A little more fiction for you...

Plus other exciting news to share…more in writing updates :-)

In this month’s newsletter I’m sharing a story I entered into the Kingston Artz Blitz.

The them was ‘Make Believe’ and artists had 24 hours to create a work of art (poetry/writing/2D or 3D art) and present it to the gallery for exhibition. Enjoy!

When Andrew had to tell Georgia they were moving, he went out to the gum tree at the front of the house and sat with her under the canopy. He watched as Georgia danced her dolls around the tiny door he’d nailed to the base of the tree and smiled when Georgia jumped the toy horse up to a ledge he’d built complete with an arch decorated with moss and fern. Georgia handed him the silver horse with a long-flowing mane. 

‘You be the horse,’ she said.

‘What’s his name? Pinocchio.’

‘No,’ growled Georgia. ‘Not Pinocchio. His name’s…Charlie.’

‘Charlie the horse. Right.’

‘Now Daddy, make him gallop. He has to find the fairy.’

‘Why does he have to find the fairy?’

‘She has to save them from the dragon.’

‘The fairy?’

‘Uh huh.’

‘But what if the fairy doesn’t want to go?’

‘Silly Daddy. The fairy has to help Charlie. You be Charlie,’ she said.

So Andrew galloped Charlie to the base of the tree where a doll dressed in pink and blue sparkles waited for him.

‘Quick,’ said Andrew to the fairy. ‘Jump on. We have to go and rescue the town from the dragon.’

The fairy jumped onto the horse’s back then Georgia took them and galloped them around the tree. Andrew watched but did not smile.

‘Woah,’ said Georgia, bringing horse and fairy to a stop beside Andrew.

‘Is the dragon here?’

‘Uh huh,’ said Georgia. ‘But the fairy doesn’t want to see him.’

‘Is the fairy scared?’

‘Of course she’s scared.’

‘What’s she going to do?’

Georgia grabbed a stick and brandished it as she held the fairy aloft.

‘You bad dragon,’ she cried. ‘You’re not going to hurt our town anymore.’

There was a roar and a shout.

‘What’s happening?’ Andrew asked.

‘The fairy’s fighting the dragon,’ said Georgia.

‘I thought she was scared.’

‘Yes,’ said Georgia, ‘but she’s brave too.’

The battle raged while Andrew watched. The mysterious dragon beat the fairy down but then Charlie nuzzled the fairy’s side and she rose, wobbling a little but then steady again.

‘I think she’s going to win,’ said Andrew.

‘Sh,’ said Georgia. ‘She has to concentrate.’

‘Sorry,’ said Andrew.

The final battle began. The fairy turned somersaults and dodged under and over the dragon all the while stabbing the dragon with the stick. Meanwhile Charlie zipped under the dragon and caught the fairy.

‘Now,’ cried Georgia.

The fairy aimed the stick at the dragon as Charlie lunged. There was another scuffle and then silence.

‘Whew,’ said Andrew after a moment. ‘What a battle.’

‘They have to go home now,’ said Georgia handing the toys to Andrew.

‘I have to tell the fairy something first.’

Georgia held the fairy to Andrew’s mouth.

‘Little fairy,’ said Andrew. ‘I have to ask you to be brave again.’

Georgia lowered the fairy and stared up at her father wide-eyed.

‘She has to be brave,’ said Andrew looking at Georgia, ‘because the people who own her home have sold it and so the fairy has to move to a different tree. But Charlie and me and you will go with her.’

‘The fairy doesn’t want a new home.’

‘I know but sometimes, like the fighting the dragon, there’s no choice.’

Georgia thought for a moment. Then she brought the fairy back to Andrew’s face.

‘You never asked the fairy her name.’

‘That’s true.’ Andrew leant close to the fairy and whispered, ‘What’s your name?’

‘Georgia,’ said Georgia. ‘Her name’s Georgia.’

‘Is Georgia scared?

‘Nuh uh,’ said the fairy. ‘I’m going to be brave.’ 

I’m absolutely delighted to have a dystopian story called ‘Ladybird’ published in the August 1st edition of ‘Claws Out Literary’.

I’ve been working on this story for about 18 months. The original idea came out of a competition I was thinking of entering where the theme was nature. I played with many different ideas for an essay, such as — bushwalks in my favourite places, an ode to my lake-filled childhood home, a story of my local wetlands but none stuck with me until I had the idea of framing a story around an evocative question: What if there were no nature?

It was from this idea that the story emerged. You can read the published version here.

I’m thrilled to be shortlisted for the Penned competition as part of the Queenscliff Literary Festival. The brief was to write a short story in 50 words, no more, no less. Quite the challenge! I’m so excited to have made this wonderful list and I wish all the best to the other writers and thank the festival organisers for the opportunity to enter and for their support of writers.

Now standing at 56 rejections as of August 9! I’m on track to meet my target of 100 by the end of the year but I have to keep writing and sending out just to make sure ;-)

Until next time,