked often produces from somewhere within, something special.
Sure maybe 20% of the output isn't that good, but the good pieces are often VERY good, and it's all material for future rewrites. Half of my competition winners were written during "Blasts" and many were flashes.
The key is start working harder, more regularly, without excuses. Stop pretending.
In July how many words did YOU write? What did you do to make yourself a better writer? How many competitions did you enter? How many submission did you make?
You have 31 days less to live. You will NEVER get them back.
Alex
Sunday, August 06, 2006
A Few More Publications
For Boot Campers
2006 Pubs Latest
79 Colin "Torn" by JJ at Green Muse
80 Lexie "Lucy Glows" at Southern Ocean Review
81 Lexie "In the Loudness of Morning" City of Derby Website
2006 Pubs Latest
79 Colin "Torn" by JJ at Green Muse
80 Lexie "Lucy Glows" at Southern Ocean Review
81 Lexie "In the Loudness of Morning" City of Derby Website
Losing Count of Winners!
Just checked and we've had FOURTEEN FIRSTS not 13
and this week's hits take the Prizes/Places/Finlas total for the year to FIFTY
Prize Money earned $5,750
Total Winnings $5,750
FIRST PLACE
01 Colin $200 First Place in Slingink's Eurofiction
02 Mike Joint-Winner in 7Q FF9
03 Dave Joint-Winner in 7Q FF9
04 Lexie Wins Adult SS of the Year (£300) in "Killie"
05 Cally Wins Dark Tales ($60)
06 BCer wins 7Q FF10
07 Hazera wins Doorknobs & Bodypaint First Place
08 Alex Wins Pencil Bantry $300
09 Lexie Wins Cotswold Prize $1,000
10 Cally wins Bank Street SS Prize $140
11 Alex wins Lichfield Prize $250
12 ColinU wins Cadenza $400
13 Caroline wins Poetry Prize TBA ($200)
14 Gabiotas wins $400 First at FirstWriter
SECOND
01 Lexie $150 Second Place in "Dame Throgmorton"
02 TomC gets $100 second in JBWB
03 BCer 2nd in 7Q FF10
04 Cally Joint second in Writers Dock Comp
05 Lexie $300 second place Philip Good Memorial Prize
06 Cally in Woman's Own (Prize Value estimate $250)
07 Colin Second in Flash Comp ($50)
08 Lexie $400 Second in City of Derby
THIRD
01 Lexie in 7Q FF9 Third Place
02 BCer 3rd in 7Q FF10
03 Tom's $25 3rd in Oz
04 Lexie $200 3rd in The New Writer
05 Alex $150 third place Philip Good Memorial Prize
4ths, HRs, NAMED FINALISTs
01 Alex Night Train Yates Comp, Last 12 "Floating"
02 Alex Poem in "Out of Love" Anthology
03 Laurie (Nartje) in "Out of Love" Anthology
04 Lexie, State of Being" HR at HISSAC (only winner is announced)
05 Lexie, second story finalist at HISAAC
06 Colin finalist in HISAAC
07 Colin HR in JBWB
08 Cally in Final of Belvedere
09 Lexie in Fish Anthology ($100)
10 Lexie last 140 of 1800, Fish
11 Haz named in Best of the web shortlist
12 Lexie Final of Writers Forum
13 Alex last 3 in Carve "Overseas Writer"
14 TomC HR'd in Bank Street SS Comp
15 TomC 4th in Twisted Tongue
16 Alex at Philip Good Memorial (second story placed 3rd)
17 Lexie at Philip Good Memorial (second story placed 2nd)
18 Cally HR in Lymm Festival $20
19 Colin Finalist, $40, dinner at Frome
20 Cally Finalist Flash FictionComp
21 TomC finalist, ditto
22 Britbird shortlisted in Pier Pressure
23 Colin HM in Momaya (and in Anthology)
00 Laurie recently left but was also HR'd at Bank Street (not counted)
Lexie also recieved $25 & $10 payments
Winnings in Dollars, £ = $2, Euro = $1
for simplicity of calculation
and this week's hits take the Prizes/Places/Finlas total for the year to FIFTY
Prize Money earned $5,750
Total Winnings $5,750
FIRST PLACE
01 Colin $200 First Place in Slingink's Eurofiction
02 Mike Joint-Winner in 7Q FF9
03 Dave Joint-Winner in 7Q FF9
04 Lexie Wins Adult SS of the Year (£300) in "Killie"
05 Cally Wins Dark Tales ($60)
06 BCer wins 7Q FF10
07 Hazera wins Doorknobs & Bodypaint First Place
08 Alex Wins Pencil Bantry $300
09 Lexie Wins Cotswold Prize $1,000
10 Cally wins Bank Street SS Prize $140
11 Alex wins Lichfield Prize $250
12 ColinU wins Cadenza $400
13 Caroline wins Poetry Prize TBA ($200)
14 Gabiotas wins $400 First at FirstWriter
SECOND
01 Lexie $150 Second Place in "Dame Throgmorton"
02 TomC gets $100 second in JBWB
03 BCer 2nd in 7Q FF10
04 Cally Joint second in Writers Dock Comp
05 Lexie $300 second place Philip Good Memorial Prize
06 Cally in Woman's Own (Prize Value estimate $250)
07 Colin Second in Flash Comp ($50)
08 Lexie $400 Second in City of Derby
THIRD
01 Lexie in 7Q FF9 Third Place
02 BCer 3rd in 7Q FF10
03 Tom's $25 3rd in Oz
04 Lexie $200 3rd in The New Writer
05 Alex $150 third place Philip Good Memorial Prize
4ths, HRs, NAMED FINALISTs
01 Alex Night Train Yates Comp, Last 12 "Floating"
02 Alex Poem in "Out of Love" Anthology
03 Laurie (Nartje) in "Out of Love" Anthology
04 Lexie, State of Being" HR at HISSAC (only winner is announced)
05 Lexie, second story finalist at HISAAC
06 Colin finalist in HISAAC
07 Colin HR in JBWB
08 Cally in Final of Belvedere
09 Lexie in Fish Anthology ($100)
10 Lexie last 140 of 1800, Fish
11 Haz named in Best of the web shortlist
12 Lexie Final of Writers Forum
13 Alex last 3 in Carve "Overseas Writer"
14 TomC HR'd in Bank Street SS Comp
15 TomC 4th in Twisted Tongue
16 Alex at Philip Good Memorial (second story placed 3rd)
17 Lexie at Philip Good Memorial (second story placed 2nd)
18 Cally HR in Lymm Festival $20
19 Colin Finalist, $40, dinner at Frome
20 Cally Finalist Flash FictionComp
21 TomC finalist, ditto
22 Britbird shortlisted in Pier Pressure
23 Colin HM in Momaya (and in Anthology)
00 Laurie recently left but was also HR'd at Bank Street (not counted)
Lexie also recieved $25 & $10 payments
Winnings in Dollars, £ = $2, Euro = $1
for simplicity of calculation
A First, A Second, an Hon Mention
I've been away a week, selling the last log cabin and working at The Chapel. Come back to a fistful of Boot Camp Hits
Gabs wins $400 First Place at FirstWriter
Lex wins $400 Second Place in "City of Derby"
JJ (Colin) gets an Hon Mention in Momaya and will appear in the Anthology
Colin also has a story going in Cezanne's Carrot and a piece at Laura Hird's Zine. Tom is appearing in Canopic Jar and BritBird is to appear in the anthology "39 Emergency Exits"
That's THIRTEEN First Places for BC in 2006
alx
Gabs wins $400 First Place at FirstWriter
Lex wins $400 Second Place in "City of Derby"
