scratch's blog

Our poem of the week is from PhilipSidney, one of those rare writers who can produce poetry and prose of equal quality: http://www.abctales.com/story/philip-sidney/snowdonian-stone Picking this week's winning story was equally as difficult but it's this from OliviaStJames: http://www.abctales.com/story/oliviastjames/under-my-skin If you find a particularly affecting and effective story or poem please do let us know and also, if you read...

Well if this first week of the New Year is a portent then we are in for a fantastic twelve months of creative writing! Deciding what should be promoted to picks of the week is never easy and this week was no different. But decisions have been made and this week's story is a wonderful piece of flash fiction that its author does so well: http://www.abctales.com/story/markbrown/reparations and the poem of the week is: http://www.abctales.com/story/...

The list of pieces cherried since last Friday is the longest that it has been for ages. Well done. Bee's 'Empty' is the poem of the week : http://www.abctales.com/story/bee/empty and Noo's outstanding pick of the day 'Peacock Music for the Bastard Saint' is promoted to story of the week: http://www.abctales.com/story/noo/peacock-music-bastard-saint This weeks inspiration point 'Humble Beginnings' - the loosest of interpretations is encouraged...

http://www.gofundme.com/hbgp1g #

Well what a wonderful week it's been on ABCtales, especially so because some members who have been suffering the dreaded 'block' have suddenly found a way to open the floodgates. Sid and blighters rock have both featured on the front page as picks of the day - well done you two! Poem of the week goes to Allen Johnson for a brilliant cameo of an impatient mole! http://www.abctales.com/story/allen-johnson-jr/bother-and-o-blow and the story of the...

Philip Sidney wins the story honours this week for this wonderfully transporting piece 'Ghost Hunting In New England': http://www.abctales.com/story/philip-sidney/ghost-hunting-new-england and many of you will know that I'm a sucker for nature poetry especially that's inspired by the wonder of bird life. The poetry prize goes to MJG for an almost flawless piece 'Murmuration'. http://www.abctales.com/story/mjg/murmuration finally this week's...

This week's honours go to... fromagreenhill for their wonderful poem Pan abctales.com/story/fromagreenhill/pan and VeraClark for her poetry-prose piece The Butchery abctales.com/story/veraclark/butchery Once again deciding what gets onto the home page on Friday evening has been hugely difficult, there were a number of close runners in both categories. Well done and thanks to everyone who offered their writing up on the site this week This weeks...

Jolono takes the story honours this week. His eponymous character Jack Winter is resurrected for a villainous Autumn return: http://www.abctales.com/story/jolono/who-jack-winter-part-6 Philip Sidney has consistently provided us with high quality prose and poetry and this latest poem is yet another example: http://www.abctales.com/story/philip-sidney/city-loving This weeks inspiration point: Poetry or prose that has some reference to 'change'...

It's such a privilege to be one of the co-editors of ABCtales and to be in a position of reviewing all the wonderful work that piles in every week. This week in particular has been excellent in terms of new talent and the work that they have brought to the site. The newbies made it a very tough job of making the choices for the picks of the week but the accolades go to Silver Spun Sand for her fantastic poem Albatross: http://www.abctales.com/...

Hi everyone, I want to alert members to a forthcoming and prestigious poetry competition. It's a collaboration between the RSPB and The Rialto magazine based on the theme 'Nature'. The cost of entry is £6 for a single submission with subsequent submissions costing £3 each thereafter. A maximum of six poems are allowed in any one batch per individual entrant. Generous cash prizes are on offer with £1000 for the winner, £500 for the runner-up and...