Saturday, July 27, 2013


      I have written for a few Janet Reid Flash Fiction contests lately. It's fun and a good exercise for writing, below are my three latest that i submitted for the contest.


Twice Is Nice Writing Contest!

I bought a copy of LONG GONE by Alafair Burke last year at Murder by the Book in Houston while I was there for Stephanie Jaye Evans book launch.

Use these words in the story:

art
jersey
lily
double
kiss


Well it starts in 6 hours, so I may revise my entry considerably, but here is one I'm working on.

Alice Humphrey was livid; she had pulled off the art opening from hell that should have been a kiss of death for any curator’s career.  The artist, Hans Schuler; was a no talent throw pillow from New Jersey.
 Alice had closed the gallery, and was sharing a couple glasses of Pinot with her friend Lily. Alice showed her next week’s opening announcement; Antonio Jacobsen; The Audubon of Steamships.
 But she still dwelled on Hans.
“That hack is a genius, selling an unlimited run of prints for $700 each.”
“For all the unwashed….. then double timing it to the bank.”
“Exactly!”

This is based on the book "Long gone", but doesn't really tell a captivating story. meh! I have to go take a run to the deschetteri, "dump", and then start a burn pile in one of our prairies. I think I will rethink my entry....considerably.


June 25th 2013;
Announcing the   

Kill Kari Dell (with words!) Writing Contest!


Write a story with 100 words or fewer.  Use the following words in the story:

kill
dell
plot
sheep
codswollop codswallop

The results, not a winner but noted by her which is always nice.


These weren't exactly stories, but they were compelling!


frenchsojourn 1:48pm
“Gorblimey!”
“Why would God do that, Ciril?”
“We gotta kill this bird, Kari Dell; verbally?”
“You erd em.”
“She in the nutter?”
“Nah, next plot over, the Sheep Rodeo Palace.”
“Ropey name for a fancy hotel.”
“Ciril, you thinking they shoulda called you first?”
“For what?”
“Namin’ it, you tosser. You look manky, I’ll go in.”
“At least I don’t smell like bait.”
“Zip it Ciril, it was part of the initiation.”
“Churlish prat!”
“Don’t botch this job, and you’re in too.”
“Slapped in the puss with a mackerel?”
“Codswallopped , you twit.”
“Where is she?”
“We said Monday, right?”


I was trying for the feel of the movie- :Snatch"


July 19th 2013;

Writing contest!

All those books from ThrillerFest need a new home so it's time for a writing contest!

This week, let's celebrate Mike Cooper's FULL RATCHET (and the great opening scene I talked about yesterday!) with a contest.

Usual rules:  Write a story using 100 words or fewer.

Include these words in the story:

Coop
Claw
Ratchet
Full
Back


So I toyed with this entry:

“Ahh crap, I hate that fuckin sound.” Vinnie muttered as he ducked into the Pawn shops dark entryway. He squinted at the angled storefront’s reflection and confirmed his hunch. Behind him a beat up old Caddy drove by, with its trademark whine from the broken power steering.
          “Ha, Petrov’s sending Ratchet and Clank in their rusty chicken coop-de-ville. Said two weeks…. I’ll pay him back in full alright.”
          He walked into the pawn shop with his last twenty.
“Got any hammers?” Vinnie asked.
“Couple ball peens.”                                                          
“Nah’ framing hammer, straight claw.”
“Got one… kinda rusty.”

“Even better…. I’ll take it.”


And the results were....not a winner but a mention. Which truth be told just keeps me doing it for my own improvement.

Friday, July 26, 2013

Writing contest results

It took me a while to read all the entries for the FULL RATCHET writing contest mostly cause you guys are starting to scare the bejeebers out of me! 

Special recognition for a great line or three:

Ha, Petrov’s sending Ratchet and Clank in their rusty chicken coop-de-ville
french sojourn 9:00am


Anyway, thats an update as to my writing status. I am trying like hell to get "Port Templar" finished up so I can take it to Saskia's home for christmas. We are flying to L.A. for the holidays and I want to have her reading group review the manuscript. Sounds so poser-ish calling it that.

Cheers Hank