Tag: writing

  • March 2025

    Another month, another wrap-up! Still being written essentially one-handed as my left arm is still in a cast so, again, apologies for any typos you might find! In good (?) news, I had my wrist surgery and although it apparently presented the surgery team with some difficulties, everything is holding in the right position. If all goes well, I should be out of the cast by mid-April and then it’ll be time to start building up that book holding strength again.

    This month I joined in with the Keymark March Mavericks 5-book readathon and was on Andy Peloquin‘s team: Tome Slayers. This was good fun and provided a perfect distraction to my wrist situation. Everyone involved was lovely and encouraging – I probably wouldn’t have read as many books as I did without the readathon.

    Graphic showing 5 book covers over a background with a fire breathing dragon. Title at the top reads March Mavericks 5-book readathon.

The five book covers are of:
From Cold Ashes Risen
The Ice
Shigidi and the Brass Head of Obalufon 
Star Forge 
Long Live the Emperor
    My five reads for March Mavericks 2025

    Reading

    This month’s reads were:

    As you will have seen above, all except Future’s Edge contributed to my March Mavericks reads. Technically, I started Future’s Edge in February so it couldn’t count. Here are the prompts I fulfilled with my reads (in order):

    • Maverick – an independently published book
    • Disruptor – a weapon on the cover (includes dragons & spaceships)
    • Chaos – includes magic as part of the story
    • Shadow – includes and animal companion
    • Renegades – includes a motley crew

    Writing

    As you might imagine, March hasn’t been the most productive of months for writing thought I’ve had plenty of ideas to explore once my arm heals up. In the meantime, I had one review go up on GdM in March.


    Upcoming

    While, strictly speaking, a couple of things have already gone out via GdM’s site and in issue #42 of the magazine proper, they also fall in April as they released 01/04/2025. Nevertheless, turn your eyeballs their way to find more reviews from me and an essay entitled ‘Ellen Ripley, Action Hero’, which I am super chuffed about.

    To come will be further reviews of The Bound and the Broken series by Ryan Cahill, and I’ll be diving into book four, Of Empires and Dust, shortly. I’ve got quite a few exciting books to catch up on so watch this space.


    That’s it for now! I hope you’ve found some enjoyment from my little update. I’m over on Bluesky (@magpiepages.bsky.social) and have dusted off my Ko-fi page as well.

    Take care, and see you next month!

  • February 2025

    When I decided to put out a newsletter at the end of each month, I completely forgot I was away on holiday at the end of February. What I wasn’t expecting to compound the delay was an altercation with some Belgian pavement to result in multiple fractures in my wrist and a slow wait for surgery to screw it back together again (still waiting at time of writing). So, as I’m typing one-handed, please bear with me and my apologies for any typos or mistakes!

    Besides breaking my wrist, Gent (in Belgium) was an absolutely lovely city and I would really like to go back to see more of it. We arrived just in time to see the start of the Women’s Elite for Omloop (a single-day cycling race), which was a great bonus and quite the spectacle. We spent a few hours wandering around S.M.A.K. – the city’s modern art gallery – that I thoroughly enjoyed. Food was brill, cycling infrastructure is off the charts, lots of greenery, history and culture. Thoroughly recommend it, and if you’re in the UK the Eurostar is a good option. It took us about the same time to get from Birmingham to Brussels as it takes to get from Brum to Edinburgh… and Belgium was cheaper to get to.

    On to the bookishness!


    Reading

    February’s reading was a little slower than January, but here’s what it included.


    Writing

    I had five reviews go up on GdM this month:

    I also published an article over on Medium about Dis-, Mis- and Malicious Information


    Upcoming

    Apologies for skipping Recommendations this month but the one-handedness isn’t leaving me a lot of headspace for it.

    Instead, I hope to still be able to write reviews and I’m currently reading Future’s Edge by Gareth L Powell. There’s a few others up my sleeve for GdM, so keep an eye out.

    I’m also happy to say an essay pitch to Speculative Insight was accepted, which will be publishing 2026, so I will be working on that too.


    That’s it for now! I hope you’ve found some enjoyment from my little update. I’m over on Bluesky (@magpiepages.bsky.social) and have dusted off my Ko-fi page as well.

    Take care, and see you next month!

  • January 2025

    Welcome to my first newsletter-style monthly wrap-up! It’s been a while since I updated this site and it’s time to try something new. Each month, I’ll be pulling together some updates on what I’ve been up to, what I’ve read and written, and bring you a recommendation (or two).

