ONLINE – HERE AND THERE

November 29, 2017November 29, 2017Leave a comment

It’s been a busy but productive week so far. The good news is it is only Wednesday too!

Facebook – General – Guest Post on Wild Words Website

A reminder from yesterday of my post on Bridget Holding’s Wild Words website. Lovely to guest blog. Many thanks, Bridget. I met Bridget at Swanwick Writers’ Summer School earlier this year and loved her talk on finding your voice. It took me a long time to find mine. As for writing rituals which I discuss in this post, it took me a while to work out what best suited me. I’m a night owl type of writer. What type are you? Comments welcome! (And, before you ask, I don’t hoot!).

Likewise, do send comments in on writing rituals you’ve found useful. A chief one of mine is to always write first. If I have any editing to do, I get on with that later into my writing session. I like to get the creative work down first. (Incidentally editing can be creative too but not in the same way).

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Facebook – General – Publication News

Busy day online. Firstly my monthly post for More than Writers, the Association of Christian Writers blog, is up on site. I talk about some of the joys in the Christian life.

Secondly, I have a new flash piece up on Cafelit, with more to follow soon. I’ve experimented with the form a little bit in that tonight’s story is a flash tale told in rhyme. Fun do to (and a challenge!). See http://cafelitcreativecafe.blogspot.co.uk/

Facebook – From Light to Dark and Back Again

It is a joy to write fiction and non-fiction, though the first has always been what has “called” to me the most. I’ve always had a love of stories and always will though it is great that now a lot of fiction techniques are being used to make non-fiction work more accessible to people. Long gone are the days of long lists of dates and figures… now we look at how people would have lived back in the days of whenever. A much better approach.

I would hope flash fiction would also be a way to convince the die-hard non-fiction only reader (and I’ve known a couple in my time) that you can enjoy storytelling. And that it can be kept to the point like any good non-fiction article.

I love flash for its brevity, for the way it makes me write tightly, and for those moments that you know make a story but are too short for a standard length competition. Flash fiction gives those stories an outlet.

I met Bridget Holding of the Wild Words website at Swanwick earlier this year. Image by Allison Symes

Let your stories have impact. Image via Pixabay

Flash fiction for impact. Image via Pixabay

There can be reality behind fairytales. Image via Pixabay (and image used as part of book trailer for From Light to Dark and Back Again)

Flash fiction, by its nature, has to take one look at a situation to be a story but you can get quite a bit into that “one look”. Image via Pixabay.

To come:-

Talking of non-fiction, my Chandler’s Ford Today post for this week will be a look back at the Winchester Discovery Event last weekend.

Another flash fiction piece by me should be up on Cafelit tomorrow too.

MIXING UP YOUR READING AND EVENT NEWS

November 28, 2017November 28, 2017Leave a comment

Facebook – General – Mixing Up Your Reading

Do you mix up your reading or do you find you are reading in one genre in a go?

I read across a reasonable number of genres but find I’m one of those readers who have to have their “fix” of crime fiction for a while before then going on to have a “fix” of fantasy stories before coming back to crime, moving on to historical fiction and so on.

I zig-zag all over the place at times, though I love all that I read (which I think is the most important thing. With never as much time to read as I would like, I want to make sure all I do read is going to pass the will-it-entertain-or-inform-me-or-do-both test before I get too far into the book. I’m glad to say I’ve only abandoned one or two books in my time and that several years ago. I realise now life is too short to waste on a book that simply isn’t gripping me when there are thousands out there that will!).

Facebook – General Part 2 – Publication and Events

I think I can say it’s been a good week so far. Am delighted to report a post I wrote on my writing rituals is now up on Bridget Holding’s Wild Words site. I met Bridget at Swanwick this year and loved her talk on finding your voice.

Image used for Wild Words and my post on A Writing Ritual. Many thanks to Bridget Holding for hosting me.

Also glad to say I will be having new stories on Cafelit very soon (indeed two are due on there this week). Will keep you posted. Lovely to have work on there again. It is a fabulous place to showcase your writing.

Also looking forward the Bridge House/Cafelit/Chapeltown Books celebratory event on Saturday.

Some of the books I’ve appeared in and FLTDBA of course. Image by Allison Symes

Love the cover for this. Image supplied by Bridge House Publishing.

My last Bridge House story is in here. Naturally I hope there will be many more to come! Image supplied by Bridge House Publishing.

Very pleased to have appeared in these lovely books.

Hope there will be more anthologies in the New Year.

Busily finishing off the follow-up to From Light to Dark and Back Again.

