airyfairy's blog

There's been some brilliant writing on the site this week, lots of marvellous pieces which I've read and re-read trying to decide the Picks. In the end, Story of the Week goes to The Lost Children by harveyjoseph. This one has haunted me since I read it. It harks back to a dark past and also offers a plausible vision of an uncertain future: https://www.abctales.com/story/harveyjoseph/lost-children Poem of Week is The Stew by socialeaf...

This week's picks are a bit different from usual in that they are linked. It goes to show how reading another person's work can spark a different but related bit of creativity in ourselves, with wonderful results. The original piece was Jane Hyphen's brilliant story 'I Woke Up (in inverted commas)'. Whether as warning for the future or commentary on the present, it sends shivers down the spine: https://www.abctales.com/story/jane-hyphen/i-woke-...

Really difficult to make choices this week, with lots of splendid stuff on the site. In the end though, Story of the Week had to be alexislebarouder's 'The Misery of Flight' for all sorts of reasons, the main one being that it is simply, as one commenter said, great storytelling: https://www.abctales.com/story/alexislebaroudeur/misery-flight A different kind of misery in our funny and heartfelt Poem of the Week, Scorpio88's 'Misophonia'. Turns...

Our Story of the Week is proudwing's mysterious and witty 'The Paperweight'. Works wonderfully as a standalone, but we are promised more, and hopefully soon! https://www.abctales.com/story/proudwing/paperweight-part-1 Poem of the Week is Alfie Shoyger's bonkers and brilliantly funny 'Squirrel Quarrel, North Hackney'. A real treat that brightened up my week: https://www.abctales.com/story/alfie-shoyger/squirrel-quarrel-north-hackney This week's...

Difficult as ever to choose, but in the end Story of the Week is mikesize1's 'Elephant Nest: Chapter One'. It made me laugh, it made me flinch, it made me wonder what was coming next: https://www.abctales.com/story/mikesize1/elephant-nest-chapter-one Poem of the Week was even harder. Eventually I went for Di_Hard's 'driverless', but with a more than honourable mention for the poem that inspired it, Jane Hyphen's 'Drivers'. Please do read both:...

ABC writers have approached the New Year with vigour, and there has been some truly exceptional writing on the site this week. After much thought, Story of the Week goes to 'Risky Business' by Tipp Hex. There's wonderful description, of people, events and scenery, and it poses thoughtful questions which really engage the reader: https://www.abctales.com/story/tipp-hex/risky-business Poem of the Week goes to Jane Hyphen for 'Somebody Sang And I...

Both the picks for this week are on the themes of love and journeys, approached in very different ways. Story of the Week goes to rosaliekempthorne's 'Leaving', which evokes the anxieties that love brings, even when, or perhaps particularly when, the love is happy and fully reciprocated. The conclusion of this is superb. This story may have ended, but we are already being led into the narrator's next nighmare: https://www.abctales.com/story/...

Two pieces on the theme of memory caught my eye this week. Story of the Week is jolono's 'Mr Russ'. It's a deceptively simple tale of a family and their elderly neighbour sharing food, friendship and a few games of cards, but the characters and the warmth of the emotions reach out and envelop the reader. I couldn't stop thinking about it once I'd read it: https://www.abctales.com/story/jolono/mr-russ Poem of the Week goes to agnosticnun's '...

Story of the Week is Rosalie Kempthorne's 'Choices, Past and Present'. Beautifully written, and tapping into the 'what if' that we all feel at one time or another. It's one of her Golwerra stories - see more of them on here, on find the ebook on Amazon! https://www.abctales.com/story/rosaliekempthorne/choices-past-and-present Poem of the Week is Ralph's 'Last Rites', a downbeat and darkly humorous epitaph for a relationship. You can hear these...

Difficult choices again this week! Story of the Week goes to HarryC's 'Rolling In The Aisles'. Anyone who's done their bit in a large retail establishment will recognise this. It made me laugh but also give a little shiver. https://www.abctales.com/story/harryc/rolling-aisles Poem of the Week is love_writing's poignant 'Dream'. I haven't been able to get it out of my head since I first read it. https://www.abctales.com/story/lovewriting/dream...