An 'Out of the Smoke' Short Story Part 3 Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 Once the group was safely back in the dim warmth of the kitchen, Daniel turned to Clara and held out a hand. "Give it here, young lady," he growled. Clara hesitated, then with a scowl she took out... Continue Reading →
Prologue“In the begynnynge …” White stars shone fiercely over the deep black waters of the North Sea as the Greyhound slid into Blakeney port. Newly arrived from Europe and riding low in the water, she groaned and listed as the helmsman brought her in alongside the quay. Ropes were cast, oars shipped, lanterns lit, and... Continue Reading →
'Out of the Smoke' Author's Commentary Chapter 5: The Eagle and Child The two boys left Aggie's shop with their pockets heavy and their hearts light.'Out of the Smoke' Chapter 5: The Eagle and Child When JRR Tolkien was writing 'The Two Towers' he came to an impasse at the end of the first half,... Continue Reading →
'Out of the Smoke' Author's Commentary Chapter 4: Aggie The shop was narrow, but deceptively deep; Aggie's counter lay at the far end, through a dusty maze of ancient display cabinets. A gas-lamp burned in the depths, barely illuminating the cave. Aggie's voice dropped low and continued speaking, picking up the conversation from which it... Continue Reading →
'Out of the Smoke' Author's Commentary Chapter 3: The Devil's Lads Halfway across the river Tosher nudged Billy again."Look out," he muttered, and this time there was no humour in his voice. "Here comes trouble."A rabble of boys and young men was striding along the pavement towards them, spread out from the parapet to the... Continue Reading →
'Out of the Smoke' Author's Commentary Chapter 2: The Silver Spoon The journey down was, if anything, more dangerous than the journey up. Flues did not exist in isolation: they ran up the backbone of the house like a river with many tributaries, the flues from three or four different fireplaces all merging together as... Continue Reading →
'Out of the Smoke' Author's Commentary Chapter 1: Up, Up, Up "Get in there!"Gerard tightened the rope around Billy's ankle with a sharp tug and shoved him towards the sheet-draped fireplace. Billy stumbled and almost fell, but he bit back the retort that came all too easily to his lips. It wasn't worth arguing with... Continue Reading →
Characters are the most important part of any story - without your characters, there is no story! Use the resources on this page to build your own character, and start to think about their strengths and flaws! Download and print out this worksheet to help you plan your character. Appearance Ask yourself some questions: What... Continue Reading →
What was life like as a child worker in Victorian England? Facts about child labour, and fun activities for children and classrooms.
An 'Out of the Smoke' Short Story Part 2 Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 The group trudged through the darkened streets, heads bent low against a freezing wind that seemed to have come straight from the pole. Robert kept half an eye on Clara, but he soon realised he need not have... Continue Reading →
Matthew Wainwright, Children's Author 