    With the new year, that brings a new reading goal. I’m starting off with a modest, calm, target of twelve (12) books for the year. 2024 was a bit of a slow one for me, most of it spent in a slump, so I’m starting low this year to avoid any pressure. I’ve come to realise, if I feel like I have to read something, my mind balks at the idea of being assigned a task in my leisure time. I also have a tendency, if I’m stuck on a book, I won’t move on because it’s not finished. So, my additional aim for the year is to be more chill. If I’m not vibing with a book, forgive myself, DNF it and move on to something I do enjoy.

    In a similar vein, I’m trying to experiment with a few different reading apps so see if there’s any significant rivals to Goodreads. Since 1st Jan, I’ve been testing out Fable, Storygraph and Hardcover. I’m running them alongside GR as it remains a staple of the bookish community (for now), which has meant four different places to update my progress. My oh-so-simple plan is to see what falls away and the last one standing should, in theory, be the least irritating to use.
    Lastly, fans of The Offline Gamer will be pleased to hear I am back for the 2024 wrap-up episode! It was great fun recording with Matt and Karen again, and talking about board games together. You may even hear my dulcet tones again in the near future, as the 100th episode approaches!


    Reading

    This month I’ve made my way through three novels, a novelette and three short stories (available online), all of which I have enjoyed – bonus! 


    Writing

    Two reviews of mine have gone live on Grimdark Magazine this month.

    Of Fire and Blood by Ryan Cahill: https://www.grimdarkmagazine.com/review-of-blood-and-fire-by-ryan-cahill/ 

    Symbiote by Michael Nayak: https://www.grimdarkmagazine.com/review-symbiote-by-michael-nayak/ 

    I’ve also started trying to build my writing habit back up by jotting down as many ideas as I can (before I forget them) and joining in with some writing sprints hosted by the British Fantasy Society. I’m working on a short story on the theme of patterns, which is a sci-fi offering, and a fantasy short that could veer into a sort of alt-history with witches. Well, at least one, verifiable, witch.


    Recommendations

    If nothing else, I hope to use this section to suggest a shorter fiction for you to read that’s available online. This month I’d like to recommend you to go and find something by R.S.A. Garcia to read, and to get you started I thoroughly enjoyed Tantie Merle and the Farmhand 4200

    Originally published in Uncanny Magazine #53, you can find it online here: https://www.uncannymagazine.com/article/tantie-merle-and-the-farmhand-4200/ 

    It’s written in Trinbagonian creole, which I absolutely loved, and takes a look at how AI reflects what we show it to a brilliant, hopeful, ending. Even better, if you enjoy it, R.S.A. Garcia has confirmed a sequel story has been commissioned! Plus, Garcia is a true joy to interact with so go follow her on Bluesky.

    For a bonus recommendation, Tantie Merle reminded me of Sarah Gailey’s short story Drones to Ploughshares, which turns five years old on 4th Feb.

    Originally written for Vice, it is available online here:

    https://www.vice.com/en/article/drones-to-ploughshares/ 

    (though I hope you have a robust ad-blocker)

    You can also find an audio version of the story on the podcast LeVar Burton Reads, in the December 2021 episode.


    Upcoming

    I’ll be reviewing The Sword of Kaigen for GdM, as well as working through reviews for more of The Bound and the Broken series. There are some new releases coming in February I’m quite excited for; Future’s Edge by Gareth L Powell and But Not Too Bold by Hache Pueyo to name a couple.

    Lastly, I’m finishing up an article about dis-, mis- and malicious information that I hope to publish soon (maybe over on Medium).


    That’s it for now! I hope you’ve found some enjoyment from my little update. I’m over on Bluesky (@magpiepages.bsky.social) and have dusted off my Ko-fi page as well.

    Take care, and see you next month!

  • The Mountain Moved: A Short Story

    The Mountain Moved: A Short Story

    This was written as part of a weekly writing challenge on The Midnight Faith discord, which focusses on dark, spooky, creepy fiction. The prompt was: mountains. {274 words}

     

    I sleep in the lap of the mountain. Turned on her side, she protects me. She provides food, shelter and affection. She loves me. No one can walk over the mountain except me; she won’t allow it. Before I came to the mountain, I was abandoned. I ate scraps and survived on the sparse charity of cruel men. I was scared, at first, when I arrived but she drew me close and kept me warm. 

