insertponceyfrenchnamehere's blog

As difficult as ever to choose. Drew Gummerson’s WIP continues to reach his own very high standards. If you haven’t been following it start here if you have, go here Also of note were Turlough’s autobiographical piece ‘Chocolate, Tobacco and Horse Muck’ and Marandina’s scabrously funny look at a government that in no way resembles our own, no sir, continues with ‘A Lorry Load of Sleaze’ Do take a look, it’s very funny indeed. However our Story...

Our Story and Poem for the month of October, very kindly chosen by rjnewlyn: What a great month! Well done to everyone who posted in October – it has been a tough choice. Obviously the heart of autumn/fall brings out the nature observation, particularly in the poetry and in this vein I recommend having a look at Angusfolklore’s Autumn Things ( https://www.abctales.com/story/angusfolklore/autumn-things ) and Di_Hard’s October Robin ( https://www...

There's been some really amazing work posted on ABCTales this week - and halloween has proved a wonderful inspiration for much of it - please keep it coming! My picks for this week: Poem of the Week goes to Ewan for his brilliant A Northern Song - certainly no need for levelling up on ABCTales with writers like him! https://www.abctales.com/story/ewan/northern-song Story of the Week goes to someone who hasn't posted for a while (and I hope he'll...

This week's Inspiration Point 'Night' has produced some marvellous work, and both our Picks this week are responses to the IP.

I'm very pleased to announce that John Osborne, who writes on ABCTales as mcmanaman has a new poetry collection out now! You can buy it here: Go Faster Stripe or if you're not in the UK try here: https://johnosborne.bandcamp.com/merch John's been a member of ABCTales forever, and he's recorded some of the poems on Soundcloud especiallly for us - they are brilliant so do listen to them, and if anyone doesn't know John's poems, I can really...

This is more difficult every week, in my experience. Story of the Week among some stiff competiton is Celticman's 'Vermin', a powerful piece leavened by some of Jack's deft comic touches. https://www.abctales.com/story/celticman/vermin Poem of the Week goes to Gothicman's 'The Senile Neurologist.' Best read aloud to appreciate its scansion and flowing rhymes, it is both funny and sad at the same time, which is no bad thing. https://www.abctales...

So many things to choose from as usual - particularly poetry, but my final choices are both from north of the border this week. Story of the Week goes to Peter Bennett for his two-parter Pawns which is part of his longer work in progress but you can easily read it out of context. A gritty and compelling read: https://www.abctales.com/story/peter-bennett/pawns-part-one https://www.abctales.com/story/peter-bennett/pawns-part-two Poem of the Week...

Our Story and Poem for the month of September have very kindly been chosen by london_calling79: As the days are drawing in and the diesel’s running low, where better to be than back at home again? Enjoy the cosiness or combat the boredom with some superb writing. Take a trip in the strange mastery of mitzi44’s bullnose-fronted sidecar, ‘The Busmar Astral.’ A masterpiece of metaphor which made me remember me own dear dad’s miscellaneous...

Discoveries: our writers’ development programme Submissions are now open for our 2022 Discoveries writing development programme – enter via the Curtis Brown submissions portal by 11:59pm on 17 January 2022 Discoveries invites unpublished women writers from the UK or Ireland to submit the opening of a novel in English, of up to 10,000 words. Unlike most initiatives of this kind, writers are not required to have finished their novel, and...