Category: Read A Story Online

"The Arrow of Cupid (Goes Twang)" published by Storgy

23/6/2017

I'm pleased to announce my first short story to be published in quite a while (at least, one which is significantly over 1000 words) - and make no mistake about it, this one is indeed a quirky specimen.

A God of Yore has returned. But did he ever go away? Click here to read.

Storgy are a very fine online literary magazine, containing not just a huge assortment of fiction, but also essays, book reviews, film reviews, and interviews - certainly enough to keep you entertained for many an hour (so do watch where your lunch breaks go... or if you're reading it on your phone whilst commuting, make sure you don't miss your stop...)

They are also raising £10,000 to support the families affected by the tragic fire at Grenfell Tower - please do consider donating - it's being funded through Just Giving. All details are here.

"Me, Robot" republished online - plus an article and a challenge...

18/4/2016

An unfathomably long time ago (that'll be nearly four years), the short story publisher The Fiction Desk accepted, and subsequently published, my short story "Me, Robot" in their fourth volume "Crying Just Like Anybody". It's a process I recall well: from the moment I pinged it off to them, to the immensely satisfying moment it appeared in print a few months later.

Now in 2016, the writer Chris Fielden has re-published the story in full on his website (a site chock full of magazine listings, competition listings, writing advice, and services: invaluable for both the emerging and established writer). Alongside my story, you can read my advice-for-writers article: "How to Research, Write & Publish a Short Story", using my experiences with "Me, Robot" and The Fiction Desk as case study examples.

Additionally, as an added "bonus": within my article, whilst making a somewhat meandering point about writing "rules", I inadvertently challenged the reader to write a short story consisting "mostly" of that most frowned-upon, horribly-overused, tool-of-telling-rather-than-showing, word type that, as writers, we're always being told to cut out of our work: the adverb.

Thus "Mike's Not-Entirely-Serious Wantonly-Rule-Breaking Adverb-Writing Challenge" is born. (Who knows what beast I've helped unleash upon the unsuspecting literary world.)

Having had a crack at my own challenge (you can read my effort, "Giving it the Adverbals", alongside other writers' adverb-riddled efforts on the same page), I would say that there could be a point to the exercise after all: try this once, you're not going to want to write another adverb ever again.

If you're a writer (or even if you're not) and fancy a go, please do. All efforts will be published on Chris's site.

"The Recipe" published on Visual Verse

26/6/2015

Visual Verse is a fun online literary journal, publishing very short prose and poetry, each one in response to a monthly picture prompt. It's a fun way to get the imagination working. What story could you possibly tell?

This month it was a piece of abstract art by the Dutch artist Sigrid Calon. Take a look at it alongside my story here. Does it look like a Pop Tart to you? It did to me when I wrote it.

There are plenty more stories and poems too on the site; have a browse in their archive here.

"Bigger on the Inside" published on 1000 Words

16/4/2014

1000 words is an intriguing site where writers, inspired by picture prompts on Pinterest, can submit flash fiction (of up to 1000 words!)

My short-short story, "Bigger on the Inside", you can now read next to a picture of an old police box. Fans of a certain popular science fiction show may take particular interest...

Click here to read.

"Monty Jackman's Exposition" wins runner up in the 2013 Writers' Village Contest

16/1/2014

Writers' Village is a marvellous online resource for both new and established writers, offering a variety of courses, articles and handy hints about the world of writing and publishing.

In addition to this, they also run a hotly-contested annual short fiction contest...

I'm very pleased and proud that my comic short story "Monty Jackman's Exposition" has come 2nd in their 2013 competition!

Read my story, plus the winner and other highly-placed works, by clicking here.

<<Previous

"The Arrow of Cupid (Goes Twang)" published by Storgy

"Me, Robot" republished online - plus an article and a challenge...

"The Recipe" published on Visual Verse

"Bigger on the Inside" published on 1000 Words

"Monty Jackman's Exposition" wins runner up in the 2013 Writers' Village Contest

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