#WritingCommunity – Siobhan Muir

#ThursThreads – Week 659 – Winners

Posted on May 9, 2025May 9, 2025 by Siobhan Muir

Week 659 of #ThursThreads was a success, and y’all never disappoint. Thank you to everyone who writes each week. You are why we’re still doing this, and why we’ve made it 12 YEARS! If you’ve just found us, welcome to the crew! May you come back again and write more great flash. A thousand thanks to M.L. Gammella 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 Silver James Mark Ethridge Siobhan Muir David A. Ludwig K.R. Van Horn Sheilagh Lee Honorable Mention Sheilagh Lee | Website Miranda says: On the opposite end, there’s this bittersweet story. I loved how they turned the prompt phrase into a theme of the entire tale. Excellent story on saying goodbye and family. winner announcement Week 659 Winner K.R. Van Horn M.L. says: I loved the whimsy in this tale. It was very descriptive and you can’t help but get sucked in and want to keep reading to see what happens with this most unique couple. It was a sweet little bit of happiness that I was happy to read. 𝙈𝙮 𝘼𝙘𝙘𝙪𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙍𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘿𝙖𝙮 𝙄 𝙈𝙚𝙩 𝙈𝙮 𝙒𝙞𝙛𝙚 I found her on the third Tuesday of ambition. She was sitting beneath a tree that looked suspiciously like a lamp post, eating lemon drops from a hollowed-out paperback. The sky smelled faintly of vanilla, and when she laughed, the clouds blinked. We’d been talking. Or maybe we hadn’t. One thing was certain, though. The conversation had a definite beginning. “I love you,” I said. It slipped out ahead of my lips like it had somewhere to be. She tilted her head as if listening for something only the universe could say aloud. “Love? Like… ‘we’ve built a life together and shared a thousand Tuesdays’ kind of love?” “No, no,” I said quickly, shaking my pockets in case something wise fell out. “More like… love as in, I don’t know. I’m glad I met you.” Her eyes were the color of a thought I hadn’t finished yet. Something bright but just out of reach. “You make me better.” She tilted her head. “I do?” “Yes. So I love you. Maybe not as a woman, yet. But as a human. A human woman. When we’re together, I’ll hold you and breathe you in.” She studied me. “I mean it,” I said, standing straighter, storybook-bold. “I love you, human woman!” She smiled. “You don’t even know my name.” “That’s no problem,” I replied. “It’s probably something excellent.” She laughed again, and this time, it rained upside-down. “Should we build a staircase to the moon and paint it green?” Something real had happened.~~~~~~~ Congratulations Six Time Winner K.R., and Honorable Mention Sheilagh! 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 659

Posted on May 8, 2025May 7, 2025 by Siobhan Muir

Welcome back to the home of #ThursThreads for Week 659. Year 12! What a fantastic testament to the writing community. Y’all rock! 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 US. 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 659: Desk Jockey by Day, Writer by Night, Pecking her way through life, M.L. Gammella. Facebook | Bluesky | And now your #ThursThreads Challenge, tying tales together. The Prompt: “That’s no problem.” 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 658 – Winners

Posted on May 2, 2025 by Siobhan Muir

Week 625 of #ThursThreads was a success, and y’all never disappoint. Thank you to everyone who writes each week. You are why we’re still doing this, and why we’ve made it 12 YEARS! If you’ve just found us, welcome to the crew! May you come back again and write more great flash. A thousand thanks to Jacob Summers 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 Silver James Siobhan Muir Jacob Summers Mark Ethridge David A. Ludwig K.R. Van Horn Sheilagh Lee Mark Honorable Mention Silver James | Website Jacob says: This was really well written. Maybe it’s my preference for the romantasy genre, but I got a sense of a small slice of a world very quickly, and complex characters. winner announcement Week 658 Winner David A. Ludwig Jacob says: Okay, I REALLY liked this one. I almost feel like this could be a pirate adventure on the water or in space. And the conflict that was built so quickly was amazing! “Bring her hard about, helmsman! We may be outgunned, but we can sail circles around that monstrosity.” Starlee Swann mounted the quarterdeck, one hand on the pommel of her rapier and her glowing eyes fixed on the HMS Temperance. “Belay that order, Shinichi!” Captain Rhea Damas lurched after her first mate, brandy bottle in one hand, bandolier and cutlasses in the other. “Outgunned, Miss Swann? We have no guns. That’s a navy ship of the line!” Starlee sneered at her captain’s bottle. “That’s why we need to board her from the rear.” “You’re. Not. Thinking.” Rhea emphasized each word with a tap of her bottle to her temple. “There must be a hundred sailors on Aguilar’s ship; if not two.” Starlee tossed her luminous hair back dismissively. “That’s no problem. Blitzi and I can handle thirty each. Pippi and her demon twenty. The rest of you just need to average a couple each.” “And if it’s two hundred?” “We do it twice.” Rhea did not need the puff shirted swashbuckler’s insubordination right now. Worse, she could sense the crew weighing their odds between Starlee’s bravado and Rhea’s bottle. There was a good drink or two left in the bottle and that was hard to give up. But Rhea had to take control of the situation. She threw it overboard. “We run. Elodie, how long to that reef we were avoiding?” “Thirty minutes? If Angelina can call us a favorable wind.” Rhea raised her voice to the assembled crew. “Set course!”~~~~~~~ Congratulations THIRTY TIME WINNER David, and Honorable Mention Silver! 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 658

