Anna's Adornments

Moving to a new address!

2012-01-21T23:27:00.002+01:00

Click here to find my new address: http://annas-adornments.blogspot.com
Best wishes,
Anna

A Cliff-Hanger Epilogue - Mrs. Jenny Matlock's Saturday Centus Week 90

2012-01-21T14:24:00.023+01:00

Welcome to Mrs. Jenny Matlock's Saturday Centus, a weekly writng challenge in which participants write a text based on a given prompt using a limited number of words. This is week 90 and we are to write a an epilogue to a two-part story that we have already written using 150 words. We may use extra pictures if we wish.

Before we read my text let us look at part I & II fom last week and the week before:

Part I:

Charles took the footpath up the hill overlooking the town and the bay. It was misty at twilight, but he could still see the reflections of the city-lights in the sea. It started to rain when he reached the top, which was above a wall of seabirds' nests. They dug into the limestone making it hollow and it could crumple under your weight and leave you hanging off a cliff, if you were lucky enough not to fall 400 meters down onto the rocks.

With pencil and notebook in hand, he heard a voice. Turning around, he felt the ground sinking. 'No!' he gasped. (Word count: 104)

Part II:

Crawling toward the voice, Charles came to firmer ground, but found no one there. Thinking he saw a light, he found the right path. It was then he heard the wall, where he just stood, crashing to the rocks. Safe at home, he wondered who or what had saved him. (Word count: 50)

Here is my epilogue or part III:

Charles thought: The voice got me to crawl away in time, and the light helped me find a path down the mountain. But I saw no one. I was alone.

A volume of the encyclopedia lay open on his desk. I don't remember leaving this here. Underlined in pencil were these words:

Gnomes are invisible, are able to lift heavy objects, blow air, shine a light and even speak if a human is in danger. You were lucky I could help you, Charlie! Best wishes from Fredrika.

How is the possible? thought Charles. This book was printed in 1904.

He looked again at saw more underlined text:

'Gnomes can also alter text in printed books. Look tomorrow and this message will be gone.'

Charles made a note of the page and just as Fredrika had promised, the message was not to be found the next day.

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Word count: 147

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Best wishes,

Anna

P.S.

That's alright Jenny. You can almost throw any assignment at us and most of us will be able to write a post out of it. We will love you always!

P.P.S.

Here is an epilogue to this epilogue. Talking about literary devices, I found this literary device in the 1950 film Harvey, starring James Stewart. There is a scene in which one of the characters looks up the word 'pooka' in a dictionary and reads a message inserted in the text from the Pooka himself. If a pooka can do this, why not a gnome?

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First Commenter:

xxxx

To visit other SC week 90-posts please go to this site or click on the image below:

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Saturday, January 21, 2012

Saturday Centus - a Mea Culpa AND another writing device

Welcome to week ninety of Saturday Centus.

Please consider this picture as an official olive branch between us.

Mea culpa! Mea culpa!

Since I simply cannot bring myself to use the phrase 'my bad' as an apology, all that remains is for me to say,"I'M SORRY!!!! I'M A JERK!!! AND A LIAR!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Our nightmare of kitchen destruction happened last Friday when I wrote the instructions for week 89. And, yes, that is my excuse. I did write you could use 100 words for part two, but then I reneged and made it 50.

Mea culpa, mea culpa!

But I'm hoping this weeks challenge redeems me.

Please consider this both a formal apology AND a challenge for this week.

How about an 'epilogue' to your cliff hanger?

You know...a new writing device for the week.

Epilogues are an inherent part of any story or poem and are essential to the structure of any written form. The epilogue is an important literary tool that acts as the afterword once the last chapter is over. The purpose of an epilogue is to add a little insight to some interesting developments that happen once the major plot is over.

So...

THE PROMPT THIS WEEK IS AN EPILOGUE OF BOTH PARTS OF YOUR CLIFFHANGER STORY
WORD COUNT - Since I cheated you on words last week, how about a few extra for this weeks prompt? Word count is not to exceed 150 words total.
STYLE OF WRITING - Any
ADDITIONAL PICTURES IF DESIRED

The regular restrictions apply: PG, no splitting of the prompt, play nicely and visit the other entries, any style or genre of writing you prefer.

Please display my link button or just a hyper-link back to Saturday Centus. Be careful to link your SC URL to the Linky and not just link to your main blog.

E-mail me directly with ???'s or ask your question in a comment and I will do my best to get back to you as soon as possible.

Feel free to link up anytime between now and next Saturday!

If you still like me, that is.

To quote one of our sweet Grandlittle's, I sorry.

Tina/parltradet has curated a new Etsy treasury: Just a touch of red for Valentine's Day

2012-01-18T12:06:00.002+01:00

Best wishes,
Anna

First Commenter:
xxx

A Cliffhanger Part II - Mrs. Jenny Matlock's Saturday Centus Week 89

2012-01-15T16:11:00.008+01:00

Welcome to week eighty-nine of Saturday Centus.

This is PART Two of last week's PROMPT, 'Hanging off a cliff!'
THE PROMPT THIS WEEK IS A CONTINUATION OF YOUR STORY USING: Hanging off a cliff!
WORD COUNT - Not to exceed 50 words total.
STYLE OF WRITING - Any
ADDITIONAL PICTURES IF DESIRED

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Before we look at Part Two, let's re-read last week's text:
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And now, the rest of the story:
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Word count according to WordCalc: 50
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Best wishes,
Anna

P.S.
About part two:
I like happy endings. I am inspired by a Danish children's TV Christmas series, Pagten (=The Pact; The Nowegian version has more information, if you can read Norwegian.) by Maya Ilsøe about a family of gnomes who are invisible to most people except one special boy who can see and speak to them. It sounds corny, I know, but they did an excellent job. My idea is that Charles, who is alone on his walk, has been saved by gnomes.

Source: Pakten
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First Commenter:

Anita
anitamombanita

of
Lovin' Life
Anita's Saturday Centus 89 - The Mountain Road Part II

To visit other SC-posts please go to this site or click on the image below:

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Here are Mrs. Jenny Matlock's instructions:

Welcome to week eighty-nine of Saturday Centus.

I am having a wicked time visiting blogs for some reason. Hopefully blogger will be more cooperative over the weekend.

So...

Last week we tried using the cliffhanger literary device...

...and hopefully you literally left us hanging.

There is no official prompt this week. Just a continuation of last weeks story.

...and because I want to challenge you AGAIN...

What about if we do the conclusion in fifty words.

Yes.

Five zero.

I was going to do ten but I thought you'd all throw a revolt.

So...

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New Year's Resolution! Romantic Friday Writers' Challenge No. 29

2012-01-15T00:01:00.007+01:00

Welcome to the Romantic Friday Writers' fortnightly Writing Challenge, started and hosted by Denise Covey, L'Aussie, where participants share their own 300-400-word text - story or poem - on a given theme. This week's theme for Friday, 30th December, Challenge No. 28, is 'New Year's Resolution'. My text is written directly for this REW-challenge.

Here is my text :
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New Year's Resolution

Anita Karlsson found a moment to jot down her thoughts:

Dear Diary,
Today is Friday the thirteenth of January 2012 and after several weeks of neglect I have finally found a space of time to put pen to paper and visit with you my friend since I was twelve. Imagine that! I have been writing to you for 37 years!

I just recently had my forty-ninth birthday; next time I'll be fifty.

