This article is about the Writers’ Village Short Story Award 
, and if it is worth paying £15 to enter “the world’s largest short story contest that gives feedback to every entrant.”
The short answer is no, it isn’t. But I’m going to share with you the feedback I received, explain what I think are the problems with it, and you can make up your own mind. (more…)
Ever since the massacre at Charlie Hebdo I’ve been finding it harder to write. Instead of working on all the projects I’m supposed to be working on, I’ve scribbled page after page of notes trying to sort out what I’m feeling. It’s not an easy thing about which to write. I’m not even sure I should. But Paris is my home. And I can’t stop thinking about what happened here.
How do we write when you can be killed in the centre of Paris for drawing rude cartoons? (more…)
My short story, “Spark“, was shortlisted in the Fowey Festival Short Story Competition 2014. The Fowey Festival celebrates the work of Daphne Du Maurier, 
and author who (like a lot of people) had an enormous impact on me when I was growing up. The House on the Strand remains one of my favourite books (my mother prefers Rebecca). I really enjoyed my take on a Du Maurier story, although I doubt anybody but me would see the similarity. If you’d like, you can read the full story on the site here.
The lovely people at Monkey Kettle have published my story, “Only Whores can be Heroes”, as part of their book of western short stories entitled A Fistful of Monkeys. “Only Whores can be Heroes” is about ruthless bounty hunter called Charlotte Coal, and evil banker, and a terrible secret under the town of Liberty station, and it is packed in with almost 200 hundred pages of six-shooters, action and excitement that can be bought via Lulu here. Exciting stuff.
My flash-fiction, “Tony’s Phone”, reached the shortlist for the Words for the Wounded competition and was commended by the judges. That’s not quite getting published but I’m still pretty chuffed. I still haven’t decided whether it counts as a point on my rejections score board or not!*
