My blog is seven today!

March 31, 2019Leave a comment

In one way it does feel like seven years but in another way it doesn’t. In that time I’ve posted 5,280 posts, created 182 pages, and replied to 9,782 comments. Over that time, the blog’s had 473,146 visits so hopefully we’ll hit the half a million mark this year. I currently tend to post the writing prompts and reblog others’ posts but I do plan to be more creative and post new content. I’m not sure what yet but it’ll certainly be useful to anyone interested in writing, so watch this space…

Results of Morgen’s 100-word competition: February 2019

March 5, 2019March 5, 20192 Comments

Hello everyone and welcome to the forty-second month of this competition. Last month I received 33 entries from 17 authors for the theme of ‘hard times’. NB You can all send in three stories for a better chance of being picked. It was an interesting batch with different levels of hardship, some very tongue in cheeks, others picking the same plot but told very differently, another had a clever layout.

Four were disqualified for only being 99 words. They all arrived as 100 but sadly there was a rogue full stop in one which Word counted as a word so when removed, the story was one word short. Another had an ‘any more’ (quantity) that should have been ‘anymore’ (time). The others had two words that should have been hyphenated as preceding a noun (e.g. ‘a well-known celebrity’ rather than ‘the celebrity was well known’. I know that’s not the worst mistake but I have to be fair to everyone and there were other stories that correctly contained hyphenated adjectives so this one had to be disqualified.

Another was disqualified for only being 98 because in that one there were two sets of pre-noun words that should have been hyphenated. Fortunately all but one of the authors had sent in other stories, and in each case, another was my preferred, so no harm done. Sadly, one author had only sent in two stories and both were disqualified. It’s always worth submitting the maximum of three.

One story lost a (brownie) point for a spelling mistake. It’s easily done but there are different spellings and meanings of the word “draw” (vs. drawer). ‘draw’ is a verb, as in to paint something or to bring, as in to draw attention to something, whereas the noun for a storage section in a desk is a drawer. Not something to be disqualified for but a common error I’ve found. Ditto an error in one of the titles (Higns instead of Highs) which would have come up in the spell check. Again, the author had submitted two other stories, one of which I liked equally so that went through to the next round.

The winning stories are ones that I reacted most favourably to. They were clever, surprising, eek-making (in a good way),or gave me a warm fuzzy feeling (without being sickly). Sometimes a story beats another because it has a strong link to the theme so it’s worth writing a story to the theme rather than tweaking a story you already have to loosely fit it.

You may have chosen a different order or indeed not placed one or more of them so if you entered and didn’t find your story / stories here, don’t lose heart. You probably only just missed out so do enter new stories this month*, next month, whenever you like (but not in advance!). It’s an ongoing competition and free, so you could win at any time. There were new and familiar names this month so anyone could win… it’s all dependent upon whether your story grabs me, for whatever reason (whether it be clever, funny, unusual, quirky, or sweet).

Apart from the top three and highly commended, there are some ‘Honourable Mentions’. They don’t win anything but they were so close to being Highly Commended that I wanted them to know how close they came. It’s still something for them to put on their CVs.

*The theme for March is ‘turn down’ and you can submit your entries (and do send three) at any time up to midnight (UK time) on Sunday 31st March. Details and entry forms on https://morgenbailey.wordpress.com/100-word-free-monthly-competition. The 2020 themes are now there too!

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Results of Morgen’s 100-word competition: January 2019

February 17, 2019Leave a comment

Hello everyone and welcome to the forty-first month of this competition! Last month I received 25 entries from 14 authors for the theme of ‘their own business’. NB You can all send in three stories for a better chance of being picked!

Two stories (by the same author) were disqualified for only being 98 words and surprised me as submitted by a regular entrant. In each piece, there a (different) word which was correctly three words hyphenated so this must be why. Sadly they were the only submissions by that entrant so none went through to the judging.

The successful stories are ones that I reacted most favourably to. They were clever, surprising, eek-making (in a good way),or gave me a warm fuzzy feeling (without being sickly). Sometimes a story beats another because it has a strong link to the theme so it’s worth writing a story to the theme rather than tweaking a story you already have to loosely fit it.

