The Friday 56 - The Hound Of The Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle

Rules:
*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56.
*Find any sentence that grabs you.
*Post it.
*Link it here.

It's that simple.


I've been a bad Friday 56ther and managed to miss the last two weeks but I'm back with another selection just in time for the new year. I've taken another ibooks selection this week with The Hound Of The Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle and before I begin the teaser I just want to wish everyone a prosperous reading and writing 2011.


The teaser line is:


"Dear me! It is a stake for which a man might well play a desperate game."


Enjoyed the teaser? Then check out a previous entry.

2011 Reading List

2011 Reading List

Because I buy way more books than I actually have time to read and they can sit on the shelf for years unopened, I’m setting the task of playing catch up. These are the only books from my collection I currently have access to. And there are at least another 5 I’ll be purchasing over the next few weeks and adding to this list, after that no more buying or downloading until I’ve culled this list.

Ebooks

1) Cemetery Poets : Grave Offerings (Poetry Anthology)

2) Gorelets : Unpleasant Poems by Michael A Arnzen (Poetry Collection)

3) Dark Demons by Kurt Newton (Story collection)

4) Femmes De La Brumme (Short story Anthology) edited by Nicole Thomas

5) Momento Mori by Angeline Hawks Craig (short story collection)

6) Above The Arctic Circle by Brian Lawrenson (Non-fiction)

7) Are These Eyeballs by Garry Charles (Short Story Collection)

8) The Hound Of The Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle (Novel) Take a peek inside with The Friday 56.

9) Twisted Imaginings Vol 1 by Garry Charles (Short Story Collection)

10)The Strange Case Of Doctor Jekyll And Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stephenson (Novel)

11) Vicious Verses And Reanimated Rhymes edited by A. P. Fuchs (poetry anthology)

Paperbacks

12) Cell by Stephen King (Novel). Take a peek inside with my The Friday 56 entry.

13) The Rising by Brian Keene (Novel). Take a peek inside with my The Friday 56 entry.

14) Staying Alive: Real Poems For Unreal Times edited by Neil Astley (Poetry Anthology)

15) Myths And Legends by Anthony Horowitz (collected myths)

16) Houses Without Doors by Peter Straub (short story collection)

17) The Collected Poems of W B Yeats (poetry collection)

18) Moon On The Water by Mort Castle (short story collection)

19) The Mammoth Book Of Best New Horror edited by Stephen Jones (short story anthology)

20) 52 Ways Of Looking At A Poem by Ruth Padel (Poetry reference) Take a peek inside with my The Friday 56 entry.

21) Collected Poems Of Sylvia Plath (poetry collection)

22) The Ode Less Travelled by Stephen Fry (Poetry reference)

23) How Poetry Works by Phil Roberts (Poetry Reference)

24) Phantom Noise by Brian Turner (poetry collection)
25) The Man In The Picture by Susan Hill (Novel) Take a peek inside with my The Friday 56 entry.
26) Banquet For The Damned by Adam L G Nevill (Novel)
27) Nightmare Collector by Bruce Boston (Poetry Collection)
28) A Mouth For Picket Fences by Barry Napier (Poetry Collection)

New Years Writing Goals 2011

New Years Writing Goals 2011

In the tradition of millions of people the world over making their resolutions, I’m setting my writing goals for 2011:

1) Write every day whether it’s a blog post, the novella I’ve recently begun working on or a new poem

2) Write at least one chapter of the novella a week.

3) I will not miss my poetry course deadlines.

4) Start submitting my poetry to the markets again.

5) Read more poetry.

How will I achieve my goals? 

Taking part in Novpad last November proved that I can write every day, it offered the motivation that this has to be done now and not left until the day after. But motivation when left to my own devices isn’t so easy to come by, I always seem to be battling constant tiredness and a general lack of time so perhaps reminding myself daily why I write will suffice. I certainly don’t want to be a failure anymore.

Wish me luck and feel free to use the comments section to share your own goals. 

Review - Shredder by Garry Charles

Synopsis - Ex-Soldier is persuaded to take part in a secret operation and ends up fighting for survival.

Review - Shredder is just the right length to sustain the fast paced bloody action without becoming over the top. A no-nonsense writing style balances the action with character development and description.

