Tag: Flash fiction impact

Review – The Business of Murder by Mike Standing

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Image Credits:-
All images from Pixabay/Pexels unless otherwise stated with many created in Book Brush. Book cover images from Chapeltown Books and Bridge House Publishing. One image of Creativity Matters was kindly supplied by Wendy H Jones. Screenshots taken by me, Allison Symes.
Hope you have had a good few days. Started the week feeling poorly but much better now. Enjoyed going to Penny Rogers’ online launch for Amelie at The Window. I interviewed her for Chandler’s Ford Today recently. Busy editing and other writing going well and Lady continues to make good progress and loves seeing her chums so all okay here.

Facebook – General and Chandler’s Ford Today

Am delighted to be back on Chandler’s Ford Today with another review. This time I review the murder mystery play, The Business of Murder by Mike Standing, which was recently staged by the Chandler’s Ford Methodist Church Senior Thespians. It was great fun and I look at some of the joys of this kind of play in my review.

Hope you enjoy the post and if you get the chance to check out murder mystery plays near you, do so. They are a great format.

Review – The Business of Murder by Mike Standing

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Hope you have had a good day. Lady enjoyed being with her Hungarian Vizler and Rhodesian Ridgeback pals today and I was pleased to get back to swimming, though it was for a shorter session than I usually do. It was nice being in the pool again though and before you think I’m daft here, the water was lovely. Mind you, it only feels like that when it is either (a) perishing outside as it is today or (b) so hot outside the water feels refreshing by contrast (as it did in the summer)!

Writing wise, I’m looking forward to sharing my review of The Business of Murder by Mike Standing which was recently performed by the Chandler’s Ford Methodist Church Senior Thespians. The murder mystery was great fun and I share more about it on Chandler’s Ford Today. Link up tomorrow. See above.

Am making good progress with Flash NANO. Hard to believe we’re at the two-thirds through mark already.

Will be sharing a super author interview in early December on CFT too and am looking forward to that.

Marketing Tip: Seeing marketing as a way of being creative with your writing is one way of making doing any more bearable. I know many authors don’t particularly like marketing. We’d far rather be writing, right?

But we also want readers to see our writing so deciding what marketing we will do and being creative with it is another way to play with words and promote our written works. I do enjoy using Book Brush to help me create graphics. I love preparing little videos for my YouTube channel.

In both these things, I can put my imagination to work and get some marketing done. Win-win there, I’d say.

Hope you’ve had a good Wednesday. Bitterly cold here though we’ve managed to escape the snow for the time being. Lady doing well but she, like me, wasn’t sorry the walk was a relatively short one today.

Am looking forward to the next meeting of the Association of Christian Writers Flash Fiction Group next week. Will be looking at the topic of memories – apt for a month where remembrance is so important. Memories can be a huge source of inspiration for story ideas as well as showing you something about the characters they come from.

It won’t be too long either before the last author newsletter of the year comes out from me. My, does the year fly by. If you want to sign up for news, tips, story links and more do head over to my landing page at https://allisonsymescollectedworks.com and a huge thank you for the support shown, it is much appreciated.

Character Tip: Think about the kinds of memories your character could have. Which would they select to share? Which would they ensure remained only with them? There will be story ideas there. Happy writing!

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Facebook – From Light to Dark and Back Again

It’s Friday. It’s time to end the working week with a story. Hope you like my latest drabble on Friday Flash Fiction – Standing Out. Find out here if monsters can be embarrassed and, if so, who by. Hope you enjoy the tale, it was fun to write.

Had a lovely response to my Flash NANO 19-words story yesterday. Thanks, all. It was great fun to do and it’s not a word count I usually use, so it was a good challenge. Will be having a go at the latest prompt shortly.

Mixing up the word counts I write to with flash is something I do regularly. For Friday Flash Fiction, it is always the classic drabble (100-worder) I write but most of the competitions I have a go at are anything from 100 to 500 words. (I’d say 250 to 300 is probably the most popular I’ve come across).

