northie

I think I know where I'm going with mine but I've little sense of how long it's going to be or how much time I need to set aside. Planning? What's that? A word limit always gives me a spur - it forces you to be brutal in how you approach the storytelling. Oh, well. Let's see...

I like my prompt - no guarantees it'll be done by the deadline but I'll have fun...

OK... let's see if my newly-revived inspiration survives the encounter... 🤨😄🖊

You and a heck of a lot other people, dear friend. Hopefully, we'll all find a little light, a little comfort, somewhere, sometime. Thank you for this.

Thanks, Adi. And thanks for the prompt. 🤨😄 I spent 2023 not really finding the words I wanted. A course elsewhere and this prompt gave me and my imagination the shove they needed. I hope it continues...

Thank you! As to fathers being twins... Unfortunately, Julian's father isn't a rare species. You'd hope they might be by now, but they aren't. Roll on, acceptance.

The Mars house by Natasha Pulley. My rating: 5 (out of 5) stars Like other recent novels, this is both a great story and a shrewd commentary on current times. Western exceptionalism turned on its head, refugees, language barriers, how to start a new life, gender issues, and politics are all woven into this engaging, engrossing sci-fi/fantasy/romance. Life on Mars is difficult. Those who have adapted over generations can cope with the cold, the long, long winters, and the reduced gravity. Those who have recently arrived can't. However they have one advantage: strength. Earth strength. A strength that is both feared and needed by the resident population. January Stirling is a British ballet dancer and now, bewildered environmental refugee on Mars. Aubrey Gale is a Chinese-heritage, Mars-born politician, head of his House and a candidate for Consul. This is their story and it's one that draws you in and makes you care, really care, about what happens along the way. It should also make you think and reflect. And maybe, also consider mammoths.

Indeed. Here in the UK, it's more about policing people's appearance and enforcing 'acceptable' boundaries for how individuals should look. To me, gender is a social construct (distinct from biological attributes) and covers a wide spectrum, with 'male' and 'female' at either end and a considerable space in between. I am one of the in-betweeners. I'm glad you liked Julian. He is one of my more engaging characters.

He does, even though he's pushed into quite a lot of what happens. Most of it, actually. I get that. 🤨😄

I'm interested that you found it complex. Essentially, it's one Monday in Julian's life but, as you say, a lot happens. It stirs up all kinds of memories as some days do. Yes, Julian manages to fulfil the 'honest and open' mantra but he finds it very difficult. Much more so than he thought at the start of the story when the phrase kinda trips off his tongue without much regard to what it actually means. Thanks for reading. 😊

Thanks!. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

Thanks! The 'clever construction' was more a question of deciding this spot needed something else; then that one, then another. I'm pleased you appreciated the 'emotional depth'. I don't think you necessarily need to understand something before you can accept it happens and makes other people happy.

And just in time for Halloween as well. 🤨😄 Fun and actually really quite plausible story.

Adi, thanks for this short, spare, deeply felt offering. It is (largely) your truth and your lived experience and that comes across in spades.

One more summer's day in the city. Thunder rolled around mounded, purplish-grey skies which stretched from horizon to horizon. In the distance, shabby blocks of council flats appeared to reach up accusingly into the air, as if to blame the storm for any number of predicaments they and their tenants were currently experiencing. The lousy weather leached out any distinguishing colours, leaving only blacks and greys. And yet more greys. On either side of the main road, non-descript, flat