Facebook – From Light to Dark and Back Again

It took me a while to get the title for From Light to Dark and Back Again right. Funnily enough, I usually find titles for the stories themselves not too difficult to come up with but coming up with something for the collection was more problematic. It was when I decided to focus on the theme and tone of the stories that the title came to me, as it does reflect the mood of the tales well.

With the title sorted out, I could then focus on an appropriate cover image to send to Chapeltown. The wonderful ripple picture comes from the magnificent Pixabay website and Chapeltown then put their fabulous frame around it. It’s a cover I’m very proud to be associated with as people DO judge the book by the cover!

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Facebook – From Light to Dark and Back Again Part 2

Some new flash fiction pieces from me will be appearing on Cafelit soon. Will keep you posted!

Am also glad to share the link to Bridget Holding’s Wild Words website where she has hosted a post from me about my writing rituals.

Themes should emerge naturally from your writing though occasionally I pick a theme and write to it. Image via Pixabay. (Also an older CFT post from me).

You can’t beat the trusty notebook and pen for interview notes. Image via Pixabay.

Creative writing includes blogging but also brainstorming sessons to generate future ideas. Image via Pixabay.

My stories are in The Best of Cafelit 4, 5 and now 6 and also by Bridge House Publishing (Alternative Renditions). My first collection From Light to Dark and Back Again is published by Chapeltown Books.

WRITING DAYS AND WORKING OUT WHEN TO STOP

October 23, 2017October 23, 2017Leave a comment

Facebook – General – Writing Days and Characterisation

What counts as a good writing day? When you’ve got the right amount of words down (whether it’s a few hundred or a few thousand)? When you’ve completed a specific writing task? As ever with these things, so much depends on the writer.

For me, either completing a task or getting to the stage I wanted to reach for a longer one is my definition of a good writing day.

There is no way I can complete my Chandler’s Ford Today posts in one go for instance so I aim to write the post as one/two tasks, edit it and put it up on site ready to go (but not scheduled yet) as another, and then I sort out the images and feature image as the third part. The final, fourth part, is checking I’m happy with the text, images, links and feature image overall and, if I am, I then schedule the post.

So I think I’ve had a good writing day when I can tick off all those specific tasks.

Another great joy of writing flash fiction is I can count writing the first draft as one task because I CAN complete that in one go! There is a huge advantage in writing 100-word stories as opposed to 100,000-word novels (though I love both!).

Writing first, editing later but both needed - image via Pixabay

Get those ideas down, then edit. Image via Pixabay

What is the best thing about writing a story of any length – flash, short or novel (and script come to that too)? For me, it’s that moment when I realise I’ve “got something here”. I usually find I’m about halfway through my draft when I get to that point. The great thing is it really motivates you to finish the piece!

And what is it more than anything else that leads to me realising this? It is the characterisation. Something about one or more of the characters in the piece has gripped me and, if they grip me, there’s a good chance they’ll grip other readers.

It is at this point I have to resist the temptation to start editing and make myself wait until I have got the complete first draft down. Editing too early can kill off the joy of creating the characters in the first place so, for me, writing and editing have to be treated as two separate tasks.

Facebook – From Light to Dark and Back Again

What are the challenges of writing flash fiction? Obviously, there is the tight word count but I think the toughest thing is working out what is the real essence of your story so you know when to stop.

The other big challenge is to ensure the flash story is a complete tale in and of itself. It mustn’t be just a short bit of prose. Each flash story must have an impact on your reader (which, to my mind, can only happen if it has a “proper” conclusion!).

If a short story is like a snapshot of a character’s life, then a flash tale is like a tweet. Brief, to the point and then all over. But it should leave you feeling something. There should be a moment of change in the character’s life. It is just a shorter moment than the one you would have experienced from a standard short story.

Cafelit

One thing I love about the Cafelit series of books is there is a good mixture of story lengths in them.

There’s a good range of my favourite flash fiction but it is nice to have these interspersed with standard length short stories and those that fall somewhere between the two. So whatever my reading mood is, there is something to cover it here!

The link below covers the whole range of Cafelit books. I’m delighted to be in 4, 5 and 6 (and I reviewed 3 some time ago too!). So if you know someone who loves their short stories but likes a mixture of styles and story lengths, Cafelit books would be a great place to start.

Now then: note to self – get some more flash fiction into Cafelit!

NEW ANTHOLOGY, A BOOK FAIR AND HOW I FELL INTO FLASH FICTION

October 10, 2017October 10, 2017Leave a comment

Facebook – General

Delighted to say I received my copies of The Best of Cafelit 6 today. My flash fiction tale, Pressing the Flesh, is in there but there is a lovely range of short and long stories in the anthology. Highly recommend even if I wasn’t in it (though I admit that does give me an incentive!). Am also looking forward to the Bridge House/Cafelit celebration event in December. It is always good fun and it will be nice to meet other authors in the collections given we usually only get to meet on Facebook. Great and useful though that is, there is something nice about actually meeting the writer though.

