Onwards and upwards

Hi everyone - if I've seemed uncharacteristically quiet, it's because big things are afoot! Firstly, I won a national writing competition with a short story called 'Cold Water Shock'!

It can be found (with the judge's comments) just here. Now that I've got a big win under my belt, I've decided to get a bit more serious with the whole writing thing, so I have a new website - mochapman.com. 

My blog will be shifting there too - so this is goodbye to the old place. I'll leave all of the stories and everything else here, but please do turn the lights out again as you go.

See you there!

New Baby Writing Challenge SUPER//OVERTIME//MODE Story Nineteen: "Festival Night"

Well, here were are ladies and gentlemen. The final story. The first one "A Flash of Pink" dropped 135 days ago, back in August, and before the delightful wiggle machine that is Aurora arrived. It's been immensely fun to write these stories for everyone who wanted to play. I'm a bit sad that it's over, but secretly a bit glad that I'm going to get my lie-ins back for a while.

Definitely until I find the next damn fool thing to do!

Oh yeah - that's the next damn fool thing. Now that all of the stories are done - 56k words...novel length! - I'm going to give everything a thorough edit and format and release it for free download on Smashwords (and the Kindle, if I can work out how that works!).

This story was written for two good friends of mine who are getting married this year. Their wedding is actually going to be a festival in itself, which should make for spectacular fun this summer! Their chosen word was "festival" and the random genre picker gave me "time travel". I've tried to go out with a bang this time!

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you "Festival Night".

Baby Writing Challenge SUPER//OVERTIME//MODE Story Seventeen: "Wherever We Go"

So...having a baby uses up a lot of your free time. Having two uses up nearly all of it. Would I swap them both for extra writing time? Well...it remains to be seen whether either of them is a match with me for possible future organ donation.

I kid, obviously. Lyn...if you read this...I am definitely kidding. Unless I need something in the future, in which case this is all forward planning.

I'm entering the final run of stories now. After this, there're only two more to go and 'it's all over save the crying' (read: editing). The master plan is to edit all the stories thoroughly once they're all finished and stick them up as a free book on Smashwords or Kindle. Given the work rate I can currently sustain, that might be after my children leave home.

This story's word was suggested by an old university friend of mine - "swazmacking". Don't look it up in the dictionary - it's entirely fictional! The random genre picker gave me "science fiction robinsonade" - so riffing off Robinson Crusoe. A fictional word and a genre thoroughly mined out in '60s and '70s sci-fi.

*ulp!*

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you "Wherever We Go".

Guest contributor: Celeste Chapman (2)

Story by Celeste Chapman (aged 2 1/2 years):

Dolly and me had a shop and Dolly grew big and I was small. The shop was pink and sold soldiers. Dolly grew small again and I grew big. Then a dinosaur came and 'ommed' a rabbit and he was bad and he stomped away. Dolly cuddled me and I went home and went to bed with a blanket and a cushion and eyes shut. I went to sleep. The End.

Baby Writing Challenge SUPER//OVERTIME//MODE Story Fifteen: "White Castle, Black King"

A lot darker subject than I usually tackle this time.

I should explain.

I'd been casting around for the angle for the story I was writing for a friend of my wife. The random genre picker gave me "historical fiction" which narrowed the field down to the whole of human history, which wasn't especially helpful.

I listen to an excellent podcast called Lore.  It's tag line is "Sometimes the truth is more frightening than fiction". That's a understatement. I listened to an episode about an American gentleman called H H Holmes and it shocked me so much that I had to stop listening to check that the narrator wasn't winding me up. He wasn't. Knowing what I know now, I am absolutely astonished that the world has forgotten him.

I won't spoil the shock for you. I've put some schematics for perusal after the story. Just bear in mind that everything, save the fictional narrator, is true. You won't believe me, but there it is.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you "White Castle, Black King".

Baby Writing Challenge SUPER//OVERTIME//MODE Story Fourteen: "Lost and Found"

So...work, a toddler and a baby equals less writing time. I've tried writing with the toddler around. She - bless her golden heart - wants to 'help'. Apparently, if you mash the letters on a keyboard that makes words and if you do that for long enough, that makes a story. She seems to have the basics of fiction writing sorted then!

Thankfully, there are enough naughty kids in my classes this year that they can do all the tidying up of my classroom in their detention, while I write (in five minute bursts between naggings).

