Emily’s colleagues, not one of them under forty, refer to themselves as the girls, as in "girls’ night out", "all girls together" and "girl talk". Girl talk, as far as Emily can see, consists mainly of discussions about men; husbands, both errant and loyal, ex-husbands, potential husbands, men who are sadly not husband material. None … Continue reading EMILY AND THE GIRLS by Alison Wassell (3rd place, Prompt Mar22)
March 2022 – Prompt Long List
Last month saw the launch of our brand new Prompt Competition, and today we announce the first long list. We had some fantastic entries - from regular entrants as well as many writers new to Cranked Anvil - and the judges thoroughly enjoyed reading all the qualifying stories. There were some fascinating, clever and very … Continue reading March 2022 – Prompt Long List
PROMPT GRID: Snooker Loopy
Today sees the start of the 17-day World Snooker Championships in Sheffield, England, with Mark Selby - 'The Jester From Leicester' - defending his title. (It's a favourite of our EIC Paul, so you might not be hearing too much from him over the next couple of weeks as he'll be glued to his telly … Continue reading PROMPT GRID: Snooker Loopy
February 2022 – Flash shortlist and winners
With our new Prompt Competition now fully up and running, our judges are being kept busy constantly, with submissions open all year round and a new competition to judge every month. And here is the latest list - the shortlist and winners from our Feb22 flash competition - the last one to have just two … Continue reading February 2022 – Flash shortlist and winners
LONELINESS IS BEIGE AND TASTES OF MUSHROOMS by Emma J Myatt (1st place, Flash Feb22)
It’s a yellow Friday and I’m about to finish when I see a man in the closest aisle, prodding different packets of biscuits. His mask is the right colour and his boots have elements of December in them. He picks Bourbons and comes straight to my till. I slap on my customer grin. ‘Your smile … Continue reading LONELINESS IS BEIGE AND TASTES OF MUSHROOMS by Emma J Myatt (1st place, Flash Feb22)
TIM’ROUS BEASTIE by Charlotte Mitchell (2nd place, Flash Feb22)
Maisie Gibbins went to make banana bread and discovered that a mouse had shit in her flour. “The wee fucking bastard, it never has! Jesus, can’t I have anything to myself?” She looked at it mournfully. She was hungry and craving something sweet, but there was nothing in the house save the ingredients for banana … Continue reading TIM’ROUS BEASTIE by Charlotte Mitchell (2nd place, Flash Feb22)
TEA BREAK EXERCISE: It’s Written In The Stars
An oft-suggested tip is that daily horoscopes can provide all kinds of inspiration for short stories or flash fiction. But so can the actual signs of the zodiac. For this exercise, choose one of the twelve zodiac signs - we suggest picking one at random rather than using your own. Firstly, let that sign suggest … Continue reading TEA BREAK EXERCISE: It’s Written In The Stars
February 2022 – Flash Long List
If you haven't already heard, we've made some exciting improvements to our writing competitions within the past month or so. First of all, we announced our brand new Prompt Competition. The first deadline is looming - 10am UK time on 1st April - so head over to the page to read the prompts and get … Continue reading February 2022 – Flash Long List
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