The link takes you to the Amazon page for the book. There’s a nice range of stories from flash fiction to standard length short stories and a good mix of styles. Go on, have a look!

Looking forward to the Chandler’s Ford Book Fair in the Age Concern Centre in Brownhill Road on 28th October from 10 am to 12 noon. There is a nice range of authors taking part with different genres represented including YA, short stories, romantic comedy, my own flash fiction and many more besides. So there should be something to suit the book lovers in your life (which I hope would include you too!).

BookFairPoster8

My CFT post this week will be an update from Anne Wan about her book launch went for Secrets of the Snow Globe – Shooting Star. This is the second book in her Snow Globe series and these will also be at the Book Fair. Book launches are vital not just for the author but often for the bookshop or other venue in which they are held. Events do get people through the doors.

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Many thanks to Catherine Griffin for supplying the Book Fair poster, to Anne Wan for her poster and the last image shows Anne and I at Bay Leaves Larder in Chandler’s Ford. I had just interviewed Anne for a CFT post when this image was taken.

Anne Wan and Allison Symes at Bay Leaves Larder

Anne and I enjoyed a lovely chat at Bay Leaves Larder when I interviewed her for Chandler’s Ford Today.

Facebook – General – Part 2

I thought I’d share a quick post I put up yesterday which looked at why we write.

What is the real reason you write? To express yourself through story? Because you absolutely have to write and could no more stop yourself doing so than hold the sea in a sieve? (I think you’re allowed one bit of colourful description and that’s mine for tonight!).

Deep down for me, there is a feeling I need to give back to the world of story for the great joy it has (and continues) to give me. The way to give back is to create stories of my own and to put them out there.

There is also the sheer love of the written word and a desire to preserve the printed word. (I don’t see the Kindle etc as a threat. It is merely another format for story. I also don’t think anything can ever stop the appeal of a paperback. It is a question of getting stories out there in different formats and leaving it to your audience as to which format they prefer).

Sometimes, especially when feeling bogged down, it can pay to take a little time out to focus on why you write. It can help re-invigorate the old creative spark. Going to see stories performed (by live reading, theatre productions etc) is also good for the literary soul.

The important thing is to love stories and to love writing them. I couldn’t tell you how many rejections I’ve had (I definitely could wallpaper the room of my house with them!) but onwards and upwards has to be the motto. Else you make no progress. It is also true the more you write the more you improve and increase your chances of being accepted.

Stunning place in which to read and review - image via Pixabay

What a place in which to read! Image via Pixabay

Facebook – From Light to Dark and Back Again

I was thrilled to be part of Jennifer C Wilson’s blog last Sunday with a piece called Falling into Flash Fiction. I talked about how I came into writing flash (it was a happy accident!) and shared two new stories, which I hope will make it into the follow-up to From Light to Dark and Back Again. (Many thanks to Jennifer for not only hosting me but for also linking to her lovely review of my book. Both are much appreciated!).

The real trigger point was my willingness to have a go at writing flash to see if I could meet Cafelit’s 100 Word Challenge. So do be prepared to try new forms of writing. You never know where it may lead you. I had never anticipated being published in flash format yet here I am!

What is also nice about flash fiction’s growing popularity is that a fair number of well respected competitions are now adding it as a category. For example, The Bridport Prize and the Winchester Writers’ Festival now have flash as specific competitions. There are several online competitions too and then there are the websites such as Cafelit where there is a standing invitation to submit stories.

I very much hope the growth in flash fiction continues. I would love it if people, perhaps reluctant to read, become avid readers, because they loved reading flash and then decided they wanted to read longer works of fiction.

Falling into flash fiction

Today, I have as a visitor the lovely Allison Symes, to tell us how she fell into flash fiction, and all about the writing form. You can read my review of Allison’s collection From Light to D…

jennifercwilsonwriter.wordpress.com

Books make wonderful gifts. Image via Pixabay.

WHAT YOUR CHARACTERS DON’T WANT TO HEAR

July 25, 2017Leave a comment

FAIRYTALES WITH BITE

It’s the turn of the letters R, S and T in A to Z of Character Creation, Part 7. R = Reading and I look at how literate your world/characters are. S = Style and I discuss what style your writing is – is it easy to read? Do your characters come across well? T = Timing and I ask how punctual your characters are and if any of them obsess about time. That kind of behaviour reveals a lot about a person (not least of which is their being a bit OCD!).

