<Note: on the 9th November 2023 I had surgery to remove all my remaining adult teeth and replace them with dentures. This was due to the pain and trauma I had experienced over a period of 18 months at the hands of a dentist who removed a tooth in such a way that I experienced […]
creative writing
Short Story – Rabbit
I will be releasing my first novel in 2022, an as-yet unnamed collection of four intertwined novellas. The world it is set in and the characters it involves are introduced in this short story – “Rabbit.”
Sneak Peek: SEEDS
The first story in my new collection SEEDS is a flash-fiction piece entitled “Bloom.” It follows an elderly couple on a road trip as they celebrate their anniversary and encounter a field of mystical sunflowers. As a special sneak peek, I am delighted to share it with you now.
Story Planning—How I Move from Inspiration to the Page
How I plan a story is very similar to how I plan a road trip: the car is packed, I have a full tank of petrol and I know basically where I’m headed, but the actual route I will take to reach my destination is anyone’s guess. My writing philosophy is something akin to, “Let’s […]
I Get By
The Beatles knew it was important. They sang a song all about it. And at least fifty other people (including Joe Cocker and Wet, Wet, Wet) covered that song too. The Beatles asked for Help and they would often Come Together, but mostly, they Get by with a Little Help from (their) Friends. For a […]
Dear Erica
My last original short fiction offering for 2019, a short story about love and letting go. This story is copyright. Except for the purpose of fair review, no part may be stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including recording or storage in any information retrieval system, without permission […]
The Path Between the Trees
As a Christmas and Friday 13th gift to my readers, I wrote this very short, seasonal tale. A Victorian-themed, vaguely dreadpunk, Penny Dreadful kind of offering set in a cold, dark wintery night in the northern hemisphere… “M’lady, if it pleases you, your carriage awaits.” The manor doors were flung wide open to expose the […]
Long Distance
Flash fiction challenge: 500 word romance using the word “spring.” I’ve done it again. Just like I always do. My mouth was in gear but my brain was in neutral, saying words I didn’t really mean. It’s hard for me. I’m not like you, I’m much more emotional. You twist me around like a coiled spring, wind me up […]
Child of the Sea
I’m a water baby, I’ve known that forever. I grew up by the North Sea and I swam in it quite regularly even though it’s bastard cold and murky grey and you’d be well advised not to swallow even a drop of it. The worst part of wearing hearing aids for me is having to […]
Future Imperfect
* < 400 word Flash fiction written for Dion’s Flashes of Inspiration at The Fine Toothed Comb. Inspired in part by the last message from the Mars Rover. Where were you when the red rains came? When the first flames rippled through the forests, with hot, bright fingers of pain. Did you turn to watch […]