I gotta say I really like knowing what the next competition prompt will be - so I have something to work on once I submitted my piece in the current competition. I didn't think I had any Noir ideas in me, but turns out I had something brewing after all - enough to have started and have 2k words already. I have no idea where it will lead, but it does help to have a 'this is what you can work on next' to ease my anxiety while waiting for the deadline date to arrive. Can we make that a recurring thing with competitions maybe?

Yeah, I noticed that too.

Quote by Jen

They say a picture is worth a thousand words and that’s what we’re looking for with our new Flash Photography competition. Using one of the three pictures linked below, we’re looking for a sexy flash fiction story. As with all flash stories here at Lush, the maximum word limit on this is 1000 words.

Theme

The theme is wide open on this one, so get your creative juices flowing. Sometimes the picture itself will immediately spark an idea, but if not we always suggest having a look through the different available genres for further inspiration.

Please include one of the three given pictures as a cover image for your story. If you want to amend it slightly to incorporate your own title/author information, that’s absolutely fine, so long as it’s clear which original picture was used.

Are we allowed to use more than one picture or all three or is the limit ONLY one picture in the story?

Question - If I do more than one submission (non-comp stories of course) that have the same characters - does that automatically mean I need to connect them as a series/serial? or can I just leave an author's note so that readers know that the characters were mentioned in a story elsewhere?

Wooo okay I just posted my story I had in my drafts - but it logged me out as I submitted so now I am concerned it double submitted with two sets of tags lol whoops but I was able to set the tags so yaaay

Sorry in advance to the mod who gets my story. >__< (in case I double posted or something)

YAY!

Quote by simplyjohn

Yes we will update this thread when the matter is rectified.

Quote by simplyjohn

Yes we will update this thread when the matter is rectified. :)

Thank you so much!

I keep checking to see if I can post tags or not - can someone please post here once the issue is fixed so I know and don't have to keep checking only to find it still not able to add tags for me. please? I want to work on other stories but I don't want to load a bunch of drafts on here, especially since its an active comp season and mods are probably overwhelmed as it is going thru the comp entry stories. etc.

Ahhhh! I just submitted a ticket, I thought it was my glitchy mouse, I should have checked here first. Whoops.

Quote by fuzzy1954

Afternoon LuceDevlin welcome to Rumps. Thanks for your musical post. I don't think we have chatted or even said hello before, I'm Carl but alot of friends and people here call me Fuzzy. I take no offense to being called either.

Enjoy your chai tea.

Since you mention dancing with your tea, This lady stole my heart after hearing her sing

Hello there, I was invited in by the polar bear sometime after the winter comp - where my story got an honorable mention, but I am a bit socially awkward, and it's hard for me to feel included in social groups that are already a clique with dynamics in play and I have to break in as a new person and all that. It is all too reminiscent of my high school years, so I just hang back and lurk, I try to contribute to convos every now and then but often get overlooked as things I say are either not reply-able or I don't know some other reason. Thanks for saying hi and the welcome, however belated. I will try to remember to listen to the link at some point - I am usually always looping something to keep my inspiration up - my comp piece is in early and I have at least three other stories I am working on next, one of them was meant as a comp piece for the current summer comp, but was too long for the word count limit. So I have to publish as its own thing cos it is way over 3k words lol. And then two others that are started and need finishing and then I have a queue of like 16 other stories I need to work on to submit, but I have to keep in mind the mods are busy cos its a comp season but you know, maybe once I get a day job I can get premium so I will get my stories looked out a tiny bit quicker, even in comp season hahaha.

yknow the more I listen to people talk politics, the more a certain music video comes to mind. It's the same shit different decade, from where I sit, which if I am honest according to society is the 'bottom of the barrel' but when I found this music video, it gave me hope, eye candy, and inspiration because of the strong message it conveyed. Besides, I like a little dancing with my chai tea, if you don't mind.

Quote by Jen

Hiya Luce, I'll keep an eye on it thanks. Tech are back in the office today, so if they can sort it quickly we still have two weeks and should be fine. If not, I can certainly look at extending a few days.

J x

cool! I just know how annoying it is to be overwhelmed and wanted to offer a possible solution cos I am a solution-minded person.

Heylo lushies,

So I am noticing that this competition has a lot more tech glitches than normal, and I don't know if the admins POV has the same as far as not seeing all the stories or having mailbox issues and uploading things, etc. But either way, I was wondering, would it possibly help the tech crew out, if we had an extension for the Announcement date, maybe it would help them not feel as overwhelmed or rushed.

