It was Christmas Eve and the snow outside lay deep and crisp and scattered with the icy little jewels of Prudence’s tears. The day before Christmas had been a Christmas horror for Prudence. Sleep, the lack of it, making her head heavy. When making her morning coffee, the putrid stench of the turned milk. Having … Continue reading Christmas Wishes
Category: On Writing
About A Girl
With my book in hand, I left the pub alone. The same way that I had entered it. I’d had one drink; if I wasn’t driving I might have had another. Sometimes I do; this time I didn't. Instead I planned to drink a couple more once I returned home. To continue reading. The pattern of … Continue reading About A Girl
When The Last Leaves Fall – a new project
To celebrate the second anniversary of the release of my debut novel, 'The Reputation of Booya Carthy', I decided to do something a little different, something that I haven't tried before. A short companion story is going to appear here over the next few days in serialised instalments. It is mostly unrelated, but might have a … Continue reading When The Last Leaves Fall – a new project
The Mobile Phone Terror Attacks
‘A new wave of terror has hit Europe in the past twenty-four hours,’ the Welsh newsreader was saying as Gwen continued knitting the beanie for her son. ‘So far, injuries have been reported in thirty countries, including the UK. While many of the surviving victims have suffered life changing injuries; most have lost their lives. … Continue reading The Mobile Phone Terror Attacks
Dirty Old Sod
We are having a reading night at the writer's group that I attend. The theme is flash fiction. Wikipedia - oh wise, trusty, yet unreliable writer's tool - says that flash fiction is "work of extreme brevity, including the Six-Word Story, 140-character stories, the dribble (50 words), the drabble (100 words), and sudden fiction (750 words)." … Continue reading Dirty Old Sod
To Breathe Again
1 In the exposed land halfway between the woods and the farm, I crouch, watching the figure of a man advance along the driveway. He is tall. Is he taller? At this distance I cannot be sure. To steady myself, my hand is on the basket of wood I was carrying; my stomach rests upon my … Continue reading To Breathe Again
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas! So this was the year that I finally realised my dream of publishing a book! Thank you to anyone and everyone who has followed me on my venture, read the book (or even bought the book and not got around yet to reading it), or enquired as to how it's progressing. It has … Continue reading Merry Christmas!
Working After The Work Is Done: The Distracted Writer
There is no default template to plan your day's writing. (You probably can find one online, but please don't. Templates are for administrative letters, C.V.s and flat-pack products.) Formatting your own writing timeline is whatever works for you - there's no right way and no wrong way; it's about getting your story down. The way that Ian Fleming … Continue reading Working After The Work Is Done: The Distracted Writer
What’s in a Name?
Inventing new and convincing names for characters is something that new writers find surprisingly difficult, agonising over for hours only to scrap and start anew. Even if you have the best story ever in mind, it is one of the most important aspects of any work of fiction. If the author cannot fall in … Continue reading What’s in a Name?
From R.L. To Peter, Paul and Mary: The Inspiration
The inspiration behind The Reputation of Booya Carthy – and the welcome question that I have been asked most since its release – came from various different sources. It kind of grew from the fledgling idea that I wanted to write a music-based novel. I was going to do the old ‘rock star’ story: a … Continue reading From R.L. To Peter, Paul and Mary: The Inspiration