JJ (Colin) gets an Hon Mention in Momaya and will appear in the Anthology
Colin also has a story going in Cezanne's Carrot and a piece at Laura Hird's Zine. Tom is appearing in Canopic Jar and BritBird is to appear in the anthology "39 Emergency Exits"
That's THIRTEEN First Places for BC in 2006
alx
Saturday, July 29, 2006
Total Breaks 150K
July Blast Totals
I'm away today for a week
but here are the totals so far
154,667 Words
142 Pieces Written
130 Subs
046 Rejects
014 Hits
I'm away today for a week
but here are the totals so far
154,667 Words
142 Pieces Written
130 Subs
046 Rejects
014 Hits
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
Approaching 150,000 Words
For me this has been a disappointing Blast and my personal input terrible. (I blame the weather, I hate working in this heat)
But the gang are doing OK and should pass 150,000 words today
Here are the latest figures (always slightly under)
144,940 Words
136 Pieces
116 Subs
038 Rejects
013 Hits
100 Sets of Prompts
and today's morning prompts are
Old, Fat, Ginger Bastard
One Example of Cowardice
What We Believe
Ginny 4 Harry in the Next Tent
Nightfall
When Your Best Friend Describes Your Coming Break-Up
The Slag Heaps Are Always Blacker in the Next Valley
Toffee
Taking the Box With You
The Yellow Coffin
But the gang are doing OK and should pass 150,000 words today
Here are the latest figures (always slightly under)
144,940 Words
136 Pieces
116 Subs
038 Rejects
013 Hits
100 Sets of Prompts
and today's morning prompts are
Old, Fat, Ginger Bastard
One Example of Cowardice
What We Believe
Ginny 4 Harry in the Next Tent
Nightfall
When Your Best Friend Describes Your Coming Break-Up
The Slag Heaps Are Always Blacker in the Next Valley
Toffee
Taking the Box With You
The Yellow Coffin
Saturday, July 22, 2006
July Blast Story in PRINT!
Don't ever tell me Blasts don't work.
Scottish Print Mag Transmission" has taken one from Boot Camper TomC
Figures now
126,472 words
109 Subs
122 Items
036 Rejections
011 Hits
our 130th Hit of the year
Scottish Print Mag Transmission" has taken one from Boot Camper TomC
Figures now
126,472 words
109 Subs
122 Items
036 Rejections
011 Hits
our 130th Hit of the year
Thursday, July 20, 2006
Blast Latest
July Blast Continues and the 200 stories, 200,000 words target is still reachable (just)
107 Subs
029 Rejects
010 Hits
114 Items Written (100 Flashes)
114,992 Words
Thursday's Early-Morning Prompts
Teddy Bears' Picnic
A False Hope is Better Than None (courtesy of Bridie)
Does a Bear Shit in the Woods?
How Much Wood Would a Wood-Chopper Chop, If a WoodChopper Would Chop Wood?
She Sells Sea-Shells
Hand-in-Hand Around the Bunkers
At Least Eva Loves Me
Blankes
Beneath the Table-Top
Voulez-Vous Promenade Avec Moi?
Influenza and Other Jollifications
Dying With STYLE
Beetles, Earwigs
The Contradictions of Love and Hope
107 Subs
029 Rejects
010 Hits
114 Items Written (100 Flashes)
114,992 Words
Thursday's Early-Morning Prompts
Teddy Bears' Picnic
A False Hope is Better Than None (courtesy of Bridie)
Does a Bear Shit in the Woods?
How Much Wood Would a Wood-Chopper Chop, If a WoodChopper Would Chop Wood?
She Sells Sea-Shells
Hand-in-Hand Around the Bunkers
At Least Eva Loves Me
Blankes
Beneath the Table-Top
Voulez-Vous Promenade Avec Moi?
Influenza and Other Jollifications
Dying With STYLE
Beetles, Earwigs
The Contradictions of Love and Hope
Saturday, July 15, 2006
Closing in on a Hundred Stories
Now on 87 pieces, hoping to break 100 by the end of the weekend, but the 200 target for the month seems a long way off right now and won't be achieved unless we get a burst of energy from the whole of the group.
It doesn't help that normally I would be on 20-something pieces by now and am on a struggling six.
But that's six more than it would have been without the blast, so we keep trying.
Here are the last two sets of prompts
The Effect of a Particular Rainfall
In a China Shop
Where I Have been, My Troubles Lord
Six Inches of Innocent Flesh
Moon Olympian
Hugh Rynal Toilet Inventor
Over the Cliff, Gently
A Handful of Rose Petals, Not As Many As We Thought
The First Time, No Cliches
More Than One Brown
The Sudden Death of the East Grinstead Writing Group
Hill Street Blues
School Drama, Semi-Professional
Are You Ready For This?
Mixed Nuts, Fruit, Some of it Fresh
Amazing Grace Rap
Romance by Bagpipe
501
Egg & Spoon Race at the Drug Rehab
Sometimes I Think My Dad Doesn't Like Me
Three Weeks Late
The Last Thing in the World
Notice Board Roulette
Conference at the Water-Cooler
Bucket, Spade, Bucket & Spade
It doesn't help that normally I would be on 20-something pieces by now and am on a struggling six.
But that's six more than it would have been without the blast, so we keep trying.
Here are the last two sets of prompts
The Effect of a Particular Rainfall
In a China Shop
Where I Have been, My Troubles Lord
Six Inches of Innocent Flesh
Moon Olympian
Hugh Rynal Toilet Inventor
Over the Cliff, Gently
A Handful of Rose Petals, Not As Many As We Thought
The First Time, No Cliches
More Than One Brown
The Sudden Death of the East Grinstead Writing Group
Hill Street Blues
School Drama, Semi-Professional
Are You Ready For This?
Mixed Nuts, Fruit, Some of it Fresh
Amazing Grace Rap
Romance by Bagpipe
501
Egg & Spoon Race at the Drug Rehab
Sometimes I Think My Dad Doesn't Like Me
Three Weeks Late
The Last Thing in the World
Notice Board Roulette
Conference at the Water-Cooler
Bucket, Spade, Bucket & Spade
Friday, July 14, 2006
Update
The two latest prizes for BCers takes the 2006 Prize earnings to $4,950.
The July Blast Figures are now
009 Stories
080 Flashes
082 Subs
015 Rejects
010 Hits
and over 80,000 words (but watch this space)
The July Blast Figures are now
009 Stories
080 Flashes
082 Subs
015 Rejects
010 Hits
and over 80,000 words (but watch this space)
Another BC First Place
"Nightwriter" has just been informed she has a first place in a very decent poetry comp
Will announce here when Comp results formally announced.
That's a first and a second in one day, our 129th hit of the year
13 First Places
07 Second Places
05 Third Places
23 4ths/Finals/HR etc
48 TOTAL
Will announce here when Comp results formally announced.
