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Garrie Fletcher

~ writing and all that

Garrie Fletcher

Tag Archives: short stories

Up At The Lake

04 Thursday Oct 2018

Posted by fletcherski in Art, Birmingham, Birmingham Literature Festival, Birmingham Writers, books, Drawing, Inktober, Mantle Lane Press, Reading, Short Stories, Writers, Writers Group, writing, Writing West Midlands

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Birmingham Literature Festival, Birmingham Rep, books, Coniston Lake, Inktober, Inktober2018, pen, reading, Saturday 6th October 2018, Short Fiction, short stories

Another quick one – I just don’t have the time at the moment. This is a view of the south end of Coniston in the Lake District. It’s all fibre tipped pen and is actually black on white paper. The image is a sepia brown due to me taking the pic on my phone for speed.

Lake2.jpg

I did do a little tinkering in Affinity Photo to add the sepia splashes of cloud.

I’m hoping to get a bit of time at the weekend to do some longer drawing and some writing. That will hopefully be on Sunday once I’ve got my reading at Birmingham Literature Festival out of the way and finished working with my young writers group on the Saturday. I’ve set Saturday evening aside for watching crap with the family and drinking beer.

If you’re in Birmingham this Saturday morning (October 6th) come along to Birmingham REP, the Mezzanine, and hear some great stories from a bunch of wonderful writers. Hell, you could even buy some books.

Birmingham Literature Festival 2018

02 Tuesday Oct 2018

Posted by fletcherski in Birmingham Literature Festival, books, Networking, Reading, Short Stories, writing

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Birmingham, Birmingham Literature Festival, Birmingham Rep, coffee, Pastry, reading, short stories, uk

I’ll be reading a short story, along with a host of excellent writers, and selling some books as part of the Room 204 meet up. It kicks off at 10:00 am this Saturday, October the 6th, at the Mezzanine, Birmingham REP.

Click here for booking details – entry includes coffee and a pastry!

Writing Writing Writing

11 Tuesday Sep 2018

Posted by fletcherski in Mantle Lane Press, Short Stories, writing

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Birmingham, Birmingham Literature Festival, Mantle Lane Press, short stories

Remember that? The writing thing? Well, I’ve some good news with regards to published work and public performances.

First up, Mantle Lane Press have taken my short story, Electricity, to be included in a wonderful anthology that focuses on outsiders. The collection is entitled Songs for the Elephant Man. They’re also going to publish a long short story of mine called, Submerged. More news on this soon.

On the performance front, I’ll be reading a short story as part of a Room 204 sharing session at the Birmingham Literature Festival, and reading at Country Voices at a cosy pub in Ironbridge.

I’ll add full details soon.

Book Launch

17 Friday Mar 2017

Posted by fletcherski in books, Event, Leicester, Mantle Lane Press, Publication, Reading, Short Stories, Writers, writing

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Book Launch, Buy books, fiction, Leicester, Literature lovers, Night Swimming, reading, short stories, States of Independence, uk

Last Saturday, we launched Night Swimming, at the ‘book festival in a day,’ States of Independence. When I say we, I mean Matthew Pegg – a marvellous and industrious human being – introduced it, and I read a brief extract from one of the stories.
Matthew did a top rate job taking about Mantle Lane Press and the three collections that are out now, including, Night Swimming. My reading went really well; there was a great reaction from those there and a posting of purchases on Twitter soon after.

Night Swimming is:
“A collection of dark, urban tales: the pros and cons of stealing a pensioner, a mothers prison visit, incipient love and roller skating, the guilt of a brothers death, and a past love burnt out by rioting. Stories that deal with loss, longing and hope.

Garrie Fletcher writes about the gaps between lives, the pauses between stations and the static hiss of the city. The moments he captures are fleeting and easily missed, but resonate like a steel string plucked above a pickup, distorted and electric.

Mantle Lane Press small books can be slipped into a pocket and make an ideal stocking filler for literature lovers. ”
To get your hands on a copy of this beautiful book just click here. You can also order it from your local bookshop, or if you’re local, to me, get in touch, and I can get a signed copy to you.

 

night-swimming-cover

Get Your Trunks On!

08 Wednesday Mar 2017

Posted by fletcherski in Birmingham Writers, Leicester, Mantle Lane Press, Publication, Q & A, Reading, Short Stories, Short Story, workshops, Writers, writing

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books, Festival, Leicester, Non-fiction, Panels, Poetry, promotion, Publication, readings, short stories, Small Press, States of Independence, uk, workshops, writing

My first collection of short stories, Night Swimming, is almost here. It’s still not really sunk in. But on  Saturday, March the 11th, I will finally hold a copy in my hands – that should do the trick.

To be able to look at the cover of my book and flick through the pages, pages covered with words that I typed, deleted, retyped, crossed out, scribbled over and screamed at should fill me with joy, or at least a deep sense of satisfaction. Night Swimming cover-page-001

However, this isn’t ‘job done.’ Now starts the long process of promotion, of convincing people to buy my book. The first step, along the road of self-promotion, will be taken on Saturday at this year’s States of Independence in Leicester. I will be reading a short extract from, Night Swimming, as part of the Mantle Lane Press launch. I’ve read  my work at many events over the years, but this will be the first time that I’ve had a ‘product’ to promote. At the moment, I’m reading through the stories and trying to decide which one will tantalise the most and leave an audience wanting more.

