CCC180: The Problem of a Wooden Castle

I didn’t want to marry the earl. But my brother had got in deep with him and together they were conspiring – not that I knew that then. I didn’t know until my husband, the earl, threw the keys to the castle at me and told me to hold it.

Against whom?

The king’s brother, the king being out of the country.

Why, where was my husband going?

Into exile.

Thank you, my brother, for delivering me unto this.

I defended the castle. What choice had I? Until, in the direst straits, the king’s brother said I could leave, to go join my husband overseas.

Of course, this isn’t the same castle. Ours burnt to the ground. That’s the problem with building castles of wood.

 

Posted in Crimson's Creative Challenge, History, Mostly Micro, Photos | Tagged , , , | 8 Comments

Crimson’s Creative Challenge #180

Here’s how it works:

Every Wednesday I post a photo (this week it’s that one above.)
You respond with something CREATIVE

Here are some suggestions:

  • An answering photo
  • A cartoon
  • A joke
  • A caption
  • An anecdote
  • A short story (flash fiction)
  • A poem
  • A newly minted proverb, adage or saying
  • An essay
  • A song—the lyrics or the performance

You have plenty of scope and only two criteria:

  • Your creative offering is indeed yours
  • Your writing is kept to 150 words or less

If you post a link in the comments section of this post I’ll be able to find it
If you include Crimson’s Creative Challenge as a heading, WP Search will find it (theory)
by ‘Searching’ in the WP Reader (fingers crossed)

Here’s wishing you inspirational explosions. And FUN

Posted in Crimson's Creative Challenge, Photos | Tagged , , | 10 Comments

Tuesday Treats: It’s THAT Season

A selection of photos from our walk on 8th April. Apologies if cherry blossoms feature too much, but it is THAT season

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Sick of cherries yet? So try the last of the daffs instead

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Or how about primroses… they’re almost over too

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Or you could be enchanted with yet more violets… 2 species I found

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Now this one is different. I wonder how many people notice it. What is it? Ash-tree flowers. These become keys

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And that other staple of the English countryside… chestnut

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Finally… the periwinkle. It grows wild, but it grows in gardens too

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Hope you’ve enjoyed. Part Two next week

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Sunday Picture Post: An Uncommon Common

Friday 8th April, a bus into Norwich, another bus out, and we hop off at Tasburgh, a village on the former Roman Road, now the A140. We’re heading to Fritton Common. Despite the post’s title, there’s nothing outstandingly uncommon about Fritton Common. Yet commons themselves are not so common since Parliamentary Enclosure Act back in whatever the day.

So, let’s go. From A140 we turn down Fairstead Lane…

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And pick up Boudica Way, an official walkers route twixt A & B. Oh yes, this is Boudica’s country. We Norfolkians are rebellious folk

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Down Chestnut Loke…

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Up and over Granny Hill… or should it be Cranny?

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And we emerge at Morningthorpe (Maringetorp in Domesday Book)

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Morningthorpe Church…

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And a short walk later stands this marvellous sentinel to Fritton Common

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It is a bit like walking back in time

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And you can’t have a common without a pond. Fritton has several

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And away on our way we go…

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More pics from this walk next week, for we’ve yet to return to the Roman Road.

Hope you enjoyed

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What a Coincidence

image by Steve Buissinne on pixabay

What a coincidence that Sammi should set us this word for the prompt this week.

Why, only last week my brother said to me, “Crisp, you’re good with long words, aren’t you?”

“If you say,” I said. “I don’t think I am, but…”

“Yes you are,” he said. “So what’s the word for a person who collects words to compile a dictionary?”

“It’s lexicographer. Why?”

“Times crossword. I said it was a dictionarier, but the missus laughed at me.”

“It’s lexicographer. From lexicon,” I said.


