Planet of Hats

When I heard that there were actual university courses for English literature and Creative Writing, I nearly leapt out of my own skin. Five years later, what was once a personal hobby is now the basis of a bachelor’s degree, even if it didn’t land me an instant job. After a brief, eye-opening stint in retail last year, I decided to go back and pursue a Masters Degree exclusively in Creative Writing. While I am far from becoming a bestselling author, it has nonetheless left me with a feeling of being ‘experienced,’ (if not necessarily the reality!) and this year saw my first publication. I have been conjuring up stories since I was five years old, and being around other aspiring writers has taught me that, even though all our experiences are different, there are a few key elements we have in common. With the advent of blogging and websites such as Fanstory and Deviantart, as well as various writers' forums online, getting your work noticed has never been easier. Many of us, myse...

I would like to thank my friend Cecilia Bryant for this gorgeous illustration. On the 5th of May, 2018, a childhood dream of mine came true. I received an email from the  British Fantasy Society,  informing me that my short story 'Worm'    - the story of a water-dragon’s fateful encounter with a human being - was going to be published in the December edition of their fiction journal, Horizons. This was a one-in-a-million event, as most authors do not get accepted on their first submission, and I can only thank my tutors, family and fellow writers, as without their support, feedback and encouragement, none of this would have been possible. This achievement has renewed my confidence in my writing abilities, and therefore, as a graduate of Creative Writing and keen lover of stories, I thought I would share some of the insights I have learned over the years of study. I have chosen to focus on the short story as opposed to novels because (a) I believe it is a v...

Wolf always talked out of his backside, and Fox was getting really sick of it. It had started when Fox was telling Wolf how he’d nearly died after encountered an animal called ‘Man.’ ‘Ho ho, we’ll see just how fearsome he really is!’ Wolf had chortled. ‘If you lead me to this ‘Man’ of yours, then I’ll show you how a real animal deals with danger!’ As you can imagine, Fox was mightily pissed off. ‘Come with me then,’ he said. ‘Show me how great you are.’ He led Wolf to the road that cut through the forest. The two waited until they heard slow, heavy footsteps. An old soldier came limping by. He stank of old sweat and gunpowder, and was missing an eye. ‘Is that a man?’ Wolf asked. ‘No,’ said Fox, ‘that was one. Keep watching.’ The next to come along was a schoolboy with a bag full of books. ‘Is that a man?’ Wolf asked. ‘If so, than what a tasty morsel he is!’ ‘No,’ Fox replied, ‘but give him time, and he will become one.’ After an hour or so, Fox finally saw wh...

After a long hiatus, I have decided to return to my blog, partially because the people on my post-graduate course said I should. It has been a bumpy ride since my last post. I would like to say that it has been an intense spiritual journey, full of surprises and heartbreak. Well, I did lose a lot of weight. Anyone who's been to Aberystwyth knows that it is a town full of sin and temptation, due to its high proportions of coffee shops. Those cheesecake brownies, double chocolate chip cookies, sugary caramel waffles and custard-soaked puddings were the ruin of me. They will be the ruin of you too. Now, I know I should feel remorseful for over-indulging on these forbidden, non-nutritionist-approved foods.  ... Anyway, when I returned from the land of Welsh cakes, I realised I was a stone overweight. And to pardon the pun, it crushed me. Now, some say body-shaming is a good thing. If it helps people to change to healthier lifestyles, it must be a good thing...