Guest post: The Making of a ‘Good’ Villain by TJ Perkins

Tonight’s guest blog post, on the topic of villains, is brought to you by Y.A. fantasy, mystery novelist, guest blogger and interviewee TJ Perkins.

The Making of a ‘Good’ Villain

It is said that in order to create really great characters that your readers care about you must absorb yourself into their psyche; you must take a part of your own personality and place it into ‘them.’  I’m sure many of you have done that – think back – go on…ahhhh, so you remember how that damsel in distress was a part of you when you were going through a tough time, or how the great warrior in your latest fantasy novel resembled your thoughts and feelings on a matter.  This is all great and wonderful for the good guys in a story, but what about the bad guys?

The same holds true for the villains – yes, the author’s darker side.  Sure, everyone wants to see the hero triumph, but in order for that to happen you have to have a really good bad guy, someone that will challenge your hero, someone who will throw out all the obstacles that he can to make the hero really struggle.  But to love the hero one must also love the villain.

It’ll take an exceptional villain, one with much evil, dastardly doings and underhandedness to capture your reader’s hearts.  He or she will have to pull out all the stops and really be nasty to the hero, doing all they can to destroy him and thwart the whole saving the world thing.  But how do you do that?

Unfortunately, my friend, you’re going to have to get evil.  Yes, that’s what I said.  You need to think mean and nasty, and allow the dark corners of your demented mind (and yes, I know you have them) to trickle out.  You have to actually draw out from your being all the demented, twisted ideals from the very fabric of your soul and entwine these ideals throughout the story.  The villain will challenge the hero from the very beginning and the storyline must have a balanced roller-coaster ride of really bad stuff happening, then a lull, then more bad stuff happening.  All of which the villain is instigating.

If you’re having trouble coming up with great ideas for the bad guy to do to the good guy think of opposites.  Example:  In a store line someone may allow another person to cut in line.  What’s the opposite?  What mean thing could be done?  I’ve found a lot of negative, dastardly stuff in cartoon movies, anime, or even by watching some of the best villains in current HBO shows.

There are actually a lot of great ideas out there, you just have to look.  Once you find them you must embrace the dark side, allow your villain to be the most evil, scheming, conniving villain he/she can be, and make your readers love to hate him/her.  Give them a twisted since of humor.  Make them sarcastic.  Make them a complete asshole.  The choice is up to you.

Go, now, and create.  Enjoy the dastardly events that will make your hero miserable and the reader cheer, yet cry, when you villain is defeated.

Happy Writing!

That was great, thank you, TJ. Great to have you back.

***

TJ Perkins is an award-winning author of the mystery / suspense genre. Her writing style has been compared to that of Mildred Wirt Benson A.K.A. Carolyn Keen (Nancy Drew).  Mystery books for ages 8-14 are Mystery of the Attic, On Forbidden Ground, Wound Too Tight and the first 5 books in the Kim & Kelly Mystery Series.

TJ has recently expanded into the world of fantasy for teens. Publisher Silver Leaf Books has contracted to release Shadow Legacy, a 5-book series of fantasy.  The first installment of this new exciting series, Art of the Ninja: Earth, is an award-winner and has been classified by readers and reviewers as a cross-genre of fantasy/manga.

TJ lives in Baltimore, MD with her 2 cats and an imagination that’s bursting at the seams.

You can read sample pages of TJ’s writing (www.authorsden.com/tjperkins), see the book trailer (www.silverleafbooks.com), check out TJ’s blog, follower her on Twitter, friend / like her on Facebook and find her books at Goodreads (all her books are available on Kindle, Nook, iPad – just look them up by TJ Perkins).

***

If you would like to write a writing-related guest post for my blog then feel free to email me with an outline of what you would like to write about. If it’s writing-related then it’s highly likely I’d email back and say “yes please”.

The blog interviews return as normal tomorrow morning with non-fiction author Yves Johnson – the six hundred and ninth of my blog interviews with novelists, poets, short story authors, bloggers, autobiographers and more. A list of interviewees (blogged and scheduled) can be found here. If you like what you read, please do go and investigate further. And I enjoy hearing from readers of my blog; do either leave a comment on the relevant interview (the interviewees love to hear from you too!) and / or email me.

***

** NEW!! You can now subscribe to this blog on your Kindle / Kindle app!

See http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B008E88JN0

or http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008E88JN0 for outside the UK **

You can sign up to receive these blog posts daily or weekly so you don’t miss anything. You can contact me and find me on the internet, view my Books (including my debut novel!) and I also have a blog creation / maintenance service especially for, but not limited to, writers. If you like this blog, you can help me keep it running by donating and choose an optional free eBook.

For writers / readers willing to give feedback and / or writers wanting feedback, take a look at this blog’s Feedback page.

As I post an interview a day (amongst other things) I can’t unfortunately review books but I have a list of those who do, and a feature called ‘Short Story Saturdays’ where I review stories of up to 2,500 words (and post stories of up to 3,000 words), or posted for others to critique (up to 5,000 words) on the new Morgen’s Online Short Story Writing Group. Alternatively if you have a short story or self-contained novel extract / short chapter (ideally up to 1000 words) that you’d like critiqued and don’t mind me posting it online in my Red Pen Critique posts, then do email me. I am now also looking for flash fiction (<1000 words) for Flash Fiction Fridays and poetry for Post-weekend Poetry and Morgen’s Online Poetry Writing Group.

 

Guest post: Building Your Extreme Pantheon Characters by TJ Perkins

Tonight’s guest blog post, on the topic of mythic characters, is brought to you by Y.A. fantasy, mystery novelist and interviewee TJ Perkins.

Building Your Extreme Pantheon Characters

Okay, so you’ve got this great fantasy with great Gods and Goddesses ruling, or maybe they’re hidden entities throughout your story slightly affecting the lives of your characters, but…what about them?  You can’t just say there’s this ocean God that sinks ships; you need to build on that entity’s powers, background, etc.  So, let’s break this down:

Celtic Gods & Goddesses:

Flidhais – Irish Goddess of wild things and she was a shape-shifter

Brigit – A Triple Goddess – a Fire Goddess, a Battle Goddess and a Goddess of Water.  Any body of water is a connection to Her.  Does she have a special sword?  Special Armor?  What other attributes does she have?

Morrighen – Goddess of War, battle and fury. She will appear in Her Battle Crow aspect so She does shape-shifting, too.

Manannan Mac Lir – Patron of sailor and merchants.  His famed possessions include the yellow shaft, the red javelin and horse called Splendid Mane, and three swards name Retaliator, Great Fury and Little Fury.  He had a suit of armor that made him invisible and has the gift of immortality.

Norse Gods & Goddesses:

Freya – Ruler of the Valkyries.  Has a cloak of falcon feathers and is pulled in her chariot by two large blue cats.

Aegir – God of the seashore and ocean.  Similar to Neptune and has power over sea serpents and water monsters of all kinds.

Hel – Goddess of the dead and underworld.

Loki – God of mischief, trickery and cunning.  A master magician and conjurer as well as a shape-shifter.

Odin – the prime deity who gave his right eye for all knowledge.  He possesses vast strength and will power.  He is followed by a pair of ravens or wolves, (do you know their names?) and rides upon an eight-legged horse name Slepnir who represents time itself.

Thor – God of thunder, possesses a mighty hammer named Mjolnir.  He is the working-man’s god and rewards hard work.

This is just a few I have named and I encourage all of you to do research and find out more about the Gods and Goddesses.  If you want a Goddess, Elemental or Sprite of a tree, body of water, mountain, etc. Google it – you’ll be surprised of what you find.  Or create your own pantheon and borrow bits and pieces of powers and abilities from other deities.

The point is to expand on what the seen and unseen deities in your story are all about, what do they do, what is their background, how do they feel about things, do the items they posses also represent something even deeper, etc.

That’s all for now, so get those creative juices flowing and happy writing.

Thank you, TJ. Great to have you back!

TJ will be back in January talking about villains.

***

Award-winning author TJ Perkins is a well-respected author in the mystery / suspense genre. Her writing style has been compared to that of Mildred Wirt Benson A.K.A. Carolyn Keen (Nancy Drew).  Mystery books for ages 8-14 are Mystery of the Attic, On Forbidden Ground, Wound Too Tight and the first 5 books in the Kim & Kelly Mystery Series.

TJ has recently expanded into the world of fantasy for teens. Publisher Silver Leaf Books has contracted to release Shadow Legacy, a 5-book series of fantasy.  The first installment of this new exciting series, Art of the Ninja: Earth, is an award-winner and has been classified by readers and reviewers as a cross-genre of fantasy / manga. TJ lives in Baltimore, MD with her 2 cats and an imagination that’s bursting at the seams.

You can read sample pages of TJ’s writing (www.authorsden.com/tjperkins), see the book trailer (www.silverleafbooks.com), check out TJ’s blog, follower her on Twitter, friend / like her on Facebook and find her books at GoodReads (all her books are available on Kindle, Nook, iPad – just look them up by TJ Perkins).

Wikipedia’s articles on Anime and Manga are also worth a visit (after TJ’s sites of course ).

***

If you would like to write a writing-related guest post for my blog then feel free to email me with an outline of what you would like to write about. If it’s writing-related then it’s highly likely I’d email back and say “yes please”.

The blog interviews return as normal tomorrow morning with poet, short story author, scriptwriter and lyricist Ken Temple – the five hundred and seventy-ninth of my blog interviews with novelists, poets, short story authors, bloggers, autobiographers and more. A list of interviewees (blogged and scheduled) can be found here. If you like what you read, please do go and investigate further. And I enjoy hearing from readers of my blog; do either leave a comment on the relevant interview (the interviewees love to hear from you too!) and / or email me.

***

** NEW!! You can now subscribe to this blog on your Kindle / Kindle app!

See http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B008E88JN0

or http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008E88JN0 for outside the UK **

You can sign up to receive these blog posts daily or weekly so you don’t miss anything. You can contact me and find me on the internet, view my Books (including my debut novel!) and I also have a blog creation / maintenance service especially for, but not limited to, writers. If you like this blog, you can help me keep it running by donating and choose an optional free eBook.

For writers / readers willing to give feedback and / or writers wanting feedback, take a look at this blog’s Feedback page.

As I post an interview a day (amongst other things) I can’t unfortunately review books but I have a list of those who do, and a feature called ‘Short Story Saturdays’ where I review stories of up to 2,500 words. Alternatively if you have a short story or self-contained novel extract / short chapter (ideally up to 1000 words) that you’d like critiqued and don’t mind me posting it online in my new Red Pen Critique Sunday night posts, then do email me. I am now also looking for flash fiction (<1000 words) for Flash Fiction Fridays and poetry for Post-weekend Poetry.

 

5PM Fiction 039: Every days

Welcome to the thirty-ninth in the series: 5pm Fiction.

Late April 2011 I discovered http://StoryADay.org and the project that is to write 31 stories in 31 days. Anyone who knows me or follows this blog, knows how passionate I am about short stories so my clichéd eyes lit up at this new marvel. And just a few days later there I was, breathing life into new characters. This went on to become (with some editing of course) my 31-story collection eBook Story A Day May 2011.

I was nearing completion of the 2012 project when I decided that I didn’t want to stop at the end of May so 5PM Fiction was born. I put a load of prompts on the 5PM Fiction page and today’s was to write a story beginning ‘Susan’s gloves were threadbare…’, so here is my 155-worder.

Every days

Susan’s gloves were threadbare, and she knew it was time to buy some more but they were the last birthday present that Geoff had bought her. Not her last birthday together, but the last he’d been able to go out, stand up, speak. Her birthdays after that had been every days, merging in turn like traffic in motorway roadworks.

Then he’d gone. She could breathe again, not hear his rasping and feel guilty that her lungs worked, weren’t full of asbestos.

She stood outside the department store, saw the rainbow of gloves inviting her over the threshold. She knew crossing it would change everything, the end of her old life, the threadbare existence and the start of a new and colourful life.

She clutched the birthday card in her hand, the one she’d found with the note he’d left, with the spider-like writing, telling her to be brave. She inhaled and stepped forward.

You can sign up to receive these blog posts daily or weekly so you don’t miss anything… and follow me on Twitter where each new posting is automatically announced. You can also read / download my eBooks and free eShorts at Smashwords, Sony Reader Store, Barnes & Noble, iTunes Bookstore, Kobo and Amazon, with more to follow. I have a new forum, friend me on Facebook, like me on Facebook, connect with me on LinkedIn, find me on Tumblr, complete my website’s Contact me page or plain and simple, email me.  I also now have a new blog creation service especially for, but not limited to, writers.

Unfortunately, as I post an interview a day (amongst other things) I can’t review books but I have a feature called ‘Short Story Saturdays’ where I review stories of up to 2,500 words. Alternatively if you have a short story or self-contained novel extract / short chapter (ideally up to 1000 words) that you’d like critiqued and don’t mind me reading it / talking about and critiquing it (I send you the transcription afterwards so you can use the comments or ignore them)  on my ‘Bailey’s Writing Tips’ podcast, then do email me. They are weekly episodes, usually released Monday mornings UK time, interweaving the recordings between the red pen sessions with the hints & tips episodes. I am now also looking for flash fiction (<1000 words) for Flash Fiction Fridays and poetry for Post-weekend Poetry.

 

5PM Fiction 038: I knew a Joyce once

Welcome to the thirty-eighth in the series: 5pm Fiction.

Late April 2011 I discovered http://StoryADay.org and the project that is to write 31 stories in 31 days. Anyone who knows me or follows this blog, knows how passionate I am about short stories so my clichéd eyes lit up at this new marvel. And just a few days later there I was, breathing life into new characters. This went on to become (with some editing of course) my 31-story collection eBook Story A Day May 2011.

I was nearing completion of the 2012 project when I decided that I didn’t want to stop at the end of May so 5PM Fiction was born. I put a load of prompts on the 5PM Fiction page and today’s was to write a story including a beautician, nurse, art gallery, cuddly toy, mistaken identity and a character who talks too much, so here is my 285-worder.

I knew a Joyce once

“Schh…” The gallery owner scowled at the two women chatting loudly as he walked by.

