Two New Shorts: ‘One Thing and Another’ and ‘Alicia, 14’
I’ve finished two new shorts: One Thing and Another and Alicia, 14. I have submitted them for publication.
One Thing and Another is a 2,600 word story about love and the lies we tell ourselves. It follows Daniella, a woman whose meaningless affair leads to her saving an old woman’s life, exploring the duality of public and private life in the digital age. It was fun to explore something in such a close perspective to such a flawed character, and to toy with the ways reality can drip through without her noticing.
This started as a more literary tale than I usually tell. Like with The Searcher, it’s an experiment with combining voice and intent. I can’t wait to share how it turned out.
Alicia, 14 is a very different story. Flash fiction – less than 500 words long. This is part of Leak, a collection of short stories I’m occasionally working towards. This story is about a man who has mourned for his murdered sister for fifty years, losing his entire life to it. When a data leak allows him to see the police files for the case, he gets to enact the closure he has needed. Leak is built around this theme. What happens when the internet is blown open? Boudoir is another from Leak.
The beauty of these pieces is that they have a life beyond the collection. That’s important, as it’ll make the whole stronger. The central idea of an unprecedented data leak is timely, sure. But it’s also something that sits nicely at the heart of these stories. Leak isn’t a sci-fi collection. It isn’t about tech. Leak is about people, and the highs and lows of our relationship with the internet.
One Thing and Another and Alicia,14, will hopefully be available to read in the near future.