Paul Stewart
Bio
Award-Winning Writer, Poet, Scottish-Italian, Subversive.
The Accidental Poet - Poetry Collection out now!
Streams and Scratches in My Mind coming soon!
Achievements (36)
Stories (1375)
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Fostering Doubts
Author's Preamble: As noted above, this is my 22nd rejection, in my ongoing attempt to win something or have something published outside of Vocal. The following story was written for the 2025 Ligonier Valley Writers' Flash Fiction Contest. The prompt was simply, AI/robots, the light or dark side. 1000 words or less.
By Paul Stewart6 months ago in Fiction
The Reflection in the Windscreen
We, my wife and I, were driving along the M8, Glasgow’s main motorway, on our way to Ingliston — a country club fancier than the places we’d stayed before. The journey was pleasant, though for a while I grew inward, distracted. It was only later, after we’d arrived and before a nap ahead of dinner, that I told her I’d had a strange experience.
By Paul Stewart6 months ago in Humans
Stars Behind My Eyelids
I held my breath for what seemed like an eternity. As I clamped my eyelids shut, stars started to form in the darkness — kaleidoscopic and mesmerising. Everything slowed to a dreamlike drift, and my heartbeat’s rapidly escalating pace threatened to fling the swollen organ across the dancefloor.
By Paul Stewart6 months ago in Fiction
The Bracken Will Wither
What happens when the looking eye notices you? That was a question Donald Finnegan asked himself as he was transfixed, bent over the door to the old cellar of the bar, where a saline-dripping, large iris looked from side to side before focusing on him. Salt crusted the handle as a thin layer of sea mist rose from under the door. As he knew full well the door led to nothing but an old, unused storeroom and then the thick back wall of the bar, he put it down to the whisky. He fell backwards, turned away, and ignored it. Daft bastard.
By Paul Stewart6 months ago in Fiction
21 Rejections Down and a New Goal
As many here will know, on November 10, 2025, I started trying to share my work beyond Vocal and self-publishing. Inspired by my good friend Stephen A. Roddewig and others on this platform like Mackenzie Davis, Blythe, and Stephen Kramer Avitabile, and quite a few others I've likely missed, I began submitting to outside competitions and calls.
By Paul Stewart6 months ago in Writers
