A Lighter Look At Life

Competition Crazy

I entered a competition last week,

 It wasn’t for the squeamish or the meek,

Tiebreakers, crosswords, a word search or two,

It took all day and a night to do. Phew!

I’ve won a few comping prizes before,

But this one topped all with prizes galore,

Holidays, cars, bikes and a shopping spree,

Necklaces, which would look just right on me,

Expensive meals out, new kitchens, the works,

Bathrooms and beds were just some of the perks.

I was almost giddy with nerves and joy,

Surely I’d win something, but what? Oh boy!

Then I saw the booby prizes and cried,

‘I know I’ll win one, but at least I tried’,

Baked beans, loo roll, bin liners, take your pick,

Don’t competitions like this make you sick?

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Photo credit: Herinterest

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I Challenge You To…

Here’s this week’s photo prompt challenge. Where is the staircase? Where does it lead? Who is going to walk up or down it? Let your imagination go:

Last week saw you with two photo challenges. Here’s the first:

Here are your wonderful creative words:

Padre’s ramblings:

https://padresramblings.wordpress.com/2018/11/23/quiet-yard/

Geoff Le Pard:

http://geofflepard.com/2018/11/25/pearl-barley-and-the-recalcitrant-incumbent-prompt-shortfiction/

Val Fish:

The guests have all gone, and I’m sitting on our bed, our wedding photograph in my hands.
I brush my fingers across your face, imagining the taste of your lips on mine, wishing I could have just one last kiss.
I close my eyes and I can see you standing at the altar. I remember you turning your head and smiling and my nerves simply melting away.
I hear the music; ‘How Great Thou Art’; I sang it for you again today, were you listening?
I chose freesias for you today my darling, just as I carried in my bouquet all those years ago; their sweet perfume so evocative.
I go to the wardrobe and fish out your old scarf, wasn’t it only a few weeks ago you wore it last? I hold it to my face, feeling the softness against my cheek.
I drink in the faint aroma of Paco Rabanne.
Pieces of you, keeping you close.

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And here’s the other photo prompt:

Padre’s Ramblings:

https://padresramblings.wordpress.com/2018/11/30/gravy/

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Funny Of The Week

Well, that’s all right then…

Photo credit: Pinterest

Bite Size Writing Tips

Be Accurate

Facts and statistics are used in articles all the time. They often enhance an article, adding authority to it as well as interest. But those facts have to be right. You may have a deadline you need to meet, or it might be Friday afternoon and you want to get your article off before the weekend. That final piece of vital information could be proving to be elusive but you have a reasonable idea of what the figure/date/place/person is, so what do you do?

Even if it means a delay in submitting your work, you must check anything you’re not 100% sure about. An editor won’t thank you for making him look silly with information that’s incorrect and he’s unlikely to accept anything else from you again.

The Delights of Dubai

For two years a friend of mine had been urging me to visit her in Dubai, where she was working as a teacher. But I have to admit I really wasn’t keen. Perhaps I’d read too many negative newspaper reports about rules and regulations. Or maybe I simply thought it too modern and ugly. I was to be proved very wrong.

Eventually I gave in to the pleas and travelled to Dubai to stay with my friend for five days. At the airport, I was given a warm welcome and instantly I knew I was going to love my time in Dubai.

It really is a place of wonder and opulence, with dazzling delights at every turn. I thought I’d been to a big shopping mall before, but never have I been to one with an underwater zoo, ice rink, dinosaur, fountain with diving men (well, not real ones, but it’s a sight to behold all the same), flight simulator, or the entrance to the world’s tallest building. Oh, and that’s without even beginning to mention the plethora of shops – some full of the latest fashions, others dripping with sparkling jewellery, while the senses are assailed with a riot of sounds and scents.

As for the world’s tallest building, The Burj Khalifa, when I stepped out of the elevator and took a first peek out the window, on level 148, all I could think was wow, wow, wow! Huge hotels and towering skyscrapers looked miniscule. I felt as if I was looking down at a model village. Yet, I’d stood near some of those buildings and marvelled at their structure and presence. As I walked onto an outside viewing platform, the wind whipping around me, the stifling scorch of the heat assaulting me, looking over the Dubai vista, I felt as if I’d been taken to a whole new world. It’s a moment I’ll never forget.

But I didn’t just remain at The Dubai Mall during my stay. There were certainly plenty of other sights to enjoy. My friend took me to the soft golden sands of Jumeirah Beach, to a lavish brunch, brimming with tasty treats, as well as to a traditional and vibrant Arabian market (a souk).

There were also other trips planned – to Atlantis Aquaventure Waterpark and to a mosque, but there’s only so much you can pack into five days. It looks like I may well have to go back…         

 

I Challenge You To…

Here’s a new photo prompt for you this week. I hope it sets your mind thinking of stories, poems and limericks.

 

Last week, Sharon Harvey provided the photo prompt. If you feel inspired and would like to send something in, it’s not too late. Here’s the prompt:

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Markets For Writers

Here is a reminder that you only have until Friday to enter The Writers Bureau Flash Fiction Competition. Here are the details for you:

Prizes:

1st: £300

2nd: £200

3rd: £100

All winners will receive a Writers Bureau course of their choice worth over £370.

Entry fee: £5, three entries for £10

Word count: Up to 500 words

Closing date: 30th November 2018

Click on the link to the competition page to find out more.

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