Monthly Archives: August 2016

Writing prompt – Lily pond

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Lily pond, Natural History Museum garden by Judy DarleyI am rather a fan of your average, unprepossessing lily pond – the life that teems on and beneath that gleaming surface is ideal for idle observation as your mind drifts.

But imagine if the pond you gazed upon, only half-seeing what lies before you, suddenly offered up something rather more sinister than a water boatman or gaping goldfish…

What could rise unexpectedly from the depths to break the surface tension? What tale might that unfold into?

If you write or create something prompted by this, please send an email to Judy(at)socket creative.com to let me know. With your permission, I’ll publish it on SkyLightRain.com.

Book review – The End

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The End coverWe’re often told to begin at the beginning, but in art, as in literature or film, sometimes it’s far more interesting to begin at the end, or, at least, the beginning of the end.

So it is with this upcoming anthology, The End, from the adroit Unthank Books, commissioned by Ashley Stokes, for which authors were invited to respond to the artwork of Nicholas Ruston. Each painting itself uses the words The End, imprinted on shadowy backgrounds that offer the sense of a narrative drawing the close.

With a subhead of Fifteen Endings to Fifteen Paintings, you know you’re not in for the sunniest of rides, but with contributors ranging from Tania Hershman to David Rose and u.v.ray, you’ll want to hold on tight, right till the actual end.

The variety is wonderful. Each story examines a different image, veering off in dazzlingly unexpected directions. Yes, there are deaths, but also near misses, recoveries and quiet moments of realisation.

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