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P T Lacy

@ptlacy

Author seeking representation. EFL Teacher. Englishman in Poland (he/him). Cat dad. Movie lover. Blogger. All shall worship me and despair? Debut novel: https://books2read.com/unregistered Blog: https://from-the-smallest-desk.ghost.io

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05.03.2025
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Latest posts by P T Lacy @ptlacy

#WIPSnips #WriteSky

Sometimes in a memoir, things get a little bit scientific, especially when electron microscopy is involved.
From Belonging, my forthcoming entry in the Universal Turing Machine project, live on June 1st

07.03.2026 11:13 πŸ‘ 15 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

When I was 15 (in 1992), my mum forced me to take Sourcery and Equal Rites with me on my school's German exchange. I read Sourcery on the bus back from the airport and was hooked immediately.

04.03.2026 11:38 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

#WIPSnips #WriteSky

It's time for football in Belonging, going live on the Universal Turing Machine on June 1st...

02.03.2026 20:25 πŸ‘ 6 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

The MC is actually me aged 20, and very, very British: the Universal Turing Machine project is all about memoirs. I was in Sandusky OH to start working at Cedar Point!

28.02.2026 19:21 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

#WIPSnips #WriteSky

A brief trip to June 1997 in Belonging, live on June 1st on the Universal Turing Machine project

28.02.2026 17:03 πŸ‘ 7 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

#WIPSnips #WriteSky

My entry in Richard Beard's Universal Turing Machine project will be going live on June 1st. Belonging does not have 'highlight', but it does have feature:

26.02.2026 19:12 πŸ‘ 9 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

#WIPSnips #WriteSky

Another little piece from Belonging, due for inclusion in the Universal Turing Machine project, live on June 1st:

24.02.2026 19:42 πŸ‘ 8 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

The idea of the Universal Turing Machine project is that everyone's story is worth telling and that all memoirs have value. This one is mine.
We've entered an age where GenAI can spit out endless nonsense in heartbeats, real human experience and expression should be valued above synthetic nonsense.

24.02.2026 09:07 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

#WIPSnips #WriteSky

From Belonging, my forthcoming contribution to the Universal Turing Machine project, going live on June 1st:

22.02.2026 21:23 πŸ‘ 10 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

#WIPSnips #WriteSky

From Belonging, my contribution to the Universal Turing Machine project, going live on June 1st...

20.02.2026 20:02 πŸ‘ 9 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

#WIPSnips #WriteSky

From my forthcoming entry in the Universal Turing Machine project, Belonging, live on June 1st:

No trace of 'subtle' but I do have a delicate!

19.02.2026 20:44 πŸ‘ 9 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

#WIPSnips #WriteSky

From Belonging, my contribution to the Universal Turing Machine project, going live on June 1st this year...

17.02.2026 20:43 πŸ‘ 10 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Anyone can author a contribution to the next phase of The Universal Turing Machine, on the principle that everyone’s life-story is equally valid. For more details see https://www.universalturingmachine.org – every six months another row and column of memoirs will be published.

The eight memoirs scheduled to be added online in June 2026 are:

Madeline Barnicle, Zwangzug, and other Advantageous Moves

Norman Crowther, I Squared

Barbara Holtmann, I Really Don’t Know Life At All

Nick Jacob, You Don’t Want to Leave Me

Harriet James, Harriet Did It

P T Lacy, Belonging

Patience Mackarness, Metaphor Soup

Liza Reed, The Long Profile

Anyone can author a contribution to the next phase of The Universal Turing Machine, on the principle that everyone’s life-story is equally valid. For more details see https://www.universalturingmachine.org – every six months another row and column of memoirs will be published. The eight memoirs scheduled to be added online in June 2026 are: Madeline Barnicle, Zwangzug, and other Advantageous Moves Norman Crowther, I Squared Barbara Holtmann, I Really Don’t Know Life At All Nick Jacob, You Don’t Want to Leave Me Harriet James, Harriet Did It P T Lacy, Belonging Patience Mackarness, Metaphor Soup Liza Reed, The Long Profile

But another good reason to check it out is because Richard has chosen the first eight user-submitted memoirs to add to the machine and...
Oh...
Oh my...
Mine just happens to be one of them!
universalturingmachine.co.uk/about-the-au...

