Cheryl Burman's Blog: Blog posts for readers and writers, page 39

intimacy cheese stool

Today’s writing prompt and my response.

Last day of this week’s challenge! The tale begins here.
intimacy cheese stool: use these three words

The giant mouse glowered. ‘Don’t know anything,’ it insisted. But its whiskers wavered.

‘How about,’ Miriam said, smiling slyly, ‘I fetch you a nice lump of cheese, and then you can tell me what you know.’

The mention of cheese perked the creature up. ‘Promise you’ll come back?’

‘Promise you’ll tell me everything?’

A pause. ‘Ok, but it’s not a lot.’

M...

I don’t think I could live alone again

Today’s writing prompt and my response.

Day five of this week’s challenge! One more day to go. The tale begins here.
‘I don’t think I could live alone again.’

The owner of the high voice was unlike any creature Miriam had come across. A giant mouse with pink eyes and long, finger-like claws stood among bits of paper and coloured cardboard littering the shed floor. Garbage overflowed from a large green basket which she was sure once housed boxes of fertiliser and plant food. A mouse and...

Picture prompt – mouse!

Today’s writing prompt and my response.

Day four of this week’s challenge! The tale begins here.
Picture prompt – mouse – see below

Miriam couldn’t sleep. The warm, sticky August night suggested a pending storm. She shoved her pillow this way and that, pushed off her cotton blanket, wriggled into a cooler space in the hot bed. For the first time, she was grateful she no longer shared her bed. A little grateful anyway. Thoughts of her sweet husband, dead these five years, made her even ...

She had made a poor job …

Today’s writing prompt and my response.

Day three of this week’s challenge! The tale begins here.
She had made a poor job of hiding the damage

As she gazed, Miriam’s eyes took in something she’d not seen before. How had she missed it? She hurried out of her back door, across the neatly mown lawn to the fence where she and Dorothy had spent many a pleasant moment chatting about the frailty of mankind – and one man in particular.

Dusk was approaching, but late sunlight lit up a stran...

There had been many theories ..

Today’s writing prompt and my response.

Day two of this week’s challenge! The tale begins here.
There had been many theories about how she had been murdered

That chat over the fence was twenty years ago now, and it had been the last time Miriam saw Dorothy. She hadn’t worried at first. It wasn’t unusual for her neighbour to be busy in the house – which had to be kept spotless or suffer the consequent abuse – or to be running errands. He never left the house, except on a Friday night fo...

Use only dialogue or emails …

Today’s writing prompt and my response.

Day one of this week’s challenge!
Use only dialogue or emails to tell a story

‘Your primroses are looking lovely, Miriam.’

‘Thank you, Dorothy. They just popup all over the place, don’t they?’

‘They do, and in some places more than others I find.’

‘Have you started on your veg yet?’

‘Bit early, but I might give the beds a good rake and dig in some compost. It should be nice and rich by now, the stuff that went in last year’s bin.’

‘Lucky you, having tw...

Yesterday Finally Dog

Today’s writing prompt and my response.

Day four, and last, of the story. To read from the beginning, go here.
Yesterday, finally, dog: three words to use

It wasn’t until our last evening, over a luscious dinner in the grand dining room, that Aunty – and Patty – discovered which company Alan worked for. By that time, the house and garden’s charisma, strolls around the sparkling lake, good food and a glass or three of excellent wine, had served to bring out the less boring aspects of Al...

By a sparkling and cool lake …

Today’s writing prompt and my response.

Day three of the story. The challenge is to turn the week’s worth of prompts into one tale. To read from the beginning, go here.
By a sparkling and cool lake, my auntie dreamt of more

‘My dear! How lovely to hear from you.’

Guilt twinged. It had been months since I’d been in contact with my aunt. Time just gets away.

‘Hi Aunty, how’s everything?’

‘Good, dear, very good. But it would be even better if you came to visit me.’ She hurried on in her...

I won’t lie to you…

Today’s writing prompt and my response.

Day two of the story. The challenge is to turn the week’s worth of prompts into one tale. To read from the beginning, go here.
I won’t lie to you. Elly had grown accustomed to good company.

This was about the time my friend and housemate Elly met this group. Elly worked in marketing for a major PR firm, and I won’t lie to you, she had grown accustomed to good company. Which is why I found it strange she had begun to hang out with what I considere...

Patty was known for stealing …

Today’s writing prompt and my response.

This is day one of the story. The challenge is to turn the week’s worth of prompts into one tale. Let’s see!
Patty was known for stealing from her friends

They loved her anyway. How could one not love that smile, the freckles across her pert nose, the glitter in her mischief green eyes? They all fell for it.

Most of the stealing wasn’t actual stealing. She wouldn’t take money directly from your purse or help herself to your new lipstick. No, it wo...