One of the joys of being a second bloom parent is that when the Baby King looks closely at my face, he instinctively reaches for the loose folds of my skin. At least he’s too young to comment. At his… Read More ›
Humour
Dear Auntie… stop using the third text message!
Dear Auntie, could you please stop your continual use of the third text message? I know what you’re doing and it won’t work. Like yesterday. I told you I was going out, so you sent me a message. Have a… Read More ›
Facebook school friends: let’s move on
I am in contact with only two of my schoolfriends. By contact, I mean we actually meet face to face – until COVID, that is. With everyone else, either the bonds weren’t strong enough or I was too lazy to… Read More ›
A few comments on your response to my complaint
From: James Ellis To: <Customer Care> Subject: Re: Complaint – unused deposit taken [ref:_99DFT6200_gtDDS529:ref] Date: 10 Mar 2020, at 08:27 Dear <Customer Care> – a few comments on your response to my complaint. From one writer to another. Best, James…. Read More ›
Don’t rush a good thing
Watch out, many of the baby boomers’ final cohort will be turning 60 this year – those born in the satisfyingly neat year of 1960 (it is so easy to work out how old one is, when there’s a zero… Read More ›
The shape of something
I have an idea, elusive and shadowy, but definitely there. The shape of something. The right something. It needs to be pushed and prodded (gently), given substance by being handled. Coaxed into the light so I can see it more… Read More ›
Cartoons
Back in the late 80’s and early 90’s of the last century (oh that feels bad) I had a brief but rewarding period drawing cartoons for a magazine called the Freelance Informer. Sadly, that fine magazine for the IT contracting industry… Read More ›
Weeding words (not in an Elmer Fudd sense)
This is my incomplete but sometimes useful list for when I am down in the weeds of editing. I’m sure you will have your own lists but these are the words, phrases and elements of punctuation that regularly get the… Read More ›
The Wrong Story Blog Book Tour
The Wrong Story, is going on a blog book tour. Here’s the poster with its itinerary. I’ve asked it to send postcards. Do you think I should have a tour T-shirt made up? By the way, if you want to… Read More ›
A bone is born
I’ve broken my elbow. To be precise, I’ve fractured it. To be utterly accurate, the end of my funny bone has been chipped off. I’ll leave the gags to you. I was knocked over by a group of charging youths… Read More ›
JAMES ELLIS in words 