Eight Days of Madness - now available as a free e-book!

Chris Allinotte, host and editor of the marvellously dark Madness In March over at The Leaky Pencil has gone one step further. The seven stories plus the excellent bonus tale by Mr Allinotte himself have been gathered into an e-book at Smashwords, retitled Eight Days of Madness.

You can download the e-book in all formats - and best of all, it's free:

Download Eight Days of Madness here...

Featuring:

• Paranoia by Laurita Miller
• Blister Pack by Richard Godwin
• Mad Dash by Angel Zapata
• The Giver, The Taker, The Monster by Benjamin Sobieck
• Heart Shaped Hammer by Sean Patrick Reardon
• Still Alive by Erin Cole
• Living In A Box by Lily Childs
• The Dollmaker and the Rat by Chris Allinotte

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Bestowal

A small indulgence. Talkback - the online forum for the UK's Writers' News and Writing Magazine - runs a monthly 'One Word Challenge'. They give you one word (funnily enough) as a theme and you can write 200 words of fiction and/or 40 lines of poetry.

Last month's word was the delicious 'Ink'. My fiction entry didn't get short-listed but I have to say I really, really enjoyed writing it. I may have to expand on the idea...

Do let me know what you think. Thank you.

BESTOWAL

It’s an obscene stretch of vellum that extends to touch the walls of his cell. Thin to the point of transparency the gift of skin lies flaccid beneath his clumsy fingers. Yet as soon as his quill is dipped into ink – a turgid shade squeezed from oak cankers – a new world evolves.

Liquid towers strut across still rivers, defined and desired by the hungry pen. Humble houses open onto bacchanalian gardens; fresh water springing from fertile wells. The canvas rambles in the wake of his caress. He flicks the surface – welts raise as troubled mountains.

Plucking with the nib he labours at molehills, he pokes at craters until – no more. The drying brown powder refuses to emulsify with his pitiful spittle.

With darkness comes familiar blindness. The light has abandoned the skies, no longer seething through the single hole above his head. For this night only the prisoner wraps his art around his naked flesh and sleeps in its caress, soaking in the dreams he has made.

In the morning she will come to release him from the wondrous cloak. And he will wait as long as last time – maybe less, maybe more – for her next bequest.

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Spinetingler Awards - Voting Now Open!!

I am still stunned that my mean little tale Carpaccio has been nominated in the coveted Best Short Story on the Web category for the 2011 Spinetingler Awards. I've read each and every one of the other nine in the nomination list and they are all - without exception - excellent.

I've voted for my favourite (not telling - and no - I didn't vote for myself|). And now you have your chance to vote for your favourite at:

http://www.spinetinglermag.com/2011/04/01/2011-spinetingler-award-voting/

Simply choose one per category (you don't have to vote on all categories). Note: you can only vote once as the site remembers your IP address.

So please do support the writers and the sites that have hosted the stories by voting now! Thank you.

Excerpt from Carpaccio by Lily Childs
Published on Thrillers Killers 'n' Chillers March 2010

I prepared a new entry for tonight. A eulogy.

I didn’t usually record the times and dates of their deaths because that made it kind of final. I liked the idea that the agony would go on forever.

Some of them I held onto for weeks, a couple of months even. Kevin and Peter only lasted half a day each. That was my fault, I couldn’t leave them alone.

***

I liked to hang around the fairground. It visited our seaside town two, three times a year; just about the only thrill we had in our genteel haven of beaches and blue rinse.

I imagined how it would be to work there. The rides, the slot machines. I’d be one of the cocky boys on Waltzers who’d steal your money as soon as screw you in the bushes.

***

My first was Jean-Paul. I was only thirteen, a late starter. Jean-Paul captured my attention and I felt this need, this desire to possess him, care for him. For him to love me back. I relished his sinewy moves, the lazy slant of his lingering eye as he moved past me – one time, two times, three times, more.

"Jean-Paul" I whispered.

