Insertponceyfrenchnamehere's blog

We’ve had a hiatus since our last abctales readings evening, but are happy to announce that we have a new event planned for London on Wednesday 10 May. It’s an opportunity for anyone to come along and read their work – poetry or prose – to a small audience of fellow writers, family, friends and lovers of literature. We hope to see some familiar faces, but don’t be deterred if you’re new on the scene – new writers and first time readers are...

Thank you to all our writers - old and new - for keeping ABCTales crammed full of the most wonderful prose and poetry, and thank you too, to our team of brilliant editors and all the others who so generously give their feedback. For poem of the week, I found myself torn between Accidentallyexisting's 'Boldy a Woman' which reminded me just how much I miss the lovely Bee, and maggyvaneijk's '2016'. In the end maggy just pipped past the post, but...

Our picks for the month of February, chosen by Alex (london_calling79): Spring on our doorsteps and the twilight world waking up again, I've chosen Stephen Thom's 'Flare' to light the way as February's Story of the Month. With its snarling dialogue contrasting with some gorgeous snowy imagery, the cold intensity at its heart will help you savour every drop of new Spring light. A different type of light pervades Ewan's 'The man on the other end...

This week from airyfairy: ABC Tales is on a real roll at the moment - lots of brilliant stuff coming in from both new and familiar names. It's been really exciting to read so much good work, and makes choosing the week's pick an invidious task. However, here we go. Poem of the Week goes to Unseasonably Warm by longrunningspatula. It's full of character observation, wry humour and hope, and it helps that it's brilliantly written. Do get along to...

This week chosen by airyfairy: Our Story of the Week comes from a writer new to ABC Tales. LJ Huxton's 'Liminal' is a rich, evocative exploration of past echoes and present relationships. Please do read it if you haven't done so already: https://www.abctales.com/story/ljhuxton/liminal Our Poem of the Week shares the theme of memory and times lost. Accidentally Existing's beautiful 'Forgotten Copse' deals wryly with the disappointment change can...

This week from Philip Sidney: Another bumper crop of fabulous pieces this week. Celticman's, 'Grimms', goes from strength to strength and Skinner_Jennifer has a cracking love story in four episodes called, 'Sir There's a Waiter in my Wine.' Story of the Week goes to Stephen Thom's noir in the snow, 'Flare'. It is very dark, shot through with gorgeous imagery, and a great thriller to boot: https://www.abctales.com/story/stephen-thom/flare Poem of...

Spoilt for choice this week! A very big special mention to celticman whose novel-in-the-making I caught up with this morning. If you haven't read it yet, I thoroughly recommend that you do - it's called Grimms and it's turning into something very spectacular. Anyway, big congratulations to Ewan for 'The Man on the Other End of the Phone' and to Noo for 'But I have promises to keep..' which was (very rightly) talent spotted by another editor:...

January's picks courtesy of blackjack-davey: Impressed by the unhallowed and witchy flavour of January’s poetry and prose, perhaps in part because I’ve been reading Shirley Jackson’s Dark Tales, this month it was clear which story had won. With the rise of the dictator and bad daddy figure in America, the feeling that the liberal enlightened perspective was actually the dream and we return to reality with a bump and deep tribal xenophobia,...

Big congratulations this week to Rosa Cruz for 'Forever-Home' and to blackjack-davey for 'Me and My Shadow' - our brilliant Story and Poem of the Week! https://www.abctales.com/story/rosa-cruz/forever-home https://www.abctales.com/story/blackjack-davey/me-and-my-shadow .. and here's this week's Inspiration Point (it's a great one): https://www.abctales.com/inspiration-point-ip

It's really nice to be able to share a bit of good news from one of our lovely poets: Rosa Cruz has won first prize in a poetry competition with 'Last Night I dreamt I became an Emperor Moth' which was posted here on ABCTales.com. Big congratulations to her from all of us! https://www.firstwriter.com/competitions/poetry_competition/winners/15th...