I’ve been doing a few writing prompts recently. This is for a couple of reasons – first, because they challenge me to stretch my writing brain. I’ve been writing about Ambeth for a long time and it’s nice to visit other worlds once in a while (although I’ll always love Ambeth). Second, because I’ve been inspired – whether it’s Sue’s photographs, Rachael’s Blog Battles or Sacha’s Writespirations, there have been ideas-a-plenty floating around the blogosphere these past few weeks.
So this post is in response to Sacha’s latest Writespiration, where we were instructed to pick up the closest book or magazine to hand, turn to page 77 and pick the tenth, thirty-third and last words on the page, plus the longest word, then work them into a 100-word piece of flash fiction.
My closest book to hand happened to be The Monsters Of Templeton by Lauren Groff (and if you haven’t read it, I highly recommend it), and my words were human, on, have and whispering. Sacha thought they’d work quite well with Silver and Black, which is my NaNo novel for next month, but when I started writing a different story emerged and here it is:
His mask glittered, curving papier mache making him appear more than human. She knew she looked the same, laughing as they wandered hand in hand, heels clicking on the cobbles, past whispering lamplit canals and down narrow passageways, crumbling plaster puffing into dust as they passed.
‘We have to go back.’ He checked his watch, anachronistic under the satin cuff.
She stopped, laughter leaving her. ‘Time won’t wait, will it?’
‘It never does. We have only so long before it catches up with us again.’
He twisted the dial and she felt time stretching elastic, the world turning to grey.
———————————————————————————————————–
And that’s my hundred words. If you’d like to read more Writespirations, or add one of your own, visit Sacha’s blog and be inspired!
Helen Glynn Jones 
I love the imagery in this, Helen. Time travel has always fascinated me. 🙂
Thanks Eilis, me too. It’s fascinating and terrifying all at the same time, the idea that we can go back and change something small, yet the repercussions in this time would be huge.
WOW. Just fucking wow. Helen, you can seriously weave a story. this one has MAJOR legs too. Who are they, how are they time travelling, WHY won’t time wait? Immense. Loved it. Want more of it. ❤
Aw *blushing* thanks, Sacha. Yes, I don’t know what’s going on with these two – maybe one day I’ll get the chance to explore their story a bit more. Got this vampire novel I have to write first, you see… ;-D
I think you ought to write all of them. Immediately.
Right, will get on with it straight away 😀
But seriously, thank you x
Lol 😂. But seriously. Good. Chain yourself to the keyboard and don’t sleep until it is done! 😋 I wonder if I should try and edit another 20/30K in April? Would need to schedule a ton more to do it though :s
😀
Editing is such a slog, isn’t it? Sounds as though you’re making good progress though. I don’t know your schedule except to say that you seem super busy already! So if you can fit in more editing, well done you 🙂
I’m not sure I can fit any more in, I’d have to cut back on something to do it, but I REALLY need to get one of these manuscripts finished.
Yes, it’s the endless conundrum, isn’t it? How to fit all the stuff into the time we have. Apparently JK Rowling just said that she didn’t so housework for four years while writing the first Harry Potter books – don’t know if that excuse would fly in my house though 😀
hahahah awesome! I wish I could do that!
Nicely done Helen
Thanks Geoff! These writing challenges are great fun, aren’t they?
They are
Lovely piece Helen. 😊
Thanks, Ali – hope the weekend is treating you well 🙂 Happy Easter to you!
You too Helen!
You’ve managed to create a story in 100 words! That’s quite a feat. By the way, I saw Lauren Groff at the Perth Writers’ Festival this year—she was amazing to listen to, incredibly inspiring, and gave me hope. She takes five years to write a novel and ‘Fates and Furies’ took thirteen drafts. x
Thanks Louise 🙂
And five years! Well, that’s something to think about, although I know I had a similar number of drafts on Oak and Mist.
I do have a couple of novel ideas kicking around at the moment that I think will take a bit longer to write, simply because of the research involved.
Time Travel in only 100 words but at it’s best, Helen. I love Time-Travel as well. In fact, I love time travel too much.
Thanks, Hugh – very kind of you to say! I love the idea of time travel but am not sure what I’d do if faced with the reality. There’s a theory, isn’t there, that our present is constantly changing as a result of things done in the past by future time travellers, but we are unaware of the changes happening. Well, it’s a theory or a story, one or the other 😀
That’s a great theory, Helen, but I’m also of the theory as to why nobody from the future has come back and told us that Time Travel is a reality.
There’s another story in that, I think 🙂
Pingback: Writespiration #85 Snippets of You | Sacha Black
Would love to hear more!
Thank you 🙂 I have a few story fragments kicking around at the moment, so I’m hoping to develop them further – this is one of them 🙂
Pingback: Writespiration #85 Snippets of You - SACHA BLACK