That's a first and a second in one day, our 129th hit of the year
13 First Places
07 Second Places
05 Third Places
23 4ths/Finals/HR etc
48 TOTAL
Another BC Prize
Colin U announces $50 Second Place in a Flash comp, our 128th Hit of the year.
Meanwhile the Blast Continues with six writers screaming ahead, a few more doing well coming out of droughts (but too many, me included) still playing at it
We now (at the half-way point) have more than 80 stories, 80 subs, 14 rejects, 9 hits, and 80,000 words.
Today I set the target for the full blast
200 Stories/Flashes/Poems
200 Subs
200,000 words
Meanwhile the Blast Continues with six writers screaming ahead, a few more doing well coming out of droughts (but too many, me included) still playing at it
We now (at the half-way point) have more than 80 stories, 80 subs, 14 rejects, 9 hits, and 80,000 words.
Today I set the target for the full blast
200 Stories/Flashes/Poems
200 Subs
200,000 words
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Boot Camp Bubbling
New Members, lot's of activity, subs, hits, flashes galore!
Everyone seems to be doing well except yours truly.
Now 71 Flashes (plus the stories noted yesterday) so we are well on the way to 100 pieces and 100,000 words (and now 73 subs)
This Morning's Prompts
Wheat, the colour of lions, for miles
A Quiet Place, Holcomb
Greece & Rome
Behind With His Assignments
Cherry
Snowing Down South, Mrs
Three Girls Climbing the Stile
Chicken or Cheese?
Jumping off the Wall
Everyone seems to be doing well except yours truly.
Now 71 Flashes (plus the stories noted yesterday) so we are well on the way to 100 pieces and 100,000 words (and now 73 subs)
This Morning's Prompts
Wheat, the colour of lions, for miles
A Quiet Place, Holcomb
Greece & Rome
Behind With His Assignments
Cherry
Snowing Down South, Mrs
Three Girls Climbing the Stile
Chicken or Cheese?
Jumping off the Wall
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
Latest Blast Stats
008 Stories
057 Flashes
003 Poems
276 Critiques
073 Submissions
009 Rejects
007 Hits
004 Writers Breaking Droughts
68,000 words
057 Flashes
003 Poems
276 Critiques
073 Submissions
009 Rejects
007 Hits
004 Writers Breaking Droughts
68,000 words
Live Blast Success!
No notice, prompts at 22:02 and stories by 23:15, but we got eight stories written, seven submitted to the group, 37 critiques, and here is the interesting bit, an average mark of 99 up 9 on the typical batch of flashes.
There is something about pressure, energy, team-spirit, the buzz that liberates writers!!
Especially pleasing was to see three stories from writers suffering a drought.
Same again tonight, but we will go for 7, 9 and 11 PM
Alex
There is something about pressure, energy, team-spirit, the buzz that liberates writers!!
Especially pleasing was to see three stories from writers suffering a drought.
Same again tonight, but we will go for 7, 9 and 11 PM
Alex
Monday, July 10, 2006
Live Blast at 10PM Tonight
Join us at BC about 21:55 for prompts and a live flash session (75 minutes MAXIMUM) to write your story.
Meanwhile two more BC Hits. Boot Camper Tom has a story going on BBC Radio Rutland and Boot Camper Cally was shortlisted in the Writelink Weekender Challenge. Hit 126 and 127 of the year.
my email (alex.keegan) has now changed and is @btinternet.com
alex
Meanwhile two more BC Hits. Boot Camper Tom has a story going on BBC Radio Rutland and Boot Camper Cally was shortlisted in the Writelink Weekender Challenge. Hit 126 and 127 of the year.
my email (alex.keegan) has now changed and is @btinternet.com
alex
Is This Good?
Answer NO.
The July Blast Continues. We have ten particpating seriously
057 Pieces (Stories, Flashes, the odd poem)
069 Submissions
008 Rejects
005 Hits
and a little over 50,000 words.
Good? Bad?
Well, ten writers, ten days, 50,000 words? 500 a day?
500 a day is what we should be writing ROUTINELY. A blast should mean we are doing twice that, three times that.
And what of thos members not active in the blast, what of spectators? What of casual readers of this blog? What are YOU writing?
At writing conferences I often run a survey of actual writing done in the last ten days. The average reported (and it is probably INFLATED) is 147 words per day.
2-3 months ago, after a brilliant first quarter, Boot Camp went into a partial slump. People weren't working, writing new material, subbing. Of course it didn't notice for quite a while as the hits were still coming so people felt good.
But the pain comes 6 weeks later, 8 weeks later, three months later, when the pipes run dry, when all those stories you didn't write, aren't out there...
Look at this, and this is a highly motivated group:
HITS
032 Jan
022 Feb
017 Mar
026 Apr
017 May
005 Jun
005 Jul
So we will need this July Blast, a big push in August, a hard-working September, another blst in October, a November blitz and a subs push in December.
It doesn't end. You have to do the work, and then work some more.
And the best bit is, with quanitty comes higher quality.
Prompts on Monday
Lunch With Johnny Depp
What Box Office Means
Zidanne and Madness
Where Did Honour Go? Is it Dead?
Second is Nowhere
Why Does Dingo Sound Dirty?
How Blue the Sea, How Blue
Sad, Middle-Aged, But Has a Blog
Cheese and Heaven
Coyotes Interrupt Us
Omelette, Omelette, Omelette
Granddad, Punks, Mods & Rockers
Miners
The July Blast Continues. We have ten particpating seriously
057 Pieces (Stories, Flashes, the odd poem)
069 Submissions
008 Rejects
005 Hits
and a little over 50,000 words.
Good? Bad?
Well, ten writers, ten days, 50,000 words? 500 a day?
500 a day is what we should be writing ROUTINELY. A blast should mean we are doing twice that, three times that.
And what of thos members not active in the blast, what of spectators? What of casual readers of this blog? What are YOU writing?
At writing conferences I often run a survey of actual writing done in the last ten days. The average reported (and it is probably INFLATED) is 147 words per day.
2-3 months ago, after a brilliant first quarter, Boot Camp went into a partial slump. People weren't working, writing new material, subbing. Of course it didn't notice for quite a while as the hits were still coming so people felt good.
But the pain comes 6 weeks later, 8 weeks later, three months later, when the pipes run dry, when all those stories you didn't write, aren't out there...
Look at this, and this is a highly motivated group:
HITS
032 Jan
022 Feb
017 Mar
026 Apr
017 May
005 Jun
005 Jul
So we will need this July Blast, a big push in August, a hard-working September, another blst in October, a November blitz and a subs push in December.
It doesn't end. You have to do the work, and then work some more.
And the best bit is, with quanitty comes higher quality.
Prompts on Monday
Lunch With Johnny Depp
What Box Office Means
Zidanne and Madness
Where Did Honour Go? Is it Dead?
Second is Nowhere
Why Does Dingo Sound Dirty?
How Blue the Sea, How Blue
Sad, Middle-Aged, But Has a Blog
Cheese and Heaven
Coyotes Interrupt Us
Omelette, Omelette, Omelette
Granddad, Punks, Mods & Rockers
Miners
Sunday, July 09, 2006
More Good News in Competition
Britbird made the shortlist for Pier Pressure and will be published soon, and we've just heard a Boot Camper is one of the top three in a nice comp with good prizes. Result TBA shortly.
