This item was written for a writing workshop in Marlow library. We had a selection of photos to choose from. We had to choose three and weave them together into the opening of a novel. See if you can guess what my three photos were! : She had been dreading it. But she had promised, … Read more
Recently, one of my writing groups set a six word challenge in place of a writing theme for our monthly exercise. Six words were chosen at random and we had to weave them into a short story or poem. It produced a remarkable variety of excellent work. Here is my contribution. : A young man … Read more
Tomorrow is all about me-me-me! Of course, it is lovely to have days out with other people. But I am the loner the crime writers warn you about – before revealing that I am a red herring. I am harmlessly old, odd and reclusive, never more so than on my birthday, which is all about … Read more
We were mellow after our early evening drinks and light meal in the soft warmth of Sue’s sitting room. Everything about it cooed “cosy”. “Now, my darlings! I want to hear your resolutions!” it was like a brick shattering a stained-glass window. Chitter-chatter ceased, nervous glances were exchanged and mouths opened in dismay. Sue noted … Read more
I have been fortunate enough to work in Finland several times. This piece is inspired by a Finnish tradition. This is another piece where in order to “show, not tell”, the reader has to do some thinking about the narrator. There’s no place like home I lured him here. Poor little Mikko. He’s shivering and … Read more
Aspiring writers have to have a pen and paper handy wherever they go. Or, you could capture flashes of inspiration by tapping a phone. This piece of flash fiction was inspired by observing my own generation and our obsession with nostalgia. If we had a time machine (God forbid!) we would realise how much we … Read more
In 2024, the Scottish Arts Trust started a category in their Flash Fiction awards called “True Flash” – for memoir or creative non-fiction. It was very appealing to try this. This is partly sharing personal experience, but also describing a common experience for the older female motorist. : It Comes to Us All “Excuse me. … Read more
The theme “Special Meal” did not initially appeal to me, as most of my meals are consumed on my feet, on the go and on my own. So, a flight of complete fantasy was required…at last – I was trying to write a happy ending! : SPECIAL MEAL He had been patient and she had … Read more
“Show, not tell” is the mantra of creative writing, and sometimes that means that the reader must make up their own mind about what the writer presents to them. Getting the balance right between dropping hints and being too obvious is a fine art. I got a lot of feedback on this piece to try … Read more
