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GD Holdaway

Multi genre fiction author of short stories & novels

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Exciting Change On The Horizon

by Gary Holdaway
Posted on November 26, 2018March 12, 2019

You may have noticed that over the past couple weeks, my noise over here on…

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Day 1 of Whispers From The Dark has arrived, and I played it pretty safe to be honest. It’s a spooky look at the common occurrences of daily life, and plays on the doubts we may have every time we hear a creak down the hall or see a movement out the corner of our eye. Best enjoyed right before bed, in the dark... 🦇 🦇 🦇 Whispers From The Dark is a limited time flash fiction event, promising a short horror piece every day throughout the month of October. All the pieces will be taken down on the 10th November, refined, edited, and collected in an online PDF zine. Anyone who gifts £10 or more worth of tips throughout the month will automatically receive a copy of the ’Zine absolutely FREE! With a limited unique cover drawn and created by my own hand. (Alongside some special hidden perks and surprises for the ‘Supporters Edition.’ Link in bio. 🦇 🦇 🦇 #horror #october #autumn #halloween #fiction #author #writer #writersofinstagram #writersofig #writerscommunity #writerslife #readersofinstagram #reader #spooky #scarystories #horrors #horrorstories

As I go through life, and start to make an attempt at putting happiness in the foreground, I’ve realised that oftentimes we lack appreciation for the true wonders of the world. Us as a creature of this earth, as capable as violence and utterly terrifying evil as we are for overwhelming acts of love and kindness, are truly amazing. We are as unique and individual as any other animal on this planet, and yet while it’s easy to focus on the ways in which we have exploited our planet and it’s inhabitants, it pays to take a step back and appreciate the beauty we have also tapped into. Of course music and art exist everywhere, outside of our manmade instruments and art materials, but to have pushed it all so far to build a world where we’re no more than a click away from masters performing their art is astounding! Imagine a world without it all now. Somehow we’ve managed to desensitise ourselves from such magic. It’s become ordinary to us. It’s easy to feel like we have nothing to be grateful for. Our lives are determined by a capitalistic system where of course money, work, and lifestyles come into play. But if you can take a step back, look around the world, listen to the radio, and appreciate the evolution of the greater aspects of mankind, you can find appreciation in being alive. It ends for us all, which sucks. But that’s no excuse not to soak it all in while we can. #appreciationpost #appreciation #nature #music #beauty #art #wisdom #wisdomquotes #modernwisdom #writerscommunity #writersofinstagram #writingcommunity #writing

When I reached the top of Snowdon I remember the overwhelming sense of relief and achievement. The views were unlike anything a camera can capture. You’ve earned those views. You’re higher than a photo can display. The lakes are so much further away than they seem, yet still vast and beautiful. With each step you curse yourself for not being fitter, for not being able to breeze your way up while taking in every individual sight from every angle. Another five minutes pass and your views become more incredible. A picture. A selfie. Back to it. Step after painstaking step. There are points where you have no choice but to lunge up knee high rocks, lugging your bag with too much water and more snacks then you’ll ever stop to eat. There are points where you’d like to stop. But then the thoughts take over. ‘It can’t be far now, I want to reach the top. I’ve come too far to turn back and carry all this shit back down.’ In many ways I’m glad I was unprepared for the hike, it made the achievement all the more worth it. I felt like I had earned my spot at the top of that mountain. The message here, I guess, is that you don’t have to be prepared to jump into the unknown. If something appeals to you, if it calls you, if it seems fun, or amazing, or intriguing, go for it. One step after the next, no matter how hard or steep the climb, you will make it. You may stop and doubt yourself on the way to the summit. You may hot icy fog along the way and not be able to see you’re next few steps. But you keep climbing. Exhausted. Looking for that next breathtaking view. That next epic photo. And at the end, the work is so worth it. The payoff is unreal. And no matter how hard it felt, you made it. It was achievable. That’s one thing that Snowdon truly summarised for me. No matter who you are and how prepared you are, you can achieve the same ends. Sure it may be easier for some than others, but that’s only because they put in some of the work first. Nobody is better or worse than anybody else, only further forward or back on their journey. . . #snowdonia #snowdon #selfie #nofilter #nofilterneeded #naturelovers #hiking #publicfigure #adventure #adventurer

