Category: The Fiction Desk

Live at Talking Tales

30/4/2019

Earlier this month I had the pleasure of making my first visit, and performing my first live reading, at "Talking Tales", the regular storytelling evening in Bristol run by Stokes Croft Writers.

Here I am, reading "Beat the Brainbox", my mini-story which came runner up in the Fiction Desk Flash Fiction competition in 2015, and was subsequently published in their 10th anthology, Separations.

If you enjoy live storytelling and would like to hear more, have a browse on Stokes Croft Writers' YouTube page, where you can catch up on every tale told over the years.

"How to Begin a Wonderful Life" out now!

7/12/2017

Presenting the inaugural showcase anthology from InkTears Press: "How To Begin a Wonderful Life". It features a selection of the choicest cuts of work by the writers Margaret Dakin, Mark Sheerin, Drew Taylor... and me!

Within you'll find four of my stories: "True Colours" (my first published short story, which went on to win runner-up prize in the 2012 InkTears short story contest); "I Say Papaya, You Say Pawpaw" (the opening story in the seventh Fiction Desk anthology "There Was Once a Place"); "Monty Jackman's Exposition" (runner-up prize in the 2013 Writers' Village Short Story Competition); and a previously unpublished story, "The Edge of Heaven".

Buy it here either as a hardback or an eBook for your Kindle.

Additionally, how can I possibly not mention the other InkTears showcase anthology, released at the same time, "Death of a Superhero"? This one features a selection of stories by Kaya Ra Edwards, Mandy Huggins, Brindley Hallam Dennis, and my occasional partner in adverb-related literary crime, Chris Fielden. The book itself is even named after one of his stories. Buy this one here. Or better yet... buy both!

"Beat the Brainbox" published in "Separations" from The Fiction Desk

19/9/2016

Announcing the latest of my short stories to appear in the fabulous anthology series The Fiction Desk.

My story this time, a cautionary tale about social media, is a particularly short one: at not-quite 1000 words, it came runner up last year in The Fiction Desk's flash fiction competition.

It is now published in their tenth anthology "Separations" alongside ten fabulous other stories. You can order a copy via the usual outlets, through The Fiction Desk themselves here, or better yet - subscribe.

"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.

"I Say Papaya, You Say Pawpaw" published by The Fiction Desk

4/6/2014

Announcing "There Was Once a Place", the latest anthology of short fiction from The Fiction Desk.

The Fiction Desk are one of my favourite publishers of short stories; I've always been extremely impressed by the fresh and imaginative writing, the assortment of styles, the thoughtful way they're curated, the mix of established and new voices, and the classy, professional way the books are designed.

"There Was Once a Place" is the seventh such volume, and includes my new story "I Say Papaya, You Say Pawpaw". (You can make it one of your five a day.)

You can buy the book direct from the publisher here (both in paperback and for your e-reader), and also via Amazon and all good bookshops. Also worth considering is to take out a subscription, which brings you three volumes for a bargain £22.

(PS. Still available is their fourth volume "Crying Just Like Anybody", which features my story "Me, Robot".)

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Live at Talking Tales

"How to Begin a Wonderful Life" out now!

"Beat the Brainbox" published in "Separations" from The Fiction Desk

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

"I Say Papaya, You Say Pawpaw" published by The Fiction Desk

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