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Mumbles From The Madhouse
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TITLE (EDIT)
Mumbles From The Madhouse |
DESCRIPTION
It was her first day on the secure unit and somehow she had to see it through.
[2,215 words] |
TITLE KEYWORD
Drama |
AUTHOR
Sue (Sooz) Simpson |
ABOUT
THE AUTHOR
I'm thirty nine, recently single again. I have two boys Cli' (pronounced clee) Real name Christopher and Mark. I'm a care in the community nurse and formerly (when I was married) an occupational Therapist working with the mentally ill on a secure unit. I love reading and writing and meeting people. I hate offal, seafood and intolerance. I keep dog, cat, polecats, rats and reptiles. And for seven years ran the second largest reptile sanctuary in Britain. Apart from having my lads, I think that's probably the most worthwhile thing I've ever done. Writing wise, I've been the main fiction writer for Legends magazine for three years.And have two books published 'Lizard's Leap' published by Quillusers, and 'Better the Devil You Know' soon to be released by Bestbooks.Um I drive a knackered old Astra, and ride a two litre trike. I live in the lake district of England, and am happy. :-)
[January 2003] |
AUTHOR'S E-MAIL ADDRESS
sooz.006@virgin.net |
AUTHOR'S OTHER TITLES (84)
A Fork In The Road. (Short Stories) A paradox revolving round the lonely Holker Mosses in the dead of night. [2,835 words] [Mystery]
A Twist In The Tail (Short Stories) - [963 words]
Agony (Short Stories) The First in a series of Agony columns written by the unstoppable Aunt Nasty. (May be deemed offensive) [1,200 words] [Comedy]
Agony 2 (Short Stories) Morew from the irrepresible Aunt Nasty (May be deemed offensive). [1,077 words] [Comedy]
Angel Stew (Short Stories) The kitchens are in uproar. [826 words] [Comedy]
Anne (Short Stories) - [707 words]
Apple Of His Eye (Short Stories) Daddy's little girl, Daddy's little sweetheart. (May be deemed offensive). [1,742 words] [Drama]
Attractions (Short Stories) People stared at the sisters and called them freaks. [678 words] [Drama]
Bandit At Twelve-O-Clock (Short Stories) A sinister note drops through her letter box, but who is it from and what's it all about? [2,144 words] [Drama]
Barriers (Short Stories) Everybody's frightened of the prisoner in the cell at the end of the block. [2,913 words] [Thriller]
Breakfast In Bed (Short Stories) She loved her husband so much, and a sepcial man deserves a special breakfast. [1,633 words] [Horror]
Car Trouble (Short Stories) Boys will be boys. [496 words] [Comedy]
Cat's Chorus (Short Stories) - [1,332 words]
Cherry Blossom (Short Stories) - [435 words]
Cold, Cold Night.. (Short Stories) The night was beautiful but biting, she had to make her final farewells, a cigarette would help. [630 words] [Drama]
Creeping Up From Behind. (Short Stories) You can't ever really know what someone else is thinking ... unless they choose to tell you. [925 words] [Drama]
Dark Solitude. (Short Stories) A woman alone on the moors when a storm threatens, but this is no ordinanry storm and that is no ordinary lady. [1,434 words] [Drama]
Dawn Rising (Short Stories) He looked at his own personal sunrise every morning, yet longed for the warmth of the sun. [1,069 words] [Drama]
Deadly Persuit (Short Stories) Nature at its most cruel .. when it's interfered with by man. [1,541 words] [Drama]
Deep Blue Eastern Light (Poetry) I've never been to Budapest, but I saw an image on a postcard, it was misty and had a sort of dreamy quality about it. I wondered about the spirit of Budapest. Hope I've done her justicce. [204 words]
Different Road (Short Stories) Charlie is running scared. Will he find his way before his precious time runs out? [521 words]
Empty House (Short Stories) This had been her domain, now it was only a shadow. [649 words] [Drama]
Find Me A Place (Poetry) Everybody needs somewhere to run. [193 words] [Drama]
Finding Fleur (Short Stories) Katy desperately wants to find Fleur, but does Fleur want to be found? [1,727 words] [Drama]
Four Minute Warning (Short Stories) - [476 words] [Comedy]
Freedom By Another Name (Short Stories) He's an imposter [557 words] [Drama]
Furtive Glances (Short Stories) Always the last to know! [891 words] [Drama]
Galaxy (Poetry) Let Venus bear witness and Mars be our guide. [139 words]
Hickory, Dickory, Dock (Short Stories) - [991 words] [Drama]
Is The Toilet Roll Half Full Or Half Empty (Short Stories) It's hard when you're at bursting point. [423 words] [Comedy]
I've Always Wanted To Write... But! (Short Stories) There's always an excuse if you want to find one. [510 words] [Mind]
Jasmine And Gardenia Love (Poetry) - [417 words] [Erotic]
Jinny (Poetry) - [176 words]
