Righty ho then, let's be having you! To refresh your memories, a drabble is a short work of fiction of precisely one hundred words in length. The purpose of the drabble is brevity, testing the author's ability to express interesting and meaningful ideas in a confined space. Here's a pic of the one-word prompts.
Drabblewrimo 2022
- Thread starter sojourner
- Start date
ABOLISH
It was 2023 when it really hit. Food inflation had rocketed beyond forecasts, and household budgets.
Euphorics went first. Chilli, nutmeg, chocolate. Then soporifics – turkey, lettuce, mackerel. Mood-boosting foods were slowly abolished. No one could afford them anyway, so their absence went unnoticed. All-beige fare became ubiquitous.
Concurrently, there were no strikes, no crime, no fluctuations in the population’s mood. Nu-Food did the job it was supposed to.
“Jolly good idea, what? I knew we’d find a way to control the vermin. Sorry, the hard-working taxpayer”. He wiped his greasy lips, and smiled in anticipation of the next General Election.
It was 2023 when it really hit. Food inflation had rocketed beyond forecasts, and household budgets.
Euphorics went first. Chilli, nutmeg, chocolate. Then soporifics – turkey, lettuce, mackerel. Mood-boosting foods were slowly abolished. No one could afford them anyway, so their absence went unnoticed. All-beige fare became ubiquitous.
Concurrently, there were no strikes, no crime, no fluctuations in the population’s mood. Nu-Food did the job it was supposed to.
“Jolly good idea, what? I knew we’d find a way to control the vermin. Sorry, the hard-working taxpayer”. He wiped his greasy lips, and smiled in anticipation of the next General Election.
TEMPT
It’s not like Fate didn’t have a mind of her own. She was a self-sufficient and completely autonomous entity, thankyouverymuch. Throw all the secret affairs, chocolate binges and Class A drugs you like at her, she still won’t do anything she’d not already planned to.
Occasionally, the weight of expectation would make her spirit itch. On those days, a jogger’s heart would stop mid-run, ladders collapsed on top of black cats, and impudent seagulls would steal their last chip from formerly-pacifist tourists.
None were actually tempting her, but Fate is a fickle mistress, and destiny is never set in stone.
It’s not like Fate didn’t have a mind of her own. She was a self-sufficient and completely autonomous entity, thankyouverymuch. Throw all the secret affairs, chocolate binges and Class A drugs you like at her, she still won’t do anything she’d not already planned to.
Occasionally, the weight of expectation would make her spirit itch. On those days, a jogger’s heart would stop mid-run, ladders collapsed on top of black cats, and impudent seagulls would steal their last chip from formerly-pacifist tourists.
None were actually tempting her, but Fate is a fickle mistress, and destiny is never set in stone.
SLIME
He thought it was sooo funny, cracking ‘jokes’ about where I sat, where I walked, sniggering about “snail trails” and “girly slime”. It was like working with Neanderthal Man. HR wouldn’t touch him, given that he was the firstborn of the big boss.
Looking for other jobs, I came across an advert in the Classifieds, offering ‘Spells for sale – instant results’. Intrigued, I Paypalled the fee, and received a response that night.
I wasn’t expecting the kerfuffle that broke loose the next day though. There at Mike’s desk sat the biggest, slimiest slug ever. And I swear it was crying.
He thought it was sooo funny, cracking ‘jokes’ about where I sat, where I walked, sniggering about “snail trails” and “girly slime”. It was like working with Neanderthal Man. HR wouldn’t touch him, given that he was the firstborn of the big boss.
Looking for other jobs, I came across an advert in the Classifieds, offering ‘Spells for sale – instant results’. Intrigued, I Paypalled the fee, and received a response that night.
I wasn’t expecting the kerfuffle that broke loose the next day though. There at Mike’s desk sat the biggest, slimiest slug ever. And I swear it was crying.
frogwoman
No amount of cajolery...
Just wrote this: (from about Chapter 3)
The frog climbed into the boat, tipping it slightly towards the side, and clambered over the prow before squatting on the plastic seat between Morgan and Pam, one of the engineers who had been maintaining the spacecraft. About 6 foot long, its skin was a dark khaki colour, flecked with brown and blue. As he watched, Sam realised it was wearing clothes; a pair of very thin brown shorts, a thin, translucent vest and a pair of dark gloves reaching to its elbows.
'We know why you've come, so, spare the NASA shpiel about discovery and curiosity,' it said in a low, gravelly tone, putting one bulbous hand on the steering wheel of the boat. Captain Morgan turned pale and backed away as splashes of water from the frog's arm fell onto him.
Something else moved in the water. Another large frog, slightly smaller but with somewhat rougher, more wrinkled skin, barked something in distress and quickly put its head below the surface.
