Category: Short Stories

My writing journey to the performance of “Crash”…

Ever since I wrote my first story aged five - an illustrated tale about a boy’s adventures in space - I wanted to do nothing other than write. In my early years this was an ambition fulfilled merely in fits and starts, and even then only in a minor way. This changed at the turn … Continue reading My writing journey to the performance of “Crash”… →

Writing exercises #1

For me there are two main types of writing exercise: the first is where the exercise acts more as a prompt to write than anything else e.g. provides a theme which is more important than any constraint (e.g. useful in a perceived case of 'writer’s block'); the second is where the writer is challenged to … Continue reading Writing exercises #1 →

“Close Range: Wyoming Stories”

Having read The Shipping News I was keen to try something else by Annie Proulx. Close Range: Wyoming Stories is a completely different kettle of fish. I was immediately struck by how hard, brutal, and coarse the stories are. Whilst this is undoubtedly a reflection of the subject matter, it would have been easy for … Continue reading “Close Range: Wyoming Stories” →

“The Dominant Animal”

Kathryn Scanlan's collection of short stories, The Dominant Animal, is unusual on a number of levels - if not actually surreal. The really nicely produced book (from Daunt Books Originals) weighs in at just 118 pages, yet it contains forty stories. That's right, at an average of just under 3 pages per story. Some of … Continue reading “The Dominant Animal” →

Editing: how much is too much?

Currently preoccupied with 'final' reviews of two of my projects, I find myself assailed by a question relating to editing work - namely, when is enough, enough? It is, perhaps, easier to define what is insufficient - especially when, in the first instance, no editing at all is unacceptable! So what happens when you first … Continue reading Editing: how much is too much? →

What’s in a name..?

Quite simply anything and everything. I have a file in which I keep lists of names: male christian names, female christian names, surnames. Occasionally I look at these lists and start to pair a christian name with a surname. Like 'Morgan Cowley' - just to pick two at random. And I can't help but start … Continue reading What’s in a name..? →

It’s all about 2023…

Already - and so soon - it's all about 2023. It's about building on the foundations laid during this year. Kicking-on again. And maybe for the first time a new year won't be about production (that age old dilemma of what to write - and then struggling to do so!) but about recognition; of taking … Continue reading It’s all about 2023… →

“When It Happened” – new podcast episode

I have just published a new episode on my Walking Thru Fire podcast. "When It Happened" is taken from my short story collection, Secrets & Wisdom. The story represents something of an unusual departure for me. Almost sci-fi, it posits the possibility of a new and better future driven by - well, who can say? … Continue reading “When It Happened” – new podcast episode →

I’m being interviewed: the video!

About three weeks ago I was interviewed in Harrogate Library as part of their 'Books and Beverages' series. The interview covered both my writing and publishing exploits. The recording of the event is now available on YouTube and can be accessed via this link or here.. Settle down with a cup of coffee and a … Continue reading I’m being interviewed: the video! →

“The Waiting Room” – a short story

I have just posted a reading of "The Waiting Room" to my Walking Thru' Fire podcast; you can find it here. This is the initial story in my Degrees of Separation collection, and concerns a chance meeting at a remote branch-line railway station one cold January. More information on the collection can be found here.