Read more... | Vote...

Lily's Friday Prediction

What a strange and complicated month April promises to be already. Busy, busy, busy followed by a whole 11 days off. I'm not going anywhere so will get on with the new novel as the research is mostly complete now. (Frissons in my fingertips - itching to type).

Congratulations to Jenny Dreadful for winning last week's Friday Prediction with Slim(e) wa(i)ste. And to runners-up Aidan Fritz and Pixie J. King with The Time Traveler's Hawker and Glass Slipper - well done.

This week's words are:

• Revolution
• Stitch
• Mistake

Rules

The rules are: 100 words max flash fiction or poetry using all of the words above. Please add your entries in the Comments box below. You have all week until 9pm UK time on Thursday 7th April to enter.

Winner will be announced next Thursday or Friday. If you can, please tweet about your entry, using the #fridayflash hashtag, and blog if you feel like it.

I look forward to the beauty (or not) of your words...

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Prediction Winner

A short and sweet announcement this week, which is hardly fitting for the stunning entries - and for that I apologise. But I've already explained myself so won't blather on about life's inconveniences; I'll just get on with it.

Honestly, what a shower of fairy-tale delight - ripped apart and studded with sharp and sparkling pins. Poor Cinders didn't stand a chance. I'm so glad.

My winner from last week's Prediction is Jenny Dreadful with Slim(e) wa(i)ste. This got right under my skin with its flashlight descriptions and deviant poses. Congratulations Jenny.

Runners-up are Aidan Fritz with The Time Traveler's Hawker - because I just love this whole bizarre (bazaar) concept of the mother equally spoiling and neglecting her child, and also because I want to see the movie. Also Pixie J. King with Glass Slipper because I had wondered what had happened to her dark world of fairy and here it is - slap, bang in front of us, damned well-written - and Theo is taking prisoners. Well done Aidan, well done Pixie.

Sleep or wake well everyone. A new Prediction challenge tomorrow.

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How to Write Horror article by Lily Childs

Read the full article How to Write Horror...

Background

When I was first approached by Annie Evett, Managing Editor at the excellent online writers' resource 'Write Anything' to write an article on how to write horror, my initial reaction was How? I just do it!

But when I sat and properly contemplated the question I realised that actually, there are of course skills involved in presenting a story that thrills and disturbs in equal measure. But it's a case of balance between method and flow, and ultimately the final edit.

As Write Anything's audience is already made up of aspiring or established writers I decided to present the article as generic advise for writers of all ages and levels of experience who are considering trying their hand at the horror genre.

I peppered it with my own methodology but as someone who dislikes rules would hope readers might consider my advice, but write as themselves - with their own voice.

If you would like to read How to Write Horror by Lily Childs I would welcome your comments.

Thank you, Annie for the invitation to contribute.

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Lily's Friday Prediction

I promise to get mine in early today - Prediction entry, that is. Because it is a gorgeous and inspiring sunny day in old Eastbourne town - and I have the day off.

Congrats to Messrs Fritz and Allinotte. Aidan's terrifying horror-fest Clown Hearse came in first past the post as winner of last week's Prediction challenge with Chris's lost Atlas the runner-up, in One More Time Gentlemen. Great flash - well done both.

I had to temper the words thrown up by the old book today, otherwise you'd have been challenged with gastropod, pneumatology and coprolite (which - as if you didn't know is fossilised excrement, so rather interesting actually.) Anyway, with the best will in the world and the talent you all share, I thought these were a bit OTT.

So I did it again. Today's three words are:

• Mongrel
• Cinderella
• Profit

Rules

The rules are: 100 words max flash fiction or poetry using all of the words above. Please add your entries in the Comments box below. You have all week until 9pm UK time on Thursday 31st March to enter.

Winner will be announced next Thursday or Friday. If you can, please tweet about your entry, using the #fridayflash hashtag, and blog if you feel like it.

Now, where did I leave that glass slipper...?

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