The series of "Challenged" anthologies have now reached their 9th, no less... this one, the second "Sensorially Challenged" collection, is a collection of 100 stories by 100 authors, after they were encouraged to be as florid and as purple as possible in their prose.

Pretty rule-breaking stuff, huh? But that, as ever, is the idea.

​All proceeds are donated to The National Literacy Trust. Click through here to Chris Fielden's site, for details of where to buy in either paperback, or for your Kindle.

Incredibly...

Incredulously...

But very appreciatively, we say...

We now have a fourth volume of 100 stories, by 100 writers, each one no more than 100 words - and stuffed, stuffed I tell you, with adverbs. Not only that, we're well on the way to a fifth book already.

Like volumes 1-3, this one is also in aid of First Story. So why not continue to thumb your nose at these so-called writing "rules", buy a book (or two, or more), submit to the challenge, and support this fantastic literary charity.

Please click here for details of how to buy our latest volume, and here to submit to the next volume.

Also, to coincide with the launch of Sensorially Challenged volume 2 (out in a couple of months), we're having another book launch party! This one will be held on Tuesday 13th August at Leftbank, 128 Cheltenham Road, Bristol, BS6 5RW, UK from 6:30pm - part of the regular spoken word event "Talking Tales", run by Chris's writing group Stokes Croft Writers. For users of Facebook, here's the event.

See you there, I hope!

Who would have known, after our initial flurry of wanton adverbs a couple of years ago, that there would be so many more writing challenges, and so many more books...

The latest two - Nonsensically Challenged Volume 2 (from the Nonsense writing challenge, run by Chris Fielden and Lesley Truchet) and Tritely Challenged Volume 1 (from Chris's own Cliche Writing Challenge) - have now been released in both paperback and Kindle file. Proceeds from the books are in aid of The Daisy Garland and Book Aid International respectively.

Also, to coincide with the launch of these two books (plus my own "Adverbially Challenged Volume 3"), we're having a book launch party! Hosted by Chris, Allen Ashley, Jude Higgins, and me, it'll be a great afternoon of readings and general literary mirth. Anyone is welcome.

It'll be held on Sunday 10th June at The Colonel Fawcett (Upstairs Function Room), 1 Randolph Street, London, NW1 0SS, UK from 12.30pm to 4pm. For users of Facebook, here's the event.

Hope to see you there.

There's just no stopping these adverbs! (He says, proudly.)

We're now on Volume 3, and at at the time of writing, we already have  43 entries into Volume 4. When this whole rigmarole began a couple of years ago, Chris Fielden and I had no idea how our daft idea would be perceived. As it happens, writers don't half like to break all these so-called writing "rules".

And it's for charity too, so who can argue? Like the other adverbs anthologies, this one features 100 flash fictions, each of which containing no more than 100 words, and is in aid of First Story.

Please click here for details of how to buy our latest volume, and here to submit to the next volume.

Also, to coincide with the launch of Nonsensially Challenged Volume 2 and Tritely Challenged Volume 1, we're having a book launch party! Hosted by Chris, Allen Ashley, Jude Higgins, and me, it'll be a great afternoon of readings and general literary mirth. Anyone is welcome.

It'll be held on Sunday 10th June at The Colonel Fawcett (Upstairs Function Room), 1 Randolph Street, London, NW1 0SS, UK from 12.30pm to 4pm. For users of Facebook, here's the event.

Hope to see you there.

First came those adverbs (courtesy, somehow, of me); then it was Lesley's Nonsense Challenge; now we have an Overload of the Senses, this time the brainchild of fantasy and sci-fi author Allen Ashley.

Like with all these writing challenges, it's yet another chance to break those so-called writing "rules", and is run by the inestimable and effervescent author Chris Fielden. This time, writers are invited to be as purple in their prose as they possibly can be. (If you want any proof as to the success of the project, just look at the cover of the resulting book...)

This time, all proceeds are going to the National Literacy Trust. With 100 tales from 100 authors, it's another fine purchase, and for a great cause too. Click on the page from Chris's website for the various links about where to buy.

(PS. My effort, entitled "A Tall Tale", is about an unexpected extra hit of caffeine one bleary-eyed morning. A quick confession: it is not completely inconceivable that buried within is a large kernel of truth.)