    The village on the other side of the mountain is afraid of me. They think I bewitch their men and lead them to their deaths but it’s her. One attacked me when I was out in her forest. She tore his skin from his flesh and his head from his body. I ran. I know she will never hurt me. I ran home. To the place where I am safe because of her and I always will be. 

    They sent more men, to avenge their brother, to extract justice from me. She killed them all. She killed them because she loves me. Now they send everyone; all their women and their men. To kill the witch. To kill me. I can’t explain it wasn’t me; they will never listen, never believe. As long as the village sits in her shadow, I will never be safe. 

    The mountain moved. She rolled over onto her other side and buried them all. The village is gone; destroyed. The people are all dead; crushed. She was careful of me; she rolled back and settled down around me once more. I know she will do anything for me and I will never leave her.

  • Writing: Grasmere

    Writing: Grasmere

    For National Storytelling Week, the library at my university held a flash fiction competition for entries that were 100 words or under and inspired by the painting ‘Grasmere’ by George Fennel Robson. Below is my entry.


    I left a piece of myself in Grasmere, atop Helm Crag to watch the Lion play on cloudless nights. To remember flying higher than kites and flowing through the world like a stream beneath the peaks. To see the jigsaws in the land and the lambs as they mow. Most of all, I left a piece to remember you, to remember us, as we ascended through madness and broke petty illusions. To hold our hearts in mind and memorise the strength we forged. I left a piece of us in Grasmere. [91 WORDS]


    This was given second place in the competition and I won the prizes of a bookish t-shirt and two books! The t-shirt was from Out of Print and is inspired by Kafka’s Metamorphosis, the two books are Thin Air by Michelle Paver and The Therapist by B.A. Paris. I’m very pleased to have won second with this dinky little microfiction piece and hoping it’s a good sign for future writing.

    Image containing a green t-shirt with two books lain on top of it; one book is blue, called Thin Air and the other red, called The Therapist
    Prizes: T-shirt and paperback books
  • Writing: NYCMMF250 2021 – Round 2

    Following on from my post with Round 1’s story, here is Round 2’s entry and feedback! Sadly, I didn’t advance into Round 3 but nevertheless I’m quite impressed I got as far as I did for my first attempt at any of NYC Midnight’s challenges. I hope to revisit this story and maybe expand it, and correct a couple of parts. My Round 2 prompts were:

    Genre: Sci-fi
    Action: Opening a refrigerator
    Word: Tail


    Welcome Home
    by Rai Furniss-Greasley, 2021

    Rin and Char were throwing a party to celebrate their new home planetside after years of juggling their relationship between two different ships. Rin was buzzing with a nervous excitement; her crew had been happy for her when she’d left but this would be the first time they’d met Char in person. She knew they were accepting of inter-species couples nevertheless she wanted them to like Char too.

    Only two of Char’s younger siblings were coming. Their family didn’t approve of a relationship with a human and it had been a secret from their last crew. Char was a quiet, private sort and while they had a few good friends no one was close enough to their new home to make it for the party. Char didn’t mind, as long as Rin was happy.

    They were both in their new kitchen preparing far too much food for their guests, Rin with stacks of covered dishes tottering towards the refrigeration unit. Hands full, she nodded towards the door,

    “Would you?”

    Char grinned, they were busy chopping ingredients but an ambulatory tail came in handy sometimes. They opened up the fridge and Rin half-placed, half-dropped the food onto the shelves with a clatter.

    “Thank you, darling.” Rin beamed and came over behind Char to give her a hug. It felt so good to be together finally. Char wrapped her tail around Rin to hold her close as they turned away from the food to steal a kiss.


    Judge’s Feedback

    What the judge’s liked:

    Judge A:  The reader is drawn into the story by Rin and Char’s interspecies relationship. The closeness of the two characters is illustrated as the events unfold. Then that leads to the heartwarming ending.   

    Judge B:  There are few things sweeter than two lovers cooking together in their new kitchen. I thought the simple gesture of opening the fridge door was a sweet, strong choice for a focal point in their interaction, really driving home their relationship’s kindness and mutual care. 

    Judge C:  The acceptance of inter-species couples as a contested, complicated issue is a relatable parallel situation for any reader, which helps define a world otherwise different from reality in terms understandable to anyone. 