85 words written for Sammi’s Weekend Writing Prompt: Lexicon

 

 

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Found Amongst the Flowers

11th April 2022

I know the title says feathers, plural. I know this is only one. But I found it such an enchanting pic

Feathers, another title from the list Maria Antonia has given us for #2022picoftheweek

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Roots of Rookeri Review — Lauren Willmore

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rating: 5 out of 5. Check out Crispina Kemp’s latest masterpiece, Roots of Rookeri, available to purchase on Amazon as of now! Do it! A Key, a Tree, a Prophecy The Cast:Booderas Rookeri-Sharmin – better known as Boody, playwright, poet, dancer and chorusmaster – orphaned nephew of the Elect of Raselstad, disciple of the Forty-First […]

Roots of Rookeri Review — Lauren Willmore
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Spring Update 2022

A Regular Pattern

Followers on this blog will notice over the past year I’ve settled into a regular pattern.  Marie’s Photo Challenge. Sammi’s Weekend Writing Prompt. Sunday Picture Post. Tuesday Treats, and Crimson’s Creative Challenge.

My personal life has been less structured!

I moved house in late June 2021; downsized to a 1950’s bungalow with a moderate sized garden. That garden was a wilderness, so much of my time has been devoted to that. Pays off. It’s looking good.

And then there’s my writing!

ROOTS OF ROOKERI

I am enormously chuffed to announce today sees the publication of Roots of Rookeri, available on Amazon as both e-book and paperback.

A Key, a Tree, a Prophesy

A Tangle of Mistaken Identities

An astrologer-priest, a judge’s daughter, a playwright-dancer and an unwilling heiress…

A triple eclipse, a sea-monster, not to mention the bandits…

Available on Amazon

I posted Roots of Rookeri to this blog in serial-form way back in 2014. At that time I’d no intentions of publishing. It’s been an experience to revisit and improve it.

My thanks to my beta readers, Sammi, Brian, Judy, Shen, and to Lauren Willmore, my critique partner and FABULOUS cover designer, who have made this day possible..

THE HARE AND ADDER

Back in the Dark Days of my illness (2004), I wrote The Hare and Adder. Thinking it wonderful, I sent it to an agent (2005). The agent was long in reading it; it interested her but not in its present form. Meanwhile, I’d been rushed into hospital with a viral infection of the brain, probably made possible by the ME/CFS that already weighed me down.  I came out of hospital barely able to write three words. A rewrite was impossible.

While learning to write again, I  also studied the craft of writing fiction… and Learning to Fly was born. And Roots or Rookeri. And The Spinner’s Game. All posted here in serial form. But The Hare and Adder I did not touch.

Until this year.

Yesterday I finished the rewrite, edited and tidied and ready for beta readers to appraise or pull apart, validate, invalidate, tell me they love it, they hate it, whatever. So if you’re up for beta reading, see my Contact page

The Hare and Adder, set in a Neolithic culture, follows the struggles of Elde Freilsen’s daughter. (Those who’ve read The Pole That Threads will know Elde Freilsen.) Trained to be a granary-keeper by the Kerdolan of Lienershi, that future is then denied her, and she is not at all happy. She will have that granary. SHE WILL!

Interested? Contact me on my Contact page.

Posted in Fantasy Fiction, Mythic Fiction, On Writing, The Spinner's Game | Tagged , , , , , | 9 Comments

CCC179: Twizzle’s New Hat

Twizzle wasn’t happy
Most unhappy was he
Benny Beech asked why was that
Because someone’s stolen and hidden my nice new hat
Stolen it, I do agree, said Benny Beech
But not hidden; it’s in plain sight, out of reach

Posted in Crimson's Creative Challenge, Photos, Poems (Some Silly) | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Crimson’s Creative Challenge #179

Here’s how it works:

Every Wednesday I post a photo (this week it’s that one above.)
You respond with something CREATIVE

Here are some suggestions:

  • An answering photo
  • A cartoon
  • A joke
  • A caption
  • An anecdote
  • A short story (flash fiction)
  • A poem
  • A newly minted proverb, adage or saying
  • An essay
  • A song—the lyrics or the performance

You have plenty of scope and only two criteria:

  • Your creative offering is indeed yours
  • Your writing is kept to 150 words or less

If you post a link in the comments section of this post I’ll be able to find it
If you include Crimson’s Creative Challenge as a heading, WP Search will find it (theory)
by ‘Searching’ in the WP Reader (fingers crossed)

Here’s wishing you inspirational explosions. And FUN

Posted in Crimson's Creative Challenge, Photos | Tagged , , | 13 Comments