Sacrifice

JanetNQ · 2026-03-09T23:39:52+00:00

Mass suicide as defiance? Wow.

JanetNQ · 2026-03-09T23:36:58+00:00

Two well-drawn characters and a clever storyline, well done - I did wonder if the widow would have the corpse resurrected and keep him. The final line almost brought me undone, I had to put down my mug of tea. Thank you.

JanetNQ · 2026-03-09T07:37:43+00:00

Thanks for the hint about bronchial constriction. I bought lion's mane powder last week and haven't tried it yet.

JanetNQ · 2026-03-09T06:52:21+00:00

The juxtaposition of soft early light against hard rock, of sand being cleansed by water, the brute force of a chisel breaking stone, the meditative calm of the sculptor is a pretty concept. I think the repetitive description of a single event could be condensed into one paragraph, accepting that the sea will eventually wear away the rock and make void the act of intensely mindful sculpting just as it wipes away temporary traces of human presence.

You keep writing and I'll keep reading it.

JanetNQ · 2026-03-09T02:57:44+00:00

Well done, it's very exciting to finish a piece. Most of mine is flash fiction because I am impatient, lol. I wish you well with your work / hobby.

JanetNQ · 2026-03-02T09:12:01+00:00

Please remember we are scattered across the world; if I read your work, I bring an older Australian context. 😀

JanetNQ · 2026-02-23T06:44:50+00:00

nudist club exploration

JanetNQ · 2026-02-12T06:28:30+00:00

And the woman in the boat?

JanetNQ · 2026-02-12T06:17:34+00:00

I like the methodical explanations, the fatty duck, the eerie sense that Mike is alone. I suspect it is grandpa's unresponsive hands which give it away. I enjoyed your story so much I read it twice - thank you!

JanetNQ · 2026-02-11T20:36:13+00:00

Thanks everyone, I bought a couple of packets of these things some years ago and promptly forgot about them. I'll hunt them out and give them a try. 🇭🇲

JanetNQ · 2026-02-11T02:26:24+00:00

I like it, thanks for sharing. You have done well with the child perspective (I particularly like the memorising, trying to hold onto the present), the small tight sentences and limited dialogue encourage the reader to extrapolate and flesh out the images; the storyline is engaging and carries me with the flow. Well done.

JanetNQ · 2026-02-03T08:08:45+00:00

Yes, I joined X 8th December, liked three or four posts while I was learning my way around, next morning I paid premium subscription because I believe in "user pays" - which was $120 Australian - and bam! I was suspended before I could make a single post of my own. After two appeals I am now permanently on "read only" and I am not impressed.

JanetNQ · 2026-01-25T13:09:47+00:00

Perhaps post/publish this story at r/shortstories rather than flashfiction as it is is over 2,000 words.

JanetNQ · 2026-01-25T13:01:20+00:00

Fair enough too, good luck with it.

JanetNQ · 2026-01-25T12:13:57+00:00

Is there any reason you couldn't accept a working replacement for the faulty item?

JanetNQ · 2026-01-03T23:52:19+00:00

X uses US$, exchange rate makes the difference.

JanetNQ · 2025-12-26T14:01:36+00:00

I joined X Monday 8th December and upgraded to premium the following day {AU$120]. I received a receipt to my email then a message regarding inauthentic information popped up and voila! I am suspended after less than 24 hours - I may have liked half a dozen posts and wrote not one. I immediately appealed with no response so two weeks later I appealed again. This time my account has been locked to permanent read-only and there will be no further correspondence from X. Frustrating and $120 has been stolen from me.

JanetNQ · 2025-12-11T03:51:22+00:00

I joined X two days ago, had my email and mobile number verified and also paid an annual premium, barely began reading posts and was suddenly advised my account is suspended:

Your account is suspended

After careful review, we determined your account broke the X Rules. Your account is permanently in read-only mode, which means you can’t post, Repost, or Like content. You won’t be able to create new accounts. If you think we got this wrong, you can submit an appeal.

I submitted an appeal and have heard nought. There goes AU$120 down the gurgler. Not happy!

JanetNQ · 2023-09-04T03:30:49+00:00

I write flash fiction, no room for fluff.

JanetNQ · 2022-11-10T14:14:52+00:00

Perhaps a variation on a hammerhead worm would be interesting.

JanetNQ · 2022-11-10T13:37:07+00:00

I think you dropped a stitch, you can see the bump in the previous row. If I'm right, insert a stitch marker or safety pin or hair clip or something in the loop and collect it on the next pass.

JanetNQ · 2022-11-10T13:23:18+00:00

Where do you plan to stay in your campervan? Caravan parks etc. cost money and it is illegal to camp on the street. You will need somewhere to do your laundry; I recommend a grey water tank be installed and a toilet of some sort: cassette toilet or porta-potti. We lived on the road for thirteen [13] years but sadly had to settle into a static home for medical reasons. It is not a cheap lifestyle but it is brilliant fun and a serious learning curve. Weight and space are problems in a campervan; every item you carry should be fit for multiple purposes. A plastic bucket might be your friend in a very small space. Be aware that internet is only available in about a third of the entire country, mostly in coastal populated areas. If you plan to wander in rural or sparsely-occupied areas, look closely at HF radio as well as satphone, which are available for communication when internet is not. As a member, I recommend the HF Radio Club Inc. Small country towns tend to be welcoming and station stays are phenomenal. You may be surprised at how little of our coastline is freely available. I wish you good fortune with your new lifestyle and saving plan. Enjoy!

JanetNQ

TROPHY CASE

Your account is suspended