Rating - 4/5

Download for free at smashwords

Review - Apartment 16 by Adam Nevill

Synopsis: A nightwatchman and an American woman discover the terrifying history and secrets inside an abandoned apartment.

Review: Apartment 16 revolves around a London apartment building. It follows the separate but interlinked stories of two characters. Firstly, Seth a nightwatchman and wannabe artist who becomes aware of disturbances in Apartment 16, and secondly Apryl staying at the apartment building to finalise her recently deceased Great-Aunts affairs. 

Apartment 16 has a steadily building plot, good character development and plenty of twists and surprises. The theme of being trapped in place and time was well-developed. It held me in its grip from page one and it’s the best damn thing I’ve read in a long time. 

Rating: 5/5

Writing Prompt 10 for December 2010

Writing Prompt 10 has been posted to the website.

Instructions: Use one of the photo's below to inspire a piece of writing such as a free write, a poem or story. A new writing prompt is added every month so come back often to try the new ones or revisit old ones. Why not try writing a piece that incorporates more than one photo?

I have deliberately not supplied any information with the photographs. I want to see what your imagination can come up with on its own. If you sell a piece of writing that was based on one of these, please let me know so I can celebrate with you.

All photo's are taken by myself with either a Nikon D50 or a Coolpix S3000 camera.

The Friday 56 - 52 Ways Of Looking At A Poem by Ruth Padel

Rules:
*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56.
*Find any sentence that grabs you.
*Post it.
*Link it here.

It's that simple.


I've gone for a non-fiction selection this week. The book is 52 Ways Of Looking At A Poem by Ruth Padel. It looks at how 52 poems can be interpreted and I'm expecting to begin reading this in about a week or so when I've finished Apartment 16.


The teaser line is:


The subjects of the poems that follow are things that matter to all of us: memory, childhood, embarrassment; war, illness, death, love; dreams, art, jealousy, betrayal, loss.

Dark Metre - Updates - Closed To Submissions

Thanks to all the writers for submitting their work to Dark Metre. I've filled the first 4 issues and am now closed to submissions.

I expect to reopen again in April 2011. Don't to forget to follow @darkmetre on twitter and be the first to know when I reopen and close to submissions.

The Friday 56 - Shredder by Garry Charles

Rules:
*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56.
*Find any sentence that grabs you.
*Post it.
*Link it here.

It's that simple.

Getting to this earlier than usual as I'm off work. This ones on the waiting to read list along with most of my books it's Shredder by Garry Charles and is available as a free ebook over on smashwords and the teaser line is:

"Fuck me," Keene sees the display at the far end of the room and staggers back.

PAD - Day 25 - Turtle

Turtle

Turn in circles in your
Unconventional tank
Relive free days of swimming,
Transcending through deep blue
Languid waters listening to
Echoes of whale song.

Authors note: Took advantage of the animal theme to tie this in with my own writing prompt 9for November.

Dark Metre - Updates - Issue 1 filled

I have now filled issue 1 of Dark Metre. I'm still looking to fill issues 2-4 before closing to submissions. I will announce the contributors of issue 1 nearer the date of publication.

Don't forget that if you sign up to receive Dark Metre via email by 16th Jan 2011 you will be entered into the draw for your chance to win a copy of the Chimeraworld 2 anthology in paperback. sign up here. or go here to see the TOCs. Subscribers email addresses are used for no other reason then to email the newsletter.

PAD - End Of Week 3 Reflections

Ok despite all the odds I have completed week 3. Too tired after a week of nightmare commutes and a total lack of sleep to feel proud.

A lot of my first drafts work like a free write I don't know where I'm going until I get started. This weeks poems have lacked any feeling of inspiration and my memory has refused to be dug for morsels I can twist and shape into a poem. But at least I can write without those factors coming into play.

As for a theme for the chapbook I've been straddling a kind of love and sea theme which is representative of the direction my life's working towards. Mmm, maybe not the love bit so much.

It's onwards to week 4, and luckily I have 4 whole days off work in which to write.

The Friday 56 - Apartment 16 by Adam Nevill

Rules:
*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56.
*Find any sentence that grabs you.
*Post it.
*Link it here.

It's that simple.

Todays selection is going to be my next read. I'm holding off until next month when PAD will be finished but I'm itching to get going. I read the sample of this on iBooks and it's great to see a return to paranormal horror. It's Apartment 16 by Adam Nevill and the teaser line is:

"It's not often you see a woman wearing a hat these days. With a veil."

