airyfairy's blog

The longer days and warmer weather has definitely brought something out in ABC Talers - there's been some cracking stuff on the site this week. That being said, one poem in particular stood out for me. Our Poem of the Week is 'Stories I won't tell you' by london_calling79. It is a visceral piece, digging down into the realities of a particular kind of grief. It pulled me into its narrative, and although I immediately wanted to read it again, it...

No difficulty at all in choosing our Story of the Week this time - an episode of jeand's brave and absorbing account of her experiences of what started out as Bell's Palsy and has now taken an even more complicated turn. Please do read this, and the other parts of Jean's story. I know everyone on the site will want to send her all the very best: Janus Look 4 | ABCtales Poem of the Week goes to smokejack's 'Undertow'. It's a swirling, hypnotic...

Again this week we've had marvellous work on the site, some writers tackling head on the heartbreaking events of the last couple of weeks, others giving us some uplifting respite from the grim news. Poem of the Week is socialeaf's beautiful 'Then to Spring', which manages to do both, with its wonderful description of spring breaking through and its image of desperate escape from the thing 'raking at our backs'. A remarkable piece of work. Then...

Two very haunting and unsettling pieces for you this week, which also have the advantage of being beautifully written. Poem of the Week is onemorething's 'The Tale of the Six Swans'. It captures the dark magic and timelessnes of the original story, giving it a new focus for our own times. It really is like reading a fairytale anew: The Tale of the Six Swans | ABCtales Story of the Week goes to Simon Barget's 'Fame'. This has a dark magic of its...

ABC writers have really started the new year with a flourish. There has been some absolutely marvellous poetry, and the prose writers have been exercising their humour muscles to exceptional effect. After a lot of thought, Story of the Week goes to donignacio's 'The God of Mistakes'. It's funny, it's eminently relatable, and it explains a lot! The God of Mistakes | ABCtales Poem of the Week is 'Sealwatching' by HarryC. Deceptively simple, it's...

As always, really tough to make choices. Not surprisingly, the political situation here in the UK has moved several ABCtalers to put finger to keyboard. And opinions have differed. It's what writers do. Our Story of the Week is one such piece, Terrence Oblong's 'I Stayed Up For Portillo'. For non-UK readers, the announcement that MP Michael Portillo had lost his seat was the moment the nation realised the government had lost the 1997 general...

This week's Inspiration Point of 'Night' has produced some marvellous work, and both our Picks this week are responses to the IP. Story of the Week is rosaliekempthorne's sensuous, chilling 'Night Hag'. The real meets the Other in a delicate blend of sensations. It's perfect reading for this particular time of year: Night Hag | ABCtales Poem of the Week goes to onemorething's 'Wintered Thin', the last of her four stunning 'dark poems' for...

Last week's Inspiration Point produced some wonderful work, and our Poem of the Week is one of those pieces. Jenny Skinner's 'Stone Loach' is a marvellous piece of nature writing, beautifully written and full of atmosphere: Stone Loach | ABCtales Story of the Week goes to Simon Barget's 'No. 782', which takes us to a place where we can reflect on where the time went and what it all means. It has a lot of humour, and much that pretty much all of...

And here we are, hurtling towards to autumn. I saw my first advert for an Advent Calender the other day. Just...wrong. Story of the Week goes to The Prologue of Drew Gummerson's new tale 'The Long And Spectacular Life of Agnes Magnusdottir'. It's beautifully written, with vivid characters and this author's customary wit and flair. You'll want to got straight on to the next bit. The Long and Spectacular Life of Agnes Magnusdottir | ABCtales Poem...

Greatly excited about our next online Reading Event, on 26 August! These evenings are always a lot of fun, and it's so lovely to hear people reading their work. Many thanks to Mark Burrow for doing the organising again, and you can find out more (and sign up!) here: https://tinyurl.com/9t4mr45u Our Story of the Week goes to Simon Barget's funny, brilliant and bizarre 'Me'. Narcissism isn't just about shouting your mouth off to gain attention,...