Short fiction, be it flash fiction or longer ’short stories’, is a good way to learn dialogue, characterisation and structure. They are by no means “easy” to write, but they’re less daunting than a novel! Once you’ve amassed a few stories, you might want to get them published. Be aware there are hundreds, if not thousands, […]
publication
Short stories make excellent writing samples
I posted a few weeks ago that the newest Bloody Parchment anthology of short stories, Beachfront Starter Home, Good Bones was forthcoming. I can now announce that it’s available to buy! You can grab it from Amazon for the Kindle, or if you have an EPUB reader then head over to Smashwords. At £2.80 for twelve […]
Has Tarantino has made the Western popular again?
Looks like Quentin Tarantino might be making the Western popular again with the release of The Hateful Eight! I saw it last night and by God, it was marvellous, but I’ll be doing a video review so I’ll talk more about it then. That was more just a passing comment before I get to the […]
How do you cope with rejection as a writer?
There are few things guaranteed in life, but if you’re a writer, then at some point or other, you’re sure to encounter rejection. No matter what you’re submitting, sooner or later, you’ll get some form of reply saying “Thanks, but no thanks.” It’s hard, I know, but it’s something every writer goes through. Picture the scene. You’ve […]
The Best of Luna Station Quarterly is here!
I’m pleased to announce I have a story in a new anthology! The Best of Luna Station Quarterly: The First Five Years features FIFTY stories by women writers who have all appeared in Luna Station Quarterly, and it has an absolutely stunning cover by Hugo Award-winning artist Julie Dillon. My story is The Sought After Smile, a fantasy […]
Forthcoming story in the Masks anthology
I had two stories publishing in anthologies in 2014 (‘A Woman of Disrepute’ in Suspended in Dusk and ‘The Cursed One‘ in European Monsters), and I’m happy to announce I have a story in the forthcoming Masks anthology, compiled and edited by Dean M Drinkel with the UK-based KnightWatch Press. Inspired by Eleanor Rigby, the 1966 song by the […]