The older lady giggled as she spotted a white price ticket attached to his black trousers.

“You’ll get us kicked out,” the younger woman whispered.

The old lady beamed up at her carer from her wheelchair and took her hand. “Let me give you a manicure sometime, Sarah, I’ve not lost my touch, you know.”

“I’d like that. Right now though we should be going. I just need to… ah, there they are. Will you be OK here while I pop to the ladies?”

“Of course dear.”

“Or, do you need to…?”

“I’m fine. Happy to watch the world go by.”

As Sarah walked off, the old lady’s attention turned to a tall, distinguished man in his 70s walking towards her, smiling.

“Joyce?” he asked.

She shook her head.

The man’s smile disappeared.

It was then that she spotted the toy bear in his right hand.

The man looked down, following her gaze. “It’s my granddaughter’s. She’s in the café with her mother. I spotted you and… I’m sorry, I really thought…” he said, and headed to the café, shoulders slumped.

The old lady shrugged and stared at the painting in front of her; a small boy in a blue jacket that reminded her of someone. “I knew a Joyce once,” she said but didn’t expect the boy to answer, he was just a painting after all.

She was about to say something else to him when Sarah walked out of the ladies toilet, shaking her hands. “OK,” she said, “let’s go, shall we?”

“Let’s!”

“And no getting us in trouble again, OK, Joyce?”

“No dear, wouldn’t dream of it.”

You can sign up to receive these blog posts daily or weekly so you don’t miss anything… and follow me on Twitter where each new posting is automatically announced. You can also read / download my eBooks and free eShorts at Smashwords, Sony Reader Store, Barnes & Noble, iTunes Bookstore, Kobo and Amazon, with more to follow. I have a new forum, friend me on Facebook, like me on Facebook, connect with me on LinkedIn, find me on Tumblr, complete my website’s Contact me page or plain and simple, email me.  I also now have a new blog creation service especially for, but not limited to, writers.

Unfortunately, as I post an interview a day (amongst other things) I can’t review books but I have a feature called ‘Short Story Saturdays’ where I review stories of up to 2,500 words. Alternatively if you have a short story or self-contained novel extract / short chapter (ideally up to 1000 words) that you’d like critiqued and don’t mind me reading it / talking about and critiquing it (I send you the transcription afterwards so you can use the comments or ignore them)  on my ‘Bailey’s Writing Tips’ podcast, then do email me. They are weekly episodes, usually released Monday mornings UK time, interweaving the recordings between the red pen sessions with the hints & tips episodes. I am now also looking for flash fiction (<1000 words) for Flash Fiction Fridays and poetry for Post-weekend Poetry.

 

5PM Fiction 037: Stalemate

Welcome to the thirty-seventh in the series: 5pm Fiction.

Late April 2011 I discovered http://StoryADay.org and the project that is to write 31 stories in 31 days. Anyone who knows me or follows this blog, knows how passionate I am about short stories so my clichéd eyes lit up at this new marvel. And just a few days later there I was, breathing life into new characters. This went on to become (with some editing of course) my 31-story collection eBook Story A Day May 2011.

I was nearing completion of the 2012 project when I decided that I didn’t want to stop at the end of May so 5PM Fiction was born. I put a load of prompts on the 5PM Fiction page and today’s was to write a story from the prompt of ‘mate’, so here is my 371-worder.

Stalemate

Stalemate implies that you’re friends in the first place. Derek’s no friend of mine. Give him an inch, as the saying goes, and he’ll take more than the proverbial mile – he’ll take a marathon.

It all started back when… oh you don’t want to hear all about that, you want the action, the here and now, why someone I thought I knew well, someone I’d known from school sixty years ago would turn up on my doorstep declaring his undying love for my wife. I didn’t even know they knew each other. Turns out they met a few months ago buying my Christmas present. Well, Isobel buying mine, Derek buying one for his dog. Not that she bought me a pet toy, they were in the same department store queue, waiting to pay. Isobel behind Derek and she saw what he’d got – can’t remember what she said it was now, doesn’t matter.

She loves dogs. Had them growing up, wanted one, but it was me or a dog so she had no choice, did she?

So anyways, they got chatting, went for a cup of coffee… innocent like and first thing I knew about it is when he turned up. On my birthday of all days! Picked then because he thought… or she thought, I’d be in a good mood. Even if I had been, which I wasn’t, I wouldn’t have been for long, seeing him would I? Before or after he told me about him and Isobel.

She said afterwards she’d wanted to tell me. That it had always been just coffee, just shopping. Not Derek’s version but he’d always exaggerated, said she wanted to leave me but that I wouldn’t let her. So he came to ask me. Not that there was much asking involved. Any, actually. Lots of demanding as I remember.

I was holding her back, he’d said. Wasn’t making her happy. She’d be happy with him. Couldn’t even think of anything original.

Of course she won’t leave me. Thinks she was the one to put me in this wheelchair. And I’m not going to put her straight, am I? She does too good a job of looking after me, and she enjoys it, I can tell.

You can sign up to receive these blog posts daily or weekly so you don’t miss anything… and follow me on Twitter where each new posting is automatically announced. You can also read / download my eBooks and free eShorts at Smashwords, Sony Reader Store, Barnes & Noble, iTunes Bookstore, Kobo and Amazon, with more to follow. I have a new forum, friend me on Facebook, like me on Facebook, connect with me on LinkedIn, find me on Tumblr, complete my website’s Contact me page or plain and simple, email me.  I also now have a new blog creation service especially for, but not limited to, writers.

Unfortunately, as I post an interview a day (amongst other things) I can’t review books but I have a feature called ‘Short Story Saturdays’ where I review stories of up to 2,500 words. Alternatively if you have a short story or self-contained novel extract / short chapter (ideally up to 1000 words) that you’d like critiqued and don’t mind me reading it / talking about and critiquing it (I send you the transcription afterwards so you can use the comments or ignore them)  on my ‘Bailey’s Writing Tips’ podcast, then do email me. They are weekly episodes, usually released Monday mornings UK time, interweaving the recordings between the red pen sessions with the hints & tips episodes. I am now also looking for flash fiction (<1000 words) for Flash Fiction Fridays and poetry for Post-weekend Poetry.

 

5PM Fiction 033: Quirky boots (60 words)

Welcome to the thirty-third in the series: 5pm Fiction.

Late April 2011 I discovered http://StoryADay.org and the project that is to write 31 stories in 31 days. Anyone who knows me or follows this blog, knows how passionate I am about short stories so my clichéd eyes lit up at this new marvel. And just a few days later there I was, breathing life into new characters. This went on to become (with some editing of course) my 31-story collection eBook Story A Day May 2011.

I was nearing completion of the 2012 project when I decided that I didn’t want to stop at the end of May so 5PM Fiction was born. I put a load of prompts on the 5PM Fiction page and today’s was to write a story including the keywords: string, accompanied, week, special, boots. Here is my 60-worder:

Quirky boots

The string quartet that accompanied Tom and Jane’s wedding that week in May was beyond special. Their choice of music would have been unusual for most occasions but everyone knew their quirks and when the couple’s first dance came on, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house…  as they stomped the floor to ‘These Boots Are Made For Walking’.

***

Photography courtesy of morguefile.com. You can sign up to receive these blog posts daily or weekly so you don’t miss anything… and follow me on Twitter where each new posting is automatically announced. You can also read / download my eBooks and free eShorts at Smashwords, Sony Reader Store, Barnes & Noble, iTunes Bookstore, Kobo and Amazon, with more to follow. I have a new forum, friend me on Facebook, like me on Facebook, connect with me on LinkedIn, find me on Tumblr, complete my website’s Contact me page or plain and simple, email me.  I also now have a new blog creation service especially for, but not limited to, writers.

Unfortunately, as I post an interview a day (amongst other things) I can’t review books but I have a feature called ‘Short Story Saturdays’ where I review stories of up to 2,500 words. Alternatively if you have a short story or self-contained novel extract / short chapter (ideally up to 1000 words) that you’d like critiqued and don’t mind me reading it / talking about and critiquing it (I send you the transcription afterwards so you can use the comments or ignore them)  on my ‘Bailey’s Writing Tips’ podcast, then do email me. They are weekly episodes, usually released Monday mornings UK time, interweaving the recordings between the red pen sessions with the hints & tips episodes. I am now also looking for flash fiction (<1000 words) for Flash Fiction Fridays and poetry for Post-weekend Poetry.

 

5PM Fiction 032: Getting off lightly

Welcome to the thirty-second in the series: 5pm Fiction.

Late April 2011 I discovered http://StoryADay.org and the project that is to write 31 stories in 31 days. Anyone who knows me or follows this blog, knows how passionate I am about short stories so my clichéd eyes lit up at this new marvel. And just a few days later there I was, breathing life into new characters. This went on to become (with some editing of course) my 31-story collection eBook Story A Day May 2011.

I was nearing completion of the 2012 project when I decided that I didn’t want to stop at the end of May so 5PM Fiction was born. I put a load of prompts on the 5PM Fiction page and today’s was to write a story starting ‘Hearing the bone snap as he fell…’. My writing friend Tony Tibbenham brilliantly took on (offered) the challenge of the weekend’s prompts (Light / Raven hair flying). I’m back, so here is my 141-worder, featuring a character called Tony.

Getting off lightly

Hearing the bones snap as he fell, Graham cursed himself for being so stupid. He’d known they were fragile, being so old and yet he’d been this careless; not keeping a hand free to hold the stair rail.

“Mr Simmonds!” Tony, one of his students, yelled, then tried to help him to stand until Graham yelped.

“My leg!” he whimpered as Tony lowered him on to one of the bottom steps.

“Take it easy, Mr Simmonds.”

Graham rolled up his trouser leg and winced.

Tony tutted. “That looks nasty.”

“Deep cut, that’s all, but look at Henry.”

Tony stared over at the class’ skeleton lying in pieces on the newly-polished hallway floor and shrugged. “We’re here to learn how to mend people. Henry will probably be the only one that we won’t hear complaining… I’d say we’ll be getting off lightly.”

***

Photography courtesy of morguefile.com. You can sign up to receive these blog posts daily or weekly so you don’t miss anything… and follow me on Twitter where each new posting is automatically announced. You can also read / download my eBooks and free eShorts at Smashwords, Sony Reader Store, Barnes & Noble, iTunes Bookstore, Kobo and Amazon, with more to follow. I have a new forum, friend me on Facebook, like me on Facebook, connect with me on LinkedIn, find me on Tumblr, complete my website’s Contact me page or plain and simple, email me.  I also now have a new blog creation service especially for, but not limited to, writers.

Unfortunately, as I post an interview a day (amongst other things) I can’t review books but I have a feature called ‘Short Story Saturdays’ where I review stories of up to 2,500 words. Alternatively if you have a short story or self-contained novel extract / short chapter (ideally up to 1000 words) that you’d like critiqued and don’t mind me reading it / talking about and critiquing it (I send you the transcription afterwards so you can use the comments or ignore them)  on my ‘Bailey’s Writing Tips’ podcast, then do email me. They are weekly episodes, usually released Monday mornings UK time, interweaving the recordings between the red pen sessions with the hints & tips episodes. I am now also looking for flash fiction (<1000 words) for Flash Fiction Fridays and poetry for Post-weekend Poetry.

 

5PM Fiction 030: Light

Welcome to the thirtieth in the series: 5pm Fiction.

Late April 2011 I discovered http://StoryADay.org and the project that is to write 31 stories in 31 days. Anyone who knows me or follows this blog, knows how passionate I am about short stories so my clichéd eyes lit up at this new marvel. And just a few days later there I was, breathing life into new characters. This went on to become (with some editing of course) my 31-story collection eBook Story A Day May 2011.

I was nearing completion of the 2012 project when I decided that I didn’t want to stop at the end of May so 5PM Fiction was born. I put a load of prompts on the 5PM Fiction page and today’s was to write a story from the prompt of ‘light’. I’d actually planned this weekend off but a sci-fi writer friend of mine, Tony Tibbenham, wrote this 163-worder for me… with half an hour’s notice – please do read and comment once you have… thank you.

Light

He stood, the light glinting off the hilt of his knife.   He was sure the knife was his, a part of him, but wasn’t sure why he was there.  The stairwell ahead was dark.  Behind him was light and civilisation.  Why was he going this way?  He shook the dizziness from his mind as he staggered forward.  Ahead was his lover, somewhere above she waited for him.

He climbed, leaning against the wall, pulling himself upwards.  When his legs failed he kept coming, pulling along the landing with his arms.  Ahead the light from her open door beaconed as he dragged himself forward.  She loved him, she would help.

She finally heard his gurgling, laboured breath.  ”How the hell?” was all she said before she pulled his knife out, savagely, swearing again as this time she plunged it accurately into his heart.

The last he heard was her whispering, “Love you? You must be joking.  I guess this joke is on you.”

***

Photography courtesy of morguefile.com. You can sign up to receive these blog posts daily or weekly so you don’t miss anything… and follow me on Twitter where each new posting is automatically announced. You can also read / download my eBooks and free eShorts at Smashwords, Sony Reader Store, Barnes & Noble, iTunes Bookstore, Kobo and Amazon, with more to follow. I have a new forum, friend me on Facebook, like me on Facebook, connect with me on LinkedIn, find me on Tumblr, complete my website’s Contact me page or plain and simple, email me.  I also now have a new blog creation service especially for, but not limited to, writers.

Unfortunately, as I post an interview a day (amongst other things) I can’t review books but I have a feature called ‘Short Story Saturdays’ where I review stories of up to 2,500 words. Alternatively if you have a short story or self-contained novel extract / short chapter (ideally up to 1000 words) that you’d like critiqued and don’t mind me reading it / talking about and critiquing it (I send you the transcription afterwards so you can use the comments or ignore them) :) on my ‘Bailey’s Writing Tips’ podcast, then do email me. They are weekly episodes, usually released Monday mornings UK time, interweaving the recordings between the red pen sessions with the hints & tips episodes. I am now also looking for flash fiction (<1000 words) for Flash Fiction Fridays and poetry for Post-weekend Poetry.

