Books to download

I did a bit of an MA in Creative Writing with the OU and am now doing a CW course at the Guildford Institute. I don't know if this will make me a better writer. I have already written several books. Please feel free to download at no charge. I retain copyright but you may make copies and give to your friends if you wish. If you enjoy them do send me an email with a few remarks.

photo Download this book - Singing for Serious Beginners

I have over twenty years experience as a teacher of singing, mostly to adult beginners of ages from 16 to 70. My experience and background are rather different from most other authors of books on singing teaching in that my educational qualifications are in Economics and Computer Science as well as in Music. Prior to becoming a singing teacher I spent many years working in IT as a businessman and freelance consultant, designing and installing computer systems and doing Artificial Intelligence research on Speech Recognition. I have also been for over thirty years a performer on stage as singer and actor in more than 40 principal roles and a composer of opera and songs. I hope these varied experiences will prove advantageous to my readers.

photo Download this book - Purlins

Judy Smithers is a carefree and cheerful young secretary/receptionist at a factory in the Midlands where they make metal roof beams, known as purlins. It is some time in the 1950s. She is an orphan. Though poorly paid she has scrimped and economised (not getting her hair done) and bought a little house with a big mortgage. Suddenly there comes a threat of unemployment. The cause is the foolishness of her boyfriend, Roger Marlowe, a handsome, charming public schoolboy salesman. He has managed to annoy the firms largest customer, an older woman, Miss Sew of Truedawn, owing to his lack of empathy....

photo Download this book - The Mandarin's Dilemma

Blackmail, in the shape of a threatened dirty-radiation bomb attack, from suitcases hidden all over London, creates something of a headache for the top level Civil Servants (the Mandarins), who actually run the country, and an opportunity for ambitious and determined Assistant Principal Helena Besty. The situation becomes critical when the messianic Prime Minister, Gordon Blackead, under pressure from an imminent general election and a more than usually hysterical House of Commons, heads a secret meeting of the armed forces top brass and threatens to drop a nuclear bomb in the sea off the blackmailer's coast. 'Poof to a few sardines!' as he puts it....

photo Download this book - Stella's Shorts

Stella has taught an adult class in creative writing for over 40 years. So I am told by one of my fellow students, who has studied with her all that time. Her class is great fun. One of her techniques is to give out a single word and expect a short piece, inspired thereby, to be read out by the author at next week's lesson. In my year with her I found this undammed my creative juices. Resulting torrent of 26 very short pieces herewith. Don't read then all at once or you will get indigestion.

photo Download this book - Stella's Shorts 2023-4

Stella has taught a weekly adult class in creative writing at the Guildford Institute over many years. Her class is much enjoyed by the dozen or so adult students who attend. One of her techniques is to give out a single word and expect a short piece of writing, inspired thereby, to be read out/performed by the author. A great educational idea. Here are my kaleidoscopic contributions. 31 very short pieces herewith, each with its very different little world. Some 26000 words in all. To guard against possible overstimulation and resulting harmful mental confusion it is best to not read them all at once.

photo Download this book - Marks's Shorts

Stella, our regular creative writing tutor, took an early break in the summer term for a well deserved cruise in the sun. We fellow classmates were bereft. Fortunately one of us, film maker Mark, stepped up and offered to chair proceedings and dream up the magic word for us to write on each week and then read out. We met in the vegetarian cafe of the Guildford Institute. It all went very well, with some great writing (and some hilarious performances). Thanks Mark. My results, nine very short pieces, some 10,000 or so words in all, are below.