A Tricky Dance

by Diane Simmons, Alien Buddha (contributor)

Set in 1970s Scotland, Diane Simmons’s novella-in-flash A Tricky Dance follows spirited teenager Elspeth as she navigates the challenges of friendships, family life and ambition, discovering that even in the face of adversity, life can hold endless possibilities.

51 pages, Paperback

First published January 7, 2024

About the author

DIANE SIMMONS is a British author who lives in the west country. She is a co-director of National Flash Fiction Day and a former director of the UK Flash Fiction Festival. She has been a reader for the international Bath Short Story Award and a judge for several flash competitions, including Flash 500, New Zealand’s Micro Madness, NFFD Micro Fiction Competition, and many Flash Fiction Festival competitions. Widely published and anthologised, she has been placed in numerous short story and flash competitions. She is the author of four novellas-in-flash: 'Finding a Way', (Ad Hoc Fiction), 'An Inheritance' (V. Press), 'A Tricky Dance' (Alien Buddha Press) & 'William Prichard & Co' (Arroyo Seco Press). All her novellas are available from Amazon or from her website: www.dianesimmons.co.uk

Reviews

[Adam]

It was amazing brilliant characters love how the date was the reference by including the Bay City rollers didn’t want it to end was surprised by the ending can’t wait for more

[Ally · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full of charm, character and wit, Diane Simmons takes us to 1970's Scotland, where the bold Elspeth dances through the complexities of growing up; from friendships, to country dancing, to vegetarian sausages!
One of Diane's greatest strengths as a writer is how deeply real her characters feel and A Tricky Dance is no exception. I thoroughly enjoyed following Elspeth through her highs and lows and was urging her on to find her feet on the dancefloor. Every page was a delight and I can't recommend this book enough.

[Alva · Rating 5 out of 5]

This gentle portrayal of a young girl's journey at life navigation as she tries to find her place. Poignant, tender moments are sprinkled through this heartfelt novella-in-flash by Diane Simmons. We are led into Elspeth's days, her difficulties, her triumphs, her blossoming unlikely friendship with Rory. A beautiful piece of writing from start to finish.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't say anything in a review of A Tricky Dance that Fiona and Dahmnait haven't already said previously, so I'll just say that I really enjoyed this, and found myself cheering for Elspeth at the end. I really want her to succeed in her dancing and in her life. The books only three dozen pages long, but packs a punch!

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautifully written, read in one sitting novella-in-flash. Elspeth is a well drawn and likeable character; Diane Simmons evokes the era well and I enjoyed the story. If you are looking for a good example of how each flash leads seamlessly into the next to develop the plot, this book is a masterclass.

[Fiona J Mackintosh · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Tricky Dance, a novella-in-flash by Diane Simmons, is the story of Elspeth, a young girl growing up in an unforgiving Scotland in the 1970s. Those were the days when to have even a taint of Sassenach was grounds for ridicule and unpopularity. Yet, despite the handicap of being originally from London, Elspeth’s feisty self-belief buoys her through the ups and downs of secondary school and life with a single mother in a household with little money to spare. In her pitch-perfect voice, Elspeth tells us about her fickle friendships and her dream of becoming a dancer despite the odds.
Diane Simmons’ descriptions of Elspeth’s daily life in that era are spot-on, such as jammie dodgers, the Bay City Rollers, Morecambe and Wise, and Jackie magazine. Having grown up in the same decade in a very similar Scottish town, I remember them all. And I remember that feeling of being different and the burning desire to prove it to the world, which Diane Simmons has captured so well.
“My mum’s got no patience with me. ‘There’s nothing wrong with being ordinary,’ she says, ‘Being clever or famous isn’t the be-all.’ I’d like the chance to find out.”
A Tricky Dance manages to be deeply moving yet unsentimental, which is a tricky dance in itself, one that Diane Simmons has pulled off to perfection. Highly recommended.

[Damhnait Monaghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was delighted to blurb this novella in flash as follows: Diane Simmons explores the tricky dance of adolescence in this affecting novella-in-flash. My heart ached for Elspeth whose tough as nails exterior hides a young girl’s yearning to fit in. As the story concludes, Elspeth begins to find her place on the dance floor, with this reader cheering her on. Endearing, moving, satisfying.

[Anne Corlett · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic novella-in-flash from a talented flash fiction and short story writer.

[Jeanette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Diane Simmons’s story of an English girl growing up in 1970s Scotland is both moving and funny. We follow feisty Elspeth as she navigates her ever shifting friendships at school and her desire to be a dancer. I adored Elspeth’s developing relationship with Rory as he supports her dancing ambitions and represents a kindred spirit in his desire to breakaway from all that is ‘ordinary’. There is a real skill in balancing humour and emotion in a story and Diane Simmons manages it time and time again.