Tag archives for Write Club
Air a’ bheinn / On the Mountain [Poetry] [Write Club]
Air a’ bheinn / On the Mountain was written for Write Club's January 2024 meeting in response to the general prompt for poetry. I thought I’d write something about the pleasures of walking in the mountains, given that’s one of the things I enjoy. It turned out to be a wee bit harder than I thought, and my second thought was to write something a bit shorter, and use my 800 day streak in duolingo learning Scottish Gaelic to see if I could write something that showed that I was as fluent as a bard (I don’t think I’m anywhere near that). Anyway, here's a short poem that looks a bit like a bottle on its side, and serves as a little bit of mountain advice for those that enjoy both the water of life and being out in the…
The King’s Peace [Write Club] [Fantasy]
Broughty Castle from the landward side. 15th century tower with late 19th century outer works. (Photo: James Kemp) The King's Peace is a standalone short story set in the same universe as the Yngvild stories, but from a different cultural perspective, that of the Dael Riatans, inspired by some local history. There's a load of world-building for this on my wiki site, as well as in my notebooks. I wrote this for Write Club, but also because it expands a bit of my universe that I'm using for a game I'm planning to run. Key character bios are King Alasdair V The Murchadh brothers Iain Alpin (commander of the King's Guard, referred to as his steward in this story) Pronounciations Many of these names are taken from Gaelic, or old Scots. So they don't necessarily sound the way you would…
Onward to 2022!
Me in Glasgow Central for a work trip in November 2021. (Photo: James Kemp) I'm carrying on a theme for my blog, of at least one post reflecting and looking forward every new year, and for once I'm keen that we move onward to 2022 and what it will bring! At the tail end of 2020 I made a few suggestions for 2021 (I didn't go as far as labelling them resolutions, for reasons I explained in last year's post). Always make sure that there is something to look forward to. Keep the scale of ambition realistic (given what I know I can control) Keep up the exercise/activity. Make the most of the situation, whatever it is. Reflections on 2021 Despite everything 2021 has been a good year for my family and me. Looking back through my pictures we've had…
Flower – [Short Story] [Write Club]
I wrote Flower for September's Write Club session. The prompt was to write something that was about what happened either before or just after the passage in Tess of the d'Urbevilles where Mrs Brooks (their landlady) spots a red spot flowering on the ceiling, and is suspicious about what has gone on upstairs. This is towards the end of the book, and marks the point where the narrative viewpoint changes from Tess to Mrs Brooks. Flower The crimson red spot on the ceiling had grown and darkened into a burgundy flower in the silence of the morning. No sound came from the apartment above, not since the shouting had ended half an hour after the mysterious visitor had left late yesterday evening. The silence was so unnatural that I dared not break it. It felt sacred, like the silence of…
Bargain [Fiction] [Write Club]
Back at the end of January I wrote The Bargain for February's Write Club. In genre it's closest to urban fantasy, although it's set in a small central European village sometime in the early to mid-nineteenth century. The sort of place where traditions are still important, but where the outside world is still there. February's Write Club had a change in the weather as the theme. Bargain Tomas strode towards the Baron's house. He wore his best clothes, a dark green wool suit with yellow braid. He'd had it ready for the midsummer celebrations. The Baron's house was off the village green, near the inn. Before Tomas got there, the front door swung open. Rupert, the steward, beckoned him in. 'What's going on, Rupert?' 'His Lordship was insistent you come in the front.' 'Well best I come in then.' 'Let…