Fuck what anyone else says, thinks, or does. Being unapologetically you is the strongest thing you can do. #nofilterneeded #selfie #summer

On receiving yet another animal playset, I suggested that my daughter attempt to draw/paint a few of them to practice. She does a lot of fairies and unicorns, ‘My Little Pony’ style stuff. She’s hit that stage where she’s very critical and down on herself over her art, and I’ve explained to her that she needs to go into a ‘drawing to learn’ phase, so she can start enjoying her ‘drawing for fun’ pieces at a higher level. She told me that drawing the animals would be too hard, and that she isn’t good enough. So, I flipped over the sheet of paper she was doodling on, grabbed a pencil, and very quickly blocked out the basic shapes of the giraffe. That took honestly a minute or two. From there, I showed how to add details on top of the frame, things like the shapes of the legs, and hoofs, and explained that she only needs to learn these things once or twice before they’re forever in her ‘creative bank’ to draw upon whenever she wants/needs them. I don’t often draw, and I keep saying that I’d love to dedicate some time to solid illustration practice, but with the writing I just don’t have the time right now. Still, I enjoy learning how to learn, and all my exposure to art YouTube allows me to at least help direct my daughter to where she wants to be with her artwork. Still, I do kinda regret having this on scrap paper, and not rubbing out all the pencil before watercolouring it. Maybe next time! . . #dadlife #dad #daddy #daddysgirl #sketch #sketches #sketchbook #art #artist #artistsoninstagram #artistsofinstagram #illustration #animals #animalillustration #watercolor

How can I make an impact today? How can I change lives? Thinking is the powerful precursor to action. A little strategy is never lost on any one idea. Even the smallest of things deserve some thought and precise action. Don’t sell yourself short. Creatives, business owners, and those looking to enhance and improve their reach, friend me. I’ve got something coming for you ✌🏻 x #writerslife #writerscommunity #selfie #nofilter #nofilterneeded #norse #pagan #pagansofinstagram #creative #artist #blogger #bloggersofinstagram

Writing this tortured me and inspired mein equal parts. Yes, I was limited to 300 words for the weekly prompt, but that’s not where this story ends. Poppy Pringle is a character that I instantly adored, and can see a good few books with her 😍 I can’t wait to write more with her at centre stage! Hope you enjoy the story. . GDHOLDAWAY.COM Link in bio! . . #flashfiction #fiction #fictionwriter #writerslife #writerscommunity #writersofinstagram #writersofig #blogger #flashfictionchallenge

🖊 I’m that annoying type of person that needs a structured routine 😅Sleep and wake times, morning and evening rituals, planned out activities at certain times, spreadsheets (🙄🙄 yeah, I know…), the lot! Seriously, without one, the whole damn world collapses around me and I don’t know if I’m coming or going. Still, even with knowing that, when my routine does eventually slip away into chaos, I struggle to sit and create a new one. Just think: I haven’t scheduled ‘write routine’ into my daily routine, have I? Can you imagine how hard that makes everything? Do you even know how much this very post breaks all those rules!? I’m practically sweating! Read more @ www.gdholdaway.com 😈😈

My new (and first!!) collection of short stories is due for release toward the end of June. In a bid to bring my community into my work, I’m asking for any kind of suggestion from you guys- as weird and wonderful as it may be. Drop me a picture, a crazy plot idea, an unlikely pair of characters, a unique setting... you choose! #amwriting #writing #writer #writerscommunity #writingcommunity #writersofinstagram #writerslife #stories #story #shortstories #flashfiction #novella

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