The frog climbed into the boat, tipping it slightly towards the side, and clambered over the prow before squatting on the plastic seat between Morgan and Pam, one of the engineers who had been maintaining the spacecraft. About 6 foot long, its skin was a dark khaki colour, flecked with brown and blue. As he watched, Sam realised it was wearing clothes; a pair of very thin brown shorts, a thin, translucent vest and a pair of dark gloves reaching to its elbows.
'We know why you've come, so, spare the NASA shpiel about discovery and curiosity,' it said in a low, gravelly tone, putting one bulbous hand on the steering wheel of the boat. Captain Morgan turned pale and backed away as splashes of water from the frog's arm fell onto him.
Something else moved in the water. Another large frog, slightly smaller but with somewhat rougher, more wrinkled skin, barked something in distress and quickly put its head below the surface.
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scifisam
feck! arse! girls! drink!
I'm loving yours, Soj - you are on Fire.
My first one isn't great, but it's alright considering. I'm snowed under with, well, everything right now, so might not be able to do many more.
Day 3 - Slime
Pellets seemed cruel - the poor slugs would suffer. Derek didn’t even say anything, but Arthur saw his expression.
“No wonder you like slugs - you are one of ‘em!”
Arthur (never “Dad”) laughed loudly at his own joke, and Derek’s Mum faked a laugh and looked away, as always.
Arthur’s unctuous grey jowls wobbled above Derek’s head, and Derek thought that Arthur was much more of a slug; he’d sneaked into their home too.
When the pellets accidentally found their way onto the bacon only Arthur was allowed, Derek’s Mum looked away again, but this time her laugh was not faked.
My first one isn't great, but it's alright considering. I'm snowed under with, well, everything right now, so might not be able to do many more.
Day 3 - Slime
Pellets seemed cruel - the poor slugs would suffer. Derek didn’t even say anything, but Arthur saw his expression.
“No wonder you like slugs - you are one of ‘em!”
Arthur (never “Dad”) laughed loudly at his own joke, and Derek’s Mum faked a laugh and looked away, as always.
Arthur’s unctuous grey jowls wobbled above Derek’s head, and Derek thought that Arthur was much more of a slug; he’d sneaked into their home too.
When the pellets accidentally found their way onto the bacon only Arthur was allowed, Derek’s Mum looked away again, but this time her laugh was not faked.
(and thank you!)MONOPOLY
or, how to teach your children about greedy capitalist acquisition of property, to screw extortionate rents from your tenants, go to jail for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, get out of jail free if you have the right bit of paperwork, and collect £200 for no reason. All according to a random throw of the dice.
Ten year old me understood it’s only fair to steal from the bank if they take their eye off the game. Fifty year old me does it with a gun, a mask, and courtesy. After all, good manners cost nowt.
or, how to teach your children about greedy capitalist acquisition of property, to screw extortionate rents from your tenants, go to jail for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, get out of jail free if you have the right bit of paperwork, and collect £200 for no reason. All according to a random throw of the dice.
Ten year old me understood it’s only fair to steal from the bank if they take their eye off the game. Fifty year old me does it with a gun, a mask, and courtesy. After all, good manners cost nowt.
I couldn’t decide which one I liked most out of the 2 I wrote for this prompt, so am posting both. Here’s the 1st:
FABRICATE
I’m going to tell you a story. It is a true story, as told to me by my mother.
Now, are you sitting comfortably? Should I begin? Because you know, every story has a beginning, a middle and an end. They are a sequence of events, or at least, an account of a sequence of events. Some have a moral to them, others simply entertain, delight, terrify, or are even experimental.
I said I was going to tell you a story didn’t I? I hope you enjoyed it. It was a true story, as told to me by my brother.
FABRICATE
I’m going to tell you a story. It is a true story, as told to me by my mother.
Now, are you sitting comfortably? Should I begin? Because you know, every story has a beginning, a middle and an end. They are a sequence of events, or at least, an account of a sequence of events. Some have a moral to them, others simply entertain, delight, terrify, or are even experimental.
I said I was going to tell you a story didn’t I? I hope you enjoyed it. It was a true story, as told to me by my brother.
Here's the 2nd:
FABRICATE
This is a true story, told to me by my mother.
I was born an orphan, with no siblings. My life was difficult, blighted by poverty and a lack of education. I was also terribly lonely, having no friends.
Years later, my brother said we were descended from kings, as evidenced by the mansion that we lived in. I fashioned a crown from snapdragons and wore it to school.
We travelled continuously, but I stayed home every night telling stories to entertain my friends, stories like this one, which is a true story, as told to me by my father.
FABRICATE
This is a true story, told to me by my mother.