*The theme for February is ‘hard times’ and you can submit your entries (and do send three) at any time up to midnight (UK time) on Thursday 28th February. Details and entry forms on https://morgenbailey.wordpress.com/100-word-free-monthly-competition. So without further ado, below are the successful entries this month.

First place (winning free access to three of my online creative writing courses (currently worth £60 / $60) or a free edit and critique of up to 2,000 words (worth £14 / $18):

Valerie Fish with ‘Pulling Down The Shutters’
It was the final nail in the coffin; a hefty rise in their business rates on top of increasing competition from cheap online giants, left them not only about to lose their livelihood but their home too. They’d had thirty happy, profitable years running ‘The Loft’ bookshop, on the street leading down to the harbour; this last summer season, they’d only been getting a handful of customers a day.
They had no choice but to shut up shop.
Pulling down the shutters for the very last time, hand in hand, they walked down to the sea, and kept on walking.

Second place (winning free access to two of my online creative writing courses (currently worth £40 / $40) or a free edit and critique of up to 1,500 words (worth £11 / $14):

Astra Lowelle with ‘That Could Be His Business’
She was upset, he knew.
She was heartbroken.
It had been a long day.
He knew very well that she didn’t want to talk about it, and besides, it was none of his business anyway. After all, she was a pretty private person.
But being private didn’t mean she didn’t like cinnamon cookies.
Which just happened to be his specialty.
So that, he decided, could be his business.
A little of this and a little of that, a sprinkling of sugar, a ding and the cookies were done.
He deposited the plate before her closed door, knocked gently, and left.

Third place (winning free access to one of my online creative writing courses (currently worth £20 / $20) or a free edit and critique of up to 1,000 words (worth £7 / $9):

Caroline Cowan with ‘Mind Their Own Business’
Carrie meandered along the secluded canal path from school, feeling depressed and lonely. She had lost her friends over a silly squabble.
The cyber bullying had gone on for weeks. The girl’s threats were awful.
Carrie sat, watching the sun sparkling on the water. Why couldn’t they mind their own business and leave her alone? Ping, Ping went her phone, with more horrible messages. It was constant.
She couldn’t take anymore. Carrie messaged her mum. She walked to the water’s edge, and jumped into the freezing depths. The last thing she heard before disappearing, was the ping of her phone.

Highly commended (winning myEntering Writing Competitionscourse worth £20 / $20) or a free edit and critique of up to 1,000 words (worth £7 / $9) – in alphabetical order:

Ian Marshall with ‘The Hit’
Jeremy Chotzen with ‘Harvey’s Whole?’
Juan Andrés González Romero with ‘Breaking’
Karen Lawrence with ‘Fresh Blood’
Laura Besleywith ‘Neighbourhood Watch’

Honourable mentions (not winning anything but only narrowly missing out and still looking good on their CV) – in alphabetical order:

Carol Allison with ‘An Italian Adventure’
Lesley McLean with ‘The Vulture’
Lestie Mulholland with ‘No Rent Today’
Patricia Cooksley with ‘Seaside Bolthole’

Congratulations, everyone. The entries for this month are already drifting in. Remember, you can send up to three per month so rather than miss out on a chance by sending one story, do submit more.

If you’ve enjoyed these stories and / or just want to leave a comment, please do so below and / or you can email me at morgen@morgenbailey.com., although I won’t (can’t) discuss forthcoming entries unless it’s a general query.

Results of Morgen’s 100-word competition: December 2018

January 15, 2019Leave a comment

Hello everyone and welcome to the fortieth month of this competition! Last month I received 36 entries from 20 authors for the theme of ‘the end’. NB You can all send in three stories (one per form please) for a better chance of being picked!

One was disqualified for being 101 words, only because two words had been incorrectly fused. A real shame as it was a super story.

The winning stories are ones that I reacted most favourably to… usually making me go “Wow”. They were clever, surprising, eek-making (in a good way),or gave me a warm fuzzy feeling (without being sickly). Sometimes a story beats another because it has a strong link to the theme so it’s worth writing a story to the theme rather than tweaking a story you already have to loosely fit it. If I get to the end of a story and go “Huh?” it doesn’t bode well.