That takes us to 46 prizes/places for the year, 125 hits
alx
That takes us to 46 prizes/places for the year, 125 hits
alx
Saturday, July 08, 2006
Paying the Price
Hits-Wise we are now suffering the quiet patch 3-2 months ago, but activity is back up (for everyone but me!)
We should wite our 50th story of the month today, and get past 50 subs for the month this weekend.
The moral is: Consistent work, writing every day, 7 days a week, month upon month, and getting the stuff out there will double your hits and prizes. Fallow writing periods eventually means slow subbing which leads to a time of no hits.
Too many people live off the work of 2-3-4-5-6 months ago, and, because the hits are coming in now, forget they are not working today for hits today, but for the next six months, and, more crucially, to improve themselves as writers.
Just like fitness training, it takes three times as long to GET fit as it does to lose it.
PROMPTS
64%
Dof Eat Dog
Almost 50% od Married People Are Women
How it Coagulates
The Bad Lovers Handbook
The One Per Cent
Smiles On My Van, Can
When They Try
Talk to Silver Escorts and the Sky
From the hill there was a snaking tenement
Jones Eighteen-Months
If I Had a Soul
Bullshit Blog
Sepia
We should wite our 50th story of the month today, and get past 50 subs for the month this weekend.
The moral is: Consistent work, writing every day, 7 days a week, month upon month, and getting the stuff out there will double your hits and prizes. Fallow writing periods eventually means slow subbing which leads to a time of no hits.
Too many people live off the work of 2-3-4-5-6 months ago, and, because the hits are coming in now, forget they are not working today for hits today, but for the next six months, and, more crucially, to improve themselves as writers.
Just like fitness training, it takes three times as long to GET fit as it does to lose it.
PROMPTS
64%
Dof Eat Dog
Almost 50% od Married People Are Women
How it Coagulates
The Bad Lovers Handbook
The One Per Cent
Smiles On My Van, Can
When They Try
Talk to Silver Escorts and the Sky
From the hill there was a snaking tenement
Jones Eighteen-Months
If I Had a Soul
Bullshit Blog
Sepia
Friday, July 07, 2006
and even more
42 Stories so far this month...
PROMPTS
Well It's a Shower, I guess
Falling Asleep at the Computer
A Wild Justice
Marshmallow
£50 Voucher, Hot Summer Night
The Highest Wall in the World
Coral, Everest
Miss, Miss, MISS! Ah, fergerrit...
The Trouble With Little Johnny Smith
An Apple a Day
PROMPTS
Well It's a Shower, I guess
Falling Asleep at the Computer
A Wild Justice
Marshmallow
£50 Voucher, Hot Summer Night
The Highest Wall in the World
Coral, Everest
Miss, Miss, MISS! Ah, fergerrit...
The Trouble With Little Johnny Smith
An Apple a Day
Thursday, July 06, 2006
and more
PROMPTS
Hilary is Giving a Speech
I Need My Toons Or I Lose My Mind
Cold Coffee, and Bitter
Shakespeare's iPod
Mitt
Flowers on a Shelf
The Brains Behind the Administration
It's a Fine Art
The Race Card
Gang Kid, Dead, Gang Kid, Dead.
55
Spot a Penny, Pick it Up.
Three Arms, Four Humps, Chocolate
Hilary is Giving a Speech
I Need My Toons Or I Lose My Mind
Cold Coffee, and Bitter
Shakespeare's iPod
Mitt
Flowers on a Shelf
The Brains Behind the Administration
It's a Fine Art
The Race Card
Gang Kid, Dead, Gang Kid, Dead.
55
Spot a Penny, Pick it Up.
Three Arms, Four Humps, Chocolate
July Blast Stats So Far
27,553 words
34 Pieces
53 Subs
05 Rejects
03 Hits
PROMPTS
Where Are You, Mr. Johnson?
Non-Required Reading
Tomatoes, Flamingos, Lemmings and Other Interesting Facts
Jack and the Buns
Sewer Warrior
A Small Bone in the Wrist
Puerto Something, Lots of Foreign People
C Ronaldo, I Know What the C Stands For
Recipes For Hamsters
Trying to Remember the Scottish Football Team
Pilates of the Carribean
Jim Gym
34 Pieces
53 Subs
05 Rejects
03 Hits
PROMPTS
Where Are You, Mr. Johnson?
Non-Required Reading
Tomatoes, Flamingos, Lemmings and Other Interesting Facts
Jack and the Buns
Sewer Warrior
A Small Bone in the Wrist
Puerto Something, Lots of Foreign People
C Ronaldo, I Know What the C Stands For
Recipes For Hamsters
Trying to Remember the Scottish Football Team
Pilates of the Carribean
Jim Gym
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
Small Hit, Work Continues
Two Storis and 33 Flashes already in the blast, and we've past 35 submissions (3 Hits)
Latest a little one at Green Muse for Colin, our 123rd of the Year
PROMPTS
Thunderstorms
Tuna & Pasta Salad
Thank-You For Thinking of Me
Chanel
Early Morning Phone Call
Heart More Than Stone
Drowning, Drowning
Revolutionary Road
Under the Pitons
The Last Two Minutes
Fewminsim Was Started By Stupid damn Women
Latest a little one at Green Muse for Colin, our 123rd of the Year
PROMPTS
Thunderstorms
Tuna & Pasta Salad
Thank-You For Thinking of Me
Chanel
Early Morning Phone Call
Heart More Than Stone
Drowning, Drowning
Revolutionary Road
Under the Pitons
The Last Two Minutes
Fewminsim Was Started By Stupid damn Women
Monday, July 03, 2006
One More Hit, Prompts
Congrats to Dave Prescott for an acceptance at Word Riot.
The July Blast continues apace with the 24th piece now in and the membership past 20,000 words already
Here are the latest prompts
Google 67 KL8, Follow links
Phone Call, No, It's For You.
GPS Report: You Are Where You Are (More or Less)
How to Handle a Dray
A Tale of Two Cities
The Decline and Fall of the Romany Empire
What's Six Feet High, Stinks, and Sounds Like a Cracked Bell?
Canal, River, Canal
Three Chicks, One Dead Bird
I'll Come Down on Them Like a Grage Door Coming Down on a Bike
The Bells, The Bells
Breathe, Mrs Robinson, Breathe
I Must Be Late
Why Men Don't Have Babies
CHALK!
The July Blast continues apace with the 24th piece now in and the membership past 20,000 words already
Here are the latest prompts
Google 67 KL8, Follow links
Phone Call, No, It's For You.
GPS Report: You Are Where You Are (More or Less)
How to Handle a Dray
A Tale of Two Cities
The Decline and Fall of the Romany Empire
What's Six Feet High, Stinks, and Sounds Like a Cracked Bell?
Canal, River, Canal
Three Chicks, One Dead Bird
I'll Come Down on Them Like a Grage Door Coming Down on a Bike
The Bells, The Bells
Breathe, Mrs Robinson, Breathe
I Must Be Late
Why Men Don't Have Babies
CHALK!
Sunday, July 02, 2006
Well Done BRIDIE!!
Just thought I'd tell the world my little daughter (12)...
Two years ago took 45 minutes for Race For Life
Last year she managed 40 and seconds
This year she broke 32 minutes and it was frighteningly hot.
Well done Bridie (sponsorship gratefully accepted!!!!
