It's the will of the people...

Hello friends/neighbors/strangers/freaks!

It's been a touch nuts around these parts, and so the April Wordsmiths leaked through the sieve of available time into the drain of life. A sad thing, really. My apologies for not getting out the round-up in any decent kind of time.

But we are here to remedy the chronologic leakage with a May challenge so mind-boggling that it's bound to stop time for just a moment. This picture challenge is a result of a vote by the readers of NAY, if you can believe it, and even though there was a very happy alligator and a really cute baby chick picture as possible choices, THIS is what the people chose.



You know what to do - 500 words of story by the end of the month, post it on your blog, and leave a link in the comments that you wrote. It is my solemn promise to you that I WILL post the story round up in decent-er time, this time.

The March Round Up - at last

Gosh folks - where has the time gone? This is a seriously late roundup of the wordsmiths stories for March, which were prompted by this picture:


To Adail, this picture spoke words bittersweet

To Bobo, the picture spoke words opportunistic

To Deborah, the picture spoke words of childhood abandoned

To DB Grin, the picture spoke words of revenge

To Tiff, the picture spoke words of a new life, both in rough draft and edited form.

So many different views of the same thing - once again, an amazement to this writer. Thanks to all for contributing.

Round 'em up, Sulu!

So, anybody out there looking for links to last months' stories?


Well, here you are, served up fresh and hot from the grill of creativity. (The metaphors, they flow from my fingers with the ease of a lemming slipping over a cliff at horde time.)



Ron was unbelievably quick on the draw (pen? keyboard?) with a tale of sublime familial interaction.


Kenju almost got a story going...and we're still waiting for the rest of it.


Bobo got right to the heart of things while burning some appliances.


DB Grin introduced what may be the newest action hero to the world.


And Tiff mixed "reverence and horror" (thanks to Bobo for that phrase) in her 500 words.


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Next up?


This:



No rules this time either. Write what you like, and tell us that you did. For remember the Irish proverb: "He who comes with a story to you brings two away from you" which sounds positively lovely, doesn't it?

February, ah!

First, the results of the January Wordsmiths, as follows:

Bobo's all wet, or at least some folks in his story were.

Ron took the plunge and wrote.

Tiff had conflict avoidance issues.

Kingfisher did not.

No Celery Please broke the mould and wrote an ode.

Lots of fun reads, for sure. Our thanks to all who wrote, as always, the variety of takes on the subject matter was fascinating!

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Now to this month's picture challenge. You know what to do. Just have it done by the end of the month, and tell us that you did.

Forward Retreat

Yes, Wordsmiths took an unticipated hiatus. It seems your hosts, and others, were of the opinion that December was so full of other responsibilities little energy was left for this here a-writin' stuff thet takes a-thinkin'.

Before we get started, drop by Tiff's place and congratulate her on the Powerful Writing award she won. Well deserved, methinks.

After the before we get started, we are soliciting ideas for this site in 2008. What could be done differently? What could be improved? What works and what doesn't? Please feel free to give your input in the comments.

At the prestart after the after before start, think upon the Año Nuevo. It is a good time to look forward and reflect on the past, while we try to put our jumbled lives back to normal after the holidays.

Now start. Use the picture below and write a story. You know the drill: 500 words or less, blah,blah, blah. Submissions are due by a link in the comments by January 31.

Oh, and Happy New Year to you all!

Forward Retreat - Mark Tansey, 1986

Surreal Speeches

I think Tiff picked November's picture for its amibiguity. You people did not disappoint. Check out this genus of different species. A special welcome to two new contributors!

From Bobo - The Fix is energized.
From Farrago - Roar is saddened.
From Kingfisher - Listen Close is confused.
From No Celery Please - Without a Prayer is enlightened.
From The Only Daughter - Is It What It Is is unexpected.
From Rennratt - Done is tired.
From Tiff - What You Long For is disturbed.

Well done, and thank you. Tiff and I are throwing some ideas around for a workshop of sorts. Stay tuned for that, and the December challenge coming soon.

Look deeply, Look long

And tell us a story.

About this.


Post your tale before the end of November, please, and come back here to the comments to tell us you did.