Dale Hurst – Author - Novelist news and other titbits
  • Home
  • About Dale Hurst
  • Buy My Books
  • Blog
  • Podcast – The Dale Hurst Writing Show
Home
About Dale Hurst
Buy My Books
Blog
Podcast – The Dale Hurst Writing Show
Dale Hurst – Author - Novelist news and other titbits
  • Home
  • About Dale Hurst
  • Buy My Books
  • Blog
    • Lust & Liberty
    • Sin & Secrecy
    • You Can Hear Chopin
    • Short Fiction
    • Poetry
  • Podcast
    • Season 3
    • Season 2
    • Season 1
  • Get in touch
Browsing Tag
qi
Blog Short Fiction Writing

Behind the Writing: “Sunday on the Boulevard with my Pet Lobster”

January 14, 2023 No Comments

Reflecting on my most recent piece of published work, Sunday on the Boulevard with my Pet Lobster.

A couple of years ago, after a massive over-indulgence in Looney Tunes cartoons and QI clips, I was inspired to tell a bizarre little tale about a lobster that liked to smoke cigars. I was already toying with ideas of human-animal co-existence; one such story got developed during my Master’s degree into what’s currently known as The Bloody Zoologist. But after reading about the writer Gérard de Nerval, who infamously had a pet lobster that he took for walks on a lead, I knew I had to play around with this idea some more. I can’t tell you the exact process. All I know is that somewhere down the line, we decided this lobster would be a smoker. That he’d have a smoker’s cough. And that asparagus would be the only cure. The end result: Sunday on the Boulevard with my Pet Lobster.

Writing Sunday on the Boulevard with my Pet Lobster

Admittedly, this short story’s surreal tone came off the back of misunderstanding absurdism. I learned more about that when I interviewed Great Ape‘s Dale Hall and Nels Challinor for my podcast. Indeed, I submitted the story for their publication’s first issue, and naturally, they rejected it. But having had excellent feedback from readers, who praised the style and the humour, I knew it’d have a place somewhere.

I modelled the comedic style on a couple of my favourites from childhood. Looney Tunes, for one, and also the Muppet Show. Both of them arguably surreal and witty in equal measure. Then I added my own voice, injecting my personal loves for luxurious settings, such as the restaurant Chez l’Armoire, and fine food.

Publishing Sunday on the Boulevard with my Pet Lobster

As I mentioned, I first submitted this story to the absurdist literary journal Great Ape. They rejected it, and rightfully so. But no longer really knowing what the story was, beyond weird, I just decided to fling it anywhere and everywhere. Hoping that at least one competition would take it on.

Eventually, I thought it’d be worth a submission to the Bournemouth Writing Prize. This is an international competition that Fresher Press runs annually, in association with my alma mater Bournemouth University. I submitted it in the January and then didn’t hear anything for months. With that in mind, I didn’t expect to hear anything at all.

Until, that is, I got tagged in a Facebook post in May, which told me that my story had made it onto the “immensely competitive” longlist for the short story category! A much-needed bit of good news! While that meant that I hadn’t made the shortlist, I later found out this story was getting published in two anthologies. Namely, Strange Encounters and Pick Me Up. It’s an added little ego boost that the covers of both books mention or allude to the lobster in some way.

I can’t argue with the competition judges and I’m very honoured to have made the longlist. However, if the audience reaction to a reading at the anthology launch event, and the enthusiastic discussion that came afterwards, were anything to go by, I feel like the story could’ve gone even higher. If you haven’t seen the video yet, just have a look below.

What’s next for the Bournemouth Writing Prize?

While I’m happy to leave my little lobster story alone now, I’m not done with the Bournemouth Writing Prize. In fact I already have my entries for the 2023 competition ready for submission. Just waiting on a bit of last-minute feedback before I enter. But let’s keep everything crossed that there’ll be another short piece published this year.

If you liked this, find out what else I got up to in 2022. Also keep up with my news and other content on my social media channels. I’m on Facebook and I’m especially active on Instagram.

Continue reading
Reading time: 3 min
Written by: Dale Hurst

Newsletter

About me

This is Dale Hurst here. Novelist and journalist. Subscribe above to receive all updates.