Posted on May 1, 2025April 30, 2025 by Siobhan Muir

Welcome back to the home of #ThursThreads for Week 658 in Year 12! What a fantastic testament to the writing community. Y’all rock! 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 US. 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 658: Writer at Arms, Writer with Arms, and Pre-Published Romantasy Author, Jacob Summers. Facebook | Bluesky | Threads | And now your #ThursThreads Challenge, tying tales together. The Prompt: “And that was hard to give 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 657 – Winners

Posted on April 25, 2025April 25, 2025 by Siobhan Muir

Week 657 of #ThursThreads was a success, and y’all never disappoint. Thank you to everyone who writes each week. You are why we’re still doing this, and why we’ve made it more than 12 YEARS! If you’ve just found us, welcome to the crew! May you come back again and write more great flash. A thousand thanks to Silver James 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 Terri Mertz Sheilagh Lee David A. Ludwig K.R. Van Horn Silver says: I appreciate the talent y’all brought to the prompt this week. The amount of creativity is always a treat when I judge. This makes it tough to pick and choose because all of you are winners as far as I’m concerned. However, our host has rules. Therefore… Honorable Mention K.R. Van Horn | Website Silver says: I’ll admit, I have an affinity for crows cawing in the early morning so I might have been a tiny bit biased. Still, the stage was set, the story told, and now I want to know more about the crows, the groundskeeper, and the professional. Well written and well done. winner announcement Week 657 Winner David A. Ludwig Silver says: In very few words, David built a world, portrayed a character and put the plot in motion. I’m intrigued. This tale awakened my imagination and I want more! Awesome bit of storytelling here. Captain Noah Light threw himself into pulling the line taut, willing his exhaustion to weigh on the rope as much as it did on him until he could tie it off. The old man clutched the rail and staggered back to the helm. There were always jobs to do and he had only the memory of his crew to assist him. The wind stole Noah’s breath. The waves battered his body. Perhaps he should have retired a decade or two ago. But then, he hadn’t built the Sea Beacon out of a desire to be a captain—or even a sailor. His ship was built to help those in need. And that was hard to give up. What he needed was someone to pass the torch to. The compass in the helm had changed heading in the night and remained fixed since. The Sea Beacon was needed somewhere. Noah Light prayed he could get her there one last time.~~~~~~~ Congratulations TWENTY-NINE TIME WINNER David, and Honorable Mention K.R.! 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 657

Posted on April 24, 2025April 23, 2025 by Siobhan Muir

Welcome back to the home of #ThursThreads for Week 657 of Year 12! What a fantastic testament to the writing community. Y’all rock! 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 US. 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 657: Most Consistent #TT Winner, Newfie mom, and Romance Author, Silver James. Facebook | Goodreads | MeWe And now your #ThursThreads Challenge, tying tales together. The Prompt: “There were always jobs to do.” 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 656 – Winners