I feel that this past year has been a crossroads for me. So much as happened. My cat met a feline-tabby-Casanova one very cold afternoon in February last year and gave birth to kittens in April. (I am still looking for homes for them.) At about the same time, the divorce from Sverker became final. The most beautiful time of year - spring and summer - went to finding a new apartment, packing, moving and then unpacking. I'm not finished yet.

Yes, dear diary, I know. I should write a New Year's Resolution. What would that be? 'I resolve to never marry a man like my former husband again'? It seems unlikely that I'll even find someone to remarry. But I wish I could. Someone who really likes me. Someone who might learn to love me too. Someone I like, of course.

I could make a New Year's Resolution to stay cool and never to run after a man, even if I am infatuated in him. (I know. I scare the best ones off, like that cute guy Karl. He seemed interested at first and then cooled off.)

(Why is love so fragile?)

Now I know what I could promise! My New Year's Resolution is to take one day at a time. I read somewhere that 'how you spend your day, is how you fill your life*'.

'Til next time, Dear Diary!
Your friend,
Anita

Word count according to WordCalc: 308; 'NCCO' - No Critque, Comments Only.

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Best wishes,
Anna

P.S.
This is a fictional text even if Anita Karlsson shares some of my experience. Before the internet and online blogging there was perhaps more writing in a diary or journal with a pen on paper. I have actually written (by hand) a diary since I was twelve years old. It is no literary gem, but it is a personal document that I am glad to have. Even if the texts in my diary tend to be boring, repetitive and not very deep, the act of writing every day has helped me write with ease, even if the quality of what I write needs proof-reading and editing. (I am such a bad speller!)
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*This quote is from Mrs. Jenny Matlock's site 'Off My Tangent'. I don't know if it is her own words or if she is quoting someone else.

Oh no! I remembered incorrectly! This is what Jenny Matlock actually wrote (here):

Every morning when I get up I remind myself that "how you live your days is how you live your life." I try to live each day to the fullest. Always. Whether it is a sad day or a happy day or a day filled with memories and loss it is a day that will never come again. Carpe Diem.

Sorry Jenny!

P.P.S.
Here are what the kittens looked like in April:

Text & Photographs Copyright 2012 Christina Wigren
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First Commenter:
Laura

of

The Daily Dodo

To read other texts for Romantic Friday Writers Challenge No. 29, with the theme 'New Year's Resolution', please visit this site or click on the image below:

Tina/parltradet has curated a new Etsy treasury: Valentines in grays, greens, blues and earth colors

2012-01-14T09:35:00.007+01:00

Best wishes,
Anna

First Commenter:
xxx

Tina/parltradet har just curated a new Etsy treasury,'Hearts, hearts, hearts'

2012-01-13T20:35:00.014+01:00

Best wishes,
Anna

First Commenter:

Ann Thompson

of
Ann's Snap Edit & Scrap

H is for Heatpumps, Hedgerows etc - Mrs. Jenny Matlock's Alphabe-Thursday - Round 4 - H

2012-01-12T12:22:00.009+01:00

Welcome to Mrs. Jenny Matlock's weekly Challenge, Alphabe-Thursday, now in its fourth round! I've have missed A through F; started last week with G; and now we have come to the letter H!

This week's letter is H, and here is little ditty for the letter H:

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H is for Heatpumps, Hedgerows and Health,
Heather and Holly with a little gnome,
Happiness and Heart plus Heaps of wealth ,
H is for Hope; that makes a House a Home.
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Best wishes,
Anna

First Commenter:
Deb
of
The storybeader's journal

To visit other posts about the letter H, please go to this site or click on the image below:

Here are Mrs. Matlock's instructions:

Please link directly to your Alphabe-Thursday URL (if you don't know how to do this let me know!) and please continue to visit the five links before and after your link and leave a comment. Minimum of 10 links visited please. You can visit more if you like, of course.

I also want to let you know that each week I visit every blog. If it appears I haven't visited your blog by the following Thursday morning, please let me know! I have been super behind...I've had this ongoing strep issue for almost 10 days now but I promise I will be by!

If you have any difficulties with your link, please make sure to include the number of the link when you e-mail me. It is really difficult for me to find you easily otherwise.

If you have any questions about Alphabe-Thursday or problems doing your link just post it in a comment or send me an e-mail. I'll do my best to help you as quickly as I can.

The McLinkey will be live from 1:00 pm MST time Wednesday afternoon in an effort to assist our lovely "friends across the pond" and continue through 10:00 am MST time Friday morning!

And remember.... link back to this post, you need to be registered as a follower of my blog, PG posts only, and visit at least 10 other students (perhaps the 5 students before and after your post). The links will stay live after the final post deadline has passed so you can even wait and visit over the weekend or whenever you have more time.

A Cliff-Hanger Part I - Mrs. Jenny Matlock's Saturday Centus Week 88

2012-01-08T10:21:00.003+01:00

Welcome to week eighty-eight of Saturday Centus.

THE PROMPT THIS WEEK IS: Hanging off a cliff! (Might as well be literal while we're attempting to use this literary device!)
WORD COUNT - Not to exceed 100 words plus the 4 words of the prompt. 104 words total.
STYLE OF WRITING - Any so long as you utilize a cliffhanger writing device to wrap your story up. Next week we'll do an additional 100 words for the rest of the story.
ADDITIONAL PICTURES IF DESIRED
------
Here is my text:
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Word count according to WordCalc: 104
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Best wishes,
Anna

P.S.
This text is fictional, but the landscape and bird life are inspired by my many nature-walks when I lived on Iceland for a time, many years ago. But that was a very wild, natural landscape, with no city-lights reflected in the waters of a bay. It was a beautiful but dangerous place. Sometimes tourists did fall off cliffs and die.

Another source of inspiration for this text is one of the first scenes from Alfred Hitchcock's 1940 film, Rebecca, after Daphne du Maurier's novel, with the same name, where Maxin de Winter (Sir Laurence Olivier) is standing a little too close to the edge of a cliff over-looking Monte Carlo. This is were he meets his second (and never named) wife, played by actress Joan Fontaine.

First Commenter:

Judie McEwen

of

Rogue Artists

To visit other SC-posts please go to this site or click on the image below:

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Here are Mrs. Jenny Matlock's instructions:

Welcome to week eighty-eight of Saturday Centus. I am only one week behind in reading now! Go me!

So...

It's a new year and I'm feeling like we should stretch our brains just a tiny bit to rid ourselves of the last residues of fudge and sugar cookies.

Let's try a two week Saturday Centus.

Using a literary device.

Yes.

I said a literary device.

It's good for you.

Don't groan. Please.

This week I thought we could try to use a cliffhanger. A cliffhanger is defined as: The narrative ends unresolved, to draw the audience back to a future episode for the resolution.

Thus...

The two part challenge.

Next week we will conclude our cliffhanger centus.

Cool, right?

The regular restrictions apply: PG, no splitting of the prompt, play nicely and visit the other entries, any style or genre of writing you prefer.

Please display my link button or just a hyper-link back to Saturday Centus. Be careful to link your SC URL to the Linky and not just link to your main blog.

E-mail me directly with ???'s or ask your question in a comment and I will do my best to get back to you as soon as possible.
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G is for Gardens, etc... Mrs. Jenny Matlock's Alphabe-Thursday, Round 4 - G

2012-01-07T10:31:00.011+01:00

Welcome to Mrs. Jenny Matlock's weekly Challenge, Alphabe-Thursday, now in its fourth round! I've missed A through F; but this is not my first round with Mrs. Jenny.

