Writing - Episodes

 Even the most impressive tome is rich with shorter stories or episodes and we writers should be collecting these in the course of our everyday lives for later use. 

Echo Show

The innocuous Echo show which is my 21st century radio alarm clock provided me with such an episode recently. It was quite scary. 

06:36 Sunday 14th January 2024 

It sounded like a car alarm but inside my apartment. A very rude awakening into pitch blackness. Even my alarm was as black as Casey's cap. Silence for a few seconds then the alarm sounded once more. The screen on the Echo Show flickered into life and the charging light on my electric toothbrush began to flash its green charging message. All the evidence of a power outage. Then blessed silence at which point I began breathing again. 

In itself a minor occurrence that caused a quickening of the heartbeat and a sigh of relief. Of course, there was no explanation for the event which was slightly disturbing, that came a few days later when my house phone rang. The message I received was almost as spooky because it wasn't a person but an electronic voice apologising for a power cut. 

As you can see not a great mindblowing event but certainly an event that offers an opportunity for some creative writing. 

God Bless 

Writing - Further speculation

 Speculation is all very well but even the most laid-back writer has a kernel of curiosity about the quality of their writing. There are hoards of websites that allow you to enter your works for a myriad of outcomes. Some offer to help you improve; some to enter you for a competition; and, some for the publication in an anthology of similar works. The majority require money! For the most part, I don't join but... 

Every so often I am tempted to stand with the back to a literary yardstick and see if I measure up. It doesn't deter me from trying because my ultimate quest is for improvement. I have had the odd poem included in a couple of anthologies but nothing more exciting than that, even so I persevere. 

One immediate benefit is the opportunity to read works that are successful and to take note of the 'fashions' that are current. A lesson that I have learned over the years is that reading is an essential facet of writing. 

Blurb

Patrick A Steele has discovered an injustice that involves organised crime and kidnapping for the sex trade and he applies his unique skillset to disrupt the evil group behind these heinous atrocities. This fourth Steele novel continues the association of our hero with the Japanese Gurentai one of whom he is becoming increasingly romantically attached to - but is it reciprocated? When weekend rioting seems to be driven by some hidden force Patrick and his confederates travel in the UK and Eastern Europe in an effort to overcome the activities of an evil crime lord and his hired assassin.

The above is one of my earlier Steele novels - the third. It includes changes in the procedures adopted by Steele and to the makeup of his team. So an important step. 

Some possibly useful sites:- 

Penguin prizes and opportunities

The Poetry Society 

Neon Books 

Writers HQ 

Reedsy 

If you're curious Google the above and you will find a wealth of opportunities. 

God Bless