I say this as an aspiring tech person and from a place of empathy in how easy it can be to get overwhelmed especially when the todo list just keeps growing longer and the deadline is sneaking up on you, and I feel like extending or pushing the announcement date would give the admins more time to read the stories that may or may not be showing up on the list esp if they are borrowing a computer of it there are tech glitches from mobile to desktop, etc. Just an idea. Like I am willing to wait for the results of the comp if it means people are less stressed out to fix the glitches and can enjoy the stories without feeling rushed etc.

Totally okay if you disagree and think this is a bad idea, I know I am mostly in the dark of all the stuff going on, but like I said place of empathy people have offline lives, day jobs, and mental health issues they deal with but don't talk about here on lush, and it can interfere with more things than they realize and I don' know. I just thought it would be a good solution possibly?

--- Luce xoxoxo

-does the story got approved dance- Do y'all serve root beer floats in this establishment?

Quote by JamesLlewellyn

Quote by LuceDevlin

Yaaaay, Chai Lattes are awesome! Thanks, Bear. I still think of Iorek Byrnisson every time I imagine a polar bear tending bar. Not sure if I mentioned that to you yet or not?

Lorek Byrnisson, eh? Well, why not. A distant great-uncle on my mother's side. Personally, I find all that armour to be a bit much – and heavy. Harder to catch seals and walruses in the water while wearing it. But thanks. I'll let Great-Uncle Lorek know you saw the resemblance.

.

Quote by PJH

Good Morning from the UK

I am in what I hope is only temporary retirement from writing sexy stories but I have been unwell on and off for more than a month. Even sexy thoughts are difficult currently so composing a story is impossible.

I have just had two nights in hospital (Monday and Tuesday) and had an operation on an abscess in my left buttock.

In a little while, I have to go to my local surgery to have the dressing changed on the wound, which I am not looking forward to but don't imagine it will be much fun for the nurse either.

Anyway, there might be another story from PJH one day but I do not expect it to involve abscesses and nurses, well perhaps nurses.

I have been generally feeling unwell for a month but at least sitting down again is gradually becoming doable.

Bye for now, Paul

I had heard rumours you weren't well, Paul. So sorry to hear, guy.

Don't worry about writing. Just focus on getting better, OK? We'll keep your seat at the bar. We know what kind of smut you're capable of, and are looking forward to more – when you're ready.

-giggles-

One of my fave series ever. I still have to read the latest books but Iorek is awesome. a rough noble and I imagine a fair but take no shit king of the ice bears too.

Quote by JamesLlewellyn

Quote by LuceDevlin

Hey Bear

Got any Chai Tea?

Trying to summon a few ideas to fruition. But its like my creative wellspring has gone dry.

So Tea break?

Hey! Luce! Great to see you back in here.

Sure – chai lattes. Make 'em all the time…sure. Wait one… (disappears below the counter, quickly fumbles through the recipe book left by Rumps…emerges again with a big, toothy smile)

Right. Got it. Ahem. (starts to put it together, sniffs at it, frowns, checks recipe book again…shrugs)

TA-DA! (sniffs at it again) CHAI LATTE!

(leaves the drink, stalks off grumbling…)

Quote by Denim_Daisy10

Hi peeps

A chilly day here

A large hot chocolate with a splash of coffee and a handful of mini marshmallows.

Moseying over to my hidey hole and retrieving my donuts and sports page then moseying over to the nearest booth and settling down

Update on the ankle: Saw the foot specialist yesterday and turns out I gotta have surgery on the ankle to reconnect the two ligaments and clean out some bone chips that are floating around in there . So that is going to happen sometime next Wednesday. (Yippee rolls my eyes)

It's gonna teach me patience

Stay safe everyone

So sorry, Sara! That sounds more than slightly annoying. Well, how about we get you one of those supports for your ankle on skates. Then you can zoom around the bar, and maybe even do some pirouettes for us!

Anyway, how about we put some Vermeer Chocolate Liqueur in your hot chocolate? Would that ease the pain somewhat?

Yaaaay, Chai Lattes are awesome! Thanks, Bear. I still think of Iorek Byrnisson every time I imagine a polar bear tending bar. Not sure if I mentioned that to you yet or not?

Hey Bear

Got any Chai Tea?

Trying to summon a few ideas to fruition. But its like my creative wellspring has gone dry.

So Tea break?

Quote by fuzzy1954

Kimmi and Ape one can never have to many pics of kittens

Gumbo on my menu today

No Jameson just a Tall glass of tea 😃

YESSSS! KITTIES ARE LIFE. KITTIES ARE LOVE.

I just noticed there is a new comp yesterday, but have had not the greatest day today, two flimsy starts on the prompt, and no comfort food. Can I just have a bottle of white wine, Moscato? I want the whole bottle so I can chug it then curl up in a nest of blankets til a good idea wakes me up 😕

Quote by JustPassingThrough

For those who are interested, the results of the New Year's comp on StoriesSpace went live this morning. It's a great slate of stories overall.

https://www.storiesspace.com/forum/site-announcements-and-members-feedback/announcing-the-winners-of-our-a-new-years-do-over-competition

Once again I am a runner-up. Maybe this means in the next competitions I will place and win prize money. I still need to read the other competitor's stories. So behind on so much reading.

