Stonehenge Story Starts: Tampering with the Mail (Prompt)

Welcome to Stonehenge Story Starts, a weekly writing prompt and story sharing opportunity.  Each week, we post a writing prompt: an opening line, a concept, a plot hook, maybe an image.  The following Saturday, we’ll post again with the writing the prompt inspired.

This week’s prompt is: You open your neighbor’s mail–what do you find?

(Prompt courtesy of @tabloprompts)

Our writers will be writing for the prompts, but anyone is welcome to participate!  Just come by on Sunday to see the week’s prompt, write during the week, and send any writing you’d like to share to StonehengeCircleWriters@gmail.com by the following Friday at 8 pm.  On Saturday we’ll post participants’ writing (with credit to the author, of course).

Write as much or as little as you choose: a paragraph, a flash fiction piece (less than 1,000 words) or a short story.  (Note, for long writing, we may choose to post only a selection.)  You are encouraged to be as creative as possible with the writing prompts.  Try to do something unexpected, or explore a particular genre like science fiction or historical fiction.  Take the prompt literally, or decide it’s a metaphor.  Your only limit is your own imagination.

Happy writing!

 

If you like to plan ahead, next week’s prompt will be: You got on a bus and woke up in a strange town where things seem a little wrong (Prompt courtesy of Reedsy.com)

Stonehenge Story Starts: What Big Eyes You Have… (Results)

Welcome back for another week of stories!  Today we have three fun takes on Little Red Riding Hood to share with you.

This week’s prompt was: Retell the story of Little Red Riding Hood from a new angle–try any genre you like, such as science fiction, romance or horror.

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R.A. Gates has the beginning of a new Laney and Kody story, characters you’ve met on this blog before.

“Are you busy next Saturday?” Kody asked Laney as they walked home from school on a crisp October evening.

“Of course,” Laney said absently, trying to recast a warming spell on her sweater. The one she cast as they left school had already worn off, and they’d only walked five blocks. Once she had feeling back in her arms, she glanced over at her friend. “You know I work at the bookstore every weekend. Why?”

Kody shrugged as he kept his gaze forward as they walked. “I was just wondering if you wanted to go to a party with me, that’s all.”

Continue reading “Stonehenge Story Starts: What Big Eyes You Have… (Results)”

Launch Party: The Servants and the Beast

The new novella from Stonehenge Circle Writers, The Servants and the Beast, launched on Friday, June 28th.  We hosted a launch party with all five authors of this collaborative novella.  The authors signed books and gave a short presentation on how they came to write this very special book.

If you’re now regretting that you weren’t there, we’ll have a video up soon of the presentation!  Today, we’re delighted to share some great photos from this wonderful event.

And don’t forget to get your own copy of The Servants and the Beast!

The Authors: Cheryl Mahoney, R. A. Gates, Kelly Haworth, Jenniffer Lee and Karen Blakely

Continue reading “Launch Party: The Servants and the Beast”

Stonehenge Story Starts: What Big Eyes You Have… (Prompt)

Welcome to Stonehenge Story Starts, a weekly writing prompt and story sharing opportunity.  Each week, we post a writing prompt: an opening line, a concept, a plot hook, maybe an image.  The following Saturday, we’ll post again with the writing the prompt inspired.

This week’s prompt is: Retell the story of Little Red Riding Hood from a new angle–try any genre you like, such as science fiction, romance or horror.

Our writers will be writing for the prompts, but anyone is welcome to participate!  Just come by on Sunday to see the week’s prompt, write during the week, and send any writing you’d like to share to StonehengeCircleWriters@gmail.com by the following Friday at 8 pm.  On Saturday we’ll post participants’ writing (with credit to the author, of course).

Write as much or as little as you choose: a paragraph, a flash fiction piece (less than 1,000 words) or a short story.  (Note, for long writing, we may choose to post only a selection.)  You are encouraged to be as creative as possible with the writing prompts.  Try to do something unexpected, or explore a particular genre like science fiction or historical fiction.  Take the prompt literally, or decide it’s a metaphor.  Your only limit is your own imagination.

