About this Site
My name's Jonathan Pinnock. I lead a dual life. In one half of this, I run a software development company called Jonathan Pinnock and Associates. If you've come here looking for that, here's where you need to go.However, if you've come here to find out about the other half of my life, as a writer of fiction and non-fiction, you've come to the right place.
If, on the other hand, you've arrived here by accident whilst searching for Japanese Tentacle Porn, I suggest you try using a different search engine.
If you'd like to contact me, my e-mail address is jon AT jpassoc DOT co DOT uk.
Books
Mrs Darcy versus the Aliens was published by Proxima Books in September 2011.
The Scott Prize-winning short story collection Dot(.), Dash(-) will be published by Salt in 2012.
Jan
19
Greyling Bay
Filed Under Acceptances, Publications, Stunts | 4 Comments
This is an interesting one. Jane Smith, who writes the excellent How Publishing Really Works blog (which I’ve had as a link here for some time now, and is essential reading), has set up a collaborative work of fiction entitled Greyling Bay. The idea is that contributors write short, self-contained fragments, all based around the fictional town of Greyling Bay, that knit together into a patchwork whole (if that isn’t mixing too many metaphors). There are some quite big hitters amongst the contributors already.
Oh, and I’m in there too, with this piece, which grew out of something I’d done as part of a flash fiction exercise last year. I liked it, but I couldn’t work out what the hell to do with it, until I realised that it might work well as part of Greyling Bay. So there it is.
Oct
4
All Change
Filed Under Charity, Stunts | 2 Comments
First thing this morning I sent in my entry for the final round in the Whittaker competition. It’s been a lot of fun, this one, with some quite challenging prompts to work with. For the record, here are the ones that I went for (out of a choice of three for each round):
the phone rang at 4 a.m.
stained ground beside Forsbury Chapel
orange wellies
going down an angle so sharp it makes Pythagoras puke
the middle of nowhere sings
nicotine-stained walls and a broken air conditioner
Do you take American Express?
he was always such a quiet boy
on Friday, a duck fell from the sky
See what I mean? That’s the sort of stuff that’s guaranteed to send you off into all sorts of odd directions. Anyway, one piece (“Mathematical Puzzles and Diversions”) has already been published, and one other is currently in competition. The rest will be out there just as soon as I’ve hacked them around a bit. Oh, and I’m currently in fifth place. Can’t see much chance of getting any higher, as I had a couple of duff rounds. You can sit one round out, because only your best eight count, but two’s gonna bring you down. Still, like I said way back when this started (before this blog had even got going) the most important function of a comp like the Whittaker is to force you to generate stuff, and winning it is a secondary issue. (Of course, if I was leading the comp at this point, it is possible that I might have a different opinion.)
And speaking of comps like the Whittaker, its spritual parent, Eurofiction, has just started up again on the SlingInk site. The first prompts went up on Wednesday. So off we go again.
BTW, I spent the rest of today writing stuff for the Grail charity writeathon. Great fun, and lots of interesting ideas bubbling around. I eventually came up with eleven pieces altogether: 8 stories, 2 poems and 1 piece of non-fiction. I’m fairly happy with this, although one of the people there managed to do 35 pieces altogether. I suspect that she is actually an alien with more than one brain. And, of course, the donation page is still open here.
Oct
1
Should have posted about this ages ago, but never mind. This Saturday I’m taking part in a charity writeathon, which will involve writing as many stories as I can to prompts between 11AM and 11PM. It’s being run by a writers’ group called The Grail and this year it’s in aid of Volunteer Reading Help, which is a cause that should be dear to anyone with a love of reading and writing. So (hands up who saw this coming) I’m asking for your hard-earned cash. I know, I know, times are hard, but it is a really good cause, isn’t it? And, trust me, you’ll feel so much better for it.
As for the event itself, I’ll be fascinated to see what happens. The pressure often disengages the left brain and throws up some interesting stuff, such as this one that emerged during last year’s Children in Need event. I’ll let you know how it goes …
Sep
4
Eurofiction’s Back! (or the Masochism Tango continues)
Filed Under Competitions, Stunts | Leave a Comment
Has a year really gone by since the last Eurofiction started? Well, I guess it must have. Doesn’t time fly when you’re enjoying yourself, eh? So it all kicks off again at SlingInk on October 1st, nicely dovetailing with the last round of the Whittaker.
The only question is whether or not I really want to commit myself to another rolling competition (ten prompted pieces over twenty weeks). Y’see, it’s about time that I sat down and wrote a proper, full-length (I can hardly dare to say the word) novel. It’s all very well having these one-night stands with story ideas that you pick up in some sleazy internet forum, but it’s really about time that I grew up and showed some, y’know, commitment.
Aug
13
The Masochism Tango (Part 2)
Filed Under Stunts | Leave a Comment
So, how’s it all going, then?
We – e – e – ell …
I did manage to finish my entry for the current round of the Whittaker Prize, and it turned out to be (for me) quite a long one – right up to the 2500 word limit. I have absolutely no idea as to its merit or otherwise, but I won’t have long to find out – the judge is scarily quick. I do have a feeling that this is where it all goes pear-shaped. After four rounds, I’m currently in second place, but I fear that this won’t be for long, and the long downward plunge is about to start. (And I really don’t like the prompts for Round Six.)
Aug
3
The Masochism Tango
Filed Under Stunts | 2 Comments
Over the last few days I think I’ve established beyond all doubt that I have a definite masochistic streak. Let’s consider the evidence:
- I’m currently taking part in the Whittaker Prize. This consists of a series of nine writing tasks, spread over eighteen weeks. Each task involves picking one of three given prompts and writing a story (up to 2500 words) over the next two weeks.
- I also try to take part every week in the Cafe Doom Flash Challenge. A mere 350 words, this, based on a given one-word prompt.
- I also seemed to have signed up for this thing. I have no idea why I have done this. Last time I entered one of their competitions, I was assigned to a heat where the chosen genre was Historical Fiction and the subject was Sewing. Seriously. I regard the fact that I managed to scrape into fifth place in my heat as a major achievement.
- I’ll probably also be taking part in the monthly 1000-word Phil’s Challenge at SlingInk.