#ThursThreads – Page 12

#ThursThreads – Tying Tales Together – Week 605

Posted on April 11, 2024April 10, 2024 by Siobhan Muir

Tying Tales Together, #ThursThreads Year 11 Got a tale to tie on?

Welcome back to the home of #ThursThreads for Week 605. Today is Thursday and that means it’s time to start flashing on #ThursThreads, the challenge that ties tales together. Want to keep up each week? Check out the #ThursThreads #flashfiction group on Facebook and the Group on MeWe. Need the rules? Read on. Here’s how it works: The prompt is a line from the previous week’s winning tale. The prompt can appear ANYWHERE in your story and is included in your word count. The prompt must be used as is. It can be split, but no intervening words can be inserted or tenses changed. Rules to the Game: This is a Flash Fiction challenge, which means your story must be a minimum of 100 words, maximum of 250. The story must be new writing, not a snippet from something published elsewhere with the prompt added. Incorporate the prompt anywhere into your story (included in your word count). Post your story in the comments section of this post Include your word count in the post (or be excluded from judging) Include your social media handle or email in the post (so we easily notify you) The challenge is open 7 AM to 8 PM Mountain Time The winner will be announced on Friday, depending on how early the judge gets up. How it benefits you: You get a nifty cool badge to display on your blog or site (because we’re all about promotion – you know you are!) You get instant recognition of your writing prowess on this blog! Your writing colleagues shall announce and proclaim your greatness on Facebook, Bluesky, MeWe, and Mastodon, etc. Our Judge for Week 605: Florida girl and reader, Patricia Oak. And now your #ThursThreads Challenge, tying tales together. The Prompt: “I don’t really know how.” All stories written herein are the property (both intellectual and physical) of the authors. Comments do not represent the views of the host and the host reserves the right to remove any content. Now, away with you, Flash Fiction Fanatics, and show us your #ThursThreads. Good luck!

#ThursThreads – Week 604 – Winners

Posted on April 5, 2024April 5, 2024 by Siobhan Muir

Week 604 of #ThursThreads was a success, and y’all never disappoint. Thank you to everyone who writes each week. You made this happen. If you’ve just found us, welcome to the crew! May you come back again and write more great flash. A thousand thanks to Katheryn J. Avila for judging this week. Follow Siobhan Muir on Bluesky or check out the #ThursThreads #flashfiction group on Facebook or the #ThursThreads Group on MeWe to keep up with news, etc. Entries: Bill Engleson Siobhan Muir David A. Ludwig Honorable Mention Bill Engleson | Website Katheryn says: There’s so much history and world building in such a short conversation. Really well-written! winner announcement Week 604 Winner David A. Ludwig Katheryn says: I don’t think I’ve ever seen a story from the POV of someone with this power. It left me with a lot of questions – would the POV hop into the different duplicates? Can each duplicate see what the others see? Really left me wanting more! “I can’t believe she managed to hide one of her duplicates from me!” Toni Tyler stopped pacing to shake her head at the seated Helen Harper. Miss Tyler, better known as the Tinkerer, was the only person to ever make the Powered Response Unit with no Power of her own. Unless you counted her wealth or technology as Powers. “So, this is you?” Miss Tyler continued, activating a holographic screen in the center of the room. Helen frowned at the footage of three of her saving a client from a falling barbell. That angle had to be the security footage from Dan’s Gym. “How did you get—” “But you didn’t know you could duplicate before that?” Helen shook her head. Miss Tyler folded her hands thoughtfully behind her back. Silence. “What does that mean?” “I’m not certain. Can you duplicate now?” Helen wasn’t sure she wanted to. It felt weird before. Also, superhero her thought she’d be happier without her Power. “I, don’t really know how.” “How did you do it at Dan’s Gym?” Helen winced at the confirmation that the Tinkerer knew where she worked. “I just had to.” “Find a way to tap back into what you were feeling then.” That wasn’t hard. Helen had been trying not to do it all evening. She returned to the urgency and adrenaline then felt something lift out of her chest. A brief lightness was followed by a hand on Helen’s shoulder. She looked up and met her own gaze.~~~~~~~ Congratulations TWENTY-TWO TIME WINNER David, and Honorable Mentions Mark, Mary, and Bill! Don’t forget to claim your badges and display them with pride. You certainly earned it! Pass on the great news on Facebook, MeWe, Bluesky, Mastodon, shiny mirrors, Morse Code, and signal flags. Check out all the original tales HERE. Thanks for stopping by and happy reading! 🙂

