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ericmcf.bsky.social
Eric McFarlane - writer
@ericmcf.bsky.social
300 followers 330 following 51 posts
Author
Stamp dealer (collections valued)
Fiddler (in a musical sense)
www.ericmcfarlane.co.uk

Latest novel - The Allotment Society, humorous crime. Guaranteed to contain no gardening advice.
https://mybook.to/dHqVVy
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ericmcf.bsky.social
Eric McFarlane - writer @ericmcf.bsky.social · Nov 30
Guaranteed to contain no gardening advice.
mybook.to/dHqVVy
#humour #amwriting
Reposted by Eric McFarlane - writer
wipsnips.bsky.social
The #WIPSnips words for February 2nd through February 8th are here!

Just a few reminders:

Synonyms, variations and ✨vibes✨ are fine
Use Alt Text on Graphics
Use Trigger/Content warnings when necessary
Don't be a jerk!

#WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts
The #WIPSnips words for February 2nd through February 8th. February 2nd - perish; February 3rd - confident; February 4th - position; February 5th - except; February 6th - sixth; February 7th - redeem; February 8th - airport.
February 1, 2026 at 9:44 PM
Reposted by Eric McFarlane - writer
jasonbaluyut.bsky.social
#FotoVorschlag
“Instrument”

The great organist Anna Lapwood, on her tour of the US last year, showing off the mighty pipe organ at the Church of St Ignatius Loyola in NYC. I’m not a churchgoer but I made an exception to see her play.

#photography #concert #organ #pipeorgan
The organist Anna Lapwood, in a sleeveless black dress, stands behind an upper-level guardrail in a church and gestures upward at the enormous metal pipes behind her, which are embedded in the giant wooden frame of the church’s pipe organ. Sunlight illuminates Lapwood and the largest pipes, while the rest of the scene is in shadow.
January 10, 2026 at 1:48 PM
Reposted by Eric McFarlane - writer
clhellisen.bsky.social
The Cymera Prize for Speculative Short Fiction is open to any writer living in Scotland or Scottish by birth or inclination, aged at least 14 years.

Submissions are open from Monday 12th January 2026 until 8pm BST on Sunday 22nd March 2026.

www.cymerafestival.co.uk/2026-prize
2026 Prize — CYMERA
www.cymerafestival.co.uk
February 2, 2026 at 2:10 PM
Reposted by Eric McFarlane - writer
phranicholas.bsky.social
...on the elusive happiness of being 'without thoughts' #meditation #Buddhism 🧘‍♂️
Cartoon of monk speaking to meditating dog with a wagging tail and saying it can't possibly be thinking about nothing of its tail is wagging
September 15, 2025 at 11:57 PM
Reposted by Eric McFarlane - writer
profaliceroberts.bsky.social
Thank goodness for @channel4.bsky.social

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
Channel 4 to mark Trump’s UK visit with ‘longest uninterrupted reel of untruths’
Broadcaster to dedicate Wednesday night schedule to unpicking US president’s false or misleading statements
www.theguardian.com
September 15, 2025 at 8:36 PM
Reposted by Eric McFarlane - writer
wipsnips.bsky.social
The #WIPSnips words for April 21st - April 27th are here!

Don't forget your #WIPSnips hashtag with your posts!

#WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts
The #WIPSnips words for April 21st for April 27th are April 21 - move; April 22 - submit; April 23 - click; April 24 - magic; April 25 - wofl; April 26 - decor; April 27 - indeed.
April 21, 2025 at 12:52 AM
Reposted by Eric McFarlane - writer
wipsnips.bsky.social
Here are the words for #WIPSnips for April 14th through April 20th.

Don't forget the hashtag in your post and Alt Text on your graphics!

#WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts
The #WIPSnips words for April 14 - April 20th are here. April 14 - chill; April 15 - fear; April 16 - wet; April 17 - dear; April 18 - music; April 19 - introduce; April 20 - smoke
April 14, 2025 at 3:01 AM
ericmcf.bsky.social
He hit repeat, and I watched my block and an open door, and the crowd of cops, and a gurney with a body bag thrown onto it. I put my hands to my face. I couldn’t believe I was crying, crying for that stupid schmuck with his impossible dreams.
#wipsnips #sf #writingcommunity #writesky
April 9, 2025 at 1:29 PM
Reposted by Eric McFarlane - writer
bookshelfie.bsky.social
#booksky #bookcomics
April 6, 2025 at 7:12 PM
ericmcf.bsky.social
Wind whipping through my hair, we stood at a handrail where, a hundred feet below, Lower straggled on in its ramshackle way. If the evening sun had cast a golden glow, you might have called it beautiful. But it wasn’t, so it looked like a pile of crap.
#wipsnips #sf #writingcommunity #writesky
April 8, 2025 at 9:47 PM
Reposted by Eric McFarlane - writer
inventingreality.bsky.social
#writingtips #BooksWorthReading #BookBoost #AmQuerying #AmWriting
April 7, 2025 at 9:30 PM
Reposted by Eric McFarlane - writer
krissychula.bsky.social
This is high art
April 6, 2025 at 9:37 PM
ericmcf.bsky.social
Free for the next few days A Clear Solution - prequel to The Allotment Society.

#free #ebook #humour
A Clear Solution
A Clear Solution eBook : McFarlane, Eric: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store
www.amazon.co.uk
April 7, 2025 at 9:03 PM
Reposted by Eric McFarlane - writer
katehalena.bsky.social
If you want to live forever, write a story that will outlive you—one that carries a piece of your soul in every line.
March 28, 2025 at 9:27 AM
Reposted by Eric McFarlane - writer
professoremily.bsky.social
#WIPSnips #amwriting #amquerying #writingcommunity #writers #writesky

From Book 1 of my #Atlantis trilogy, when Kena first finds his pet phoenix. Mireia's views of masculinity & strength evolve quite a lot as she gets older.
Mireia took in that image of Kena and the phoenix—the gentle touch of his fingers, the spark of joy in his eyes. She realized she was seeing a glimpse of his truest self, without any defensive walls or masks. This was Kena the gardener, the caretaker, full of simple love for the beauty of the earth. And he’d wanted to hide this from her. Because he feared she would think it unmanly. Mireia felt a lingering pang of shame at that thought. As much as she hated to admit it, she could understand why he would expect that of her. Perhaps she should try to change that. “What are you going to name her?” she asked him. “I haven’t really thought about it,” he replied. “I don’t expect I’ll ever see her again once her wing has finished healing.” “Maybe not. But that’s no reason not to give her a name.” “Perhaps Aiaxi?” he suggested, choosing the name of a royal pet phoenix from a story they’d both recently read. “Not the most original name, I know, but I think it fits.” It was a good name. A fiery name. Mireia smiled. “Iie, it does fit.”
April 6, 2025 at 11:18 AM
Reposted by Eric McFarlane - writer
wipsnips.bsky.social
Here are the words for the new week of #WIPSnips!

April 7th through April 13th

Don't forget to use the #WIPSnips hashtag in your post & try to remember Alt Text on any graphics you use. Sometimes the font is difficult to read & Alt Text helps with that!

#WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts
The #WIPSnips words for April 7 through April 13 April 7 - supply; April 8 - whip; April 9 - cry; April 10 - trip; April 11 - goodbye; April 12 lip; April 13 - comply
April 7, 2025 at 1:28 AM
Reposted by Eric McFarlane - writer
khonri.com
That's a weird looking cat.

#WIPSnips
#WritingCommunity
#WriteSky
He focused his sight on Hakumei, who was still staring at him from shadows at the base of the pine. As the light began to dim in his sight, the shadows pulled from the mossy floor like a sticky black ichor draped over a frame not quite man but not quite beast, as it slowly crawled on clawed hands towards the bowl separating them. It stopped at the point where Mori could still see part of its face over the rim—the kuraima’s glowing violet eyes opened wide and the voids within them imitating a cat's pupils followed, dilating fully like they were inviting Mori into the dark they held. Or, he liked to think, like it was excited for where he was going. I know Haku. You'd come with me if you could. Home, after all… “Make it count.” Bert's voice seemed far more distant than before despite not having moved an inch. …right. And on cue, all was dark.
April 5, 2025 at 10:18 AM
Reposted by Eric McFarlane - writer
inventingreality.bsky.social
#Indieauthor #writersky #writingcommunity #amwriting #authorsky
April 5, 2025 at 2:14 PM
ericmcf.bsky.social
We were climbing away from the dismal wet low ground onto the dismal higher ground where those who could afford to get out of the city made their homes. Party officials or crooks, most of them, or did that come to the same thing?
#wipsnips
#Writingcommunity
#Writesky
#sf
April 3, 2025 at 9:43 PM
Reposted by Eric McFarlane - writer
madkane.bsky.social
My dear husband, at times, will just stare,
His gaze seemingly fixed on mere air.
What has captured his eye?
The rapture? A fly?
He’s not scared, so I’d guess … not a bear.