What matters though with any flash fiction is you have a complete story – a proper beginning, middle, and end. It is never truncated prose. There must be a feeling that nothing more could be added to the flash piece (though much will be implied).

It should have impact, whether it is to make a reader cry, laugh, scream, wince or what have you. There should also be a feeling nothing could be taken away from the story too.

I have a lovely Flash NANO prompt for today (19th November) where I have to write to a specific word count. Always a good challenge to do. Always good fun too. This kind of prompt does make you think about what really matters for your character. There will be no room for anything else. Will be cracking on with this prompt later.

Don’t forget the wonderful CafeLit is a great home for short stories and flash fiction. To find out more why not follow the link? Am looking forward to catching up with CafeLit, Bridge House Publishing and Chapeltown Books authors at next month’s Bridge House Publishing’s celebration event. A lot of writers getting together in convivial surroundings – there will be lots of story telling for sure! (Not least of which will be what we’ve all been up to writing wise since we got together last time!).

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Fairytales with Bite – Musical Magic

One thing which is on my bucket list is to go and see The Nutcracker at some point. I love the music. I love the storyline. I just need to go and see it! But I just love the idea of a magical musical story in the run up to Christmas. For me, that’s fitting.

I love most forms of music, especially classical. There is something about music which can be soothing, uplifting, inspiring and so on. So what does your magical world have in the form of musical magic? Do they have music at all? If so, is magic used to create it/perform it or is at an area where magic is banned (on the grounds magic is in the music anyway if you have the right attitude to it)?

What forms of music are available in your setting? Is it available to all? Would your characters appreciate it?

Is our love of music here something which might redeem humans (a bit) in the eyes of your setting? Does your setting appreciate its composers (and do they copy anything from Earth though they may refer to it as “sampling”!)?

Has music always been available in your setting or is it a recent discovery? If the latter, where and how did they discover it? (By exploring what other worlds including our own do here, perhaps?).

Definitely story ideas here.

This World and Others – Time Off The Magic

When you live and breath magic (or an equivalent form of power/energy), would you want time away from it? I am sure you would.

So how would your characters get to have this time off and what would they do to ensure they had a proper break before resuming work related duties again? Does using magic all of the time get tiring enough the powers that be in your setting recognise the need for their folk to have that proper break?

How are proper breaks organised? I am not including things like the need for sleep here but things like days off, holidays etc. Would there be times your entire setting has down times or do these have to be staggered to ensure the setting doesn’t leave itself defenceless, for example?

Do your characters need to ensure some level of protection for themselves when taking a break and who/what would they need that protection against? Tiredness can kill and not just in our world!

When it comes to having a break, where would your characters go to have it? If they go to our equivalent of hotels etc., is magic used there to ensure good service or is it all done “manually”? If the latter, is that because your characters on a break can absorb magic from around them so if it is used in their presence, they don’t really get a break from it.

How would your characters react if their needed break was interrupted by a threat of some sort? How would they handle this? How would not having their full break impact their performance?

Again story ideas here.

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WRITERS’ NARRATIVE SUBSCRIBER LINK 

AMAZON AUTHOR CENTRAL – ALLISON SYMES

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Story Inspiring TV and Its Music

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Image Credits:- All images from Pixabay/Pexels unless otherwise stated with many created in Book Brush. Book cover images from Chapeltown Books and Bridge House Publishing. Many thanks to my lovely CFT editor, Janet Williams, for the shot of me at the 2023 Book Fair. Looking forward to the 2024 one coming up soon! Screenshots taken by me, Allison Symes.
Hope you have had a good few days. The autumn evenings are drawing in rapidly and, yes, the heating has come on. Lady had a great start to her week, getting to play with her two best doggie girlfriends. After recovering from a cold, I was pleased to be back in the swimming pool on Thursday and Friday. Just felt so good to be back in there again.
Writing wise, do look out for a super interview with crime author Miriam Drori next week on Chander’s Ford Today. Later in the month I’m off to see the latest production from The Chameleon Theatre Group so a review will follow in due course. And I’ll also be interviewing Debz Hobbs-Wyatt about her new novel so October is going to be busy but fun, just how I like things to be.