*The theme for January is ‘their own business’ and you can submit your entries (and do send three) at any time up to midnight (UK time) on Thursday 31st January. Details and entry forms on https://morgenbailey.wordpress.com/100-word-free-monthly-competition. So without further ado, below are the successful entries this month.

First place (winning free access to three of my online creative writing courses (currently worth £60 / $60) or a free edit and critique of up to 2,000 words (worth £14 / $18):

Jane Broughton with ‘Toy Story 5 ’

Ironically, the cockroaches died first. They emerged from their crannies during the night and never made it back the next morning. They were the most noticeable casualties. Then, when all the insects had gone, birds tumbled from the skies. The ground dried up, desiccated. Mankind was the last species to give up the struggle to breathe the coppery atmosphere. Eventually the world fell silent and barren.
God did not know or care. He had grown up and stopped playing with his toys. His mother sighed and rebuked him for littering. She tossed the empty ball into a nearby black hole.

Joint second place (both winning free access to two of my online creative writing courses (currently worth £40 / $40) or a free edit and critique of up to 1,500 words (worth £11 / $14):

Jeremy Chotzen with ‘Auntie May – The Professional’
Auntie May was a professional.
At the wake, they dressed her in shiny black leathers and knee-high boots (her working clothes) and painted her lips cherry red, the way she liked them. Despite the hole in her forehead, the size of a pothole, they managed to fill it all in.
Of the mourners who came, some offered up prayers, and others their silence, while I sobbed bitterly for my Auntie May.
Sure she bludgeoned dozens in their prime for unpaid debts, with a steak knife to the throat or bullet through the heart.
She was a professional to the end.

Karen Lawrence with ‘A Shorter Forever’
She kissed my bald head, wiping my tears with a shaky hand.
‘It’ll be okay.’
I shook my head. ‘How can it be? You’re leaving me.’
‘But I’ll be here.’ She placed her hand over my heart.
The nurse approached with my discharge paperwork.
‘I don’t want to leave you alone,’ I whispered. ‘I thought we’d be friends forever.’
‘We are, but my forever is shorter than yours.’
‘I wish I could believe in an afterlife.’
‘I do.’ She laughed. ‘I’ll warn Saint Peter to expect you, just not yet.’
As I walked away, I knew she was crying too.

Joint third place (both winning free access to one of my online creative writing courses (currently worth £20 / $20) or a free edit and critique of up to 1,000 words (worth £7 / $9):

Astra Lowelle with ‘A Battle Lost’
Gwerthfawr knew that he had lost the fight with Mynydd when frost began to steal over him. He twisted violently, struggling to escape the chill tendrils creeping swiftly up his body, freezing armor and muscle alike. His sword fell from his hands as they crackled into white stiffness.
“This isn’t over!” Gwerthfawr howled, his throat icing over. “This isn’t over! Do you hear me, Mynydd? This isn’t the end!”
Mynydd’s soft laugh mingled with the last echoes of the lingering roar as she appraised the lifeless statue of ice before her.
The enchantress vanished as the snow began to fall.

Caroline Cowan with ‘Lonely’
The loneliness was constant. No phone calls. No visitors.
Maggie had been moved into a flat as her home was being demolished. She was the last of her friends and family to be living.
Her bony hand pulled the blanket more snuggly around her, keeping her warm.
She lay back, closed her eyes, and enjoyed the special times spent with all her friends.
The warmth and love of everyone filled the room. She sensed her time on this earth was nearing its end, and she welcomed it.
The police found her body, but her soul was dancing with her friends.

Highly commended (winning my Entering Writing Competitionscourse worth £20 / $20) or a free edit and critique of up to 1,000 words (worth £7 / $9) – in alphabetical order:

Charlett Goretzka with ‘Nature’s End’
Jennie Gardner with ‘The Promise’
Justin Rulton with ‘To Roam With A View’
Lesley McLean with ‘The Prey’
Lestie Mulholland with ‘It’s a Wrap!’
Valerie Fish with ‘Feed the Birds’

Honourable mentions (not winning anything but only narrowly missing out and still looking good on their CV) – in alphabetical order:

Alan Barker with ‘Light At The End Of The Tunnel’
Barbara Young with ‘Doubting Thomas’
Ian Marshall with ‘Miniature Railway’
Juan Andrés González Romero with ‘Pulling the Trigger’

Congratulations, everyone. The entries for this month are already drifting in. Remember, you can send up to three per month so rather than miss out on a chance by sending one story, do submit more.