Prompts for the July Blast
She had the kind of face would make a bishop kick in a stained-glass window
The skinny boy in dark blue shorts, the one at the end of the row, was my son.
Anne came in from work, dropped her bag, went over to the fridge, pulled out the wine and found a glass.
He knew her - well he knew OF her - for a while before he fucked her.
"Want to Dance?" the midget said.
Harry Potter Was taking a Shit When...
Over the Sand East of Goole, Rose the Red Sun
Thomas (Archer) From Caerphilly 's Agincourt
The Louses of Parliament
Wayne Loves Christiano
Blessings, Blossoms
Found in the Font
Jack in the Beanstalk 2006
What Wayne Knew
Two years ago took 45 minutes for Race For Life
Last year she managed 40 and seconds
This year she broke 32 minutes and it was frighteningly hot.
Well done Bridie (sponsorship gratefully accepted!!!!
Prompts for the July Blast
She had the kind of face would make a bishop kick in a stained-glass window
The skinny boy in dark blue shorts, the one at the end of the row, was my son.
Anne came in from work, dropped her bag, went over to the fridge, pulled out the wine and found a glass.
He knew her - well he knew OF her - for a while before he fucked her.
"Want to Dance?" the midget said.
Harry Potter Was taking a Shit When...
Over the Sand East of Goole, Rose the Red Sun
Thomas (Archer) From Caerphilly 's Agincourt
The Louses of Parliament
Wayne Loves Christiano
Blessings, Blossoms
Found in the Font
Jack in the Beanstalk 2006
What Wayne Knew
Boot Camp Stats Update
The Membership has been dangerously low for a few months (16) but we have had two returnees and 4 newbies in the last two weeks, so things look good. Ideal Membership is around 40 where 20-25 are active any day. Then BC BUZZES!
121 Total Hits for Year
072 Actual Publications to Date
43 PRIZES: Total Winnings $4,700
12 Firsts
06 Seconds
04 Thirds
21 Finals, HRs etc
Total Winnings $4,700
FIRST PLACE
01 Colin $200 First Place in Slingink's Eurofiction
02 Mike Joint-Winner in 7Q FF9
03 Dave Joint-Winner in 7Q FF9
04 Lexie Wins Adult SS of the Year (£300) in "Killie"
05 Cally Wins Dark Tales ($60)
06 BCer wins 7Q FF10
07 Hazera wins Doorknobs & Bodypaint First Place
08 Alex Wins Pencil Bantry $300
09 Lexie Wins Cotswold Prize $1,000
10 Cally wins Bank Street SS Prize $140
11 Alex wins Lichfield Prize $250
12 ColinU wins Cadenza $400
SECOND
01 Lexie $150 Second Place in "Dame Throgmorton"
02 TomC gets $100 second in JBWB
03 BCer 2nd in 7Q FF10
04 Cally Joint second in Writers Dock Comp
05 Lexie $300 second place Philip Good Memorial Prize
06 Cally in Woman's Own (Prize Value estimate $250)
THIRD
01 Lexie in 7Q FF9 Third Place
02 BCer 3rd in 7Q FF10
03 Tom's $25 3rd in Oz
04 Lexie $200 3rd in The New Writer
05 Alex $150 third place Philip Good Memorial Prize
4ths, HRs, NAMED FINALISTs
01 Alex Night Train Yates Comp, Last 12 "Floating"
02 Alex Poem in "Out of Love" Anthology
03 Laurie (Nartje) in "Out of Love" Anthology
04 Lexie, State of Being" HR at HISSAC (only winner is announced)
05 Lexie, second story finalist at HISAAC
06 Colin finalist in HISAAC
07 Colin HR in JBWB
08 Cally in Final of Belvedere
09 Lexie in Fish Anthology ($100)
10 Lexie last 140 of 1800, Fish
11 Haz named in Best of the web shortlist
12 Lexie Final of Writers Forum
13 Alex last 3 in Carve "Overseas Writer"
14 TomC HR'd in Bank Street SS Comp
15 TomC 4th in Twisted Tongue
16 Alex at Philip Good Memorial (second story placed 3rd)
17 Lexie at Philip Good Memorial (second story placed 2nd)
18 Cally HR in Lymm Festival $20
19 Colin Finalist, $40, dinner at Frome
00 Laurie recently left but was also HR'd at Bank Street (not counted)
Lexie also recieved $25 & $10 payments
Winnings in Dollars, £ = $2, Euro = $1
for simplicity of calculation
121 Total Hits for Year
072 Actual Publications to Date
43 PRIZES: Total Winnings $4,700
12 Firsts
06 Seconds
04 Thirds
21 Finals, HRs etc
Total Winnings $4,700
FIRST PLACE
01 Colin $200 First Place in Slingink's Eurofiction
02 Mike Joint-Winner in 7Q FF9
03 Dave Joint-Winner in 7Q FF9
04 Lexie Wins Adult SS of the Year (£300) in "Killie"
05 Cally Wins Dark Tales ($60)
06 BCer wins 7Q FF10
07 Hazera wins Doorknobs & Bodypaint First Place
08 Alex Wins Pencil Bantry $300
09 Lexie Wins Cotswold Prize $1,000
10 Cally wins Bank Street SS Prize $140
11 Alex wins Lichfield Prize $250
12 ColinU wins Cadenza $400
SECOND
01 Lexie $150 Second Place in "Dame Throgmorton"
02 TomC gets $100 second in JBWB
03 BCer 2nd in 7Q FF10
04 Cally Joint second in Writers Dock Comp
05 Lexie $300 second place Philip Good Memorial Prize
06 Cally in Woman's Own (Prize Value estimate $250)
THIRD
01 Lexie in 7Q FF9 Third Place
02 BCer 3rd in 7Q FF10
03 Tom's $25 3rd in Oz
04 Lexie $200 3rd in The New Writer
05 Alex $150 third place Philip Good Memorial Prize
4ths, HRs, NAMED FINALISTs
01 Alex Night Train Yates Comp, Last 12 "Floating"
02 Alex Poem in "Out of Love" Anthology
03 Laurie (Nartje) in "Out of Love" Anthology
04 Lexie, State of Being" HR at HISSAC (only winner is announced)
05 Lexie, second story finalist at HISAAC
06 Colin finalist in HISAAC
07 Colin HR in JBWB
08 Cally in Final of Belvedere
09 Lexie in Fish Anthology ($100)
10 Lexie last 140 of 1800, Fish
11 Haz named in Best of the web shortlist
12 Lexie Final of Writers Forum
13 Alex last 3 in Carve "Overseas Writer"
14 TomC HR'd in Bank Street SS Comp
15 TomC 4th in Twisted Tongue
16 Alex at Philip Good Memorial (second story placed 3rd)
17 Lexie at Philip Good Memorial (second story placed 2nd)
18 Cally HR in Lymm Festival $20
19 Colin Finalist, $40, dinner at Frome
00 Laurie recently left but was also HR'd at Bank Street (not counted)
Lexie also recieved $25 & $10 payments
Winnings in Dollars, £ = $2, Euro = $1
for simplicity of calculation
Saturday, July 01, 2006
What a Shit!
Ronaldo is a cheating, lying, sneaky, nasty, evil scumbag.