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Facebook – General and Chandler’s Ford Today

Delighted to share Story Inspiring TV and Its Music on Chandler’s Ford Today this week. I look at how books have led to many fabulous TV series with equally wonderful themes for them. So if you enjoy books, TV series, and TV themes, this post is for you!

I look at classic detective series (think about a certain crime Dame’s greatest characters), take a trip to Oxford, and look at how a certain renowned time traveling alien (clue: has two hearts) has inspired so many novels to be written. I also take a peek at sagas and famous children’s TV series based on books.

Much to enjoy here and I hope you enjoy the post. I loved writing it.

Story Inspiring TV and Its Music

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My recent post on Books, Movies, and Music on Chandler’s Ford Today was a joy to write and inspired me to write another in a similar vein. Tomorrow, I’ll be sharing Story Inspiring TV and Its Music. It is amazing how many books have led to super television series. There has also been some wonderful themes to go with them. I’ll be discussing and sharing some of these. If you fancy a trip down Memory Lane, tomorrow’s CFT post is especially for you. See above.

My only regret here was not being able to include one of my all time favourite TV tunes, The Thunderbirds March, given it isn’t based on a book! Lady Penelope was an early heroine of mine and I was sorry to hear recently of the death of David Graham who voiced her sidekick, Parker, amongst many other characters.

However, I have found the following gem on YouTube. Do enjoy. I thought it was wonderful.

 

Hope you have had a good day. Lady has had a smashing one. She got to play with her Hungarian Vizler and Rhodesian Ridgeback pals today. All three dogs went home tired but happy. They do enjoy seeing each other. It is lovely to see.

Writing wise, I’ll be looking at Story Inspiring TV and Its Music for Chandler’s Ford Today on Friday. See above. More writer interviews to come later in the month too.

Many thanks for the congratulations on my competition news yesterday (re my third place award). Much appreciated.

Character Creation Tip: I often start with major traits and then work out what could come from those for my creations. For example, courage could lead to recklessness. I could have two different characters from that thought alone and two different stories.

I find traits useful as they are a powerful source of motivation for a character too and readers understand this. My underlying belief is for any story to work readers must get where a character is coming from. Doesn’t mean the reader has to like the character necessarily.

Confession time: I don’t like all of mine. Indeed, I can think of some I wouldn’t want to meet on a dark night! But that’s fine. For the purpose of the stories they’re in, all I needed was to understand why they are the way they are and then I took things from there.

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Facebook – From Light to Dark and Back Again

It’s Friday. It’s the end of the working week for many. Its getting darker earlier on in the evenings. It’s time for a story and I hope this one puts a smile on your face.

See what happens in my latest on Friday Flash Fiction, The Birthday Cake, when a mum, finally decides she is going to fix her lack of food presentational skills, no matter what she has to do to achieve this.
Screenshot 2024-10-04 at 10-04-22 The Birthday Cake by Allison Symes - Friday Flash Fiction

I occasionally write what I call “two-handers” for my flash fiction. This is where I get my narrator specifically addressing another unseen character who is “off stage”.

One of these is my You Never Know (From Light to Dark and Back Again) where I have an irate magical tour guide pointing out the downside of her job to someone who clearly thinks she has an easy, cushy life. Not so! Great fun to write.

The secret with these stories, I think, is to have a strong central character who has a strong premise or idea to share with the unseen character which should lead to a change of attitude on the part of the latter. So even in this kind of story there has to be a point of change or something where it is likely there would be one after the story ends. Readers should be able to see that coming, so to speak.

Here I outlined what my main character would have cause to whinge about at the other character but I wanted them to do it with humour so it didn’t just come across as a rant. My favourite lines from this read, “One further tip to the wise – never eat anything glowing red as it’s unlikely to be healthy. I must thank Snow White for telling me that.”.