Results of Morgen’s 100-word competition: November 2018

December 17, 20181 Comment

Hello everyone and welcome to the thirty-ninth month of this competition! Last month I received 37 entries from 18 authors for the theme of ‘owing a debt’. NB You can all send in three stories for a better chance of being picked!

One was disqualified for only being 99 words and sadly the author had realised just after hitting send. Fortunately there were still a couple of days until the deadline so enough time to write two more, making the three maximum.

Another story appeared to be 101 but there was a space between a word and closing speech marks so when corrected, it was the obligatory 100. Yay.

A third was 99 words, probably because there was a hyphen (which Word counts as a word) instead of a dash.

If in doubt, check with the likes of https://wordcounter.net, although that counts dashes as words so be careful.

The winning stories are ones that I reacted most favourably to. They were clever, surprising, eek-making (in a good way),or gave me a warm fuzzy feeling (without being sickly). Sometimes a story beats another because it has a stronger link to the theme so it’s worth writing a story to the theme rather than tweaking a story you already have to loosely fit it.

*The theme for December is ‘the end’ and you can submit your entries (and do send three) at any time up to midnight (UK time) on Monday 31st December. Details and entry forms on https://morgenbailey.wordpress.com/100-word-free-monthly-competition. So without further ado, below are the successful entries this month.

Joint first place (each winning free access to three of my online creative writing courses (currently worth £60 / $60) or a free edit and critique of up to 2,000 words (worth £14 / $18):

Rachel Barnett with ‘Owing a Debt’
The jolt as we hit the jump almost unseated me, the horse twisting in the air, fighting gravity. On landing I knew. A loud crack, like a thunderbolt.
He stayed on his feet, God knows how. Determined to protect me, I believe. He stood, flanks heaving, whilst the others galloped away.
Slipping to the ground, a single look told me this horse would never gallop again. One foreleg twisted, the knee joint buckled and horribly misshapen.
If he’d fallen on me…
I touched the dark sweat-slicked neck. I owe him a debt I can never repay. ‘Thank you,’ I breathed.

and Stuart Atkinson with ‘Lost Voice’
The ocean was strewn with wreckage and debris, with bodies bobbing up and down in the iceberg sea.
Ernie McPhail, a Glaswegian stoker, struggled for survival in the freezing waters. Although he was a burly man, the burden of supporting Alfie sapped his strength.
Through the darkness a voice called. “Give me the boy.”
Ernie managed to push Alfie up the side of the lifeboat as a fearsome wave washed over him.
Alone, a young man stands on the well-manicured lawn of the Halifax Cemetery besides a common unmarked grave.
His voice is lost as the wind howls around him.

Second place (winning free access to two of my online creative writing courses (currently worth £40 / $40) or a free edit and critique of up to 1,500 words (worth £11 / $14):

Val Fish with ‘Payday’
It had started off so tiny, but then, multiplying like a cancer, growing into a monster, which ultimately destroyed her.
She’d had enough of the constant fear, every day dreading that knock at the door, knowing that whatever she said would make no difference, her pleas would go unheard.
Well, they could knock as loudly as they liked tomorrow, they’d be getting no answer from her. Or the day after, or the day after that. Maybe they’d bash the door down and then they’d be in for a shock.
The greedy heartless loan sharks would get nothing from a corpse.

Third place (winning free access to one of my online creative writing courses (currently worth £20 / $20) or a free edit and critique of up to 1,000 words (worth £7 / $9):

Barbara Young with ‘Purgatory’
“William, I’ve sponsored five decades of your decadent living.” Lucifer’s horns glow red. “Time to pay your dues.”
“It was worth it,” I say. “I’ll willingly stoke your fires for eternity.”
Lucifer laughs. “Your capacity for evil is totally average; you certainly don’t merit that prime position. I have something a little more mundane in mind.”
Unsure of what energy source he uses, I have visions of hacking coal with my teeth. “I’m not as fit as I was.”
“No matter. You will remain here on earth. As befits your tedious nature, you are to be the next Brexit minister.”

