Mr Purnell, I appreciate your time and effort, and, of course, leaving a comment. I won't go on a self-obsessed rant about why I wrote this like I have in other comments, because I'd be saying the same thing using different words.
Cheers, Mr Oak. Not my usual short this one, people talking a lot and all that stuff - gives me the shivers. But yes, you know the people who know, when they know you got it right. Thanks for reading and leaving a comment. Early days but short on comments this one. Which is of course heartbreaking. I'll live. Thanks again.
Really enjoyed that, Chris. Your writing style is perfect to me: quite simple in a generous way, easy to read and digest, no pretension or needless filler, and it conjures up imagery that is very powerful to me. Like a little brain workout for a tired mind. You possess a real talent! For all the above reasons I can't wait for your novel.
Hello Ms Glass. That means a lot to me because a writer friend recently said my writing is 'prone to prolapsing due to excessive verbiage'. Weirdly, I agree with him, I just don't see that as a bad thing. Poetic language threatens the limits of its enclosure. I digress. This one was stripped back considerably though. I rarely write dialogue, so thought I'd do a dialogue heavy piece. I'll let you into a secret, I wanted a story where near the end a bloke announced himself into his girlfriend's/wife's delivery room with two beers and a pizza because I heard someone say they done that in group therapy once, and that his wife made a 'joke' that the kid had died. So I thought I'd see if I could work potential events that lead up to such an event. The thing was, when the bloke was reading out his life story in the therapy room, everyone laughed when he said the 'Oi! Oi!' bit, and chucked a beer at her head. The therapist went nuts and said we were sick people, but as I said to Al, there is a certain charm to the charmless, by virtue of them being people in life, and as such not only struggle, but just sometimes, attempt to soften the struggle with a bit of humour. Thanks for reading and leaving a comment.
A comment! I was starting to feel lonelier than a failed writer who washed-up in Cambodia with nothing but his fading looks and receding hairline. Thanks for giving it a read, Al. An odd one this. Rarely do I know why I write a short, usually I find out afterwards, but with this one I knew. I wanted to tease the charm out of the seemingly charmless. Hopefully more comments will let me know if I succeeded or not, but yours is a good start.
Loved it. it's been too long since the last one, but I know you've been through a lot lately. I hope you are well. We all know people like Terry Rutter. But I find it fascinating the way you write about these bleak people in desperate lives yet remind us they're human. Is it wrong to say I quite liked them? Where's the bloody novel?
The 'bloody' novel is moving along nicely. My editor is back, which is delicious, and weirdly I've got a Zoom meeting this week with an agent who said the following regarding a summary of my novel: "Christ Chris, it sounds like devil’s brew alright – from an agent’s perspective - the antithesis of a saleable novel. A magnificent book perhaps but the anti-deal for sure. Your stories within and on the page (I linked him to 'Lizard Jane 'and 'Whatever Happened To Hunting', I think) a parade of socio-cultural and commercial trigger points – a festival of needles pricking the skin of publishers forever." That was in March, but he contacted me earlier today and asked for a Zoom call this week.
Anyway, thanks for giving this a go and leaving a comment. This is often said as a joke, but Crack has a bad reputation, and I don't think it's always fair. It's the most hideous thing on the planet, of course, but that lends itself to a certain merit, a certain kind of amor fati, and I'll not hear a bad word said about that.
I can’t say dancing with the old fella out is something I’ve done with friends whilst high on crack. Perhaps I have never lived adventurously. Love these shorts from the seedy side of society. That newborn is going to be A OK.👍😬
Yeah, each to their own. Thanks for giving it a read, Matt - always appreciated. I've seen kids dragged-up in far worse conditions than these, and miraculously, nature gets them through. As you and I both know, you do what you do to get through, even when you know it's not the long term solution.
Great short story Chris another quality Dangerfield product keep it up mate
Mr Purnell, I appreciate your time and effort, and, of course, leaving a comment. I won't go on a self-obsessed rant about why I wrote this like I have in other comments, because I'd be saying the same thing using different words.
The description of crack smoking was perfect. Great short story.