Well, in a magical world, that’s wise advice, yes?

But for this story working out my characters first helped me to write the tale. I saw it as laying my foundations here but sometimes it does work best for me when I know the characters first, then I figure out the storyline. Sometimes when I know the storyline, that will give me the characters best placed so suit it. But it helps being open to both approaches here.

 

Flash fiction has a powerful impact because the form is so short. Knowing this, I can decide what impact I want my stories to have, whether it is to make readers laugh, cry, scream, or what have you.

Depending on what I choose here (and sometimes that choice is confirmed quickly if a competition I’m entering has a set theme which is likely to lead to certain types of character being needed), I can then work out what my character needs to be to be able to produce that impact.

This is where knowing the major traits helps. If I know my character is judgemental, say, I can set them up in situations where that attribute will backfire on them. I could write that as a tragedy or as a humorous story. I like having the choice!

I’ve found with flash it has paid to play to its strengths and having a more powerful impact due to its precision is one of them.

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Fairytales with Bite – The Tooth Fairy’s Lament

Hope you enjoy the following. Time and changing attitudes can lead to redundancies in the most unexpected places!

The Tooth Fairy’s Lament
That poet lady who said “I wish I’d looked after me teeth”,
Should see life from the other side of the white enamelled fence.
I’ve no problem with her but I want you all to know my beef.
I’ve no training for other work and it’s not as if I’m dense.

I want pity for a Tooth Fairy with a P45.
In the old days, her well honoured role was a job for her life.
Not now so it seems, I now need to work out how to survive.
I don’t need my life’s work being dumped; I so don’t need the strife.

So why has my respected job gone? Why have I got the sack?
I could say it was due to belief but I wouldn’t be right.
Belief isn’t the problem far from it but it is the lack
Of it which has made my work vanish, my finances so tight.

And don’t get me wrong either, I am all for healthy eating.
Better dental health, not before time, is a great idea too.
But when these things come together, my work takes such a beating.
Now where do I find myself? I’m in the magical dole queue.

Ends
Allison Symes – written 2nd October 2024

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This World and Others – The Magical Jobs Nobody Wants to Do

It doesn’t matter which universe you’re in (as a resident or a visitor or someone who does a bit of both), but there will be magical jobs nobody wants to do.

Clearing up after a trainee wizard for instance – goodness knows what you’ll find from what they’ve been experimenting with in their bid to create the best spell ever. All you know is you’re the cleaner and you’re not paid enough but hey there was nothing else and it is a secure post. Oh and you’ve been warned time and again not to use magic to help with the cleaning. Some apprentice did it years ago and there was no end of trouble and you don’t want to happen to you, do you?

Likewise, would you want to be the one who sources ingredients for a witch? You wouldn’t dare get it wrong, would you? It might not be kids in the oven next time.

How about being a proofreader for a new spell book? You know these things have been tested in the field but they are not yet established in your lore. What if you make a mistake here? What if you don’t pick up on mistakes on the manuscript? What would the consequences be?

Scope for humorous stories I think here.

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WRITERS NARRATIVE SUBSCRIBER LINK

Back to the first issue of Writers’ Narrative this time – the August 2023 edition. In this one I write about Boost Your Writing with Flash Fiction. Talk about write what you know!

 

AMAZON AUTHOR CENTRAL – ALLISON SYMES

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Getting Started and Moving On

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Facebook – General

I often think the hardest part of writing is getting started! Once I’m away on a piece, whether it is a FB post like this, a flash fiction or longer short story, I get the “bit between the teeth” and get on with it until I’ve got that first draft down.

I’m not deliberately procrastinating incidentally. I set myself down to write at pretty much the same time every night and get on with it. It’s just finding those first few words to get the ball rolling…

Ah well, time to get on with the next piece!

