Short stories are ideal when you fancy escaping with some fiction but you only have a few minutes. They’re fun to write, too. Although a corporate thriller is a long labour of love, intricately plotted and written over many months, a short story can appear in a flash. Having seen this fabulous picture of Bewick Swans in flight (created by British artist Carolyn Stubbs from sculpted paper – read all about it on her website), I wrote a tale about a youth who dreams of flying. Without giving too much away, it’s a good old-fashioned crime story. It will appear in a free ebook I’m publishing this month for my newsletter subscribers – sign up here.
In fact, while some of my short stories are corporate, many of them aren’t. It’s fun to work with another genre – pure crime, romance, horror or suspense. You can hear me read about hair-raising urban horrors in this podcast (recorded under my real name!). I even sneaked a fantasy story into a collection of time travel tales. I’m about to write a fine romance to read live at Brewsmiths on May 11th, as I was tipped off that many of the other stories on offer were dark…I felt a ray of sunshine was required!
“Every Picture Tells A Story, Don’t It?” Rod Stewart sang*. Art and music both inspire my work, which is why I’m such a fan of Twitter’s #TheCultureHour, as it brings all cultural aspects together. Once an artist releases their work to the world, it’s up to us to put an interpretation on it. What thoughts lie behind those painted eyes? Who’s in the house or car, and what are their plans? Did the love expressed in song last a lifetime or turn sour? The artist and lyricist captures a moment or two, frozen in time, and it’s a joy to imagine how the drama unfolds.
You can expect chills, thrills, spills and plenty of surprises in my free ebook – why not subscribe to my newsletter now?
*some of the other lyrics were dubious…
