It is the time of year for reviews but I look at how these can be useful for writers.
Facebook – General – and Chandler’s Ford Today
Busy night tonight and a good way to wrap up for 2017! Firstly my monthly blog for Association of Christian Writers’ blog site, More than Writers, is now up on site. I look at what starts Christmas for me and why the story of Herod rings so true. People preparing to keep their position by committing murder etc – well it is not a new phenomenon, unfortunately.
Secondly, my weekly Chandler’s Ford Today post is now up. I look at personal reviews and share how they can be useful for writers in generating characters. Non-fiction writers can use personal reviews too.
Facebook – From Light to Dark and Back Again
A busy night on the blogging front with posts up from me for ACW’s More Than Writers slot and my weekly CFT slot. For the first, I look at how the story of Herod makes the Christmas story so realistic, given people being prepared to murder to hold on to their position in life is sadly nothing new. For the second, I look at personal reviews and how they can be useful to writers. (Links above).
On the flash fiction front, I hope to enter more competitions during this coming year. I also hope to write more short stories and I have one or two longer projects I would like to at least make a start on in 2018. As ever, I would like to read more too!
Whatever your writing or reading plans, may I wish you all the best for 2018.
Fairytales with Bite – Happy New Year!
Firstly, may I wish you a very happy New Year!
Secondly, and continuing with my theme of looking back from last week, my current Chandler’s Ford Today post looks at how personal reviews (so common at this time of year) can be really useful to writers for character and story generation. Reviews like this can also be used in non-fiction writing.
Thirdly, my monthly blog for the Association of Christian Writers’ page, More than Writers, looks at Christmas favourites and how Christmas starts for me. It isn’t with Black Friday!
So what are your writing/reading/both plans for 2018? I hope to enter more flash fiction competitions and read more. I would like my characters to develop more in the next year too. How? By perhaps resonating more with readers. By my bringing in a depth to them that perhaps I haven’t done before. This isn’t necessarily done with more words. Flash fiction is the ultimate in the less is more syndrome for writing. It is picking stronger words that convey more meaning which will help me develop depth of character more.
This World and Others – Writing Plans
I always write in my new writing diary what I would like to achieve in the coming year. I try to achieve as many as possible but don’t beat myself up on what I can’t get done. Sometimes that is because I have tried something else completely (in my case, I did this with flash fiction) and you end up going down a path that you hadn’t anticipated. In my case with the flash fiction, it has proven to be a very enjoyable path so I’m planning to stick to it!
I never set anything in stone then but am open to new possibilities. I hope to enter more flash fiction competitions in 2018 (and submit more to online magazines I’m already involved in) but if I spot a genuine writing contest which looks interesting, I may well give it a go. (Incidentally I always do check out the background of any competition I’m entering and look for what others have said about it, which I think is a wise idea and one I can’t recommend highly enough).
So what are your writing plans for this year? I am also hoping to start at least one longer term project in the next 12 months. Are you looking forward to the writing you will be doing this year? You should be!
I wish you a very happy 2018 and good luck with the writing.
Allison Symes: Collected Works 