Amelia
@snailfenstory.bsky.social
Writer, snail parent & sleepy potato. Creative writing workshop leader. Poetry, fairy tales, folklore, & journalling. Missing my sealskin.
'Folk-lore straddles the boundary between actual living things that can be seen, touched and trapped, and the vague territory of things that are glimpsed or half-seen and never caught.' - Nigel Pennick, Folk-lore of East Anglia & Adjoining Counties
September 20, 2025 at 8:13 PM
'Folk-lore straddles the boundary between actual living things that can be seen, touched and trapped, and the vague territory of things that are glimpsed or half-seen and never caught.' - Nigel Pennick, Folk-lore of East Anglia & Adjoining Counties
Reposted by Amelia
The witch walks the woods for wonder. Walks as listening to the land. She moves towards mystery. Moves towards green communion. Her footsteps are an artefact of magical intent. – #EmilyCBanting, 1982 #WitchSky
September 10, 2025 at 9:58 AM
The witch walks the woods for wonder. Walks as listening to the land. She moves towards mystery. Moves towards green communion. Her footsteps are an artefact of magical intent. – #EmilyCBanting, 1982 #WitchSky
Wicken Fen, the most magical place to be still. I sat in one of the hides for a very long time listening to the wind stir the reeds and watching the dragonflies.
September 9, 2025 at 6:35 PM
Wicken Fen, the most magical place to be still. I sat in one of the hides for a very long time listening to the wind stir the reeds and watching the dragonflies.
Lovely visit to the East Anglian Folklore Centre @shuckhappens.bsky.social yesterday! Enjoyed the corn dolly exhibition, faerie furniture, & beautiful art & crafts. As well as so many books! I could read away days here! It's so special to have a home for local lore to be shared & protected.
August 15, 2025 at 6:44 PM
Lovely visit to the East Anglian Folklore Centre @shuckhappens.bsky.social yesterday! Enjoyed the corn dolly exhibition, faerie furniture, & beautiful art & crafts. As well as so many books! I could read away days here! It's so special to have a home for local lore to be shared & protected.
Reposted by Amelia
Do not pander. Do not dumb down. Do not make your voice less magical. Trust your audience to be smarter than you. Trust them to be as curious as fuck. Never blame anyone for the tepid, lazy choices you make in your work.
August 2, 2025 at 7:04 PM
Do not pander. Do not dumb down. Do not make your voice less magical. Trust your audience to be smarter than you. Trust them to be as curious as fuck. Never blame anyone for the tepid, lazy choices you make in your work.
Evening sunlight shining on Dunnottar Castle. Such an incredible place, perched on the rocks in the North Sea. It feels like it belongs more to the elements than to people.
August 2, 2025 at 7:55 PM
Evening sunlight shining on Dunnottar Castle. Such an incredible place, perched on the rocks in the North Sea. It feels like it belongs more to the elements than to people.
Faerie bridge, Isle of Skye. It is said visiting this bridge at night will take you into Faerieland. Also where the faerie wife of a MacLeod Clan chief left him, & gifted him the faerie flag which is now displayed in Dunvegan Castle. A quiet, soothing place of crossings, meetings and partings.
August 1, 2025 at 12:01 PM
Faerie bridge, Isle of Skye. It is said visiting this bridge at night will take you into Faerieland. Also where the faerie wife of a MacLeod Clan chief left him, & gifted him the faerie flag which is now displayed in Dunvegan Castle. A quiet, soothing place of crossings, meetings and partings.
Struggling to pick a name for my main character, then realising that I have to name all the other characters as well 🙃 And, even worse, give the story a title...
July 27, 2025 at 8:01 PM
Struggling to pick a name for my main character, then realising that I have to name all the other characters as well 🙃 And, even worse, give the story a title...
View of the Pap of Glencoe from Eilean Munde, the burial island. Very poignant visit. My guide called it a 'sleeping place' because of how undisturbed it is, but the wild berries, flowers and trees are not sleeping at all. They are quietly thriving, blanketing those resting beneath them.
July 24, 2025 at 12:03 PM
View of the Pap of Glencoe from Eilean Munde, the burial island. Very poignant visit. My guide called it a 'sleeping place' because of how undisturbed it is, but the wild berries, flowers and trees are not sleeping at all. They are quietly thriving, blanketing those resting beneath them.
Gearr Aonach and Aonach Dubh, Glencoe. 10:45pm, when it was just me, wild deer and owl calls. When the night creatures get their lands back. When rainclouds whispered over the mountains.
July 21, 2025 at 9:29 PM
Gearr Aonach and Aonach Dubh, Glencoe. 10:45pm, when it was just me, wild deer and owl calls. When the night creatures get their lands back. When rainclouds whispered over the mountains.
