Crimson’s Creative Challenge #45

A drop of ink dirties a glass of water, but not an ocean. And for some people, their human hearts are oceans which are not tainted easily. But even if a human heart can sail an oil tanker like an ocean does, there is still a limit.

He learns the hard way that the limit is during a low tide.

That is when what is thrown out during the day comes back to haunt him at night, when the ocean washes the trash back. What is washed back is even worse – rotten and smelly after being out in the sea for too long.

If there is such a thing call karma, then it must be the rubbish being washed back.

(121 words)

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If you are interested, the prompt is linked below.

Here’s how it works:

Every Wednesday I post a photo (this week it’s that one above.)
You respond with something CREATIVE

Here are some suggestions:

• An answering photo
• A cartoon
• A joke
• A caption
• An anecdote
• A short story (flash fiction)
• A poem
• A newly minted proverb, adage or saying
• An essay
• A song—the lyrics or the performance

You have plenty of scope and only two criteria:

• Your creative offering is indeed yours
• Your writing is kept to 150 words or less

Prompt: Crimson’s Creative Challenge #45

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Three Line Tales, Week 184

photo by Dave Herring via Unsplash

Next Stop, Happiness

With each colourful step she takes away from that church, chaining stress and caging expectations unshackled.

She turns back only for a briefest moment to look at the conservative culture managing every aspect of her life, before she turns around for good to continue her journey.

Religion doesn’t bind; it frees.

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If there is one thing I cannot understand, it is why people like to enact their expectations on others under the facade of religious rules. I’m a Buddhist, but there are no cardinal rules on diet, or women, or sexual orientation. Only a series of karmic causes and effects, as well as philosophical scriptures which requires guidance or risk mis-interpretation.

But when I was younger, I have been approached by many Christian missionaries, with the opening lines of “Do you believe in Jesus?” and rapidly spiralled into “Only do you believe in Jesus can you be saved” rhetoric. I was impressionable then and my takeaway from those interactions was “Christianity seems very enthusiastic about Hell and condemnation.”

Until some of my Christian friends raised their eyebrows at me when I candidly asked them about Christianity years later. That’s when I realised, Christianity never asked to convert anyone by fear; those “missionaries” I met were going out to convert people because they wanted money for their church.

Hence the story.

If you are interested, the prompt is linked below.

You’ll find full guidelines on the TLT page – here’s the tl;dr:

• Write three lines inspired by the photo prompt (& give them a title if possible).
• Link back to this post (& check the link shows up under the weekly post).
• Tag your post with 3LineTales (so everyone can find you in the Reader).
• Read and comment on other TLT participants’ lines.
• Have fun.

Prompt: Three Line Tales, Week 184

Kreative Kue 220

Reunion

“I’m telling you, you gotta take her in hand or she is going to ride over you. At our age, when we retire, we are nothing. She is going to lord over us because we are useless while she is still going on and about,” Kevin droned on.

Jonathan was looking and smiling politely at Kevin but he had tuned out Kevin’s words a long time ago. He had known Kevin for 50 years but he never realised just how much Kevin could talk.

“I’m very sure she will slowly take advantage of the situation and next thing you know, you are at her mercy.”

If anyone needed pessimism, Kevin could surely give a healthy dose. Jonathan resisted the urge to yawn as Kevin’s voice faded into the background. How did they become friends 50 years ago?

Good grief that man could talk!

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If you are interested, the prompt is linked below.

On to this week’s challenge: Using this photo as inspiration, write a short story, flash fiction, scene, poem; anything, really; even just a caption for the photograph. Either put it (or a link to it) in a comment or email it to me at keithchanning@gmail.com before 6pm next Sunday (if you aren’t sure what the time is where I live, this link will tell you). If you post it on your own blog or site, a link to this page would be appreciated, but please do also mention it in a comment here.

Prompt: Kreative Kue 220

Crimson’s Creative Challenge #25

CCC#25

Picking Up Girls: John’s Method

He wanted to talk to the girl sitting by the pond. But she looked Asian so he was unsure if she would understand him.

Impulsively, he walked up to her.

“Hey, erm…do you speak English?” he started. “I’m John. I saw you were alone so I-erm, do you understand what I’m saying?” he broke off.

She had turned to look at him but gave no indication whether she understood.

He pointed to himself. “I’m John,” he spoke, excruciatingly slow. “Can I have lunch with you?”

“Solly, my Engrish bad,” she finally replied with a heavy Asian accent. “You want eat lunch? But no money?”

“Er…no, I-” he started but someone interrupted him.

“Excuse me, do you know where is the toilet?”

“Oh, go straight and turn left. You can’t miss it,” the girl replied.

Then turning back to John, she asked. “Solly, what you want?” she resumed her previous speech.

(150 words)

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This prompt took quite long for me to complete, not because of the lack of ideas. Instead, I have too many! Most of them lead to nowhere in the end but finally, I settled with this idea.

The next step is actually to stop being verbose – I have a tendency to dramatise things through words, adding a lot of unnecessary details but this exercise is perfect for me to get straight to the point without losing any important parts. Or at least I don’t think I missed any important parts.

In any case, I kinda like this story because to me, it portrays three things – male chauvinism, racial discrimination and disrespect for personal space and personal time (I guess it’s actually four?). If nothing else, it reads funny, it reads like me and it is straight to the point with no frills.

If you are interested the prompt is linked below.