 

5pm Fiction 029: Varying degrees of German

Welcome to the twenty-ninth in the series: 5pm Fiction.

Late April 2011 I discovered http://StoryADay.org and the project that is to write 31 stories in 31 days. Anyone who knows me or follows this blog, knows how passionate I am about short stories so my clichéd eyes lit up at this new marvel. And just a few days later there I was, breathing life into new characters. This went on to become (with some editing of course) my 31-story collection eBook Story A Day May 2011.

I was nearing completion of the 2012 project when I decided that I didn’t want to stop at the end of May so 5PM Fiction was born. I put a load of prompts on the 5PM Fiction page and today’s was to write a second-person viewpoint story where Fiona is learning something new, so here is my 346-worder.

Varying degrees of German

Heart thumping, you say, “Ich heiße Fiona. Ich wohne in London und ich bin funf und dreizig Jahre alt.”

The teacher nods. “Sehr gut, Fiona, und John…?”

You listen to your other classmates introducing themselves in the varying degrees of German remembered from school or picked up during weekends away, yours found on the internet then rehearsed in the short car journey to the college.

One man, the oldest person in the class by far, makes notes on his bright pink A4 ring-bound pad then stutters as he repeats his neighbour’s phrases, her details swapped for his. He reminds you of your grandfather Albert, stocky, how he was before he became ill, before he became a “walking bag of bones”, long after your mother had stopped taking you to see him but still talked about him to your father when they thought you weren’t listening.

Albert had been the traveller of the family, passport pages overflowed with stamps, plain and patterned. “See the world!” he’d said to you, breath rasping, and you’d promised you would but it wasn’t until he’d left you the money that you could plan to quit your job and study, brush up on your French, learn German and see where Europe lead you.

The teacher, Dieter, turns back to the interactive white board and writes down the words you said, reading them out as he does so. A young girl behind you giggles as he tells the class his name is Fiona. The other two pieces of information could easily be accurate and you look for a wedding ring on either hand but find none. You look down at his backside and the curve of his jeans, the little red Levi label showing him to be a man of good taste.

The old man, Frank, starts coughing and Dieter offers to get him a cup of water. You put up your hand and volunteer to go, having spotted the drinks machine on your way in. Dieter winks and mouths a “thank you” and now your heart thumps for a completely different reason.

***

Photography courtesy of morguefile.com. You can sign up to receive these blog posts daily or weekly so you don’t miss anything… and follow me on Twitter where each new posting is automatically announced. You can also read / download my eBooks and free eShorts at Smashwords, Sony Reader Store, Barnes & Noble, iTunes Bookstore, Kobo and Amazon, with more to follow. I have a new forum, friend me on Facebook, like me on Facebook, connect with me on LinkedIn, find me on Tumblr, complete my website’s Contact me page or plain and simple, email me.  I also now have a new blog creation service especially for, but not limited to, writers.

Unfortunately, as I post an interview a day (amongst other things) I can’t review books but I have a feature called ‘Short Story Saturdays’ where I review stories of up to 2,500 words. Alternatively if you have a short story or self-contained novel extract / short chapter (ideally up to 1000 words) that you’d like critiqued and don’t mind me reading it / talking about and critiquing it (I send you the transcription afterwards so you can use the comments or ignore them)  on my ‘Bailey’s Writing Tips’ podcast, then do email me. They are weekly episodes, usually released Monday mornings UK time, interweaving the recordings between the red pen sessions with the hints & tips episodes. I am now also looking for flash fiction (<1000 words) for Flash Fiction Fridays and poetry for Post-weekend Poetry.

 

5PM Fiction 028: Funny peculiar

Welcome to the twenty-eighth in the series: 5pm Fiction.

Late April 2011 I discovered http://StoryADay.org and the project that is to write 31 stories in 31 days. Anyone who knows me or follows this blog, knows how passionate I am about short stories so my clichéd eyes lit up at this new marvel. And just a few days later there I was, breathing life into new characters. This went on to become (with some editing of course) my 31-story collection eBook Story A Day May 2011.

I was nearing completion of the 2012 project when I decided that I didn’t want to stop at the end of May so 5PM Fiction was born. I put a load of prompts on the 5PM Fiction page and today’s was to write a dialogue between an elderly couple witnessing a robbery, so here is my 359-worder.

Funny peculiar

“Look, Sandra, there’s a cruise round the Med.”

“Bert.”

“They’re really expensive. A thousand pounds.”

“Bert.”

“Each! Two grand. We haven’t got that sort of…”

“Bert!”

“What?”

“There’s a chap acting funny in there.”

“Where?”

“Inside the travel agents.”

“Funny ha-ha or peculiar.”

“Really peculiar, Bert.”

“I can’t see him.”

“He’s talking to the woman behind the desk. More than talking… he’s pointing at her.”

“Where?”

“Oh, Bert, put your glasses on.”

“I didn’t bring them with me.”

“Then what’s round your neck?”

“Oh yeah… that’s better.”

“I never understood how you can see close up but not distance.”

“I’m short-sighted.”

“I know but how come you don’t wear them all the time.”

“They rub my nose.”

“Get them fixed then. See! He’s threatening her! Oh my God, he’s pointing a gun!”

“She doesn’t look frightened.”

“She’ll be in shock.”

“What about the others, Sandra? They look alright too, funny uniform but…”

“They are odd, kind of old fashioned.”

“We should go in and…”

“I’m not going in there!”

“They might need help.”

“I’m not having you shot, Bert!”

“Ah, that’s really sweet. One of the women is coming out.”

“He’s raising his gun… oh no, I can’t look!”

***

“Hello. Can I help you? Is it the cruise…”

“Come out quickly! He’s dangerous.”

“Who, madam?”

“That man in there! He’s got a gun. We don’t have a mobile or we’d call the police.”

“Terry?”

“You know him? Is he a disgruntled colleague seeking revenge?”

“Oh no. He’s just Terry.”

“But he’s got a gun.”

“He’s a highway man. They did in those days.”

“He is? Is he… alright?”

“Absolutely. He’s a highway man, I’m a damsel in distress and my colleagues are dandy men… women.”

“Sorry?”

“Adam Ant.”

“I thought you said his name was Terry.”

“No. We’re dressing up as characters from the video of ‘Stand & Deliver’. It was a song in the 1980s. All the shops along here are doing it. Well, not that song but films and so on. It’s Children in Need today.”

“Oh.”

“We have cake and lemonade… come in and we’ll see what we can do about the price of that cruise.”

***

Photography courtesy of morguefile.com. You can sign up to receive these blog posts daily or weekly so you don’t miss anything… and follow me on Twitter where each new posting is automatically announced. You can also read / download my eBooks and free eShorts at Smashwords, Sony Reader Store, Barnes & Noble, iTunes Bookstore, Kobo and Amazon, with more to follow. I have a new forum, friend me on Facebook, like me on Facebook, connect with me on LinkedIn, find me on Tumblr, complete my website’s Contact me page or plain and simple, email me.  I also now have a new blog creation service especially for, but not limited to, writers.

Unfortunately, as I post an interview a day (amongst other things) I can’t review books but I have a feature called ‘Short Story Saturdays’ where I review stories of up to 2,500 words. Alternatively if you have a short story or self-contained novel extract / short chapter (ideally up to 1000 words) that you’d like critiqued and don’t mind me reading it / talking about and critiquing it (I send you the transcription afterwards so you can use the comments or ignore them)  on my ‘Bailey’s Writing Tips’ podcast, then do email me. They are weekly episodes, usually released Monday mornings UK time, interweaving the recordings between the red pen sessions with the hints & tips episodes. I am now also looking for flash fiction (<1000 words) for Flash Fiction Fridays and poetry for Post-weekend Poetry.

 

5PM Fiction 027: Sometimes I forget

Welcome to the twenty-seventh in the series: 5pm Fiction.

Late April 2011 I discovered http://StoryADay.org and the project that is to write 31 stories in 31 days. Anyone who knows me or follows this blog, knows how passionate I am about short stories so my clichéd eyes lit up at this new marvel. And just a few days later there I was, breathing life into new characters. This went on to become (with some editing of course) my 31-story collection eBook Story A Day May 2011.

I was nearing completion of the 2012 project when I decided that I didn’t want to stop at the end of May so 5PM Fiction was born. I put a load of prompts on the 5PM Fiction page and today’s was to write a monologue containing the words ‘And just for a minute, I forget’, so here is my 357-worder.

Sometimes I forget

It’s hard to remember the good stuff when he won’t let me forget the bad. Fifty calls a day, on a good day, more if he can’t sleep. I’ve asked him to stop, everyone who knows him has asked, he just stares at them and shakes his head. He sleeps erratically so once it goes quiet I get a respite but I don’t know how long for. I get on with my work, phone on vibrate, and just for a minute, I forget…

My boss has been brilliant. I don’t know much about her private life but she seems to understand… friends less so. They tell me to change my number, move, call the police when it gets too much. It’s always too much but I know he won’t do anything. There’s never any malice.

“I don’t know how you can still love him,” Leah said the other week… we haven’t spoken since.

If you’ve ever had someone so close to you for all those years you can’t just let go and he needs me. He’s got no-one else. Actually, that’s not true, he’s got Madeline but she doesn’t know him like I do. She does what she has to do to get him through but she’ll leave, eventually, they usually do.

It’s been a quiet day today, quiet for a couple of hours, but the sun’s out so he’ll be in the garden, on the bench, the one I bought him to watch his fish and he’ll be too busy to think about me.

I don’t want him to think, it doesn’t do him any good. If he could remember everything it would be too painful… like it is for me. Every evening as I drive home I replay it; me taking him to the cemetery, me driving, me overshooting the junction, me screaming as the lorry hits his side of the car, his head slamming into the dashboard, staying with him in hospital until he was well enough to go home, come home.

Mum would have done the same, he’s my father after all. He’ll always be and I’m the one who can’t let go.

***

Photography courtesy of morguefile.com. You can sign up to receive these blog posts daily or weekly so you don’t miss anything… and follow me on Twitter where each new posting is automatically announced. You can also read / download my eBooks and free eShorts at Smashwords, Sony Reader Store, Barnes & Noble, iTunes Bookstore, Kobo and Amazon, with more to follow. I have a new forum, friend me on Facebook, like me on Facebook, connect with me on LinkedIn, find me on Tumblr, complete my website’s Contact me page or plain and simple, email me.  I also now have a new blog creation service especially for, but not limited to, writers.

Unfortunately, as I post an interview a day (amongst other things) I can’t review books but I have a feature called ‘Short Story Saturdays’ where I review stories of up to 2,500 words. Alternatively if you have a short story or self-contained novel extract / short chapter (ideally up to 1000 words) that you’d like critiqued and don’t mind me reading it / talking about and critiquing it (I send you the transcription afterwards so you can use the comments or ignore them)  on my ‘Bailey’s Writing Tips’ podcast, then do email me. They are weekly episodes, usually released Monday mornings UK time, interweaving the recordings between the red pen sessions with the hints & tips episodes. I am now also looking for flash fiction (<1000 words) for Flash Fiction Fridays and poetry for Post-weekend Poetry.

 

5PM Fiction 026: Thinking big

Welcome to the twenty-sixth in the series: 5pm Fiction.

Late April 2011 I discovered http://StoryADay.org and the project that is to write 31 stories in 31 days. Anyone who knows me or follows this blog, knows how passionate I am about short stories so my clichéd eyes lit up at this new marvel. And just a few days later there I was, breathing life into new characters. This went on to become (with some editing of course) my 31-story collection eBook Story A Day May 2011.

I was nearing completion of the 2012 project when I decided that I didn’t want to stop at the end of May so 5PM Fiction was born. I put a load of prompts on the 5PM Fiction page and today’s was to write a story containing the following keywords: nose, arm, elbow, hospital, tune… so here is my 227-worder.

Thinking big

“Nose or arm?”

“What?”

“Which do you want? Broken nose or broken arm.”

“Are you mad?”

“You know the answer to that.”

“Neither. What the…?”

“We’ve got to get inside the hospital somehow.”

“Visit someone then… or pretend to. You can get lost in there for hours.”

“We don’t want to get lost, Mick, we need to see a doctor.”

“Then go to see yours.”

“No good, not enough drugs.”

“Is that what this is about, living up to Frankie’s vision of you?”

“No, I want bigger than that.”

“No-one’s bigger than Frankie, Harry.”

“I will be.”

“Start small, Harry. You know he doesn’t like competition.”

“I won’t be competition. We’ll be partners… don’t laugh.”

“Frankie’s got form, knows people. He’s not afraid of anyone.”

“Nor am I, Mick, which is why I need this plan. You play tennis don’t you?”

“Tennis? Sometimes. Why?”

“Tennis elbow’s a complaint, isn’t it.”

“Not one that needs treatment that badly. A GP is usually…”

“No time for that.”

“There must be another way. Get someone on the inside… bribe a nurse or something.”

“Now you’re singing my tune… just one problem.”

“What?”

“Cash-flow.”

“Harry! What happened to…?”

“Leoni, Candy and…”

“Sherice.”

“Yep.”

“All that gone in one night?”

“They have expensive taste.”

“What?”

“Nothing.”

“What are you looking at me like that for? Harry…. No… Leave my arm… Harry, no!”

***

Photography courtesy of morguefile.com. You can sign up to receive these blog posts daily or weekly so you don’t miss anything… and follow me on Twitter where each new posting is automatically announced. You can also read / download my eBooks and free eShorts at Smashwords, Sony Reader Store, Barnes & Noble, iTunes Bookstore, Kobo and Amazon, with more to follow. I have a new forum, friend me on Facebook, like me on Facebook, connect with me on LinkedIn, find me on Tumblr, complete my website’s Contact me page or plain and simple, email me.  I also now have a new blog creation service especially for, but not limited to, writers.

