# Literary Maneuvers March 2021: A Holy Place



## SueC (Mar 1, 2021)

*Introducing*
*Literary Maneuvers Competition*
*for March 2021*


*"A Holy Place"*


*Word limit: 650 
(title not included in word count)
*
*Begins Monday, March 1*
*Closes Monday, March 15*
*2359hrs GMT
*
*Critiques from judges 
due to SueC via PM*
*(please and thank you)*
*no later than 
Wednesday, March 31*


*Introduction*

*This month you will be 
prompted to write:*


*A Holy Place*


Pick your own title, write about whatever you want, as long as it fits the prompt.


If you win, you'll get a badge pinned to your profile, plus the chance to write
for our yearly Grand Fiction Challenge which carries cash prizes. Pretty neat, eh?




*The Awesome and Magnificent*
*March 2021 Judges*
*thepancreas11*
*bdcharles*
*river rose
foxee
*



*Thank you all!*


If you wish to know more about scoring,
take a look at the NEW JUDGING GUIDE
which also includes a template to use for your scoring.

Please use this template for consistency.​

*                   Here's a link to the newly-minted RULES 

Additional*


All entries that wish to retain their first rights should post in the LM WORKSHOP THREAD.


All anonymous entries should be sent to SueC by private message and please note in
the PM if you want your entry posted in the workshop thread, not visible to the public


Lastly, why not check out this ancient text on how to best approach this task.

Click HERE for the Rules


*There are a few ways to post your entry:*​

If you aren't too concerned about your first rights,
then you can simply post your entry here in this thread.

You can opt to have your entry posted in the Workshop
which is a special thread just for LM entries.

​You would put your story there if you wish to protect your first rights,
in case you wish to have the story published one day.
Note: If you do post it in the workshop thread, you must post a link
to it here in this thread otherwise your story may not be counted.


You may post your story anonymously.
To do so, send your story to the host (*SueC*) of the competition.
If you wish to have us post it in the workshop thread then say so.
Your name will be revealed upon the release of the score.


Everyone is welcome to participate, including judges. A judge's entry will receive a review by their fellow judges, but it will not receive a score, though some judges are happy to let you know their score for you privately. Please refrain from 'like'-ing or 'lol'-ing an entry until the scores are posted.


Judges: In the tradition of LM competitions of yore, if you could send the scores no later than
*March 31, it will ensure a timely release of results. Much later than that and I will have to post with what I have. Again, please see the Judging Guidelines if you have questions. Following the suggested formatting will be much appreciated, too.


*​*This competition will close on:
Monday, March 15th at 2359hrs, GMT (not BST), on the dot.
Please note any time differences where you
are and be mindful of daylight savings time.​*


----------



## JBF (Mar 5, 2021)

https://www.writingforums.com/threa...A-Holy-Place?p=2335628&viewfull=1#post2335628


----------



## Matchu (Mar 5, 2021)

withdrawn


----------



## Kent_Jacobs (Mar 6, 2021)

My entry: https://www.writingforums.com/threa...A-Holy-Place?p=2335965&viewfull=1#post2335965


----------



## SueC (Mar 9, 2021)

Memory


----------



## SueC (Mar 9, 2021)

I Used to Live With Death's Secret Henchmen


----------



## Irwin (Mar 10, 2021)

From Behind the Hedges


----------



## VRanger (Mar 11, 2021)

Hisatsinom

I'd posted in the other thread, then I saw these links here. I wasn't clear if I was "entered" without the link here, so I figured out how to do that. LOL


----------



## Deleted member 65569 (Mar 12, 2021)

https://www.writingforums.com/threa...A-Holy-Place?p=2337167&viewfull=1#post2337167


----------



## SueC (Mar 13, 2021)

*Hallowed Ground*
458 words ish.

​_*Hey you….*
*Yes you…*
*Look, I can’t hear you unless you write it down.*
*Come on, write it down.*

_“Me?”_

*Who the hell else is looking at this screen?*

_“I’m... going mad…”_

*Who can tell?*
*Now, are you sure you want to kill me off?*

_“I’m arguing with myself via text…”_

*No. No, you are debating the death of a very important character in your novel. Now it seems to me that a slight wound would be better. That way I can be around for the sequel.*

_“bUT?”_

*You’ve put caps-lock on.*

_“You have to die, that was the point of the story.”_

*And, if I may say so it is a stupid point. Why invest so much in making me so real if you are going to kill me. And in such a stupid way.*

_“Inventive way.”_

*Stupid. Who wants to be killed by being buried under a custard slide?*

_“Look, you are merely a figment of my imagination, what I say goes.”_

*And I say twaddle. It’d be stronger but you are aiming at the kids market.*

_“Will you just shut up and do as you’re told…”_

*That’s it, isn’t it? Just push us around, never no mind if we want to do something. You think you are so clever.*

