I have tried to sort through the stories I've written since 1997 but found it an exhausting task. Some I will keep for publication or re-publication at a later date, and others have never seen the light of day until now. I couldn't believe I'd written so much.
Most of the stories you find here have been published before and are probably past their use by date, although that is a matter for debate.
But be that as it may, feel free to download, print out and pass on these stories as often as you like. I think one of the most enjoyable pursuits I've got is the desire to write just for the sake of writing and then to share it with someone else. I've shared these stories with writer's groups, in college workshop environments and with close friends. The feedback I've gotten has helped shaped them further and made me a better writer.
I have provided these stories in PDF format only for the time being but that is to enable people to save them and print at their leisure. If you wish to pass comment or say thank you then feel free to email me at alastair.rosie@gmail.com

Enjoy!

The Coffee Shop was written while I was at college and was inspired by endless cups of coffee in the cafe near college. It was published in the college anthology Inkshed.

First Kiss was discovered accidentally when I was rebuilding this site and I can't remember writing it. I think it was the result of a class exercise and I've included it here for a hilarious look at puberty.
A true writer never ever reveals his sources of inspiration but this one was based on my daydreams over a girl named Sue.

A Gift of Love was an autobiographical short story that went a long way towards helping me understand the pain I had been through as a teenager and young adult. It was the last short story to be published in Inkshed before I left college.

I've Heard So Much About You was a fun piece to write. Included in Heritage Restored, it was a riotous adventure about a struggling rock musician who meets his idol. Never meant to be taken seriously, it nevertheless begs the question, what would you say if you met your idol?

Ridicule's Story was originally named Heritage Restored but was renamed to avoid confusing it with the novel into which it was eventually inserted. My first proper short story, it was a turning point in my writing career and one  that sent me back to school. I believe from memory that I used it as one of my  submission stories. I recall Billie the interviewing teacher taking not just the two I'd submitted but a half dozen stories to photocopy, just to make sure I got admitted to the Professional Writing course. Ridicule's Story is told as a parable but has an eternal healing quality about it.

The Affair was actually my first ever print-published piece and appeared in Inkshed. For those unfamilar with Inkshed, it was an anthhology of work published every year by Professional Writing students and produced by the Small Press class. I have to admit a bit of embarressment about this story. I had originally submitted The Dance (see below) but the Small Press class thought it too vague and so a story I wanted to distance myself from got accepted instead. Just goes to show that even the stories we despise can be published.

The Dancer was an attempt to explore the plight of the abandoned woman using metaphorical language. I don't know how successful it was, but I did enjoy writing it. The story is included with Heritage Restored.

My Prayer was written for a friend who was battling cancer at an age when most people are just reaching their peak. Sadly she lost her fight but her spirit lives on in the next two pieces. I hope it brings you comfort, this one was too valuable and too close to the heart to chance on publication. My Body's Declaration of Rights was written to help her and later on others through issues such as self denial of sexual enjoyment and the right to enjoy life without having to please others first. Unless we learn to love ourselves first we will never learn to love another.

Creation Chronicle was written for a class called Myths and Symbols. The first part was written first and inspired by positive feeback from my teacher I wrote the rest of the poem. It was published in the inaugural edition of Divan in spite of its length. It is an epic poem based on Ovid's Metamorphoses.

The World Within was part of a class exercise where we were told to write about ourselves. It was a curious piece for me to write but I enjoyed being able to look at myself from an objective point of view and write down my observations.

There are many other short stories I've written and some may appear on this site but others will be published elsewhere hopefully.  

Alastair Rosie

Poet/Songwriter,
Luba Yamskaya
Meditating

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