THIS WORLD AND OTHERS

What Your Characters Don’t Want to Hear looks at characterisation from a different angle. Your characters need to be needed. If they’re not moving the story on or contributing to it positively in some way, they should be written out. Characters also need to be unique creations so no “lego” building of characters as this will also lead to cliche.

FACEBOOK – GENERAL

I am delighted to say one of my flash fiction stories will appear in The Best of Cafelit 6 later in the year. This came as a very nice surprise! In my post, I also talk about my follow up book to From Light to Dark and Back Again and how I’m planning to use my time better at Swanwick this year.

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FACEBOOK – FROM LIGHT TO DARK AND BACK AGAIN

Naturally I share my publication news again (!) but I also talk about getting back to resubmitting work more regularly once the summer is hope and I hopefully have sorted out my late father’s estate.. I also mention what the Chandler’s Ford Writer’s Hub will be up to in the next few months – I am now a member of this and there’s some very good events and ideas coming forward.

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Books help you wind down. Was glad of them after a stressful weekend. Pity this option is not available to my border collie. Still lots of cuddles did the trick there! Image via Pixabay.

CELEBRATIONS AND LEARNING

April 3, 2017Leave a comment

Both of my website posts tonight were inspired by my cyber launch of From Light to Dark and Back Again from yesterday. Had a wonderful time, thanks to all who supported it in any way and also thanks to my publishers, Chapeltown Books and Cafelit, for hosting the event (with me as co-host) and for guiding me through this. A fun and interesting day and I know I’ve learned from it. I hope to write about this for a future Chandler’s Ford Today post but in the meantime:-

SPECIAL OFFER

The Kindle version of From Light to Dark and Back Again is currently on offer at 99 pence (UK). Many thanks to all who have reviewed so far.

FAIRYTALES WITH BITE

In Celebrations I refer to the launch (naturally!) but I also discuss what kind of celebrations your fictional world would have. Are there compulsory celebrations everyone must attend on pain of death? Who organises and pays for celebrations? Is there a literary world in your setting and so do “your authors” have their launches? Are there celebrations which are banned and how do people find ways round that to keep their traditions going?

THIS WORLD AND OTHERS

Learning asks if your characters keep on doing so (they should – the characters that appeal most are the ones who develop and they must learn from their mistakes, or those they know about, to be able to develop at all). I also refer to learning a lot from my launch and I hope to write about that later. I also discuss one great thing about writing – writers have to learn all the time to develop the craft and hopefully improve our chances of being published.

FACEBOOK PAGE

I loved picking music to go with my launch yesterday (all You Tube based). I am really fond of stories in song and one of my favourite album tracks comes from Dave Edmunds and is a classic example of this. It is also a great example of a twist in the tale in song. The perspective taken in it is not the usual one!

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Two FB posts tonight! My main post looks at the launch, I talk about my writing prompt challenge and share my thoughts on bringing out a book. You have got to go into this with your eyes wide open and for the love of writing. Nothing else will steer you through the rejections and bad reviews etc.

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A huge thank you to all who supported this and took part in the discussions. It was great fun and simply would not have been the same without you! Maybe same time next year, who knows?!

THE WAY FORWARD

March 24, 2017Leave a comment

FAIRYTALES WITH BITE

The Way Forward looks at how our characters should know what their way forward is, even if they keep being frustrated in trying to achieve it by circumstances or other characters. They need to keep finding their way forward. It’s easy for a writer sometimes to feel a bit overwhelmed by the choices we can make for our characters which will turn the whole story. And as for marketing work, there are so many options available, it can be difficult to find our personal way forward. But our characters should know and be driven by the need to achieve it. Are yours?

THIS WORLD AND OTHERS

I list three of my top thoughts in Favourite Things about Writin g. I deliberately limited this as it would have been too easy to write all night on this topic! I love writing as it takes you out of yourself (really useful in times of stress), encourages reading (never a bad thing) and there is a strong sense of community in the writing world generally. See what you think. Comments as to what your top three favourite things about writing would be are very welcome.

CHANDLER’S FORD TODAY

My post this time is Part 1 of an interview with local writer, Martin Kyrle, who along with photographer Michael Roberts, has produced Jottings from the Trans-Siberian Railway, a fascinating account of their experiences on an amazing railway journey. (Amazing not always in a good way either!). More tomorrow….

FACEBOOK PAGE

Glad to report there appear to be no issues tonight. My author page is back up. What happened yesterday when it vanished remains a mystery! Tonight I am glad to share links to two wonderful reviews of From Light to Dark and Back Again by my Swanwick Summer School writing friends, Jennifer Wilson and Valerie Penny.