Happy writing!

 

If you like to plan ahead, next week’s prompt will be: You open your neighbor’s mail–what do you find? (Prompt courtesy of @tabloprompts)

Stonehenge Story Starts: Betrayal in the Air (Results)

Welcome back for today’s stories!

This week’s prompt was: “Write a story using the words ‘traitor’ and ‘sky.’ (courtesy of @writingprompts)

Today we have two short stories, both science fiction but still taking the prompt in different directions.

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Cheryl Mahoney:

“I’m telling you,” Gretchen fumed, “that traitor left us here deliberately and just flew off into the sky without us.”

“I’m sure it was some kind of misunderstanding and she’ll be back soon,” Henry said placidly, sitting on his log in the middle of the forest and continuing to read a novel on his handheld viewer.

Gretchen sighed, loudly, and went on pacing the clearing.  How someone as trusting as Henry had ever got into the pirate business amazed her on a daily basis.  It was a wonder no one had killed him before this, although his ability to fix literally anything broken on a spaceship, from the engine to the ever-important coffeemaker, had probably preserved his life more than once.

She blamed herself mostly.  It had seemed like the smart choice to go with the captain down to the planet to pick up the pay drop.  To make sure nothing disappeared before it got back to the ship.  She’d even volunteered, for space’s sake.  In retrospect, it seemed painfully obvious that the captain would see this as a good opportunity to split the money two fewer ways.

“She’s not coming back, Henry,” she snapped.  “And unless you know how to build a spaceship out of rocks and twigs, we’re stranded.”

Continue reading “Stonehenge Story Starts: Betrayal in the Air (Results)”

Release Day: The Servants and the Beast

It’s here!  We’re thrilled to announce the release of The Servants and the Beast.  This very special collaborative novel was written by five of our authors, and tells the tale of the Beast in a whole new way.  Buy your copy today!

You think you know the story – prince gets cursed, girl meets Beast, they fall in love and live happily ever after. If only it was that simple. But dating is tough even in the best of circumstances.

Ever since the fateful day when we let that horrible Good Fairy into the castle, our lives have been on hold. When she turned our bad-tempered prince into a Beast, she lumped us, his loyal servants, into the curse too, just because she assumed his rude behavior was our fault. Theodore the butler should never have let her inside, and the rest of us should have helped bar the door.

Now Theodore is an armchair, and we’re all trying to carry on our duties as a piano, a coat rack, a bookcase and the like. At least we have Robert to clean up the pink sparkles piling in the corners from the Good Fairy’s curse, since he’s a mop now.  We know we just need the Beast to fall in love to break the spell. We’re all doing whatever we can to help him find True Love, one visitor at a time, hoping the right person finally comes along–but will the Beast ever learn to love?

Stonehenge Story Starts: Betrayal in the Air (Prompt)

Welcome to Stonehenge Story Starts, a weekly writing prompt and story sharing opportunity.  Each week, we post a writing prompt: an opening line, a concept, a plot hook, maybe an image.  The following Saturday, we’ll post again with the writing the prompt inspired.

This week’s prompt is: A story using the words “traitor” and “sky”

(Courtesy of @writingprompts)

Our writers will be writing for the prompts, but anyone is welcome to participate!  Just come by on Sunday to see the week’s prompt, write during the week, and send any writing you’d like to share to StonehengeCircleWriters@gmail.com by the following Friday at 8 pm.  On Saturday we’ll post participants’ writing (with credit to the author, of course).

Write as much or as little as you choose: a paragraph, a flash fiction piece (less than 1,000 words) or a short story.  (Note, for long writing, we may choose to post only a selection.)  You are encouraged to be as creative as possible with the writing prompts.  Try to do something unexpected, or explore a particular genre like science fiction or historical fiction.  Take the prompt literally, or decide it’s a metaphor.  Your only limit is your own imagination.

Happy writing!

 

If you like to plan ahead, next week’s prompt will be: Retell the story of Little Red Riding Hood from a new angle–try any genre you like, such as science fiction, romance or horror.

