Stories From Litopia
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Legend of the Selkie
'Legend of the Selkie' started as a short piece for the Creative Writing Masters at UCC, Cork. After...
When We Shot the Last Rhino
. A fabled hunter from Milan or Mombasa or somewhere raised his arms high and screamed in bloody triumph. ....
On the shoulders of giants.
I’ve got to stop hanging out on X. The writing community has, yet again, been rent apart by...
Lit Mags for Beginners – Part Two
Last time we talked about finding publications to send your work to. Now you’ve imagined your story or...
A Word from Nigel
This is Nigel. Nigel is a horse. More specifically, Nigel is a feral stallion responsible for a herd...
Lit Mags for Beginners – Part One
It’s less than a year since I started writing short stories, having only worked on novel-length fiction previously....
Days Like Those: Jacob, James and the BSG
February 2018… Mrs Treaclechops and I took grandchildren Jacob (aged four) and James (aged three) for a walk...
Matt-y numty had a great fall
I had an appointment in Berlin’s Mitte recently. Since then, I’ve been thinking a lot. Now, the appointment...
Scheherazade’s Sandbox
The Year of the Snake, now coming to a close, promised introspection and wisdom. To help with this,...
Where is the Love?
I recently heard an author say that, when he’s editing, one of the questions he asks himself is...
A Young Man’s Fancy: Tanzen Bitte
. “Tanzen bitte. Wanna dance?” “Ja.” "Err... do you Kommen sie hier often?" “Jeden Samstag.” “Ah… err… Samstag?”...
Winging it
‘I could never write a book,’ a friend said to me recently. She meant it as a compliment...
The Monster We Were Promised
I tutor a small group of Year Five boys who love boardgames (let’s call them the Gamer Boys)....
Character Building
I’m sure most of us have felt the excitement when we meet a new character. I wonder, do...
Plain Grocery Stores
Right up the road from the Weaverland Auction, there’s an unnamed farm stand, its open front covered with...
Out and About when Autumn Leaves had Fallen
Late November 2025… Mrs Treaclechops and I enjoyed a 5-day break in Pembrokeshire. We know the area fairly...
Twice as Sexy as Madonna
When Richard and Cathie got together in the mid-eighties, they both thought it would last forever. That’s what...
If Plot Were an Artisan
A vast and echoey chamber crisscrossed by delicate strands. PLOT hangs suspended from the high ceiling, quietly murmuring...