14.02.2026 20:30 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
UTM – UTM

Maybe you’ve heard of Richard Beard. Maybe you read about his new memoir project, The Universal Turing Machine.
You should check it out, it's a great concept, especially if you're concerned about AI writing overrunning human writing:

universalturingmachine.co.uk/utm/

14.02.2026 20:30 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

If you see this post an Archer

29.01.2026 18:06 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

bsky.app/profile/mass...

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13.01.2026 19:31 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
β€œFive matches,” I said. β€œI need five matches.”
β€œWhy five?”
β€œYou’ll see.”
Long shrugged and Jones produced a box of matches from a jacket pocket. He extracted five and laid them on the table.
β€œYou have to hold them,” I said. Jones shifted in his seat. β€œDon’t worry, Sergeant. I won’t burn you, promise. I ain’t no monster.”
He picked them up and held them in a row, heads upwards.
β€œIn a bundle, please,” I said. He rearranged them. β€œWhich one do you want me to burn?”
β€œThe one in the middle,” Long said.
I held out my hand, fingers loose. Matches were easy. Even safety matches like this, safe because of their outer layer. Get them hot enough and they happily stop being safe. 
The match in the middle sat squarely in my heat sense. They called me a monster. What the fuck did these two know about anything? Drag me here, try to fit me up for arson and I’m the monster? 
The fire inside was fit to rip and tear and howl and I clicked my fingers and flicked it outwards. I dumped it into the head of the middlemost match and spread my fingers wide. The match head popped and flared and the flame sprung out. I found the balance. I became the pivot, channeling the heat up in a narrow cylinder, away from all of the other match heads and the wooden body of the matches. Pulled it away and poured the excess heat into the bricks lining the interview room.
Jones began twitching in his seat as the match burned down through the bundle.
β€œRichard,” he said, β€œyou promised.”

β€œFive matches,” I said. β€œI need five matches.” β€œWhy five?” β€œYou’ll see.” Long shrugged and Jones produced a box of matches from a jacket pocket. He extracted five and laid them on the table. β€œYou have to hold them,” I said. Jones shifted in his seat. β€œDon’t worry, Sergeant. I won’t burn you, promise. I ain’t no monster.” He picked them up and held them in a row, heads upwards. β€œIn a bundle, please,” I said. He rearranged them. β€œWhich one do you want me to burn?” β€œThe one in the middle,” Long said. I held out my hand, fingers loose. Matches were easy. Even safety matches like this, safe because of their outer layer. Get them hot enough and they happily stop being safe. The match in the middle sat squarely in my heat sense. They called me a monster. What the fuck did these two know about anything? Drag me here, try to fit me up for arson and I’m the monster? The fire inside was fit to rip and tear and howl and I clicked my fingers and flicked it outwards. I dumped it into the head of the middlemost match and spread my fingers wide. The match head popped and flared and the flame sprung out. I found the balance. I became the pivot, channeling the heat up in a narrow cylinder, away from all of the other match heads and the wooden body of the matches. Pulled it away and poured the excess heat into the bricks lining the interview room. Jones began twitching in his seat as the match burned down through the bundle. β€œRichard,” he said, β€œyou promised.”

#BluePitπŸ“–

Here's a sample from the first chapter.

I'd love an agent or a small publisher to champion the story, so if you like what you see, then get in touch. The manuscript is ready and waiting for you and has had full requests from a number of agents!

#F #SF #SP #C #Q #BluePit

13.01.2026 19:30 πŸ‘ 14 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0