Dark Metre - Updates

Issue 1 of Dark Metre will be out on the 6th February 2011. The listing went up on Ralan.com yesterday and I would like to thank the writers who have already submitted their poems for doing so. I'm hoping to fill the first 4 issues before implementing a reading period. I'm looking for poetry reprints in the horror genre and I'm paying £2.50 on publication via paypal. My full guidelines can be read here.

I now have a twitter page, follow newsletter updates at @darkmetre

Please keep those submissions coming.

PAD - Week 2 Reflections

Today was the end of week two. Over the last week, each day I've been finding myself wondering if this will be the day that things grind to a halt. But with the exception of Day 12(no more than a fragment) I've completed each of the prompts. November is getting greyer and wetter, more things are clamouring for my attention and I'm tired.

I think part of the success comes down to Robert Lee Brewers prompts being so accessible. Some of the prompts could spawn whole chapbooks of their own.

I enter week 3 with some trepidation and determination not quite knowing what will be around the corner or what will rise out of my mind next.

Website Updates - Poets

Barry Napier has been added to the Poets page

Surf on over to Ghosts in (Parentheses) to find out about his WIPS and published work.

PAD - Day 11 - Nobody Wants To See

Nobody Wants To See

Nobody wants to see
The woman on the tube
Painfully thin in an over-sized
Sweater and short skirt
That shows off the black bruises
On her bare legs.

If only they saw that her pasty
White face reflected her inner
Anguish and the way she huddled
In her seat, eyes looking every where
But at the people around her.

Nobody wants to see
Beyond the rose tinted glasses
Perched at the end of their noses
The glasses that say every things ok
Life’s great. If only they would remove
Them for a second or two and chance
Making a difference.

PAD - Week 1 Reflections

It's a huge success for me that I'm still going at the end of week 1 and I have finished everything I've started albeit the poems are still in their newborn form. I'm hoping I can make it to the end of week two. I think I needed to be at this point in my life to really do something with my writing. My mind feels focused for the first time in a long, long time and I'm enjoying writing for the sake of writing.

Disconnect surprised me because I hadn't thought about him in years and I can look at the relationship now and not feel a thing, that chapter is finally closed. Some other pieces need rewriting and expanding, punctuation is missing, some titles also need tweaking but that's for next month and I'm going to regag the editor now.

My writing is no longer dominantly horror but I will still continue to promote the genre on my site and in my newsletter it's still my favourite genre to read. I will still be writing horror but I've freed myself from restrictions.

I'd like to thank the other guys and girls doing PAD for their comments and their community. But special thanks go to Robert Lee Brewer for putting this together.

Writing Prompt 9

The website has been updated with a new writing prompt. I got so caught up in the writers digest Poem A Day challenge that it went right out my head.

Instructions: Use this months photo to inspire a piece of writing such as a free write, a poem or story. A new writing prompt is added every month so come back often to try the new ones or revist old ones. Why not try writing a piece that incorporates more than one photo?

I have deliberately not supplied any information with the photographs. I want to see what your imagination can come up with on its own. If you sell a piece of writing that was based on one of these, please let me know so I can celebrate with you.

November writing

November is the month of mammoth writing challenges and this year I'm doing the writers digest poem a day challenge. I will be posting all poems on my blog, please feel free to comment on or critique my poems. I expect that they will be rough and underdeveloped to begin with.

On the 1st of December I'll pull them all down and begin rewriting.

The Friday 56 - The Lost World by Arthur Conan Doyle

Rules:
* Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
* Turn to page 56.
* Find a teaser sentence.
* Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of Story Time With Tonya.

I can't believe another week has rolled around already. This week, we have another selection from my ibooks library, maybe one day I'll have access to my paperbacks again.

The Lost World by Arthur Conan Doyle

Challenger smiled with weary and tolerant contempt, as a kindly man would meet the yapping of a litter of puppies.

Poetry - The House

The House

It watches me from its hilltop,
Through the night sky I feel
the House's sorrow, its abandonment
and its neglect.

I gaze up at the abode,
once fit for a King, now only vermin
live behind its filthy brickwork.

