Mini Opera Script Competition

I thought I'd give this competition a try. It's hosted on the Mini Opera Website and closes 21st May 2012

Three writers will provide Mini Operas’ seed stories: Will Self, A.L. Kennedy and Neil Gaiman. and I've picked Neil's one to try. Here is my offering, it's called:

Do my dreams bring you calm or fright?

Opening Scene:

It is night-time. The stage is empty apart from a bed. A gossamer-like curtain separates the stage from the audience. It is transparent enough to see that the bed contains two sleeping people, a man and a woman.

Enter stage right (behind curtain) a man sweeping with a broom.

Dream-sweeper (sings quietly)

Do my dreams bring you calm or fright?

Soothe your worries through the night?

Or trail nightmares to your bed?

Leave black images in your head?

Shall I sweep them all away?

Chase the darkness with the day?

Will the next night find you awake?

Fighting dreams that I must make?

Only I can know the night

Will I bring you calm or fright?

Woman in bed stirs then shakes her head from side to side. The dream-sweeper exits stage left and the curtain rises and the woman awakes. She shakes the man in bed next to her.

Woman (agitated)

Tom, Tom! (Man pulls sheet up and grumbles) Tom wake up, I’ve had that dream again.

 Tom (sleepily)

What? (Yawns and picks up clock from bedside table) bloody hell Debbie, it’s nearly three in the morning. What’s the matter?

Debbie

I told you. I had that horrible dream again. A man was in the room, he was singing and I knew something bad was going to happen. It woke me up.

Tom

Well I can’t see anyone now (makes a show of looking around the darkened room)

Debbie hits him on the arm

Debbie

Don’t be such an idiot. It scares me Tom!

Tom moves over to her and puts an arm around her.

Tom

Sorry, you know I get grumpy when I don’t sleep properly.

Debbie

YOU don’t sleep properly! You were snoring like a pig. I’m the one who doesn’t sleep.

(She pushes his arm away) You can drop off in the middle of a warzone. I haven’t had a decent night’s sleep since... since... I can’t even remember...

Tom

Perhaps you have too much pent-up energy (he smoothes her arm) perhaps if we...

Debbie

I just don’t believe you, I’m having kittens here and you think sex will make everything better.

Tom

Works for me...

Debbie

Oh yeah, wham bang, thank you Mam and you’ll be snoring again.

Tom

That’s not nice...

Debbie puts her head into her hands.

Debbie

I’m sorry Tom. It’s just... (She shakes her head) every night it’s the same dream. A man singing something softly, I can’t make it out exactly but it’s like:

Do my dreams bring you calm or fright?

Soothe your worries through the night?

Or trail nightmares to your bed?

Then I usually wake up with a terrible feeling of dread, that something is going to happen or something has happened. It’s horrible. He does trail a nightmare to my bed.

Tom

To our bed...

Debbie

Yes, all right, to our bed. (She puts a hand to his face) Have you heard him?

Tom   (Puts a hand over hers and shakes his head)

No, babe, I haven’t. I don’t expect I ever will either. It’s just a dream, babe. Your dream.

She pulls away from him and gets out of bed.

Debbie

I’m not even sure it is a dream Tom. Someone could be in the house and I hear him. He’s taunting me. You don’t hear a bloody thing because you’re dead to the world.

Tom shakes his head as she leaves the bedroom. He pulls the sheets back up and yawns again. Debbie returns with a box of Cornflakes and a carving knife.

Tom

What the hell, Debs?

Debbie walks backwards to the bed, sprinkling Cornflakes on the floor as she does. She gets into bed placing the box on the floor and the knife on the bedside table.

Debbie

Right Tom, I’ve had enough of this crap. If it’s a dream then tomorrow morning we’ll wake up and find everything undisturbed. But... (she nods) if someone is getting into the house and is stalking me or trying to mess with my head then they’ll crunch the Cornflakes and wake me up, or if I don’t wake up we’ll find them all crunched in the morning.

Tom

Sounds like a plan. And the knife?

Debbie

Self defence. I told you I feel threatened by all this.

Tom

Well, as long as it lets you get some sleep. (Yawns) So, are we sleeping or...

Debbie

Sleeping, or I’ll be a wreck in the morning. ‘Night Tom (she kisses him)

Tom

Night babe (He kisses her back, turns over and almost immediately starts to snore. She sits up in bed for a moment, stares at him and shakes her head then lies back down, looks around the room, looks at the knife and pulls it into bed next to her)

The curtain falls slowly and before long both Tom and Debbie are asleep and snoring a duet. Before long the dream-sweeper enters stage right again and starts to sweep and sing quietly. He sweeps a path through the Cornflakes and stands by the bed looking down at the sleeping couple. He walks around to Tom’s side of the bed, leans his broom against the foot of the bed and lies down in Tom’s place, almost as if he is merging into Tom’s sleeping figure.

He starts to sing.

Dream-Sweeper

Do my dreams bring you calm or fright?

Soothe your worries through the night?

Or trail nightmares to your bed?

Leave black images in your head?

