Weird Dreams Vol 5- Eyes of the Wall

The park had been here far longer than I had. I think for all the terrible things I've seen occur in the world over TV for the past three decades, none of it had spilled over to this small corner of the city. It had been half a life-time since I last lived anywhere remotely …

Ten lateral (And five practical) tips on writing interesting dialogue

There's no doubt about the fact that dialogue can make or break a story. There have been times when my brain hasn't been working properly when reading, and I have found myself subconsciously and inadvertently drifting towards the dialogue, often it being so much more tantalising to read than the meticulous descriptions and atmosphere building. …

Weird Dreams Vol 3- The Smoke and the Fear

The following is a horror story based on a dream I had when I was 12 or 13, mature content warning. The sky was pitch black. A canopy of smoke reached towards the desolate heaven above, towering over a crimson pitch. The city was burning. Alfie watched from his bedroom window, watching the smoke drift …

Let’s write weirdness

I have written two articles previously about how to create something new (they can be found here and here) in a sea of saturation and thousands of different properties and ideas appearing every year. It can often boil down to simply taking popular ideas and putting new spins on things, or just taking an idea …

My Family plays DnD- Chapter 2- The Casket

This is a continuation of my DnD series. As always, quick disclaimer that we are not purists for the rules and that some fluff has been removed for clarity! The first chapter is here and the previous is here. The three figures emerged from the rapidly darkening woods and onto the fields that stretched towards …

A Single singularity- Short Story

Tuesdays are the worst. I know everyone gives Mondays shit, because of a cartoon cat and the fact we’re still coming down from the weekend high, but Tuesdays are the real deal, the puppeteers behind true misery. It’s a day that feels the furthest away from either side of the weekend, a culmination of everything …

Weird dreams Vol 2: Moths to flame

You can't save everyone, but it never hurts to try. I always felt like that should have been some 'Old-Folk's' wisdom passed down from my grandfather, to my Dad, to me and then to Nick, and then my grandchildren, but my Old Man never really took the time to give me any wisdom, save from …

Two lightning strikes- Short Story

Below is a short-story written for the NYC at Midnight competition. My assigned tags were Historical Fiction/Barber/Syndrome, and I was given one week to write it. Although I unfortunately came down with the flu at the beginning, I managed to complete it with only an hour to spare.               …

Locations as characters

Break down a character to it's very metaphorical skeleton, and have a look at their purpose. They exist as a conduit, an avatar for the audience to experience a created world through fresh eyes. They are beings with pasts, personalities and hidden traits designed for the audience to connect with and recognise as a story …

Villains: Foils vs Copies

Think of your favourite villain. One that truly affects you, the protagonists and the story. Chances are, they are a foil. A true test to the longevity and power of an antagonist can be tied to this common trope, and it's effective. Of course, there are multiple ways to implement this character type into a …