If you’re in Leicester, or fancy a day out there, please come along to States of Independence. Here’s some info and details from their website:

States of Independence

Independent publishing | Independent writing | Independent thinking

A book festival in a day

 

This year’s States of Independence is our eighth. It’s a book festival in a day, a marketplace, a conference, a chance to relax and listen to some readings, an opportunity to argue about issues in the industry and to meet with independent presses from across the region.

States of Independence supports independent thinking, independent writing and independent presses. Join us for the day or an hour. Attend lots of events – you will be spoiled for choice – or just one, or simply come along and browse through the twenty or so bookstalls to see what the independent sector is publishing.

As always there are poetry and fiction readings and industry panels discussing current hot topics – this year focusing on independent literary magazines. Non-fiction wanders from British Palestine to John Clare’s escape from an asylum, via the political power of music, reminiscences about being gay in the 80s, and how to talk about poetry

States of Independence is a free event, underwritten by Five Leaves Bookshop in Nottingham and the Centre for Creative Writing at De Montfort University, with the support of over fifty writers and over thirty presses.

All sessions are free, no tickets required.
Just turn up and stay for an hour or two, or the whole day.

<!–Click here to download a printable programme.

–>

States of Independence is organised and funded by Five Leaves Bookshop in Nottingham and the Creative Writing Team at De Montfort University, Leicester.

Night Swimming

27 Sunday Nov 2016

Posted by fletcherski in Art, Birmingham Writers, Mantle Lane Press, Short Stories, writing

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Art Work, Birmingham, Book Cover, Mantle Lane Press, Short Fiction, short stories, uk

Book Cover Uncovered

Those wonderful people at Mantle Lane Press have chosen and they have chosen well. The artwork for my forthcoming collection of short stories, Night Swimming, will be provided by Gabriella Marsh. Here’s a text free glimpse of what’s to come.

night-swimming-clothed

Summer round up

25 Monday Jul 2016

Posted by fletcherski in News, Short Stories, Tindal Street Fiction Group, Writers, Writers Group, writing

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Alan Beard, Birmingham, Charles Wilkinson, Flash Fiction, short stories, Tindal Street Fiction Group, uk, Writers, writing

 

The Tindal Street Fiction Group have been mighty busy:

black-static

Stories accepted: Alan Beard has a story ‘November’ forthcoming in Spelk – in November. Sooner than that, Charles Wilkinson has a story coming out in the next issue of Black Stati…

Source: Summer round up

How to write a short story.

18 Monday Jul 2016

Posted by fletcherski in Short Stories, Short Story, writing

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How to write short stories, Kurt Vonnegut, short stories, Video clip

Kurt Vonnegut tells us how short stories should be written. This is very apt after a stimulating conversation with new and old friends at the National Writers’ Conference in Birmingham at the weekend. At least two of his points came up in our conversation: start as close to the end as possible and write to please just one person. I’m not sure about saying, ‘to heck with suspense,’ I think something has to be held back otherwise why does the reader hang around? Answers on a postcard.

 

 

Lost Districts almost here

26 Friday Sep 2014

Posted by fletcherski in Art, competitions, Poetry, prize money, Short Stories, writing, Writing West Midlands

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Birmingham, Competition, Coventry, Joel Lane, Lost Districts, Novels, Photography, Poetry, Prize Money, short stories, The Black Country, Visual Art, West Midlands, Wolverhampton

Hi, only a week to go now before the Lost DistrictsIMG_6331 competition launches.

You’ll remember from my earlier post that Lost Districts is all about celebrating the work of writer and poet, Joel Lane, who is sadly no longer with us. So, if you know a photographer, or visual artist, who’s based, or has work based in the West Midlands, UK, get them to check out the Lost Districts page, they could win £100 and have their work splashed across the web!

 

Lobsters at dawn!

14 Monday Jul 2014

Posted by fletcherski in Short Stories, Unthology 5, writing

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Charles Wilkinson, Collections, Garrie Fletcher, Interview, short stories, uk, Unthank Books, Unthology 5, writing

Most of you that follow this blog, or my twitter feed, will know by now that Unthology 5 is out. You’ll also know that Unthology 5 is an incredible collection of short stories that wrestle with a topics as diverse as child abduction and the end of the world. You’ll know that these sublime tales come in many shapes and sizes, some no more than a couple of pages focusing on a single character and others more abstract and far ranging. But, do you have any idea what writers talk about when they meet up? What do they think is the perfect short story, or the required number of crustaceans for a tale? No? Well, you’re in luck. Those wonderful people at Unthank Books have been posting conversations between the writers of Unthology 5 and my conversation with Charles Wilkinson is now up. Just click on the picture below to enjoy.

unthology interview

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