Esther Chilton

My Weekly Writing Challenge

This week, I’m giving you two choices: you can either write a ten-word story using five words from the list given, or you can write an autumnal themed story/poem from the second list:

Option one: Choose five words from the following list and write a ten-word story:

  • Aeolist
  • Giraffe
  • Osteopath
  • Dompteuse
  • Farctate
  • Boris
  • Gongoozler
  • Beer
  • Nelipot
  • Steak

Option two: Write a story/poem, with any of the following autumnal themes:

  • Leaves
  • Fire
  • Darkness
  • Harvest
  • Halloween
  • Transformation

Last week, your ten words were as follows:

  • Tarantism
  • Orphic
  • Pettifoggery
  • Argle-bargle
  • Beckham
  • Qualified
  • Skirt
  • Turquoise
  • Bangle
  • Disney

Here are the hilarious results:

Sacha Black kicks things off with a goody:

Pettifoggery sent Beckham’s Disney skirt into an orphic tarantism.

Jocelyn Barker sent in two witty offerings:

Beckham’s turquoise skirt and bangle prompted much argle-bargle.

Beckham wore turquoise skirt, bangle and fairy wings – very Disney!

Helen Jones is enjoying expanding her vocabulary and brings an amusing story:

Turquoise skirt, bangles shimmer. Tarantism dance casts an orphic spell.

David Harrison went for the Posh and Beck’s angle and it’s brilliantly done:

Beckham wasn’t qualified in orphic argle-bargle. Posh’s pettifoggery undoubtedly was!

Victoria’s Disney bangle snagged Beckham’s shorts. Tarantism and argle-bargle followed swiftly.

Helen Gaen doesn’t disappoint:

His team qualified by pettifoggery, argle-bargle, watching Disney and Beckham.

Les Moriarty managed to sneek his funny story in after a subtle prompt!:

The pettifoggery surrounding Beckham’s turquoise skirt was the angle-bargle mumbling.

***

franz-kafka-quotes-sayings-non-writing-writer-insanity

Esther Chilton
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27 responses to “My Weekly Writing Challenge”

  1. somewords4u Avatar
    somewords4u

    A small attempt on ‘ LEAVES’

    Once
    when being freshly green
    these leaves
    bore as trophy on the tree
    and held high on its head.
    Now
    when dried and dull,
    dismembered and downfallen
    like necrosed tissues
    to meet disintegration
    after being crushed
    and turned to dust
    by whom
    upon them will tread.
    Still
    they lie at its feet soothing
    while themselves
    bearing at times
    the scorching rays
    through the naked branches
    ad waiting to surrender
    all their best
    to let their master flourish
    with new freshly green
    which will repeat
    the same history ahead.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. esthernewton Avatar
      esthernewton

      A lovely poem. I always enjoy your poems.

      Like

      Reply
  2. somewords4u Avatar
    somewords4u

    Something on DARKNESS

    The disturbing darkness
    of the grey sky,
    that changes every shades
    into darkened and restless imagery
    causing the mind to wander motionless
    in vivid hallucinations of the alive,
    mood dejected by that unwelcome guest
    bringing coldness and lethargy along.
    When will that beautiful lady
    with the golden head smile again!
    A smile that brightens
    all in her way
    and warms all that
    fall for her charm.
    And wouldn’t want to!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. somewords4u Avatar
      somewords4u

      Ah! I missed the word ‘who’ in the last line
      And who wouldn’t want to!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      1. esthernewton Avatar
        esthernewton

        I’ll make sure it’s added in 🙂

        Like

    2. esthernewton Avatar
      esthernewton

      I like this; it’s something a little different.

      Like

      Reply
  3. R T Allwin Avatar
    R T Allwin

    After maltreating a Giraffe, Osteopath Boris became farctate on steak!

    (if this appears more than once I blame my phone, which got stuck on loading when I tried to post!)

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. esthernewton Avatar
      esthernewton

      Brilliant! Thank you for this – and it only appeared the once!

      Like

      Reply
      1. R T Allwin Avatar
        R T Allwin

        I saw ‘osteopath’ and ‘giraffe’ and knew I had to use those two – the rest was trickier! Glad you liked it =)

        Liked by 1 person

      2. esthernewton Avatar
        esthernewton

        I certainly did 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

  4. Bumba Avatar
    Bumba

    Nothing like Kafka for an uplifting message. I’m going to try for a poem anyway.😋

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. esthernewton Avatar
      esthernewton

      Look forward to seeing it 🙂

      Like

      Reply
  5. Keith Channing Avatar
    Keith Channing

    Just for fun and, in part, inspired by this post from Emilia

    When it was still dark
    I was up with the lark
    For a jog in the park
    When; did I hear? Hark!

    The so-raucous squawk
    Of a solit’ry hawk
    Interrupted my walk,
    As his quarry he’d stalk.

    See? The hawk now perceives
    Scuttling under the leaves
    A mouse! He retrieves
    It, as to it he cleaves.

    As his prey was the runt
    It was easy to hunt
    With his fast stooping stunt.
    Why should I feel affront?

