There always seems to be a story in my head, which might
explain why I am about to have my twentieth short story published. I love experimenting
with different styles, the challenge of tightly written narratives and I can
fit short stories into a comparatively short space of time. My dream, which I
hope to realise soon, is to write and edit full time. This is becoming closer
now, especially as I have been doing more work for Bridge House. I have just
enjoyed editing Jim Bates’ wonderful collection, Resilience.
Writing
is a wonderful way to reflect upon events and emotions. I was lucky enough to
have a story chosen each year for the Waterloo Festival. They are all
completely different. The first one, Shouting in a Sandstorm, was written
as a way of processing my mother’s struggle with dementia and her eventual
death. In complete contrast, the second story, Climbing Rainbows, was
humorous, but with pathos and a bit of an edge. My third story, Fishing
in Troubled Waters had more sinister undertones. It was set in the
past, although the subject matter of physical abuse is still very current. The
story presents the protagonist with a moral dilemma if she is to save her
friend.
It’s
hard to know why I write any of the stories. Many, such as, There’s
Rosemary, That’s for Remembrance, which will be published in Mulling
it Over, seem to write themselves. My favourite and happiest place to
write is in Woolacombe, overlooking the sea through the seasons. I love to walk
my dog in all weathers as this is good thinking and relaxing time. We are
training for Search and Rescue, so I have spent a lot of time hiding behind
trees too!
It has
been a great privilege to work with so many talented people. Linda Laurie
illustrated our recently released humorous children’s picture book, A
Most Amazing Zoo. We work really well together and Linda knows exactly
how to interpret my suggested ideas. It’s so exciting to see her wonderful and
funny illustrations take shape. Rob Townsend has the most amazing reading voice
and he recorded the book which has just been released on Audible. Rob really
brought the characters and story to life. This has been reduced by Amazon to
£3.25 at the moment and a sample is available to listen to on the page: https://smile.amazon.co.uk/A-Most-Amazing-Zoo/dp/B08FBNHGYT/ref=tmm_aud_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1597157765&sr=8-1
I would like to thank Gill James
who is phenomenal. I really don’t know how she (alongside her wonderful team
with Debz and Martin) manages to achieve so much!
It’s hard for me to follow
through and market a finished book as I want to move on to my next project. I
still have a number of ideas on the back burner; next year I hope to be able to
work on my YA book.
An excerpt from Linda's story:
Fishing in Troubled Waters
Only a bold plan will remove the outsider from the
fishing community, but is it worth the risk?
Dawn rose in a bloodied mackerel-coloured sky over
Clovelly Harbour. The cottages huddled together in clusters, flanked either
side of a steep cobblestone hill and shouldering only a side view of the sea,
as though afraid to stare into its mortiferous depths.
Inside a cottage
tucked into the bottom of the hill, Edna tied fish hooks on to thin lines with
cracked, red hands. Her coarse brown skirts were runched up around her legs.
She glanced at Peter’s boots by the door, ready for him to be away with the
tide. As the thud of his footfall on the stairs ceased, she looked towards him
with dark beseeching eyes. “Will you be taking Rufus with you this time?”
He roughly shook
his head, “You know we don’t take men on the boats when they’ve been drinking.”
“Yes, I know Peter,” her face looked gaunt and shadowy in
the silvery light, “but Rufus is often found drinking. Without his catch the
family will surely starve.”
Peter looked away, “He should know better than to waste it
all on porter!”
“But Mary has those bairns to feed and another on its way.”
He rammed a foot into a boot, “She chose him. She should
never have married that man!”
Edna lowered her voice, “He’s new to these parts, not one of
our own. Mary mistook a fish eye for a pearl.”
Peter raked his hands through his dishevelled black hair.
“We never take him when he’s like this. He’s a danger to the men and the boat.”
No comments:
Post a Comment