Claire Waller

Bringing a gun into a house changes it. You can’t help it, of course. The trick is not letting on to everyone else that you’ve changed it. Keeping everything looking exactly the same, so all the neighbours, passersby, any visitors have no idea what you’ve done.

It’s a specific kind of visitor we have in mind. The kind that bulldozes in mob-han…[Read more]

Bringing a gun into a house changes it. I move from hallway to sitting room. Little Kev is trying to hide behind a chair. Bang! I shoot him through it. This isn’t the house where Kev lives anymore. His mum stands on the stairs, screaming. Screams of shock and denial I suppose. Bang! Screamy house one minute, quiet house the next. I step over her b…[Read more]

ZAnd it’s a vote for ‘improbable’ from me too.

Thanks, again, for all the good advice and reasoning, too.

Nice. Might have a go as I’m in between edits…

“A Lyttle Goes a Long Way”
The Improbable Life of an Ulster Storyteller
gets my vote.

Improbable tale feeds into the stereotype of Irish blarney. That title tells the reader before they’ve turned the cover that what follows is not to be believed, so why bother buying the book?

Improbable life suggests a life fully lived, a life of intrigue and…[Read more]

Thanks again for all the advice, guys.
It’s clear I should stick with “A Lyttle Goes a Long Way”.

But the subtitle:
The Improbable Tale of an Ulster Storyteller
The Improbable Life of an Ulster Storyteller

The Remarkable Tale… or Life…
The Extraordinary Tale… or Life…

or some other type of Tale… or Life…?

Great idea for the competition – specially as I had an entry all ready to go and didn’t need to do any actual work…

Congrats, Sandra. I’m only glad I didn’t have to do the judging.

I, too, think a subtitle (strapline?) works, though I’m rather partial to Kaz’s suggestion of ‘improbable’ which suggests an especially rollicking good story from an Ulster Storyteller.

Works for me! And with the subtitle, too…

Agree with you Raine, 100%! Loved Sandra’s start (among others!!) Well done, Sandra x

Great idea for the competition, Raine.
Sandra – well deserved. Absolutely intriguing start.

I like the sub title. It complements the title – which I also think is the right one!

Further thanks to Kate, Kaz and John. It seems I really ought to stick with my working title. So how about:

A LYTTLE GOES A LONG WAY
The extraordinary life of an Ulster Storyteller

Or is it better without a subtitle?

Yes, brilliant competition. And totally agree with Raine. I would have carried on reading all of them. Congratulation to Sandra and can I add my name to the list of people who would like to read the rest of it.

Great idea for the competition Raine, and a lovely selection of entries. Well done Sandra – worthy winner.

I apologise for not joining in btw. I fully intended to, but as I’m between WIPs I was going to have to start something new. I had some ideas but every little spare moment was taken up with other things and at twenty to midnight when I was…[Read more]

Thanks, Squidge. No, I do like the original title (You should see the length of the list of “Lyttle” puns I rejected before choosing this one! There’s already a completely unrelated book out there called “Lyttle by Lyttle”, my first thought.) I just wondered if I could grasp readers attention without using his name. Maybe I’m worrying needlessly.…[Read more]

Tony – sorry, but Unrelenting Limelight doesn’t work for me either. Sounds like a tragedy set on a stage, and it sounds like your relative’s life was far from a tragedy.

You said that if you’re not familiar with the name, why buy the book?

Book buyers are a strange crowd, drawn in by all sorts of things. Surely it’s that ‘drawing in’ of…[Read more]