airyfairy's blog

It's been said before, but I'll say it again - thank you so much to everyone who took part in the Reading Night last Saturday. It was wonderful to see so many of our writers, and to hear them read. And special thanks of course to Mark Burrow for the compering and to insertponceyfrenchnamehere and onemorething for the organising. Story of the Week is jeand's 'Bitty Barby Boob, RIP'. If you've been following Jean's story, you'll be in awe of her...

Firstly, just a reminder about the ABCTales Virtual Reading Night, hosted by Mark Burrow, on 1 April. If you haven't yet, please do email rachel@abctales.com to reserve your place, with both your user name and real name. These events are always friendly, supportive and great fun, and it's lovely to see and hear new readers. Or just come along to be part of the audience! There's always new challenges to running this kind of site, and the latest...

ABC Tales writer Colin Burnett (author of the absorbing and thought-provoking novel 'A Working Class State of Mind') has an article in the upcoming issue of 'The National'. We haven't got a link for you yet, but we will post one as soon as we can. Anyone familiar with Colin's work will know that this is going to be well worth reading. We've had some wonderful stories posted during the last seven days, but after a lot of thought Story of the Week...

The diversity of the writing on ABC Tales is its greatest strength, and the Picks for this week are very different indeed. Story of the Week is Part One of ethancrane's 'Warchild', but that's only because I can't give it to both parts. Surreal, funny, acutely observant and completely absorbing, it's a cracking read: Warchild (part 1 of 2) | ABCtales Warchild (part 2 of 2) | ABCtales Poem of the Week is Kilb50's tender, poignant and beautifully...

Reading the week's new work on ABC is always a cheering antidote to the current 'cold snap' we're having in the UK. Thanks to all those who have posted such wonderful stuff over the last seven days. Story of the Week goes to ethancrane's brilliantly surreal and funny 'Your Mutual Aid Hourly Pay Insults My Intelligence'. Like all the best surreal writing, it has at least one toe firmly planted in reality, and there is nothing in it that seems...

Poem of the Week goes to 'Legacy' by Ciadish. This beautiful meditation on loss has both warmth and hope and has struck a chord with a number of readers, including me. I'm sure it will continue to resonate with many more: Legacy | ABCtales Story of the Week is the start of another of Mac Ashton's hugely enjoyable romps, 'One Night At Kedasi'. We're also promised a return visit by some of the characters from 'The First Ambassador To Crustacea',...

Two very different, and very thoughtful, pieces this week. Story of the Week is jxmartin's 'Ian - the aftermath', about the devastation of a hurricane. One commenter on ABC has likened this author's beautifully written diaries of American life to the BBC broadcasts by the late, great Alistair Cooke, and I would certainly agree. The same warmth and friendliness, accompanied by acute observation: Ian- the aftermath | ABCtales Poem of the Week is...

We're living in a strange old world at the moment, one way and another, and our Story of the Week reflects this perfectly. Jane Hyphen's 'It's the year...' is sharply funny and surreal, and yet somehow all too believable. If you happen to know an Orca, now might be the time to start getting on the right side of it. It's the year. . . | ABCtales Our Poem of the Week takes the autumn equinox as its theme. Jennifer Skinner's haunting 'Lucid Dreams...

So much good stuff to enjoy! Our Story of the Week goes to Hudson Moon's 'Onward I Mutter - A Ramble'. It's funny, it's instantly relatable, it was a bright spot in the week, it's like having a conversation with a good friend: Onward I Mutter - A Ramble | ABCtales Poem of the Week is TJW's stunning 'Insidious'. This is writing from the heart and soul, and it will stay with you: Insidious | ABCtales This week's Inspiration Point is here:...

We're having what we in the UK call a heatwave, so it's been nice to be able to sit in the shade and read lots of lovely stuff on ABC this week. Poem of the Week is the latest in bhi's brilliant sequence This Life. This one is called Resilience - as usual the writing is wonderful and the images draw you completely into the writer's vision, but there is also message within it that is absolutely perfect for our times: (This Life) Part 7:...