This week's letter is G, and here is my offering:

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G is for Gardens, Green and Growing,
Great and Gracious, doing as it should,
Generous, Glad and always Glowing,
G is Grateful for all that is Good.
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Best wishes,
Anna

First Commenter:
Anita
of
Anitmombanita

To visit other posts about the letter G, please go to this site or click on the image below:

Resolution Schmezolution: Cissi & Cassy - Mrs. Jenny Matlock's Saturday Centus Week 87

2012-01-02T01:09:00.002+01:00

Welcome to week eighty-seven of Saturday Centus.

THE PROMPT THIS WEEK IS: Resolution! Schmezolution!
WORD COUNT - Not to exceed 100 words plus the 2 words of the prompt. 102 words total.
STYLE OF WRITING - Any
ADDITIONAL PICTURES IF DESIRED
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Here is my text:
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Cissi and Cassy lay next to Cissi's sausage-Christmas-tree.*

'Cissi darling', purred Cassy,'have you made any New Year's resolutions?'

'Resolution! Schmezolution!' meowed Cissi stretching her furry body to its full length', We're cats! What cat makes NewYear's Resolutions?'

'The two-leggeds do it all the time. And having a Christmas tree is not a very cat-like thing to do.'

'You're right. Well, the tree goes out tomorrow and I resolve to only live like a cat. There! That's mine. What's yours, Cassy?.'

'To never make any promises I can't keep!'

'Oh,' yawned Cissi closing her eyes.

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Word count according to WordCalc: 102
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Best wishes,
Anna

*P.S.
If you've missed the first post with Cissi and Cassy go read it here.

First Commenter:

Happier Than A Pig in Mud

To visit other SC-posts please go to this site or click on the image below:

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Here are Mrs. Jenny Matlock's instructions:

Welcome to week eighty-seven of Saturday Centus. Happy New Year Centusians! Don't hate me cuz I'm so late visiting! Life has been extremely 'life-y' lately!

Sending you warm wishes for a safe and festive New Years Eve and the start of beautiful 2012!

The regular restrictions apply: PG, no splitting of the prompt, play nicely and visit the other entries, any style or genre of writing you prefer.

Please display my link button or just a hyper-link back to Saturday Centus. Be careful to link your SC URL to the Linky and not just link to your main blog.

E-mail me directly with ???'s or ask your question in a comment and I will do my best to get back to you as soon as possible.
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'Ties That Bind' - 'The House Call' - Romantic Friday Writers Challenge No 28 - Friday 30th December 2011

2011-12-29T15:47:00.004+01:00

Welcome to the Romantic Friday Writing Bi-Weekly Challenge, started and hosted by DeniseCovey_L'Aussie, where participants share their own 300-400-word text on a given theme. This week's theme for Friday, 30th December, Challenge No. 28, is 'Ties That Bind'. My text is written directly for this REW-challenge.

Here is my text :
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The House-Call

She was only fourteen in 1941,
And had just taken one step away from childhood,
When she fell ill with high fever and red spots.

It was late December,
And colder than ever remembered,
There was war everywhere else except here.

A very bad strain of an infectious disease spread throughout the town.
Several children had already died.
Although an unoccupied country,
It was still not a good place to become ill.

Water-pipes froze in apartment buildings,
So tenants had no drinking-water.
But their house was better built.

There were no heaters in motor vehicles,
Not even in ambulances,
Should she be taken to hospital?
She was better off at home.

In fever-dreams she heard the doctor say:
'She won't last the night'.
But she didn't care.
She was going to Heaven.

Her temperature was almost 40 degrees Celsius.*
Outside, it was almost minus 40 degrees Celsius.**

But she didn't care.
She had just taken one step away from childhood,
And now one step away from life.

The young doctor thought of a new drug that might help her.
He took it upon himself to fetch Sulfa at the army compound.
That was where the lastest medicines were first tried out.
But what dose should he use? Would the same dose for a tall soldier?
Be too strong for a fourteen-year-old girl?

The Sulfa worked.
The fever broke.
It seemed that she would survive.
But she went into a coma,
That lasted twenty-one days.

With no way to feed her or give her drink,
She nearly starved to death.

But after three weeks she woke up.
She looked like a prisoner of war,
Who just left a concentration camp.
The skirt she once wore fell off when she tried to stand;
And then she fell, because she could neither walk nor stand.

So much forgotten during three weeks' sleep.
She had forgotten what she had learned in school, too.
She had just taken one step from childhood,
But it seemed to be one step back into infancy.

Mother, Father and Nurse, all took turns walking with her,
So much to relearn,
If she were to return to life,
And everything exhausted her.

It was now she recalled what she heard the doctor say,
In her fever-dream,
Now she understood,
And cared,
And cried and cried;
She felt afraid,
And knew that she had almost died,
But was restored to life.

------

Word count according to WordCalc: 400; 'FCA' (Full Critique Acceptable)

Footnotes:
*40 degrees Celsius = 104 degrees Fahrenheit
** minus 40 degrees Celsius = minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit

[Text copyright 2011 Christina Wigren]

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Best wishes,
Anna

P.S.
This poem/story is based on fact. The girl in the story is someone whom I know very well and who is still alive today as I write this text.

Sulfa was a new drug in 1941; it was later used to induce coma when needed; but they did not know that back then. This was before antibiotics (which would not have helped much because the Measles is a viral infection) and before the use of IV-bags/bottles to hydrate or medicate a patient.

Sorry about the lack of romance, folks! This is actually a real-life Cinderella-story. But this is only 'part one'; she meets her prince in 'part two'.
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If I were to write a purely fictional story, I could make the young doctor fall in love with the girl whose life he saved. But that is not what actually happened. I feel it is my duty to keep this story as true to the original facts as possible.

I am fascinated by the idea that one person's actions can help another person survive or let them die. In this case, I wish I knew more about the facts. I could kick myself for not asking the right questions at a time when I had access to a person who was there at the time. I am not sure that the doctor had this medicine with him when he visited the fever-ridden girl. Maybe he really did have to make a trip out in minus 40 degree weather in order to get the Sulfa. What possessed him to do that? Youthful curiosity? A sense of professional pride and duty? Or did the fact that his boss was a close friend of the girl's father make him try a little harder?

There are so many questions that I may never find a definite answer to. Did he suffer afterward, as a result of this outing in the bitter cold? Or maybe he was dressed well enough. Was the fact that other young patients had died of the Measles a factor in his decision? Maybe he decided that he would do all that was possible so that there would be no more deaths?

What I would like to do for this doctor, is to at least find out who he was. There is a hospital archive through which I may be able to identify him. I would like to honour the memory of the man who saved the life of this girl in 1941, seventy years ago.

First Commenter:
Denise Covey
of
L'Aussie Denise

To read other texts for Romantic Friday Writers Challenge No. 28, with the theme 'Ties That Bind', please visit this site or click on the image below:

'I heard... 'Mrs.Jenny Matlock's Saturday Centus week eighty-six

2011-12-25T19:21:00.001+01:00

Welcome to week eighty-six of Saturday Centus.

THE PROMPT THIS WEEK IS: I heard an angel voice through the chaos and the noise...
WORD COUNT - Not to exceed 200 words plus the 11 words of the prompt. 211 words total.
STYLE OF WRITING - Any
ADDITIONAL PICTURES IF DESIRED
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Here is my text:
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'Whatever happened to the spirit of Christmas?' moaned Caroline sitting at the café after visits to ten different stores.

'You can buy Dickens' A Christmas Carol on DVD at this new store, ' said Roger flipping through a catalog.