Unfortunately, as I post an interview a day (amongst other things) I can’t review books but I have a feature called ‘Short Story Saturdays’ where I review stories of up to 2,500 words. Alternatively if you have a short story or self-contained novel extract / short chapter (ideally up to 1000 words) that you’d like critiqued and don’t mind me reading it / talking about and critiquing it (I send you the transcription afterwards so you can use the comments or ignore them)  on my ‘Bailey’s Writing Tips’ podcast, then do email me. They are weekly episodes, usually released Monday mornings UK time, interweaving the recordings between the red pen sessions with the hints & tips episodes. I am now also looking for flash fiction (<1000 words) for Flash Fiction Fridays and poetry for Post-weekend Poetry.

 

5PM Fiction 025: Once the love’s gone

Welcome to the twenty-fifth in the series: 5pm Fiction.

Late April 2011 I discovered http://StoryADay.org and the project that is to write 31 stories in 31 days. Anyone who knows me or follows this blog, knows how passionate I am about short stories so my clichéd eyes lit up at this new marvel. And just a few days later there I was, breathing life into new characters. This went on to become (with some editing of course) my 31-story collection eBook Story A Day May 2011.

I was nearing completion of the 2012 project when I decided that I didn’t want to stop at the end of May so 5PM Fiction was born. I put a load of prompts on the 5PM Fiction page and today’s was to write a story beginning ‘As it started to wobble…’. Those of you who have read my free short story eBook April’s Fool will know why I’ve brought her and her delightful husband back. So here is my 626-worder.

Once the love’s gone

As it started to wobble, April’s looked at her husband’s tooth and her heart sank. When had things started going wrong? When had he let himself ‘go’?

“You really should go to the dentist,” she said for the umpteenth time but had known the answer before she’d spoken the words; “It’ll come out of it’s own accord.”

She’d given up saying that it didn’t need to, that technology had moved on and the sooner… that’s as far as she’d got, his pain outweighing her concern.

So she’d sit at the kitchen table reading her book, a half-hour respite until the oven timer would set her back into action. She’d read about the exotic lives of the film stars she’d only ever see on the television, watched when he was down the pub, too drunk, too busy to take her to the cinema in town. April had had an exotic life once, before she’d met him, a handsome young farmer at the local dance. She’d spent the summers picking vines in France, liaisons in the Louvre, backpacking around Europe until her money had run out, then home to reality, her parents, college, a real job in an office before the farm became her life.

As she read her book she heard him shouting at the TV, answers to quiz shows or an early football match. He’d slap his hand down on the chair’s arm, hitting wood through the worn-away foam. It reminded her of when he’d slap her backside, gently in a playful rather than sexual manner, although she’d give anything for either right now. She wondered whose backside he was slapping these days. Cindy and Emily down The Old Bull would tolerate it, knowing it came with the territory. Barbara at The Haven actively encouraging, knowing it usually led to higher tips. This had been one of the nails in the Milton marital coffin – the affection and the money divided elsewhere, like an affair without the adultery, April sure of his fidelity despite appearances, his battle with cancer becoming a battle with her – a silent one – the throat cancer that hadn’t robbed him of his voice, just his passion. She knew it was an act with the other women, but it hurt all the same.

“What’s for dinner?” he grumbled, shuffling through to get a beer from the fridge.

“Steak and ale pie.” April waited for a reaction but none was forthcoming. She’d chosen his favourite as the alcohol in it, she’d added extra to be sure, would assure her of a quiet evening, quiet other than his snoring while slumped in his armchair if he didn’t make it to the pub.

April thought back to the day they’d bought the chair, an odd addition to their old two-piece suite.

“But I like it,” he’d groaned when she’d suggested something more neutral, the pattern of the suite long discontinued. She’d thought the armchair hideous but over the years it had hidden the stains of the beer and meals he’d taken through then rushed to eat, eager to meet ‘the lads’ down the pub, the lads being Ernie and Bert who’d still be eating their dinners, while chatting with their wives, long after he’d arrived so he’d spend his time letching at the bimbos, his loose tooth wobbling in its socket, not bothering anyone but April. She wondered if that meant she still cared but if she now enjoyed seeing him in pain… was it enjoyment or pity? She couldn’t put her finger on it but one thing she knew was that it was no longer concern, no longer love and once the love’s gone, there are decisions to be made, actions to be taken and she knew she had to be the one to make them.

***

Photography courtesy of morguefile.com. You can sign up to receive these blog posts daily or weekly so you don’t miss anything… and follow me on Twitter where each new posting is automatically announced. You can also read / download my eBooks and free eShorts at Smashwords, Sony Reader Store, Barnes & Noble, iTunes Bookstore, Kobo and Amazon, with more to follow. I have a new forum, friend me on Facebook, like me on Facebook, connect with me on LinkedIn, find me on Tumblr, complete my website’s Contact me page or plain and simple, email me.  I also now have a new blog creation service especially for, but not limited to, writers.

Unfortunately, as I post an interview a day (amongst other things) I can’t review books but I have a feature called ‘Short Story Saturdays’ where I review stories of up to 2,500 words. Alternatively if you have a short story or self-contained novel extract / short chapter (ideally up to 1000 words) that you’d like critiqued and don’t mind me reading it / talking about and critiquing it (I send you the transcription afterwards so you can use the comments or ignore them)  on my ‘Bailey’s Writing Tips’ podcast, then do email me. They are weekly episodes, usually released Monday mornings UK time, interweaving the recordings between the red pen sessions with the hints & tips episodes. I am now also looking for flash fiction (<1000 words) for Flash Fiction Fridays and poetry for Post-weekend Poetry.

 

5PM Fiction 024: Same time tomorrow

Welcome to the twenty-fourth in the series: 5pm Fiction.

Late April 2011 I discovered http://StoryADay.org and the project that is to write 31 stories in 31 days. Anyone who knows me or follows this blog, knows how passionate I am about short stories so my clichéd eyes lit up at this new marvel. And just a few days later there I was, breathing life into new characters. This went on to become (with some editing of course) my 31-story collection eBook Story A Day May 2011.

I was nearing completion of the 2012 project when I decided that I didn’t want to stop at the end of May so 5PM Fiction was born. I put a load of prompts on the 5PM Fiction page and today’s was to write a story containing an air stewardess, factory worker, park, hayfever, bag of essentials and love, so here is my 587-worder.

Same time tomorrow

“Bless you.”

“Thank you.” Wayne looked over at the woman. Beautiful, and beyond the reach of someone like him but where better, he thought, to be while eating his sandwiches. “Do you mind if I sit?”

“Not at all, I’ll budge up. She was so slim that she took up hardly any space on the old wooden bench but had the largest handbag he’d ever seen. A bag she’d just hauled on to the floor to make room for him.

“That’s sweet,” he said, pointing to the bench.

“Not a problem,” she replied.

“No, I meant the plaque.”

The woman looked over her left shoulder. “Oh yes. In memory of Richard Denby. Beloved father of Thomas, grandfather to Jack. No women.”

“Sorry?”

“Three generations of men but no women.”

“Oh.”

“You wanted to sit?”

“Yes, thank you.” He sat down and took out a sandwich.

“Why do you think there are no women?” the woman continued.

“Perhaps they just weren’t around?

“The grandchild being male is fair enough but no grandmother, no mother.”

“Maybe they’re dead too, something hereditary perhaps… you know, before Richard Denby.”

“That’s morbid and too sad.”

“Not enough room on the plaque?”

“They could have had a bigger one.”

“I guess, although it’s a small bench.” Wayne patted the bench’s arm to his left.

“True but…”

“Maybe the three of them had a special bond?”

“Like a boys club.”

Wayne nodded. “Exactly.”

“That would be nice.”

“Maybe there’s another bench with the women on.”

“Not in this park, I’ve sat on them all.”

“All? How many are there?”

“Eleven… including this one.”

“With inscriptions?”

“No. Only three… well, four, this one’s new. I usually sit nearer the lake but…”

“But?”

“It’s silly really.”

“Go on.”

“The schools are off and there are loads of people feeding the ducks.”

“You don’t like ducks?”

“They’re OK. It’s the geese really. They can be really nasty.”

“It would be the children for me,” Wayne said without thinking.

The woman threw her head back and laughed. Her teeth were immaculate and Wayne bit on his lip as he suddenly became conscious of his tobacco-stained ones.

“Do you have children?” Wayne asked hoping he’d not put his foot in it.

“God, no,” she replied. “I had a narrow escape once.”

Wayne waited, hoping she’d elaborate but she changed the subject.

“What are your sandwiches?”

“Coronation Chicken.”

“My favourite.”

“I have two, would you like…”

“No, you’re fine. I’ve just eaten, thank you.”

“What did you have?” Wayne asked, then blushed as he realised how small their small talk had become.

“Cheese wrap, more boring than it sounds but it’s all I had in the fridge that was still edible.”

“Been away?”

“Bali.”

“Wow.”

“Again very boring.”

“It’s always looked lovely on the TV.”

“It is but not when you only see it from an aeroplane.”

The woman seeing Wayne’s puzzled expression added, “Air stewardess, all flying or hotels. The occasional stop-over but even then it’s all shop talk and well, after 20 years it gets a bit…”

Wayne didn’t think she looked old enough to have working that long but was relieved that it made them similar ages.

She held out a hand. “Rachel.”

“Wayne,” he said and blushed again.

“Lovely to meet you Wayne. I should go actually, sorry,” she said. “Nothing in the house. Same time tomorrow?”

Wayne nodded. “Look forward to it,” he said and watched her leave before finishing his sandwich and heading to the chemist to buy some stain-removing toothpaste and nicotine gum.

***

Photography courtesy of morguefile.com. You can sign up to receive these blog posts daily or weekly so you don’t miss anything… and follow me on Twitter where each new posting is automatically announced. You can also read / download my eBooks and free eShorts at Smashwords, Sony Reader Store, Barnes & Noble, iTunes Bookstore, Kobo and Amazon, with more to follow. I have a new forum, friend me on Facebook, like me on Facebook, connect with me on LinkedIn, find me on Tumblr, complete my website’s Contact me page or plain and simple, email me.  I also now have a new blog creation service especially for, but not limited to, writers.

Unfortunately, as I post an interview a day (amongst other things) I can’t review books but I have a feature called ‘Short Story Saturdays’ where I review stories of up to 2,500 words. Alternatively if you have a short story or self-contained novel extract / short chapter (ideally up to 1000 words) that you’d like critiqued and don’t mind me reading it / talking about and critiquing it (I send you the transcription afterwards so you can use the comments or ignore them)  on my ‘Bailey’s Writing Tips’ podcast, then do email me. They are fortnightly episodes, usually released on Sundays, interweaving the recordings between the red pen sessions with the hints & tips episodes. I am now also looking for flash fiction (<1000 words) for Flash Fiction Fridays and poetry for Post-weekend Poetry.

 

5PM Fiction 023: Under

Welcome to the twenty-third in the series: 5pm Fiction.

Late April 2011 I discovered http://StoryADay.org and the project that is to write 31 stories in 31 days. Anyone who knows me or follows this blog, knows how passionate I am about short stories so my clichéd eyes lit up at this new marvel. And just a few days later there I was, breathing life into new characters. This went on to become (with some editing of course) my 31-story collection eBook Story A Day May 2011.

I was nearing completion of the 2012 project when I decided that I didn’t want to stop at the end of May so 5PM Fiction was born. I put a load of prompts on the 5PM Fiction page. One of the stories for May 2011 had a prompt of ‘over’ so I thought it would be fun to have ‘under’, and here is my 467-worder.

Under

Feeling a little under the weather, I walk slowly with my dog. It’s raining so he’s less than enthusiastic, I completely understand. We’d normally go to the park, let him loose to play in the undergrowth but being underwhelmed we take a shortcut through the underpass, as the underground train rumbles overhead.

I imagine how bored the drivers must be, repetition the height of boredom – smiling like an undertaker at anyone who catches their eye.

I prefer to drive, points A to B, and growl at those who hog the motorway’s middle lane, wishing it were legal to undertake.

My new lodger has plans to visit somewhere different in the UK every weekend, an escape from an ex – so far under the thumb she was paper-thin, him being underhand at the best of times. He misunderstands two women living together, under the same roof, enjoys undermining our confidence when he’s under the influence. “He’s a decent man… underneath it all,” she says but I know the undercurrent of what he says and stay robust like an underpinned house.

She’s also talking of writing her autobiography, of her life in the circus and everywhere in between. I’m more of a contemporary fiction writer, history being my worst subject at school – researching undergarments of the elite and their relationship with the underclass holding little appeal. Unlike my adult life, I was an underachiever at secondary school, underperforming… like a council I know.

We’re off to see two movies today, both chick-lit, more my cup of English Breakfast than sci-fi or fantasy, although I enjoyed the Underworld series, Kate Beckinsale, a much underrated actress but then she’s British, we’re used to being the underdog.

Lodger number two arrives soon and I have my work cut out; do some painting… a bit of undercoat here and there, under the purple and blue that my house exudes. Things will have to change when he arrives, the man of the house, we’ll have to hide our underwear after the weekly wash. I’ve seen photos of him and he looks a little underweight, rectified I’m sure once he’s under my wing.

I should be editing my early novels but I’m waiting for my first readers to submit their comments on the third one, underline things that don’t make sense. One of them is an actor, an understudy sometimes.

In the meantime I have jobs to do, the house needing attention before our third party arrives… the bathroom floor tiles to be removed and replaced over underlay so the uneven floorboards don’t crack them anymore. Given the time I have, I think I may have underestimated the work to be done.

So with notepad tucked discreetly under my arm, I head under the house to check my DIY store… I may be some time…

You can sign up to receive these blog posts daily or weekly so you don’t miss anything… and follow me on Twitter where each new posting is automatically announced. You can also read / download my eBooks and free eShorts at Smashwords, Sony Reader Store, Barnes & Noble, iTunes Bookstore, Kobo and Amazon, with more to follow. I have a new forum, friend me on Facebook, like me on Facebook, connect with me on LinkedIn, find me on Tumblr, complete my website’s Contact me page or plain and simple, email me.  I also now have a new blog creation service especially for, but not limited to, writers.

