John, Joanne, Andrew Three years, five months, one week, two days. Four bairns, three gone, one left: one. No ghosts trouble me; gone for good, oh, gone. If I could gather up the days, go back, to that summer afternoon, our Mark up ahead, wee Jo on her bike and baby Andrew, oh, my babies.… Continue reading NaPoWriMo Day 5 – John, Joanne, Andrew
Samuel Winter still, the earth brown between wet lanes and the hedges bare like bones. My thumbs, stiff and rough yet twitch for spring, for nature to swing into its well-worn path. The blush of green will creep as always over the Sperrins, the daylight unbend as the dew retreats to misty morns. More than… Continue reading NaPoWriMo Day 4 – Samuel
Brian "Watch our Brian," our ma shouted from the kitchen, elbow deep in peelings. "No bother" I called, plumping down my bag and coat. But when I made a mug of tea, he'd slipped away for a wee dander on the street. I let him have his play, Not wanting to bother our ma. "Your… Continue reading NaPoWriMo Day 3 -Brian
Rosemary It's the thirteenth today; touch wood. So long I've waited, and it has to be this day? Still, I'm doing what I longed for this last three years. But here's me, crouched in a toilet, fiddling with wires, and I'm to be a teacher! But the cause is right, and casualties regrettable. Touch wood.… Continue reading NaPoWriMo Day 2 -Rosemary
I've previously written about my failed experiment with NaNoWriMo and why writing a 50,000 word novel to order in 30 days wasn't for me. And yet, in a moment of madness and inspiration (I've just discovered Northern Irish poet John Hewitt), I've made a commitment to write a poem a day for the 30 days of April… Continue reading NaPoWriMo 2019 – 30 Poems in 30 Days
I've been thinking about beginnings a lot, since, well, the beginning of this new year. I'm currently reviewing my manuscript for And The Buntings Flew, having put it away for a few months; that distance allowed me to clean up what I've written to date, and forge on with the story. I've now got 35,000… Continue reading Begin at The Beginning -Does My Novel Need a Prologue?
Make voyages. Attempt them. There's nothing else. - Tennessee Williams Sometimes, rather than peace coming to me "dropping slow", it's inspiration. The inspiration to realise my writing dreams waxes and wanes, given the daily grind of job, commute, and paying the bills. Waiting for inspiration doesn't get things done, and it can be interminably slow… Continue reading June ’18 Update – More Flash Fiction, and Seeking Inspiration for My Writing
Today I received my copy of the first anthology from Reflex Fiction, titled "Barely Casting a Shadow"; my short piece "The Shore Road" made their summer 2017 flash fiction long list. It's great to see your words in print! If you get the chance, do check out the stories published at Reflex Fiction, there's some really… Continue reading Mini May Update – Flash Fiction Anthology, and Striking the Balance Between Writing Short and Long Fiction
I'm not going to list out all the famous authors who had to persist through dozens of rejections until their magnum opus was snapped up. And I'm not going to name that Decca manager who rejected the Beatles as a passé guitar group on their way out. I'm not even going to dwell on Stephen… Continue reading They Loved My Writing – But Turned it Down. When Constructive Criticism is More Valuable Than Publication
I posted in January about the snow hanging around like an impervious, unwelcome house guest; this week we've just seen the back of the latest batch! Some gloomy forecasters predict the UK will have a white Easter; I choose to ignore these pessimists (with fingers crossed). It has been an unseasonably cold late winter and… Continue reading March ’18 Roundup – Bruges, Website Makeover, Short Stories and Nano Probes