#ThursThreads – Tying Tales Together – Week 604

Posted on April 4, 2024April 1, 2024 by Siobhan Muir

Welcome back to the home of #ThursThreads for Week 604. Today is Thursday and that means it’s time to start flashing on #ThursThreads, the challenge that ties tales together. Want to keep up each week? Check out the #ThursThreads #flashfiction group on Facebook and the Group on MeWe. Need the rules? Read on. Here’s how it works: The prompt is a line from the previous week’s winning tale. The prompt can appear ANYWHERE in your story and is included in your word count. The prompt must be used as is. It can be split, but no intervening words can be inserted or tenses changed. Rules to the Game: This is a Flash Fiction challenge, which means your story must be a minimum of 100 words, maximum of 250. The story must be new writing, not a snippet from something published elsewhere with the prompt added. Incorporate the prompt anywhere into your story (included in your word count). Post your story in the comments section of this post Include your word count in the post (or be excluded from judging) Include your social media handle or email in the post (so we easily notify you) The challenge is open 7 AM to 8 PM Mountain Time The winner will be announced on Friday, depending on how early the judge gets up. How it benefits you: You get a nifty cool badge to display on your blog or site (because we’re all about promotion – you know you are!) You get instant recognition of your writing prowess on this blog! Your writing colleagues shall announce and proclaim your greatness on Facebook, Bluesky, MeWe, and Mastodon, etc. Our Judge for Week 604: Programmer by day, writer by night, Katheryn J. Avila. Facebook | Bluesky | Goodreads | And now your #ThursThreads Challenge, tying tales together. The Prompt: “I just had to find a way.” All stories written herein are the property (both intellectual and physical) of the authors. Comments do not represent the views of the host and the host reserves the right to remove any content. Now, away with you, Flash Fiction Fanatics, and show us your #ThursThreads. Good luck!

#ThursThreads – Week 603 – Winners

Posted on March 29, 2024 by Siobhan Muir

Week 603 of #ThursThreads was a success, and y’all never disappoint. Thank you to everyone who writes each week. You made this happen. If you’ve just found us, welcome to the crew! May you come back again and write more great flash. A thousand thanks to Mark Ethridge for judging this week. Follow Siobhan Muir on Bluesky or check out the #ThursThreads #flashfiction group on Facebook or the #ThursThreads Group on MeWe to keep up with news, etc. Entries: Bill Engleson Mark A. Morris Siobhan Muir Sheilagh Lee Alex Minns David A. Ludwig Honorable Mention Mark A. Morris | Website Mark says: Just because it a good start to a story, or a good flag about how a story could go. The idea that heaven isn’t all it’s cracked up to be is good for me. winner announcement Week 603 Winner Alex Minns Mark says: I cannot resist the science fiction type style of this story. Downloading the dying guy into a robot. You can do a lot with that idea. ‘How are you holding up?’ He stared at me. ‘I am not holding anything.’ ‘No, it means how are you.’ I tried again. I waited, resisting the urge to say more, to try and force a response. ‘I see.’ His head tilted to one side as he considered the question. ‘My systems are working at optimum speed.’ His head righted itself as he blinked. He didn’t need to blink but the artificial eyes just staring at you constantly was off-putting after a while. ‘Thank you for asking. What are you holding up?’ I sighed. I’d gone over his plans, done everything just as he’d designed it, but he’d never had a chance to test it. I should probably have not used the first model but if there were issues in the robotic design that Cal had designed, then there was no hope that I was going to be able to solve them. It should have been a miracle that the thing even turned on, let alone was sentient. It could think for itself although it had very little database knowledge to base its thoughts on. I hadn’t had time to think about the consequences. Cal had planned on using artificial consciousnesses. But when the accident happened, he’d staggered to the lab and I knew there was nothing I could have done. The only way to save him was to download him. Cal was in that metal head somewhere. I just had to find a way to wake him up.~~~~~~~ Congratulations Three Time Winner Alex, and Honorable Mention Mark! Don’t forget to claim your badges and display them with pride. You certainly earned it! Pass on the great news on Facebook, MeWe, Bluesky, Mastodon, shiny mirrors, Morse Code, and signal flags. Check out all the original tales HERE. Thanks for stopping by and happy reading! 🙂

