New Year, New Stories

Hi everyone, long time no see!

I have had a good while off writing totally, like across everything and now I feel ready to start again! I am so looking foreward to getting back into things and beeing creative again.

Though, I may not publish a story everyday- it is a feat to do that! But I will be doing so as often as I can.

So come back in Januray and see what’s happening.

Thanks, Hayley.

Non-Fiction Update – Missing Stories

 

Hi all,

I just wanted to write this brief update to say I have finally caught up with some days which were missing stories so please look back though June and July to catch up on those.

I’ve been really lucky that I’ve still not had the corona virus but having to stay at home shielding has really effected my mental health. I’ve been suffering with an anxiety for awhile now and I’ve had in the past bouts of depression. Well these two things are really bad for me right now.

I’m anxiety about when things will go back to normal and if it will ever be safe for me. I’m depressed because I feel like I’ve had to put many things on hold and I’m stuck at home not able to have much freedom or inspiration in the outside world. I’ve also have insomnia which is part triggered by the other two but it means I don’t sleep much and then don’t feel like doing much during the day.

This has had a big effect on writing the stories for this blog and I think for the first time since starting to write way back in August 2014, I’ve let my writing slide so much. I hope to try and get back into writing as much as possible again soon. I’ve some longer short stories I’ve been working on and I’d like to share them.

It can be hard to find motivation when I’m feeling like this and everything that’s happening in the world, but I’m trying to get through. I hope you can carry on reading and enjoying my stories because I don’t want to stop writing even though I’m finding things tough right now.

Thank you for your support,

Hayley.

A life Of Stories

It was a grim task but I had volunteered to help my family clear out a distant relation’s home. I hadn’t know Bill Dalton existed until a second cousin of my mum reached out and told her that his uncle had died and he knew my mum was an antique dealer. Did she want to come and do a house clearance?

Bill had been an organised hoarder so the task of going through things wasn’t that hard, just long.

Whilst my mum and her second cousin were inspecting a collection of figurine women dressed in 1800’s ballgowns, I decided to open a corner cupboard that had yet been touched.

The door creaked like it hadn’t been opened in awhile. Inside, stacked on the small shelves were pile and piles of notebooks. There was a range of leather, paper and hardback covers all looked well use and the lined sheets yellowing. The notebooks were all tied together string in small groups. It was a strange sight.

‘What’s all this?’ I called over my shoulder.

My mum and her second cousin came to look.

‘I don’t know….’ he trailed.

‘Pull one out,’ my mum said.

I pulled the smallest stack of notebooks out and undid the string around them. Picking up the top one which was like a hardback diary, I opened it.

‘It looks like a novel…’ I said.

I handed it to the second cousin then passed another one to my mum and gripped a third for myself. We read quietly for a few moments.

‘I didn’t know him well,’ the second cousin broke the silence , guilt and sadness in his voice.

‘It looks like this is a whole novel, handwritten and with corrections at the sides,’ my mum muttered.

‘Are all of these novels? Surely he didn’t write these, maybe he copied them or translated them or something?’ I said.

‘I don’t think they all are. Look at those, they say diary with the years.’ the second cousin pointed out.

I pulled out that stack, untied them and picked up the top one. He was right, it was a diary and each day page was carefully filled in.

‘Do you think there’s anything important in these?’ I asked.

‘I don’t know,’ the second cousin said, ‘do you think you could go through them and find out?’

‘I’ll try,’ I said.

All of the notebooks turned out to either be yearly diaries which Bill had recorded his life in, full novels which Bill himself had written, short stories, ideas and drawings, reflections on things and details of locations and characters.

There was a lot to go through but none of it was important paperwork. I didn’t want Bill’s life to fade and so with the family’s permission and years of work; I finally held one of Bill’s officially published novels in my hands.

I hope he is pleased.

Non-Fiction Announcement – Coronavirus

Hi everyone,

I just wanted to write this notice post, though I’m sure everyone is aware of what is going on in the world right now.

Currently, I’m well (if I get the chance, I’ll change that to ‘not well’ etc when needed) but I am in the high risk group as I have severe asthma and ulcerative colitis – a bowel disease- which has given me a weakened immune system and also the drugs I take for it are immunosuppressant.

I’m staying as well as I can, following all advice/instructions and keeping up to date with coronavirus reports. I am thinking about self isolation in general to lower my chances of getting the virus, it may or may not help me but for me as I’m at risk of complications from having the virus or even worse, it makes sense to do what I need to to be safe.

With regrades to this blog and posting a short story a day, I will carry on as normal. I’m writing a few stories extra when I can to have ready to publish in case I can’t write.

However, if days start to become missed then please understand it’s because I’m too ill to write. I will catch up on them when I can.

Thank you for your support, Hayley.

Help! #3LineTales

I broke into the attic of the abandoned cottage for a dare. Carrying my small axe and torch, I walked over the creaking boards and saw nothing but a desk.

There was an old phone, lamp and typewriter. I pulled out the paper which was covered by a single word repeated over and over again; Help!

‘What the….?’ I trailed.

Behind me, the attic door snapped shut. I spun to look and a handcuff was slammed onto my wrist, imprisoning me to the desk.

A voice from the darkness spoke, ‘the replacement is here, Sir. Shall I brief him?’

 

(Inspired by; https://only100words.xyz/2020/02/27/three-line-tales-week-213/ with thanks).

Not Today

The writing won’t come today. I have words and ideas enough in my head but they won’t come out onto paper. My headaches with trying, my hands shake with holding the pen tightly. I shut my eyes, try to relax, to clear my head then focus but the paper stays blank.

Post It Note Short Story

Tear the tab, remove the plastic, welcome to your new stack of sticky notes! Suitable for every purpose. Enjoy!

Non-Fiction Announcement; Merry Christmas!

Hi everyone, December is finally here and soon another year will be over!

Merry Christmas to you all and thank you for supporting my writing this year.

My goal for 2020 is to reach 1,000 followers.

I currently have over 700, so I know it’s achievable. Please help me by sharing my blog so I can reach as many new followers as possible. This achievement would make me so happy. Thank you for your help in advice.

On a side note; please don’t worry if some days are missing short stories. December of course is a busy month for everyone!

Also, I still have an eye infection from last month and I’m currently starting with a cold. I have a weak immune system and I’m on a immune suppressant medication. So some days, I’m just too ill to write, so please bear with me during those days.

I do have a few other goals for 2020 but only one of them is blog related; I want to launch a new blog about my long term health condition. I have put this off for years because it’s one of those ’embarrassing’ conditions and I’ve never been sure about how I feel about sharing things but I really want to do it as I think it’ll help myself and other people. I’ll be posting links when I launch it in the new year.

One of my other goals is not to buy any books and put that money and some more into saving for my wedding. – I buy books like other women buy clothes, shoes, handbags etc! I have a huge reading pile that will see me through 2020 if not 2021! So no more books for now. Going to be so hard but I need to save for my wedding and that’s super important.

I won’t bore you with the other goals and this post is too long all ready!

I hope you have a great December and continue to enjoy my stories.

Thanks again, Hayley .R. Hardman.

Fall Arrives

Strong winds blew summer away, everything became colder and darker but colour bloomed in the changing leaves which danced to the ground.

The Pen #TwitteringTales

The lawyer set himself up, clicked on his pen and began to write as his client talked. Suddenly, he noticed that his words were disappearing on the page. Frowning, he looked at the pen, it seemed normal enough but it wasn’t, it was filled with invisible ink and his client’s demands had vanished.

 

(Inspired by; https://katmyrman.com/2019/07/16/twittering-tales-145-16-july-2019/ with thanks).