Quote by JamesLlewellyn

Well, congratulations, Kis…I think.

I keep being reminded of something that Sibelius said, "No one ever erected a statue to a critic." Whereas you have a devoted following – not least among your patrons and fella Rumploids!

And now it's time for… this week's Scribblings by the Smut-Merchants of Rumps Regulars!

.

JustPassingThrough – What Alaistair wants… (Micro)

KimmiBeGood – My Last First Kiss (Love Poems)

LilCoffeeLuvr111 – The Morning Text (Flash)

Fuzzy1954 – Love Conquers All (Love Poems)

LuceDevlin – Dial Tone (Fantasy & Science Fiction)

TechGoddess – Office Whore – Part 54 (Office Sex)

LuckyLilDragonfly – Daddy's baby girl (Erotic Poems)

LuceDevlin – Alleyway Cum-Union (Gay Male)

PJH – Her First Ever Spanking (Spanking)

Reagent254 – An Orgasm At Owl Creek Bridge (Historical)

Armagnac – Three-Body Problem (Micro)

GrushaVashnadze – Snow White and the Seven Dildos, or, The Princess and the Cuntsman: Chapter 5 (Love Stories)

.

And there you have it. Smut for the millions!

I see that Valentine's fervour is creeping into the offerings, especially with poetry. And I see some names there that have been missing for a while – not least of which is our very own Scott and Lucky, and some newcomers, like Luce.

Just a thought, but if I were going to set the next competition, the theme would be Valentine's – but the Massacre this time, just for fun! None of this lovey-dovey shit!

'Course, no one asked me …

I am slowly working thru my queue of story ideas. -- I half forgot Valentine's Day is coming up or shall I say cumming up? LOL. I had to remind myself that yes I can post stories when there isn't a competition happening LOL.

Quote by Denim_Daisy10

Quote by JustPassingThrough

Quote by Denim_Daisy10
F*$k it's cold in my neck of the woods. It's been a long time since we had winter temps like these .

Pft. You don't know cold until you've been in Ottawa in Winter. And, yet, somehow my son and d-i-l manage to live there and plan to stay for the foreseeable future. I think part of the reason our politics is so screwy at times is simply because everyone's brain is frozen.

We did not get as much as snow as forecast, but there was still enough to shovel (well, for my wife to shovel since she is convinced I still should not exercise or do physical after my eye surgery even though my doc said otherwise). Definitely cold here but being in Southwestern Ontario in February, that's Tuesday.

Wine. Red. Merlot if you have it, else Cabernet Sauvignon will do.

I'll pass on Ottawa.. I have a good friend that lives in Regina Saskatchewan and he tells me to quit fussing about the cold ..lol Arizona isn't suppose to be this cold (30°F in my town)

Never been to Arizona, but been to other states near it, like NM or NV. TX too but that's a stretch away. I know that some states do not know how to handle the cold at all! And I have a friend in Canada too, one of my beta readers. Yeah. different kind of cold up there LOL.

Cold days make me wish I had a fire place like I build in my Sims4 houses, not sure if any of y'all play that game, its super fun to put my lush characters in that game and when I add mods, I can make them do all the sexy things I wrote about them doing HAHA!

Quote by techgoddess

Good morning! Just sneaking in before my day gets too busy to say hello (and maybe snag a donut). Miss my daily interactions with all y’all but things look like they might be settling down a bit. Fingers crossed!

I am criminally behind in reading stories. I will try to catch up on what I can when I can.

Keep my youngest in your thoughts as we think her ex might be having a bit of a psychotic break. He left a “shrine” of stuff on her porch this past Saturday with a bizarre letter to one of her cats. It’s more sad than scary. At least he doesn’t seem to be wanting to get back together. But he sure has been working hard to manipulate her into communicating with him. She has been so strong.

Well I am off to the gym. I will do some extra crunches to work off that donut.

Hope all y’all are doing well and that life is being good to you.

Oh, dear psychotic breaks are rough. I have had more than my fair share of them myself. Hope everything smooths out for you and yours in that regard!

Quote by JamesLlewellyn

Quote by LuceDevlin

Quote by JustPassingThrough

Boston Cream and an Earl Grey, please.

Sunny but f'ing cold here. Had to go out briefly, too. Shivers

I have a micro in the queue now. Will let you know when it shows up. It is mostly dialogue so I will be interested to see reactions.

Greetings Again Lushies of Rumplations Bar!