#ThursThreads – Tying Tales Together – Week 603

Posted on March 28, 2024March 27, 2024 by Siobhan Muir

Welcome back to the home of #ThursThreads for Week 603. Today is Thursday and that means it’s time to start flashing on #ThursThreads, the challenge that ties tales together. Want to keep up each week? Check out the #ThursThreads #flashfiction group on Facebook and the Group on MeWe. Need the rules? Read on. Here’s how it works: The prompt is a line from the previous week’s winning tale. The prompt can appear ANYWHERE in your story and is included in your word count. The prompt must be used as is. It can be split, but no intervening words can be inserted or tenses changed. Rules to the Game: This is a Flash Fiction challenge, which means your story must be a minimum of 100 words, maximum of 250. The story must be new writing, not a snippet from something published elsewhere with the prompt added. Incorporate the prompt anywhere into your story (included in your word count). Post your story in the comments section of this post Include your word count in the post (or be excluded from judging) Include your social media handle or email in the post (so we easily notify you) The challenge is open 7 AM to 8 PM Mountain Time The winner will be announced on Friday, depending on how early the judge gets up. How it benefits you: You get a nifty cool badge to display on your blog or site (because we’re all about promotion – you know you are!) You get instant recognition of your writing prowess on this blog! Your writing colleagues shall announce and proclaim your greatness on Facebook, Bluesky, MeWe, and Mastodon, etc. Our Judge for Week 603: Computer IT master, flashfiction writer, and human, Mark Ethridge. Bluesky | Discord | And now your #ThursThreads Challenge, tying tales together. The Prompt: “How are you holding up?” All stories written herein are the property (both intellectual and physical) of the authors. Comments do not represent the views of the host and the host reserves the right to remove any content. Now, away with you, Flash Fiction Fanatics, and show us your #ThursThreads. Good luck!

#ThursThreads – Week 602 – Winners

Posted on March 22, 2024 by Siobhan Muir

Week 602 of #ThursThreads was a success, and y’all never disappoint. Thank you to everyone who writes each week. You made this happen. If you’ve just found us, welcome to the crew! May you come back again and write more great flash. Follow Siobhan Muir on Bluesky or check out the #ThursThreads #flashfiction group on Facebook or the Group on MeWe to keep up with news, etc. Entries: Bill Engleson Sheilagh Lee Siobhan Muir David A. Ludwig Mark A. Morris Louisa Bacio Kelly Heinen Joel Sandersen Honorable Mentions Joel Sandersen | Website Siobhan says: Joel’s tale both made me laugh and made me sad. Money talks in all situations – whether regular human business or that of the Fae and gnomes. Fun tale. Mark A. Morris | Website Siobhan says: I find it amusing that a vampire actually has allergies of a sort. Vegans just don’t provide enough protein, I guess. Made me chuckle. winner announcement Week 602 Winner David A. Ludwig Siobhan says: The last line! Oh my glory, I laughed so hard I had to make sure I wasn’t over my keyboard. I loved it. I also loved the rather guilty chagrin of her father admitting that. Great tale. “You knew this whole time and never told me?” Helen Harper wasn’t letting this one go. Even if it meant following her father into his gun safe. She didn’t mind him having guns. She just wasn’t excited by the craftsmanship and couldn’t stand the noise or recoil. “You told me not to! The other you. Was she wrong?” How was Helen supposed to answer that? She was still trying to wrap her head around the fact that she was the multiplying superhero, Gemini. Probably not even the original. “Wait. Are you still in touch with her?” “I was nine days ago. She said she’d be incommunicado for a while.” Colonel Harper reached around the edge of his rifle display case. He pressed a hidden latch and the front of the case swung out, revealing a compact closet with several of Gemini’s super suits inside. “Now that you have her Power, you probably want one of these.” Helen ran a hand dumbly over the front leotard. Her father placed his hand firmly on her shoulder. “She thought you’d be happier not knowing. How are you holding up?” Helen slowly shook her head. “It’s been an eye-opener. Just how many of me are you in touch with?” “Only the three,” Colonel Harper coughed rather than continue. Helen searched her father’s face. “Me, the superhero, and…” She gasped. “The supervillain? She really is a distinct person?” Colonel Harper nodded while studying his shoes. “She calls on Mondays.”~~~~~~~ Congratulations TWENTY-ONE TIME WINNER David, and Honorable Mentions Joel and Mark! Don’t forget to claim your badges and display them with pride. You certainly earned it! Pass on the great news on Facebook, MeWe, Bluesky, Mastodon, shiny mirrors, Morse Code, and signal flags. Check out all the original tales HERE. Thanks for stopping by and happy reading! 🙂

