Blogs

Story and Poem of the Week and Inspiration Point

Posted by onemorething on Fri, 19 Nov 2021

It’s getting ever closer to winter and our Poem of the Week is a beautiful reminder of the season to come - Thoughts of an Oak Tree’s Spirit by skinner_jennifer. You can read it here: https://www.abctales.com/story/skinnerjennifer/thoughts-oak-trees-spirit Story of the Week is the very powerful and brilliantly written story, Wednesday Club, by celticman. You can read it here: https://www.abctales.com/story/celticman/wednesday-club This week’s...

ABCtales Critiquing Service - good reports!

Posted by tcook on Mon, 26 Mar 2012

Over the years many of you have asked for a critiquing service and it has taken a long time to find (a) someone good enough to do it well and (b) someone who will charge what we regard as a reasonable fee. Finally, we've done it! Lorraine Mace is a freelance writer, columnist and tutor for the Writers Bureau. Winner of the Petra Kenney International Poetry Competition (comic verse category), Lorraine's fiction, features and humour have appeared...

Story and Poem of the Week and Inspiration Point

Posted by Insertponceyfrenchnamehere on Fri, 30 Aug 2024

Very big thanks to all of our wonderfully talented writers and poets for everything they've posted this week. Our Story and Poem of the Week are as follows: Story of the Week is Sean Mcnulty's 'A Savage Poindexter' a brilliant addition to his work in progress. If I don't see this story published within the next couple of years I'll eat my hat! Poem of the Week goes to Angus Folklore for his splendidly stirring 'Building A Raven' https://www...

Sarah Chaney (2022) Am I Normal? The 200-Year Search for Normal People (And Why They Don’t Exist).

Posted by celticman on Wed, 28 Aug 2024

Sarah Chaney asks in the Prologue (is a Prologue normal?) Am I Normal? ‘It seems like a straightforward enough question.’ Much the same as is it raining outside. But rain is part of the seasons and weather system. Normal is a social construct. In other words, we make it up as we go along. WEIRD people (that is, Western, educated, industrialised, rich and democratic) in 2010 make up just 12% of the world’s population but 96% of subjects in...

Story and Poem of the Week

Posted by Insertponceyfrenchnamehere on Fri, 23 Aug 2024

Story and Poem of the Week chosen by Di_Hard Thank you so much for all the great writing this week, particularly the stories, which I have really enjoyed reading. Story of the Week goes to Aronovitz for the first part of a vividly told story about homelessness and the growing bond between a man and a dog. Completely involving, there are 3 chapters so far, and I am really looking forward to reading more : https://www.abctales.com/story/aronowitz/...

Ireland - a wellspring of wonderful writing

Posted by Caldwell on Mon, 19 Aug 2024

Recently everything I have picked up and been inspired by happens to have an Irish author. These are those that have got me back into literature following a long dearth where life was just too complicated to even consider picking up a book. Claire Keegan (Foster in particular, but lots of her other stuff too) Colum McCann - Apeirogon Paul Murray - The Bee Sting Donal Ryan - A slanting of the sun There are more, but these are the ones that stand...

Story and Poem of the Week and Inspiration Point

Posted by Insertponceyfrenchnamehere on Fri, 16 Aug 2024

Really, really difficult to make the choices this week. There's been humour, horror, brilliant character studies and beautiful descriptions. Thank you to everyone for some amazing stories and poems.

Reviewing My Undertakers

Posted by philwhiteland on Thu, 15 Aug 2024

Ok, here's the thing. I've got two paperback copies of my first full-length Josiah and Archibald novel, 'Bring Out Your Dead' to give away. All I ask in return is a fair review (doesn't have to be good, just fair) on Amazon and/or Goodreads and anywhere else that takes your fancy. If I get more than 2 enquiries, I'll draw names out of a hat. Offer closes midnight BST on Saturday, 17th August. If you're interested, pop a message in the comments...

PETRA JOHANA PONCAROVÁ (2024) DERICK THOMSON AND THE GAELIC REVIVAL

Posted by celticman on Wed, 14 Aug 2024

As a writer in exile, writing about a writer in exile, PETRA JOHANA PONCAROVÁ offers an authentic voice. Neither English nor Gaelic is her first languages. She was brought up speaking Czech. To paraphrase Paul Valery, Language is a thing that belongs to us; but for us it is not entirely a thing; and it belongs to us a little less than we belong to it. I’m no poet. And I do not speak Gaelic. No surprise then that I hadn’t heard of Derick Thompson...

Brene Brown (2008) I Thought It Was Just Me [But It Isn’t]

Posted by celticman on Tue, 13 Aug 2024

Brene Brown is a Licensed Master Social Worker. She gained her Ph.D working with women and researching Shame. We’ve all got our own ideas of what shame is and what is shameful. The most toxic kind is when we identify with the shameful labels others give us. Brown suggests her lightbulb moment came when was working in residential care. A clinical director said: ‘You cannot shame or belittle people into changing their behaviour’. Bree’s working...

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