Worthing Flash

"Mum, I need money for the bus." Dorothy dried another mug. "No you don't, Toby. It isn't raining; and the walk's good for you." "I don't want to walk past that old cottage. There's a witch moved in with a warty nose and a black cat." “That’s nice.” She put away the last mug and closed the cupboard. "Did you stroke it?" "It spat at me. Billy says it scratched Jason and he threw a stone at it and nobody's seen him since." She folded the tea towel. "He probably has a cold." "Billy knocked for him. When his mum opened the door a frog hopped in from behind him and she screamed." Silly cow. "Billy thinks it was Jason." Dorothy turned. "You're too old to believe in witches turning people into frogs. Go; you'll be late." That afternoon she heard a bump outside and checked the clock. After a moment there was another bump. "Is that you, Toby? Don’t tell ...

Police and the RSPCA were summoned to the scene of a dramatic and grisly find yesterday morning in Howdon. The body of a decapitated cat was found in a field next to St Pauls Road. After an examination of the remains the animal was pronounced dead. A name tag on its collar contained the name Richard but gave no address. The killer’s identity and motive is unknown. The Wallsend Advertiser has contacted local residents for comment. Mr L. Platt of Number 32 said it was almost certainly a revenge killing. The cat was forever marking its territory on peoples fences and walls and digging up their flowers. He’d caught it more than once eyeing his petunias. Controversialy another resident who wishes to remain anonymous said the cat belonged to Mrs Braddock of number 27 and was the woman’s familiar and was used by her to cast murrains on her neighbours. When contacted for comment Mrs Braddock said she had never had a cat, familiar or unfamiliar. Mr Ian Smith, a local historian and ...

The birdwatchers devoured the eagle pie. Laid off by live; death plotted. by Dorcas Wilson 

September 8, 2023 - #52 – DOING RESEARCH FOR YOUR BOOK Enjoy!     And CHEERS. See all blog posts at   www.lindasgunther.com This week’s post available in its entirety below. For many authors, the word ‘research’ may carry a negative connotation, and evoke this kind of reaction: “Damn, now I need to stop writing, interrupt my flow and spend my precious time foraging for information on some topic I know little to nothing about.” Luckily that thought doesn’t fracture my mind anymore. When I start drafting a work of fiction, I get excited about pulling up Google or Wikipedia or ordering a book that will help me with facts and details about locations, time periods, culture, food, related to the story/world I am developing. I seek out friends or acquaintances that are experts on the topic or time period. I become a private investigator. One of my suspense novels, DREAM BEACH, was set on the Tahitian island of Moorea, and partly in Northern Scotland. Fortunately, I’d been to Tah...

Bear Surviving  by Nic Hopkins He is a martyr of motorway traffic. He was loved once. Wasn’t he? If he ever had a name, it eludes him; memories are clumped tumbleweed in his otherwise linty cotton wool mind. Thick black cable ties pin him, arms outstretched, to the lorry’s radiator grill. He trembles to the rhythm of the engine, never able to relax. Deep potholes jerk his floppy legs in erratic directions and the weight of his body twists his weakening shoulder seams. Is this the bump to pop his stitching? His eyes are grit cataracts but he remembers having bright orange fur. He suspects he’s now the grimy khaki of hood ornament old timers he used to pity. His sight faded with his memories which scared him at first but it doesn’t bother him anymore. They always take the same routes, deserted roads in the middle of the night. Lit by lone headlights, all roads look the same, endless tarmac floored tunnels walled with silhouetted trees. The driver pulls into a layby and turns off th...

Write-Bytes by Linda S. Gunther September 1, 2023 DERIVING THE THEME FOR YOUR STORY Please view my website at www.lindasgunther to see all Write-Bytes or read this week’s blog byte below, for your convenience. Deriving the Theme for Your Story Most of us have heard the famous expression from the great philosopher Aristotle:        “The whole is the sum of its parts.”   It’s an old adage that applies to many things in life and I believe also links to writing a book. As writers, we create our  characters, a plot, and hopefully, have a theme . Our story is usually comprised of a series of events whereas our plot is a structure we use to show the connection between those events.   The theme is basically the central message of our story. If we are missing any one of these three parts, our story may fall flat, not have the “legs” or “depth” readers look for, and savor. The central theme is the “WHY” in any piece of writing, and is linked ...