Blogs

Derren Brown (2021) A Book of Secrets: Finding Solace in a Stubborn World.

Posted by celticman on Tue, 14 Dec 2021

I can’t remember very much about Derren Brown’s guide to practicing stoicism in an unhappy world, Happy . This is the follow up. Pretty good fun, more like a chapbook and diary (his father died during Covid). I’ll no doubt forget all the lessons learned here too. Stoics taught us fortitude comes from controlling our thoughts and actions. The common mistake we make is to try and manage things we cannot (serenity prayer). Derren suggests, You are...

Alan Cumming (2021) Baggage: Tales From a Fully Packed Life.

Posted by celticman on Mon, 13 Dec 2021

I was vaguely aware who Alan Cumming is. For independent film consortiums, Miriam Margolyes seems to be the pensioner of choice to go on adventures and sell the results to BBC, ITV or Channel 4. She’s been sent to America a few times and to Australia. The latest wheeze is Scotland. Yes, Bonnie old Scotland. Who’d have thought of that? Monopoly money for old rope. They flung in Alan Cummings as a guide, and driver of their motorhome. He’s...

Story and Poem of the Week and Inspiration Point

Posted by Insertponceyfrenchnamehere on Fri, 10 Dec 2021

Two wonderful picks for you today! Poem of the Week goes to Turlough for his brilliant 'Copse and Robbers' which has made for a real discussion point on ABCTales this week Story of the Week is a two-parter last minute entry from drew_gummerson. Shrodinger's Dog has just about everything you could imagine (and a few more things besides), including a very happy ending. It's a must read! https://www.abctales.com/story/turlough/copse-and-robbers...

Story and Poem of the Month

Posted by Insertponceyfrenchnamehere on Sun, 05 Dec 2021

Our picks for November, very kindly chosen by Mark Say: Story of the month This month’s top pick is one to put a smile on your face - Chocolate, Tobacco and Horse Muck by Turlough. It’s a lovely combination of family and social history, including a series of funny anecdotes and turns of phrase, all told with affection and good eye for detail of a past life. Highly entertaining and quite touching. https://www.abctales.com/story/turlough/chocolate...

Story and Poem of the Week and Inspiration Point

Posted by Insertponceyfrenchnamehere on Fri, 03 Dec 2021

A very big thank you to everyone who's posted their work this week - we're so grateful to you all! Another even bigger thank you to onemorething who has been delighting us with a different poem each day for Tree Week Huge congratulations to my picks this week: Story of the Week goes to Celticman for Twosies or Threesies - he takes us back to a childhood of grinding poverty in Glasgow. I think it's one of his best, and that's saying something...

“Sometimes it takes you a long time to sound like yourself,”.

Posted by Robert Craven on Fri, 03 Dec 2021

What I have learned in ten years of writing by Robert Craven 2021 The great jazz musician, Miles Davis once observed, “ Sometimes it takes you a long time to sound like yourself, ”. This is especially true of being a writer. It’s 2021 and its the tenth anniversary of the publication of my first ‘real’ novel GET LENIN . I have often thought of taking it down off Amazon and giving it a full rewrite, but then I wouldn’t be doing it justice. I love...

James Robertson (2021) News of the Dead.

Posted by celticman on Mon, 29 Nov 2021

The cover of James Robertson’s latest novel, News of the Dead , has a blurb from Ali Smith: ‘A marvellous novelist’. I spend much of my time looking at marketing techniques, when I should be reading, or even writing. Get a big hitter, preferably Scottish, like Ali Smith to say something nice about your writing and copy and paste it to all of your other books. It doesn’t need to be a novelist or writer. Billy Connolly’s good press (Jane Godley...

Story and Poem of the Week and Inspiration Point

Posted by Insertponceyfrenchnamehere on Fri, 26 Nov 2021

Posted by airyfairy on Fri, 26 Nov 2021 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...

Story and Poem of the Week and Inspiration Point

Posted by airyfairy on Fri, 26 Nov 2021

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...

Heather Morris (2021) three SISTERS.

Posted by celticman on Wed, 24 Nov 2021

I’m a reader. When I open a book magic happens. Or in Heather Morris’s case magic doesn’t happen. When God said to Moses, you cannot look—directly—at me, but when I pass you might see my glory. When I read a book if I don’t see God’s face, I’m not too disappointed. After all, even international and bestselling authors are only human. I’ll wait for the glory to pass. And I don’t go very many places. The best writers transport you. Where are we?...

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