Stonehenge Story Starts: Failed Endeavor (Results)

Welcome back for today’s stories!

This week’s prompt was: “You had one job to do…”

Today we have one flash fiction story from R. A. Gates, and, perhaps appropriately, the beginning of a short story that didn’t get finished from Cheryl Mahoney.  We hope you’ll enjoy reading!

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R. A. Gates:

“You had one job to do,” Mrs. Renfield told Laney as she pinched the bridge of her nose. “The simplest job I could find. The one job I thought couldn’t end in disaster. But leave it to you to find a way to mess it up.”

Laney stared at the ground below her feet, waiting for her high school Charms teacher’s rant to end. She was totally overreacting. Laney did exactly what she was told to do. She just added a little extra pizazz, that’s all. It was the school’s biggest fall event after all; the Autumn Carnival. Her booth had to compete with the big rides and games. No one was stopping by her booth.

Continue reading “Stonehenge Story Starts: Failed Endeavor (Results)”

Stonehenge Story Starts: Failed Endeavor (Prompt)

Welcome to Stonehenge Story Starts, a weekly writing prompt and story sharing opportunity.  Each week, we post a writing prompt: an opening line, a concept, a plot hook, maybe an image.  The following Saturday, we’ll post again with the writing the prompt inspired.

This week’s prompt is: “You had one job to do…”

Our writers will be writing for the prompts, but anyone is welcome to participate!  Just come by on Sunday to see the week’s prompt, write during the week, and send any writing you’d like to share to StonehengeCircleWriters@gmail.com by the following Friday at 8 pm.  On Saturday we’ll post participants’ writing (with credit to the author, of course).

Write as much or as little as you choose: a paragraph, a flash fiction piece (less than 1,000 words) or a short story.  (Note, for long writing, we may choose to post only a selection.)  You are encouraged to be as creative as possible with the writing prompts.  Try to do something unexpected, or explore a particular genre like science fiction or historical fiction.  Take the prompt literally, or decide it’s a metaphor.  Your only limit is your own imagination.

Happy writing!

 

If you like to plan ahead, next week’s prompt will be: A story using the words “traitor” and “sky” (Courtesy of @writingprompts)

 

Stonehenge Story Starts: Decisions, Decisions (Results)

Happy Saturday!  We hope you’re having a nice day with only pleasant decisions to be made.  The characters in this week’s stories may be having a harder time of it.

This week’s prompt was: Write a story about making a difficult choice

Enjoy reading!

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Cheryl Mahoney:

I looked at the two books on the table in front of me.  Everyone said they were just two possible paths.  Everyone official said that.  The whispers said something else.

It wasn’t obvious looking at them.  They were much the same, in fact.  Two big leather tomes, each with a locked clasp holding them shut.  Each with swirling gold lettering on the front.

“Could I, maybe, look at the table of contents?” I asked.

The Mentor across the table from me blinked once, so I knew this wasn’t a usual question.  And it was true, I had a pretty good idea what was in each one.  I knew the lore.  I’d already been learning for three years.  No one was ever offered the Choice until their fourth year of study.  The Choice that would determine their future study.

But then she nodded, and drew a ring of tiny keys out of her pocket, so apparently the question wasn’t completely unheard of.  She unlocked each book, turned each one to the contents page.

I looked at the right hand one first.  It was more or less what I had expected.  Spells to grow flowers, to mend tears in cloth, to heal mild ailments.  All the things a simple village witch would need, to take care of a simple village like the one I’d grown up in.  My mother took it for granted I’d choose this one, and always had.  She had always said how the Choice was no real choice.  It hadn’t been for her.

And yet—it all seemed so small.

I looked at the left hand book.  There was nothing small about these spells.  Spells for raising up walls, for blasting fireballs, for uprooting trees.  And other spells.  Darker spells.  All the things a warrior witch would need, to spread conquest and destruction.

But I didn’t really want to do that either.

“I don’t suppose, maybe, there’s a third book?” I said weakly.

Continue reading “Stonehenge Story Starts: Decisions, Decisions (Results)”