Good reading – and writing to be done – here. Pixabay image.
So true. Pixabay image.
Drafting those ideas… image via Pexels
Sadly a very familiar sight! Pixabay image
Write first, edit later. Pixabay.
The joy of writing is you never stop learning. Pixabay image.
Says it all really and applies to non-fiction equally as fiction. Image via Pixabay.
Escape with a good book. Image via Pixabay.
Wonderful writing desk. Pixabay image
Notes about your characters can help you portray them more accurately. Not every note has to make it into the story itself. Pixabay image.

Does music help you with your creativity?

I write usually with classical music on in the background (courtesy of #ClassicFM most of the time). It doesn’t matter whether it’s Beethoven’s 5th or his Moonlight Sonata, I find that just having the music on relaxes me and I just get on and write more effectively.

I am very fond of the Saturday Night at the Movies show on Classic and it is amazing how the right music can make a film. I bet you can name at least four John Williams’ themes for a start. Think of the films you’ve thought of WITHOUT that music. Almost impossible, isn’t it?

Sometimes when I create characters, I think of what music would best suit them. It never makes it into the story itself but it does help me to picture them better so I write about/for them with more depth and that DOES show in a story.

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Enjoying the new series of I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue on Radio 4. Always love the word play on here. You can’t keep a bad pun down, no matter how much you might want to!

Playing with the language, inventing puns etc, is something I occasionally do as a writing exercise. Always good fun. Makes you think in a different way. (Just how excruciating can I get with a pun?!). Sometimes that has triggered story ideas precisely because I’ve allowed my brain to go off on a tangent for a bit. Try it and see what you come up with. If nothing else, you should have fun with some mental word games here!

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Delighted to share more publication news. My flash fiction piece, Moving On, is now live on Cafelit. Hope you enjoy, especially if you’re considering a career change!

A familiar sight to many of us. Image via Pixabay.
Your blog, your topic, your theme – just be sensible on copyright and libel issues. Image via Pixabay.
Always good advice! Pixabay image.
Thoughts are free but check images used are either free to use or your own! Image via Pixabay.
Just what is your story then? Image via Pixabay
Books are fabulous, whatever the format. Image via Pixabay.
What characters will you come up with? Image via Pixabay
Planning your characters. Image via Pixabay.
Online writing -v- on a line writing! Image via Pixabay
Generating the writing ideas. Image via Pixabay.
Books have their own sense of time and space. Image via Pixabay.

Facebook – From Light to Dark and Back Again

When do you know if a flash fiction piece has had impact?

If you’re really lucky, a reader will tell you so but for me generally it has been when I can recall most, if not all, of the story days later and it still makes me feel the way I did on first reading it. And that applies whether I’ve written the piece or not. There is a kind of “hits you between the eyes” feeling to stories like this.

 

Stepping into another world.. Pixbay
There be dragons. Pixabay
Love writing, love reading, love books. Pixabay image.
Plugging in for new ideas? Pixabay image
Clarity and constructive criticism are always useful. Pixabay image.
PC playing up do you think? Image via Pixabay.
Waiting for an upload to finish. Image via Pixabay.
What a beautiful home for books. Image via Pixabay
A huge but lovely library. Image via Pexels
The art of the flash (fiction). Image via Pixabay
Stories are magical and inspire other stories. Image via Pixabay.
Reviews can have global reach. Most impact I think can often be local to the writer.

Looking forward to sharing more publication news next week. Also looking forward to the Bridge House event in London next Saturday and seeing old friends and meeting new ones there!

Plus, as ever, am planning to do plenty of writing on the train journeys. All hail, Evernote, I get so much done!! I find I either write several flash fiction stories or draft one or two CFT posts in an average train journey. So at some point I ought to go on a long train journey – hmm… what could I get drafted on the sleeper train to Scotland I wonder? If I ever find out, I will report back.😀😉

Does your story conjure up your setting well enough? Pexels image.
How is your world governed? Is it done well? Pixabay image.
How does gravity and time work in your settings? Pixabay image.
The perfect place to reflect and take stock. Pixabay image.
Fiction can take you anywhere. Image via Pixabay.
Let your writing sparkle. Image via Pexels.
Good advice. Image via Pixabay.
Some very strange creatures are in books. Image via Pixabay
You can’t beat notebooks for jotting down ideas. Image via Pixabay.
Let the creative process flow! Image via Pixabay

Will be reading some flash fiction pieces at the Bridge House event on Saturday. Looking forward to that. Looking forward to hearing all the other wonderful stories from my fellow authors there as well. I love sitting back entranced. And how often, as adults, do we get to be read TO? Not often enough I suspect.