I was born an orphan, with no siblings. My life was difficult, blighted by poverty and a lack of education. I was also terribly lonely, having no friends.
Years later, my brother said we were descended from kings, as evidenced by the mansion that we lived in. I fashioned a crown from snapdragons and wore it to school.
We travelled continuously, but I stayed home every night telling stories to entertain my friends, stories like this one, which is a true story, as told to me by my father.
Using today's prompt imaginatively
ENTROPY
Agnes was pleased with her handiwork. She’d always adored broderie anglaise and now she had the perfect outfit.
Looking at her reflection, she twirled this way and that, chirruping with joy and clapping her hands in glee.
It had been exhausting work though. She’d embroidered all night, and would need to lie down soon. But oh, the pretty satin stitches, worked into flowers. Yes, it was the perfect outfit, fitted her like a second skin.
Which, of course, it was. She’d stop bleeding soon, and the delicate stitches in her flesh would heal over. Agnes was now no ordinary woman.
ENTROPY
Agnes was pleased with her handiwork. She’d always adored broderie anglaise and now she had the perfect outfit.
Looking at her reflection, she twirled this way and that, chirruping with joy and clapping her hands in glee.
It had been exhausting work though. She’d embroidered all night, and would need to lie down soon. But oh, the pretty satin stitches, worked into flowers. Yes, it was the perfect outfit, fitted her like a second skin.
Which, of course, it was. She’d stop bleeding soon, and the delicate stitches in her flesh would heal over. Agnes was now no ordinary woman.
StoneRoad
heckling from the back!
I've been away for a few days on a course, maybe I'll get some free time shortly !
I did two for the FIELD prompt, as follows:
Chapter 2, Land Reappropriation
Introduction:
Land reappropriation began in a remote Shropshire field circa 2028, with fencing collapsing over a number of years.
Walls and fences enclosing other remote fields began to deteriorate. Only when those in regular use followed suit did the phenomenon attract widespread attention. Landowners attempted to reverse the process, but newly-erected fencing repeatedly disappeared overnight.
By 2039, no field enclosures remained in existence. Land was open again to the commoners, animals, grasses and grains, weeds and walkers, having reappropriated itself by sheer force and persistence.
The concept of land ownership is now of historical interest only.
Chapter 2, Land Reappropriation
Introduction:
Land reappropriation began in a remote Shropshire field circa 2028, with fencing collapsing over a number of years.
Walls and fences enclosing other remote fields began to deteriorate. Only when those in regular use followed suit did the phenomenon attract widespread attention. Landowners attempted to reverse the process, but newly-erected fencing repeatedly disappeared overnight.
By 2039, no field enclosures remained in existence. Land was open again to the commoners, animals, grasses and grains, weeds and walkers, having reappropriated itself by sheer force and persistence.
The concept of land ownership is now of historical interest only.
It was sold to me as a ‘field of dreams’, a real bargain for such vast acreage. I couldn’t visit for a while, but eventually planned a trip to see it.
Imagine my confusion when I found it full of people walking around naked and clearly embarrassed. Others were crying about their teeth falling out. Some were shagging giant frogs, singing songs that made no sense, eating cake . Old people laughed, hugging their headless long-dead parents, while teenagers wept openly over exam papers, trying to write with disembodied penises.
Freud would have had a field day analysing that lot.
Imagine my confusion when I found it full of people walking around naked and clearly embarrassed. Others were crying about their teeth falling out. Some were shagging giant frogs, singing songs that made no sense, eating cake . Old people laughed, hugging their headless long-dead parents, while teenagers wept openly over exam papers, trying to write with disembodied penises.
Freud would have had a field day analysing that lot.
Brill. Feel like I'm just sending them into the void.
I thought maybe Cloo might write some this year, as she wrote some fantastic pieces last year.
And scifisam ? May Kasahara ?
TRUCULENT
Hi sexy, just landed in Tenerife. Hotel shit, sun hot, beer cold, bed warm, RARRR
I love you so so much. See you soon my darling, wish you were here now xxxxxx
Hi baby, why aren’t you here? Is there a delay with the flight? You said you’d be here by now. It’s raining. I love you xxx
Heya, where the fucking hell are you? I know you’ve seen this message. Taking the piss now. Tornado yesterday. Love x
Right, that’s it. If you’re not here by tomorrow, don’t bother coming at all.
You’re dumped, you useless fucking BASTARD.
Hi sexy, just landed in Tenerife. Hotel shit, sun hot, beer cold, bed warm, RARRR
I love you so so much. See you soon my darling, wish you were here now xxxxxxHi baby, why aren’t you here? Is there a delay with the flight? You said you’d be here by now. It’s raining. I love you xxx
Heya, where the fucking hell are you? I know you’ve seen this message. Taking the piss now. Tornado yesterday. Love x
Right, that’s it. If you’re not here by tomorrow, don’t bother coming at all.