Welcome to my weekly challenge—open to all—just for FUN, FUN, FUN

Here’s how it works:

Every Wednesday I post a photo (this week it’s that one above.)
You respond with something CREATIVE

Here are some suggestions:

• An answering photo
• A cartoon
• A joke
• A caption
• An anecdote
• A short story (flash fiction)
• A poem
• A newly minted proverb, adage or saying
• An essay
• A song—the lyrics or the performance

You have plenty of scope and only two criteria:

• Your creative offering is indeed yours
• Your writing is kept to 150 words or less

If you post a link in the comments section of this post I’ll be able to find it
If you include Crimson’s Creative Challenge as a heading, WP Search will find it (theory)
If you tag it #CCC others should be able to find it by ‘Searching’ in the WP Reader (fingers crossed)

Prompt: Crimson’s Creative Challenge #25

I Write Her Weekly Haiku/Senryu Challenge #17

“At the Window” – Juliana Kolesova

Home

looking at traffic
in a city i call home
cozy in my pants

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If you are interested, the prompt is linked below.

PLEASE follow them! I’d hate to not see your piece(s) represented in the recap the following week! Confused? Any questions – email me at sushibocks@gmail.com   

• Create a standard three line, 5/7/5 syllable count haiku/senryu
• Deadline for each submission will be on the Saturday of this week

• Up to 3 pieces permitted

• Link your piece to this “IWH Haiku/Senryu Challenge#” on your post

• Always give photo credit if there is one

Prompt: I Write Her Weekly Haiku/Senryu Challenge #17

Inspiration Call: Create a 6 -Word Story

Photo credit: © Pixabay.com

Disconnection – discharged from technology and reflect

 

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I love six word story. Telling stories in six words, it really forces you to be very selective in your words – not a single one is to be used carelessly.

If you are interested, the prompt is linked below.

Inspiration Call: Tell the story behind this picture in just 6 words. A Six Word story is a challenge for each writer to come up with a short story within six words.

Publishing opportunity details for this writing prompt can be found at Open Publishing Projects.

Prompt: Inspiration Call: Create a 6 -Word Story

Weekend Writing Prompt #103 – Vulnerable

Photo credits: Tien

Title: Blossoming

I abandon my defences and open my heart up to you; do not trample on my heart, for it is vulnerable.

(21 words)

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If you are interested, the prompt is linked below.

The challenge is simple: each week you will be given an exact number of words you can use to write a poem or piece of prose.  You can use any format or style you like; go wherever your inspiration takes you.  The only rules are these:

• your poem / prose must contain this week’s word.  The word does not have to count towards the exact word count total – it can be in the title, or the first letters of the lines of a poem can spell it out – you can be as creative as you want as long as it’s there somewhere.
• the length of your poem / prose must match the number of words stated in this week’s challenge.  No more.  No less.

Prompt: Weekend Writing Prompt #103 – Vulnerable

Twittering Tales #133 – 23 April 2019

Photo by WikiImages at Pixabay.com

Title: Spiders

The fear is very real. When you’re afraid of spiders, space is the best place to live.

After all, no air, no spider. Right?

Anyway, arachnophobia is a serious problem – what’s that on my helmet? Is that – NO! HOW DID THE SPIDER GET IN? NO, HELP! MAYDAY! MAY –

Transmission lost.

(275 characters)

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This is the second photo prompt I did for Twittering Tales and I could not help but come up with silly ideas. Exaggerating the phobia of spiders is one of them. If I offend any of you who are really afraid of spiders, do pardon me.

If you are interested, the prompt is linked below.

About the challenge: Each Tuesday I will provide a photo prompt. Your mission, if you choose to accept the challenge, is to tell a story in 280 characters or less. When you write your tale, be sure to let me know in the comments with a link to your tale. If you would prefer to post your tale in the comments (some people have very specific blog themes but still want to participate), I am happy to post a link to your site when I post your tale in the Round Up.

Prompt: Twittering Tales #133 – 23 April 2019

Carrot Ranch Flash Fiction Challenge: The Basketball

Image by zgmorris13 from Pixabay

Title: The Basketball

Type: Flash Fiction
Genre: Realistic

She was puzzled when her seven-year-old girl left the counter empty-handed. “Where’s the basketball?” she asked.

“The man at the counter said I should play with dolls instead,” her little girl replied. “It’s ok, Mama. I don’t like the ball anyway.”

Furious, she grabbed her daughter’s hand and marched straight to the counter, pausing long enough only to get the basketball on the way.

“Here, we’re getting this basketball. For my girl! And don’t you dare tell her what she can and can’t play.”

Both the man at the counter and her daughter learnt a valuable lesson that day.

(99 words)

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This prompt is a difficult one, due to the large amount of discussion which could arise from this. Writing a 99-word story that portrays the layered complexities of the self and others in the society we lived in really pushed me out of my comfort zone. But I am still quite happy with what I came up with though.

If you are interested, the prompt is linked below.

Prompt: Carrot Ranch April 18 Flash Fiction Challenge

Six-Word Story Challenge – “MacGuffin”

Image from Wikimedia Commons

Ancient curse kills indiscriminately except heroes

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I have to admit, this prompt took me a long time simply because my brain refuses to comprehend the meaning of “MacGuffin”. But I hope my response did the prompt justice.

If you are interested, the prompt is linked below

Prompt: Six-Word Story Challenge – “MacGuffin”