Blog Archives - McStorytellers

At Last!

30/3/2011

With 130 stories by more than 30 McStorytellers now published on the site and with some 450 story ratings received so far, it's time to unveil our latest McTop Ten. So here are today's positions, with the total scores for each story in brackets.

1     Ping Time (118)
2     A Slice of Undead Life (90)
3     Postcards from the Departure Lounge (72)
4     Angels Don't Have Wings - Take 1 (61)
5     Crack: it gives you wings (58)
6     Maggie Murphy's Home For Bad Boys (55)
7     Uneventful Passage (42)
8     Jane's Song (41)
9    Does It Make Him Unfaithful, People? (40)
10= A Shelter from the Storm (38)
10= Digging For Gold And Finding Coal (38)____________________________________________

The scores reflect both the number of raters and their enjoyment of the stories, with the latter calculated in the following way: Very much = 4, Quite a lot = 3, So-So = 2, Not very much = 1, Not a lot = 0.)
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Yes, with the help of a lot of good friends, Ping Time, my tale of a real-life office megalomaniac and this site’s very first story, has grabbed the top spot at long last!

Now holding second and third places are Canadian author January Bain with her vampirish tale, A Slice of Undead Life, and Alloa writer Gavin Broom with his haunting story of a young girl’s escape, Postcards from the Departure Lounge.

And four of the McTop Ten positions are occupied by the tales of master McStoryteller, Ron A. Sewell.

Watch out for our next batch of new stories, including the much demanded sequel to Ping Time!

Help! Murder! Polis!

26/3/2011

Three crime-soaked new stories to stick the boot into this Saturday afternoon.

First up is The Murder of a Chicken Catcher by yours truly. It’s a sordid tale based on real events.

Then Edinburgh-based writer David D. Sharp returns with a psychological drama called The Man I Want To Be, in which there’s a highly unusual bank heist.

And we close with Heedless. It’s a thriller about a corpse and a missing... Well, read it and see for yourself. It’s written by our latest McStoryteller, Glasgow-born Alan Brough.

Read, enjoy and rate, folks – and don’t have nightmares.

Coming soon – don’t miss the upsets galore in our latest McTop Ten!

Midweek Mysteries

23/3/2011

Introducing three spooky new stories to help you through the night.

Cyprus-based master storyteller Ron A. Sewell returns with The Collector’s Apprentice, the strange tale of a car crash.

Zimbabwe-born David D. Sharp also returns with a spooky offering called The Pit, which warns what not to do if you find an old well in your back garden!

And Grace Glen, our latest McStoryteller and first New Zealand contributor, treats us to The Bothy, in which a Highland adventure goes awry.

Enjoy! And stand by for murder most foul...

A Question of How

22/3/2011

That’s the theme of our three new stories today.

In Travelling With The Guilt, young Geordie writer and poet Lee Carrick returns to offer some advice on how best to enjoy your trip round the world.

Nearing the end of his quest to write stories featuring the complete catalogue of Paul Kelly songs, our favourite Ayrshire storyteller Angus Shoor Caan shows how you can become popular without even trying in Most Wanted Man In The World.

And Bishopbriggs-born author Tom Greenwood treats us to another slice of surreal humour with A Glaswegian God, in which he explains how to deal with a nutter who thinks he’s a deity.

Coming up – some midweek mysteries!

Sleight of Hand

19/3/2011

No, nothing is what it seems in our three new stories this afternoon.

Geordie writer and poet Lee Carrick begins the trilogy with a Venice-based tale of a threesome called The Book. It’s a sort of homage to Bret Easton Ellis, so it’s not for the squeamish among you, folks!

We go from wannabe American Psycho to wannabe French monarch in King Louis XXIII, another slice of alternative history from that master of the surreal, Edinburgh-based author Tom Greenwood.

And sandwiched between those offerings is A Shelter from the Storm, a ghostly mystery story from one of our favourite ex-pats, Leith-born storyteller Ron A. Sewell.