Ring of Brodgar, Orkney. A truly enchanted place. The stones felt warm and quietly alive, like they were glad to be visited. I loved standing beside them with my eyes closed and feeling the wind. A small moment to pause and be part of earth, lichen, and sea air. #StandingStoneSunday
July 20, 2025 at 2:46 PM
Ring of Brodgar, Orkney. A truly enchanted place. The stones felt warm and quietly alive, like they were glad to be visited. I loved standing beside them with my eyes closed and feeling the wind. A small moment to pause and be part of earth, lichen, and sea air. #StandingStoneSunday
Never ceases to amaze me how camping can simultaneously be the absolute worst & totally incredible. No, I did not like dragging myself out of my tent to try & sleep in the car because of a hayfever attack at 3am, but seeing the waning moon shine over the mountains accompanied by owl hoots? Worth it.
July 19, 2025 at 5:59 PM
Never ceases to amaze me how camping can simultaneously be the absolute worst & totally incredible. No, I did not like dragging myself out of my tent to try & sleep in the car because of a hayfever attack at 3am, but seeing the waning moon shine over the mountains accompanied by owl hoots? Worth it.
Great car boot sale book find today! Great addition to my shelf. I love stories from the Northern Isles.
July 13, 2025 at 3:20 PM
Great car boot sale book find today! Great addition to my shelf. I love stories from the Northern Isles.
Stages of running a writing workshop:
Pre-workshop:
'What if no-one signs up?!'
'Oh eek, people signed up! Now I have to do something!'
During workshop:
'Omg what am I doing no-one is gonna get anything out of this!'
After workshop:
'Oh yay, everyone wrote something & had a good time, phew!'
Pre-workshop:
'What if no-one signs up?!'
'Oh eek, people signed up! Now I have to do something!'
During workshop:
'Omg what am I doing no-one is gonna get anything out of this!'
After workshop:
'Oh yay, everyone wrote something & had a good time, phew!'
July 12, 2025 at 6:40 PM
Stages of running a writing workshop:
Pre-workshop:
'What if no-one signs up?!'
'Oh eek, people signed up! Now I have to do something!'
During workshop:
'Omg what am I doing no-one is gonna get anything out of this!'
After workshop:
'Oh yay, everyone wrote something & had a good time, phew!'
Pre-workshop:
'What if no-one signs up?!'
'Oh eek, people signed up! Now I have to do something!'
During workshop:
'Omg what am I doing no-one is gonna get anything out of this!'
After workshop:
'Oh yay, everyone wrote something & had a good time, phew!'
Reposted by Amelia
7 Ways to Minimise GenAI in Your Life—and why it matters.
“It's a small, daily way of refusing a reality imposed on us--a rehearsal for larger disobedience.” New post up at my Ghost blog:
allysonshaw.ghost.io/7-ways-to-mi...
#GenAI #AI #Ghost #Blogging #Refusal #ChatGPT #Writing
“It's a small, daily way of refusing a reality imposed on us--a rehearsal for larger disobedience.” New post up at my Ghost blog:
allysonshaw.ghost.io/7-ways-to-mi...
#GenAI #AI #Ghost #Blogging #Refusal #ChatGPT #Writing
7 Ways to Minimise GenAI in Your Life
—and why this matters—
In this Missive:
* Soul searching about the ecological & spiritual cost of Generative AI
* 7 Ways to Minimise the Presence of Generative AI in Your Life
* Links to other p...
allysonshaw.ghost.io
July 11, 2025 at 7:23 AM
When you start writing something new, but then an unfinished story from years ago pops back up & now you don't know what to work on first 🙃
July 10, 2025 at 9:51 PM
When you start writing something new, but then an unfinished story from years ago pops back up & now you don't know what to work on first 🙃
Being from East Anglia, I was excited to discover this folklore centre. It's vital to have physical space to preserve & share our heritage, & sad that it's so difficult right now. Donated, & I hope they receive the support they need.
www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding...
www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding...
Help raise £15000 to support the continuing operations/physical space of the East Anglian Folklore Centre – JustGiving Crowdfunding
Iʼm raising money to support the continuing operations/physical space of the East Anglian Folklore Centre. Support this JustGiving Crowdfunding Page.
www.justgiving.com
July 7, 2025 at 11:41 AM
Being from East Anglia, I was excited to discover this folklore centre. It's vital to have physical space to preserve & share our heritage, & sad that it's so difficult right now. Donated, & I hope they receive the support they need.
www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding...
www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding...
Good for him! Glad to see this issue getting some attention in the news. I've been seeing more and more of these stone stacks everywhere, & it's sad to see the harm they cause to natural landscapes, habitats, and historic features. What happened to 'leave no trace'?
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Why I kick down Peak District stone stacks
Stuart Cox says he wants to raise awareness of the damage the stacks can do to the environment.
www.bbc.co.uk
July 6, 2025 at 6:30 PM
Good for him! Glad to see this issue getting some attention in the news. I've been seeing more and more of these stone stacks everywhere, & it's sad to see the harm they cause to natural landscapes, habitats, and historic features. What happened to 'leave no trace'?
