my fiction

A collection of 20 posts

my fiction

short story: the eminence's ghosts

Miss Chester swept out of the room, snatching up her ectoplasm -

my fiction

short story: the forester

Anne, who had been fidgeting with a ribbon on her sleeve, said, “There ain’t less magic in the world! There’s just more candles!” and looked jolly proud of herself.

my fiction

start of a short story: the forester

Once upon a time, in a village that the forest was all around, and was before, and is now after, there was a priest.

my fiction

short story: the tinker's second pack

There's no answer, of course. She felt the silence of the house too deeply for there to be an answer.

my fiction

start of a short story: the tinker's second pack

it isn't action. i am action-averse.

my fiction

three stories not about birds: owl 2017

"Don’t move her. I’ll find the house phone."

my fiction

four stories not about fruit: redcurrant

She turned back to Opal. "Shame your nosing about didn't include any research into my finances. I don't have that kind of money to throw at things I like, never mind grasping little tarts in Argos earrings."

my fiction

four stories not about fruit: grapefruit

When I look back down the three women have trailing afterimages. Dance through it, I think, you've danced through worse.

my fiction

three stories not about birds: crane 2052

He had too many cranes to flock on his windowsill, so a few days earlier he had borrowed a slim piece of wire and stacked them all on it, piercing them through the crests of their backs like beads.

my fiction Featured

four stories not about fruit: apple

I go to rinse out my teacup and look out of the kitchen window. My good ash-handled iron fork is upright, kicked down into the earth at the edge of my calendula bed. I wonder who will bring it indoors before rain if I can't.

my fiction

three stories not about birds: gull 2029

Miriam rolled back over to look up at the deepening sky, holding her notebook on her belly with both hands. "I miss looking things up." "That's why you robbed the libraries."

my fiction

four stories not about fruit: lime

"Noor!" the blonde exclaimed, leaping up from her chair. "We thought you'd been blown to Shropshire!" Noor held out both her hands to be clasped. "Tosh, Lilian, you've never really believed I can cross running water."

outlining

not a story not about time travel

I know I have an idea. I know I already have a thousand ideas and if I do something to them others will turn up. Writing prompts are already ideas. A story generator only gives you something to DO to an idea you already have. Today it says 'This

my fiction

Tell me a story about magic

Ideas from that list I keep

my fiction

Lark's Guests 638w

638 words! It's not even half way to target, but it's 638 more than I wrote in October. Half past nine, and the Midsummer party had fillled the first lawn. From the terrace, Martha watched with careful detachment as the villagers clustered in chatty groups, glasses

my fiction

Tell me a story about cats

This one started from 'a warehouseman with a personal doom prophecy’ and drifted a lot. First I decided that the prophecy would make him afraid of cats, then I made the family think he SHOULD be afraid of cats but he really liked them, then I scrapped the prophecy

my fiction

Tell me a story about time travel

The generator for this one was ex-wife x time travel x slaying the monster. I considered making the ex-wife the monster but… maybe when I've had more practice. 1. It's her first day of close protection work with the time travelling affable businessman, and we'

my fiction

Tell me a story - about healing

Where do I get my ideas from? Sometimes I pair randomly selected careers with types of conflict. Here’s what came out of pairing forester with theology: In a village between forests, a middle aged priest goes about his week, pleasant to some and unpleasant to others. The mayor goads

my fiction

Outlining - Sarah Harper And The Money

I have a note here that must have been a story idea. A poet embedded herself with trust fund spiritualists at the home of a man of state whose letters are being assessed for publication. That's a setup not a plot, of course. I think I meant the

my fiction

Tell me a story - about charity

Tell me a story about how people use charity. Say there's this ongoing contest, present day or hereabouts, & some billionaire (not the one you're thinking of) has decided that they will give away five million a month to a charity. The charity each month is