I’m reworking The Red Spot Murders tonight. It’s a Pourquoi story exploring the haunted house phenomenon, and features a delightful antagonist by the name of Maeve. It was by researching this character that I learned that there are such things as Mother Trees. I had hoped there were. In fact I typed that exact term into my Google search to see what would come up, and was rewarded with this wonderful TED talk with Suzanne Simard, a Canadian ecologist. Damn, the woods have just got a whole load creepier.
Tag: short story

The Anatomy of Writing
The latest submission call I’ve responded to is a little different. It consists of stages. Round one of three: sub the final edit of your story’s first two hundred words. … Continue reading The Anatomy of Writing

The Wyrm of ’Red Fletcher
Another story is brewing with the help of some uninvited guests.

Shout Out
I have been discussing the mechanics of story-writing with Simon Dewar recently. This guy is a true gent in the publishing world, and happens to know what he’s talking about. … Continue reading Shout Out
Euryale 1
Tonight, I was listening to the sound of growling made by dogs and wolves for my current project, Euryale (working title). At first, I wanted to describe the sound, but am now thinking to concentrate on the feeling it unearths within us.
Mudlark 5
The final section in Mudlark is entitled, The Mime. I found these two beautiful performances by Jérôme Murat and Clown Adrien whilst studying the art form in preparation to write my story’s conclusion. First draft of the story has just been completed!.
Enjoy the show!
Mudlark 4
In this story, I’m using different types of (street) performance as a metaphor for relationship stages.
They’re Closer Than You Think

I thought I would share the small piece about Poseidon’s Standing Stones that I was asked to contribute by fellow writer Gregory L Norris. The story has been recently published in ‘From The Corner of Your Eye – A Cryptids Anthology’ by Great Old Ones Publishing, It’s a damn fine book which stands next to Lovecraft’s Necronomicon and Barker’s Imajica on my writing desk and features some pretty creepy tales about those creatures that exist on the edge of our consciousness. ‘Ere’s ‘wot’ I wrote:
Holidays to the coast as a kid had me searching the flat-line horizon for sea-monsters. I found none, so I imagined them. Years later, I imagined one again. I then gave her a place to live, a modest social life including friends from English legend, and of course, a leisure interest. Every monster needs a hobby. All this, I thought, ought not to stretch one’s imagination too far since individuality is embraced by the society I live in, and neighbourhoods have become extremely transient. Maybe she would live unnoticed in a town, possibly making weekly trips to the Benefits Office. Maybe she would be saddened by the lament of the gull or be comforted by the gentle shush of the sea. Maybe she would find love. Or maybe not.
And here we are. How was I to know things were going to happen as they did? After all, she is a cryptid and they’re supposed to stay hidden, aren’t they? Something about the corner of one’s eye, or is that just myth?
To explore what inspired the other authors to write about their particular beasts, please do visit Gregory L Norris’ blog.

From the Corner of your Eye anthology (June 2015)
Unable to resist the sound of the sea rolling onto the shore, Flynn has returned to Dwynllyr. But the tide had washed up a secret, which has now become part … Continue reading From the Corner of your Eye anthology (June 2015)

Changes anthology (2014)
Originally published on this website, Bruce, Wayne and Mike is about a man’s obsession with his tattoo. Described as ‘utterly surreal and dark’, the story is now available in the … Continue reading Changes anthology (2014)