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Would be delighted to have your company for all or part of my cyberlaunch for my debut flash fiction collection. The launch is hosted by my publishers (Chapeltown Books are linked to both Bridge House Publishing and Cafelit. Do visit their websites if you would be interested in submitting work to them).

Escape with a good book - and Roald Dahl's were amongst the best. Image via Pixabay

FAMOUS LAST WORDS

December 14, 2016Leave a comment

FAIRYTALES WITH BITE

I love writing posts like tonight’s Famous Last Words one. I share five suggestions as to what could be your famous last words if you were foolish enough to utter these while visiting a magical world. For example What Dragon? I can’t see… well you can see what could go horribly wrong there. Can you add suggestions?

THIS WORLD AND OTHERS

Tonight’s post is Be Open to Possibilities and is based on a marketing tip I shared at the recent Bridge House Publishing/Cafelit joint book launch. I became a flash fiction writer by accident but am so glad I ended up on this particular writing road. I discuss our characters being open to possibilities in our stories as well.

FACEBOOK PAGE

I share a link to Gill James’s A Publisher’s Perspective where she shares more of the marketing tips gathered at the London launch. I also share how I look at marketing.

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My Chandler’s Ford Today post for this week looks at where I am at currently on my writing journey, Image via Pixabay.

The wonderful world of stories... Image via Pixabay.

GREAT FAIRYTALE SALES PEOPLE

December 12, 2016Leave a comment

A mixed bag tonight – a humorous piece for Fairytales with Bite and a thoughtful reflection on the value of end of year reviews for This World and Others. I am also delighted to recommend, via my Facebook page, one of the most moving flash fiction collections I’ve ever read – the Great War by Dawn Knox (who is also a contributor to Baubles, this year’s anthology from Bridge House Publishing).

FAIRYTALES WITH BITE

There have been some great (generally) unseen sales people behind some of the classic fairytales. I suggest some of them in Great Fairytale Sales People.

THIS WORLD AND OTHERS

One thing I do just after Christmas is to give myself an end of year review in terms of where I am at with my writing and where I would like to be. In End of Year Reviews, I discuss this further and share what I think are the advantages of doing this.

FACEBOOK PAGE

I was delighted to meet Dawn Knox, a fellow contributor to Baubles, at the recent Bridge House Publishing/Cafelit book launch in London. I was even more delighted to come across her book, The Great War, which is a flash fiction collection of 100 stories, each one 100 words long. The stories are character led (the best ones I think always are) and here are the stories of the boy who deliberately lied about his age to sign up and is about to go to Flanders, the soldiers in the trenches, the mother with her baby who doesn’t know if she’ll see her husband again amongst many others. Very moving and if, like me, you love flash fiction and history, I’d highly recommend reading this book.

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How do your characters handle matters when forced to change direction and take a path they had not expected or wanted? Image via Pixabay.

Where will your writing take you? Forward into the future or backwards in time? Image via Pixabay.

One of the best ways to escape is with a good book. Image via Pixabay.

THE MAGIC OF WRITING

December 7, 2016Leave a comment

FAIRYTALES WITH BITE

The Magic of Writing shares what I love about writing and writing get-togethers such as the Bridge House Publishing/Cafelit joint book launch I went to last weekend. It was huge fun meeting up again with some I met from last year and others who were new to me.

And we all got the chance to practice our networking skills with the speed dating exercise. You get to chat to a writer or reader for three minutes and ask them for marketing tips (if speaking to a writer) or discuss books in general (if speaking to a reader). Once the three minutes are up, you then talk to someone else.

The only thing I dislike about this is you inevitably stop half way through an excellent conversation and there isn’t always time to get back to it at the bar again later. However, it does get you mixing and talking and you inevitably learn something really useful.

(Baubles – the Bridge House anthology for this year – and The Best of Cafelit 5 are available in print and on Kindle and via Amazon, as well as from the publishers directly. I have a short story, Helping Out, in Baubles and a flash fiction piece, Telling the Time, in Cafelit 5).

https://youtu.be/WgxXa9GB7to

THIS WORLD AND OTHERS

Writing Books shares some non-fiction how-to-write books I wouldn’t be without. I deliberately kept this to a short list. Can you add to my list? I wouldn’t dare list the fiction books I’d hate to part with as I’d be writing that list till Doomsday!

FACEBOOK PAGE

I discuss the joys of swimming tonight. I always thought I would end up working out stories as I swam but it hasn’t worked out like that. I’m more likely to do that when doing the ironing!

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One of my favourite book images. They really are magical. Transportation into other worlds and around this one in a few hundred pages. Brilliant! Image via Pixabay.