Category: Writing Prompts

An Advent Tradition #flashfiction

Published on by Hugh W. Roberts64 Comments

December 3, 2020, prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story that includes family traditions. It can be related to any holiday or situation. How does the tradition impact the story or change the character? Go where the prompt leads!

An Advent Tradition – by Hugh W. Roberts

Not only have the new family in your area won the Christmas lights competition, but they’ve become known as the kindest and friendliest people in your district.

Next time you’re out walking, don’t look through their dining room window and watch them carrying out the tradition of raising a glass or two of red wine.

What you don’t realise is that the dark red liquid is that of one of your neighbours.

Unless you’re a vampire, you won’t know about this Advent tradition that has been going for over 666 years.

I’m dreaming of a red Christmas. Are you?

Written for the 99-word flash fiction challenge hosted by Charli Mills at the Carrot Ranch. Click here to join in.

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Avocado On Toast #flashfiction

Published on by Hugh W. Roberts43 Comments

November 12 2020, prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story that includes avocado toast. How can this be a story or a prop to a story? Use your senses and imagination. Go where the prompt leads!

Avocado On Toast – by Hugh W. Roberts

I always met Carl at this restaurant. But this foggy Thursday evening was much different.

The waiter looked at me peculiarly when I ordered two portions of avocado on toast.

A sudden burst of cold air crossed the table as he placed two plates of green coloured toast in front of me.

I couldn’t thank him. I couldn’t move, yet my ears picked up the sound of Carl’s voice cutting through the foggy night.

“Good. You’re ready. I’ve been waiting for your signal. I told you I’d come to get you when you ordered avocado on toast for us.”

Written for the 99-word flash fiction challenge hosted by Charli Mills at the Carrot Ranch. Click here to join in.

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This post is dedicated to my father, Emrys Roberts, who sadly passed away on October 22nd 2020. Rest in peace, Dad.

Emrys Roberts

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Lifesavers #flashfiction

Published on by Hugh W. Roberts47 Comments

October 30, 2020, prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story about life savers on any body of water. It can be a formal Coast Guard, historical or contemporary. It could be an individual who unexpectedly takes on the role. Go where the prompt leads!

Lifesavers – by Hugh W. Roberts

Cindy-Rose already knew that she wanted to follow in the footsteps of her father and save lives at sea.

“I’ve just saved Teddy and Giraffe from going underwater, Daddy.”

“I know, I saw you save them from falling into that big, strange puddle left by last night’s, weird storm,” responded her father.

“Thank you for saving our lives,” whispered Teddy into the ear of its owner. “Giraffe and I will always save you.”

Smiling, Cindy hugged her toys and counted down from her age of four before jumping into the puddle.

Only her yellow wellington boots and rainhat resurfaced.

Written for the 99-word flash fiction challenge hosted by Charli Mills at the Carrot Ranch. Click here to join in.

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Vacuuming #flashfiction

Published on by Hugh W. Roberts37 Comments

October 15, 2020, prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story about chores. It doesn’t have to be a western ranch chore; it can be any routine task. Go where the prompt leads!

Vacuuming – by Hugh W. Roberts

Having murdered his chore-loving wife, Herbert did the unthinkable and scattered her ashes throughout the house.

“That’ll teach you,’ Herbert chuckled. “Lived-in. Not a showhouse.”

On getting home from work the following day, the house was spotless. Unbeknown to Herbert, his wife had employed a domestic help to come in once a week.

That night, the sound of hoovering woke Herbert. Yet downstairs, the hoover was unplugged and stored under the stairs.

Questions: Had Herbert’s wife come back to haunt him? Was it time to buy a new vacuum cleaner? Or should he empty the cylinder of his wife?

Written for the 99-word flash fiction challenge hosted by Charli Mills at the Carrot Ranch. Click here to join in.

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Musophobia #flashfiction

Published on by Hugh W. Roberts36 Comments

September 17, 2020, prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story of mice. It can feature any variety of the little critters in any situation. Are they the character or the inciting incident? Use any genre, including BOTS (based on a true story). Go where the prompt leads!

Musophobia – by Hugh W. Roberts

They weren’t alive, but how had they got here?

Suffering from musophobia, Barbara made a quick exit from the beach that was full of mice.

Turning on the radio when she got home, she waited patiently for the early morning news.

“Reports are coming in of a ship having hit rocks off the coast of North Cornwall during last nights storms. Hundreds of freight boxes containing computer mice have broken up and ended up on the beaches along the coastline…”

Just the sight, thought, or the mere mention of the word ‘mice’ was as much as Barbara could take.

Written for the 99-word flash fiction challenge hosted by Charli Mills at the Carrot Ranch. Click here to join in.

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In And Out On The Radio #flashfiction

Published on by Hugh W. Roberts32 Comments

September 10, 2020, prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story that includes something heard on the radio. It can be from any station or era. What is heard? A song, announcement, ad? Think of how radion connects people and places. Go where the prompt leads!