Highly commended (winning my Entering Writing Competitions course worth £20 / $20) or a free edit and critique of up to 1,000 words (worth £7 / $9) – in alphabetical order:

Anne-Marie Latter with ‘Her Happiness In Arrears’
Astra Lowelle with ‘Cookies and Threats’
Justine Laws with ‘Relief’
Karen Lawrence with ‘Listening In’
Laura Besley with ‘Giving and Receiving’

Honourable mentions (not winning anything but only narrowly missing out and still looking good on their CV) – in alphabetical order:

Andy Morfett with ‘The Debt’
Jennie Cordner with ‘A Kick in the Stomach’
Lesley McLean with ‘The Trollop Who Saved My Ass’
Lestie Mulholland with ‘A Whisper in the Woods’
Sarah Mosedale with ‘Spanish Castle Magic’

Congratulations, everyone. The entries for this month are already drifting in. Remember, you can send up to three per month so rather than miss out on a chance by sending one story, do submit more.

If you’ve enjoyed these stories and / or just want to leave a comment, please do so below and / or you can email me at morgen@morgenbailey.com, although I won’t (can’t) discuss forthcoming entries unless it’s a general query.

Please vote for my story (if you like it!)

December 5, 2018December 13, 2018Leave a comment

I have a little (138-word) ditty called ‘Just Like Enid Blyton’ (see below) which has been longlisted (sixth week in a row!) on https://adhocfiction.com/read/#FlashEbook. It’s quite near the beginning (fifth story): click until you get to ’77 more’. Clicking on the picture below will also take you there.

If you like it – I hope you do – please click on ‘Vote’. Voting closes midnight 11th/12th December. Thank you!

Results of Morgen’s 100-word competition: October 2018

November 20, 20183 Comments

Hello everyone and welcome to the thirty-eighth month of this competition! Last month I received a whopping 62 entries from 34 authors for the theme of ‘departure’. So especially tough this month to pick a top thirteen (ish). In fact I didn’t so there are two seconds, two thirds and several more honourably mentions this month. 🙂 NB You can all send in three stories for a better chance of being picked! At the time of writing this (20th November), there have been eleven entries but then I do usually get a flurry towards the end of the month (and sometimes within the last couple of hours).

This time, one story was disqualified for being 104 words but fortunately the author had sent two other stories, one of which was my favourite of the three so no harm done. Another was 101 with no obvious reason for the extra word. Another was 97 because the author had counted a hyphen / dash as a word… or more likely, Word had counted the standalone – hyphens in the word count so that when I corrected them to the longer – dash, the word count dropped. 😦

A story was disqualified for being a tweaked version of a previously submitted story. The rules do state that the first version only will be accepted.

Another author submitting three stories had one disqualified for being 99 words. Another author submitting two stories had one of them with two words that should have been hyphenated taking the story down to 99 words. Another the opposite; had a hyphenated word where the description was an …ly adverb so no hyphen required, taking it up to 101.

Another story lost points for having ‘breathe’ (verb) instead of ‘breath’ (noun). The author had already sent in a different story which I preferred so ultimately it didn’t matter.

This probably all sounds very harsh but I need to be fair to everyone. Oh, and underfoot is one word not two. 😦

A little tip for you: where you have more than one character of the same gender in a story, do make sure that every time you have a ‘he’ or a ‘she’ it refers to the character just mentioned. Even if you don’t have any names,

The winning stories are ones that I reacted most favourably to. They were clever, surprising, eek-making (in a good way),or gave me a warm fuzzy feeling (without being sickly). Sometimes a story beats another because it has a stronger link to the theme so it’s worth writing a story to the theme rather than tweaking a story you already have to loosely fit it.

*The theme for November is ‘owing a debt’ – to be used however you wish – and you can submit your entries (and do send three) at any time up to midnight (UK time) on Friday 30th November. Details and entry forms on https://morgenbailey.wordpress.com/100-word-free-monthly-competition. So without further ado, below are the successful entries this month.

