Well lower in the Forum threads is Morgan Hawke's Story Writing for Beginners. You could start there and in time you might win one .... heading for the hills

Congratulations to everyone who entered, especially the others in the top thirteen and in particular the podium threesome. I’ve only read a quarter of the entries so far and have so enjoyed them all. Thanks to those who organised, judged, read and commented on our stories. This was a fun theme and I’m already looking forward to the next competition.

I write for myself and the joy of assembling words in pleasing and clever ways. I'm not trying to write the Great Australian Erotic Short-Story. Rather I'm usually trying out new (and some would say crazy) ideas and am delighted when I feel they work and even more delighted when others notice. This one for instance I am really proud of Yellow, Blue, Green and Red. Orange, Purple; and Black too because it was the first time I used conversation to drive characterization and narrative. But it's not a stand out in terms of likes and comments.

This one on the other hand, Miss, my Miss is a second person, watersports, D/s story which I really loved the moment I finished it but didn't expect it to become close to my most liked and commented upon story.

One of my best in my view is Pride and Prejudice – the Down Under Edition which incorporates Jane Austen's words into a modern setting has had minimal likes and comments. And yet I am enormously proud of achieving what I set out to do.

In truth I like writing sassy, sex-positive heroines who are smart-arses. I like referring to the canons on literature and culture. I like when others get that, but me feeling proud of what I have done is pleasure enough.

The consensus is that On Oxford Street, This Gay Girl Found Pride While Playing With Balls is my best story. And I am moved to tears whenever I reread the comments on that story. For it has touched the (especially gay) reader like nothing else I have written. Yet it wasn't as challenging to write as many of my subsequent stories so I don't quite have the sense of achievement as a writer that you might expect from my success in writing that story.

Happy New Year everyone. In ten hours you will be in my past. Fortunately it is cooler here today, in the mid 20's C, but even so the fireworks aren't for us as himself is still too young. Hope 2026 is good for us all.

Merry Christmas everyone.

Santa has been and gone, he was generous to a certain four year old. The weather is fortunately a little cooler today, just perfect for eating by the pool. Got to run, I have some salads to assemble ...

Morning all, coffee to start my day. It's been such a hot summer so far and the four year old is so into the beach. I've hit pause on the competition story I mentioned in my last post; I can't find the energy after Sunday's tragedy at Bondi. But I will try and read a few more stories later in the week. Take care out there.

Evening all, hot and humid down under. Yes, James, of course I am referring to the weather. Apologies for being absent for a while, life is super busy with, well life and a four year old. I took a break from writing, but saddled up again and published this: Emma's Examinations and am working on Gooning for Godot for the competition (though tbh I am not sure I will get it done.) I hope everyone is good, Christmas is coming and the beach awaits,.

Quote by Shyexhibitionist

I struggled too, but eventually got one submitted. The lure of a badge was too strong! 🤣

You know me too well, I entered my first competition and the end of 2019, having missed three since then my badges overflow. But still another would be swell. I have just read four stories, WW, Kat, Piquet and Joe ... omg! Yours is next.

Quote by AmuseBouche

I was really struggling for an idea. Now I had one, and it is very, very wicked.... I will never be able to look at an Advent candle the same way ever again. Oh, this is France, we have special ones!

1,498 words, too. I am very happy about that. I will do the usual, and read it back many, many times, and then nervously put it here.

A candle, solid and thick ... lol, I am feeling my way towards a sexy Beckett style story (I know, I know,) Gooning for Godot is about 2/3rds written but I am still not convinced I will get it done.

Quote by sprite

i thuoght of an idea. it's up for grabs to whoever donates money to a food bank. or... i might just come out of retirement. pondering.

Out of retirement, right now. In case you are unclear of the right response, it's "Yes, Miss."

Quote by KimmiBeGood

Well, poo. Done with story and don’t like it for this comp. I may submit as a regular story and hope I think of something better.

I read it to Butters and she showed me her tail.

The entries I’ve read so far are Fucktastic!

Lol, the pussy showed you her ... well, that's not necessarily negative. Well done for having a story, I just have a title Gooning for Godot and the first 250 words. And a four year old who is so excited he may leave the planet sometime soon. So we will see if I have time to reflect on my favourite Beckett play and write a short sex story.

Quote by JamesLlewellyn

(Wanders in, bleary-eyed … YAWN!)

My God Austrailians can TALK!

Australians can do many other things too, including spelling 😇

The competition's theme song, perhaps.

Quote by Milik_the_Red

I’ve posted a poem for Simplicity if those whose lives she touched would care to read it

https://www.lushstories.com/stories/love-poems/simplicity

So moving, I confess I cried. Hope it was therapeutic for you, my friend.

Quote by KimmiBeGood

Yup, climate change is everywhere. to me it doesn’t feel like Thanksgiving or Christmas if I’m in shorts.

What, but Kimmi Christmas is just past the longest day, and almost peak summer. I'll be in shorts from October till April, can't wait.

So please give a writer a hand and let me know what kind of themes, story, lengths, or kinks you would prefer to read about ..., honestly, I empathize with the question, but for me I have concluded I write my best stuff when I don't think too hard about the audience and focus on what I like doing as a writer. When I came to Lush a 'short' story I had published elsewhere had to be broken down to two 7000 word chapters for Curvy to approve it.

I learnt to write 'short' by reading a lot of Wannabewordsmith's flash and then writing my own flash. Yet when I turned one of my flash stories into a competition entry of 5000 words: Bull Shite, Bull Dykes, Bull Fights: That’s Your Everyday D/s Love Story both got RRs but the longer story is a (less viewed) way way better story in my view.

