THE ODD BIT OF WRITING…
Short stories, creative writing, books & articles. Perfect for when you’re waiting for the bus, for a ghost to appear, or for that long-awaited fight with your nemesis.
News…
Check out ‘A Clever Bird Thing’, which was published in ‘Forest & Bird’ (Winter 2023) quarterly magazine, about a very interesting seagull…
A Handful of Short Stories
The Saturday Girl and The Heavy-Breather
The jars of pickle were kept at the back of the cellar. Of course. They wouldn’t be conveniently positioned at the bottom of the stairs. That would be far too easy. I’d already heard the jokes about the ghost. The one nobody ever saw, but everyone had heard…
The Protest: A Short Story
A short story about the things we hide from others, and even from ourselves.
The Perfect Gift: Short Story
This story is dedicated to all those who breathed their last breath in ‘the war to end all wars’ – if only that were true – and to the memory of Harry Redman, my great-grandfather, who managed to live through it all. Unlike so many of his fellow soldiers.
The Quiet Fight and Flight of Florence Morgan
His moustache wriggled like a caterpillar when he laughed. Florence hated it. She hated the moustache, she hated the high waistband of his tweed trousers, the way George cleared his throat all the time – huh-hummm. The protruding mole by his ear, the smell of stale pipe tobacco, the way he kept his fingernails so…
Random Blog Posts
‘While you live, shine.’
In which a song Jo fell madly in love with turned out to be a very special song indeed…
Odd Writers #8: Hemingway the Crazy Cat Lady
In which we find out why there are so many Six-Toed Kitties in Key West
The Odd Disappearance of Violet D’Ath and New Zealand’s First Gothic Novel
Mysterious Violet D’Ath, if you were ever truly flesh and blood, I hereby vow to hunt down you and your beautiful book!
When Your Muse is For Sale
In which the derelict farmhouse that sparked my historical fantasy, ‘Foxfires’, on a wintery walk many years ago suddenly appears online for sale, and I spend the day wishing it was mine, all mine!
Books
The Curtain Twitcher’s Handbook
“Beautifully written; a stunning achievement. Jo Danilo is an incredible talent, with a sharp wit and a knack for grabbing a reader and not letting them go until the last word is read.” (Anna)
11:42 (Complete MS)
“The pace is great- the story moves along swiftly, gathering momentum and tension. There are truly scary as well as tender moments.” (Author and NZSA Assessor, Paddy Richardson)
The Blackwood Crusade
“I was hooked from the first page and felt completely part of the characters in the story. Jo Danilo has a wonderful way of writing that captures the imagination and heart of her characters.” (Colin)
Foxfires (Complete MS)
“I’ve very very much enjoyed reading Foxfires and, in fact, found myself turning the pages very swiftly during parts of the novel-this is a wonderful story.” (Author and NZSA Assessor, Paddy Richardson)
Jo Danilo | Writer 