A three-time winner of the Reedsy contest, Joshua G. J. Insole is a British writer who lives in the Austrian Alps. Author of several other shortlisted stories, he published his first book in 2020. Joshua’s favoured genres are horror and science fiction.
*Looks into your eyes, flushes guiltily then glances away* Yeah, I know, I’ve neglected this blog as of late. But, hey, we’re living during a global pandemic. I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s struggling a bit to maintain previous standards. On that note, I hope you’re all well and that you’re looking after yourselves! Seriously, stay safe, everyone.
Anyway, I’ve got a huge backlog of stories to upload, and a huge backlog of artwork to upload to my sister blog. This story was written for the Reedsy contest Bad Hair Day; I chose the prompt, “Write a story about a character who’s too polite to tell someone they don’t like a gift given to them.” The title of my short story is Donum Ex Deo, and you can read it here on WordPress or over on my Reedsy profile.
Sorry for being so behind on everything, I hope you’ll excuse me, considering current circumstances. Take care, guys! I hope to have more of my stories up over the next few days.
Well, it’s certainly been a while, hasn’t it? How are you all? I sincerely hope you’re all safe and well! It’s been rather chaotic recently, what with global pandemics and failing laptops, so I won’t self-flagellate myself too badly. We gotta take it easy on ourselves, especially during times like these, right?
Anyway, on to the reason for this post: the new #BlogBattle prompt is out! This month the word is ‘brooch’. I knew that I wanted to return to the twisted little island I had begun to explore in last month’s #BlogBattle. Who knows, maybe I’ll be making this a series? The title for this story is Two-Thirds of a Watch, and you can read it here!
It wasn’t her face that his eyes kept coming back to, and it certainly wasn’t his face. The boy could hardly bring himself to raise his gaze to meet his father’s. His real father, that was, not the Father. The child — for he had only very recently taken a few unsteady footsteps along the path towards manhood — knew that if he didn’t look Papa in the eyes, he may never do so again.
Well, here we go! Another week, another Reedsy contest. This week’s theme was This Magic Moment; magical realism. I chose the prompt, “Write about someone who works an average job — but incorporate elements of magic into it.”
I’ve recently been writing more and more non-horror pieces. Last week’s Grandma’s Garden (read it here) was a return to the norm — or at least, my norm! This week I’ve explored a bit more of non-horror. Nothing wrong with a bit of experimentation, right? The title for my story is Maledictions and Muffins, and — you know how this bit goes by now, right? — you can read it here on WordPress or over on my Reedsy profile.
The witch waved her wand in the direction of her victim, whispering the ancient incantations under her breath. The words snaked out from between her lips, like a worm out of an apple. Her opponent began to expand — growing, widening, fattening. Mavis knew that it wouldn’t be long until the object of her spellcasting finally bid adieu to this mortal world and exploded, insides splattering in every direction.
The reason for the latest batch of non-horror pieces is simply because I don’t like to force my stories. I try to keep it very natural and easy. As a rule, I try to stick with the idea that comes first — as this is generally what I want to write, as opposed to what I feel I should write. This isn’t to say I’m abandoning horror (far from it, haha!), simply that I’m broadening my horizons. We can’t be all doom and gloom and zombies and gore 24/7, can we? Nice to spice things up a bit — every now and then!
So, I hope you guys like the piece — I really had fun writing it (but, then again, I always do!). I really liked the idea of a a kind and friendly witch in a cosy kitchen full of tasty smells, with a fluffy black cat pestering her for some crumbs. I thought it was simply a heartwarming picture.
Well, this has been enough rambling for one week, right? I best be buggering off! P.S. If you like the artwork that I made for this story, why not check out my side blog, Art in Soul?
This week’s Reedsy theme was a nice one — The Ordinary. As put on the Reedsy site — The very last line of the NBC sitcom The Office is spoken by former receptionist Pam Beasley. She says: “There’s a lot of beauty in ordinary things. Isn’t that kind of the point?”
I chose the prompt, “Write a short story about someone tending to their garden.” Such a simple prompt, isn’t it? So lovely. I thought I’d give it my proper “Josh Insole” spin, though! My story is called Grandma’s Garden, and you can read it here on WordPress, or over on my Reedsy profile!