First place (winning free access to three of my online creative writing courses (currently worth £60 / $60) or a free edit and critique of up to 2,000 words (worth £14 / $18):

Bridget Scrannage with ‘Checkmate’

The king had planned every move and counter move from the start. Seduce her. Get married. Mould her into who he wanted her to be.
He surveyed the emotional chessboard in his mind and considered options. If she did this next, then I did that, she’d be conquered. I’d declare victory. But what if she changed tactics? He pondered a myriad of scenarios.
Meanwhile, his opponent’s disengaged. The queen can move in any direction. She has. To a new town. A new life. Far from him. The deluded king, absorbed in his strategies, hasn’t realised he was always her pawn.

Joint second place (each winning free access to two of my online creative writing courses (currently worth £40 / $40) or a free edit and critique of up to 1,500 words (worth £11 / $14):

Celia Jenkins with ‘Departure from Reality as I Take the Big Black Dog for a Walk’

I know who I am. I wake, work, eat, sleep… live.
And then the transition from my normal mind, gloom at bay, just living my life, happens in a beating of charcoal wings, pure pitch darkness, every ounce of my being enveloped, the big black dog sighing on my chest once again; sinking, drowning, I’m lost in the fug, the haze, breath caught in my throat, catching, can’t think, can’t think, can’t breathe, I’m gone. Downwards. Spiralling. Despair.
Then suddenly, like a brick to the back of the head, the depression recedes and I return to who I was. Breathe.

Karen Lawrence with ‘Making Way’

She watched his chest rise and fall, holding her breath every time it seemed his stopped. At ninety-seven her father should be ready to leave. He had a firm belief in an afterlife, which gave Muriel comfort. Aware that her granddaughter was, at that moment, giving birth to the first of their next generation she found her emotions irrational, demanding he should wait to hear, impatient for him to depart. A sound signalled a text.
‘Dad, he’s here now. A strapping boy, like you hoped. They’re calling him Alexander after you.’
He let go, making space for the new life.

Joint third place (each winning free access to one of my online creative writing courses (currently worth £20 / $20) or a free edit and critique of up to 1,000 words (worth £7 / $9):

Anne-Marie Latter with ‘Factor 30’

“I thought it would be hotter,” the woman said, as she leaned back and enjoyed the warmth on her face. “This is nice, but I just expected more heat.”
“It’s a common misconception about this place,” her companion replied. “It’s actually pretty comfortable all year round. You don’t want to burn or get heatstroke on your first day, do you?”
The woman smiled. She had been so worried about this trip but it was turning out to be quite pleasant.
The devil smiled too. He loved messing with the new people. Wait until she realised this room had air conditioning.

Rachel Barnett with ‘The Actor’

George Departure. You know? Foreign. Big nose. Acted in loads of eighties rom-com films, even though he resembles the back end of a bus.’
I shook my head. ‘No idea who you mean, sorry.’ I reached for my glass, draining it. ‘Give me another clue.’
‘You must know. He was in “Cyrano de Bergerac”.’
‘Steve Martin?’
Bernice frowned. ‘No. George Departure. He’s French. I told you.’
‘Hang on, do you mean Gerard Depardieu?’
‘Yes, that’s what I said. George Departure. Do you know who I mean now?’
I nodded, grinning as I lifted our empty glasses. ‘Fancy the same again?’

Highly commended (winning my Entering Writing Competitionscourse worth £20 / $20) or a free edit and critique of up to 1,000 words (worth £7 / $9) – in alphabetical order:

Astra H. Lowelle with ‘Wave Goodbye’
enrayn with ‘He Left Me’
Ian Marshall with ‘Window Shopping’
Laura Besley with ‘The List’

Honourable mentions (not winning anything but only narrowly missing out and still looking good on their CV) – in alphabetical order:

Alan Barker with ‘One Way Trip’
Angela Greenwood with ‘The Farewell’
Barbara Young with ‘Joan of Arc’
Catherine Busby with ‘Taking a Breather’
Jennie Cordner with ‘This is Me’
Justine Laws with ‘Never, Ever’
Lesley McLean with ‘Estranged’
Lestie Mulholland with ‘Flirting with my Future’
Patricia Cooksley with ‘Lonely Bird’
Terri Mertz with ‘Nondisclosure’

Congratulations, everyone. The entries for this month are already drifting in. Remember, you can send up to three per month so rather than miss out on a chance by sending one story, do submit more.