Unfortunately, as I post an interview a day (amongst other things) I can’t review books but I have a feature called ‘Short Story Saturdays’ where I review stories of up to 2,500 words. Alternatively if you have a short story or self-contained novel extract / short chapter (ideally up to 1000 words) that you’d like critiqued and don’t mind me reading it / talking about and critiquing it (I send you the transcription afterwards so you can use the comments or ignore them)  on my ‘Bailey’s Writing Tips’ podcast, then do email me. They are fortnightly episodes, usually released on Sundays, interweaving the recordings between the red pen sessions with the hints & tips episodes. I am now also looking for flash fiction (<1000 words) for Flash Fiction Fridays and poetry for Post-weekend Poetry.

 

5PM Fiction 022: Cold feet

Welcome to the twenty-second in the series: 5pm Fiction.

Late April 2011 I discovered http://StoryADay.org and the project that is to write 31 stories in 31 days. Anyone who knows me or follows this blog, knows how passionate I am about short stories so my clichéd eyes lit up at this new marvel. And just a few days later there I was, breathing life into new characters. This went on to become (with some editing of course) my 31-story collection eBook Story A Day May 2011.

I was nearing completion of the 2012 project when I decided that I didn’t want to stop at the end of May so 5PM Fiction was born. I put a load of prompts on the 5PM Fiction page and today’s was to write a second-person viewpoint (my favourite) story where Irwin has cold feet, so here is my 145-worder.

Cold feet

Hand hovering over the door handle, you want to go in but debate the outcome.

You’ve come here for the prize… for something that will change your life.

“Go on!” your head tells you. “It’s what you want.” But your heart tells you things are fine as they are.

Either way you have to go in, go through with it or say something, say you can’t and want everything to stay as they are.

So you open the door and your boss is there, smiling, so you smile back and feel better, your heart overtaking your head, then you see your colleague, Sarah, in tears and as you approach, she says the words you wanted to say.

“I’m sorry, I can’t go through with it… I can’t marry you.”

And as you leave the registry office you straighten your back, and do a little skip.

You can sign up to receive these blog posts daily or weekly so you don’t miss anything… and follow me on Twitter where each new posting is automatically announced. You can also read / download my eBooks and free eShorts at Smashwords, Sony Reader Store, Barnes & Noble, iTunes Bookstore, Kobo and Amazon, with more to follow. I have a new forum, friend me on Facebook, like me on Facebook, connect with me on LinkedIn, find me on Tumblr, complete my website’s Contact me page or plain and simple, email me.  I also now have a new blog creation service especially for, but not limited to, writers.

Unfortunately, as I post an interview a day (amongst other things) I can’t review books but I have a feature called ‘Short Story Saturdays’ where I review stories of up to 2,500 words. Alternatively if you have a short story or self-contained novel extract / short chapter (ideally up to 1000 words) that you’d like critiqued and don’t mind me reading it / talking about and critiquing it (I send you the transcription afterwards so you can use the comments or ignore them)  on my ‘Bailey’s Writing Tips’ podcast, then do email me. They are fortnightly episodes, usually released on Sundays, interweaving the recordings between the red pen sessions with the hints & tips episodes. I am now also looking for flash fiction (<1000 words) for Flash Fiction Fridays and poetry for Post-weekend Poetry.

 

Author interview no.408 with writer Garden Urthark

Welcome to the four hundred and eighth of my blog interviews with novelists, poets, short story authors, biographers, agents, publishers and more. Today’s is with poet, spotlightee, essayist, short story author and novelist Garden Urthark. A list of interviewees (blogged and scheduled) can be found here. If you like what you read, please do go and investigate further.

Morgen:  Hello, Garden.  Please tell us something about yourself, where you’re based, and how you came to be a writer.

Garden:  I’m based in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area, specifically, in Kensington, Maryland, a suburb of Washington, DC.  I have wanted to be a writer from at least high school age onward.

Morgen: You’re lucky, it took me twice that long to think it could be a profession. What genre do you generally write and have you considered other genres?

Garden: Although I have described my novel Other World as an epic mystery, it really does not fit well into any particular genre.  Other World is a literary novel that contains both mystery and science fiction within an epic scope.  In addition, the novel includes a sonnet sequence and a formal ode, and the first part of the novel is in epistolary form.  So if you like variety, you will like my novel.  Other World unites some of the same basic building blocks of various genres, hopefully to create a new and original life experience for the reader rather than simply exercise the mind around some very common themes and staple situations as happens in much genre fiction.

I devoted 18 years to Other World.  That doesn’t mean I was always writing.  There were periods when I didn’t write at all, but like Hemingway—with all proportion kept between him and myself—waited for the right words to come.

Norman Mailer used to say that a book was a record of the kind of man (or woman, for that matter) a writer had been.  As I was working on my book, I tried to live a life that complemented the kind of ideals I advocate for in my novel.  For example, Milton said that an epic poet must drink water from a wooden bowl.  I am not an epic poet per se, but I get the sense that what Milton said is something like what Mailer said.  To go unpublished or unrecognized for so long presents a major challenge to a writer and involves a great self-sacrifice as well as great self-discipline.

Morgen: It’s happening to a lot of writers but as the saying goes, “A successful writer is one who didn’t give up.” Do you do a lot of editing or do you find that as time goes on your writing is more fully formed?

Garden:  I did write and rewrite parts of my novel several times.  Other parts went more like Hawthorne’s Scarlet Letter, which he said he wrote “without blotting a line.”  I can’t say I wrote anything, however, that I could say I didn’t do any editing on.  My book seemed to write itself, and have a mind of its own.  The book itself seemed to demand that certain parts be rewritten while other parts remained untouched.

Morgen: I think every writer needs editing, even household names. Did you have any say in the cover and illustrations of your book?

Garden:  I wanted to say that I include as part of the writing of my novel the time I spent in self-publishing it, both as a paperback and as an eBook.  And part of that involved preparing and selecting the illustrations, one of which was also used for the cover.  My wife, Sung, illustrated the novel.  I did have a hand in designing some of these illustrations, including the cover.  Some of the illustrations are original artworks of hers that I selected for my book, however.

My wife is deaf.  Although she cannot talk, like most deaf people, she does not like to also see herself as mute.  However, we have together agreed to call our mutual efforts in literature and art as Mute Art, that is, art that cannot speak for itself or articulate a place for itself within any particular artistic movement or tradition.

Like me, Sung was not always painting, but would come back to a painting and revise it, spending time with each painting.  Her paintings for Other World include oil on canvas, acrylics on canvas, and watercolors.  And these paintings are a record of the kind of person she’s been.  I think it should be said that her illustrations for Other World can stand alone as works of art in and of themselves.  I believe she is a very great artist.  Unfortunately, unless you have an eReader that can read in color, you will miss out on the beauty of her use of color.  There are seven full-color illustrations for Other World, each an original artwork.

Morgen: I love drawing cartoons but like to think I’m a better writer than painter. With art, I have to have something to replicate but can pull stories out of nowhere… but then I’ve not drawn since I started writing so maybe I’d surprise myself. What are you working on at the moment?

Garden:  As a writer, I have followed what I have taken to calling Mario Puzo’s law.  Mario Puzo, the author of The Godfather, once said:  read, go to the movies, and never talk about your work with anyone.  This last part of the law—never talk about your work with anyone—has been very difficult to follow.  It certainly doesn’t help in making friends and has the ability to alienate a good number of people.  It seemed that when I was younger, some people absolutely demanded to know what I was working on and would actually become very angry when I wouldn’t tell them.  With age, however, I think the pressure to have to answer this question has lessened.  I think not talking about your work with just anyone is a sign of reverence for the work and can only really be understood in the context of writing as a way of life rather than any particular end result that one might be able to achieve in a novel, play, poem, or what have you.  I guess what I mean to say is that the best answer I can give to the question, what am I working on now is:  I’m working on being the best person I can be, and that includes being the best husband, father, and individual I can be within the time I have been given to live my life here on Earth and anywhere else I have the opportunity to travel to and experience.  (The universe is a big place, so I don’t like to limit myself!)

Morgen: Many authors don’t talk about their latest projects, perhaps through the fear that someone will ‘pinch’ the idea but I think many don’t want to jinx their muse. What can we find out about you and your wife’s work?

Garden:  A good place would be on the page devoted to Other World on Smashwords at http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/51153.  On that page, we have a short and long description of my novel.  You can also download a copy of the novel from that page.  Also, our website at http://gardenurthark.com:  I wrote a short piece on our website at http://gardenurthark.com/page7.html entitled “Other World:  Conversations” designed to encourage readers to download Other World.  I have also made a few YouTube videos to encourage interest in Other World, and these are accessible from our website.

Morgen:  Thank you very much for chatting with me today.

Garden: Thank you very much for giving me this opportunity, and my wife, Sung, would like to thank you also.

Morgen: You’re both very welcome, and thank you for reviewing (and liking) my Story a Day May collection.

I then invited Garden to include an extract of his writing and this is from Moody Santo’s (the main character’s) introduction to Other World:

I do not know of any writer who has faced the opposition I’ve faced.  Henry Miller perhaps.  I’m talking about an opposition unlike anything faced by Miller.  Society has tried to extinguish me as a person, first by arresting and incarcerating me, second by labeling me a schizophrenic.  I’ve received a death sentence of a kind, for from that moment on, everything I might write, everything I might do, would be called into question, would be suspect, would be considered unreliable.  My entire view of reality had been extinguished with a single stroke.  It was only one step further to extinguishing me completely as a person, first by medicating me, next, by requiring me to conform in ways that completely negated my entire sense of self.  For once so branded, I could no longer find employment, could no longer make a friend.  And as a strategy for ridding itself of me as an opponent, an enemy, the State did the next best thing short of actually executing me or imprisoning me for life.  And I was an opponent to the State—to any State.  I was not an anarchist, but I have a clear idea about the injustices and inequalities perpetrated by the capitalist system or State.  And I showed that opposition down to the finest details of interpersonal communication and family and social life.  No, I was not a member of the Communist Party or any party.  I did not want to see the violent overthrow of this or any State.  But I did want to see a redistribution of wealth.  I did want to see values change.

Garden Urthark (Writer): A native of Washington, DC, and its suburbs, Garden Urthark wrote the Life Trilogy over a period of over thirty years, devoting over 18 years to Other World.  While a Visiting Student at Gallaudet University, where he worked part-time as an English tutor, he met his wife, Sung, who was one of the students he tutored.  Garden and Sung almost immediately began their collaboration on projects that would combine her art with his literary work.

Sung Kim (Artist):  Born and raised in Seoul, Korea, Sung is deaf.  She came to the United States to study art.  A graduate in Studio Art at Gallaudet University, the only liberal arts university in the world for deaf people, she married Garden Urthark and together they have a hearing son.   Sung’s artwork for the Life Trilogy includes reproductions of her oil on canvas paintings, paintings in acrylics, watercolors, and pencil drawings.

Portraits Deep in the Castle is available in paperback from Amazon.com; Other World is available as an eBook from Smashwords.

***

If you are reading this and you write, in whatever genre, and are thinking “ooh, I’d like to do this” then you can… just email me and I’ll send you the information. They do now (January 2013) carry a fee (£10 / €12.50 / $15) for the new interviews on this blog but everything else (see Opportunities on this blog) is free.

If you go for the interview, it’s very simple; I send you a questionnaire (I have them for novelists, short story authors, children’s authors, non-fiction authors, and poets). You complete the questions, and I let you know when it’s going to go live. Before it does so, I add in comments as if we’re chatting, and then they get posted. When that’s done, I email you with the link so you can share it with your corner of the literary world. And if you have a writing-related blog / podcast and would like to interview me… let me know.

Alternatively, if you’d like a free Q&A-only interview, I now have http://morgensauthorinterviews.wordpress.com on which I’ve rerun the original interviews posted here then posted new interviews which I then reblog here. These interviews are Q&A only, so I don’t add in my comments but they do get exposure on both sites.

** NEW!! You can now subscribe to this blog on your Kindle / Kindle app!

See http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B008E88JN0

or http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008E88JN0 for outside the UK **

You can sign up to receive these blog posts daily or weekly so you don’t miss anything. You can contact me and find me on the internet, view my Books (including my debut novel, which is being serialised on Novel Nights In!) and I also have a blog creation / maintenance service especially for, but not limited to, writers. If you like this blog, you can help me keep it running by donating and choose an optional free eBook.

For writers / readers willing to give feedback and / or writers wanting feedback, take a look at this blog’s Feedback page.

As I post an interview a day (amongst other things) I can’t unfortunately review books but I have a list of those who do. I welcome critique for the four new writing groups listed below and / or flash fiction (<1000 words) for Flash Fiction Fridays. For other opportunities see (see Opportunities on this blog).

The full details of the new online writing groups, and their associated Facebook groups, are:

Morgen’s Online Non-Fiction Writing Group

• http://nonfictionwritinggroup.wordpress.com
• http://www.facebook.com/groups/335526669896374

Morgen’s Online Novel Writing Group

• http://novelwritinggroup.wordpress.com
• http://www.facebook.com/groups/508696639153189

Morgen’s Online Poetry Writing Group

• http://poetrywritinggroup.wordpress.com
• http://www.facebook.com/groups/388850977875934

Morgen’s Online Script Writing Group

• http://scriptwritinggroup.wordpress.com
• http://www.facebook.com/groups/319941328108017

Morgen’s Online Short Story Writing Group

• http://shortstorywritinggroup.wordpress.com
• http://www.facebook.com/groups/544072635605445

We look forward to reading your comments.

 

5PM Fiction 021: Having something in your mouth

Welcome to the twenty-first in the series: 5pm Fiction.

Late April 2011 I discovered http://StoryADay.org and the project that is to write 31 stories in 31 days. Anyone who knows me or follows this blog, knows how passionate I am about short stories so my clichéd eyes lit up at this new marvel. And just a few days later there I was, breathing life into new characters. This went on to become (with some editing of course) my 31-story collection eBook Story A Day May 2011.

I was nearing completion of the 2012 project when I decided that I didn’t want to stop at the end of May so 5PM Fiction was born. I put a load of prompts on the 5PM Fiction page and today’s was to write a dialogue between two friends where one is trying to quit smoking, so here is my 166-worder.

Having something in your mouth

They’re how much?

£70.

And what do you get for that?

The whole thing: a big starter kit with the machine, case, refills, liquids…

Liquids?