'That's not what I mean, Roger. I mean something that you cannot buy at the mall.'

'Oh.'

'Can't we just celebrate Christmas quietly?'

'What about the children? Aren't we going to play Santa Claus?'

'Yes, of course. But sometimes I wish there would be an electrical blackout just after the food is cooked, that would let us speak softly to one another. Shall we go?'

'Just a moment. Take a look at this first', said Roger handing her a thin volume.'

Life can be confusing and filled with the madness of crowds.
Take heed and see that you do not loose your way.
Let goodness and mercy, be your guide.
I too have been lost, but then I heard an angel voice
through the chaos and the noise and I knew it was the right way.

'Sounds good to me. Let's go there!' said Caroline smiling and took Roger by the hand.

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Word count according to WordCalc: 199

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Best wishes,
Anna

First Commenter:

Judie

of
Rogue Artists

To visit other SC-posts please go to this site or click on the image below:

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Here are Mrs. Jenny Matlock's instructions:

Welcome to week eighty-six of Saturday Centus. Please accept my warmest wishes for a lovely holiday. I know that sounds really cheesy, but I totally mean it. I love the little community of support and encouragement that we've built together here.

The regular restrictions apply: PG, no splitting of the prompt, play nicely and visit the other entries, any style or genre of writing you prefer.

Please display my link button or just a hyper-link back to Saturday Centus. Be careful to link your SC URL to the Linky and not just link to your main blog.

E-mail me directly with ???'s or ask your question in a comment and I will do my best to get back to you as soon as possible.
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Happy Birthday Erik! Ten years old December 18th, 2011

2011-12-18T12:56:00.005+01:00

This announcement is in the local newspaper, Norrköpings Tidningar on 23th of December:

Erik turned ten years old on 18th December 2011!
Happy Birthday Erik!

Draped around Erik's shoulders is Erik's favourite cat, Kalle (whom Erik calls a boy cat, but who is actually a girl cat named Mathilda).

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Best wishes,
Anna

First Commenter:
Ann Thompson
of
Ann's Snap, Edit, Scrap

Cissi's Christmas tree - Picture Prompt - Mrs. Jenny Matlock's Saturday Centus - Week No. 85

2011-12-17T09:42:00.001+01:00

Welcome to week eighty-five of Saturday Centus.

THE PROMPT THIS WEEK IS A PICTURE PROMPT!

WORD COUNT - Not to exceed 50 words.
STYLE OF WRITING - Any
NO ADDITIONAL PICTURES
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Here is my text:
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'Very pretty, Cissi, but are they edible?'

'Of course!' replied Cissi, 'And how have you decorated your tree?'

'With those little gold-coloured smoked Böckling. So yummy!' meowed Cassy, 'When are you planning to eat these decorations?'

'On Christmas Eve', purred Cissi, licking her whiskers.
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Word count according to WordCalc: 50

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Best wishes,
Anna

First Commenter:
Ann Thompson
of
Ann's Snap, Edit, Scrap

To visit other SC-posts please go to this site or click on the image below:

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Here are Mrs. Matlock's instructions:

The regular restrictions apply: PG, no splitting of the prompt, play nicely and visit the other entries, any style or genre of writing you prefer.

Please display my link button or just a hyper-link back to Saturday Centus. Be careful to link your SC URL to the Linky and not just link to your main blog.

E-mail me directly with ???'s or ask your question in a comment and I will do my best to get back to you as soon as possible.
------

Sparkle! Romantic Friday Writers Challenge No.27 on Friday 16th December 2011

2011-12-16T01:10:00.004+01:00

Welcome to the Romantic Friday Writing Challenge, started and hosted by L'Aussie Denise, where participants share their own 300-400-word text on a given theme. This week's theme for Friday, 16th December, Challenge No. 27, is 'Sparkle'. My text is written directly for this REW-challenge.

Here is my text :
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Sparkle

'Let's bow before we begin. Hold your violin under your right arm, and let the bow hang from your index finger. One - two - three.' Mrs Nichols and her pupil, Sara, bowed to each other.

Sonja Nichols and my son, Erik bow to each other before their lesson:

Then the teacher took out a large toy dice and gave it to the pale blond seven-year-old: 'One, three or five, I choose; two, four or six, you choose'. Sara threw the dice and it turned up three. 'Let's play Twinkle. Shall I play the violin or the piano?'

Sonja Nichols is looking at how my son, Erik, is holding his violin and bow.

'The violin, please,' replied Sara, holding her violin up on her left shoulder, ready to play.

'If you think about the words to the song, you will know when to play the long notes:
"Twinkle, twinkle, little star", long bow there.'

Sonja Nichols and my son, Erik are playing a melody together.

Sara thought about words like twinkle, sparkle, glitter, and shiny; about the Christmas lights suspended from the trees by the library; they looked like giant snowflakes. Yes, they really sparkled against the the black evening sky!

My daughter, Elisabet, by the library where the giant snowflakes hang from trees.

How I wonder what you are, Sara sang silently to herself as she successfully switched strings from D to A and back to D again and got her fingers to land in the right places. Up above the world so high, like a diamond in the sky. The idea of twinkling, sparkling stars made her think of pretty jewellery; the rhinestones in the tiara that come with the Cinderella-costume dress that she had seen in the toy store.

'That was fine, Sara. Now let's repeat the first part: "Twinkle, twinkle, Little Star..."', explained Mrs Nichols.
It worked! Sara thought, I can play it!

Photograph Copyright 2011 Christina Wigren

My daughter, Elisabet, is looking quite the opposite of 'Sparkle' in this photo. She did not want me to take any photographs of her during her last violin lesson, today, Friday, December 16th, so her older brother, Erik, is illustrating this story about the young violinist, Sara. But Elisabet looks the part, if she only could play the violin as well!

When Sara slept that night she dreamed that she was Cinderella. But instead of loosing a glass slipper at a ball, her shoulder-support fell off her violin when she was to play for the Prince. She ran away from just before midnight, and the subsequent search was for a girl with a violin without a shoulder-support! When the Prince found her, she could finish her concert. And then the Prince and Sara were married, and lived happily ever after.

Sara awoke refreshed from her dream and was ready for the coming challenge that very evening: the end-of-term recital, at which Sara would play 'Twinkle, twinkle Little Star'.

Sonja Nichols, violin and viola teacher, Suzuki-method.

Photograph Copyright 2011 Christina Wigren

Mrs Nichol was very please with her pupil. Sara sparkled with delight and bowed before applauding parents and pupils. She had played well.

------

Word count according to WordCalc: 400; NCCO; No Critique, Comments Only.

------
Best wishes,
Anna

P.S.
This is a piece of fiction based upon real life.

I know that many of you will say that there is not enough romance in this text; but what kind of romance can a seven-year-old have? Fairy tales have a bit of romance in them; and 'sparkle' is what you make it to be.

What this text does show is the endless patience that my children's music teacher, Mrs Sonja Nichols, has. It is a romantic (=wishful-thinking) text in that the little girl plays so well and so willingly. In reality, I am constantly looking for ways to get my children to practice and to get them to their lessons on time. I am not above bribing. But if I wrote all that into this text, it would no longer be a romantic text.

Mrs Nichols, who is really their violin-teacher, told me about the alternative Cinderella-tale, that I have used in the fictitious child's, Sara's dream.