To love writing you have GOT to love reading (though taking in stories via other forms such as audio is fine but nothing for me will beat a book). I owe a huge debt to my late mum for instilling a love of stories and reading in me at a very young age. She got to see my first published story – A Helping Hand in the Bridge House Alternative Renditions anthology – and my dad got to see my first book, From Light to Dark and Back Again, published. There’s a pleasing symmetry to that.

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My latest flash story, Moving On, which is now on Cafelit, was one of those tales where I started with the opening line and based the story around it. I wanted something different to the normal meaning associated with “learning to let go”. I like taking phrases like that and putting my own take on them. Give it a go, it is good fun!

http://cafelitcreativecafe.blogspot.com/20…/…/moving-on.html

 

Let those ideas flow! Image via Pixabay,
Edit, edit, edit! Pixabay image.
Play with words and fill that blank page. Pixabay image.
What will this be for your writing journey? Pixabay image
Beautiful pens. Pexels image.
Let the writing flow and if music can help it along even better! Image via Pixabay
A VERY familiar sight, alas! Pixabay image.
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)
My laminated book cover on the way into the Fair. Image by Allison Symes
What stories will come from this pen? Pexels image.
Good advice – and it applies to our characters too. Image via Pixabay

Goodreads Author Programme Blog – Impact of Writing

The impact of writing on the world in general cannot be underestimated.

As well as the Bible, Shakespeare, Dickens etc., all of which have contributed so much to our language and whose stories have been the inspiration for so many others, there are things like the Domesday Book and Magna Carta.

Historical documents which colour so much else in life and law. Nobody could have foreseen at the time of writing just how much impact these would have (though there would have been many hopes about the Magna Carta. Not least that King John was hoping to get rid of it again as soon as he possibly could! An early recognition of dangerous writing perhaps?).

What makes us love our favourite books and stories the way we do? It is also down to impact. The impact of them stays with us. We want to be like the heroic lead characters perhaps. We feel fear for the characters we love as they face dangers. We feel relief, joy etc when our favourites survive.

So do writers’ play with their readers’ emotions then? Yes but it is always best done subtly. The reader has to be willing to go along with the writer here. The writer has to deliver on the promise of his/her opening lines. We have got to be able to identify with those in the story to want to find out whether they make it through to the end or not.

So the impact of writing is everything then. As readers then we need to decide what impact we want to experience.

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The Appeal of Writing

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Facebook – General – and More than Writers blog (Association of Christian Writers)

It’s time for my monthly post on the Association of Christian Writers’ More than Writers blog. Many thanks as ever to SusanSanderson for flagging this up earlier today.

This month I share my thoughts on writing likes and dislikes and one of my favourite writing quotes from Elmore Leonard.

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What is it about writing that appeals so much? Is it the creating of your own world which you then populate with characters unique to you? Is it the actual story you devise? Is it the feeling of accomplishment when you’ve written a piece, edited it, sent it out to a relevant publication and it has been accepted?

Of course it can be all those things but, for me, it is the challenge of coming up with a story or a post that will appeal to an audience beyond just me and THEN...to keep coming up with more stories and posts!

I’ve found reading widely and, increasingly now, reading non-fiction too, sparks off all sorts of ideas that I explore in more detail later. Reading widely really does feed the mind. When you’re a writer, it does even more than that. It feeds your imagination. Ideas lead to other ideas and you come up with a lovely mix that is unique to you.