Nicotine, or something like it… herbal, I think.

Do they work?

Apparently.

It’s the having something in your mouth isn’t it?

Ooh er…

No, I mean… like I am with food.

I know, but you’re not that bad.

You’re the skinny one.

Because I smoke.

Why don’t you just give up?

It’s hard.

You’d save a lot of money. I have to eat, I just need to…

Be more sensible.

Like you with smoking. £70… fourteen packets ish…

Sounds a lot, doesn’t it.

Maybe speak to the chemist?

OK.

Although she’ll be biased because she’ll want to sell it to you.

Alright, back in a minute.

***

What did she say?

He.

Oh. What did he say?

I don’t need it.

He told you that?

I didn’t ask.

Why not? You need something, don’t you?

Got it.

Great! What?

His phone number.

You can sign up to receive these blog posts daily or weekly so you don’t miss anything… and follow me on Twitter where each new posting is automatically announced. You can also read / download my eBooks and free eShorts at Smashwords, Sony Reader Store, Barnes & Noble, iTunes Bookstore, Kobo and Amazon, with more to follow. I have a new forum, friend me on Facebook, like me on Facebook, connect with me on LinkedIn, find me on Tumblr, complete my website’s Contact me page or plain and simple, email me.  I also now have a new blog creation service especially for, but not limited to, writers.

Unfortunately, as I post an interview a day (amongst other things) I can’t review books but I have a feature called ‘Short Story Saturdays’ where I review stories of up to 2,500 words. Alternatively if you have a short story or self-contained novel extract / short chapter (ideally up to 1000 words) that you’d like critiqued and don’t mind me reading it / talking about and critiquing it (I send you the transcription afterwards so you can use the comments or ignore them)  on my ‘Bailey’s Writing Tips’ podcast, then do email me. They are fortnightly episodes, usually released on Sundays, interweaving the recordings between the red pen sessions with the hints & tips episodes. I am now also looking for flash fiction (<1000 words) for Flash Fiction Fridays and poetry for Post-weekend Poetry.

 

5PM Fiction 020: Thin enough

Welcome to the twentieth in the series: 5pm Fiction.

Late April 2011 I discovered http://StoryADay.org and the project that is to write 31 stories in 31 days. Anyone who knows me or follows this blog, knows how passionate I am about short stories so my clichéd eyes lit up at this new marvel. And just a few days later there I was, breathing life into new characters. This went on to become (with some editing of course) my 31-story collection eBook Story A Day May 2011.

I was nearing completion of the 2012 project when I decided that I didn’t want to stop at the end of May so 5PM Fiction was born. I put a load of prompts on the 5PM Fiction page and today’s was to write a monologue where Sophie’s waiting for her little brother to get ready for school, so here is my 300-worder.

Thin enough

Harvs! We’re late!

Sometimes I could swing for…

What? No, it’s in the wash. Wear the other one. Do you want me to come up… OK but just hurry.

He knows I’ve got a test today – not until second period but…

No! The blue one!

Derr. Mum’s out – had to go into work early and Dad’s never around, he’s got his own business so…

No! Second drawer. Five minutes, Harvey, or we’ll miss the bus!

I keep telling mum we should hire a nanny, we’re rich enough, but she says Harvey’s too old so I have to do it. For free. “That’s what sisters do,” she says, but Emma doesn’t, they’ve got Ingrid. And that’s why mum doesn’t want a nanny – ’cause she thinks Dad will run off with her, but he’s never here; gone before we get up, back after Harvey’s gone to bed and I’m busy doing my homework or at Em’s.

He should cook his own dinners because the ones mum makes are dry and skinny when he gets home… not skinny like thin, like Em’s nanny, but wrinkly like an old woman. Mum’s worried about that too; that’s she’s getting older (I’ve seen the creams) and thinks Dad stays at work because he doesn’t want to be with her, but I’ve seen them when we go on holiday – hands all over each other… and I’m like “get a room!”. Glad I don’t have to share with them anymore. I share with Harvs but he’s alright really. I’d rather have him talking all night than listen to them, which I still have to do if the walls are thin enough.

Harvey Walter Sydney Taylor! If you don’t come down right now… no! Second drawer from the top… What? You said you didn’t need any help…

Grrr….

Coming!

You can sign up to receive these blog posts daily or weekly so you don’t miss anything… and follow me on Twitter where each new posting is automatically announced. You can also read / download my eBooks and free eShorts at Smashwords, Sony Reader Store, Barnes & Noble, iTunes Bookstore, Kobo and Amazon, with more to follow. I have a new forum and you can friend me on Facebook, like me on Facebook, connect with me on LinkedIn, find me on Tumblr, complete my website’s Contact me page or plain and simple, email me.  I also now have a new blog creation service especially for, but not limited to, writers.

Unfortunately, as I post an interview a day (amongst other things) I can’t review books but I have a feature called ‘Short Story Saturdays’ where I review stories of up to 2,500 words. Alternatively if you have a short story or self-contained novel extract / short chapter (ideally up to 1000 words) that you’d like critiqued and don’t mind me reading it / talking about and critiquing it (I send you the transcription afterwards so you can use the comments or ignore them)  on my ‘Bailey’s Writing Tips’ podcast, then do email me. They are weekly episodes, usually released Monday mornings UK time, interweaving the recordings between the red pen sessions with the hints & tips episodes. I am now also looking for flash fiction (<1000 words) for Flash Fiction Fridays and poetry for Post-weekend Poetry.

 

5PM Fiction 019: Scratch at the door

Welcome to the nineteenth in the series: 5pm Fiction.

Late April 2011 I discovered http://StoryADay.org and the project that is to write 31 stories in 31 days. Anyone who knows me or follows this blog, knows how passionate I am about short stories so my clichéd eyes lit up at this new marvel. And just a few days later there I was, breathing life into new characters. This went on to become (with some editing of course) my 31-story collection eBook Story A Day May 2011.

I was nearing completion of the 2012 project when I decided that I didn’t want to stop at the end of May so 5PM Fiction was born. I put a load of prompts on the 5PM Fiction page and today’s was to write a story including five keywords; soft, scratch, stammer, steep, swallow… and here is my 67-worder, that may ring a bell (pardon the pun).

Scratch at the door

A soft scratch at the door was all it took to wake the old lady.

“Who’s… there?” she stammered, and swallowed, making her ears pop.

No reply, just another scratch.

Climbing out of bed, the steep curve of her back making her wince, she hobbled to the door. “Hello?”

Again, the night was mute.

Opening the door a fraction, she recognised the red hooded cloak and smiled.

You can sign up to receive these blog posts daily or weekly so you don’t miss anything… and follow me on Twitter where each new posting is automatically announced. You can also read / download my eBooks and free eShorts at Smashwords, Sony Reader Store, Barnes & Noble, iTunes Bookstore, Kobo and Amazon, with more to follow. I have a new forum, friend me on Facebook, like me on Facebook, connect with me on LinkedIn, find me on Tumblr, complete my website’s Contact me page or plain and simple, email me.  I also now have a new blog creation service especially for, but not limited to, writers.

Unfortunately, as I post an interview a day (amongst other things) I can’t review books but I have a feature called ‘Short Story Saturdays’ where I review stories of up to 2,500 words. Alternatively if you have a short story or self-contained novel extract / short chapter (ideally up to 1000 words) that you’d like critiqued and don’t mind me reading it / talking about and critiquing it (I send you the transcription afterwards so you can use the comments or ignore them)  on my ‘Bailey’s Writing Tips’ podcast, then do email me. They are fortnightly episodes, usually released on Sundays, interweaving the recordings between the red pen sessions with the hints & tips episodes. I am now also looking for flash fiction (<1000 words) for Flash Fiction Fridays and poetry for Post-weekend Poetry.

 

5PM Fiction 018 (110-word sentence): An Alien Hum

Welcome to the eighteenth in the series: 5pm Fiction.

Late April 2011 I discovered http://StoryADay.org and the project that is to write 31 stories in 31 days. Anyone who knows me or follows this blog, knows how passionate I am about short stories so my clichéd eyes lit up at this new marvel. And just a few days later there I was, breathing life into new characters. This went on to become (with some editing of course) my 31-story collection eBook Story A Day May 2011.

I was nearing completion of the 2012 project when I decided that I didn’t want to stop at the end of May so 5PM Fiction was born. I put a load of prompts on the 5PM Fiction page and today’s prompt was to write a story starting ‘Listening to the orchestra, Billy’, but just to spice it up, I thought I’d make it a 110-word sentence as Gabriel Valjan mentioned in our recent interview. So here is my 110-worder. Let me know if you think it works (or not).

An Alien Hum

Listening to the orchestra, Billy couldn’t quite put his finger on what was wrong, the melody soothing as it was, the violinist perhaps or the cello, both musicians concentrating on the conductor, as Billy usually did, but today he scanned each instrument in turn, knowing the stroke of each note so intimately, Eric Satie’s Gnossiene no. 1 an all-time favourite, though today there was an alien hum, an extra instrument perhaps, but as he looked around he felt a tap on his shoulder and heard his wife, who was swatting away a summer bee from her floral dress, telling him it was time to come into the shade for lunch.

So, it was all a dream, usually a no-no in fiction… I think I can be forgiven, just this once?

You can sign up to receive these blog posts daily or weekly so you don’t miss anything… and follow me on Twitter where each new posting is automatically announced. You can also read / download my eBooks and free eShorts at Smashwords, Sony Reader Store, Barnes & Noble, iTunes Bookstore, Kobo and Amazon, with more to follow. I have a new forum, friend me on Facebook, like me on Facebook, connect with me on LinkedIn, find me on Tumblr, complete my website’s Contact me page or plain and simple, email me.  I also now have a new blog creation service especially for, but not limited to, writers.

Unfortunately, as I post an interview a day (amongst other things) I can’t review books but I have a feature called ‘Short Story Saturdays’ where I review stories of up to 2,500 words. Alternatively if you have a short story or self-contained novel extract / short chapter (ideally up to 1000 words) that you’d like critiqued and don’t mind me reading it / talking about and critiquing it (I send you the transcription afterwards so you can use the comments or ignore them)  on my ‘Bailey’s Writing Tips’ podcast, then do email me. They are fortnightly episodes, usually released on Sundays, interweaving the recordings between the red pen sessions with the hints & tips episodes. I am now also looking for flash fiction (<1000 words) for Flash Fiction Fridays and poetry for Post-weekend Poetry.

 

5PM Fiction 017: The Chelsea bun

Welcome to the seventeenth in the series: 5pm Fiction.

Late April 2011 I discovered http://StoryADay.org and the project that is to write 31 stories in 31 days. Anyone who knows me or follows this blog, knows how passionate I am about short stories so my clichéd eyes lit up at this new marvel. And just a few days later there I was, breathing life into new characters. This went on to become (with some editing of course) my 31-story collection eBook Story A Day May 2011.

I was nearing completion of the 2012 project when I decided that I didn’t want to stop at the end of May so 5PM Fiction was born. I put a load of prompts on the 5PM Fiction page and today’s prompt was to write a story including a sales assistant, bank manager, handbag, bakery, theft and memory loss, so here is my 240-worder.

The Chelsea bun

The old man pointed to the display and put up one finger.

“One of these?” the girl behind the counter asked softly.

The old man tapped his ear and leaned forward, turning his ‘bad’ side towards her.

“Oh, sorry,” the girl said louder, then boomed “A Chelsea bun?”

“Yes, please,” he replies, his artificial voice robotic.

The woman behind him, his bank manager although neither of them had ever met, tapped her foot and looked at her watch.

“Anything else?” the girl asked the old man.

“Sorry?” he croaked.

“Anything other than the Chelsea bun?” she repeated, even louder.

“Chelsea bun?”

“Look,” the bank manager snapped. “Isn’t there anyone else serving?”

The old man swung round and jabbed a pistol into her spotless cream jacket.

“Hey! You’ll mark my…” then she looked down and screamed.

“On the floor!” his voicebox ordered.

“My suit!” the woman complained.

“Get!”

Before he needed to say more the woman was kneeling.

“Down!” he growled and the woman lay on the floor, whimpering.

The face of a young woman appeared at the door but saw what was going on and she ran off, mobile clamped to her ear.

The man turned round and looked into the frightened assistant’s eyes, took the bun and left the shop, sirens wailing in the distance.

***

A week later, an old man who’d fought in two wars, a bullet from the latter ripping through his throat, entered the Ivyworth Bank.

You can sign up to receive these blog posts daily or weekly so you don’t miss anything… and follow me on Twitter where each new posting is automatically announced. You can also read / download my eBooks and free eShorts at Smashwords, Sony Reader Store, Barnes & Noble, iTunes Bookstore, Kobo and Amazon, with more to follow. I have a new forum, friend me on Facebook, like me on Facebook, connect with me on LinkedIn, find me on Tumblr, complete my website’s Contact me page or plain and simple, email me.  I also now have a new blog creation service especially for, but not limited to, writers.

Unfortunately, as I post an interview a day (amongst other things) I can’t review books but I have a feature called ‘Short Story Saturdays’ where I review stories of up to 2,500 words. Alternatively if you have a short story or self-contained novel extract / short chapter (ideally up to 1000 words) that you’d like critiqued and don’t mind me reading it / talking about and critiquing it (I send you the transcription afterwards so you can use the comments or ignore them)  on my ‘Bailey’s Writing Tips’ podcast, then do email me. They are fortnightly episodes, usually released on Sundays, interweaving the recordings between the red pen sessions with the hints & tips episodes. I am now also looking for flash fiction (<1000 words) for Flash Fiction Fridays and poetry for Post-weekend Poetry.

 

5PM Fiction 016: Art theft

Welcome to the sixteenth in the series: 5pm Fiction.

Late April 2011 I discovered http://StoryADay.org and the project that is to write 31 stories in 31 days. Anyone who knows me or follows this blog, knows how passionate I am about short stories so my clichéd eyes lit up at this new marvel. And just a few days later there I was, breathing life into new characters. This went on to become (with some editing of course) my 31-story collection eBook Story A Day May 2011.