Enjoy your weekend!

Competition!

15/3/2011

That’s the theme of our three new stories this evening.

First up, honorary McStoryteller Kristen Stone makes a welcome return with a tale of sibling rivalry called Anything You Can Do...

Young Geordie writer Lee Carrick also makes a welcome return with Deed But No Buried, an acutely observed pub story, which begins life as a contest between two old biddies, but develops into something altogether different.

And another warm welcome goes to McStorytellers newcomer, Dundee-born journalist and writer Jacky Cowper, who tells us about the reality show to end all reality shows in Game On.

Speaking of games, have you visited our McFun & Games page yet to test your knowledge of Scottish writing?

Taking Vengeance, Finding Love & Plain Old Sponging

12/3/2011

Now up on the site three super stories for your Saturday afternoon relaxation.

Edinburgh-based Geordie writer Lee Carrick returns with Lex Talionis, a tale of vengeance that’s definitely not for the squeamish!

In complete contrast, author Kristen Stone, both an honorary Scot and a McStorytellers newcomer, treats us to a charming romance entitled Perfect Partners.

And another McStorytellers newcomer, Grangeburn-born writer Douglas Lloyd, revives his hoary account of a serial sponger in One Day In The Life Of Derrick Mooney.

Enjoy!

Wednesday Wonders!

9/3/2011

Yes, four awesome new stories for your Wednesday reading.

First up, our favourite Ayrshire writer, Angus Shoor Caan, treats us to Song from the Sixteenth Floor, another in his canon of tales inspired by Paul Kelly songs.

Then that irrepressible Clydebank storyteller, Jack O’Donnell, takes us marching down memory lane with Granda in The Orange Walk.

After which we go on a drug-fuelled trip in Crack: it gives you wings, the first in a trilogy of stories from McStorytellers newbie, Edinburgh-based Geordie Lee Carrick.

Last but not least, Stonehaven-born writer David McWilliam, also a McStorytellers newbie, furnishes us with an update on a Biblical tale in Sam, Lil and Sal.

Read, enjoy and rate!

Vampires, Postcards & Pings

7/3/2011

With well over 100 stories by two dozen McStorytellers now published on the site and with close to 350 story ratings received so far, it's time to reveal our latest McTop Ten. So here are tonight's positions, with the total scores for each story in brackets.

1     A Slice of Undead Life (90)
2     Postcards from the Departure Lounge (72)
3    Ping Time (68)
4     Angels Don't Have Wings - Take 1 (53)
5     Maggie Murphy's Home For Bad Boys (47)
6    Uneventful Passage (42)
7   Digging For Gold And Finding Coal (38)
8=   Echoes from the Past (37)
8=   Jane's Song (37)
10 Does It Make Him Unfaithful, People? (36)
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The scores reflect both the number of raters and their enjoyment of the stories, with the latter calculated in the following way: Very much = 4, Quite a lot = 3, So-So = 2, Not very much = 1, Not a lot = 0.)
___________________________________________________________

Our congratulations once again to Canadian author January Bain, whose vampirish tale, A Slice of Undead Life, maintains the top spot.

Still holding on to second place is Alloa writer Gavin Broom with Postcards from the Departure Lounge, his haunting story of a young girl’s escape.

But watch out January and Gavin, Ping Time, my own tale of a true-life office megalomaniac, is now in firm contention for the top!

Coming soon - four cracking stories from four cracking McStorytellers.

Mince, Mayhem & Murder

1/3/2011

Introducing three new stories to help banish those midweek blues.

First up, a steaming plateful of Mince and Tatties is served up in another tale of harsh tenement life from master McStoryteller Jack O’Donnell.

Then there’s mayhem when a bully receives his comeuppance in The Boxer, a slice of humour from the Sixties by your truly.

And to complete our Tuesday trio the murder of a partner is the subject of Deception, a tale of mystery from our newest McStoryteller, Carlisle-born author and honorary Scot Robert Davidson.

Please enjoy – and remember to rate the stories you read!