The origin of Bristlewurm

Cover for Bristlewurm

The idea behind the upcoming short story Bristlewurm, arrived more by luck than design.

While editing the novella named The Oakmere Grynfang, there was an opportunity for Cora Winstanley's quirky side to shine through, and I took this opportunity when she's walking with a baker’s apprentice named Noldo Krumb.

During their walk, the herbalist briefly mentions a gross encounter she’d experienced during a previous trip to Oakmere forest, and while writing that brief monologue of hers, it planted the seed for this new story.

The short story Bristlewurm is Cora’s first-hand account of the gross encounter she's referring to; and she's had many of these messy encounters during her treks into swamps, caves, and forests.

This story represents Cora’s second appearance as a key character but isn’t the first time a character appears in more than one tale. That award goes to Myrsa Summersby where in The Oakmere Grynfang, she makes a cameo appearance at the bakery; her footsteps are heard by Tarabai in The Farley Mount Pinchers; and she's the protagonist in A Girl Named Latchford... as you can see, like The Beach Boys, she gets around.

Bristlewurm is a short story, will be free to read, and expected to be finalised and published around the middle of February.