Third Project is blooming!
Spring has sprung, and with it our third project nears completion!
Not too big, not too small and made in aid of a marvellous charity, "PODDLES" will contain 50 stories, 50 artworks and a ton of love.
Artpod People CIC are the recipients of this piece.
Announcement!
We are happy to tell you that the second recipients of our fundraiser book have had a long awaited, exciting change in circumstance!
Thanks to everyone who got a copy and donated large or small! We decided to cover the P&P your UK delivery ourselves to make the most of your kind gifts while they continue to recover (and we wish them both the very best).
Here are some words from them:
"I have immense gratitude for the time and effort the writers artists and producers of 'A Rabble of Dabbles and Doodles' have spent raising post transplant funds for R's care.
R received his transplant in October and is doing well. The funds raised will allow us to fund the respite and care we desperately need and get our lives to a new normal.
Thankyou, C."
A collection of original drawings and short stories compiled into a high quality paperback book.
104 pieces of experimental fiction and 104 drawings spanning reality, unreality, and the spaces inbetween.
Comedy to horror, grim reality to fantabulist delight; this collection for adults plays with boundaries within small formats.
Single words springboard us to the worlds the author found inside them in exactly one hundred words.
Using identical prompts, 29 artists show how beautifully different interpretations of a word can be in 3” squares.
In a world where everyone is short on time, A Rabble of Drabbles shows creativity is possible despite limitations.
Fundraising Items
About the book:
A lot of adults want to read & explore new art but find themselves very short on time or concentration. This collection gives the reader a chance to read through or dip in as life allows. The pieces each stand alone to be simply enjoyed in a couple of minutes, or thought about and revisited. There is depth, darkness & word play for those who wish to look for it alongside fun and the fantastical. All wrapped up in a classic black & white style as counterpoint to the varied & experimental content.
Please note that this isn't a collection for children (though you may wish to read the cuter pieces to a child!), so there is swearing, dark & gritty pieces as well as happy, sweet and downright daftness. I firmly believe that grown-ups deserve and need stories too, so this is for you.
There are sample pages further down to show the wonderful variety of stories and doodles alike.
Reviews
A collection of reviews so far from a variety of professionals across various creative industries, because why have just reviewers reviewing something that crosses boundaries without also crossing boundaries?
Detailed Review
The excellent and multi-talented Author, Scholar and Convention Panalist R.A. Smith has reviewed a cross section of the book. He gives us a deep dive running commentary of 5 of the tales to really show the scope achieved within such a small framework.
"Vanilla - obviously nothing of the sort, yet in such a short space of time, I quickly found myself rooting for our subjects and cheering on their future happiness. But then, I've always had a sweet tooth.
Monolith - Funny how one word can conjure such a sense of crushing oppression and bleakness. So imagine what a hundred will do for you. Coming soon, the even darker sequel: HR.
Hearth - They continue to make me hungry, these tales, and no more than when discussing baked goods. Social media whets the appetite less, but there's a lovely nexus between past, present and future which we travel in a short time.
Emollient - A useful instruction to look beyond the immediately visible, which I can see multiple interpretations possible for. Even though this says everything needed for the tale at hand, I would like to know more in a bigger story.
River - So the thing about this club is that it just reminds us that there's something for everyone, even if I must never go to this place. It begins to look a lot like fish men, but I suspect some of them would want to shut this down as they ask us to steady on a little; the wild is up to 11 here. And always refuse the starters."
Russell Smith, Author
The Grenshall Manor Chronicles; Oblivion Storm
Look Inside Examples
Each of these double page spreads has been chosen to demonstrate the incredible variety of storytelling style and genre as well as the diversity of artist vision and mediums used.
Questions
How the Drabbles were written:
Taking random words suggested to me online, I let my imagination run wild in the worlds and feelings they conjured up. Characters and settings, even whole universes were created with the single restriction of one hundred words per story. There are plays on dictionary definitions, puns and etymology. There are mythic and folkloric characters, humans and other creatures in as many styles and genres as I could fit into these pages. I have toyed with and pushed as many boundaries in the stories as I could. I hope they bring laughter, tears and a few creeping chills as you read.
How the Doodles were Drawn:
The doodles are purposefully not illustrations of the stories. Instead, I asked a collection of different artists to take the same prompt words I had & play with them within a confined space in a short time frame. The result was an incredibly varied collection of artworks, all monochrome & fitting inside three inch squares. From pencil sketch to digital painting, literal representation to synesthete interpretation - these wonderful artists have donated their time, talent and unique styles to create a fantastically diverse gallery of images.
Word clouds
Thematic Word Cloud
This is a thematic word cloud showing the many themes, styles, and genres covered throughout the book. The idea is that everyone should be able to find something they connect to.
The varying sizes are not an indication of how many times they're covered and each theme, style, and genre will shine through in their respective tales.
Representation
This is a representation word cloud showing the many peoples, minorities, and lead characters covered throughout the book. It is very important to me that as many readers as possible can identify with and see themselves in characters and stories.
There are also animals and other-world beings included in this set. This is because this list as a whole covers the "people" the tales are about and the point of view that they are told from.
The varying sizes are not an indication of how many times they're covered and each one will shine through in their respective tales.
What is the Pootleverse?
About the Pootleverse
Some of the drabbles are set in a particular place. The Pootleverse is a small fantasy universe which lies everywhere & nowhere in the British Isles filled with folkloric creatures & very ordinary humans in comfy but weird situations. It has appeared as fragments in my writing that may become a book with a little encouragement.
Why the book was written
This book was created specifically to raise money for Tyler’s new powerchair.
As a Storyteller, Tyler’s and my own experiences of being confined by our disabilities & society made me want to show that we humans are creative beings who can express ourselves within and using those confines as a frame for artistic exploration. So I set out to explore the creative diversity on offer in small bursts of inspiration.
As stated in our recent Announcement, Tyler has reach the target and aquired their much needed Powerchair! This means the funds raised from the book sales now go to a very deserving single parent and her amazing little boy to be able to receive much needed aftercare for major life changing surgery.
With Thanks
Thank you to the people & communities below for their encouragement and support.
Navigate Brighton
Switchboard LGBTQ+ Disability & Neurodivergency Group
Artpod Brighton