Super Overtime Mode Ho!

The next story in the sequence was prompted by the words 'celestial' and 'chaos', after the human hurricane who is my toddler.  The word was suggested by my sister-in-law,  now famous through her work in drug development.  The random genre picker gave me 'lost world' as a genre and it is here that I have a confession to make.

There was literally no way that I could think of a story about finding lost dinosaurs, cavemen, etc that I could tell in 2-3k words that wasn't massively cheesy and also rubbish. I've managed to sneak round that by being very, very literal. 

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you - 'Lost and Found'.

Silver Medal

Hooray! My story that won second place in a national competition has been posted online in Writing Magazine's Winners' Showcase (and there's even some very flattering comments from the judge right at the end!). What a lovely start to the weekend!

Read the story here

Baby Writing Challenge SUPER//OVERTIME//MODE Story Thirteen: "Leviathan"

So it turns out that having a baby - in fact, having children - eats up your free time so you can't spend as much time on your hobbies as you used to!

Did anyone else know about this?! I sense a global conspiracy at work here.

Getting this most recent story out has probably been the most difficult of all. Between some mild sleep deprivation (not as bad as the stoic and wonderful Mrs Chapman) and managing a toddler who's suddenly decided not to nap in the afternoon anymore, it hasn't left an awful lot of time or brain energy for writing.

Still, persistence conquers all things, so...

Here's the next story in the sequence. The word "skerry" was given to me by my father-in-like (a Scottish word meaning 'small island'. The random genre picker gave me 'sea story' which is another nice fit between word and genre!

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you - 'Leviathan'.

Baby Writing Challenge SUPER//OVERTIME//MODE Story Twelve: "A Nice Cup of Tea"

Okay, so the baby's been born now (details to follow!), so strictly speaking - according to the rules of my little challenge that I set myself - I should stop now. However, not only do I have words still outstanding but I'm also still having a lot of fun. I think I'll finish off the words I've still go at my own pace and see where I stand.

Anyway...

Here's the next story in the sequence. The word "consequence" was obliquely suggested to me by my aunt who joked that I was using my writing challenge to avoid thinking about the future. The future has now arrived in all of its delicate, beautiful, poo-dispensing glory.

The random genre picker gave me 'black comedy' which is a lovely fit with the word.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you - 'A Nice Cup of Tea'.

Imminent Baby Challenge Day Eleven: "Chalkface"

Okay, firstly an admission that this really isn't going day-by-day as I intended. Having a heavily pregnant wife, a toddler who's just discovering the joys of defiance and a pressing need to sleep before the new baby gets here has put a serious crimp in my original timetable.

Frankly, I need to rest and the nagging of friends and family has finally convinced me.

I'm still going to do this, but the pace is going to have to slacken a bit.

Regardless, here is the next story in the sequence. The words "mug", "naive" and "masochist" were suggested by a very good friend of mine to describe this challenge I've set myself, so I...wrote a story around them, instead of resting. Whoops. Thanks again Rachel.

The random genre picker gave me 'education' which is, finally, something I know something about - hooray!

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you - 'Chalkface'.

Imminent Baby Challenge Day Ten: "The Scourging of the North"

Two weeks to go now! Hasn't time flown?

Today's word was suggested by my brother-in-law who gave me the word 'Circassian circle' - a Scottish country dancing term - because, although he is a genuine nice man, he can also be a 'wit' when he wants to be (aka a massive pain in the bum). This then got the random genre 'dieselpunk'. Considering that I knew nothing about either before I started, I have done my best!

However, in recognition of how annoying he's been with this, in this short story his current home town of Aberdeen is burned to ash by an English aristocrat. It was strangely satisfying.

So, ladies and gentlemen, I give you - "The Scourging of the North".

After this, I'm going to be taking a short break to get more baby stuff ready and then I'll be right back!

Imminent Baby Writing Challenge Day Nine: "Toxin"

Just in the nick of time, with 90 minutes to spare, here's Day Nine!

Today's word was suggested by my sister-in-law who gave me the word 'tea party', which I suspect was influenced by the bellowing toddler she was playing with when it came to mind, which then got the random genre 'suspense'.

 Tomorrow's word is 'Circassian circle' - because my brother-in-law is a jovial pain in the arse - and  'dieselpunk': two things I know virtually nothing about. I'd best start reading up then!