#ThursThreads – Tying Tales Together – Week 602

Posted on March 21, 2024March 20, 2024 by Siobhan Muir

Welcome back to the home of #ThursThreads for Week 602. Today is Thursday and that means it’s time to start flashing on #ThursThreads, the challenge that ties tales together. Want to keep up each week? Check out the #ThursThreads #flashfiction group on Facebook and the Group on MeWe. Need the rules? Read on. Here’s how it works: The prompt is a line from the previous week’s winning tale. The prompt can appear ANYWHERE in your story and is included in your word count. The prompt must be used as is. It can be split, but no intervening words can be inserted or tenses changed. Rules to the Game: This is a Flash Fiction challenge, which means your story must be a minimum of 100 words, maximum of 250. The story must be new writing, not a snippet from something published elsewhere with the prompt added. Incorporate the prompt anywhere into your story (included in your word count). Post your story in the comments section of this post Include your word count in the post (or be excluded from judging) Include your social media handle or email in the post (so we easily notify you) The challenge is open 7 AM to 8 PM Mountain Time The winner will be announced on Friday, depending on how early the judge gets up. How it benefits you: You get a nifty cool badge to display on your blog or site (because we’re all about promotion – you know you are!) You get instant recognition of your writing prowess on this blog! Your writing colleagues shall announce and proclaim your greatness on Facebook, Bluesky, MeWe, and Mastodon, etc. Our Judge for Week 602: Scottish Word Slinger, Dauntless romance author, and #ThursThreads host, Siobhan Muir. Facebook | Bluesky | Patreon | Eden Books | And now your #ThursThreads Challenge, tying tales together. The Prompt: “It’s been an eye-opener.” All stories written herein are the property (both intellectual and physical) of the authors. Comments do not represent the views of the host and the host reserves the right to remove any content. Now, away with you, Flash Fiction Fanatics, and show us your #ThursThreads. Good luck!

