There is now a second bookshop in Ripon selling my books! 'Treasure & Relish' on High Skellgate are now stocking "Riding the Escalators", "Writing to Gisella", and "Collected Poems"; initially low volumes, but let's see what happens. This is in addition to 'The Little Ripon Bookshop' which is stocking "Losing Moby Dick". I'm hopeful of … Continue reading Local bookshop #2..and more books to come!
... you have to start again! I have just finished the first edit of a new book, tentatively titled "Human Archaeology". At 270 pages and 69,000 words, it is a collection of short stories and new poetry (the prose probably about 70% by volume). Now I need to undertake one final read through, then get … Continue reading When editing’s over…
Recently, we were given a series of 'challenges' or constraints within which to write a short piece of less than 600 words. I combined a number of these into a single piece: No use of the word "the"; No use of the letter "o" (I also made that an exclusion of any words with apostrophes … Continue reading “Waiting”
A little while ago I took out a subscription for "Granta". It's a great way to be encouraged every quarter to read something you might otherwise not. In #139, the theme was "Best of Young American Novelists (3)" - a series they produce about every 10 years or so. There's also a "Best of" for … Continue reading “Granta – 139”
She couldn’t remember what they were called until her daughter told her: ‘Chatterboxes’ or ‘Fortune Tellers’. And then, flushed with the pride of being able to create something sophisticated, showed her mother how to make one. Alone now, she tried it out, inserting fingers into the appropriate spaces, then opening, and closing the petals as … Continue reading The Fortune Teller
They say you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. She knew that. But when faced with such a scene, how was it possible not to judge, to draw conclusions? They tell men to look at the mother before marrying the daughter; perhaps, they should tell women to examine their betrothed’s bachelor pad before taking … Continue reading “Wallpaper (2)” – 100-word challenge
I have just finished reading "Thirteen Reasons Why" by Jay Asher. I have to say that for the first time in a long time, I have come across a book that begs to be read in a single sitting. Where it would be fitting, indeed, in the context of the story, to do so; it … Continue reading “Thirteen Reasons Why”
I have just finished reading Robert Seethaler's excellent little novel, "The Tobacconist". Highly recommended. Reading
A couple of months ago I entered a poetry competition, and the results are just out. There were a total of 1,305 entries - and I was 'long listed'! I didn't make it to the short- or prize-list - and to be honest, I didn't expect to - but I'm pleased to have made it … Continue reading Minor trumpet blowing…
At my local Writers' Group, we were given the challenge of producing a story that had to contain the following six words: rules, postman, lamb, cripple, shotgun and sixpence. To make it harder, I thought I would try and do so within the constraints of 100 words. Here's the super-short story output (99 words): When … Continue reading Anything’s possible?
Ian Gouge - Writer 