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Winner of Flash Fiction Contest #8 « Carrot Ranch Literary Community

27 Dec 2017 10 Comments

by Ritu in #CarrotRanch, Challenges Tags: #CarrotRanch, #FFRodeo, Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Winners

The last #FFRodeo competition, #8, has its winner announced, and I am humbled to say that along with a most deserving winner, I got an honourable mention for the TUFF challenge!

If you fancy checking out the entries, please go ahead and click the link below!

Thank you, Charli, for this amazing opportunity to stretch my creative mind!

To many writers, 99 words may hardly seem enough to tell a story. And yet, week after week I witness writers achieve compelling, emotive and imaginative stories in 99 words. Some are complete story…

Source: Winner of Flash Fiction Contest #8 « Carrot Ranch Literary Community

December 21 – Flash Fiction – White Flowers

22 Dec 2017 42 Comments

by Ritu in #CarrotRanch, Fiction, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: #CarrotRanch, Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Charli Mills, Flash Fiction, funeral, White Flowers

Charli’s prompt this week:

December 21, 2017 prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less) include white flowers in your story. This is a repeat prompt, but one that has an ability to be emotive. Humor, drama, irony — go wherever the white flowers lead.

December 21 Carrot Ranch Prompt @Charli_Mills

After reading Charli’s post, I felt the need to write something with a little sensitivity…

Ghajra

Arranging the ghajra in her hair, Hari allowed his eyes to drift over her form.
Meena looked as beautiful as she had, years before, on their wedding day.
As tradition states, she was dressed as a bride, ready to leave the house for the final time.
Hari had always bought her a fresh ghajra on his morning walk, and gently placed the fragrant white jasmine flowers around her hair bun.
The gesture made her smile, and she’d tease him about being an old romantic.
So, even today, on that journey to her funeral pyre, she lay, adored and adorned.

https://carrotranch.com/2017/12/21/dec-21-flash-fiction-contest/

December 14 – Flash Fiction – Only In…

15 Dec 2017 22 Comments

by Ritu in #CarrotRanch, Fiction, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: #CarrotRanch, Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Charli Mills, Drama, Flash Fiction, Indian Soap Operas, Only In

Charli’s prompt this week:

December 14, 2017 prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less) write a story using the phrase “only in…” It can be used to tell a story about a profession, a place or situation. Go were the prompt leads you.

There were so many possibilities! I wanted to write about things that happen only in my family, or only in school but didn’t want to offend, so I went for a slightly cultural one!!

Drama!!!!!

A knock at the door.
The man looks at his wife, who looks to her mother, who turns to her husband, who looks at his grandchild, who turns back to his father.
The doorbell sounds.
The boy looks at his mother who looks to her father, who looks at his son in law, who turns to his mother in law.
Pounding now.
Repeated looks.
Five minutes later the door is finally opened by the household servant.
A courier stands there with a letter.
Only in an Indian soap opera, does it take a whole episode to answer the door!

https://carrotranch.com/2017/12/14/december-14-flash-fiction-challenge/

December 7 – Flash Fiction – Performance – Nativity

08 Dec 2017 49 Comments

by Ritu in #CarrotRanch, Fiction, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: #CarrotRanch, Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Charli Mills, Children, Flash Fiction, Nativity, Performance, School

Charli’s prompt this week:

December 7, 2017 prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less) write that features a performance. You can interpret what is a performance any way the prompt leads you.

December 7 Flash Fiction Challenge at Carrot Ranch @Charli_Mills

Well, being as I work in school teaching, this time of year is filled with performances! We have the Nursery Christmas singing to parents, the Reception Nativity, the KS1 alternative Nativity, then Lower KS 2 and Upper KS 2 hold their performances of Christmas songs from around the world too!

I am personally involved in the Nursery and Reception performance preparations this year, and I have to say, my throat is hurting from the over singing we have to do, to compensate for the vast majority of the kids who stand and do nothing!

So it goes without saying that my piece for the week would be influenced by my day job!

Nativity

“Come on children, nice and loud now! Please no shouting – it’s singing we want to hear.”
Mrs Keeble started the intro on the school piano, and nodded to the class in front of her.
As usual, there were the performers: the children who thought they were born for the stage. There were the skulkers: the ones who stood at the back, heads down, hoping no one would notice them. And then there were the stunned: the ones who stood there, gawping, no sound leaving their mouths, eyes scanning the audience for family.
Wonderful!
Welcome to another infant Christmas performance!

https://carrotranch.com/2017/12/07/december-7-flash-fiction-challenge/

November 30: Flash Fiction Challenge – Self-Care – New Mum SOS

01 Dec 2017 42 Comments

by Ritu in #CarrotRanch, Fiction, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: #CarrotRanch, Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Charli Mills, Flash Fiction, New Mum, Self-Care

Charli’s prompt this week:

November 30, 2017 prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less) write a story that includes self-care. Does the character need it? What does the character do? Think about how you can use this action to deepen a character or move a story. Go where the prompt leads.

New Mum SOS

The crying was relentless, but who else was going to do anything?
He was at work all day, he needed his sleep.
She was exhausted.
“It’s okay,” they all said, “just sleep when the baby does. You’ll be fine!”
What world did they live in? Self-care with a newborn…? Impossible.
When was she meant to do the housework, the laundry, the cooking, if not when the little mite was taking his precious naps?
But after thirteen weeks of sleepless nights and little support from anyone, she was ready to muffle the cries with the pillow currently covering her head…

https://carrotranch.com/2017/11/30/november-30-flash-fiction-challenge/