880 words 3 min 31 sec reading time I met Storm Fairy so long ago that I have only fragments of memory. I hope you will forgive this abrupt telling to clear the way to where I stand today. One minute, I was on the promenade in Tramore. Watching white foaming waves...
Writing Journal
Self-editing my short story
Today I want to talk about editing because it is not one of my strong points, and I assumed editing was all grammar focused. Once I eliminated that idea, I began to enjoy the process. After all, I can outsource the proof and line edit to someone good at that job. One...
Today’s read – Amos & Boris by William Steig
'Overwhelmed by the beauty and mystery of everything, he rolled over and over and right off the deck of his boat and into the sea.'Amos & Boris is the first book I have read by William Steig. As the creator of the infamous Shrek character, I am surprised I haven't...
James & Malcolm
823 words 3 min 17 sec reading time James sat down on the stone walkway just beneath the city centre bridge. He had been unceremoniously removed from the nearby shopping centre a few minutes earlier and had nowhere else to go that was safe at least. It was a Saturday,...
Today’s read – A Man’s Place by Annie Ernaux
A Man's Place by Annie Ernaux Apart from writing, reading is one of the things I have committed to doing a lot more. I have a particular liking for Novellas. And when I came across 'A Man's Place', I had to add it to my reading list. Happily, I decided to take a break...
Nettle Soup
The Extra in the Ordinary, exploring exciting and strange facts and fiction around everyday things I see on my daily walks.The Stingy Nettle 'Be careful of those nettles,' one of the first things I was told as a child. It came a little late, as I did manage to get...
The Memory Men
471 words 1 min 53 sec reading time I remember the first time my Gran mentioned them, the Memory Men. She mumbled the exact words over and over again - the Memory Men sing, the Memory Men play, the Memory Men stay. They only come at night, she whispered in my ear so...
Transformation
437 words 1 min 45 sec reading time I am Sidhe*. I am Eternal.We choose to live as non-Eternals for seventy years lest we forget. It is the day of my transformation. Today, it will begin and end. For seventy years, I have looked through their eyes and listened through...
I bucked
635 words 2 min 32 sec reading time I sank into my seat on the bus, breathing so loudly I could hear every muscle popping in my chest. I promised myself yesterday, and come to think of it, the day before that and every day since last Wednesday, that I wouldn't run for...
Building fictional characters
Crafting characters has been on my mind for the last few months. Initially, when I wrote the first draft of my novel, I only touched on the characters' backstories. My primary concern had been to get the 1st draft finished, which I did. At the moment, I am working...