by gailaldwin
If you haven’t had a chance to read the brilliant bi-monthly What the Dickens? magazine that celebrates creativity in the visual arts and writing, now’s the time to take a look here. There are all sorts of articles of interest including author interviews, book and film reviews, competitions, creative writing and poetry and a fantastic range of visual stimulation. On top of all that, I offer a column titled ‘Help! The dog at my manuscript!’ which answers writers’ questions.
The editor, Victoria Bantock is aiming to get the seventh edition of the magazine published in print as well as on-line. This provides a unique opportunity for a double dose of submissions to be received by 15 September. What the Dickens? magazine invites submissions with the theme of Pumpkin for the October issue and Journey for the December issue. Please get busy with your ideas, be creative and enter your work by the deadline. Full details for submission can be found here.
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competitions flash fiction poetry Reading writing
by gailaldwin
While I’m delighted that my daughter has been offered her first choice place at university and I’m keen for her to take all the chances that are on offer, I can’t help wondering what impact her departure will have on the rest of us. I’ve been teasing my son for weeks that he’ll soon have his parents’ undivided attention – although I don’t believe he’s looking forward to this!
Earlier in the year I wrote a piece of flash fiction that imagined my daughter as the subject. It was included in the Flash-Fiction South West anthology titled Kissing Frankenstein & Other Stories. You can purchase a copy of the book here and I’ve pasted the piece below. I hope you enjoy this as my #fridayflash
Packing
- Clothes
- Tops: shirts and hoodies,
- Jeans: ripped, skinny, bootleg
- Skirts: mini, maxi, puff
- Bras: underwired and padded
- Knickers: pretty ones only
- Shoes: heels, flats, Converse
- Makeup (ditch dried-up nail varnish)
- Jewellery (silver-dip before packing)
- Hairdryer and straighteners
- Pencil case
- Highlighters
- Gel pens
- Retractable pencils
- Ammonite found at Charmouth (wrap in tissue – put in box with flowers on lid)
- Paperback (any)
- Pillowcase with Broderie Anglaise trim
- Foxy Lady mug
- Remember: thermal socks, hot water bottle, Little Ted, ring binder with campus information
I’ll let you know in few weeks, whether this has any resemblance to reality.
flash fiction
by gailaldwin
Ann Hathaway’s Cottage, Stratford
The destination for our family holiday was Edinburgh. We stopped in Stratford-upon-Avon so that we could use the hotel reservation and theatre tickets cancelled earlier in the year due to exam revision pressure. (I’m pleased to say that my daughter got two As and a B in her A levels and will be going to study history and American studies at Nottingham University). We saw Troilus and Cressida at the Swan which I enjoyed but my husband thought it pretentious and my son wanted to slit his throat rather than go back in after the interval. The interpretation was baffling with the Trojans represented as North American Indians and the Greeks as desert soldiers and there was a transvestite for the fool. In addition, there were TV screens around the stage showing footage of Inuit cultural traditions interspersed with Hollywood movies. Now that was a little confusing, particularly when the actors watched the screens and replicated the actions. Overall the family gave it the thumbs down, as did The Guardian, and you can read review here.
Beatrix Potter’s Cottage
We stopped for a few days in Cumbria with our friends the Huggetts and managed to visit the lakes, Beatrix Potter’s home and spent a day at the seaside. The weather was wonderful and the company great. Our first night in Scotland was in Glasgow and we had breakfast in the Willow Tea Rooms which boasts an interior designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh and serves a splendid Scottish breakfast. Following a visit to the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum (there’s a fascinating and brave section on Glasgow life) we drove to Edinburgh where we stayed in a Stockbridge flat for the rest of our holiday. Read the rest of this entry »
authors competitions events flash fiction poetry Reading Recommendations visits writing
by gailaldwin
Situated next to a sandy strip of Dorset beach, the Avon Beach Shop provides all the necessities for holiday makers and day trippers. There’s a ramp that makes disabled access possible and easy entry for families with buggies. The shop is divided into areas where a range merchandise is displayed. There’s a section for leisure wear and swimming costumes, a central counter with the till that acts as a newsagent with papers, sweets, ice creams and drinks for sale. Opposite, there’s a selection of gifts and to the right of the entrance you’ll find body-boards, buckets and spades and the like. Tucked away in a corner is the book department that provides a range of fiction, crime novels and local interest books. There are few book displays that have such a marvellous backdrop through the window of the shop.
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Dorset poetry views writing
the writer is a lonely hunter 