PS our last hit was out 121st of the year
Here are the latest blast prompts
One Portugese and a Man Killed
Putting the Bad Wine back in the Bottle
Achtung Spitfeur!!
Talking to Convent School Girls
Shaw Jumping
66 not 70 mm
Would You Hit a Man Wearing Glasses?
Deflation
How Green Was My Underwear
NASA Shuttle Diplomacy
Returning to Report My Death
Tack, Tacks, Tax
Underneath the Carpet Lies
Black Booty
PS our last hit was out 121st of the year
Here are the latest blast prompts
One Portugese and a Man Killed
Putting the Bad Wine back in the Bottle
Achtung Spitfeur!!
Talking to Convent School Girls
Shaw Jumping
66 not 70 mm
Would You Hit a Man Wearing Glasses?
Deflation
How Green Was My Underwear
NASA Shuttle Diplomacy
Returning to Report My Death
Tack, Tacks, Tax
Underneath the Carpet Lies
Black Booty
July Blast Heats Up! And a Hit.
Just heard that classy Ezine Eclectica will consider the best 20-30 stories from the July Blast for their October edition.
It's not too late to join up for the month!!
Meanwhile the Boot campers and a guest or two are getting to work.
011 Stories
028 Submissions
002 Rejections
001 Hits
The hit is tom C with a story at Effusion
Note subs, rejects and hits include pre-Blast stories
It's not too late to join up for the month!!
Meanwhile the Boot campers and a guest or two are getting to work.
011 Stories
028 Submissions
002 Rejections
001 Hits
The hit is tom C with a story at Effusion
Note subs, rejects and hits include pre-Blast stories
Friday, June 30, 2006
Roling, Rolling, Rolling
Two newcomers have joined us for the JULY BLAST which seems to have started well (11 stories already)
Here are the latest prompts
Sunshine Superman
Bend Over Miss Brown, and Touch Your Toes...
Waiting For 4PM
Dee and the Kids are Watching Big Brother
Falling Plaster
Let's Not Be Evicted, let's Just Go Next Door
A Cheap White Wine
Three Reasons YOU Would Kill
Mellow Yellow
Approaching the Waterfall, Singing, "Row, Row, Row Your Boat
BLUE
Here are the latest prompts
Sunshine Superman
Bend Over Miss Brown, and Touch Your Toes...
Waiting For 4PM
Dee and the Kids are Watching Big Brother
Falling Plaster
Let's Not Be Evicted, let's Just Go Next Door
A Cheap White Wine
Three Reasons YOU Would Kill
Mellow Yellow
Approaching the Waterfall, Singing, "Row, Row, Row Your Boat
BLUE
Just About Started!
I sprang the July Blast on Boot Camp a coupla days early but nevertheless they responded in good style
06 Stories
10 Subs
61 prompts
4,566 words
Here are the latest set of prompts:
The Duke of Edinburgh
One Corporal
Problems With Venison
The Smell of Sundays
School-Run Blues
Zen and the Art of Washing Up
Is This Magic
Partner
How Experts Lay a Floor
Blackberries, Jam-Jars, My Father
Crushed
The First Square Pea
Thomas, a Boy
06 Stories
10 Subs
61 prompts
4,566 words
Here are the latest set of prompts:
The Duke of Edinburgh
One Corporal
Problems With Venison
The Smell of Sundays
School-Run Blues
Zen and the Art of Washing Up
Is This Magic
Partner
How Experts Lay a Floor
Blackberries, Jam-Jars, My Father
Crushed
The First Square Pea
Thomas, a Boy
Thursday, June 29, 2006
July Blast Started at 10 AM 29th JUNE
I'm away for a week from 29 July so we are starting the July Blast NOW (as in this minute)
I will, of course, write more stories and flashes, more total words, more submissions than anyone else, and twice the average.
BCers and any associates (£15 Admin fee for the single month) will be receiving at least three sets of prompts a day, probably more, will "flash" and write stories until they bleed. Will briefly comment on flashes, crit all stories, and sub-sub-sub from their July output and work done pre-blast.
From experience we know that the average "Blaster" produces 3-4 times their normal output, and the quality RISES, not falls. There is something about the pressure, the adrenaline, the BUZZ that switches on the writer-gene.
Anyone may join, including ex BCers at any time, but the charge is the same, whether for 1 day or 31 days.
If you don't do this, just watch this space, see the accumulating flash totals, story totals, subs, publications and prizes.
Alex
First Set of Prompts Here.
Exactly Where You Are
Going Naked is the Best Disuise
How Green Was My Valley
Dr Johnson's London
Memories of My Father Watching TV
Silent Spring
Shakespeare, on the Kitchen Table
DUST!
Dying, the Great Adventure
Evidence I Have Travelled to Be Here
Sam Sung, Private Eye, Deceased
Urban Grimshaw and the Shed Crew
Plastic
Lights, Music, Cancer, Bob Geldorf
The Intricacies of Butter
I will, of course, write more stories and flashes, more total words, more submissions than anyone else, and twice the average.
BCers and any associates (£15 Admin fee for the single month) will be receiving at least three sets of prompts a day, probably more, will "flash" and write stories until they bleed. Will briefly comment on flashes, crit all stories, and sub-sub-sub from their July output and work done pre-blast.
From experience we know that the average "Blaster" produces 3-4 times their normal output, and the quality RISES, not falls. There is something about the pressure, the adrenaline, the BUZZ that switches on the writer-gene.
Anyone may join, including ex BCers at any time, but the charge is the same, whether for 1 day or 31 days.
If you don't do this, just watch this space, see the accumulating flash totals, story totals, subs, publications and prizes.
Alex
First Set of Prompts Here.
Exactly Where You Are
Going Naked is the Best Disuise
How Green Was My Valley
Dr Johnson's London
Memories of My Father Watching TV
Silent Spring
Shakespeare, on the Kitchen Table
DUST!
Dying, the Great Adventure
Evidence I Have Travelled to Be Here
Sam Sung, Private Eye, Deceased
Urban Grimshaw and the Shed Crew
Plastic
Lights, Music, Cancer, Bob Geldorf
The Intricacies of Butter
Womag Success!
Cally Taylor sneaked a story past the guards and entered it in Woman's Own...!
Today she has heard she was runner up, gets published and wins a Brother Phone-Fax-Printer (and gets to be read by over a million women readers and a male car-park attendant from East Grinstead (he never married...)
July Blast Start TODAY!
Today she has heard she was runner up, gets published and wins a Brother Phone-Fax-Printer (and gets to be read by over a million women readers and a male car-park attendant from East Grinstead (he never married...)
July Blast Start TODAY!
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
A Blast, a Blast, A Blast!!!
In July 2005 we ran "The July Blast" (at the now-defunct East of the Web) an intense month of writing at least a story a day, giving instant feedback, subbing etc. That was highly successful.
This July (2006) we hope to do the same at Boot Camp and can open a forum for guests/dabblers/the curious.
if you are interested (there will be a nominal charge to deter time-wasters) please contact
alex.keegan (at sign) btconnect.com
It is EXTREMELY intense, very demanding, but produces great work you can "live off" for a year or more.
PROMPTS for TODAY
But There's No Football?
The Stairs
Please send Your BIO
GPS
Boys' Toys
You Call That a Story?
