Introduction

Hello, my name is Tom Ashton.
I'm a third year Creative Writing student, co-head editor of the creative writing magazine 'The Writer's Quibble' and an aspiring author.
Mostly, I write transgressive fiction with elements of dark humour but i've also been known to write horror, thriller and fantasy. I'm also technically a published poet.
Furthermore, I recently a received a 'First' for a radio script I wrote, which has encouraged me to experiment in different areas.
On this blog you can expect to find my opinion columns, essays and reports as well as poetry and lots of prose.

Please leave me some feedback, in the comment boxes at bottom of each article as it is crucial to me as a writer and therefore greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

Tom Ashton

Monday, June 17, 2013

15th-17th July

I've neglected my blogging a little lately because i've been hard at the prose writing; a seven thousand word first draft in three days. 
The story was originally to be a standard psychological thriller with an unhappy ending but it has taken on several biblical elements and a paranormal spin. I love it when my own writing surprises me. 

Now, to write two more pieces of prose, in preparation for Independent Study next year, then prose for summer writing competitions and then i've to mould a prose piece into a radio script... 

...AND LOTS OF REDRAFTING! 

I'm grateful to the source of my current productivity. 

Saturday, June 8, 2013

Magazine Release Day

Hard day at the office today; first I had my opinion column stripped from me because one of the HEAD EDITORS fancied having a dig at it, then I was given it back when she became confused as to when the deadline was and then it was taken off me again because she wrote something last minute. Was not impressed. 
Then, I was asked to write a book review, which, upon submission, I was told it was too long and i'd have to cut it, I did and was then told it was too controversial. Why on earth wasn't I told it was too controversial to begin with? Why send it back and tell me to cut some words out? What a waste of my time.

Still, after a tedious wait for late submissions and a lot of proofreading, the latest edition's finally live. Check out some work from some great up and coming prose writers and poets @ http://writersquibble.blogspot.co.uk/ and have a look at some of the previous editions if you wish to read one of my rants. 


Thursday, June 6, 2013

Becoming Versatile.

After many, many hours of research for my rant, one of my editor's decided they would do it instead and I should do a book review. 
I am completely enraged by this, as this is going to be the most popular edition of 'The Writer's Quibble' so far and I'm very fond of my 'rant section'. However, I guess in my writing career I shall have to take some things on the chin, so i've stayed up all night doing a book review instead. 

Be mature. Be calm. Be understanding. 

I just wrote the 'rantiest' book review ever.

Sunday, June 2, 2013

Research for Ranting

The theme, for this edition of the Writer's Quibble, is 'The End', so, for my 'Writer's Rant' section, I need to remember a book i've read with a particularly annoying ending; the Hunger Games springs immediately to mind but for the life of me I cannot remember why. Now to read all three books in four days.

The game, Mrs Hudson, is on.

Saturday, June 1, 2013

Current Obligations


I do some work, on the editorial team, of a student creative writing magazine called the Writer's Quibble (I voted against the name), as co-short fiction editor and blog admin, so today i've been reading through submissions and proofreading. 
I understand how hard it is, for writers to compromise with publishers about their work, as i'm currently locked in a debate, with one of my fellow editors, about an aspect of a piece i've written. 

I also mean to write a second prose piece and an opinion column before the deadline on the 8th.