Just The Ticket (Short Stories) You pays your money and you takes your chances. [5,177 words] [Drama]
Knockers (Short Stories) It's a dirty job, but someone's got to do it. [2,210 words] [Drama]
Little Bird (Short Stories) He liked fragile things [1,406 words] [Drama]
Lizards Leap (Novels) Four children buy an intricately carved frame from a school fair. A crazy old woman chases them desperately wanting the carving for herself. What is the mystery surrounding the strange frame? [5,753 words] [Adventure]
Long Walk Back To Jurassica (Poetry) Evolution and progress or three million steps backwards? [323 words] [Drama]
Lookingthrough The Window (Short Stories) - [401 words]
Madness Becomes You (Short Stories) She used to be someone, now she's several people, or maybe she's nobody at all, it makes no difference. [394 words] [Drama]
Making My Way Back To You. (Short Stories) She'd told them a thousand times to keep the front door closed, now tragedy had struck. [1,926 words] [Drama]
Memberwhen (Poetry) Memberwhen that mystical word of long ago memories. [189 words] [Drama]
Mortar Doesn't Breathe. (Short Stories) The house was inanimate, dead ... because her child was gone. [1,114 words] [Drama]
Mourning Glory (Short Stories) One of my favourite pieces. Please note *This is not a children's story* It's the tale of a little girl trying to be a child. [1,786 words] [Drama]
My Friend The Tiger And Me (Poetry) I wrote this for my little boy when he was having trouble at school. [942 words] [Animal]
Naughty Bunny Goes To Ibiza (Short Stories) - [552 words]
One-Man Race (Short Stories) He had only his nerves to rely on. One slip and the race would be lost. [664 words] [Drama]
Out Of Print (Short Stories) A man, a boy, a love of reading and echoes of the past. [2,007 words] [Drama]
Outrun The River (Poetry) The snow was melting fast and he owed it to himself and his seld of dogs to make it to safety. [145 words] [Action]
Pact Of Joy. (Short Stories) Don't we all just want to be happy? [2,497 words] [Drama]
Play With Me Please. (Short Stories) - [322 words]
Return Of The Hellcat (Erotica May Be Offensive) (Short Stories) Please do not read this one if easily offended. Or even not so easily offended. Continuing sexploits of Dark Solitude. [3,390 words] [Erotic]
Room For One More (Short Stories) The dream was haunting and wouldn't leave Mike alone. [1,728 words] [Drama]
Rush Hour (Short Stories) - [419 words]
Sally (Short Stories) - [2,268 words]
Sinister Music (Novels) She had no psychic ability, so why had fate chosen her to foretell of the spate of brutal murders? [6,114 words] [Drama]
So This Is My Life Then (Short Stories) - [517 words] [Comedy]
Space Walk (Short Stories) May Cause offense. [1,290 words] [Drama]
Spirit Dancer (Poetry) - [514 words]
Sweet Child Of Mine (Short Stories) The old lady had been brutally mugged, her son was sucjh a good boy, but would his thoughts now turn to revenge? [1,843 words] [Drama]
Tangled Web (Short Stories) Treat `em mean and keep `em keen. [596 words] [Drama]
The Band Played On (Short Stories) - [1,486 words] [Drama]
The Big Picture (Short Stories) The little girl was a great artist, but her subject matter was giving cause for concern. [776 words] [Drama]
The Comet. (Short Stories) Remember! [796 words] [Drama]
The Dinosaur (Short Stories) - [1,523 words]
The Half Empty Glass. (Short Stories) They had no idea of the horror they were walking into. [3,030 words] [Drama]
The Hhmmm Efect (Poetry) - [783 words]
The Iceberg (Short Stories) She had to break the hold they had on him... release him from his parents grip. [410 words] [Drama]
The Joker (Short Stories) - [2,032 words]
The Lovers (Poetry) - [124 words]
The Mark Of Jack (Short Stories) The start of something maybe. [1,044 words] [Drama]
The Old Enemy (Short Stories) I just hope I've got the names right. [253 words] [Drama]
The Rosary (Short Stories) May cause offense. [422 words]
The Spark (Short Stories) - [557 words]
The Thirteenth Station (Short Stories) - [8,024 words] [Horror]
The Village Green. (Short Stories) - [559 words] [Drama]
Three Mile Gap (Poetry) So close and yet... [285 words] [Drama]
Tomorrow Lies Beside Us (Poetry) - [239 words] [Drama]
Tusk (Short Stories) - [1,012 words] [Drama]
Under The Whether (Short Stories) - [1,626 words]
Watching And Waiting (Short Stories) - [1,253 words] [Drama]
White Icing (Short Stories) - [1,385 words]
Worlds Biggest Loser (Short Stories) - [114 words]
You Are My Sunshine (Short Stories) - [1,285 words]
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READER'S REVIEWS (4)
DISCLAIMER: STORYMANIA DOES NOT PROVIDE AND IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR REVIEWS. ALL REVIEWS ARE PROVIDED BY NON-ASSOCIATED VISITORS, REGARDLESS OF THE WAY THEY CALL THEMSELVES.
