Category: blog

Hot Off the Press!

Posted on by Simon J. Wood

Well, it’s been three years since To Cut a Short Story Short, vol. II: 88 Little Stories was published on Amazon, and following on from the success of that title, plus To Cut a Short Story Short: 111 Little Stories and Bound in Morocco: A Short Story of Intrigue, (both published in 2017) it is my pleasure to announce the publication of not one, not two, but THREE new titles! This time, I have curated stories on the themes of humour and the supernatural from ‘the best of my blog,’ re-read and revised, plus unpublished stories. 40 stories on each theme have been collected into two volumes; Letters from Reuben and Other Stories: 40 Little Tales of Mirth, and The Window Crack’d and Other Stories: 40 Little Tales of Horror and the Supranatural.

Menus a la Carte

Posted on by Simon J. Wood

So, the drop-down system has been consigned to the bin and a new streamlined system employed. All stories were categorised by subject and found to fall into eleven main categories (some stories fell into two or even three categories). Accordingly, these new subject categories have taken pride of place at the head of each page. And mobile and tablet menus work just fine too. So, it just remains for me to say that clicking on a subject category will take you to a table of all stories in that category, listed in alphabetical order, together with original publication date and word count. So, you get the best bang for your buck before deciding to plunge into actual reading!

Guest Post: iPademonium

Posted on by Simon J. Wood

iPadememonium by Martyn Searle (600 words)

Papers are mean. Well, maybe not the dog-eared old flyers who spend their days hanging out on light poles, numbered tassels waving in the breeze, helping to locate lost puppies. A certain Buddhist enlightenment has come to them in repayment for good deeds and frayed edges. But those reams who rule in home offices? Vicious temperaments. There’s no way to sugarcoat it. Perhaps, as is often the case when numerous white individuals gather in large groups, all those sheets had a loftier opinion of themselves than they merited.

If Only They Could Speak (excerpts)

Posted on by Simon J. Wood

It’s been over two and a half years since I last published a post containing excerpts of stories from my blog, so now seemed a good time for another one! As before, I’m posting short extracts from twenty stories, but this time with a strong animal connection: there are dogs and cats aplenty plus the odd duck, red kite and puma!

As always, I state the word count, to give an idea how much time it would take to read the full story. There are tales old and new here, so I’m confident you’ll find something to enjoy!

Duck Surprise (200 words)

Sheldon paddled nonchalantly, maintaining his favoured position in the middle of the pool. He watched the other ducks near the bank scrabbling for bread with disdain – his mother had always told him he had superior intelligence.

If Only They Could Speak (650 words)

“Rudyard, here Rudyard!”

Rudyard’s ginger face appeared in the doorway. He hesitated, seeing a stranger in the room.

“Here kitty, good kitty!” called William Wilde, professor William Wilde as he now was.

Gingerly, Rudyard came into the study, studiously ignoring Willy and jumped onto my lap, purring. His huge yellow eyes looked up at me quizzically.
....

Hey, Kid. Wanna Write a Story?

Posted on by Simon J. Wood

(700 words)

Astute visitors to my blog will have noticed an invitation, placed on most posts and pages, to join a fortnightly story-writing group. Perhaps you’ve even thought, “I’d like to write stories but I don’t know if I can,” or “I don’t know whether I can be bothered to write a story every fortnight”? Read on!

To Cut a Short Story Short, vol II: 88 Little Stories

Posted on by Simon J. Wood

In case you haven't visited my blog recently, you may not be aware that I've a new book out! Published on December 8th 2018, it is entitled To Cut a Short Story Short, vol. II: 88 Little Stories, and comprises the 'best of my blog' from July 2017 to December 2018. All the stories were read … Continue reading To Cut a Short Story Short, vol II: 88 Little Stories →

All Apologies: A Writer’s A–Z

Posted on by Simon J. Wood

A – Audiobooks. B – Belief in Yourself. C – Computer Problems. D – Dogs. E – Editing. F – First Draft. G – Grandkids. H – Hiatus. I – Ill Health. J – Judge’s Criticism. K – Kids. L – Love. M – Madness. N – Nowhere to Write. O – Old Habits. P … Continue reading All Apologies: A Writer’s A–Z →

Riddle-me-ree

Posted on by Simon J. Wood

Riddle-me, riddle-me, riddle-me-ree,
Perhaps you can tell what this riddle may be:
As deep as a house, as round as a cup,
And all the king's horses can't draw it up.

As a change from flash fiction stories, this time here are ten fairly mind-boggling riddles.

With thanks to author, Nancy Richy for giving me the idea and providing some really good ones! 

1.  I can only live where there is light but I will die if light shines on me. What am I?

2.  In 1990 a person is 15 years old. In 1995 that same person is ten years old. How can this be?

3.  Four men were fishing in a boat on a lake. The boat turned over and all four men sank to the bottom of the lake. And yet not one single man got wet. How could this be? [and they weren’t wearing wet suits!]

4.  What disappears the moment you say its name?

Three Quote Challenge: Day 3

Posted on by Simon J. Wood

(500 words)

Rhonda Byrne, creator of The Secret answered four questions as part of their 'Secret Scrolls' newsletter last year. Her answers are inspiring and illuminating. I've posted number one as my 'quote,' but the others are linked to below if you'd like to read further advice from her.

Question 

Pinelopi: I would like to ask Rhonda how I can ignore the negative people/situations around me and focus on love & appreciation at the same time.

Answer

The way to deal with negative people or situations in your life is not to judge them. Have no judgment about negativity versus positivity. Neither is actually good nor bad. They’re both equal, but just different choices.

If you have the freedom to be positive, then you must allow others the freedom to be negative. No one can force you to be negative, just as you cannot force another to be positive.  You are free to choose what you want for you – and you choose positivity.  And it’s great that you choose positivity because your life will be much easier and filled with great things because of that choice.

Three Quote Challenge: Day 2

Posted on by Simon J. Wood

(850 words)

From Feeling is the Secret [1961] – Neville Goddard (1905-1972)

The World, and all within it, is man’s conditioned consciousness objectified. Consciousness is the cause as well as the substance of the entire world. So it is to consciousness that we must turn if we would discover the secret of creation.

Knowledge of the law of consciousness and the method of operating this law will enable you to accomplish all you desire in life. Armed with a working knowledge of this law, you can build and maintain an ideal world.

Consciousness is the one and only reality, not figuratively but actually. This reality may for the sake of clarity be likened unto a stream which is divided into two parts, the conscious and the subconscious. In order to intelligently operate the law of consciousness, it is necessary to understand the relationship between the conscious and the subconscious. The conscious is personal and selective; the subconscious is impersonal and non-selective. The conscious is the realm of effect; the subconscious is the realm of cause. These two aspects are the male and female divisions of consciousness. The conscious is male; the subconscious is female.

Three Quote Challenge: Day 1

Posted on by Simon J. Wood

(800 words)

Selected Points from Week 1 of The Master Key by Charles F. Haanel 

5. We cannot express powers that we do not possess. The only way by which we may secure possession of power is to become conscious of power, and we can never become conscious of power until we learn that all power is from within.

6. There is a world within – a world of thought and feeling and power; of light and life and beauty and, although invisible, its forces are mighty.

7. The world within is governed by mind. When we discover this world we shall find the solution for every problem, the cause for every effect; and since the world within is subject to our control, all laws of power and possession are also within our control.

8. The world without is a reflection of the world within. What appears without is what has been found within. In the world within may be found infinite Wisdom, infinite Power, infinite Supply of all that is necessary, waiting for unfolding, development and expression. If we recognise these potentialities in the within they will take form in the world without.