Round, Round, The Fairy Ring: Finally Finished!

My newest short story based on fairy myths called ‘Round, Round, The Fairy Ring’ is finally done. That also means that the first draft of the Tina Storm: Demon Hunter short story collection is also complete! *runs excitedly in tiny circles*

Abigail likes her new house, but not her new baby sister. She’s sick and cries all the time. Then Abigail discovers that Sarah’s miraculous recovery is the result of the fairies that live in the forest outside her new house, and she knows that she is the only one who can get rid of the changeling imposter and bring her family back together.

It will be published in the Tina Storm: Demon Hunter short story collection later this year.

The story was very loosely inspired by fairy myths and stories I grew up with.

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What I’m Working On I

I want four short stories to accompany my 5 Tina Storm: Demon Hunter short story collection. Currently I have three completed that fit in with the paranormal genre: guardian angels, ghosts, and one that’s so odd and non-type specific that I only know it’s paranormal (that’s The Archive of Lost Dreams).

As a side note, I was trying to rewrite a story I wrote when I was a teenager about a witch that visited the Underworld, but it just wasn’t working. So I gave up and decided to write an new urban story. After all, there is great joy in writing something entirely new.

My newest story is about fairy changelings. It’s my first fairy story ever, and I’m very excited about writing it. Once again, like Don’t Even Peep and The Archive of Lost Dreams, the protagonist is a very young girl. I think she’s seven or eight – these things can be hard to judge, and unless she turns around and tells me exactly how old she is, I’m not going to know for sure (much like Susan in Don’t Even Peep).

I’m focusing on producing classic types of stories for the collection, because short stories can be hard to sell (especially if it’s only a small collection). I’m using elements everyone recognises such as vampires, werewolves, and sirens; as well as lesser utilised demon types such as djinn (genies) and reapers.

Hopefully this small collection will bring new readers to my larger books, even though none of them are very mainstream.

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There’s A Story Behind Every Character

Found a beautiful little quote that every writer should keep in mind when they’re writing conflicted/broken characters – often villains looking for motivation.

There’s a story behind every person. There’s a reason why they’re the way they are. They aren’t just like that because they want to [be]. Something in the past created them, and sometimes it’s impossible to fix them.

From It Never Ends.

The Archive of Lost Dreams: Finally Finished!

Tonight, while watching Eurovision (and voting to contribute to my once-in-a-lifetime-opportunity), I finished writing my latest short story: ‘The Archive of Lost Dreams’.

What happens when someone forgets a hope, a wish a desire they once held? Where does the ambition go? Why, to the Archive of Lost Dreams. And that’s where Katie, our seven year old protagonist, keeps waking up.

It will be published in the Tina Storm: Demon Hunter short story collection later this year.

The story was very loosely inspired by this underwater sculpture.

Are Dreams Good For Inspiring Fiction?

My partner likes me to sleep well in the mornings because I more often than not come downstairs and tell him about my morning dreams, which are often very vivid and narrative-like.

My latest one consisted of me returning to school only to be confronted by a Godzilla/Tyrannosaurus Rex type creature that went smashing through the buildings trying to eat people.

One of my most memorable dreams inspired a story I half-wrote (and then abandoned) when I was fourteen about a doppelganger switching places with a young girl’s boyfriend.

A dream I had a few years ago gave me the backstory and motivation for the villain in the Innocence Saga.

Inspiration from dreams doesn’t always happen. I can’t remember half of my weird dreams, but I do remember the more story-like ones. I can recall dreams I had when I was a child – including the one about the skeletons that invaded my school, and the one where I jumped off an enormously tall tower and glided away from the witch chasing me and throwing spells.

My question is this: As self-published writers, do you use dreams to inspire your writing? How else do you come up with your inspiration?

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