Popular Posts

ANNOUNCEMENT: New Book in Progress

November 15, 2018

No Time Like the Present…

July 1, 2018

“To Err is Human…”

August 4, 2018

You Can Hear Chopin from the Attic: A Brief Overview

January 24, 2019

Categories

  • Ballad of a Godless Man
  • Blog
  • Characters
  • Food Writing
  • Journalism
  • Lifestyle
  • Lust & Liberty
  • Podcast
  • Poetry
  • Short Fiction
  • Sin & Secrecy
  • Travels
  • Writing
  • You Can Hear Chopin

dalehurst_author

The Berylford Scandals (1. Lust & Liberty, 2. Sin & Secrecy) 📚
Podcaster | The Dale Hurst Writing Show🎙️

Dale Hurst | Author
The last of our discussion episodes for the season The last of our discussion episodes for the season featured composer and producer @pacings – here he is, going into one of the many components of his soundtracks 🎬🎥🎶
.
LISTEN and SUBSCRIBE to The Dale Hurst Writing Show on Spotify 🎧🎙️
.
#thedalehurstwritingshow #podcastsofig #writingwisdom #writingpodcast #podcastaddict #filmcomposer #musicianlife #producer #creativewritingcommunity #creativesofinsta
It was very difficult to pick out one snippet of w It was very difficult to pick out one snippet of wisdom from @pacings episode of The Dale Hurst Writing Show last week. 
.
Best thing to do, listen to it all on Spotify (#linkinbio) 🎶🎥🎬🎧🎙️
.
#thedalehurstwritingshow #writingpodcast #podcastsofig #podcastsofinstagram #filmcomposer #musicianlife #documentary #authorscommunity #writingwisdom #igwriters
Another eventful month... Some little exclusives i Another eventful month... Some little exclusives in the latest post on my website (#linkinbio) 📖📚🖋️
.
#writersofig #writerslife #writingprocess #writingprogress #youcanhearchopinfromtheattic #thedalehurstwritingshow #authorscommunity #authornetwork #authorsofig #creativewriting #creativewritingcommunity
What goes on in a composer's head when they're try What goes on in a composer's head when they're trying to score a film or documentary? Well, @pacings can tell us more as a composer and producer. Latest episode of The Dale Hurst Writing Show now available 🎶🎵🎥🎬📖📚🖋️
.
LISTEN NOW on Spotify 🎧🎙️ (#linkincomments)
.
#thedalehurstwritingshow #writingpodcast #podcastsofig #podcastsofinstagram #filmcomposer #musicianlife #documentary #authorscommunity #writingwisdom #igwriters
This Thursday, the podcast takes a different direc This Thursday, the podcast takes a different direction as I speak to composer and producer @pacings about how scores and soundtracks can assist the storytelling process in films and documentaries 🖋️📚📖🎬🎥🎵🎶
.
LISTEN and SUBSCRIBE to The Dale Hurst Writing Show on Spotify now 🎧🎙️(#linkinbio)
.
#thedalehurstwritingshow #writingpodcast #podcastsofig #podcastsofinstagram #filmcomposer #musicianlife #documentary #authorscommunity #writingwisdom #igwriters
I was always a bit morbid 💀👻 . Nothing like I was always a bit morbid 💀👻
.
Nothing like a good death scene 😆
.
#writerthreads #writingprocess #writingprogress #amwritingthrillers #amwritinghistoricalfiction #writersofig #authorthreads #authorscommunity #authorlife
This might be the best analogy for constructing a This might be the best analogy for constructing a story that I've heard in a long time. I'm immortalising this bit of wisdom from @averynayr but there's so much more in the actual episode 📖📚🖋️
.
Listen to The Dale Hurst Writing Show on Spotify now 🎙️🎧
.
#listennow🎧 #thedalehurstwritingshow #screenwritercommunity #screenwriting #writingcommunity #writingwisdom #writingpodcast #amwritingscreenplays #podcastsofig #writersofig
In our hugely popular latest episode, @averynayr d In our hugely popular latest episode, @averynayr dished a good deal of writing wisdom, including this little snippet 🖋️📚📖
.
LISTEN and SUBSCRIBE to The Dale Hurst Writing Show on Spotify (#linkinbio) 🎧🎙️
.
#thedalehurstwritingshow #screenwritercommunity #screenwriting #writingcommunity #writingwisdom #writingpodcast #amwritingscreenplays #podcastsofig #writeradvice
Load More… Follow on Instagram

Dale Hurst

  • About Dale Hurst
  • Get in touch

Recent Posts

  • Progress Report — November 2023
  • Progress Report — October 2023
  • Progress Report — September 2023
  • Progress Report — August 2023
  • The Dale Hurst Writing Show Season 3 arriving soon

Dale Hurst

  • Email
    dale.hurst93@gmail.com
  • Address
    Poole, Dorset
© 2020 Copyright Dale Hurst // All rights reserved