I was nearing completion of the 2012 project when I decided that I didn’t want to stop at the end of May so 5PM Fiction was born. I put a load of prompts on the 5PM Fiction page and today’s prompt was to write a story from the prompt word of ‘face’, so here is my 184-worder.

Art theft

The face was familiar but Adrian was rubbish at names.

The man extended a hand. “Hi, how are you?”

“Really well,” Adrian lied. “You?”

“Well… you know.”

Adrian didn’t, but nodded sympathetically. He was about to comment on the painting they were standing in front of, how the woman looked like someone he used to know, when the man burst into tears and threw his arms around Adrian, burying his face into Adrian’s shoulder.

Adrian waited, arms limp by his sides, trapped. “There, there,” he wanted to say, as if comforting a child, but the man was older than him, fatherlike almost.

“She’s never coming back,” the man sobbed.

Adrian, with no clue who ‘she’ was either, said a pathetic ‘I’m sorry’.

The man’s grip relaxed and Adrian assumed he was going to let go but instead felt a sharp pain in his side.

“Too late for sorry, too late for Sasha,” the man grunted.

As Adrian dropped to the floor he remembered the man’s name; Jeff Robson, the artist and the man from whom Adrian, all those years ago, had stolen his wife.

***

Photography courtesy of morguefile.com. You can sign up to receive these blog posts daily or weekly so you don’t miss anything… and follow me on Twitter where each new posting is automatically announced. You can also read / download my eBooks and free eShorts at Smashwords, Sony Reader Store, Barnes & Noble, iTunes Bookstore, Kobo and Amazon, with more to follow. I have a new forum, friend me on Facebook, like me on Facebook, connect with me on LinkedIn, find me on Tumblr, complete my website’s Contact me page or plain and simple, email me.  I also now have a new blog creation service especially for, but not limited to, writers.

Unfortunately, as I post an interview a day (amongst other things) I can’t review books but I have a feature called ‘Short Story Saturdays’ where I review stories of up to 2,500 words. Alternatively if you have a short story or self-contained novel extract / short chapter (ideally up to 1000 words) that you’d like critiqued and don’t mind me reading it / talking about and critiquing it (I send you the transcription afterwards so you can use the comments or ignore them)  on my ‘Bailey’s Writing Tips’ podcast, then do email me. They are fortnightly episodes, usually released on Sundays, interweaving the recordings between the red pen sessions with the hints & tips episodes. I am now also looking for flash fiction (<1000 words) for Flash Fiction Fridays and poetry for Post-weekend Poetry.

 

5PM Fiction 015: Family heirlooms

Welcome to the fifteenth in the series: 5pm Fiction.

Late April 2011 I discovered http://StoryADay.org and the project that is to write 31 stories in 31 days. Anyone who knows me or follows this blog, knows how passionate I am about short stories so my clichéd eyes lit up at this new marvel. And just a few days later there I was, breathing life into new characters. This went on to become (with some editing of course) my 31-story collection eBook Story A Day May 2011.

I was nearing completion of the 2012 project when I decided that I didn’t want to stop at the end of May so 5PM Fiction was born. I put a load of prompts on the 5PM Fiction page and today’s prompt was to write a story from a second-person point of view with Daniel having just been made redundant (we met him and his boss last Friday in Until Daniel), so here is my 227-worder.

Family heirlooms

You’re trying your hardest not to smile. For months you’ve been waiting for this moment, holding off getting another job ’til the last minute. Another week and you’d have had to resign, no longer able to resist the pay increase, the drop in travelling, the bigger car. Now you have the new contract and redundancy, and you want to dance around the office… with Helena, had she still been here.

You feel sorry for Jeffrey, really you do. You weren’t here at the beginning but you’ve read it all, know the company’s history; the clichéd one-man-band’s rags to riches… and now back again.

Something tells you to pack slowly, despite you wanting just to throw it all in the box and leg it, go down the pub and start the bender you’ve been promising yourself for weeks. But for Jeffrey, you stay, place each item side-by-side as if family heirlooms, show them the respect you’ve shown your boss… ex-boss in… you look at the clock… fifteen minutes.

Finally the box is full. You debate whether to say ’til 5 but no-one else has, so you balance the box under your left arm, grab you jacket from the stand and head for Jeffrey’s office.

You knock on the door although you know you’re not interrupting.

“Night, Jeffrey,” you say and you’re sure you see tears in his eyes.

***

Photo courtesy of http://morguefile.com. You can sign up to receive these blog posts daily or weekly so you don’t miss anything… and follow me on Twitter where each new posting is automatically announced. You can also read / download my eBooks and free eShorts at Smashwords, Sony Reader Store, Barnes & Noble, iTunes Bookstore, Kobo and Amazon, with more to follow. I have a new forum, friend me on Facebook, like me on Facebook, connect with me on LinkedIn, find me on Tumblr, complete my website’s Contact me page or plain and simple, email me.  I also now have a new blog creation service especially for, but not limited to, writers.

Unfortunately, as I post an interview a day (amongst other things) I can’t review books but I have a feature called ‘Short Story Saturdays’ where I review stories of up to 2,500 words. Alternatively if you have a short story or self-contained novel extract / short chapter (ideally up to 1000 words) that you’d like critiqued and don’t mind me reading it / talking about and critiquing it (I send you the transcription afterwards so you can use the comments or ignore them)  on my ‘Bailey’s Writing Tips’ podcast, then do email me. They are fortnightly episodes, usually released on Sundays, interweaving the recordings between the red pen sessions with the hints & tips episodes. I am now also looking for flash fiction (<1000 words) for Flash Fiction Fridays and poetry for Post-weekend Poetry.

 

5PM Fiction 014: Our Joanie

Welcome to the fourteenth in the series: 5pm Fiction.

Late April 2011 I discovered http://StoryADay.org and the project that is to write 31 stories in 31 days. Anyone who knows me or follows this blog, knows how passionate I am about short stories so my clichéd eyes lit up at this new marvel. And just a few days later there I was, breathing life into new characters. This went on to become (with some editing of course) my 31-story collection eBook Story A Day May 2011.

I was nearing completion of the 2012 project when I decided that I didn’t want to stop at the end of May so 5PM Fiction was born. I put a load of prompts on the 5PM Fiction page and today’s prompt was to write a dialogue between two old school friends talking about someone missing, so here is my 242-worder with Marjorie and Ethel.

Our Joanie

“Oh look, Ethel, Deirdre’s here.”
“Looks well too. Can’t have been anything serious.”
“Nick not with her?”
“Nick?”
“Clampett.”
“Not seen him. Why would he be?”
“They’re married.”
“They are?”
“Four… no, three years ago.”
“Didn’t know that, Marjorie.”
“You didn’t? They were here together the year before last. Their first anniversary.”
“Don’t remember that.”
“Ah no, you weren’t here. Your skiing accident, remember.”
“The room’s filling up nicely. Busier than last year?”
“Could be. So where’s Nick do you reckon?”
“Working?”
“He and Manny shared a birthday, didn’t they? And he’s long-retired.”
“True. Haven’t seen him yet either.”
“Oh, I have. Came in with Evelyn.”
“Evelyn Ward?”
“Thompson neé Ward, yes.”
“A Thompson we know?… Not Derek.”
“One and the same.”
“No! But she’s always been to these things on her own.”
“I don’t think it lasted long.”
“And now she’s cosying up to Manny?”
“I wouldn’t say ‘cosy’, not arm-in-arm or anything but…”
“Anyone else missing?”
“Erm… ”
“Who’s the speaker this year, do you know?”
“Didn’t you read the invitation?”
“I didn’t get mine, remember, you rang to remind me.”
“Oh yes. I’m surprised I didn’t tell you.”
“Who?”
“Candy Simpson.”
“Candy Simpson?”
“Yes!”
“Who’s Candy Simpson?”
“Oh, Ethel, don’t tell me you’ve never heard of her.”
“No.”
“She’s a porn star. You know, Dirty…”
“Marjorie, dear, why would I have heard of her? I don’t…”
“She’s Joan.”
“Joan? Our Joanie?”
“Shh… the lights are going down.”

***

Photo courtesy of http://morguefile.com. You can sign up to receive these blog posts daily or weekly so you don’t miss anything… and follow me on Twitter where each new posting is automatically announced. You can also read / download my eBooks and free eShorts at Smashwords, Sony Reader Store, Barnes & Noble, iTunes Bookstore, Kobo and Amazon, with more to follow. I have a new forum, friend me on Facebook, like me on Facebook, connect with me on LinkedIn, find me on Tumblr, complete my website’s Contact me page or plain and simple, email me.  I also now have a new blog creation service especially for, but not limited to, writers.

Unfortunately, as I post an interview a day (amongst other things) I can’t review books but I have a feature called ‘Short Story Saturdays’ where I review stories of up to 2,500 words. Alternatively if you have a short story or self-contained novel extract / short chapter (ideally up to 1000 words) that you’d like critiqued and don’t mind me reading it / talking about and critiquing it (I send you the transcription afterwards so you can use the comments or ignore them)  on my ‘Bailey’s Writing Tips’ podcast, then do email me. They are weekly episodes, usually released Monday mornings UK time, interweaving the recordings between the red pen sessions with the hints & tips episodes. I am now also looking for flash fiction (<1000 words) for Flash Fiction Fridays and poetry for Post-weekend Poetry.

 

5PM Fiction 013: How’s your mum?

Welcome to the thirteenth in the new series: 5pm Fiction.

Late April 2011 I discovered http://StoryADay.org and the project that is to write 31 stories in 31 days. Anyone who knows me or follows this blog, knows how passionate I am about short stories so my clichéd eyes lit up at this new marvel. And just a few days later there I was, breathing life into new characters. This went on to become (with some editing of course) my 31-story collection eBook Story A Day May 2011.

I was nearing completion of the 2012 project when I decided that I didn’t want to stop at the end of May so 5PM Fiction was born. I put a load of prompts on the 5PM Fiction page and today’s prompt was to write a monologue from Bridget, who is dreading meeting an ex-boyfriend, so here is my 221-worder.

How’s your mum?

Hi Liam, you look well. No. It’s been a long time. No. How’s your mum? That’s good, Bridge, start with his mum, he’s close to her. How are your brothers? No. He’ll think I don’t care about him. But I can’t care too much, he is an ex.

I should have worn a dress. Men like dresses. Something floral, pretty. He used to like… the blue one, he liked the blue one. Too late now. This is OK. Smart casual. It’s not like we’ll be alone.

OK… hair nice? Yep. How he likes it… cascading, feminine.

At least there’ll be no small talk. No “what music do you like? what do you do for a living now?” We both know why we’re here.

Oh great, there’s Anna, only the cutest reporter on the planet. Should have gone with the blue dress – shows off the curves Anna doesn’t have.

Morning, Anna. You’re here early…

…and we all know why. And of course she chose a dress, stuffed with chicken fillets by the looks of it.

Ooh, Tim. This should be interesting. As if I needed reminding how incestuous this business is.

Hi, Tim. Two cameras today – serious stuff. Probably going to be a long wait. He’s notoriously… Yes, I suppose you are.

Hi Liam. Good to see you too. How’s your mum?

***

Photo courtesy of http://morguefile.com. You can sign up to receive these blog posts daily or weekly so you don’t miss anything… and follow me on Twitter where each new posting is automatically announced. You can also read / download my eBooks and free eShorts at Smashwords, Sony Reader Store, Barnes & Noble, iTunes Bookstore, Kobo and Amazon, with more to follow. I have a new forum, friend me on Facebook, like me on Facebook, connect with me on LinkedIn, find me on Tumblr, complete my website’s Contact me page or plain and simple, email me.  I also now have a new blog creation service especially for, but not limited to, writers.

Unfortunately, as I post an interview a day (amongst other things) I can’t review books but I have a feature called ‘Short Story Saturdays’ where I review stories of up to 2,500 words. Alternatively if you have a short story or self-contained novel extract / short chapter (ideally up to 1000 words) that you’d like critiqued and don’t mind me reading it / talking about and critiquing it (I send you the transcription afterwards so you can use the comments or ignore them)  on my ‘Bailey’s Writing Tips’ podcast, then do email me. They are fortnightly episodes, usually released on Sundays, interweaving the recordings between the red pen sessions with the hints & tips episodes. I am now also looking for flash fiction (<1000 words) for Flash Fiction Fridays and poetry for Post-weekend Poetry.

 

5PM Fiction 012: The innocent brick

Welcome to the twelfth in the new series: 5pm Fiction.

Late April 2011 I discovered http://StoryADay.org and the project that is to write 31 stories in 31 days. Anyone who knows me or follows this blog, knows how passionate I am about short stories so my clichéd eyes lit up at this new marvel. And just a few days later there I was, breathing life into new characters. This went on to become (with some editing of course) my 31-story collection eBook Story A Day May 2011.

I was nearing completion of the 2012 project when I decided that I didn’t want to stop at the end of May so 5PM Fiction was born. I put a load of prompts on the 5PM Fiction page and today’s prompt was to write a story including keywords drop, throw, heading, ability, tick, so here is my 158-worder.

The innocent brick

“Throw it, Danny!”
“No.”
“Now! It’ll be gone…”
“But I’ll hit it.”
“That’s the idea.”
“But there’s someone driving.”
“So?”
“What if it hits them?”
“So?”
“I can’t.”
“Ability, Danny.”
“What?”
“You’re capable of doing anything, my Gran tells me. You can do anything, Danny.”
“I can’t!”
“Just drop the thing. Not like that. What did you do that for?”
“I’m not playing anymore.”
“You want to join us, don’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Then you have to do what I say.”
“OK, but not that.”
“It’s tradition.”
“…OK.”
“Yes?”
“Yes.”
“I know what makes you tick, Danny. Don’t forget it.”
“OK.”
“There’s another one. No, turning off. This one, Danny, it’s heading for us. Pick up the brick… wait… wait… ready… hold it over the edge.”
“I know the car.”
“Don’t be silly. Now, Danny! Let go! Yeah! Direct hit! Way to go!”
“I’m scared.”
“Look! It’s crashing! Well done, Danny.”
“I feel sick.”
“No! It can’t be. Gran?”

