My new prose poem/flash fiction piece Siren’s Song is now up at Pipe Dream. Yet another story that shares its name with a song by The Cure, although draws its inspiration from This Mortal Coil. This picture is The Fisherman and The Siren by Knut Ekwall, by the way.

The last time I entered a writing competition was in high school and I didn’t even know I had entered it until I was told I had won it. 20 years later, I have finally entered my second and have made the shortlist! I won’t leave it quite so long for the next one.

I wrote a review of Ethel Rohan’s staggeringly excellent Hard to Say, published by PANK. This little book of short stories had a dramatic impact on me, not only because of the quality of the writing, but because of the questions it made me ask of my own writing.

I hate hospitals. I love hospitals. I frequently write about or mention them in my writing, and after the publication of my story In Hospital Greys, it seemed a fitting time to reflect on that a little. I wanted to delve a little deeper, but perhaps not right now. One day I’ll pick the wound a little more.

A brief update on what I’ve been up to since the dawn of 2011. A good year so far for my writing with a few new acceptances and pieces published, and the beginning of a new adventure as I try to start a business. It’s been busy so far, but I guess that’s how the year is going to be.

The Figurehead – my second published work of fiction appeared in Emprise Review in January. A personal favourite of mine, due to its dark tone and imagery, it isn’t inspired by the song of the same name by The Cure. It just turned out that way.

The Drowning Man was my first piece of published fiction, and appeared in Issue 3 of Spilling Ink Review. It’s a dark, twisted take on a love story, and – at least partially – inspired by the song of the same name by The Cure, from their classic 1981 album, Faith.