"I found this one a bit confusing. It seems to be the opening two chapters of a novel. I don't think it stands alone very comfortably as a short story. From the writing point of view I think there is too much introduction: the first few paragraphs are almost all descriptive, it's only in the second "chapter" that things begin to happen. The writing also is a bit rough in places and in my opinion needs further editing and proof-reading. My main puzzlement however is with the institution being described. I work in the mental health field and am undergoing training to work in the secure unit, and it really doesn't resemble what is described here. Without going into detail, this sounds like something from the last century, or even earlier, apart from the mention of the medical wipes and the modern drugs. The setting just doesn't ring true. I am normally a great fan of Sooz' writing but I think she has gone a little adrift with this one." -- David Gardiner, London, England.
"Yes this is the start of a novel and isn't meant to sit alone. Astute as always. This one is based on my own experiences but it is a cut and shut (is that what they call those cars?) The gothic vicorian description is from Lancaster Moor the famous 'institute' that is no more. It ran (in fact I worked there) until fairly recently, in fact I think it only closed in the last ten years or so. It was the most depressingly aptmospheric place I have ever worked. I think it had misery and suffering etched into its stonework. everything else is taken from another place entirely in Cheshire. I don't want to name it because when I began working there the place, standards, and practises were dire. Moral was low, staff were sloppy and lazy and the place needed a good shake up. It was bought by a pair of Asian buissness men, what the hell did they know about running a secure mental health and EMI unit? I thought it would be the kiss of death, but they knew their stuff. You cut the mustard or you were out! A new staff was brought in and things became happy and sunny and treatment was excellent. This novel is going to be about the turn around. I just like the thought of it being set in The Moor rather than in a virtually new building. Thanks David." -- Sooz, Dalton-in-Furness, England, Cumbria.
"Snickers’ Review: ***As usual, Ms. Simpson displays excellent writing. The images are sharp, the story flows. Some thoughts follow. Also, watch the use of commas: when in doubt, leave it out ;-)*** The welcome that greeted her when the door was opened was not an inspiring one. The lady that stood before her was of average height, with cropped ginger hair, and a face like a smacked bum. Angie smiled what she hoped was a warm and confident smile, introduced herself, and said she was expected for her first day of duty by the Matron, Mrs. Lynne Phillips. “Lynne’s off sick” The woman informed Angie, ushering her in. “And I haven’t got time to be bothered with you today. I’ve got two girls off and now with matron off too, it leaves me in a right mess. You’ll just have to manage as best you can.” Well this certainly wasn’t the welcome she had hoped for. ***This is redundant, its already been stated two paragraphs earlier*** Lynne had promised to meet her at the door, and give her the guided tour, introducing her to the clients, and giving her a bit of background on each. She had said that she would make the entire afternoon available to stay with Angie, for her induction. The smell hit her the second she walked through the door, Oh they’d done their best to mask it with strong disinfectant and deodorising room fresheners, but the smell of incontinence and misery was far too powerful and dominant to be smothered. ***We've got the smell in here twice. I might reword it a little bit*** 2 The noise released with the opening of the door, was instantly cacophonous, wails and moaning. ***That first sentence is awkward*** Several voices shouting, some screaming, one man releasing a stream of the foulest language ever heard. The smell had at least doubled in intensity so that Angie had to fight the instinct to gag. She knew one thing, and that was that she would not be beaten by this imposing place with it’s unfriendly staff and neglected appearance. She knew she did not like what her senses showed her, and that she in her little way and with her heartfelt good intentions, would make a difference to the lives of these poor cast off people, who nobody else wanted the responsibility of. ***Ending a sentence with a preposition .... might want to reword that*** However little it was, Angie was going to make her mark on this institution for the mentally ill, and it would be for the better. Angie was still ‘stood standing’ as her mother used to say, pondering the who, what, when, where, why, and how of the situation when she met the first of her sixty charges. The other question that was blowing in the wind of Angie’s mind ***this is awkward and uncharacteristic of Ms. Sooz.*** was “Where the bloody hell were all the staff?” The place seemed devoid of them. The man had lost his temper. Angie moved away from the door as he pounded against it. Shouting that he needed to get on the platform because he had a train to catch. Angie felt out of her depth and wanted to put some distance between herself and the irate man. ***rather than tell here, it might be better to add more dialog in an effort to show. Telling at this point seems redundant since we've already gotten that message*** ***One more word, about the s#!t eating part. Well that isn't the nicest part of the piece, but it is all in context and none of the rest of it is a pretty picture either. And actually it moves the plot along, it motivates Angie to do something. The writing stands up.*** " -- Cam Davis.
"Thanks Snickers, I write form experience and from life. I tell it like it is. Thanks Cam. " -- Sooz, Dalton-in-Furness, England, Cumbria.
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COPYRIGHT NOTICE
© 2000 Sue (Sooz) Simpson |
STORYMANIA PUBLICATION DATE
June 2002 |
NUMBER OF TIMES TITLE VIEWED
573
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