Blogs

Suckerpunch is a collection of 36 short stories and a Post Script. All for two quid to download, the kind of loose change that makes a five-year old wain scowl at you and poke their lip out when you hand it to them. It’s a great deal. Not all of them are of equal quality. I’m thinking, for example, a bit of ‘Tongue’ action here. I also think as we get nearer to the end of his collection, well, you know, there’s a bit of extra padding being added...

A few members have been keen to find out which pieces have taken the September accolades so without any messing about this news just in: The picks of the month for September were “challenging” to say the least… But there have to be winners. For Poetry, Bee, Pat G, Vadislav32 and Celticman treated us to some wonderful imagery. All brilliant yet each one different in content and form. But the POTM goes to a newcomer to Abctales. Mackatoof’s “...

Adversity…a road to maturity…or to detachment…Love…to believe in forever…or pine for unrequitedly…Which way will the story bend… When we pull emotions forward to create we use so much of who we are…good moments and difficult times help us breathe life into a story. We use pain and sorrow in Drama…tender moments in Romance…silly times in Comedy and a marvelously free imagination in Science Fiction and Fantasy. We are…to some extent… what we write...

September’s poetry brief was so inspiring because we found poetry in our daily routines; the usual haunts where we pause or pass through were seen afresh with a scrutinising eye and some truly skewered perspectives. Refreshing is the word that emerged whilst reading. Thank you for setting us free, Bear. Here’s a roundup of some excellent found poetry: Silver Spun Sand found those predictable gems in funeral conversations: http://www.abctales.com...

watch this and weep Many years ago I read a short story about a woman with gigantic tits that picked up hitchhikers on the back roads. I think it was set in the Highlands. To be fair anywhere outside Old Kilpatrick is a bit like the Highlands to me, but it might have been closer to home. And I do read lots. Stories blend together and become a kind of fudge-cake mix. So if someone says have you read? I kinda have and kinda haven’t because until I...

Good evening everyone, That I've said this before doesn't make it any less true, the number and quality of the submissions that have been posted this week has once again been amazing. That's wonderful and long may it continue but it makes the weeky responsibility of picking the two stand-out poem and prose pieces very very difficult indeed. But decisions have to be made so here we go... This week's winning poem is from new member mackatoof for...

This is a short book, with some lovely illustrations, but you’d expect that, Will Gompertz is BBC’s Art’s Editor. If I was thinking like an economist more than an artist I’d be thinking ten quid for a couple of wee pages and a couple of illustrations isn’t that great a deal. If I was thinking like a boozer that was an economist I’d be thinking that the opportunity cost of reading this book is four pints of heavy out of the Dropp Inn. If I was...

I'll plunge straight into this week's picks with Bee's stand-out poem Breasts which we've already featured on our front page as it forms part of her Journey sequence, detailing her cancer from diagnosis through treatment. If you haven't already been there, please do pay it a visit. Story of the Week goes to Matthew Hughes for Something Borrowed - a cleverly constructed short with a really unexpected twist. http://www.abctales.com/story/bee/...

Following on from the roaring success in Nottingham (tha nks, VeraClark) the next ABCtales R eading E vent has been organised. Here are the details: Date: Wednesday 11th November, 2015 Venue: The Wheatsheaf Address: 25, Rathbone Place, Fitzrovia, London, W1T 1JB Time: 18:30 for a 19:00 start Nearest tube: Tottenham Court Road Link to the venue: The Wheatsheaf, 25 Rathbone Place, Fitzrovia, London ... The Wheatsheaf is a wonderfully atmospheric...

There seems to be a small glitch happening at the moment with our email system. Until it's sorted out, if you need to get in touch please email either claudine@abctales.com or peter@abctales.com (or both if you like!) If you emailed us recently and didn't get a reply, then please accept our apologies and write again to above addresses. Thank you!