***

Photo courtesy of http://morguefile.com. You can sign up to receive these blog posts daily or weekly so you don’t miss anything… and follow me on Twitter where each new posting is automatically announced. You can also read / download my eBooks and free eShorts at Smashwords, Sony Reader Store, Barnes & Noble, iTunes Bookstore, Kobo and Amazon, with more to follow. I have a new forum, friend me on Facebook, like me on Facebook, connect with me on LinkedIn, find me on Tumblr, complete my website’s Contact me page or plain and simple, email me.  I also now have a new blog creation service especially for, but not limited to, writers.

Unfortunately, as I post an interview a day (amongst other things) I can’t review books but I have a feature called ‘Short Story Saturdays’ where I review stories of up to 2,500 words. Alternatively if you have a short story or self-contained novel extract / short chapter (ideally up to 1000 words) that you’d like critiqued and don’t mind me reading it / talking about and critiquing it (I send you the transcription afterwards so you can use the comments or ignore them)  on my ‘Bailey’s Writing Tips’ podcast, then do email me. They are weekly episodes, usually released Monday mornings UK time, interweaving the recordings between the red pen sessions with the hints & tips episodes. I am now also looking for flash fiction (<1000 words) for Flash Fiction Fridays and poetry for Post-weekend Poetry.

 

5PM Fiction 011: Just that extra

Welcome to the eleventh in the new series: 5pm Fiction.

Late April 2011 I discovered http://StoryADay.org and the project that is to write 31 stories in 31 days. Anyone who knows me or follows this blog, knows how passionate I am about short stories so my clichéd eyes lit up at this new marvel. And just a few days later there I was, breathing life into new characters. This went on to become (with some editing of course) my 31-story collection eBook Story A Day May 2011.

I was nearing completion of the 2012 project when I decided that I didn’t want to stop at the end of May so 5PM Fiction was born. I put a load of prompts on the 5PM Fiction page and today’s prompt was to write a story starting with the second-person viewpoint ‘As you turn the key’, so here is my 297-worder.

Just that extra

As you turn the key you wait for something. Anything. The ballerina is lopsided so you don’t hold out much hope. You’ve only wound it a little, knowing how old it is, you don’t want to overdo it – that’s you all over. Unstated. Underrated, according to Fred.

He knows how hard you work, sees you slump down on the sofa every evening, too tired to say much, to eat much, to make love. It can’t be legal, he says, below minimum wage, but you know you could earn more, higher commission, so you work harder, show houses that have been on the market for weeks, or in this case months.

You think it’s charming but the look on the faces of the viewers says it all; too dusty, too ruined, too expensive to do up.

They’re late today so you reckon they’re not coming and you’re probably right. But you like to think the best of people, give them ten more minutes, twenty at least.

You wander round the house, figuring the doorbell is loud enough to be heard from anywhere.

You wish you could buy this place, just sell a few more ‘normal’ ones, enough for a deposit. You know Fred would love it – all the space for his collection, he’d have the study he always wanted.

A chime goes and you head downstairs and open the door but the entrance is empty, then you realise the chime is still going. Not a chime, a tune, a ballet. So you slam the door and rush back to the little bedroom, the one with the faded pink wallpaper, for the child you and Fred could never have.

Opening the door slowly you see why it’s playing, who turned the key just that extra notch, and you smile.

***

Photo courtesy of http://morguefile.com. You can sign up to receive these blog posts daily or weekly so you don’t miss anything… and follow me on Twitter where each new posting is automatically announced. You can also read / download my eBooks and free eShorts at Smashwords, Sony Reader Store, Barnes & Noble, iTunes Bookstore, Kobo and Amazon, with more to follow. I have a new forum, friend me on Facebook, like me on Facebook, connect with me on LinkedIn, find me on Tumblr, complete my website’s Contact me page or plain and simple, email me.  I also now have a new blog creation service especially for, but not limited to, writers.

Unfortunately, as I post an interview a day (amongst other things) I can’t review books but I have a feature called ‘Short Story Saturdays’ where I review stories of up to 2,500 words. Alternatively if you have a short story or self-contained novel extract / short chapter (ideally up to 1000 words) that you’d like critiqued and don’t mind me reading it / talking about and critiquing it (I send you the transcription afterwards so you can use the comments or ignore them)  on my ‘Bailey’s Writing Tips’ podcast, then do email me. They are weekly episodes, usually released Monday mornings UK time, interweaving the recordings between the red pen sessions with the hints & tips episodes. I am now also looking for flash fiction (<1000 words) for Flash Fiction Fridays and poetry for Post-weekend Poetry.

 

5PM Fiction 010: Phonetics – A Winter’s Tale

Welcome to the tenth in the new series: 5pm Fiction. Late April 2011 I discovered http://StoryADay.org and the project that is to write 31 stories in 31 days. Anyone who knows me or follows this blog, knows how passionate I am about short stories so my clichéd eyes lit up at this new marvel. And just a few days later there I was, breathing life into new characters. This went on to become (with some editing of course) my 31-story collection eBook Story A Day May 2011.

I was nearing completion of the 2012 project when I decided that I didn’t want to stop at the end of May so 5PM Fiction was born. I put a load of prompts on the 5PM Fiction page and today’s prompt was to write a story including the following features: motorway worker, ballerina, parking ticket, library, he’s trodden on her foot, insomnia, so here is my 670-worder.

Phonetics – A Winter’s Tale

“What the…!”
“Sorry! Oh God, I’m so sorry. Me and my bovver boots.”
“Shhh…”
“Sorry. Is your foot OK?”
“Fine.”
“I’m so… I couldn’t sleep last night and had nothing to read so…”
“Nothing?”
“No.”
“You don’t keep any books in the house?”
“Flat.”
“Not even classics?”
“No.”
“Shakespeare.”
“Nope.”
“The Bible, then. Everyone has a Bible.”
“God, no… sorry, are you?”
“You say ‘sorry’ a lot.”
“I do, yes.”
“Divorced?”
“How did you know? Oh, saying ‘sorry’. It used to work…”
“Then didn’t and she left you. Shame.”
“Not really.”
“So you have plenty of time to read.”
“Not really. I’m always on the motorway, or sleeping.”
“Sorry?”
“It’s catching.”
“What?”
“Never mind.”
“You work on the motorway presumably.”
“Spot on.”
“And you work from the minute you get there ’til you finish?”
“No. There are lunch breaks, other breaks… when it’s raining. This is England.”
“Perfect.”
“For…”
“Reading.”
“I suppose, but I’m with the lads.”
“Can’t you get away?”
“Not really. The porta cabins are noisy and the motorway’s… Besides, they’ll think…”
“Does it matter?”
“Don’t suppose so.”
“How many of you are there?”
“40. 50 maybe.”
“Wow. You could…”
“I could…?”
“Start a book group?”
“I don’t think so. They’re very…”
“You could ask.”
“I guess. You like reading, don’t you. Big stack of books you’ve got there. They allow you that many at once?”
“I have two cards.”
“Isn’t that a bit greedy.”
“Not both mine.”
“Old man’s?”
“Yes.”
“Large print. Very old man.”
“Yes. Neighbour.”
“Sorry, being nosey.”
“You weren’t going to say ‘sorry’ again.”
“I wasn’t? Force of habit. Whilst I’m being nosey, and getting away with it…”
“You were?”
“I thought so but…”
“Go on.”
“What do you do that lets you read so much? The old man… a carer?”
“No.”
“Librarian.”
“Not even close.”
“Indoors though.”
“Mostly.”
“For a company.”
“Yes.”
“You’re very…”
“What?”
“Skinny.”
“Naturally slim.”
“I should pick my book and go… before I get a parking ticket.”
“What are you going for? The book.”
“Something with action, shortish chapters.”
“James Patterson’s are short, about one or two pages mostly.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
“He’s very popular. Most borrowed… or stolen, can’t remember which.”
“People’s steal from libraries?”
“I meant bookshops but yes, they probably do.”
“Isn’t that pointless? Aren’t they free?”
“They are but you need a card.”
“Which is free, or at least mine was.”
“They are. So you’ve guessed I work for a company, indoors and I’m skinny. What do I do?”
“Secretary.”
“Are secretaries skinny?”
“Not necessarily.”
“OK, clue…”
“Your foot. You’re a chiropodist.”
“Nope.”
“Treading on a spot. You squash spiders. Bug exterminator.”
“No. I’m going to have to tell you.”
“One more clue.”
“Swan Lake.”
“You make matches.”
“No. That’s Swan Vesta. I don’t even smoke.”
“Me neither. Disgusting habit.”
“Swan Lake… conservationist… no… oh, man in black tights… baddie, dark music. Yes. Ballerina. Of course.”
“We’re going through early rehearsals at the moment so plenty of time…”
“Where are you playing?”
“At the Royal, do you know it?”
“The wife took me there once. It was funny. Graham Greene, I think. Not somewhere to go on your own though.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t know. It’s just… I don’t know. Never think of it, I suppose, like reading.”
“Step on a Crack.”
“Sorry?”
“James Patterson. It’s very good.”
“OK, thanks. And sorry about your foot.”
“No more ‘sorries’, OK?”
“I’ll try.”
“And come to the ballet. You might enjoy it.”
“Sure. What are you doing?”
“You wouldn’t know it, it’s a bit of a classic.”
“Try me.”
“It’s Shakespeare.”
“Oh.”
“Haven’t you got to get back to your car?”
“My car! I didn’t even catch your name…”
“Juliet. Bye then.”
“Bye, Juliet.”
And as Mike watched her walk away, he wanted to run after her, ask for her number, give her his but she wouldn’t have taken him serious had she known, that despite everything he’s romantic, that’s he half-Italian, told her the reason why his colleagues make fun of him… that his surname is Romeo.

***

Photo courtesy of http://morguefile.com. You can sign up to receive these blog posts daily or weekly so you don’t miss anything… and follow me on Twitter where each new posting is automatically announced. You can also read / download my eBooks and free eShorts at Smashwords, Sony Reader Store, Barnes & Noble, iTunes Bookstore, Kobo and Amazon, with more to follow. I have a new forum, friend me on Facebook, like me on Facebook, connect with me on LinkedIn, find me on Tumblr, complete my website’s Contact me page or plain and simple, email me.  I also now have a new blog creation service especially for, but not limited to, writers.

Unfortunately, as I post an interview a day (amongst other things) I can’t review books but I have a feature called ‘Short Story Saturdays’ where I review stories of up to 2,500 words. Alternatively if you have a short story or self-contained novel extract / short chapter (ideally up to 1000 words) that you’d like critiqued and don’t mind me reading it / talking about and critiquing it (I send you the transcription afterwards so you can use the comments or ignore them)  on my ‘Bailey’s Writing Tips’ podcast, then do email me. They are weekly episodes, usually released Monday mornings UK time, interweaving the recordings between the red pen sessions with the hints & tips episodes. I am now also looking for flash fiction (<1000 words) for Flash Fiction Fridays and poetry for Post-weekend Poetry.

 

5PM Fiction 007: Like out of space or something

Welcome to the seventh in the new series: 5pm Fiction.

Late April 2011 I discovered http://StoryADay.org and the project that is to write 31 stories in 31 days. Anyone who knows me or follows this blog, knows how passionate I am about short stories so my clichéd eyes lit up at this new marvel. And just a few days later there I was, breathing life into new characters. This went on to become (with some editing of course) my 31-story collection eBook Story A Day May 2011. I was nearing completion of the 2012 project when I decided that I didn’t want to stop at the end of May so 5PM Fiction was born.

I put a load of prompts on the 5PM Fiction page and today’s was to write a dialogue between two men talking about a new barmaid, so here is my 173-worder.

Like out of space or something

“Corr, who’s that?”

“Candy, Sindy, something like that.”

“Looks like a sweet doll to me.”

“You always were a joker, Frankie.”

“Where did she come from?”

“What do you mean? Like out of space or something.”

“No, Stan. You know, where’s she been before here?”

“I don’t know. Ask Eddie. Not from the village that’s for sure.”

“A newcomer, hey.”

 “Oh, no.”

“What?”

“She’s married. See, a ring.”

“Oh yeah.”

“As if we had a chance anyway.”

“Half our age.”

“Quarter.”

“Speak for yourself.”

“OK, third then.”

“If she’s not from round here, where do you think?”

“I don’t know, Frankie. Foreign for sure.”

“Philippines?”

“Not quite.”

“Asian.”

“More so, yeah.”

“There’s Eddie.”

“He looks knackered.”

“Doesn’t he. Pub hours finally getting to him.”

“Just back from holiday isn’t he?”

“Thought I hadn’t seen him for a while.”

“Hey look.”

“What?”

“He’s wearing a ring too.”

“The sly old devil.”

“Eh?”

“He’s wearing a ring… she’s wearing a ring.”

“Lucky old git.”

“Mmm.”

“What?”

“Just thinking.”

“About?”

“Whether my passport’s up to date.”

You can sign up to receive these blog posts daily or weekly so you don’t miss anything… and follow me on Twitter where each new posting is automatically announced. You can also read / download my eBooks and free eShorts at Smashwords, Sony Reader Store, Barnes & Noble, iTunes Bookstore, Kobo and Amazon, with more to follow. I have a new forum, friend me on Facebook, like me on Facebook, connect with me on LinkedIn, find me on Tumblr, complete my website’s Contact me page or plain and simple, email me.  I also now have a new blog creation service especially for, but not limited to, writers.

Unfortunately, as I post an interview a day (amongst other things) I can’t review books but I have a feature called ‘Short Story Saturdays’ where I review stories of up to 2,500 words. Alternatively if you have a short story or self-contained novel extract / short chapter (ideally up to 1000 words) that you’d like critiqued and don’t mind me reading it / talking about and critiquing it (I send you the transcription afterwards so you can use the comments or ignore them)  on my ‘Bailey’s Writing Tips’ podcast, then do email me. They are weekly episodes, usually released Monday mornings UK time, interweaving the recordings between the red pen sessions with the hints & tips episodes. I am now also looking for flash fiction (<1000 words) for Flash Fiction Fridays and poetry for Post-weekend Poetry.