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.
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 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…
Mrs Holloway’s Annual Parade of the Brightest and Best
“The brightest and best of you,” says Mrs Holloway, clapping her hands with palms flat and fingers pointing upwards, so that each clap is a prayer of thanks. And so begins the Annual Parade…
Random Blog Posts
Odd Writers #4 : Robert Shields & His Enormous Diary
Diaries are supposed to be full of secrets and intrigue. Rev. Robert Shields’ diary was absolutely not one of those diaries.
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!
The Wish That Started Everything
In which impetuous Mab Thatcher ignores everyone’s advice about being the new priest’s first confession in Blackwood, and lands the village in a whole heap of trouble…
Satisfying Sentence: This Blue World
I could pick hundreds of satisfying sentences from Elbow songs, written by Guy Garvey. As NME magazine once said “Garvey is a poet, and one of the most creative and goddamn heartbreaking wordsmiths we have in the UK.” This is my all time favourite… 💙
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 