A Slow Boat to China (and the Captain is Deranged)
Lunar Park
OK OK OK Allright Already, Sheesh!
The National Shirt Story Prize
Dog Eat Dog
Ticks
Reading Carefully
Three People and a Double-Glazing Salesman Killed
People Zoo
This July (2006) we hope to do the same at Boot Camp and can open a forum for guests/dabblers/the curious.
if you are interested (there will be a nominal charge to deter time-wasters) please contact
alex.keegan (at sign) btconnect.com
It is EXTREMELY intense, very demanding, but produces great work you can "live off" for a year or more.
PROMPTS for TODAY
But There's No Football?
The Stairs
Please send Your BIO
GPS
Boys' Toys
You Call That a Story?
A Slow Boat to China (and the Captain is Deranged)
Lunar Park
OK OK OK Allright Already, Sheesh!
The National Shirt Story Prize
Dog Eat Dog
Ticks
Reading Carefully
Three People and a Double-Glazing Salesman Killed
People Zoo
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
They All Count
Hope you have all sent in your entry for Bridport 2006!
One more hit to report, Colin makes last 20 in Frome, getes a small prize ($40) and dinner for two. Our 41st prize of the year, our 119th hit.
Prompts for Tuesday
Sneaking Goodies In
GPS
How Boring is Switzerland?
Early Morning Practise
Egg
Bridie & the Saxophone
Precision, Precision
Brave Enough to Fail
Falling to the Sky
50.6 is Not Half-Way
PC Only
Why Poems Should Rhyme
Wright's Candles, London
One more hit to report, Colin makes last 20 in Frome, getes a small prize ($40) and dinner for two. Our 41st prize of the year, our 119th hit.
Prompts for Tuesday
Sneaking Goodies In
GPS
How Boring is Switzerland?
Early Morning Practise
Egg
Bridie & the Saxophone
Precision, Precision
Brave Enough to Fail
Falling to the Sky
50.6 is Not Half-Way
PC Only
Why Poems Should Rhyme
Wright's Candles, London
Monday, June 26, 2006
Couple More Hits, Prompts
A couple more hits (I don't even have anything out there) but congrats to Lexie for one going in Southern Ocean Review and also to Nightwriter for a poem in Poetry Review.
Here Are Today's Prompts
The Plumber
Breathing Thin Air
Four Red, Sixteen Yellow
Rough Plaster
Trouble in Criccieth
A Blessing on This House
Trying to Be Properly White, Whitely Proper
Behind With The Assignment
Munich
Here Are Today's Prompts
The Plumber
Breathing Thin Air
Four Red, Sixteen Yellow
Rough Plaster
Trouble in Criccieth
A Blessing on This House
Trying to Be Properly White, Whitely Proper
Behind With The Assignment
Munich
Monday, June 19, 2006
Monday, Monday
Prompts
Voices
Father's Day
24 White Plastic Tubes
Daisy
78s
Paint the Bannister, Roger
It's Just Like Watching Brazil
Archipelago
Brian of Britain
Ray Pearson's Trunk
Not Quite the 30th
10p, 5p, 1p.
11 Ways to Be Unhappy
Voices
Father's Day
24 White Plastic Tubes
Daisy
78s
Paint the Bannister, Roger
It's Just Like Watching Brazil
Archipelago
Brian of Britain
Ray Pearson's Trunk
Not Quite the 30th
10p, 5p, 1p.
11 Ways to Be Unhappy
Sunday, June 18, 2006
Fallow Times, & Some Prompts
Last November-December (and into January) Boot Camp had a push on writing and subbing.
At one point I had sixty-plus pieces out there.
The result a flurry of hits, pubs, two first prizes, two places, a number of final-placings.
Then I started doing up the house, got involved with the development of the chapel in Wales.
Result? Now I have NOTHING out there (despite a lot of very decent stories ready to be subbed)
MORAL?
Be consistent. Aim to have a good total of works circulating and KEEP THE TOTAL UP!
It will now take a month to get back up to speed, three to see the results.
Bad Alex
here are today's prompts
Well Church Then...
Storm
Gloves and Hat, Even For Summer Trips
Not Far From Bala
Python Pat
Two Tea Chests, a Trunk
Making Love to Jimminy Cricket
Beep!
Walking into the River, His Guitar on His Back. Hallelujah!
Big Brother
Not Required On Journey
Do You Like Pie?
Palm Springs
Bravo-Bravo
The Critical Reader
Is it Hotter in Celsius?
At one point I had sixty-plus pieces out there.
The result a flurry of hits, pubs, two first prizes, two places, a number of final-placings.
Then I started doing up the house, got involved with the development of the chapel in Wales.
Result? Now I have NOTHING out there (despite a lot of very decent stories ready to be subbed)
MORAL?
Be consistent. Aim to have a good total of works circulating and KEEP THE TOTAL UP!
It will now take a month to get back up to speed, three to see the results.
Bad Alex
here are today's prompts
Well Church Then...
Storm
Gloves and Hat, Even For Summer Trips
Not Far From Bala
Python Pat
Two Tea Chests, a Trunk
Making Love to Jimminy Cricket
Beep!
Walking into the River, His Guitar on His Back. Hallelujah!
Big Brother
Not Required On Journey
Do You Like Pie?
Palm Springs
Bravo-Bravo
The Critical Reader
Is it Hotter in Celsius?
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
A Few More Prompts
Coming
Clouds, Thoughts, Walk
Serendipity
The Pain is Just Here, Here
Seven Basic Plots
China in a Day
A Bull in a Sweet Shop
Tear Along the Dotted Line
The Smell of Esso Blue
Perhaps, but then again...
Passably Perfect
Please Print
Two Flies in a Saucer
Coles to Newcastle
It's Just Like Watching Brazil
Clouds, Thoughts, Walk
Serendipity
The Pain is Just Here, Here
Seven Basic Plots
China in a Day
A Bull in a Sweet Shop
Tear Along the Dotted Line
The Smell of Esso Blue
Perhaps, but then again...
Passably Perfect
Please Print
Two Flies in a Saucer
Coles to Newcastle
It's Just Like Watching Brazil
Saturday, June 10, 2006
a few prompts
Saturday Prompts
Three Minutes to Go
Barbie
The Later Roman Empire
Cheese and a Bomb
The Son-in-Law
CRASH!
Sixpence, a Ghost, Rice-Pudding, China
Bounce, Chicken, Black-Eyed Peas, Route 66
Petticoats
Why Underwear is Often White
Larger
Three Minutes to Go
Barbie
The Later Roman Empire
Cheese and a Bomb
The Son-in-Law
CRASH!
Sixpence, a Ghost, Rice-Pudding, China
Bounce, Chicken, Black-Eyed Peas, Route 66
Petticoats
Why Underwear is Often White
Larger
Friday, June 09, 2006
How to Inspire Poetry?
I was asked yesterday how to enthuse a class of teens to read and write poetry.
Despite having published a few poems and won one first prize, poetry is a total mystery to me, unlike the writing of shorts. I can sometimes stumble into a poem but the underlying craft... pass.
If anyone out there reading this nknows a way to get kids going on this, please email me at
alexkeegan (at) bt connect.com
Cheers
Despite having published a few poems and won one first prize, poetry is a total mystery to me, unlike the writing of shorts. I can sometimes stumble into a poem but the underlying craft... pass.