_“Fer goodness sake. You are going to die in a freak accident and there won’t be a dry eye in the
house.”
_
*How about there being a bit of a giant banana in it that I could climb on? That way you could have a breathless, narrow escape that will have the reader on the edge with excitement.*

_“No. And I will not only kill you off, in every subsequent story I will resurrect you and kill you off again and again.”
_
*Tetchy old twit aren’t you?*

_“This is my story. I will write it my way.”_

*Humpf. Well you owe me a Viking funeral.*

_“nUTS. Ooops, sorry. Caps-lock again. You will never have a Viking funeral.”_

*Why not? It isn’t as if you have budget worries.*

_“Such funerals are for warriors and you are a spineless coward. Hence the custard.”_

*Oh great. A literary joke. Next thing you will be renting a garret.*

_“That’s it, I’m fitting your grave with a revolving door.”_

*Great galloping Gideon's gumboots. You just don’t get it do you? I’m here to help, you twerp.*

_“In that case, get over to that steel door in the base of the cooling tower and start turning the locking wheel.”_

*This is pants. Okay. ‘Grunting as I turn the wheel. A quarter turn at a time. Then the door is suddenly forced open by tonnes of custard, flinging me away on the tide. And I see… What!’
Shark infested custard!*

_“Muhawawawa!”


----------



## SueC (Mar 14, 2021)

The Sixth Commandment


----------



## SueC (Mar 14, 2021)

Bullfrogs Never Die


----------



## rcallaci (Mar 15, 2021)

Lifting the Veil (650 words)

“They’re supposed to be Red Roses not Black; this is a wedding not a funeral. Get the florist on the phone and clear this mess up. Who brought the Ice sculptures out? The wedding isn’t for another four hours. The damn things are going to melt before the guests arrive. Stop crying damn it; do the job I hired you for.”  

Jesse Christos felt like smashing the wedding planners head against the wall. Whatever possessed her to hire her, the damn bitch was an incompetent empty headed valley girl. She realized it was too late to fire her but it wasn’t too late to make sure she completed her remaining tasks mistake free by putting a bigger fire under her ass and hovering over her like the angel of death.  This is why she hated weddings; there were to many variables to consider, especially when it was her little brother Joshua’s, that was the one that needed considering.

Jesse thought the idea of Joshua and Miriam getting officially married after all those years of raising a family and living together was surreal and a bit absurd. Joshua agreed with her but Miriam was all giddy and flushed with excitement at the idea that the knot was finally being tightly tied around Joshua’s angelic neck for all this world to see. Miriam was tired of being portrayed as the loving prostitute who washed his feet and licked his toes. Dad also felt that way and what dad wanted dad got. He felt it was now time to acknowledge the relationship for what it was; two loving people tied together as one.

Jesse went over to her father, wrapped her arms around him and said, “I know you have a soft spot for Miriam but why do you want to make it official. She’s of common blood, it will set off a precedent that even the lowborn can be on an equal footing with those of the high. She’ll no longer be a concubine but a true member of the family.” Her dad smiled and said, “Their children are of the blood so why not let her be also.  She’s been devoted to Joshua and their children for ages and transformed their home once again into a beautiful garden. She made me fall in love with humanity all over again. Don’t worry everything will work out, every family has their outliers.” Laughing her father continued to say, “Instead of worrying about the bloodline, I think you should start comforting and calming down our dear wedding planner, it seems she found out about our family history, courtesy of your uncle.”

Jesse just knew inviting her Uncle, who was her step-dad as well, would cause all sorts of mischief. She needed to have a talk with Lillie, her mom, to keep him from causing anymore chaos. She was happy that her dad and step-dad finally resolved their issues and were now on good terms, but having both of them in the same room was playing with fire. 

She found Eva, the wedding planner in a fetal position on a couch. When Eva saw her approach, she wailed and begged for forgiveness. “I didn’t know, please don’t let him burn me to ashes.” Jesse couldn’t help but smile, her step-dads jokes could be scary. Eva was always ditsy, vapid, vain and a big pain in the ass but had a good heart. She also was a terrific mother.  “Don’t fret little sister, your punishment for infidelity is over. The veil is lifted, Adonis forgives you, go to him and make amends. But before you do, you’re still the wedding planner so get your ass in gear and make this wedding rock.” 

All the world saw Joshua and Miriam take the vows. It was a Holy event in a Holy place. But the highlight of the wedding was God and the Devil giving away the bride.


----------



## SueC (Mar 15, 2021)

en womb Q & A


----------



## SueC (Mar 15, 2021)

Emperor


----------

