writing
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This week’s challenge is short and sweet. I’m looking for a ten-word story, using four of the following words: Serendipity Illicit Dollop Hullabaloo Shrubbery Squelch Priministerial Gargantuan I think they’ll be some interesting results! Last week, I gave you a single word for your challenge: Fear. Here are the results: Keith Channing sent in a…
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I have to give another enormous thank you to Sacha Black for my market this week. It’s certainly a competition worth entering with a £10,000 prize. Here are the details: The Manchester Fiction Prize is an annual contest for short stories on any theme, up to 2500 words. The entry fee is £17.50, which is…
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Sometimes all you need is a word to get your creativity going and for threads of a story or poem to start to weave together. Here are some words to start you on your way: Surprise Affair Shatter Angels Terror Cafe Accident Alleyway Poison Rejection Last week, I gave you two short story openings to…
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I usually give you several word/themed choices in my weekly writing challenge, so this week, I’m just going to give you one word: Fear This word evokes different feelings in all of us. Perhaps it relates to a phobia, or a particular situation. You can write about your own fear, or create a fear for…
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I owe the wonderful Sacha Black a big thank you for this week’s market: Mash Competitions. These flash fiction competitions are run every quarter. They’re looking for stories of up to 500 words and have this to say: ‘Our competition rules are simple. Every three months, three random objects are selected from a randomly gathered…
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Writing ideas to kick-start your week This week, I’m giving you two short story openings to stimulate those creative juices. Use them as a writing excercise or turn them into a full story. If any of you would like to send them to me, I’d love to read them and will post them here next…
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Sophie’s Secret Quest As a few of you know, I’ve been fortunate enough to have my series of children’s books for 5-7 year olds accepted by a publisher. I’ve still had to pinch myself, but now there’s some information about it on the publisher’s website so I’m starting to believe it more now. I’m not…
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Coming back from the heat of Florida this week, I noticed a distinctly autumnal feel to the air. So this week’s challenge builds on from one of the challenges I last set you. I challenge you to write a 20-word story, using at least five of the following autumnal words: Blustery Russet Cracking Foggy Harvest…
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You have plenty of time to take up my latest challenge. I’m off on my hols for a couple of weeks or so; this means you have until 3rd September to post your entry. And why not have a go at my latest flash fiction competition too? There are cash prizes so it’s certainly worth…
Esther Chilton 