A shadow glides behind a second floor window
and on the wind a soft singing is carried to my ears.
The Sombre melody stirs my emotions
like the grass stirring in the breeze.

I watch the shadow move past other windows
into other rooms. There is an elegance
about this being that shouldn't exist.
I turn my back on the house
like so many others before me.

The Friday 56 - The Green Mile by Stephen King

Rules:
* Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
* Turn to page 56.
* Find a teaser sentence.
* Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of Story Time With Tonya.

This weeks selection is The Green Mile by Stephen King - a fantastic read.

The restraint room had soft walls, for people whose brains had softened a little.

The Friday 56 - The Count Of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas Pere

Rules:
* Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
* Turn to page 56.
* Find a teaser sentence.
* Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of Story Time With Tonya.

The Count Of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas Pere

I downloaded this to my ipad an have been reading it in short bursts throughout the week, not sure of what I make of it yet I'm being let down by my lack of knowledge of french history but here's the teaser sentence:

"In an hour?" inquired Danglars, turning pale. "How is that, my friend?"

Poetry - Inspirational Quotes

I recently came across these quotes from other poets and thought I would share them here:



"If I read a book and it makes my whole body so cold no fire ever can warm me I know that is poetry. If I feel physically as if the top of my head were taken off, I know that is poetry." Emily Dickinson

"Poetry is truth seen with passion." Yeats

Poetry - Howl

Howl

Lovelorn werewolves howl
As a comet glides unhindered
Across the moon.

Poetry - Spectres On Station Road

I've taken up the Writers Digest Poetic Form Challenge and written the following lune:

Spectres On Station Road

Beneath a pale
moon cold indistinct forms rove
before my eyes.

******

As a free verse poet and one that just lets the words spill onto the page this was a challenge.

Poem - London

London

London dreams
Of Dickinson days
When its secrets
Were swathed in fog.

My Top 5 Favourite Poems

My top 5 favourite poems are:

The Raven - Edgar Allan Poe
The Highwayman - Alfred Noyes
The Shape of Things (can't remember the authors name and unfortunately the anthology it was in is locked away in storage.)
Ulalume - Edgar Allan Poe
Sick Rose - William Blake

So what's everyone elses favourites? I need more to read.

Resource - How To Write A Horror Cinquain

I stumbled upon the following article on suite101.com How To Write A Horror Cinquain by Terrie Leigh Relf. It's a good introduction to the form with some great examples.

As for Suite101, I will be checking out more of their articles, I'd recommend my readers to search for poetry and horror.

Website updates

I have had a busy Saturday morning updating the main website, I decided to give my bio-frags project its own page on the website. They can be read here.

I have also added more links to the Horror Poets page.

The next big thing I need to do for the site is find an artist to design a header graphic for me.

Free Read - Poem - I Am Dead

Dry your tears
I am dead
but I am not gone.

It is I who watches
you while you sleep, it
is I who sits on the edge
of your bed in the dark of night.

Shh, don’t be afraid
it is I who reaches
under the covers
and grasps your ankle
in my cold hand.

Writing Life

My muse has been feeling restless as much of the last two weeks have been taken up with promoting the website and various blogs and moving house and generally feeling out of place. So, I have set myself the task of writing a autobiographical poem each day based on that days events or emotions or even the weather or a combination of all three. I may or may not decide to post some here on this blog.

Today's piece was a total of 5 lines and 14 words, although it's short I think I've said enough.

Has anyone else set themselves a writing project?

New Dream Journal

I'm now keeping a dream journal Dreaming Bee all posts going up over the next few days are old dreams ranging from the bizarre to sleep paralysis to dreams in dreams to nightmares. I write horror, I dream horror. I'll also be using the journal to link to relevant books and online resources.

Free Read - Poem - Ethereal Flame

Ethereal Flame

Spinning around before me
yet only a flicker of a flame
behind my mesmerised eyes.

Hypnotically, it shimmers
and dances in the pale moonlight,
an ethereal beauty.

I sway on my feet, in time
with the branches in the wind
and still this supernatural substance
holds me in its power.

I don't know how it came to be -
this off -white form. Shadows join the dance,
their black veils sliding over this maiden of light.

I blink my eyes and she is gone.
I search for her in the deepening night
until the sun's glare brings me back to reality.

Katy Bennett = Horror Poetry