All About Suzuki:

The Suzuki-method could also be called "The Mother-Tongue-Method" because its founder, Shinichi Suzuki (1898-1998), was inspired by the way all children learn their first language. Listening to music and repetition are also very important. Another keystone is playful, loving encouragement and respect for the child and teacher, rather than demands or punishment. When Elisabet said that she did not want me to take pictures of her during her lesson, both Sonja and I were in agreement that I should put the camera away, which I did.

To learn more in English about the Suzuki-method of teaching music to very young children, please go to this site for the International Suzuki Association, to find a Suzuki teacher in your region please go to this page; and go to this site for the American Suzuki Association. Here is Wikipedia's page about the Suzuki-teaching-method. To learn about the Suzuki-club in Norrköping and the rest of Sweden, please go to this site. To read about the Suzuki-method in Swedish, please go here.

To read a short biography in English of the founder of the Suzuki-method, Shinichi Suzuki (1898-1998), please click on his name. His life is interesting enough to read about even if you don't have children who want to learn how to play a musical instrument!

First Commenter:
Heaven
of
Sweet Lust: Christmas star

Photo Copyright: Heaven, Sweet Lust: Christmas star

Photo Copyright: Heaven

To read other texts for Romantic Friday Writers Challenge No. 27, with the theme 'Sparkle', please visit this site or click on the image below:

Tina/parltradet is featured in two Etsy treasuries

2011-12-03T23:40:00.015+01:00

My Purple-Green-Black stretch bracelet is featured in an Etsy treasury Have Yourself an Eclectic Little Christmas by Debbie Preston of SeeLifeShine

Here is a photo from Debbie's shop, SeeLifeShine:

And my chunky brown and purple bracelet

is featured in Arctida's treasury Vintage Christmas

And here are a pair of earrings from Arctida's shop:

Best wishes,
Anna

First Commenter:
Lin
of
Duck and Wheel with String

And this is Hobbes,
co-founder of The Red Cat Society

where all red cats can meet and blog!

Picture-Prompt -Romantic Friday Writers Monthly Challenge 26, December 2nd, 2011

2011-12-03T00:04:00.025+01:00

Welcome to the Romantic Friday Writing Challenge, started and hosted by L'Aussie Denise, where participants share their own 400-600-word text on a given theme. This week's theme for Friday, 2nd December, Challenge No. 26, is the image of the snowy, wintery, vaguely Christmas-like, cottage-in-the-forest-landscape 'Blue Christmas' at the head of this post. My text is written directly for this REW-challenge.

Here are L'Aussie Denise' instructions:

From now on I'll be running RFWer alone. It's a huge task, yet lots of fun. However, looking at the long-term, I feel weekly posts are too much for me to sustain if I want to achieve other writing goals. I want RFWer to continue, so this is what I've come up with:

For a trial period, at least until the end of this year, Romantic Friday Writers will become a monthly, rather than weekly blogfest. There may be special themes from time to time as well.
There will usually be guest posts on Wednesday each week during November, so check in. I'm asking guests to give us tips on writing flash fiction and romance.
Because we only have to write one story or poem monthly, the word limit can be upped to make it 400-600 words temporarily. You can of course submit 200 words if you so choose!
The challenges will be broadened - to include response to a photo, an image, or you might be given phrases to begin your story with. There may or may not always be a theme.

OUR FIRST MONTHLY CHALLENGE:

Here's our first challenge - responding to an image. Christmas is big at our house, but I know not everyone celebrates, or celebrates this holiday in different ways. So rather than making a Christmas blogfest, I'm giving you the opportunity to respond to this image in whatever way you wish - it reeks of a ghostly romantic tale to me, or we could have a 'lost in the woods' poem or story, or it could be a Christmas story (obviously not an Aussie Christmas!) Over to you! Stun us with your masterpiece. You have a whole month to write your piece, and you have extra words to play with. Don't forget we are Romantic Friday Writers. How about posting the challenge on your blog? All the more fun to read. I'll be looking forward to reading your December stories. Let's get writing people!
-----
That was Denise' instructions. Now, here is my text :

-------
No, wait. I thought I'd write a little about Christmas in Sweden first:

Picture Source

Christmas in Sweden is full of traditional food and fun things to do if you don't catch a cold. Winter is usually very cold and dark, so I think Christmas is a time for working against the elements: Lighting lights at the darkest time of the year; giving presents, cooking, cleaning house and inviting friends, when you'd rather go hibernate. It is also a religious holiday, as it should be. You go to church early, early Christmas morning. Christmas presents are opened on Christmas Eve. Christmas is a wonderful mix of the pagan and the Christian, of darkness and light, of dispair and hope.

After lighting the first candle for the first of Advent, the real 'kick-off' for Christmas is partly the banquet for the Noble Prize held on December 10th, in Stockholm's beautiful Town Hall. (The ceremony, banquet and dance are shown on tv each year. Lots of pretty evening gowns and jewellery to look at!)

Picture Source

But also Lucia or Saint Lucia-day on the thirteenth of December marks the beginning of Christmas festivities, when small troupes of singers dressed in white gowns and glitter,

Picture Source

holding candles, follow a preferably blond girl, who is chosen to be Saint Lucia (a martyr who lived in Syracuse, Sicily in AD 310). Lucia is also dressed in a long white gown, but with a red sash a crown of candles on her head. She carrys a tray with special saffron-buns

Picture Source

called 'Lussekatter' and gingersnaps (pepparkakor) be given to everyone they meet at this very early hour of the morning, when it is still dark at offices, hospitals, schools. They go anywhere and everywhere people are gathered in their everyday lives. Lucia is the bringer of light at this the darkest time of year. She is a comfort at the winter solstice.

For me, personally, this year, November (and now dipping into December) has been an uncertain and hectic time. I have tried to do too many things and failed at most of them. It has been unusally warm, so we have no snow yet, which may have contributed to my lack of planning. In my mind, it is not yet winter; Christmas is still far off. But in reality, it is very soon, and I feel so utterly unprepared.

--------------

Now, here's my little f i c t i o n a l story:

Jenny looked at the picture of a snow-covered house in a wintry forest with yellow light glowing from every window. This looks inviting. Should I buy these?

'Can I help you?' said a man who looked like a young James Stewart, as George Bailey in It's A Wonderful Life. Jenny, who was lonely after a divorce, absorbed every syllable.

'I'm still thinking,' Jenny said laughing to herself, as she found herself using tha exact same words that the character Mary Hatch used in the film.

Jimmy Stewart continued unpacking packages and stacking books on a shelf. He had white cotton gloves on, so she could not see a wedding ring.

Why buy Christmas cards at all? She used to send lots of cards every year, but postage costs so much and writing takes time.

'Are you new here?' Jenny asked as she put the box of cards on the counter and opened her purse to retrieve her wallet, 'I usually stop here once a week. Haven’t seen you before.'

‘I'm just extra for the Christmas rush. The name's Jakob!' he said and smiled as he pulled off his right glove and shook her hand.

'Nice to meet you. I'm Jenny!' He kept his glove on his left hand so she still could not see his if he had a wedding ring. Jenny paid for the cards, took the bag and left.

'Happy Christmas!' said Jakob, putting his white glove back on.

Jenny walked toward the bridge. It was getting dark and beginning to snow. Silly me, I should go back and return these. I can't afford them. I won't have time to write them and I don't have the money for postage to send them.

Jenny walked across the bridge over the river and stopped to look at the trickle of water running through the frozen masses of ice. She thought about Clarence, the angel from the film. Wouldn't it be nice to have a guardian angel?

Suddenly she saw a tall, lanky Jimmy Stewart/Jakob walking across the bridge toward her. He looked directly at her and smiled.

