story telling | Penstricken

Writing a Novel? Make Sure You’ve Got a Story Bible

Posted on July 3, 2021 Leave a Comment

A story bible is basically a handbook for your fictional world, containing all the facts and details pertinent to your story.

8 Great Fiction and Writing Blogs

Posted on June 13, 2021 Leave a Comment

It’s that time again, when I take a few steps back from the fore to put the spotlight on some of my favourite posts from other fiction and writing blogs around the web.

What’s On Your Writer’s Utility Belt?

Posted on June 8, 2021 Leave a Comment

Just like Batman has a utility belt which is loaded with all deus ex machina gadgets he needs to help him save the day, so we writers all have our (figurative) utility belts loaded with all the tools we rely on to help us whenever we sit down to write…. Don’t we? 😶

5 Elements of a Great Story

Posted on June 6, 2021 Leave a Comment

A good story will stimulate the audience emotionally and intellectually; it will thrill them as well as make them think; frighten them as well as make them laugh and it will take them on a journey which is both meaningful and enjoyable. To accomplish this, there’s a few key ingredients you just can’t do without.

Idea Generators: Are They Any Use?

Posted on June 5, 2021 Leave a Comment

If you’re struggling to come up with an idea for your story, you might be tempted to Google story idea generators to help you out.

But do these little miracle makers really deliver the goods?

5 Writing Laws I Just Can’t Keep

Posted on June 3, 2021 Leave a Comment

If the Writing Police ever do raid my house at four in the morning and drag me before the Fiction Judge, I’m pretty sure the list of charges will be a long one and he’ll throw the book at me for every one of them. And so, today I’m here to confess my crimes.

Are You Making The Best Use Of Your Writing Time?

Posted on May 29, 2021 Leave a Comment

I’ve recently made a few more changes to my weekly writing schedule which I hope will allow me to make better use of my limited time. While I’m sure your writing schedule won’t be exactly the same as mine, I thought I’d tell you about it anyway to provide you with a bit of food for thought.

5 Useful Fiction and Writing Blogs

Posted on May 22, 2021 1 Comment

Instead of sharing individual posts, I’m sharing links to whole blog sites that I find myself returning to again and again, either because they’re full of useful tips and resources or because they’re just plain enjoyable to read.

Get Your Copy of Penstricken: Collected Stories!

Posted on May 1, 2021 Leave a Comment

There are short stories, there are very short stories and then there is flash fiction: the delicate and often tricky art of telling a story in as few words as possible.The stories in this tiny little book (all originally published between 2015 and 2020 on the fiction blog, Penstricken) are deliberate exercises in brevity.

In total, this book contains twelve flash fictions ranging from fifty to 2,000 words apiece, plus six collections of six word stories.

While these stories vary in mood and genre, you will find in many that the author’s tongue was firmly entrenched in his cheek; whether it be in the brief tale of a Martian liberating his ‘kin’ from the deep fat fryer of a Glasgow chip shop or the nightmarish tragedy of Santa Claus’ true genesis, Penstricken: Collected Stories is a brief snapshot of one writer’s meandering imagination.