Explore the world of Peter Clements' writing
Dive into a collection of words that tell tales for all ages. Here, you'll find snippets of imagination, heart, and adventure that showcase why I write. Prepare to be drawn into stories that resonate and inspire you to read more.
Adventures for little readers
Step into the vibrant worlds of my children's picture books. These stories are crafted to spark joy, curiosity, and a love for reading in young minds. Manuscript titles include Freddie Bear lost his Hair, Slim Saves the Day and The Big Kid's Playground.
Freddie Bear woke from hibernation with his teeth chattering along,
He had woken cold and shivering and found his hair was gone.
Arrgh!..
Unveiling adult fiction
Explore the depth and nuance of my literary fiction. These chapter examples offer a glimpse into compelling narratives, complex characters, and thought-provoking themes designed for adult readers.
12 Patients is a literary fiction manuscript, clinical and biographical genre, comprising 12 chapters each detailing the life path of an ordinary, everyday person and the decisions they made - good and bad - that led to their timely interaction with me, an Intensive Care Paramedic, and the subsequent medical, emotional, traumatic and social outcomes for each.
Take Grace, who tries to outrun her abusive past and mental health demons. Or Bill, who crashes his car into a tree on the way to sell his fruit at the market. And then Tanvi, who makes a bad decision with tragic consequences for her new born baby...
Written in a realistic and witty conversational style, this narrative provides the reader with an engaging and relatable story. Each patient's journey evolves into a clinical presentation that requires paramedic intervention and management.
Sometimes harrowing, often hilarious, but always entertaining, Twelve Patients offers an insight into the lives of those requiring out-of-hospital medical care, as well as an understanding of us, the paramedics, who miss our meals, work at nights and survive on coffee, to provide clinical care to those who need it.
Short stories that resonate
Discover my collection of short stories, each a complete world waiting to be explored. These narratives showcase a range of styles and subjects, demonstrating my versatility as a writer. Find a story that captures your imagination and compels you to read on.
TOO LATE TO LEAVE
David, with shoulders slumped and head down, shuffled up the scorched pathway. The soles of his boots had long since disintegrated from the smouldering earth beneath his feet. The house was gone. It had been fully engulfed by fire. There was nothing left.
He stopped at the end of the path wiping soot from his face as his gaze drifted to the ground. He had been fighting this bushfire for weeks now. He was exhausted.
A small metal box, surprisingly intact, caught his eye.
Reaching down he pick it up. It was still hot. He turned it in his hands. The lid fell open and an envelope fluttered to the ground. Quickly he scooped it up before it too was taken by embers of this unrelenting fire.
It was a letter.
Dear Fireman,
I suppose now your reading this you must have found my little tin.
I am sorry. You told me to leave yesterday.
You told me I had till 4pm to gather my things and leave. I started sifting through. My prized cuckoo clock chimed the hours counting down until ‘evacuation time’.
I have a lot of things, but I really have nothing.
Frank, my husband, died 4 years ago. We’d been together a whole lifetime. Productive in life with our newsagency business, but alas, too many early mornings and late nights. No kids. Regrets, we all have them.
I have Misty, my little Spaniel. Like me, she’s old. She’s at the vet more than she’s at home. It’s just me and her now.
So, I’ve decided to stay. I know what’s coming. I’m sorry for what you might find, but it’s time I was reunited with Frank. I made a cuppa and sat gazing out the window. The fire is coming quickly. Misty seems to know. She’s curled on my lap as I write this letter.
There’s another envelope in the tin. I hope it survived too. My little stash no-one knows about. A small secret bulge under the mattress of the bed Frank and I shared.
Please take it and use it.
Again, I’m sorry.
Yours Sincerely,
Beatrice
Dave stood for a moment, his eyes stinging with tears. He flipped open the lid of the box and found the other envelope. It was full of neatly folded $100 notes.
He leafed through the wad of money with his blackened thumb. It was generous. He leaned against the blistered low chain link fence and slowly counted it out.
$23,500.
He wiped the tears from his eyes as his gaze swept the remains of Beatrice’s still smouldering home.
In facing certain calamity Bea had calmly put her house in order.
Dave cradled the envelope full of money. He thought of the life and equipment lost in fighting this fire.
Out of tragedy had come an unfortunate stroke of serendipity.
He turned and walked away the way he had come.