Articles written by Jackie Tritt

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About me - Jackie Tritt

I was born in England, but now I live and write in Australia. I used to be a biology/science teacher and career advisor. Now I enjoy writing articles for newspapers and children's magazines.

I have a murder mystery, The Burning, with Virtual Tales at www.virtualtales.com.

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Creative Writing > Short Stories Short stories: War: 3 of 55
Seven o'clock newsThe woman on screen is running down the street and dragging a child behind her, the girl's feet flying through the air, freewheeling like a cartoon animal, though it's hard to find anything to laugh at here. Their fear is palpable. They are caught in the crossfire of opposing soldiers and they are eternally ... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Trash & Recycling Composting: A brief guide for the beginning composter: 4 of 71
Well made compost looks, feels and smells almost good enough to eat. It should be dark and crumbly, moist but not wet, and smell sweet.The compost container can be a plastic bin, or the type you tumble so the contents mix and react regularly, a simple crate made from wooden laths, or just a pile in the back corner of the gard... More..
Creative Writing > Short Stories Short stories: Love of a pet: 1 of 9
It's a dog's lifeAnd now to the south east. A region of low pressure moving in from the west overnight will bring heavy rain which will continue for most of the day, offering welcome relief for drought-stricken areas' The TV weatherwoman droned on, tracing the rain band's movement across the map of the state. Black cartoon cl... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Climate Change Debating whether global warming is a threat or just media hype: 24 of 163
It's raining today. Just a gentle drizzle, and it's only been going for the last half hour, but we're three weeks into April and this is the first rain we've seen in the rain gauge this month. People are ringing the radio stations in excitement, as rain falls in their regions. There are jokes about what this wet stuff falling... More..
Creative Writing > Novel Excerpts Novel excerpts: Suspense: 52 of 180
PrologueTheir piping laughter has drawn him close, making him dance to a tune he can't resist, though he knows he should. He must. There's an intervention order, keeping him a minimum of a hundred metres away from playgrounds, schools and kindergartens. His parole officer says he's got to stay away, but that's easy for her to... More..
Sciences > Astronomy What is an eclipse?: 6 of 20
I've been lucky enough to watch two total solar eclipses in my life. The first was in the 70's in Victoria, southern Australia. I was studying astronomy at the time, and our whole class was bussed to a good high vantage spot in the hills near Ballarat. The atmosphere was amazing as the sky darkened in the middle of the day. B... More..
Creative Writing > Short Stories Short stories: Dark stories: 201 of 662
It is always cool in here, even in the hottest weeks of summer. Cool and dim. The front window has been pasted over with circus posters, so that sunlight slices through the gaps between them, illuminating dancing motes of dust. Light shines, dull, through the thin paper, casting patches of blue and red on the once white tiles... More..
Arts & Humanities > Writing Resources How to find short story contests: 5 of 14
Short story contests abound. The problem is finding those which reward well and don't cost much to enter. I've won several competitions run by newspapers. They are free to enter and the best of them paid me $5000. How did I find them? I belong to a writers' centre which puts out a list of current competitions each month and a... More..
Creative Writing > Short Stories Short stories: A sports mystery: 6 of 16
Knit one, steal oneSuspectsCon SinapolisMadgeThe entertainerThe ice cream sellerQueues stretched from the tennis arena, through the ticket gates. It was hot, it was sunny, it was close to starting time, and the crowds were getting irritable. Dan Galton, however, did not have to worry about lining up for a ticket. Dan was winn... More..
Health & Fitness > Allergies Food allergy prevention in children: 2 of 5
There seems to have been a dramatic increase in the number of food allergies occurring in children in first world countries.The most common serious allergies involve peanuts, tree nuts, milk, eggs and sea food. At worst, they can cause an anaphylactic reaction. This is a very fast reaction in which, for instance, the airways ... More..