Comments on: The terrifying commitment of a short story club

By: Queenie

Queenie — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 11:04:36 +0000

Loved the new story! Read it last night & it had a lovely a frisson of spookiness. Then it started prodding me again as I was falling asleep. Can’t stop imagining it animated in Tim Burton or Coraline style… Bravo once more & can’t wait for the next one!

By: Iapetus999

Iapetus999 — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 05:53:07 +0000

Pretty creepy. Hiding hammer & nails as we speak.
(or am I using them? Mwahahaha)

By: Caroline

Caroline — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 19:03:42 +0000

Wow! I was actually in Gordon Square, a garden square off Torrington Place, near UCL. Next time I’m up that way I promise to wander a bit further east, and go and take a look at the ‘real’ Miri’s garden!

I think it’s great to dream big. The bigger the better. And (as an ex-tour guide) please can I join the team when you get big enough to start running those tours?!

By: Keely H.

Keely H. — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 16:55:01 +0000

The story was pretty riveting. I have a nasty habit of putting things off or starting to read long emails and not finishing them, but this drew me right in and kept me there right to the end. I like the idea of you making this into a longer work. I definitely felt there was more to be said, and not just because it ended on a cliffhanger, but because I thought the next chapter would be as surprising as this one.

Thanks for the story.

By: Mike and Liz

Mike and Liz — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 16:42:01 +0000

We loved this first story, you certainly have a talent for writing and absorbing the reader very quickly into it. Keep it up great!!!

By: Dom Camus

Dom Camus — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 16:04:37 +0000

@Emma – I see it as a good thing, because it means you’re writing with your own voice and not just imitating existing works.

By: Emma

Emma — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 16:01:03 +0000

Yay! Thank you for the lovely comments everyone, so chuffed that you like it

@Dom – that’s interesting to hear… I think that’s a good thing. Then I worry it’s not. Blee, us writers eh?

@Caroline – this made me so bone-shakingly happy! Miri’s Garden is set in a real location (Queen’s Square is a real place I should say!) – it’s the garden square outside of Great Ormond Street hospital. Everything I describe in the book about streets or locations is accurate – I spent hours wondering those streets and making notes, taking pictures etc. So for you to have that experience there means it was worth it. I have very silly dreams about doing TYL tours one day. “This is Miri’s house, and over there is where Zane saw the Giant for the first time, let’s go take a look…” I’m utterly mad, I know….

By: Caroline

Caroline — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 14:29:45 +0000

Great short story – fabulous, Emma! And I don’t think it’s cheating to include the ‘now, she thought …’ line, either. It would have gone to waste, and that would have been a shame.

As an aside – I was up in London earlier today, and walked past one of those squares – you know, the ones like Miri’s garden. Couldn’t help thinking of you (and Twenty Years Later) as I did so. I don’t go into London much, but I often think, when I do, that some parts of it already look like the London you describe.

By: Icy

Icy — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 13:23:40 +0000

Oh wow, this is brilliant!! Really enjoyed it. Can’t wait for the next one!

By: Jean Hunt

Jean Hunt — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 12:53:29 +0000

Emma this is a fabulous story which had me riveted to my seat. I was eating my lunch whilst reading it but had to put the sandwich down as I couldn’t read fast enough and eat! I’m very new to all this blogging and twittering stuff but I can almost feel an author coming out in me – you have so inspired me! (: Thank you for including me on your list.