Competitions – Page 53

My illustration for this piece is a copy of a drawing I did in oil pastels in 1992. The original was completed in A3 size as a gift for a big fan of this lady.

Joan Collins - copy — 'Yes darling ... I'll be anything you want me to be ... I'm an actress.'

The lady in question is British actress Joan Collins. The copy is a black and white version of the original. In those days a digital camera and pc would not have been to hand, but I did at least manage a photocopy.

Contrary to my original intentions I have posted ‘Guardian Angels’ into a competition on an international web-based writing site. Simply because there are no restrictions I have it linked here in my short stories.

‘Windows of Opportunity’ has gone to a top British writing magazine so I’ll have to await the official clearance before I can post it anywhere else.

In the last three days I’ve penned a poem a day. ‘Noises in the Wind’ which is about a crew of mutineers. ‘The Enemy Within’ is my take on the world of insurgents. ‘Nymphet‘ is my latest which touches on the sensitive subject of a man falling for a beautiful but under-age girl.

I have as always got a short story underway. ‘One Man’s Mission’ takes a walk into the world of terrorism. Obviously a careful, calculated walk.

Chapter 2 of my novel is taking longer than I expected to make progress. This is mainly due to working with a fictional lead character who will be experiencing some episodes from my own life. Fortunately for both me and any reader there will be some fictional scenarios mixed in too. If I get the job done right then nobody should be able to spot the real from the imagined.

In an effort to give me a boost back into the tale I’m considering two or three excerpts, just as I did with Chapter 1. I feel sure the idea will work because I’ve already discovered that writing a story idea as a poem actually helps me to focus on keeping the story tight. Time will tell.

The drawing for this post I completed whilst I was on a course, still in the military. I had to occupy my free time when I wasn’t running.

This week I finished work on ‘Coming Together’, a poem collaboration with Brandy, a poet friend in the U.S. It should be added to my collaboration link in the next two days.

I’m now mid-way with ‘Flames of Desire’, another poem collaboration with Cheryl, another friend in the U.S.

I decided that it was insufficient to suggest that I had a certain number of short stories underway without actually giving some idea of their plot. To keep the record straight they are all at various stages of writing and editing:

‘One Man’s Mission’ – A young British / Asian man returns to the UK from a terrorist training camp in Asia.

‘Guardian Angels’ – A tale which involves a kidnapping and a Chapter of Hell’s Angels.

‘Windows of Opportunity’ – A young man waves his girlfriend off to work, then the day takes a strange turn.

‘Loose Ends’ – An assassin kills for what should be the last time.

All of these stories are destined for competitions so I hope to be adding them to my links before too much longer.

This week has also seen my return to the Writer’s Cafe site after an absence of 18 months. I have gone back there with a renewed confidence in my writing and importantly for me, also sufficient experience and knowledge to give constructive criticism. It’s a friendly site and buzzes with competitions and feedback on a writer’s efforts. Unlike some sites it facilitates the posting of both poetry and prose which for me is ideal.