Shall I sweep them all away?

Chase the darkness with the day?

Will the next night find you awake?

Fighting dreams that I must make?

Only I can know the night

Will I bring you calm or fright?

Debbie twists and turns in her sleep as the song repeats and repeats. She brings a hand out from beneath the sheets and up towards her head and places her curled fist against her forehead. The knife is in it, she brings it down hard onto the sleeping form at her side and the singing stops. Debbie sighs, turns onto her side, away from the prone figure of Tom with the handle of the knife protruding from his chest and soon she is snoring.

The stage begins to lighten as dawn breaks and the gossamer curtain rises. Debbie wakes and yawns then stretches luxuriously.

Debbie

Well that was a better night’s sleep. (She gets out of bed. The Cornflakes make her jump for a second and she laughes. She puts on her slippers and begins to leave the stage. On her way off stage she begins to sing.

Do my dreams bring you calm or fright?

Soothe your worries through the night?

Or trail nightmares to your bed?

Leave black images in your head?

Shall I sweep them all away?

Chase the darkness with the day?

Will the next night find you awake?

Fighting dreams that I must make?

Only I can know the night

Will I bring you calm or fright?

End

Happy Flash Fiction Day!

Well it's May 16th 2012 and that means it's the first  

National Flash Fiction Day.

So get out there and show off your flash fiction!

To those who are not sure what this event entails, be aware it does not involve long macs and no pants. I've tried that and it doesn't work, you get arrested  :)

Flash Fiction Day Website

National Flash Fiction Day May 16th 2012

This May 16th will be National Flash Fiction Day and I'll be writing some stuff to celebrate and join in with the festivities. The website you need to visit to read more about it and perhaps even join in is here: NFFD Website

And here's a link to one particular event I thought was an excellent idea, the concept is you go out with a pen and piece of paper and write something spontaneous regarding the location you find yourself in and photograph the story and the location. Then you leave the story to be found by someone and upload a copy of everything to the website. They decide if it can be published and if it can then it goes on their website. The site is called Flashpoints and my little story is called The Sleepers' Lament and is here: Story go take a look and give it a try yourself :)

Oh, by the way, Happy Easter to you all :)

Wales = Grand Slam 2012 Winners

Well done the Welsh Squad for winning the Triple Crown and then The Grand Slam 2012 today although it would have been better for my poor nerves if you'd gone ahead by about three or four tries, I don't think I've any nails left!

And congrats to Dan Lydiate for a well-deserved man-of-the-match award, a stupendous performance.

And fairwell Merve the Swerve another Welsh giant who will be missed.

The Hunt For Weird Fiction

Damien Walter of The Guardian is on the hunt for Weird Fiction and so far has had over 100 sightings, one of which happens to be me. If you know of other w̶e̶i̶r̶d̶o̶s̶ weird writers then why not pop over to his Guardian page and let him know, or take a look at what's there already.


WEIRD FICTION




Neal Asher's Writers' Workshop

SF author Neal Asher has started a writers' workshop over on his website where he's uploaded a part of a story of his that he never included in his novel 'The Voyage Of The Sable Keech', it's an interesting sub-plot that never saw the light of day and well worth a read. He's also had a few uploads from fans (I'm one) of their own work in progress and has given some feedback and valuable advice on them. I've been writing a hard sf story 'The Dam Across The Stars' for a number of years (yeah, I'm slow) and have a total of about 55,000 words done but have hit a writer's block with it. However, after sending in three samples of about 1,500 words each and getting some excellent input from both Neal and his readers I feel better about the story and hope to unblock that damned block.
To see what's been uploaded and to comment or perhaps even give the workshop a go yourself with something you've written, go here:

Workshop

So you like Dungeons & Dragons?

If you like Dungeons & Dragons or modelling fantasy figures then why not take a stroll over to Barking Irons where my brother-in-law Tony Harwood is giving a masterclass on how to build a 28mm scale building using materials that even Blue Peter aficonados wouldn't have dreamed of using. Tony has been into modelling for some time but my sister made him give up his cat-walk days a long time ago and so now he contents himself building fantasy scenarios and the like, all of which are a sight to see. We used to play D&D together with a gang of like-minded friends years and years ago and I have to admit that I miss the zany situations we used to find ourselves in. Anyway, here's the link, go take a look and tell me what you think :) LINK

Flash Fiction

I've put a piece of Flash Fiction up on Indies Unlimited where there's a competition on who can best describe the photograph below of a brig entering harbour.



Here is my offering, if you think it's worth a vote I'd appreciate you doing so, voting ends 5pm Thursday 9th Feb, thanks :)

‘Captain, we approach Whitby, would you prefer to pilot us into harbour yourself or shall I?’ asked the ship’s first mate.
Briggs looked up from the parchment on his desk. ‘I will take us in. Prepare the cabin for our passenger and make sure his instructions for the stowage of the cargo is adhered to. He was very specific about that; do it well.’
‘Strange instructions, Captain. I mean, our hold is water-tight why would we have to make sure it is sealed from all light too?’
‘The reasoning behind Mr Stoker’s instructions does not concern me. The man’s paid well to transport him and his cargo to Gibraltar,’ Briggs replied. ‘Come let me see what you’ve done in preparation.’