'Hi Jenny! You haven't gotten very far! Let's have some coffee over there,' he said pointing to the café across the bridge.

They found an empty table near a window overlooking the river, and sat in silence a moment until finally Jakob spoke: 'What would you like to do the rest of your life?'

'To be happy,' said Jenny.

'That was a tall order!'

'Is it? Isn't that basically what most people want, Jakob?'

'Maybe. But most people fetter away their lives doing things that they really don't want to do.' He took out his wallet, opened it and counted out the price of the Christmas cards. 'Here. I'll take them back to the store if you give me the receipt.'

Being a penny-pincher, she saved all of her receipts, and could return both the cards and the receipt to Jakob.

'Who are you, Jakob? Are you a mind-reader?'

'No, nothing like that. Here, let me treat you to more coffee and another piece of cake.'

'Thanks Jakob, you're an angel.'

'Yep, that's exactly what I am', he said as he rose to fetch more coffee and cake.

------

Wordcount according to WordCalc: 555 (MPA - Minor Points Acceptable)

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[Text copyright 2011 Chrstina Wigren]

Take a look at these critiquing pointers from Madeleine:

------
Best wishes,
Anna

P.S.
This story is inspired by Frank Capra's beautiful film from 1946, It's A Wonderful Life. I wish Karolyn Grimes, who played the part of Zuzu, all the very best! Please visit her official site here. Here's Karolyn Grimes with Donna Reed and James Stewart:

First Commenter:

Donna Hole

To read other texts for Romantic Friday Writers Challenge No. 26, for December 2nd 2011, using the image at the heading as a prompt, please visit this site or click on the image below:

This story about Jenny and Jacob has received an honourable mention from Denise L'Aussie of Romantic Friday Writers:

Denise has also given me a special Australian award called 'Fair Dinkum':

Isn't is pretty? She called me a 'fair dinkum Swede'!

Tina/parltradet has curated a new Etsy treasury: ' White Winter Wishes'

2011-12-02T21:45:00.002+01:00

Best wishes,
Anna

First Commenter:
XXX

Anna has curated a new Etsy Treasury: 'Dreaming of Spring'

2011-11-30T11:59:00.004+01:00

Best wishes,
Anna

First Commenter:

Tina

of

Gossip Avenue
The News Room
Travel Shack
Mummy Diaries
Game Freak Z

Tina/parltradet is featured in a new Etsy treasury: 'Get Them While You Can'

2011-11-28T15:48:00.008+01:00

My teal and turquoise-coloured bracelet is featured in an Etsy treasury 'Get Them While You Can' by Debbie Preston of SeeLifeShine

Here is a photo from Debbie's shop, SeeLifeShine:

Best wishes,
Anna

First Commenter:
xxx

Tina/parltradet has curated a new Etsy treasury and is featured in two Etsy treasuries

2011-11-26T16:59:00.005+01:00

Here are some items from Mary of hoganfe's shop:

And here are my teal earrings that are featured in hoganfe's treasury, 'Gifts For All Under 100 dollars' :

Here is a bag from Jeanette Walker's shop, tootlesboutique :

And here is my blue necklace, which is featured in Jeanette Walker treasury, 'Not a girly girl':

Best wishes,
Anna

First Commenter:
XXX

Tina/parltradet is featured in two new Etsy treasuries curated by PeachCreation and Knme

2011-11-23T21:54:00.009+01:00

My rainbow bracelets are in good company in this delightful treasury by Anke Pietsch:

Here is a little mermaid doll and Christmas tree ornaments from Anke's shop, PeachCreation:

Here is my purple choker Gredelin which Kara Nina of Knme has been kind enough to include in her latest treasury:

Here are a couple of knitted scarves from Kara Nina's shop Knme:

Best wishes,
Anna

First Commenter:

Ann Thompson

of
Ann's Snap, Edit & Scrap

And here is Ann's wonderful dog, Duke:

Tina/parltradet has curated two new Etsy treasuries: 'Winter White and Midnight Blue', and 'Red!'

2011-11-22T23:44:00.002+01:00

Best wishes,
Anna

First Commenter:
XXX

Tina/parltradet has curated a new Etsy treasury: Two Pairs of Paws

2011-11-21T10:56:00.005+01:00

Best wishes,
Anna

First Commenter:
Lin of
Duck and Wheel with String

And here is Hobbes whom you can meet at
The Red Cat Society blog

Tina/parltradet's black necklace and bracelet - set is featured in a new Etsy treasury by Monicaj

2011-11-21T01:47:00.011+01:00

Design & Photo Copyright 2009-2011 Christina Wigren

Design & Photo Copyright 2009-2011 Christina Wigren

And here is a lovely crocheted lace-covered stone from the curator, Monica of Monicaj:

Best wishes,
Anna

First Commenter:

Ann Thompson

of

Ann's Snap, Edit & Scrap

And here is Ann's wonderful dog, Duke:

Tina/parltradet has curated a new Etsy treasury: Twinkle, twinkle, little star

2011-11-17T18:19:00.004+01:00

Best wishes,
Anna

First Commenter:

Ann Thompson

of

Ann's Snap, Edit & Scrap

And here is Ann's faithful dog, Duke:

Tina/parltradet has curated a new Etsy treasury: Grey-Blue

2011-11-14T02:25:00.005+01:00

Best wishes,
Anna

First Commenter:

Lin
of
Duck and Wheel with String

And here is Lin's cat, Hobbes, 47 lbs. of stripey goodness!

Visit Hobbes and his red-cat-buddies at The Red Cat Society!

Tina/parltradet has just curated three new Etsy treasuries

2011-11-13T01:31:00.003+01:00

Best wishes,
Anna

First Commenter:
XXX

Tina/parltradet has curated two new Etsy Treasuries: Stormy autumn weather; Starry, starry night

2011-11-06T13:22:00.004+01:00

Best wishes,
Anna

First Commenter:
XXX

Tina/parltradet has curated a new Etsy treasury: Nothing But Blue Skies

2011-11-03T23:12:00.003+01:00

Best wishes,
Anna

First Commenter:

Rose Clearfield

of The Beadings and Buttons
of Ramdom Creative

Tina/parltradet has curated a new Etsy treasury: Peridot gemstone jewelry

2011-11-03T13:46:00.001+01:00

Best wishes,
Anna

First Commenter:
xxx

Tina/parltradet has curated a new Etsy treasury: Roses, Tulips, Peonies and Poppies!

2011-11-02T16:09:00.002+01:00

Something happened to an item, and now it looks like this:

Best wishes,
Anna

First Commenter:
xxx

Tina/parltradet has curated a new Etsy treasury: Greens and Oranges, Please

2011-11-01T13:51:00.002+01:00

Best wishes,
Anna

First Commenter:
xxx

Tina/parltradet has curated a new Etsy treasury: Let it snow!

2011-11-01T00:54:00.003+01:00

Best wishes,
Anna

First Commenter:

'RNSANE' / Carmen Henesy

of
Carmen's Chronicles

Tina/parltradet is featured in an Etsy treasury by Knme

2011-10-30T23:46:00.006+01:00

This purple bracelet is included in Knme's treasury:

And here is a sample of a scarf from Knme' own shop:

Best wishes,
Anna

Tina/parltradet has curated a new Etsy treasury: Gold and Silver

2011-10-30T12:04:00.001+01:00

Best wishes,
Anna

First Commenter:
xxx

Tina/parltradet has curated a new Etsy treasury: Blush, Pink and Peach

2011-10-29T21:21:00.006+02:00

Best wishes,
Anna

First Commenter:

Rose Clearfield

of

The Beads and Buttons of Random Creative'

Check out Rose Clearfield's treasury-round-up, here. It's a beautiful post! She has a very nice way of saying thanks!