Grandma was always tending to her garden. Eleanor watched her as she went about her duties, a smile stretched across her kind and wrinkled face, a pretty little melody being softly hummed (and occasionally whistled), a wide-brim straw hat pushed snugly on her head.
I loved writing this! I came up with the ending first, then worked my way backwards from there. Also, as was the case with my most recent stories, I made the art for Grandma’s Garden myself. If you’d like to see more of my art, why not check out my art blog? https://artinsoulstudio.wordpress.com/
Well, it’s been a while since I won/almost won the Reedsy contest! I don’t mind, though — it’s getting more and more popular by the week, which means it’ll be harder to win each time. Plus, there’s some awesome writers putting out some truly amazing stories over on the site, so it’s tough to compete!
With that in mind, I was super-pleased to hear that my psychedelic and dreamy story, Sea the Moon, was shortlisted for last week’s contest! This marks the fourth time I’ve been shortlisted for this contest. I’ve won it twice (and would love to win it a third time, but we can’t always win, can we?) so far, which I’m very proud of.
The seagulls were weeping again. They had woken her from her sleep. It was funny, now that she thought about it. She’d also fallen asleep listening to their shrill pleas. It reminded her of the song her mother had sung to her as a baby. Sunset and sunrise, bird calls and bird cries.
So, a massive thank you to the whole Reedsy team — not just for liking my stories (which is always appreciated, and is quite the confidence boost) but for hosting these weekly contests in the first place!
How is it March already!? Where’s the year going/gone? “Life moves pretty fast.” — Ferris Bueller
Anyway, this month’s #BlogBattle had a great word — ‘castle’! A bit easier than last month’s ‘vivacious’ (although I had a lot of fun trying to make that one work — a challenge is always appreciated!). The title for my story is The Repellers of Boddi Craig, and you can read it here on WordPress. I’ve got this idea of maybe making the story that I’ve hinted at in this month’s entry into a larger thing — perhaps I’ll try and work each #BlogBattle entry into fitting into the larger universe of Boddi Craig? We’ll see, my friends, we’ll see.
I put out my own eyes with a knife at the age of thirteen.
I really loved writing this one. Quite dark, but that’s just how I like it! I wanted to write more, but I was limited to 1,000 words. As I said, maybe I’ll return to Boddi Craig in next month’s #BlogBattle (if I can make it work, that is!).
Oh, and be sure to check out the other entries — there’s always something for everyone, not just my bleak horror! 😀
Wow, look at me! Staying on top of things and publishing my Reedsy entries on time! This piece was written really quickly — I think I had it finished by Saturday evening, as the prompts came out on the Friday afternoon. The theme of this week’s prompt was the legendary writer, Haruki Murakami. I chose the prompt, “Write a story in which the lines between awake and dreaming are blurred.”
Interestingly, I didn’t write a horror story again — third week in a row! I know it sounds odd (especially for me!), but, in general, I try not to force my stories. I try to let them flow out of my fingertips naturally. Horror comes to me fairly easily, hence why it’s my preferred genre, but sometimes I stray from the darkened path and venture out into the light. If a horror story happens, great, if a non-horror story happens, also great! I just like writing and telling stories.
The seagulls were weeping again. They had woken her from her sleep. It was funny, now that she thought about it. She’d also fallen asleep listening to their shrill pleas. It reminded her of the song her mother had sung to her as a baby. Sunset and sunrise, bird calls and bird cries.
I liked this one quite a lot! I enjoyed the dreamy, uncertain feeling that permeates the piece. I also had fun writing the rhyming couplets! Oh! And I had a blast making the artwork for this one, too — I was super-proud of it! If you’d like to see (sea?) more of my art, why not check out my other blog, Art in Soul? I’ve got a backlog of art (much like I previously had a backlog of stories…) that I’m slowly posting and uploading, working my way through. I reckon there’s some good pieces, here and there!
Wow! So, here we are! 100 followers! *Cue party blowers and confetti showers* I didn’t think I’d ever get to the point where 100 people would voluntarily subject themselves to my waffling posts and inane ramblings that I try to pass off as “writing”. But here we are! So, from the bottom of my heart, thank you — it really means a lot! Here’s to many more stories in the future! 🙂
I do apologise that my Bite-Sized Horror series has fallen by the wayside recently, but I’ve had neither the time nor the energy to keep it up at a consistent quality. Maybe when my life returns to something that resembles normality, it’ll make a return! In the meantime, I hope my short stories alone are enough fuel for thought (fuel for nightmare?).
