February 2024 Blog Battle


Right-click & ‘Save As’ one or both of these images to share on social media!
Our word this month is:
Axiomatic
You can start writing at any time, but make sure you post your story by the
16th of February
to have a link shared here and on social media.
Once you’ve posted your story to your blog, put a link to it in the comments section, and we’ll add your story to the Battle Stories Line-up post that goes live the 3rd Friday of the month (the same as the post-by date).
Make sure to check back and read some of the stories of your fellow battlers. Leave comments to encourage these writers. And go a step further in supporting one another by sharing each other’s stories on your own blog or social media, whatever you’re most comfortable with!
Basic Rules:
The Prompt Word will be given the First FRIDAY of every month.
Post your story by the 3rd Friday of the same month (this is the same date as the Stories post goes live).
RULES
- Up to 2000 words max (give or take a few).
- Fictional tale (or true if you really want, but see rule 8 first).
- Any genre that fits within PG-13 (or less). Please keep this family friendly.
- Your story must contain the randomly chosen word(s) and/or be centred around the word meaning in a way that shows it is clearly related.
- Go for the entertainment value and have fun.
- Put a link back to your #BlogBattle Short Story in the comments section.
- Please tweet and otherwise share your battler buddies’ stories across social media. (Use the #BlogBattle when using the platform formally know as Twitter so that we can cross-share. and otherwise share your battler buddies’ stories across social media.
- Avoid opinionizing your piece or associating it with a real person. i.e. if you have strong religious or political views then do not use them as a storyline to avoid indirectly insulting anyone or creating an argument.
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Will add in the morning Mark
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Has the stories page gone live? I can’t seem to find it! 🤔
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Live tonight Joshua. When I was scheduling WP decided to publish the day after the one I’d chosen in settings.
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Oh WP, you did sell out to Skynet didn’tcha?
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Haha. Seems that way, Roger. Even when I tried to rectify it, it defaulted back to today even though it’s scheduled time was locked to yesterday.
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That’s the WP we know and (sigh…big sigh) become used too🙃
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Ah, okay! I am looking forward to reading the other stories. 😄
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I’d barely recovered from actually writing something for January when you posted February…
Here’s mine, last minute.
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Added and commented Mark. Nearly March now too 🤣
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I’m trying not to think about that.
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This story is brought to you by Quirkie….The Writer’s Friend.
Stuck for a plot, or feel a need for a change in the narrative?
Then lighten your load with Quirkie (termsconditionsandthesupplycannotbeheldresponsibleforsalesvolumeorreaderreaction)
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Added Roger, and it seems fantasy suits you well. Any influences perchance 🤣
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Being perverse I say to myself:
‘Whereas you might like them – Do not to write like Tolkien, Joe Abercrombie, Brandon Sanderson or David Gemmel’
I find it helps🙂
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Admire but find your own narrative voice. I have to try and avoid King’s sayings such as end if the path and turn of the wheel. Hard as they are brilliant expressions!
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The good ones’ influences do tend to try and sneak in, don’t they? I guess that why they are ‘The Good Ones’
In an attempt to get my voice I resort to throwing other genres into the mix. That said putting in Rom-Com and John Le Carre-ish atmospheres can lead to some head scratching and ‘What The….’ interludes when it comes to a re-read and editing….
And the inevitable re-write, re-re-write and so forth.
Ah well. Would we have it any other way?
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Scary thought, rom-com is so not my writing genre. That said the backlist of todo a is as bad as my mate Austin on YouTube @alternativeguitars.
The good ones do stick. I need to create some of my own 🤣
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I can’t keep rom-com out of my themes. Sick and tired of party of Humanity’s ceaseless search for reasons to Hate and Abuse, thrill seeking reading about cruelty and selective outrage making prejudice.
Including rom-com (with a bit of an edge) and upbeat endings into my books are palliatives.
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Haha, mines RomPol. As in political angst. The relationship between Elijah and Raenisa and maybe the one here you have yet to read! I shall wager that you’ll find that a WTF one.
Mind you I have explored many variants of MH and stuff in other books, Assent of Rose Marie Gray, Black Marsh and The Paradox Man. Most are yet to be read by anyone but me 🙄
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Ah the path of the Indy Writer.
Do we not but live for the words not for the recognition? (Well that’s my outlook wrapped up in a Shakespearean style)
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Sorry if this posts the whole story here – I still haven’t got this sorted. As for Axiomatic, if Ive misunderstood the meaning I apologise.. its cold when it snows.. I’m now off to bed..
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It tends to post the whole story if the “See More” break isn’t inserted, Marian. Usually, posts tag the first few lines only if that break is inserted.
Not a biggy though.
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I cant find the see more break. found separator, what ever that means.. thankyou!
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It’s a line break. In the absence of metadata, google uses it to use part of the text with the image.
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okay so will that mean that it only posts the few lines or most of the text again..
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You see it on the post lists on the reader best. Image plus a few lines and “read more of this post.” without it the entire text appears.
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okay thanks
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I did try and comment, Marian. I didn’t get a fail error this time, but I don’t see my comment unless it’s in your spam folder. Just in case, this was it.
A snip from some of my writing, Marian. Houses keep their history and store it like a memory. A thin point in time that, under the right conditions, bleeds back through. Here, triggered by snow and a farmhouse full of macabre. Little wonder it is now boarded up, perhaps in summer victims.
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You made me think about this one! Axiomatic – a tricky word! It will make for some very cool stories.
Here’s mine for Feb: https://joshuainsole.com/short-stories/lycan-dope/
I hope you’re all well!
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Deliberate Joshua. Most words this time are aimed at increasing vocabulary amongst writers. Next year’s list is ready but I’m thinking of a new tack already.
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Read it and as usual, the twist is typical Insole 👻
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Thanks, Gary! I’m glad to know I’ve got a recognisable style!
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And here’s mine for this month.
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13 days…Oh my. I shall have to take temporary leave of the latest project.
(These inter dimensional / temporal jumps can really kerfluffeg my writing processes)
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Short month. It rather depends where the last Friday falls. One reason I get ahead, but then I do have the prompt list for this year and next year 😂
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Yeah short month, has to be the quirky option….😉
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Nothing like adding to the pressure then 😂
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Nope, When it doubt, go quirky🙃
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Then I expect great things 😜
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Oh there will be ‘things’
Not too much about the greatness though.
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Better than no “things.” 😂
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And FYI, The mysterious character I have been referring to is now live…
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Ah, once I have finsihed and tied up this moth’s challenge I shall look…..👍
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Haha, looking forward to it Roger. This one was an eye opener even for me! 😳
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Those Muses sure sneak up on a writer.
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Rightly so and long may they visit!
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