In And Out On The Radio – by Hugh W. Roberts

“Hello,” said Juliet, knocking the side of the ostentatious object, “Who’s in there?”

“Come away,” demanded her mother.

“But how can all those people be in there? Why don’t they come out?”

“Don’t be silly! They can’t come out. They’re not inside the radio. They’re broadcasting from the BBC.”

“I want to broadcast from the BBC and come out on the radio,” demanded Juliet.

***

Forty-one years later.

“Today on BBC Radio 4, we’re interviewing actress, Juliet Greenwood,” announced the radio presenter. “Good morning, Ms Greenwood. Are the rumours true?”

“Yes, they are,” declared the radio soap opera star. “I’m gay.”

Written for the 99-word flash fiction challenge hosted by Charli Mills at the Carrot Ranch. Click here to join in.

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The Riddle of Twelfth Night

Published on by Hugh W. Roberts68 Comments

While trudging through the thick snow with her team, Judy Morrison’s mind was in overdrive. For years, she’d been trying to solve the puzzle of the thirteenth day of Christmas, something mankind had mistakenly taken for granted, and was now almost on the verge of solving the riddle.

Everybody thought that Christmas had twelve days, yet why did the twelfth night of Christmas fall on the thirteenth day?

Jonathan, Judy’s boyfriend, had given her twelve gifts: one on each day of the twelve days of Christmas. On the night he gave her gift number eleven, the night of January 4th, Judy had visions that the team were being watched by a mysterious force. As the clock struck midnight, and the twelfth day of Christmas arrived, Judy woke screaming from a terrible nightmare.  

“What’s wrong,” asked Jonathan, rubbing his eyes, as the cold winds battered their tent.

“We’re all going to die on the sixth day of January,” cried Judy.

“What? Don’t be silly. Go back to sleep. It was just a nightmare.”

Several minutes later, Judy found herself counting backwards to December 25th, the first day of Christmas. It still didn’t add up why ‘Twelfth Night’ was on the night of the 6th of January, still over a day away.

The following evening, Jonathan gave Judy the last of his gifts, an engagement ring. Tomorrow, they would celebrate with the rest of their group when they arrived at their final destination, the mysterious village of ‘Twelfth Night,’ alleged to only appeared on January 6th.

As they waited patiently for ‘Twelfth Night’ to appear, Judy Morrison finally solved the riddle. As she turned to Jonathan to reveal the secret of Twelfth Night, the hand of a mysterious force that had been watching them since the first day of Christmas, froze the group in time.

Its secret was safe again from mankind, a species which, one day, it would conquer.

***

Written in response to the Monthly Speculative Fiction Writing Prompt, from Diana, at Myths of the Mirror. Click here for full details.

© 2019 Copyright-All rights reserved-hughsviewsandnews.com.

Fluff #flashfiction

Published on by Hugh W. Roberts57 Comments

“Oh, my goodness, what are you doing?”

“Well, you did say you wanted me to help get the fluff out.”

“Yes, but not with a screwdriver. Is there anything else you can use?”

“No. Nothing to hand. Now, do you want me to remove the fluff from your belly button?”

“Yes, but I’m sure I can hear something creaking.”

“Oh, don’t worry about that. Right, here we go. Ready? A slight twist, and it should be out.”

“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!”

“Oh, I’m so sorry. I never expected that to happen. Allow me to pick up your bum and screw it back on.”

***

The moral of the story – never insert a screwdriver into your belly button and twist because your bum will fall off!

Written in response to Charli Mills 99 word flash fiction challenge with the theme of Navel.

© 2017 Copyright-All rights reserved-hughsviewsandnews.com.

 

Birthday #writespiration #flashfiction

Published on by Hugh W. Roberts45 Comments

Sacha Black challenges us to write something with ‘The Big Birthday’ theme using just 52 words (no more, no less).

52 Weeks: 52 Words Writespiration 2017

Birthday – by Hugh W. Roberts

“Happy 100th Birthday, George. There’s no point hiding. I know you’re in here. Two cards for you. One’s from the Queen; not that she or anyone else knows who you are.”

Closing the door to the cellar, Muriel wondered how long it took for the smell of a decomposing body to disappear.

© 2017 Copyright-All rights reserved-hughsviewsandnews.com.

 

Choke -#writespiration #flashfiction

Published on by Hugh W. Roberts45 Comments

Sacha Black challenges us to write something using the word ‘choke’ using just 52 words (no more, no less).

52 Weeks: 52 Words Writespiration 2017

Choke – by Hugh W. Roberts

Olive Mackeson had died choking on a cheese and sweet pickle sandwich, shortly after pulling out the choke on the dashboard of her car, as her foot slipped off the clutch, forcing the car into the path of an oncoming truck.

Registration number of the car – K, one, one, L, M, E

© 2017 Copyright-All rights reserved-hughsviewsandnews.com.