A Chance Encounter

Happy Easter. So far although I have a little Cadbury’s Chocolate Rabbit, sitting on the side I have yet felt inclined to bite its ears off. I'm saving that delight until later when I’ll have a cup of tea and bunny ears!

I had some new ideas about the design of my garden and have started to put them in to practice. I have managed to burn much of the dried wood from the ‘vicious’ pruning of the shrubs last September and the four fence panels that came down during the high winds more recently. I have a nice little burner and managed to get rid of most of the wood, but still have enough for another burn up. However, that will have to wait as the rain has come down today and everything is wet again. I'm going to be creating a new patio – it won’t be perfect, but I will have done it on my own and as long as I can put a patio set on it along with a couple of plants in pots I will be happy. Thankfully I'm a girl for the simple things in life. A good job really!

This week’s writing challenge is to write about a chance encounter. This is to be written in the first person and allow the thoughts and feeling of your character to show through and to engage your reader with them. There are two encounters you can select from or try both. Chance encounters can be exciting, enlightening, disturbing or downright boring. How you deal with the situations below is up to you, but whatever you do make it real.

1. You are standing looking at the train information at Euston Station when a famous person comes over to speak with you only you don’t realise who they are until halfway through your conversation. What do you do?

2. You are standing in the Victoria and Albert museum in London admiring the collection of Samurai Swords when you hear: “That’s what you plunged into my heart when you left?” What do you do?

Remember to use all the bells and smells with this, emotion must be at the forefront of you mind which will allow your reader to involve themselves with your story.

I hope you have fun with this, so go on, get writing. 

Cat or Mouse tale?

Thankfully I've fully recovered from a very vicious stomach bug or food poisoning. Whichever it was, it was not very nice!

I have been working on some of my edits this week and by the end of the day I’ll have finished. As I was doing some tidying the other day, I came across the plotline of a YA that I’d but right to the back of the cupboard. After stopping and reading, I found it to be quite good. I think that might have to be my next project until I hear about the chapters I've recently sent out. One thing is for sure, I have started writing again proper which is wonderful. It has been a long time in coming.

One of the other passions, although I'm not that good at it, is gardening. I'm a sort of plant it and hope for the best type of gardener. Over the last couple of days I've been out mowing and blew up the mower, it is now in the pile ready for the tip. I'm hoping the grass doesn't grow too quickly until the end of the month when I can go off and purchase another mower. I've also been cutting back shrubs, planting up a few tubs and visiting the garden centre to see what plants I can get.

I was surprised to find my old ‘Mouse Trap Game’ from my father’s house when we were up there on Thursday. I have bought it home and put it down on the sitting room floor to await a game or two. However someone had discovered it too.

You might have already guessed, but if not, this is your writing prompt for this week. Use the image to create a piece of poetry or prose dependent upon your preference.

So go on, get writing. 

An image with a story to tell.

A productive week – hope that is a good sign. I'm sure it isn't just me that realises that the weeks are racing by. Often it stars off at Monday morning with the familiar sound of groaning as we all stumble out of bed to begin the working week, only to suddenly find that it 3 pm on a Friday and we are only a few hours away from the weekend. This is great, however I've found that the precious weekend appears to be going even quicker - now that just isn't cricket!

During this manically busy week I have written in the evenings and I'm about to carry on typing up edits. I've sent a piece of work out and caught up with people I've not seen in a long while. It has been great.

For this week’s writing challenge we are using a photo to stimulate our creativity.  Look at the image and write its history.

This can be a factual piece or a piece of creative writing. What has this chair endured over its life time? Did it belong to a much loved/hated grandfather or grandmother? Was it the first chair in which your lover first sat on your lap? Was it the chair brought specifically for your much love pet? Has it been in the family for generations and has been privy to many a story? Use your knowledge to draw a life around this chair. Show us what it has seen, felt and endured.

So what are you waiting for, get writing.