    Under cold skies of grey
    On a chill autumn day
    I applaud the display
    Between raptor and prey.

    The hawk’s hunting is done
    Before mine is begun,
    Under weak, wat’ry sun
    I continue my run.

    Also published on Keith Kreates

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. esthernewton Avatar
      esthernewton

      Thanks Keith. I love the photo and can see why you were inspired. Great poem. Thoroughly enjoyable.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      1. Keith Channing Avatar
        Keith Channing

        I’m a bit of a birds of prey nut anyway, Esther (one of my other activities is as webmaster here)

        Liked by 1 person

      2. esthernewton Avatar
        esthernewton

        Very interesting. I live quite near the Hawk Conservancy Trust but haven’t been there for years. We’ve had a few sparrowhawks in our garden over the years.

        Liked by 1 person

  6. TanGental Avatar
    TanGental

    Mrs Solomon pulled back the curtains, stiff through lack of use. Yes, she thought, she needed to sort things. Today would be a fresh start. She couldn’t keep pretending; life had to go on.
    Outside the leaves from her neighbours cherry tree had blown in a heap by the side of her garage. She took her broom and a black bag and began pulling the heap towards her. She had barely started when her broom stuck on something. Sighing a little – it was a bone-chilling morning – she crouched and put her hand into the heap. She sat back, surprised. Whatever it was, was warm. Carefully she eased the leaves apart; a small scrunched face peered up at her.
    Mrs Solomon looked around. Nothing moved. Everyone was indoors. Mrs Solomon held her breath and picked up the small child. One thing was clear; the child had to get in the warm.
    Inside Mrs Solomon warmed some milk and found a bottle. She checked and changed the baby and took the milk and the child to her sitting room.
    As she settled in her chair and offered the bottle she thought about her own child, her little Hattie who had died a year before. lOnce this little thing had been fed Mrs Solomon would call the authorities but just for a while she would take this autumn gift, this little fruitfulness

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. esthernewton Avatar
      esthernewton

      What a heart-warming story. Really enjoyed it.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  7. Jocelyn Barker Avatar
    Jocelyn Barker

    Hi, Esther!

    My offering this week: The gongoozler watched osteopath Boris eat giraffe steak until farctate. (6 words used)

    PS I am getting on with my next assignment at long last. It has been a difficult time of late. I am hoping and expecting to have a smoother ride from now on.

    Best wishes, Jocelyn.

    Sent from my iPhone

    >

    Like

    Reply
    1. esthernewton Avatar
      esthernewton

      Thanks, Jocelyn. Super story. And don’t rush your assignment. Hope things settle down for you.

      Like

      Reply
  8. Helen Avatar
    Helen

    Hope you don’t mind me responding to your comment Jocelyn. Just to say that I totally sympathise re assignments. I had a disaster at the start of my course, sending both my original and a copy of my assignment to an obsolete address (!), then losing my back-up (in a rush my husband deleted – delete forever – my entire account from the computer thinking I had already copied my writings to disc) in order to give our computer to his student daughter to use during the holidays, while hers got mended – she lived elsewhere and at that point wouldn’t have accepted a computer that I had been using). I got myself in such a mess I took a “break” for … 3 years, before finally redoing the assignment from scratch (painful) and finally managing to send it to the correct address (I had done a different course a decade earlier at the old WB address). I’ve since managed to do 12 assignments in 8 months to compensate and will now complete my course in time. But talk about making things difficult! So, good luck from a fellow student. If you think your assignment is taking a long time, there can be few students slower than I was. And the WB people were so lovely about it. Ever encouraging!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  9. Jasdeep Kaur Avatar
    Jasdeep Kaur

    Fallen Leaves

    The crinkle of the fallen leaves,
    as I head towards the musty room
    forgotten as the unwanted memories
    of the day which mustn’t be relived,
    remind me of the lingering warmth
    of the heart that didn’t survive
    but still touched me deep within,
    which gave me all that it could;
    neither complained nor expected in return,
    just stayed and comforted me through
    all the hard and rusty times.
    I know I must relive that collapse,
    which took her away from me.
    I may meet her today, may be!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. esthernewton Avatar
      esthernewton

      Hi Jasdeep, good to see you back here and with a lovely poem. I hope you’re well 🙂

      Like

      Reply
      1. Jasdeep Kaur Avatar
        Jasdeep Kaur

        Hi Esther! I’m fine. How about you? I was a little tied up with my other pursuits, but I’m following your blog regularly, a great inspiration for many!

        Liked by 1 person

      2. esthernewton Avatar
        esthernewton

        Thanks Jasdeep. I’m fine thank you. Just taken over as editor of a small local magazine so that’s all been pretty exciting. Glad you’re keeping busy 🙂

        Like

  10. Jasdeep Kaur Avatar
    Jasdeep Kaur

    Wow, that’s wonderful! Congratulations and all the best!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. esthernewton Avatar
      esthernewton

      Thanks, Jasdeep 🙂

      Like

      Reply

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