Alison Wells Author

Head Above Water – Writing, Headspace, Creativity, Verve

Head Above Water Blog – Writing, Headspace, Creativity, Verve

  • Head Above Water Blog: My Debut short story collection Random Acts of Optimism released September 2023!

    Fantastic news: September publication of my debut short story collection! Readers of the Head above Water blog will have followed my story since 2009 of writing endeavours, resilience and persistence, shortlists and near misses. I have written alongside raising a family, challenging circumstances, a new job in public libraries and a Masters by night in…

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  • Buntyland

    This is the text for a piece that I did on RTE (Irish National) Radio’s Sunday Miscellany Programme broadcast in May 2007 (There is a podcast for this somewhere..looking..) For the best part of five years in the glitzy 1980s our favourite game was Bunties. Whenever we got our hands on another issue of the…

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  • #Fridayflash Adam, Eve and the Indie Author

    In the beginning was the Word and the Word was God. What on Earth does that mean? What the hell? Earth, hell, heaven, they were good concepts. He took a rib out of Adam and began to write with it. Eve gave Adam the apple, knowing. Adam took it at face value. As men do.…

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  • Just enough: Lorrie Moore and the power of description

    Last night I started reading Lorrie Moore’s novel A Gate at the Stairs. I’m a fan of her short stories and am interested in seeing how her style pans out in a novel. Whereas I have always been an avid reader, now I can’t help but read and dissect a little as a writer, asking…

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  • #Fridayflash Woman-Son

    Woman-Son When the woman had the baby boy she lay him down to sleep. He held her finger in his fist She roars him into being. He emerges from the earth in unbridled anger, consternation. The moon hung in velvet. The clock was a cheap one bought in a pound store. It tock ticked. Then…

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  • Confessions of a guilty writing mum

    I let my children sit in front of the telly during the holidays for great swathes of time (never did me any harm – in fact it taught me about narrative, character, humour). They concentrate on educational programmes like Horrible Histories (surrealism, history) and Greatest TV blunders (media awareness) and Come Dine with Me (wishful…

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  • When does the story end?

    Before proceeding with some musings on short story creation I would like to firstly mention an arena where I hope the story will never end. I refer here to the wonderful and brave Salt Publishing who this year celebrate ten years of innovative publishing, introducing new talent and being a particular champion of short story…

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  • #Fridayflash Rope

    Been on hols, so this is an old one. It’s inspired by the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. Yes, I walked it, unlike Callum. Bloody Hell, its freaking high up here – must be eighty feet. Don’t look down Callum. I said no to bungee jumping – swinging into oblivion with your…

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  • Growing up to be a short story writer

    As we grow within our writing experience we pass through different stages. You gain maturity, you just ‘know’ things you didn’t understand before. This presents a feasible analogy with life and its stages towards adulthood. Here I wanted to explore my progression as a short story writer. The examples given at each of the stages…

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  • Unwritten

    In this week’s flash there is a guest appearance of the café from Lethargy ‘I love you’ said the man at the book signing. He was one of the last. The shop was closing. The staff were starting to turn off the lights. She was sitting in the glow of a table lamp with her…

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  • Poetry – Summer

    Restless blood thumping Sin spinning in the thick river Hot flesh Neck dips slip sacred hollows Smooth slices honeyed shoulders Teeth and lips sinking plum juice The dark interior Pulse points, black veins Liquid gold pouring On the shallow surface Skin buzzing with molecular nectar Crackle Winter embers from ash flare, flash Incinerated self-slivers sail…

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Welcome to my Head above Water blog! I’m Alison, writer, mother and public librarian with a background in Communication Studies and Psychology. I have a particular interest in creative resilience, motivation and how nature and wonder can restore us. In my day job I run book clubs and creative events for children and adults.

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