#ThursThreads – Week 601 – Winners

Posted on March 15, 2024March 15, 2024 by Siobhan Muir

Week 601 of #ThursThreads, and y’all never disappoint. We’ve made it 11 years! Well done and thank you to everyone who writes each week. You made this happen. If you’ve just found us, welcome to the crew! You’re in good company. May you come back again and write more great flash. A thousand thanks to Louisa Bacio for judging this week. Check out the #ThursThreads #flashfiction group on Facebook or the #ThursThreads Group on MeWe to keep up with news, etc. Entries: Bill Engleson Siobhan Muir Eric Martell Mark A. Morris David A. Ludwig Patty Dump M.T. Decker Louisa says: First, the humor this week was on point! I absolutely giggled through some of the pieces. Amazing how the everyday prompt inspired such different tales. Honorable Mentions Eric Martell | Website Louisa says: The scenario and interactivity between the couple in Martell’s flash stood out. He captured the mundane of a relationship past due and layered intrigue for conflict. There’s a direct contrast of the old and the sharp novelty of the new job and adventures. Side note: I had to Google Andy Sipowicz. Special Mention Patty Dump Louisa says: I very much enjoyed the format of Patty Dump’s story with the bulleted points and then unraveling of the storyline. winner announcement Week 601 Winner Mark A. Morris Louisa says: Can I be completely turned off and intrigued at the same time? Obviously. Morris brought a new level to descriptions with: “The wart on her chin wobbled, the nubbin twitching in a widdershins direction as she whirled the tea around.” I appreciated the explanation of the new fortune teller’s job – as if it’s everyday work! Madame Zelda swirled her tea. The contents of her cup were a murky beige spotted with islands of cream, the clots stubbornly refusing to break up. There was thunder in the air, and her additional senses were tingling. “How was your first week on the job?” Madelaine pursed her lips and rocked her head, considering the experiences she’d amassed. She’d already learned nothing was what it seemed. And that Madame’s respect had to be earned. And you volunteered nothing until you had the clients’ cash tribute tucked away in your hand. Finesse was for amateurs. Professionals did nothing for free. “It’s been an eye-opener,” she said. “An education.” Madame Zelda took a drink. The wart on her chin wobbled, the nubbin twitching in a widdershins direction as she whirled the tea around. “Hmmph,” she said, remaining tight-lipped. “Your mouth’s moving, but you’re saying nothing.” She spat her drink into the cup, not caring if it sprayed her apprentice. She was here to clean, prepare the tent and engage the marks in polite conversation. She’d be her eyes and her ears on the outside, eliciting information, guiding their clients into divulging the information they’d come here to hear. “Well,” Madelaine continued, feeling uncertain. “Everybody knows this is all a sham, but they still want to believe. The crystal ball and the velvet drapes – they’re window dressing. A feng shui for the unimaginative.” Madame Zelda shook her head. There was still a lily pad outside on the pond needing a sitter.~~~~~~~ Congratulations THIRTY-EIGHT TIME WINNER Mark, and Honorable Mention Eric! Don’t forget to claim your badges and display them with pride. You certainly earned it! Pass on the great news on Facebook, MeWe, Bluesky, Mastodon, shiny mirrors, Morse Code, and signal flags. Check out all the original tales HERE. Thanks for stopping by and happy reading! 🙂

#ThursThreads – Tying Tales Together – Week 601

Posted on March 14, 2024March 12, 2024 by Siobhan Muir

Welcome back to the home of #ThursThreads for Week 601. Today is Thursday and that means it’s time to start flashing on #ThursThreads, the challenge that ties tales together. Want to keep up each week? Check out the #ThursThreads #flashfiction group on Facebook and the Group on MeWe. Need the rules? Read on. Here’s how it works: The prompt is a line from the previous week’s winning tale. The prompt can appear ANYWHERE in your story and is included in your word count. The prompt must be used as is. It can be split, but no intervening words can be inserted or tenses changed. Rules to the Game: This is a Flash Fiction challenge, which means your story must be a minimum of 100 words, maximum of 250. The story must be new writing, not a snippet from something published elsewhere with the prompt added. Incorporate the prompt anywhere into your story (included in your word count). Post your story in the comments section of this post Include your word count in the post (or be excluded from judging) Include your social media handle or email in the post (so we easily notify you) The challenge is open 7 AM to 8 PM Mountain Time The winner will be announced on Friday, depending on how early the judge gets up. How it benefits you: You get a nifty cool badge to display on your blog or site (because we’re all about promotion – you know you are!) You get instant recognition of your writing prowess on this blog! Your writing colleagues shall announce and proclaim your greatness on Facebook, Bluesky, MeWe, and Mastodon, etc. Our Judge for Week 601: College professor, equality enthusiast, and romance author, Louisa Bacio. Facebook | Bluesky | Instagram | And now your #ThursThreads Challenge, tying tales together. The Prompt: “How was your first week on the job?” All stories written herein are the property (both intellectual and physical) of the authors. Comments do not represent the views of the host and the host reserves the right to remove any content. Now, away with you, Flash Fiction Fanatics, and show us your #ThursThreads. Good luck!