Here are a couple of typical items from Rose's shop, randomcreative, a lovely leaf-beaded bracelet draped over sheet music and pink mother-of-pearl ring-earrings to match the bracelet that I have featured in this treasury:

Click on each photo to learm more about them:

A Study in Black - Lovisa's New Clothes -Mrs. Jenny Matlock's - Saturday Centus - Week 78

2011-10-29T18:28:00.012+02:00

Welcome to Saturday Centus, Mrs. Jenny Matlock's writing challenge where participants write a PG-rated text with a given prompt using not more than 25 words this week. The prompt is the above picture that Mrs. Jenny calls 'A Study in Black'.

This is week 78 and here are Mrs. Matlock's instructions:

THE PROMPT THIS WEEK IS THE ABOVE PICTURE. I LIKE TO CALL IT 'STUDY IN BLACK'
WORD COUNT - Not to exceed 25 words. Yes, that is correct. 2. 5. Twenty-five. XXV.
STYLE OF WRITING - Any
NO ADDITIONAL PICTURES - Sorry Mrs. Matlock, but I can't do it this way!

------
Here is my text:

Louisa wanted a witch-costume. A black hat, wig and dress were purchased and donned. This surprised the cats greatly, who were themselves dressed in black.

Text & Photo Copyright 2011 Christina Wigren

Text & Photo Copyright 2011 Christina Wigren

Text & Photo Copyright 2011 Christina Wigren
------
Wordcount according to WordCalc: 25

------

Best wishes,
Anna

P.S.
There are pictures to this story. (And now I've added them!) If you would like to see some of them, I will go against Mrs. Jenny's orders and publish them. Just say the word in a comment. Lovisa's real name is Elisabet, my daughter.

------

First Commenter:
Sue
of
Sue's News, Views 'n Muse

To read other SC-posts for Week 77 please go to this site or click on the image below:

Tina/parltradet has curated a new Etsy treasury: Pale and Quiet

2011-10-28T12:28:00.002+02:00

Best wishes,
Anna

First Commenter:

Rose Clearfield

of

The Beadings and Buttons of Random Creative

Tina/parltradet has curated a new Etsy treasury: White for an important date

2011-10-27T18:45:00.003+02:00

Best wishes,
Anna

First Commenter:
XXX

Tina/parltradet has curated a new Etsy treasury: Autumn yellows and blacks

2011-10-27T14:10:00.007+02:00

Best wishes,
Anna

First Commenter:
XXX

Haunting - Romantic Friday Writers Challenge No. 25 - 28th of October 2011

2011-10-27T09:39:00.003+02:00

Here is my text :
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Haunting

It was a dark and stormy night and Drucilla thought she was alone in the farm-kitchen. Thunder and lightning made Drucilla nervous. With ears geared to hearing the soft heartbeat of tiny rodents, Drucilla didn't like loud noises. The two-leggeds had taken off for some unknown destination, to which Drucilla was not invited.

It started to rain heavily, as Drucilla was having her evening meal in the in a corner of the kitchen. It was dark, but she had good night vision. As she looked across the kitchen floor, she thought she spied a pair of eyes; shining, glowing cat's eyes suspended in the air. She looked away and slowly closed her eyes. If I ignore it, it might go away, she thought as she went to sit in her basket. She curled her tail around her body and only opened one eye, ever so slightly, as to not reveal her interest in the vapourous cat-eyes. In minutes the vision of the eyes had grown into a whole cat-face hovering some inches above the floor. It was a kind face; a happy face; it was the face of a cat who used to live there.

'Meow!' said the face, meaning: 'Hello my pretty! Who are you? Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Che-'

'"Cheshire"', Drucilla broke in knowingly. 'Am I right? I recognise you from when I was a kitten.'

Now the strange cat's entire figure came to light. A magnificent tom, she thought, whatever his name is.

'No, Chester, actually. My name is Chester, and yes, I used to live here.'

'I'm Drucilla,' said Drucilla washing a front paw and nervously wiping her face. The visiting cat's bodily form had now materialised completely and Chester was or had been a beautiful red tabby tom, with soft yellow eyes, the same colour as his coat. He smiled a sweet cat-smile.

'Chester', Drucilla inquired hestitantly' Are you normal?'

'Oh my dear Drucilla, no. Alas, not anymore. I've changed form.'

'Oh', said Drucilla puzzled and embarrassed. She liked him, but his entrance was odd. Most cats go through the cat-door or are let in by two-leggeds.

'Must we speak of it, my darling?'mewed Chester softly.

'No, my sweet, come sit with me instead.'

Chester and Drucilla curled up in each other's furry embrace, purring as they fell asleep.

Word count according to WordCalc: 399; FCA; Full Critique Acceptable. Write whatever you like. Constructive criticism is always welcome! Don't be shy. Say what's on your mind!

------
Best wishes,
Anna

P.S.
Epilogue:
Later when the family came home and found Drucilla, the cat, alone and asleep with her paws up in the air in her basket, Lucinda, asked her older sister, 'Have you ever seen a ghost?'
'No, replied Jane, but I think Drucilla has.'

P.P.S.
This story is purely fictional. There are nods to Lewis Carroll's Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass as well as to Beatrix Potter's A Tale of Two Bad Mice. And here is where you can read about the opening phrase 'It was a dark and stormy night'.

First Commenter:
Denise
of
L'Aussie's Writing Blog

To read other texts for Romantic Friday Writers Challenge No. 25, with the theme 'Haunting', please visit this site or click on the image below:

Haunting - your invitation to write a 400-word story or poem this Friday 28.

2011-10-26T00:11:00.006+02:00

Romantic Friday Writers, a weekly on-going blogfest run by L'Aussie and Francine Howarth, has an open challenge to everyone to write a 400-word story or poem on the theme Haunting for Friday 28 October. Well, er, that might just have something to do with Halloween?

What haunts you? Do you have a story or poem in the paranormal genre you could share, do ghosts or zombies inhabit your universe? Or do you have a character who is just plain haunted by what has happened in the past? Release your creative juices and pen a tasty banquet for the feast on Friday. Just remember to have an element of romance present in some form... How do you enter your story?

Click here to go to the Romantic Friday Writers' website
Submit your direct story link to the linky (linky will go up Wednesday 26 this week)
Tweet using #RFWer to tell the twitterverse you've posted (optional) or post on facebook etc...
Find some time over the Halloween weekend to read other stories. What better way to spend the weekend while you suck on trick or treat candies?
If you're a member, your story is automatically up for Featured Writer, Runner Up or an Encouragement Award. If you're not a member, you're welcome to join - it's free! Remember, you don't have to be a member to post this week or any week!

Happy Writing!

Spread the word! You're welcome to copy/paste this post to your blog! Tweet, facebook it too!

I planted a little story seed - Mrs. Jenny Matlock's - Saturday Centus - Week 77

2011-10-22T21:18:00.025+02:00

Welcome to Saturday Centus, Mrs. Jenny Matlock's writing challenge where participants write a PG-rated text with a given prompt using not more than 100 words plus the six words of the prompt.