If any more of my blog readers want to suggest a word, I'll write you a story too! (as always, the genre will get randomly picked out of a list).

So, ladies and gentlemen, I give you - "Toxin".

Imminent Baby Writing Challenge Day Eight: "Adaptations"

Sorry I've gone quiet for a few days on this. This story turned out to be nearly three times longer than my average so far, so I couldn't keep to my usual schedule. Fingers crossed for the future!

Today's word was suggested by my father who gave me 'beekeeping', a topic much on his mind at the moment, which then got the random genre 'sci-fi' - although I will admit to straying into sci-fi horror a bit with this one.

 Tomorrow's word is 'tea party' (picked by my wife's sister-in-law) and the random genre is 'suspense' - in my personal experience, these are not two words that often sit together!

If any more of my blog readers want to suggest a word, I'll write you a story too! (as always, the genre will get randomly picked out of a list).

So, ladies and gentlemen, I give you - "Adaptations".

Imminent Baby Challenge Day Seven: "The God Stone"

Not long to go until D-Day now ladies and gents! "The muslins were washed and then folded with care, in the hope that a little babe soon would be there!" and so on. I'd write the rest, but a story each day is keeping me pretty busy already!

Today's word was suggested by my mother who I think decided to scupper me by giving me 'lamp shade' which then got the random genre 'fantasy'. That's right. A fantasy lamp shade. I've done my best!

So, ladies and gentlemen, I give you - "The God Stone".

Imminent Baby Challenge Day Six: "The Dance of the Shadows"

T-minus 20 days until blast-off! Mind you, with the number of warm-up contractions that Lyn's having, I suspect showtime might be even sooner than that!

Today's word was suggested by my brother who's always had a fascination for stories revolving around the dark, chaotic and macabre. He gave me "shadows" and the random genre picker gave me "steampunk."

So, ladies and gentlemen, I give you - "The Dance of the Shadows".

Imminent Baby Challenge Day Five: "Post Haste"

T-minus 21 days until blast-off! Yes, I know you expected that to read 22 days, but I miscalculated - don't tell Lyn.

Today's word has given by a very good friend from university with whom I lived for some years, spending a king's random on beer and "House of the Dead" shooting galleries in the student union. He gave me "biplane" and the random genre picked was "western", two words that have an overlap of about eight years chronologically and only in about four states in the US.

So, ladies and gentlemen, I give you - "Post Haste".

Imminent Baby Challenge Day Four: "The Little People"

T-minus 23 days until blast-off! Or less! Or more! Who can say? If Lyn's got it all planned out, she won't say!

Today's word has given by the lovely wife of a very good friend of mine from university - it is "bannister" and the random genre picker gave me "folk tale". I'm very proud of getting this one out on time because halfway through, my computer died and I had to finish writing and editing it on my phone's memo app.

So, ladies and gentlemen, I give you - "The Little People".

Imminent Baby Challenge Day Three: "Just the Shine"

T-minus 24 days until blast-off! Or less! Or more!

Today's word has given by my very lovely and heavily pregnant wife Lyn - it is "shine" and the random genre picker gave me "crime". There are far, far worse combinations than crimes involving shiny things. Actually, come to think of it, the majority of crimes revolve around shiny things.

So, ladies and gentlemen, I give you - "Just the Shine".

Imminent Baby Writing Challenge Day Two: "Cloak, Club and Cups"

T-minus 25 days until blast-off! Or less!

So Day One seemed to go pretty well. Now though, the choice of an old university friend of mine - 'hammock' - which got paired with 'fairy story'. Not an easy one this, but I've given it my best go. Thanks very much for the word - and it's been brilliant to see photos of your lovely boys on Facebook. Tomorrow's word is 'shine' and the genre is 'crime'.

If any of my readers want to chip in a word, I'll write you a story too!

New Baby Celebration Day One: "A Flash of Pink"

To help celebrate the imminent birth of my second child and mourn the fact that I'm not going to be writing for a while once that happens, I asked some of my friends on Facebook to throw a word at me and I'd write them a story about it. To keep it interesting, the genre would get picked by a random selector. To make it really difficult, I'm going to try to do one per day.

This first one came from a very dear friend of mine who lives in Canada and who I sadly haven't seen in bleedin' ages, but it's been brilliant to see her flourishing in far, much colder, soils. The word was 'blues' and the topic was 'thriller'.