#vsspoem #Gaze #Marriage #Limerick #Limericks #Rhyme #Humor #Humour #LightVerse #Poetry #MicroPoetry #Poems
April 3, 2025 at 1:41 PM
Reposted by Eric McFarlane - writer
wipsnips.bsky.social
The #WIPSnips words for next week are here! Hopping right on into April.

#WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts
March 31 - appreciate; April 1- trick; April 2 - scene; April 3 - official; April 4 - laugh; April 5 - count; April 6 - name
March 31, 2025 at 3:35 AM
Reposted by Eric McFarlane - writer
karenlykkebo.com
#WIPSnips

From Heir to The Sun.
Loneliness is a definitely a theme in this book, and will also be for the (at-some-point coming) sequel.
Aura is an extrovert and not coping well with her somewhat own choice of isolation.
“Aura shook her head and went inside. She weaved her way through the maze of sleeping cats in the hallway, closed the door to her room, and leaned back on the hard bed with a sigh. The headache came back, rushing over her temples, and she moaned, blinking down tears. During the day she told herself that she had to accept the fact she had no family left. But now, lying alone in this dark room with the stench of cat-piss, she wasn’t so sure.” Excerpt From Heir to The Sun: Chronicles of Eshea 1 Karen Lykkebo This material is protected by copyright.
March 30, 2025 at 8:55 AM
Reposted by Eric McFarlane - writer
saranadosfiction.com
#WIPSnips | lonely

So I do have a couple of uses of that, but going a wee bit sideways and using 'alone' for today's prompt, just because it lets me share this particular snippet.

( saranadosfiction.com/2024/12/21/s... )
“I’m not going to leave you,” he said, because it was true. Whatever happened, they’d face it together, as they’d done for the last gods-knew-how-many years. “You know that. I know you do. But I can’t finish my part of this if you’re holding onto me so damn tight I can’t move.” He shifted position, wrapped his hands around Sabbat’s, fingers interlacing. “I promise you, I’m not leaving you here alone.” A pause. Then, so brief as to be almost imperceptible, another flicker of movement behind Sabbat’s closed eyelids, and, under Archer’s fingers, a sudden slackening of that bone-breaking tension as the assassin’s hands and arms abruptly relaxed into sleep-sodden heaviness. “Thank you,” Archer whispered, and didn’t know whether his gratitude was directed at Sabbat, at the gods, at fate itself, or at some strange mixture of the three. “Rest now. It’s almost over.” *One way or another.* “Will?” Verist’s voice, raised to be heard over the howling wind. “We’re ready. Waiting on your signal.” *By which you mean I’m out of position and we’re very almost out of time.* “Give me a moment.”
March 30, 2025 at 7:43 AM
Reposted by Eric McFarlane - writer
professoremily.bsky.social
#WIPSnips #amwriting #amquerying #writingcommunity #writers #writesky

This week has just been full of romantic snips! This is from Book 2 of my #Atlantis trilogy, one of my favorite passages.
And he wanted—he wanted so badly—to finally tell her that he didn’t actually care about fate or free will or any of that, and honestly he never had. None of it mattered. What mattered was that the two of them were each other’s match, each the answer to the lonely call of the other’s heart, and that was simply a fact. And maybe “fate” was neither some lovely empty word, nor some vague tyrannical force to be defied, but rather just a natural truth: stars belonged in the sky, fish belonged in the sea, and Kena belonged with Mireia.
March 30, 2025 at 11:16 AM