This is week 77 and the prompt is 'I planted a little story seed...'. Here are Mrs. Matlock's instructions: WORD COUNT - 100 WORDS PLUS THE SIX WORDS OF THE PROMPT. Total word count not to exceed 106 words.
STYLE OF WRITING - ANY
DON'T USE ANY OTHER PICTURES THIS WEEK.
THE PROMPT FOR THIS WEEK IS: 'I planted a little story seed...'

------
Here is my text:

'Maybe it's not good enough, but I have it with me', said Martin Bucher to his editor, Wolfgang Dinkelspiel, at a luncheon-meeting.

'Did you write a collection of stories on the same theme?'

'Almost. I've written three and I have ideas for seven.

'Wonderful! What's your theme?'

'Must I tell you now?'

'No. You don't. But it might help you make a commitment and get it done. What is it?'

'It's "Whispers*"', said Bucher, giving Dinkelspiel his list of story-ideas.

'Now, that wasn't so hard, was it? I planted a little story seed, and look what I get, ten stories!'

------
Wordcount according to WordCalc: 100

------

Best wishes,
Anna

*P.S.

'Whispers' is the most recent theme for Romantic Friday Writers Challenge No. 24. Take a look at what some really fine, professional (and many published), writers have done with this versatile theme. I really like it, and just as Martin Bucher tried to do, I could have written ten stories connected to this theme! My two stories can be found here.

Thank you Denise Convey (L'Aussie) and Francine Howarth for this gem of an idea! Denise and Francine (who did not write a text of her own for this challenge, but who usually writes each week) are the founders and co-hosts for this lovely weekly blog-fest for romantic writing.

------

First Commenter:

Judie

of

Rogue Artists

To read other SC-posts for Week 77 please go to this site or click on the image below:

Whispers - Two Stories! - Romantic Friday Writing Challenge No. 24 - 21st October 2011

2011-10-20T10:34:00.005+02:00

Welcome to the Romantic Friday Writing Challenge, started and hosted by L'Aussie Denise and Francine Howarth, where participants share their own 300-400-word text on a given theme. This week's theme for Friday, 21st October, Challenge No. 24, is 'Whispers'. I have written two texts for this challenge. These are two separate stories with separate characters. They are complete in themselves, but could be part of longer works if I chose to keep writing. These are new texts, written directly for this REW-challenge.

1
Here is text # 1:
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Source Wikipedia. This is the Public Library in Stockholm, where I think my story should take place.

Whispers

'How was it?' Charlotte asked Sara as the two young women walked up a long staircase and passed a desk where a middle-aged woman sat looking at papers.

'How was what? Oh, you mean last night? Simply divine,'murmured Sara and smiled.

'Shhh!' said the woman behind the desk quietly and held her index finger to her lips.

'Oh, we're sorry', Charlotte whispered, 'Sara, why are we here?'

'We are looking for a book about...'

'Shhh!' said the librarian and pointed to a sign that said: 'No talking in the Reading Room.'

'...a book about unusual sightings in the deep forests.' whispered Sara.

'UFOs?' asked Charlotte, 'Why would you want to read a book like that?'

'Not UFOs, the little people with wings, pixies, faeries.'

'Shhh!' said the grey-haired woman.

'Oh dear. Isn't there someplace we could talk?' whispered Sara as she pointed toward one of several smaller rooms along one side of the great reading-hall. 'Could we use one of those rooms to talk?' she asked the woman seated behind the desk.

The librarian made a sign for her to come closer, 'No, those study-cells must be booked in advanced.'

'Could we book one now?' asked Sara.

'No, I'm sorry but there are none available, right now.'

'But they're all empty.' protested Sara, raising her voice slightly.

'Shhh!' whispered the librarian zipping her lips with her thumb and index finger.

'Let's just go.' said Charlotte.

'Yes, but I really need to find that book.'

'Then we can't talk.

'Shhh!' said the librarian and continued to stare at them. They walked away from her desk toward the exit.

'So you had a good time last night; where did you go; what did you do?' whispered Charlotte.

'We went out to eat at a restaurant,' whispered Sara and in an even smaller voice, 'He proposed'.

'What did you say?' asked Charlotte in an almost normal voice.

'I said, HE ASKED ME TO MARRY HIM' said Sara in a strong voice, just before they reached the exit doors.

'SHHHH!' shouted the librarian.

'What was your answer?' inquired Charlotte in a loud voice.

'Yes!' bellowed Sara as they ran out the doors and down the long stairway toward the street entrance, 'I SAID YES!'

Word count according to WordCalc: 400; FCA; Full Critique Acceptable. Write whatever you like. Constructive criticism is always welcome! Don't be shy. Say what's on your mind!

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This is an illustration by the Swedish artist-writer, Elsa Beskow (1874-1953) whose work I have admired since childhood. Take a look at more of her picture-books (in Swedish) here. Wikipedia has a page on Elsa Beskow in English here.

Here is text # 2:

Whispers

Esmarelda, Aurora and Rosanna flew with their berry-baskets over the meadow and landed at the edge of the forest.

'Remember to be quick and quiet about picking the bilberries' instructed Esmarelda, 'I'll take first watch here at the large basket. You two fly around and gather as many baskets of berries as you can.' Aurora and Rosanna took each a smaller basket and sailed off in different directions.

Aurora, with her flamming red hair and moss-green eyes, landed by a plant that in proportion to her size, looked like a small tree with blue-violet, apple-sized fruits growing on it. She began to pick the blue fruits when she heard a soft whisper:

'Aurora!'

'Who's there?' she asked, somewhat frightened. Do I know the speaker?

'Aurora!' whispered the voice again when her basket was two-thirds full.

'Do I know you?' she murmured softly as she filled the basket to the brim and was ready to fly away.

'Please don't go. It's me, Petrus', whispered the voice that Aurora now recognised.

'What are you doing out here in the forest? I must return. Esmarelda will think I am taking too long to get back to the basket.'

'Please, Aurora, come closer', murmured Petrus as he hovered over the bilberry plants.

'Well, alright. Let me just put down my basket', said Aurora softly, putting her basket on the ground and flying up to Petrus. 'What do you want?'

'A kiss. Just a kiss,' whispered Petrus as he held Aurora's face in his hands and slowly pressed his lips against hers.

'Oh, Petrus!' said Aurora between kisses.

'Aurora, Aurora! I love you so much! Please say yes!'

'Say yes to what?'

'Marry me!'

'Petrus! What will father say?'

'I hope he will give us his blessings!'

'You must go now. Esmarelda and Rosanna mustn't know yet. Meet me at my father's house tonight.

'I'll be there, Aurora! I love you!' whispered Petrus as he fluttered away into the woods. Auroras's heart beat faster. She picked up the basket of bllberries and returned to Esmarelda.

Sometime earlier, while Aurora was talking with Petrus, Rosanna was filling her basket when she heard whispers. She saw Petrus kissing Aurora. Tears filled Rosanna's eyes. She loved Petrus. Now she hated Aurora. What should she do?

Word count according to WordCalc: 392; FCA; Full Critique Acceptable. Write whatever you like. Constructive criticism is always welcome! Don't be shy. Say what's on your mind!

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Best wishes,
Anna

P.S. These two stories are fictional.

First Commenter:

Ann Thompson

of

Ann's Snap, Edit & Scrap

To read other texts for Romantic Friday Writers Challenge No. 24, with the theme 'Whispers', please visit this site or click on the image below:

Anna's red heart earrings are in a RedTeam-Etsy-treasury by AnnaLela!

2011-10-16T08:35:00.010+02:00

And here is a bag from AnnaLela's own shop:

Best wishes,
Anna

First Commenter:
xxx