Okay, so, that fanfare and apology is out of the way and done with — on to the next part. Writing is one of my main hobbies, alongside music (which I write, record and publish online) and art. It’s this latter point I’d like to draw your attention to. I like to make my own art (mostly digital paintings), and I’ve recently been adding images of my own creation to my short stories (check out the latest additions, for examples!). Well, it turns out that I’ve amassed quite a lot of art over the course of this hobby, and a few weeks ago I started sharing the pieces via Instagram, to positive response. I thought to myself, “Why not do the same on WordPress?”
I didn’t want to start uploading art onto this blog, as it’s solely for my short stories and horror pieces, and I didn’t want to get my threads crossed or to strike tonal inconsistencies — my stories are, for the most part, horror-themed, whereas my art is quite gentle, dreamy, and psychedelic. So, I’ve made a sister site on WordPress, dedicated entirely to my art. If you’re in any way interested, you can find it here: https://artinsoulstudio.wordpress.com/ — but at the moment, it’s in its fledgling stages!
An example of the sort of art I’ll be sharing! Artwork by Joshua G. J. Insole
Don’t worry, though — writing is (and shall remain) my main point of focus (even if I don’t have time to work on Bite-Sized Horror!). Art is quite a quick time-filler — I can bash out a painting in ten minutes or so; it doesn’t occupy that much time. I just thought it might be nice to also start sharing my other creative hobbies, as well!
Well, I guess that’s all I really wanted to say! So, thanks for the follows, likes, comments and shares over this past year — I look forward to many more years of blogging with you guys!
P.S. If you’re interested in my music, you can find it on YouTube or SoundCloud!
Gah, I know, I know, I’m really not on top of things lately. Personal life (I won’t bore you with the details) and other projects often get in the way (and I’m not great at decluttering!) — but I’m always writing! Rest assured of that!
This short story was written for the theme Bildungsroman, as in, stories about formative years. I chose the prompt, “Write a story about two best friends.” Horror tends to come to me quite naturally, and it generally feels like my ‘home’. However, sometimes it’s nice to take a break and write something completely different! This story was one of those pieces — it’s a sunny, upbeat tale. As always, you can read it here on WordPress, or over on my Reedsy profile!
Daisy wakes me up each day with a kiss. I always sleep longer than her, so she’s always the one to wake me up. I sometimes wonder how long she’s been up before she decides to rouse me – minutes, hours? Does she get up to see the morning sun rising?
I hope you dig the story! It was very pleasant to write. Oh, and I also hope you like the artwork, too! I’m really starting to enjoy doing my own art to go hand-in-hand with my stories (but more on this at another point!).
Well, I’m catching back up again, aren’t I? Even when I’m not keeping this blog up to date, I’m still always writing something or another — so when I don’t post for a while, I pile up a bit of a backlog of stories that I’ve gotta upload…
This story was written for the theme ‘Agatha Christie’. I chose the prompt, “Write a short story that takes place on a train.” My favourite kinds of prompts are ones such as this — giving you a push in a particular direction, but without being too specific. I like a little bit of vagueness when writing to a prompt, otherwise I get the feeling of being “tied down” to an idea, without any creative freedom of my own. So, I really loved last week’s Reedsy for this precise reason! Anyway, enough rambling… The title of my story is Night Train to Pinea, and you can — as always! — read it here on WordPress or over on my Reedsy profile.
“Tickets and passes, please! Tickets and passes!” bellowed the conductor, startling John awake from his slumber. His eyes snapped open and he lifted his head from the table. Panic jolted into his veins like crackling electricity. His stomach lurched.
I really liked the psychedelic, dreamy vibe of this one! It felt very peaceful, yet very creatively fertile. P.S. I did the artwork for this story — I’m quite into painting abstract art, so I thought I’d have a go at making the related image myself. Maybe I’ll have a go at more of these in the future. Who knows?
Also, there won’t be a Reedsy story written for this week. The prompts for this week are all non-fiction. Non-fiction isn’t really my cup of tea — I like making stuff up, letting my imagination go wild! I don’t think my life is interesting enough to write about, really… Having said that, I will still be reading the stories that others put up (and you should too!) — as I’m sure there will be some great ones.
joshuainsole.com 