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Started writing a new short story today & was shocked that my plan didn't tell me how to begin 😆 Sure, it contains everything that happens, but not the exact details. Those have to come out in the writing. As a longtime pantser this is new to me!
July 4, 2025 at 1:19 PM
Started writing a new short story today & was shocked that my plan didn't tell me how to begin 😆 Sure, it contains everything that happens, but not the exact details. Those have to come out in the writing. As a longtime pantser this is new to me!
In Japanese folklore, the okuri inu (sending off dog) is a spirit which follows lone travellers at night. If they trip, it will attack them. To survive, you must make the trip look deliberate and sit down to take a rest. The okuri inu will wait… #FolkloreThursday
Image: Okuri-Inu by Ryūkansai
Image: Okuri-Inu by Ryūkansai
July 3, 2025 at 5:38 PM
In Japanese folklore, the okuri inu (sending off dog) is a spirit which follows lone travellers at night. If they trip, it will attack them. To survive, you must make the trip look deliberate and sit down to take a rest. The okuri inu will wait… #FolkloreThursday
Image: Okuri-Inu by Ryūkansai
Image: Okuri-Inu by Ryūkansai
Old mill pool at the meeting of 2 burns, a favourite haunt for kelpies & water horses.
‘I’m feared o’ the road ayont the glen,
I’m sweir to pass the place
Whaur the water’s rinnin’, for a’ fowk ken
There’s a kelpie sits at the fit o’ the den,
And there’s them that’s seen his face.'
- Violet Jacob.
‘I’m feared o’ the road ayont the glen,
I’m sweir to pass the place
Whaur the water’s rinnin’, for a’ fowk ken
There’s a kelpie sits at the fit o’ the den,
And there’s them that’s seen his face.'
- Violet Jacob.
June 30, 2025 at 3:50 PM
Old mill pool at the meeting of 2 burns, a favourite haunt for kelpies & water horses.
‘I’m feared o’ the road ayont the glen,
I’m sweir to pass the place
Whaur the water’s rinnin’, for a’ fowk ken
There’s a kelpie sits at the fit o’ the den,
And there’s them that’s seen his face.'
- Violet Jacob.
‘I’m feared o’ the road ayont the glen,
I’m sweir to pass the place
Whaur the water’s rinnin’, for a’ fowk ken
There’s a kelpie sits at the fit o’ the den,
And there’s them that’s seen his face.'
- Violet Jacob.
Saw a girl throw a snowball tonight & when I asked her not to she said 'it wasn't me, there's a ghost!' Now I want to write a story about a haunted ice rink. It's perfect - no-one would notice a temperature drop to signal paranormal activity 😆 ⛸️
June 27, 2025 at 10:35 PM
Saw a girl throw a snowball tonight & when I asked her not to she said 'it wasn't me, there's a ghost!' Now I want to write a story about a haunted ice rink. It's perfect - no-one would notice a temperature drop to signal paranormal activity 😆 ⛸️
Re-reading my journal from 2011 for a project I'm working on. I miss being a hyper teenager who stayed up late talking shit on MSN, making rubbish for dA & cuddling her dogs. Then cycled 6 miles to work the next morning on like 2 hours sleep & sang cheerily all the way. Like girl, how u alive.
June 25, 2025 at 6:20 PM
Re-reading my journal from 2011 for a project I'm working on. I miss being a hyper teenager who stayed up late talking shit on MSN, making rubbish for dA & cuddling her dogs. Then cycled 6 miles to work the next morning on like 2 hours sleep & sang cheerily all the way. Like girl, how u alive.
Thrilled to be running a creative writing workshop at the Mill of Benholm next month! Join us for woodland walks, folklore, and countryside history. And delicious cake from the Mill Cafe! Saturday 12 July, 3:30pm - 5pm. More info & booking: millofbenholm.scot/events/creat...
June 19, 2025 at 11:00 AM
Thrilled to be running a creative writing workshop at the Mill of Benholm next month! Join us for woodland walks, folklore, and countryside history. And delicious cake from the Mill Cafe! Saturday 12 July, 3:30pm - 5pm. More info & booking: millofbenholm.scot/events/creat...
Created my account and had no idea what to post. After years of being exhausted by & hiding from social media, I need to re-learn what I used to love about it. If those things even still exist. Let's see how this goes. Expect folklore, semi-coherent writing rambles, & snail photos ✌️
June 19, 2025 at 9:30 AM
Created my account and had no idea what to post. After years of being exhausted by & hiding from social media, I need to re-learn what I used to love about it. If those things even still exist. Let's see how this goes. Expect folklore, semi-coherent writing rambles, & snail photos ✌️