EDIT: (ahem…)
Morning all, and welcome back to The Fine-toothed Comb. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed setting these creative challenges. I hope you’re getting something out of them too. You’ll be happy to know that this isn’t taking the place of my editing work – I’ve been feverishly working on a novella for Horrific Tales, an adventure game-book for a comic-book creator’s Patreon, and a couple of novellas expanding on elements from my Twisted Earth anthology. (EDIT: No idea what that is? I’ve written a little bit about it here.) With several customers now pre-paying for books to be edited later on this year, it’s proving to be a busy one! But enough about me. Let’s get on with the contest.
Our image today is by artist, Cyril Rolando. It can be used literally, partially, or simply to set the mood. Once again, our word limit is 400 and you’re free to do with them what you will. The only restriction is that you must use the following three words in some form within your text:
Lottery
Fly
Cherished
The deadline is next Friday, the 21st June  the 28th June. Midnight GMT, if you want to push it to the last minute.
(EDIT: Why the extension? Mr Fancy-pants Editor-man here forgot to give you his contact details first time around, so nobody could enter even if they wanted to. Can’t you just smell that sweet tang of schadenfruede?
Send your entries to me via e-mail at dion@thefinetoothed.com
As a fun alternative, writers in the Aberystwyth area might like to print their entries off, screw them up, and throw them at my stupid head.)
Oh, and there’s more than just a little bit of pride at stake here. To celebrate the completion of my latest editing gig,
I will send a paperback copy of This Twisted Earth to the winner.
(EDIT: I’ll select the winning piece and announce it on Saturday 29th June.)
Right then, I’ve got things to do and people to see.
Catch you on the other side xxx