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The DNA of Stories

Ideas and first drafts with a bit of analysis from time to time

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Category: Random Fiction

a bright, modern, open plan office. the image focuses on a large meeting table in the centre with an open bottle of champagne and several plastic cups with a little bit of champagne in each AI image

Acquisition

On December 25, 2024November 27, 2024 By Kat RedfernIn 10 Minute Sprints, StoryLeave a comment

“We’ve been acquired!” Heads in the office popped up as Alistair burst through the doors, waving a bottle of champagne. “I didn’t know the company was for sale.” Whoever spoke didn’t sound too happy. Alistair didn’t seem to notice as he all but danced towards the kitchen area. “We weren’t but the EMX guys made …

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There was a bottle on the stone windowsill being used as a vase. It was clear glass, about half full of water, and held a single, pink flower. AI image

Bottle

On December 22, 2024November 27, 2024 By Kat RedfernIn 10 Minute Sprints, StoryLeave a comment

There was a bottle on the windowsill. It was clear glass, about half full of water, and held a single, pink flower. Simeon wasn’t sure what type of flower it was, he wasn’t familiar with gardens, but it gave him a focus as he lay in a room he didn’t recognise, as people he didn’t …

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Dawn - Sunlight washed the fields below with soft gold, framed through the last line of trees. A clear sky, grey-fading-to-blue arched over fine lines of cloud, painted in shades of peach and apricot. Hard to believe it could be so beautiful, so completely unaffected by the upheaval on the lands beneath. AI image

Dawn

On December 15, 2024November 26, 2024 By Kat RedfernIn 10 Minute Sprints, StoryLeave a comment

They kept trudging, as the darkness slowly began to ease, and the eastern sky lightened. They’d walked through the night – and would have to walk further – they had a long way to go. Som called a break and the other five sat where they were, the forest floor was no more or less …

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A Baroque-style manor house of decent, but not excessive size, against the backdrop of the rolling English countryside AI image

Woods Cottage – Day 10.5

On December 11, 2024November 26, 2024 By Kat RedfernIn One Day at a Thyme, StoryLeave a comment

Yes, I know that was not a helpful place to leave things, but I had an interruption. It’s all taken care of now, so I can resume. We set off about fifteen minutes later, the girls finished their tea and cake while I pulled together a few odds and ends that might come in useful …

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a basket on a table in a small greenhouse. The basket is half full of mysterious round linen bundles, tied with string AI image

String

On December 8, 2024November 26, 2024 By Kat RedfernIn 10 Minute Sprints, Story2 Comments

String, string, where was the damn string when you needed it? I dug through the drawer under my planting table, I knew I had some in here somewhere. Or, wait, did I run out of it when I was tying up the tomato plants? Damn! Why hadn’t I added it to the shopping list? And …

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Glass walls and gate, with delicate vine decorations. AI Image

Gate

On December 1, 2024November 23, 2024 By Kat RedfernIn 10 Minute Sprints, StoryLeave a comment

The walls of Glasslight Palace were transparent, only the tracery of frosted vines winding across their surface kept people from running into them. They looked like fine crystal, or ice, about to melt into nothing in the morning sun. They were neither fine, nor fragile, the substance harder than diamond, able to absorb any attack, …

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wooden kitchen table in with mugs of tea and a lemon drizzle cake on it. AI image

Woods Cottage – Day 10

On November 27, 2024November 23, 2024 By Kat RedfernIn One Day at a Thyme, StoryLeave a comment

I was in the still room when the back door wards hummed at me. I checked the camera feed on my phone, Sarah and her new friends were coming to visit, this could be interesting. I opened the door before they knocked, and the Highsmith girl gasped. “She’s psychic.” The fake American one rolled her …

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built of spun glass and miracles and filled with beauty, and music AI Image

Delicate

On November 24, 2024November 8, 2024 By Kat RedfernIn 10 Minute Sprints, StoryLeave a comment

Glasslight Palace was the wonder of the most wondrous city in the known world, and Sera hated it. A prison was still a prison, even when it was built of spun glass and miracles and filled with beauty, and music, and the most vicious, snake-tongued court this side of the Cataclysm. Sera assumed the bland, …

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Nestled on the edge of a bustling market square sits a quiet cafe, its facade weathered yet welcoming. It has a faded striped awning over the front, and sits in a row of other shops, selling things like clothes and leather goods. Through the window of the cafe, you can see people sitting in pairs and threes at small tables. AI image

Mill

On November 17, 2024October 26, 2024 By Kat RedfernIn 10 Minute Sprints, StoryLeave a comment

They only made it as far as the old mill that first day. Not surprising. Sera couldn’t take any of the larger, faster transports, or any of the public rattletraps that clattered between the cities. They had to get away unnoticed, so she took Z down to the market – a frequent enough occurrence that …

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wellferns on a sunny windowsill AI image

Woods Cottage – Day 9

On November 13, 2024October 26, 2024 By Kat RedfernIn One Day at a Thyme, StoryLeave a comment

I was repotting young Ben's wellfern - he's growing like nobody's business just now, so naturally the plant assigned to monitoring his health is putting out new shoots, and roots, all but cracking its pot in response. I had it happily re-planted in a wide wooden tub on the windowsill of my still room, and …

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