You’re dumped, you useless fucking BASTARD.
Fez909
toilet expert
TRUCULENT
The noise of the wheels on the wet tarmac was hidden beneath the layers of engine growls. He pulled over to grab a bite to eat, the doctor's warnings repressed, purposefully.
Gibbo's Burgers makes up far too great a proportion of his meagre wage, but it's almost tradition now. The wrappers in the footwell of his Lexus belie the sleek image he cultuvates to get people to sign the dotted line. Nor does his creased and stained suit, or the shirt, bulging at the buttons.
The usual today Mr Trucu?
Diet coke today, please. I'm giving up sugar for lent.
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Never done this kind of thing before, so thought I'd give it a go. I have also never heard of truclent (great word!) so went a bit silly with it
The noise of the wheels on the wet tarmac was hidden beneath the layers of engine growls. He pulled over to grab a bite to eat, the doctor's warnings repressed, purposefully.
Gibbo's Burgers makes up far too great a proportion of his meagre wage, but it's almost tradition now. The wrappers in the footwell of his Lexus belie the sleek image he cultuvates to get people to sign the dotted line. Nor does his creased and stained suit, or the shirt, bulging at the buttons.
The usual today Mr Trucu?
Diet coke today, please. I'm giving up sugar for lent.
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Never done this kind of thing before, so thought I'd give it a go. I have also never heard of truclent (great word!) so went a bit silly with it
Fez909
toilet expert
Thanks for the nice feedbackAhaa, LOVE IT Fez909 !! Especially so, given that you never usually do this! What an imaginative use of the prompt
I'll try to have a go at a few more if I remember!
Where do the prompts come from, btw? Did you make them up? Or is this a national/organised thing and you're just passing them on?
RADICAL
Breaking news: We are receiving reports of a woman found embedded in a mycelium network on the outskirts of Cheshire.
She claims to have become entwined after accidentally eating 200+ liberty caps whilst foraging, and was overcome with the urge to lie down and “commune with Mother Earth”.
We understand that she is happy and doesn’t want to return to human society because “it’s just too groovy down here. Everything is equal. There’s no money, no greed, no bills to pay, all is one and one is all. I feel connected. Life is finally meaningful”.
And now back to Strictly.
Breaking news: We are receiving reports of a woman found embedded in a mycelium network on the outskirts of Cheshire.
She claims to have become entwined after accidentally eating 200+ liberty caps whilst foraging, and was overcome with the urge to lie down and “commune with Mother Earth”.
We understand that she is happy and doesn’t want to return to human society because “it’s just too groovy down here. Everything is equal. There’s no money, no greed, no bills to pay, all is one and one is all. I feel connected. Life is finally meaningful”.
And now back to Strictly.
Y'welcomeThanks for the nice feedback
I'll try to have a go at a few more if I remember!
Where do the prompts come from, btw? Did you make them up? Or is this a national/organised thing and you're just passing them on?
Did you enjoy writing it? That's the main thing.
I got them from the same person that scifisam got them from last year (which was my first year of writing them). I just looked up Drabblewrimo on FB and found their prompts.I posted them at the top of this thread, if you want to see what's coming up.
These sorts of things are usually international tbh.
ElizabethofYork
Old Crone
MELLIFLUOUS
The worst lesson of the week – double maths on Monday morning. I started to stress about it every Sunday after the roast. The long, grey hours were full of anxiety about the coming morn.
And then .. there it was. Miss Clark always started with an explanation of what we were to tackle. The knot of anxiety in my gut would gently unravel as her soft, musical voice rose and fell over the unfamiliar mathematical expressions. I had no comprehension what she was talking about, but the words, the rhythm and the cadence held me spellbound.
The worst and best.
The worst lesson of the week – double maths on Monday morning. I started to stress about it every Sunday after the roast. The long, grey hours were full of anxiety about the coming morn.
And then .. there it was. Miss Clark always started with an explanation of what we were to tackle. The knot of anxiety in my gut would gently unravel as her soft, musical voice rose and fell over the unfamiliar mathematical expressions. I had no comprehension what she was talking about, but the words, the rhythm and the cadence held me spellbound.
The worst and best.
scifisam
feck! arse! girls! drink!
Sorry - I have an exam today and one tomorrow, so I haven't really been able to do much else. I'll get back into it properly tomorrow!
story
Changing the facts
I didn’t click on this thread til just now. I assumed it was the name of an annoying telly game show. Only clicked to ignore the thread, and now I find there is a feast of creative writing going on here!
I‘ll join in when I have a bit of time.