     

    What the judge’s feel needs work:

    Judge A:  To add to the overall impact of the story and clarity for the reader, consider being clear Rin is the human and indicating Char’s species early on. As an additional suggestion, consider adding another element of controversy with Char’s family. To find some additional word count for those things consider reviewing for low impact descriptive words/phrases to eliminate. Just as an example, the phrase “far too much” in the sentence that begins, “They were both in…”  

    Judge B:  To me, the first half of the story took a little too long, compared to the party prep. I think that perhaps weaving the back story into the present moment would give readers an anchor point to move from right out the gate while still allowing for you to shine a light on the essential parts of their history. 

    Judge C:  Though this is but a brief moment between Rin and Char as they prepare for their guests, drawing out their differences as two separate species, as they work together functionally, complementing each other to the increased benefit of their relationship as a whole, would help solidify the presented idea that love is love, and others’ opinions only tangentially matter. Char has a tail, and Rin is human, but how else are they different, and similar? More details could be expressed through the little actions they take while preparing for their guests.

     

  • Writing: NYCMMF250 2021 – Round 1

    The NYC Midnight Micro-fiction 250 Challenge for 2021 is the third time it has been run and, in short, it’s a challenge to write flash fiction stories, in under 24 hours, to three specific prompts and no more than 250 words long. Each round you get a genre, action and word prompt that shapes what your piece looks like. If you’re in the top 10 of your group at the end of Round 1, you get to go through to Round 2. Then, if you’re in the top 5 after that, you go to Round 3 where you have a little more freedom as to what you write. Below I’ve included my Round 1 submission and the feedback I received on it from judges. The prompts for this round were:

    Genre: Comedy
    Action: Sneaking into someone’s house
    Word: Wear

    This story got me through to Round 2 and I’ll post that story & it’s feedback soon.


    Couple’s Therapy
    by Rai Furniss-Greasley, 2021

    The first time I snuck into Dave’s house for a bit of extra food, it was easy. I could get in through the backdoor, no problem, and he didn’t even notice I’d been in. On my third trip, he had some chicken leftovers on the side cooling down before they went in the fridge and in my excitement I knocked the whole lot over. That tipped him off to my antics. On my next foraging foray to Dave’s kitchen, I crept through to the living room to find him snoring on the sofa. Poor sod, I thought, I’m doing him a favour, keeping him company.

    I admit, we had a rough start but not everyone gets along straight away, do they? On one occasion he caught me mid-sneak – before I’d grabbed any tasty treats – and yelled,

    “Bugger off! If I catch you in here again, I’ll wear you for a hat!”

    I’ll have pissed on your biscuits before you caught me! I thought as I scarpered through the gap in the back fence.

    I gave him a few days to cool off after that. Over my next few visits I noticed he would just hmph in my direction if he saw me. Then he surprised me by leaving a plate out for me. Finally! He’s repaying my charity, I thought.

    “C’mere, you furry bastard.” he grumbles at me now, patting the sofa seat next to him. Humans are strange creatures but this one’s mine.


    Judge’s Feedback

    What the judges liked:

    Judge A:  I love that you don’t reveal that the point of view is from an animal and you trust that your audience is smart enough to figure that out on their own. You’re very economical in your writing as well adn [sic] it serves the story nicely. Also a good mix of dialogue and exposition.  

    Judge B:  I thought you set up your story well by not revealing that the protagonist is a cat until partway through. I actually thought the protagonist was a neighbour until Dave threatened to wear him for a hat. I also thought you did a good job showing the personality of your protagonist. Cats certainly behave as if they are doing their humans a favour, just by being there.

    I also think you have a good balance between showing and telling. This can be difficult in the first person so well done. 

    Judge C:  Wonderful writing, and amazingly bold POV. Smart choice for a protagonist. You really know how to write mischievous animals, and it made for a delightful read. You’re not afraid to be unconventional.  

     

    What the judges feel needs work:

    Judge A: One thing you might think about is how to reveal more of the animal’s personality. Are they always sneaking into people’s houses or do they do this with everyone. Are they mischievous or maybe picky about food? I think there are small and effective ways you can infuse some things like that.    

    Judge B: I felt that you could have tightened up some of your sentences. For example, you wrote, “On my next foraging foray to Dave’s kitchen…”. In this phrase, all you really need to tell us is that it  is his next foray. That it is a foraging foray and that it is to Dave’s kitchen is understood. By tightening your sentences throughout, it would give you more room to include any other things that you may think are important. 

    Judge C: The ending is usually the weak point, but yours was fantastic, and even touching. One of my favorites, not much room to improve.