The inside of the hold was draped in heavy black cloth secured to the wooden walls by large flat-headed nails. Even the tar-sealed hatch had cloth waiting to be nailed over, for when it would be put in place.
‘A waste of hold space, Captain. All that room for what? A wooden packing case?’
‘Ours is not to question Stoker’s motives. Satisfy your curiosity with the knowledge that when we deliver our guest and his strange cargo to Gibraltar safe and sound we will receive a bonus large enough to slake any query or doubt you have in mind,’ Briggs said placing a hand on his first mate’s shoulder. ‘Now, let us take the Marie Celeste into Whitby with skill and care and show this port how it is done.’

Eclectic Sheep That Androids Never Dreamed Of

I've quite a few Science Fiction short stories that I've written over a long period of time and thought I would put a few into an e-book and let them loose on the unsuspecting world.
Therefore I present to you - 'Eclectic Sheep That Androids Never Dreamed Of' a collection of sixteen sf shorts of mine, some previously published somewhere, in print or on-line and some never before seen. The collection will cost the VAST amount of 99 cents (about 58p in real money) but you can get it for FREE until 1st February 2012 by putting this magic code - KS67B into the required box when you check out your cart on Smashwords
The book is in a load of different formats, Mobi for Kindle, Epub (Apple iPad/iBooks, Nook, Sony Reader, Kobo, and most e-reading apps including Stanza, Aldiko, Adobe Digital Editions, others) PDF as well as many others.
The stories are a mixed bunch meant to make you laugh and, perhaps, cry. I just hope you do both in the correct place!
BTW, I'd be interested to know if you did upload the book and in what format and if it worked ok or not, oh, and any review would be appreciated :)

SHEEP WANTED!

Fairly soon I'll be releasing a collection of some of my science fiction short stories for the Kindle, it will be a free e-book, yep, won't cost a penny, a dime or whatever currency happens to be yours.

I am trying to sort out a cover for this e-book and have decided to give everyone a chance to participate and have something of theirs on it, namely, sheep, hence the title of this blog post:

SHEEP WANTED!

The more disparate in design the better and you haven't got to be an artist to send one in, you haven't even got to be good at drawing, just be enthusiastic! All sorts are needed but all must be drawn by yourselves and not copied and pasted from any source such as clip art etc. To give you an idea, this is the sort of thing I'm hoping for:
I don't know what sort of response I'll get for this but I'm optimistic that I'll get enough for the cover. If I can I might even mention your name in acknowledgements but it will probably be too difficult to link each sheep to each name. There will be no payment for the sheep used as the e-book is free but they will be well fed and shorn when necessary...

This will be advertised on my Facebook page and you can send me your sheep drawing through that using a personal message, if you aren't a Facebook friend of mine, why not?
All sheep should be in jpeg format please. Get drawing!

Merry Christmas 2011 and a Happy New Year 2012

Hello everyone who takes the trouble to read my blog, may you all have a lovely Christmas 2011 and a Happy and Healthy New Year 2012. As a little gift here is a link to Steve Upham's Christmas edition of Estronomicon where you'll find a little festive short story of mine called 'The Advent Calendar's Last Window' amongst a load of other creepy and fantastic stories guaranteed to make you wonder or send shivers down your spine. Enjoy!

Estronomicon

2011 Interzone Advent Calender

It's December the first and that means the first flap on your advent calendar can be opened and you can enjoy the treat that's nestling inside. If you haven't got a calendar however don't despair as the good people over at Interzone have your treat just waiting to be read. Furthermore, one of those little flaps will contain a story of mine, I don't know what date it will be on so can't let you know in advance, but be aware, it's a little risqué :)

Ray Cluley's story is the opener today and it's a chilly one, wrap up well and go here to read it:

Advent Calendar

Halloween Horror from Screaming Dreams

Steve Upham of Screaming Dreams has produced a Halloween edition of his ezine, Estronomicon.

Contributors and their stories are as follows:

A Gathering of Ghouls by Charlotte Bond
The Apple Tree by Johnny Mains
The Man Who Killed Halloween by Mark Howard Jones
Biting Back by John Forth
The Maniacal Grin by Bob Lock
Church Hill by Simon Marshall-Jones
The Fun House by Terry Cooper
Young at Heart by Neil Davies
Looking Glass by Marion Pitman
All These Friends and Lovers by Stuart Young
Mr Pastry by Trevor Denyer
Gravefingers by Jennifer Williams
From Chattterton Hill by Carl Barker
Grandpa's Chair by Paul Kane
Among Flames, Darkness by Frank Duffy
A Footstep Away by Andrew Donegan
The Psalm by Simon Bestwick
Roam's Halloween Lesson by Ian Hunter

The pdf can be downloaded HERE for free and probably Steve will have a page-flipping version available pretty soon too, enjoy!