#ThursThreads – Week 600 – Winners

Posted on March 8, 2024March 9, 2024 by Siobhan Muir

Wow. Six Hundred Weeks of writing flash fiction. I’m blown away! Well done and thank you to everyone who wrote this week and writes each week. You made this happen. May you come back again and write more great flash. A thousand thanks to George Varhalmi for judging this week. Check out the #ThursThreads #flashfiction group on Facebook or the #ThursThreads Group on MeWe to keep up with news, etc. Entries: Bill Engleson Melissa Bennett Sheilagh Lee Nellie Batz Alex Minns Siobhan Muir David A. Ludwig Eric Martell Kelly Heinen Katheryn J. Avila M.T. Decker Louisa Bacio George says: First off, this was a really hard challenge to meet there, Siobhan, but truly worthy of a week 600 challenge. Having to pick five winners for specific categories was difficult but a lot of fun in the end. Thank you for letting me have the honor of the challenge. In short there were a lot of great stories and many categories came down to a toss-up. Honorable Mention Katheryn J. Avila | Website George says: It was a sad but sweet tale of a love lost. Filled with strong emotion it was poignant of how their relationship drifted apart. A lost romance that it feels like neither individual really knew how to salvage. Very good story. Best Suspense Tale Bill Engleson | Website George says: This was a great suspense tale ending with urgency. It started off slow that escalated quickly making it a thrilling piece of suspense. Nicely done. Now the rush is on if Danny can get to June in time. Best LGBTQ+ Tale Siobhan Muir | Website George says: While technically ineligible as the host of the blog. As the sole LGBTQIA+ tale, I felt it still needed to be called out and acknowledged. It was an excellent piece with added suspense. Well written and what a great ending. Most Romantic Tale M.T. Decker | Website George says: While it is a great piece of science fiction I found it to be more on the romantic side. Great setup. Even in an alien society, the world may not be ready for the love they share. It was poignant and heartfelt. Best Sci-Fi Tale David A. Ludwig | Website George says: While the focus may have been on Gemini through the eyes of Helen, she let her skills or multiples step in during a time of urgency, maybe breaking out her secret unintentionally. What a great ending and tale. Curious to see where it goes. winner announcement Week 600 Winner Kelly Heinen George says: This was an awesome tale and the overall winner this week. Dad’s having a little difficulty with retirement and passing the reins to the next version of Death. His office, that is so funny, is not what it used to be so how to up the ante, focus on a non-existent heir and create doubt. That was insidious. Framed photos of my family line the stone walls of my office. It is worth noting that photography will not be invented for another twenty years. My family have always been ahead of the times. “You’ve moved all my stuff.” My father settles into the wooden chair that sits in front of my desk. The red cushion disappears under his black robes, as he crosses one leg over the other, steepling his fingers. Realizing that I am sitting the same way, I adjust my position. “You did ordain me as The One True Death and move into your retirement. Thus, it was natural for me to rearrange the office to my liking.” “How was your first week on the job?” “Challenging, as expected. It is not easy approving people to die. However, my Time Keepers and Deathers have done a great job selecting the hour glasses and crossing people over.” Father glances around the cavern-like room, my framed photos insufficient to mask the thrummingsilence. Father and I have always been close, but suddenly, we feel distant. “How do you plan to proceed over the next two hundred years?” I had not given it much thought and say as much. Father stands, his chair grating on the stones, and I flinch. “Thus far, you lack an heir, and in two hundred years, that will be a problem.” The door slams behind him, making me think two hundred years will go by quicker than I would prefer.~~~~~~~ Congratulations TWENTY TIME WINNER Kelly, Honorable Mention Katheryn, and Genre Winners Bill, Mary, and David! Don’t forget to claim your badges and display them with pride. You certainly earned it! Pass on the great news on Facebook, MeWe, Bluesky, Mastodon, shiny mirrors, Morse Code, and signal flags. Check out all the original tales HERE. Thanks for stopping by and happy reading! 🙂