If anyone out there reading this nknows a way to get kids going on this, please email me at
alexkeegan (at) bt connect.com
Cheers
World What?
Prompts
Where is Ecuador?
Why Pigeons Coo
A Month in the Wilderness
The World Pup
Black and Maybe Black
Ferrets
The Garden Shed, Hammock, North Facing
Blenkinsop's Three Rules
Sunburn and Blisters
The Accident and Other Topics
Grey and Nearly GREY
Where is Ecuador?
Why Pigeons Coo
A Month in the Wilderness
The World Pup
Black and Maybe Black
Ferrets
The Garden Shed, Hammock, North Facing
Blenkinsop's Three Rules
Sunburn and Blisters
The Accident and Other Topics
Grey and Nearly GREY
Wednesday, June 07, 2006
Double Boot Camp Success
Not long after hearing of Boot Camper Colin U winning Cadenza's Short-Story Competition ($400) the fifth time on the trot this competition has been one by a Boot Camper, now we hear that Alexander Fox has placed $300 second in The Philip Good Memorial Prize, and yours truly is in $150 third place.
Total Winnings $4,410
FIRST PLACE
01 Colin $200 First Place in Slingink's Eurofiction
02 Mike Joint-Winner in 7Q FF9
03 Dave Joint-Winner in 7Q FF9
04 Lexie Wins Adult SS of the Year ($600) in "Killie"
05 Cally Wins Dark Tales ($60)
06 BCer wins 7Q FF10
07 Hazera wins Doorknobs & Bodypaint First Place
08 Alex Wins Pencil Bantry $300
09 Lexie Wins Cotswold Prize $1,000
10 Cally wins Bank Street SS Prize $140
11 Alex wins Lichfield Prize $250
12 ColinU wins Cadenza $400
SECOND
01 Lexie $150 Second Place in "Dame Throgmorton"
02 TomC gets $100 second in JBWB
03 BCer 2nd in 7Q FF10
04 Cally Joint second in Writers Dock Comp
05 Lexie $300 second place Philip Good Memorial Prize
THIRD
01 Lexie in 7Q FF9 Third Place
02 BCer 3rd in 7Q FF10
03 Tom's $25 3rd in Oz
04 Lexie $200 3rd in The New Writer
05 Alex $150 third place Philip Good Memorial Prize
4ths, HRs, NAMED FINALISTs
01 Alex Night Train Yates Comp, Last 12 "Floating"
02 Alex Poem in "Out of Love" Anthology
03 Laurie (Nartje) in "Out of Love" Anthology
04 Lexie, State of Being" HR at HISSAC (only winner is announced)
05 Lexie, second story finalist at HISAAC
06 Colin finalist in HISAAC
07 Colin HR in JBWB
08 Cally in Final of Belvedere
09 Lexie in Fish Anthology ($100)
10 Lexie last 140 of 1800, Fish
11 Haz named in Best of the web shortlist
12 Lexie Final of Writers Forum
13 Alex last 3 in Carve "Overseas Writer"
14 TomC HR'd in Bank Street SS Comp
15 TomC 4th in Twisted Tongue
16 Alex at Philip Good Memorial (plus second story placed 3rd)
17 Lexie at Philip Good Memorial (plus second story placed 2nd)
18 Cally HR in Lymm Festival $20
00 Laurie recently left but was also HR'd at Bank Street (not counted)
Lexie also recieved $25 & $10 payments
Winnings in Dollars, £ = $2, Euro = $1
for simplicity of calculation
Total Winnings $4,410
FIRST PLACE
01 Colin $200 First Place in Slingink's Eurofiction
02 Mike Joint-Winner in 7Q FF9
03 Dave Joint-Winner in 7Q FF9
04 Lexie Wins Adult SS of the Year ($600) in "Killie"
05 Cally Wins Dark Tales ($60)
06 BCer wins 7Q FF10
07 Hazera wins Doorknobs & Bodypaint First Place
08 Alex Wins Pencil Bantry $300
09 Lexie Wins Cotswold Prize $1,000
10 Cally wins Bank Street SS Prize $140
11 Alex wins Lichfield Prize $250
12 ColinU wins Cadenza $400
SECOND
01 Lexie $150 Second Place in "Dame Throgmorton"
02 TomC gets $100 second in JBWB
03 BCer 2nd in 7Q FF10
04 Cally Joint second in Writers Dock Comp
05 Lexie $300 second place Philip Good Memorial Prize
THIRD
01 Lexie in 7Q FF9 Third Place
02 BCer 3rd in 7Q FF10
03 Tom's $25 3rd in Oz
04 Lexie $200 3rd in The New Writer
05 Alex $150 third place Philip Good Memorial Prize
4ths, HRs, NAMED FINALISTs
01 Alex Night Train Yates Comp, Last 12 "Floating"
02 Alex Poem in "Out of Love" Anthology
03 Laurie (Nartje) in "Out of Love" Anthology
04 Lexie, State of Being" HR at HISSAC (only winner is announced)
05 Lexie, second story finalist at HISAAC
06 Colin finalist in HISAAC
07 Colin HR in JBWB
08 Cally in Final of Belvedere
09 Lexie in Fish Anthology ($100)
10 Lexie last 140 of 1800, Fish
11 Haz named in Best of the web shortlist
12 Lexie Final of Writers Forum
13 Alex last 3 in Carve "Overseas Writer"
14 TomC HR'd in Bank Street SS Comp
15 TomC 4th in Twisted Tongue
16 Alex at Philip Good Memorial (plus second story placed 3rd)
17 Lexie at Philip Good Memorial (plus second story placed 2nd)
18 Cally HR in Lymm Festival $20
00 Laurie recently left but was also HR'd at Bank Street (not counted)
Lexie also recieved $25 & $10 payments
Winnings in Dollars, £ = $2, Euro = $1
for simplicity of calculation
Saturday, June 03, 2006
Two More Hits for BC!
Tom has a story accepted by Scottish Print Mag "Random Acts of Writing" and Gabs one at "Secret Attic"
115 for the year.
115 for the year.
Friday, June 02, 2006
And ANOTHER First Prize
We mentioned Colin Upton's short-listing (result TBA)
and can now confirm Colin has WON (£200/$400)
FIRST PLACE in Cadenza's Short-Story Competition
This is Boot Camp's fortieth final-placing/prize
and its TWELFTH First prize of 2006
Well done Colin
alx
and can now confirm Colin has WON (£200/$400)
FIRST PLACE in Cadenza's Short-Story Competition
This is Boot Camp's fortieth final-placing/prize
and its TWELFTH First prize of 2006
Well done Colin
alx
Thursday, June 01, 2006
They Keep Coming!
Two more hits to report.
TomC is a shortlisted finalist in a UK National Comp, results TBA and Cally has won a £10 HR in Lymm.
Not a BCer but took part in last year's Children-in-Need Marathon Writing Session, congrats to Henry Peplow for his win in the . S. Mitchell Memorial Prize. Nice one, HP!
Alex
TomC is a shortlisted finalist in a UK National Comp, results TBA and Cally has won a £10 HR in Lymm.
Not a BCer but took part in last year's Children-in-Need Marathon Writing Session, congrats to Henry Peplow for his win in the . S. Mitchell Memorial Prize. Nice one, HP!
Alex
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