New story starting today. I did a CityLit course on telling and retelling fairy tales and thought I'd give the less-well-known story of King Thrushbeard a go. I would also like to make very clear that the opening of this story (in italics) is lifted directly from one of my all-time favourite 'new' fairy stories, …
Connor sat, stiffly awkward, holding Sophie as she sobbed. Soon, though, concern won over terror and he hauled her in closer and ducked in to try and see her face. "Don't, I'm red and puffy and blotchy." "Seen it before." "Not since I was eight." "Ten." He managed to win a watery smile, a deep …
"If you want to make things clear, why not write out a list of the things this person needs to be, or have, and get a couple of other people to check it, so you know you haven't missed anything important?" Lorsan nodded at Lydia's suggestion and fetched pen and paper, relieved he had someone …
This started out as a challenge to see if I could do the opposite of the first instalment of Secrets and write entirely without dialogue. It's running away with me as well. In the Year of the Jackal, under the third moon, a strange convoy left the desert city of Ibram to chase a legend. …
Alec returned to his office, having dumped the armful of lavender on the nearest available table in the solar and walking out, determinedly oblivious to the cries of dismay over the mess he'd supposedly made of the embroidery threads spread across it. He arrived just in time to head off Nathan's search for him and …
Writing exercise - three doors, fifteen minutes per door. Door 1 It was a nondescript, wooden door, greyed with age but not cracked. It opened into a fog. Walking through she found herself in a dimly lit forest. The trees half veiled by the mist that settled across everything, weaving translucent ribbons over branches and …
The car drew up with a crunch of gravel, slotting neatly beside a red Ferrari Chris identified as belonging to one of his competitors. "Too flashy, the Italians are far too flamboyant for an English manor." Cesca was nothing if not biased. The house was a stark tribute to modernism - all white, glass and …
Alec looked at the clock ticking its way toward lunch and grimaced. He'd dealt with the guards from the day before and was now avoiding the requested meeting with Her Ladyship. It was a necessary hurdle though, she'd waylay him otherwise and he'd never get out to check on Kid. Nathan was on kitchen invasion …
Ally waved to Cesca from across the station car park and she bounded over to Chris' car, quickly settling herself in the back seat. "Well this is a bit of a different ride to your usual set of wheels." Chris nodded, "Horses for courses, this is my 'I'm a professional, take me seriously car'. Sometimes …
Once washed, Kid's hair proved to be the promised white-blond and almost seemed to glow in the low light of the cottage fires. What also now showed were the bruises and scars on his too-thin arms and legs. Nora had come up with a men's shirt, supplemented with a blanket Alec somehow managed to wrap …
The DNA of Stories 