Cheers, Mr Oak. Not my usual short this one, people talking a lot and all that stuff - gives me the shivers. But yes, you know the people who know, when they know you got it right. Thanks for reading and leaving a comment. Early days but short on comments this one. Which is of course heartbreaking. I'll live. Thanks again.
Really enjoyed that, Chris. Your writing style is perfect to me: quite simple in a generous way, easy to read and digest, no pretension or needless filler, and it conjures up imagery that is very powerful to me. Like a little brain workout for a tired mind. You possess a real talent! For all the above reasons I can't wait for your novel.
Hello Ms Glass. That means a lot to me because a writer friend recently said my writing is 'prone to prolapsing due to excessive verbiage'. Weirdly, I agree with him, I just don't see that as a bad thing. Poetic language threatens the limits of its enclosure. I digress. This one was stripped back considerably though. I rarely write dialogue, so thought I'd do a dialogue heavy piece. I'll let you into a secret, I wanted a story where near the end a bloke announced himself into his girlfriend's/wife's delivery room with two beers and a pizza because I heard someone say they done that in group therapy once, and that his wife made a 'joke' that the kid had died. So I thought I'd see if I could work potential events that lead up to such an event. The thing was, when the bloke was reading out his life story in the therapy room, everyone laughed when he said the 'Oi! Oi!' bit, and chucked a beer at her head. The therapist went nuts and said we were sick people, but as I said to Al, there is a certain charm to the charmless, by virtue of them being people in life, and as such not only struggle, but just sometimes, attempt to soften the struggle with a bit of humour. Thanks for reading and leaving a comment.
Excellent. Terry is a man after my own heart. What a waste of perfectly good powder to make that shit! Nice on Chris
A comment! I was starting to feel lonelier than a failed writer who washed-up in Cambodia with nothing but his fading looks and receding hairline. Thanks for giving it a read, Al. An odd one this. Rarely do I know why I write a short, usually I find out afterwards, but with this one I knew. I wanted to tease the charm out of the seemingly charmless. Hopefully more comments will let me know if I succeeded or not, but yours is a good start.
Loved it. it's been too long since the last one, but I know you've been through a lot lately. I hope you are well. We all know people like Terry Rutter. But I find it fascinating the way you write about these bleak people in desperate lives yet remind us they're human. Is it wrong to say I quite liked them? Where's the bloody novel?
The 'bloody' novel is moving along nicely. My editor is back, which is delicious, and weirdly I've got a Zoom meeting this week with an agent who said the following regarding a summary of my novel: "Christ Chris, it sounds like devil’s brew alright – from an agent’s perspective - the antithesis of a saleable novel. A magnificent book perhaps but the anti-deal for sure. Your stories within and on the page (I linked him to 'Lizard Jane 'and 'Whatever Happened To Hunting', I think) a parade of socio-cultural and commercial trigger points – a festival of needles pricking the skin of publishers forever." That was in March, but he contacted me earlier today and asked for a Zoom call this week.
Anyway, thanks for giving this a go and leaving a comment. This is often said as a joke, but Crack has a bad reputation, and I don't think it's always fair. It's the most hideous thing on the planet, of course, but that lends itself to a certain merit, a certain kind of amor fati, and I'll not hear a bad word said about that.
Another fantastic read, sir! Thank you!
Nice one, Mr Palmer. Thanks for giving it your time and attention.
I can’t say dancing with the old fella out is something I’ve done with friends whilst high on crack. Perhaps I have never lived adventurously. Love these shorts from the seedy side of society. That newborn is going to be A OK.👍😬
Yeah, each to their own. Thanks for giving it a read, Matt - always appreciated. I've seen kids dragged-up in far worse conditions than these, and miraculously, nature gets them through. As you and I both know, you do what you do to get through, even when you know it's not the long term solution.
Hello Chris, I've just written my first Substack piece and looking for feedback. Cheers.
I write vignettes about how London is now.
https://inkbattle.substack.com/p/prologue-bus-journey
I would argue that this is more of an agnostic demiurge.