Cheryl Burman's Blog: Blog posts for readers and writers, page 16

I waited quite a while to see if he had anything more to say

My mind is currently on dull to do lists (like updating the front and back pages of my other novels) while I get the new book organised for pre-order. I decided to give the AI a chance on this prompt, and honestly, it’s not bad at all. Gulp … I haven’t forgotten Janet and the parking lot though.

In the quiet of the cafe, I sat across from him, the weight of unspoken words hanging in the air. He glanced down, stirring his coffee absentmindedly, as if searching for the right words among the swi...

They put up a parking lot

Listening on the radio to a conversation about Joni Mitchell, aged 80 and still performing from time to time, led to this prompt. Somehow, I managed to get side-tracked into fairy princesses again. Maybe it was the ice cream castles in the air. Sorry!

The reason they moved here was because it was a great place to raise kids. The village was small, old, with a church dating back to the Normans, and a school considerably younger but not in its first youth by any means. The heart was the grandl...

It always happened on the last day of the month

Jilly woke long before the sun, a sense of expectation simmering inside her. Her mind still full of dreams, her eyes sleep heavy, she blinked at the silver light edging the bedroom curtains.

Expectation turned to excitement. Jilly rolled over and glanced at the clock. It wasn’t too early.

Slipping from her warm bed into the chilly air of the room, she dressed quickly in the clothes she’d laid out the night before – thick jeans and socks, heavy jumper – and crept onto the landing. The house was pre...

Life is a chair

Jamie’s day had not gone well. He’d woken late, tripped over the feet of the bedroom chair digging out what clothes were still fresh enough to wear again. Hurrying into the kitchen, pulling a sweater over his head, he bumped his hip on a chair on his way to grab a glass of water. No time for breakfast.

The queue at the coffee shop was too long for him to wait and still get to work on time. He had to forego his kick starter and turned about too quickly, tangling with the legs of a stool a th...

While he was cooking

While he was cooking, Marie explored his bookcase. She’d offered to help with the meal. Chris had shooed her away, softening the rejection by handing her a glass of white wine and an invitation to make herself at home.

‘This won’t take long,’ he said, chopping an onion with a chef’s professionalism.

Perhaps that’s what he did for a living. Marie hadn’t been able to get that piece of information from him in three dates. Mystery man, she called him – to his face – and said she would bide her time. ...

That was before the cat showed up

The party was a resounding success. Sophie poured herself another wine and glanced around. All her guests were busy chatting, hovering over the platters of nibbles. Laughter melded with the music.

She turned her head to the kitchen where a heated but friendly disagreement sounded loudly through the door. Something about whether the fancy little savoury pastries were ready yet. Sophie wandered that way. It was her party so she should possibly be involved in what was going on in the kitchen.

She ra...

Photographer in the snow picture prompt

Ella loved the park in all seasons. Two miles from home, she had found a more interesting way to reach there than tramping down the A road. Hidden pathways curled around new housing estates, ran beside tall laurel hedges and across suburban metal-fenced kiddies’ playgrounds to emerge into a sparsely treed area edging the northern end of the park.

There was a bench for Ella to dump her pack and bring out whatever equipment she needed that day for photographs. It all depended on the weather and th...

So the next week Bob and I walked again

Village life was new to me. I’m a city girl. I was a city girl, that is. Until circumstances brought me – drove me – to the quiet backwaters of rural life. I wasn’t settling well. Foggy, damp January isn’t a time to fall in love with the countryside. Leafless hedges, bare-branched trees, and a wind from the north which smelled of snow, although none fell to create a winter wonderland of my new surroundings.

The dog, on the other hand, had taken to this different life with uncalled-for zest. Each ...

He looked surprised and said …

The last instalment of Janet’s story. You can start here to read from the beginning.

Janet held her sword before her, going over all the moves she’d practised under the willow tree against the monsters sent by the Goblin king. Her heart boomed in her chest, yet her hands were steady, her eyes focused on the back of the great green monster.

Fairy flew swiftly ahead, reached the giant, and dive-bombed him from above. He growled a deep growl which vibrated through the cave and lifted his arm to ...

I hope you don’t think that’s too vain

Continuing last week’s stories which you can find here (Monday), here (Wed) here (Saturday) and part four here. I thought to wrap it up today, but it seems this story likes itself too much.

‘Ugghh.’ Janet crinkled her nose at the stink within the slime-dripped rock walls and the bone-strewn tunnel.

Dragon breathed a little fire and for a moment the smell was overtaken by the more pleasant one of hot flames. But …

‘Hush, Dragon,’ Janet softly warned. ‘We don’t want to give ourselves away too soo...