I keep meaning to upload the story I wrote as a candidate for the quickie comp a bit back that was too long for the word count limit, so hearing you mention you have a micro in the queue reminded me that I can polish that one up and submit it up here. And then work on my queue of ideas to write and keep my writing muscle strong.

I thought about posting a micro serial too btw. I have such a horrible attention span, micros are easier to read, but given my rambling self, difficult for me to write LOL~!

I don't know as micro series are allowed – but go ahead and try!

Luce, you might consult with Kistin for pointers. She is the Mistress of the Micro. Hers are pithy, brilliant, sexy, and often quite poignant as well. She might be able to give you some pointers!

And micros are popular among Rumps Regulars as well because we are always short of time to read! I tend to write long stuff – anywhere from 4-6,000 words. And then there are the REALLY Long Rangers – like Jake (Jaymal) and Jeff (Stormdog), both of whom write great stories, but that tend to run anywhere from 6-9,000 words – with continuations into multi-story serials!

I have a love/hate relationship with their stuff. I hate having them in my reading queue because I know they are going to take a while to read – but I always love having read them!

Anyway, long-winded way to say – find your bliss, then follow it. You'll find an appreciative audience here! And welcome back. What can I get you?

Yknow another thing I have wanted to try, is a Reisling wine. Can I have a nice glass of whatever Reisling wine you have available?. I really need to learn more about alcohol, so this virtual bar is super fun to order drinks and indulge, Believe it or not, I was so awkward my first time in an offline bar, that I straight up asked the bartender if she had a menu cos I had no idea what drink to order, lucky my sister who knows how to drink and hold her liquor, ordered for me, but I barely drank what she ordered me, I liked it, think it was called a Malibu or something, it was fruity and hard liquor, but yeah. My main "drink" is hard apple cider, angry orchard but like I said, I am exploring lol. and wine fascinates me, I want to learn to homebrew my own ales one of these years. the microbiology behind it fascinates me, to be honest!

Quote by JustPassingThrough

Boston Cream and an Earl Grey, please.

Sunny but f'ing cold here. Had to go out briefly, too. Shivers

I have a micro in the queue now. Will let you know when it shows up. It is mostly dialogue so I will be interested to see reactions.

Greetings Again Lushies of Rumplations Bar!

I keep meaning to upload the story I wrote as a candidate for the quickie comp a bit back that was too long for the word count limit, so hearing you mention you have a micro in the queue reminded me that I can polish that one up and submit it up here. And then work on my queue of ideas to write and keep my writing muscle strong.

I thought about posting a micro serial too btw. I have such a horrible attention span, micros are easier to read, but given my rambling self, difficult for me to write LOL~!

Quote by JamesLlewellyn

Quote by LuceDevlin

Quote by JamesLlewellyn

Quote by LuceDevlin

Sent here by Bear.

MY FIRST HONORABLE MENTION! I'm so stoked! Super cool!!! -does a little dance atop the bar- ... am I allowed to do that?

Whheeeee!

Well, Luce – first of all, Welcome to Rumps, the greatest bar within these four walls!

Second – dancing on the bar is tame by comparison to what most of our, um MEMBERS do around here, so – dance away!

Meanwhile, what'll you have to drink? First one's free!

I have always wanted to try a martini, vodka not gin. no olive. And gotta start tame, then raise the heat, and keep 'em guessing, right? You start out hot first thing then you are raising the bar high for yourself on those nights when you only feel like dancing on the bar and drinking a martini :P

A vodka martini, straight up, no olive, and…here you are! And I've made it a double…so you don't have to ask again for at least five minutes.

BTW, do you have any next of kin you'd like us to call? No reason…just asking…

Smirk. No, but if it helps, I don't know how to drive. So I always have to arrange a safe way home. I feel like I may have ordered a harder drink than I realized. Slainte? -takes a hefty sip of drink-

Quote by JamesLlewellyn

Quote by LuceDevlin

Sent here by Bear.

MY FIRST HONORABLE MENTION! I'm so stoked! Super cool!!! -does a little dance atop the bar- ... am I allowed to do that?

Whheeeee!

Well, Luce – first of all, Welcome to Rumps, the greatest bar within these four walls!

Second – dancing on the bar is tame by comparison to what most of our, um MEMBERS do around here, so – dance away!

Meanwhile, what'll you have to drink? First one's free!

I have always wanted to try a martini, vodka not gin. no olive. And gotta start tame, then raise the heat, and keep 'em guessing, right? You start out hot first thing then you are raising the bar high for yourself on those nights when you only feel like dancing on the bar and drinking a martini :P

Sent here by Bear.

MY FIRST HONORABLE MENTION! I'm so stoked! Super cool!!! -does a little dance atop the bar- ... am I allowed to do that?

Whheeeee!