And to add a personal note, welcome back, there are two of your stories that are inspirational for me. So no matter how many reads these two have, they done something important for at least one writer to deserve a mention here. Eternally Yours is, simply put, (and yet has only 26 likes,) my favourite vampire story on Lush. Few stories linger in my mind as thematically definitive and this one does.

Even more so for Golden Surprise (34 likes for you) which I read and reread before starting a watersports story in the pre-child days when I thought I would go for the Omnium. I wrote Miss, my Miss which is probably my second best story and certainly my highest rated by number of views and likes.

My point I think, my friend, is to write for yourself for when you do that in a community of writers you will find your excellence. Which has to be better than the will-o'-the-wisp imagining of what others might like.

Huge congrats to the fabulous podium, the Top Ten, and all of those who entered this fun competition.

Thanks to those who read, commented, organised and judged.

Quote by deviantsusie

An oldie.. not in the comp as this won last time

Fabulous, my favourite Pride image ever. I’ll post something in due course, but let’s take the time to acknowledge this deserved winner of a previous avatar competition. ♥️

Quote by Piquet

Absolutely. I'm all about thinking and writing outside the square these days, so mine definitely won't be about a group of horny Uni graduates in Bali in 2025.

Tasmania then ... you know what category I slyly have in mind. Of course there is the question of whether Australia is an island for the purposes of this competition so anything goes.

Congrats and thanks to all who wrote and read these excellent hint stories. Special congrats to the chosen ones and special thanks to Kimmi for organising another of these fun events.

Rain

Umbrella man’s prodigious girth swelled. Forbidden fruit’s dress was plastered to her catwalk curves.

She submissively knelt in the pelting rain. Self-control vanished. Taken, used, cum infused; the raptures were glorious.

Raindrops running down skin cleansed a puffy pussy, but not her fertile womb.

Hubby, now knowing she’d discovered his sperm-count deception anxiously waited. But being less-than-truthful was contagious.

“Seeing me getting wet, brother-in-law let me use his … umbrella.”

Quote by KimmiBeGood

You are very welcome! It’s fun for me!

One picture of yours Kimmi bought to mind one of my favourite ever Lush stories. Do find the time to check out Aylaj: Peaches

Quote by sprite

Just got word that the Canadians are building a wall to keep us out.

Lol, and who foresaw that in a Lush story ... I give you my Punk competition entry (Handmaiden meets Bladerunner) featuring the free states of the world paying for Canada and Mexico to build walls to keep you know who out:

I thought a vacation in the Australian Alps would be a bit cooler, its reached 37 C every day! But there are yellow tailed black cockatoos (there must be a story in that innuendo) and not Sydney's ubiquitous sulfur crested white ones.

I really would like to find the time to write in Eliot's memory, I have an idea so we will see.

Congratulations to all who entered and particularly WW, LyfBuz and Ensorceled for their three stunning podium stories. A fun competition with lots of different takes on the theme.

Quote by KimmiBeGood

It’s 27 degrees F here. If you each pick a place to start licking, I might thaw out by Valentine’s Day.

What a coincidence, it's a cool 27 here too ... though I understand C does differ a tad from F.

In a few hours, (6 to be precise,) Piquet and I will be doing the Meet the Authors #3: Oceania Edition in the forum. See you there.

Unusual fact South Australia (where Piquet lives) is 30 minutes behind the four East Coast States (New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and Tasmania.) It was one an hour behind and some business people wanted Adelaide to be on EST and 30 minutes was a compromise.

Quote by sprite

thanks for reminding me to suspend you.

But but but, suspension ... then what happens when I finish fourth.

Evening all, so sorry to hear about PJH. A lovely man, RIP.

Weather, well ... in the high 30's today (that's 90's for those who still do F.) And the three year old was prepared, he'd assembled swimming paraphernalia early (like his Xmas body board) beside the front door; mama took the hint and the harbor water was perfect, (it will be much more than a hot minute before I take him to one of Sydney's surf beaches.)

The TV news included the Northern Hemisphere, God knows how they choose what to show but tonight's clips were Lexington in Kentucky (I thought of two Lushies) and Harrogate in Yorkshire (a couple more Lushies.)

Heads up, on January 9th, Piquet and I will be part of the third Lush 'Meet The Author' event. It's an official Lush event where we two Aussies will chat, perhaps wittily, about our work and our experiences as authors here on Lush. The event is in Forum : Chat and will be hosted and moderated by leftlingula. (starting time in the links below) I hope you can drop by and ... Aussie Aussie Aussie, Oi, Oi, Oi.

A lovely surprise to wake up to, thanks Kimmi and your twin for organizing and judging. And thanks to all who entered and those who read and enjoyed the stories, congrats to Susie and WannabeWordsmith whose hint stories I loved.

Only ten hours till 2025 (and being a quarter of the way through the century.)

Happy New Year to you all; may 2025 bring you health, happiness, and lots published stories. I have finally mapped out a blue story (how ever did writers manage last century with out google,) and should get time to tart it up in the next week or so.

As the clock struck midnight, the fireworks’ barrage lit up her astonished face. He smirked, imagining she’d twigged he’d ring in 2025 by proposing after the last firefly flickers had fallen from Sydney’s Harbour Bridge.  

But her hand, investigating scuttlebutt, had furtively snuck into his mate’s shorts.  She kneaded the ginormous swelling cock-meat and whimpered. Eyes closed; her salacious New Year’s resolutions weren’t the usual monogamous ones of new fiancés.  

High 20's C, extreme bush fire warning. Expecting 35 C tomorrow.