Posted on April 18, 2025 by Siobhan Muir

Week 656 of #ThursThreads was a success, and y’all never disappoint. Thank you to everyone who writes each week. You are why we’re still doing this, and why we’ve made it more than 12 YEARS! If you’ve just found us, welcome to the crew! May you come back again and write more great flash. A thousand thanks to Miranda Kate 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 Silver James Terri Mertz Sheilagh Lee David A. Ludwig K.R. Van Horn Mark Honorable Mention K.R. Van Horn | Website Miranda says: This short piece carried such emotion, and also carried intrigue as we got a glimpse of these characters and story in this single scene, I really liked it. Just remember to make sure you check the guidelines and follow them to the letter with the prompt. winner announcement Week 656 Winner David A. Ludwig Miranda says: A swashbuckling adventure. I loved the drunken captain, very well written and the story in itself was complete, but we got a twist at the end that gave us glimpse of a larger story. The Sea Beacon creaked and groaned. Elodie Lee frowned. “What are you sorry about?” More creaking timber. “Oh dear!” Elodie adjusted her thick spectacles and hurried up to the main deck. Starlee Swann, the first mate, was directing the crew. Elodie had charted the calmest route she could, but even under ideal conditions there were always jobs to do. The little navigator made straight for the hatch to the captain’s cabin and slid down the revealed ladder. Captain Rhea Damas was sprawled on the floor against her cot. A severely depleted brandy bottle in her hand. “Captain…” Elodie shook her head. “That bottle was for your birthday.” “Itssa good birthday,” Rhea sniffed with half lidded eyes. “How did you ever find it?” Rhea tapped the side of her nose with a finger. “If there’ss liquor about; I’ll find it.” The moment was shattered by the boom of cannon fire and an uncomfortably close splash. Captain Damas lurched to her feet, shouldering her bandolier and cutlasses, and scrabbled up the ladder to the deck with bottle in hand. Elodie followed apprehensively. Sea Beacon had already told her what was out there. Captain Damas scowled at the HMS Temperance off their starboard side. The flagship of the captain’s nemesis, Admiral Aguilar. “Sweet Isobella’s backside! How’d they sneak up on us?” Starlee turned sourly to the captain. “We think Lord Nacht cloaked their approach. Also, Angelina says she spied my uncle aboard.” “Damnation! Together three months and our enemies are already joining forces?!”~~~~~~~ Congratulations TWENTY-EIGHT TIME WINNER David, and Honorable Mention K.R.! 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 656

Posted on April 17, 2025April 16, 2025 by Siobhan Muir

Welcome back to the home of #ThursThreads for Week 656. Year 12! What a fantastic testament to the writing community. Y’all rock! 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 US. 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 656: Cat afficionado, Editor, and Mid Week Flash host, Miranda Kate. Facebook | BlueSky | Goodreads | And now your #ThursThreads Challenge, tying tales together. The Prompt: “How did you ever find it?” 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 655 – Winners

Posted on April 11, 2025 by Siobhan Muir

Week 655 of #ThursThreads was a success, and y’all never disappoint. Thank you to everyone who writes each week. You are why we’re still doing this, and why we’ve made it more than 12 YEARS! If you’ve just found us, welcome to the crew! May you come back again and write more great flash. A thousand thanks to Sabrina York 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 Silver James Kelly Heinen Sheilagh Lee David A. Ludwig Siobhan Muir Sabrina says: Thanks for the opportunity to read these great shorts. They were all fantastic! It was tough to choose a winner, but after much deliberation, I chose the following. Honorable Mention Silver James | Website Sabrina says: Excellent use of dialog and humor, and the clever interplay kept me engaged. winner announcement Week 655 Winner Bill Engleson Sabrina says: I loved the evocative setting. It took me there with two lovers lounging in the sunlight by a languid sea. Great characterization with few words drew a picture of a carefree spirit and a yearning lover. In short, it left me wanting to read more and remain in that idyll for a while. Yelapa Daydreaming After their morning swim they lay on the rocks and let the sun dry them. He couldn’t believe his good fortune. Or hers. Just being there, the sun bouncing off the quiet blue sea. “It’s a beautiful setting. How did you ever find it?” he asked. Besides the Palapa just above the water, she lived in a two-room adobe home further back on the property. Adjacent to the house was an outdoor shower and ablutions area. “It found me, I suppose,” she said. He rolled over on the rock, looked at her, touched her, said, “that sounds…mysterious isn’t the word I’m seeking…” “No,” she laughed that great laugh, enjoying the moment, and then said, “And I wasn’t laughing at you. I was laughing at me…which I truly enjoy…and it’s not any great mystery. You remember…I was …lost, you were too…but I was looking beyond where we were…I could have gone to India, I suppose, or Canada, which was fairly close and full of kids our age looking for a different sort of freedom…but…I landed here. Maybe I hoped Dylan would come back…” “But this house, your home…wonderful oceanfront…?” “Ah, a history lesson is needed. I offer thanks to some Spanish King for that gift to me. It’s a long walk along the bay. The people here, for the most part, like living close. Everyone owns the community. I lease…I guess that’s the word…so, not mysterious, just magical…” He nodded, clearly aware that he had a lot to learn.~~~~~~~ Congratulations THIRTY-EIGHT TIME WINNER Bill, and Honorable Mention Silver! 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 655

Posted on April 10, 2025April 9, 2025 by Siobhan Muir

Welcome back to the home of #ThursThreads for Week 655. Year 12! What a fantastic testament to the writing community. Y’all rock! 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 US. 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 655: Her Royal Hotness, historical and contemporary romance author, Sabrina York. Facebook | And now your #ThursThreads Challenge, tying tales together. The Prompt: “I was laughing at me.” 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!