Walking into the words maybe. Pixabay image
Plugging in for new ideas? Pixabay image
This would be a wonderful place to read and write. Image via Pixabay.
So true. Pixabay image.
Always have your spelling and grammar checked before submitting work. Pixabay image.
Always good advice! Pixabay image.
Playing with words. Pixabay image.
Escape with a good book, it’s good for you! Image via Pixabay
Ebooks and print – both have their own frustrations when it comes to publishing. Image via Pixabay

Do you work more productively depending on what day of the week it is?

I keep roughly to the same writing time for most days, when life in general isn’t trying to scupper me here (where possible I find ways to scupper it right back again!), but find I write more in the time slot from about Wednesday through to Saturday.

I don’t know what it is about Mondays and Tuesdays. (Sundays are a general wind down day and I tend to get more reading done so that’s okay).

I was sorry to hear of the death of Geoffrey Hayes of Rainbow, another part of my childhood gone.

No room for gobbledygook here. Image via Pixabay.
Books invite you into their world. Image via Pixabay.
Good advice. Image via Pixabay.
The old method of printing. Image via Pixabay
Even in the heart of a city, books can provide escapism. Image via Pixabay.
Good reading – and writing to be done – here. Pixabay image.
Books are the keys to knowledge. Image via Pixabay
Get those ideas coming! Pixabay image
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Delighted to say I will be a guest speaker at the Hampshire Writers’ Society meeting at the University of Winchester next Tuesday, 9th October. It will be nice to be back at Winchester again as I’m normally there for the Winchester Writers’ Festival and it is a long time until next June when it is on again!

I’ll be speaking about flash fiction (and why I think every writer should try it).

POSTER SHOWING ALLISON AS GUEST SPEAKER AT HWS OCTOBER 2018

Poster kindly supplied by Maggie Farran from the Hampshire Writers’ Society.

Facebook – From Light to Dark and Back Again

A flash fiction story needs to create its own world whether it is in six words, 25, 100, or 500+. Your character needs to “dominate” that world in the short space of time you have to show the story to the reader.

I think this is one reason why I use a lot of first person for flash as I can get straight into the character’s thoughts and attitudes and get the story off to a cracking start. Well, I hope it proves to be a cracking start anyway!

I usually find if I can get get off to a good beginning, then the rest of the story follows nicely. Again, this is where first person helps as I find I want to explore that character’s thoughts and plans as I write their story. It’s a question of writing it all down and then cutting out what isn’t needed. I find there is always material to be cut out but also feel this is a good thing. I think you’re in real trouble if you find you have to add. Also, if lucky, some of the material you cut you may be able to recycle for other stories.

At the Hursley Park Book Fair. Image by Allison Symes
A good writing group will help you discover this. Pixabay image.
It always is! Reflecting first helps a lot! Pixabay image
What writing triggers will help you create your new worlds? Image via Pixabay
Or get away from it all in one book. Pixabay image.
Hard at work. Pexels image.
A clean sheet can lead to some fascinating characters and stories. Image via Pixabay
Let the ideas flow and let journeys encourage that! Image via Pixabay
Research material, notebook and pen to hand. Image via Pixabay
Whenever and whatever you read, enjoy. Image via Pixabay.

Flash fiction makes a great writing exercise, even if you don’t want to be published in it.

Firstly, the discipline of sticking to a word count is useful.

Secondly, when free writing to “warm up” why not turn the results of that into a flash fiction story? (I would go on to polish the story and see about submitting it somewhere).

The word count aspect comes in useful again because having a warm up exercise to take you to 500 words, say, means you then have to get on with whatever your main writing work is. The advantage of course is you then have a short piece you could submit somewhere if you wanted to.

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What is the most difficult challenge when it comes to writing flash fiction? Funnily enough, I find it isn’t the word count.

For me, it is, having chosen what impact I want the story to make on readers, deciding whether that impact is strong enough or do I need to beef it up further? Very difficult to judge that.

This is where things like reading at Prose Open Mic nights can be helpful. You literally hear the feedback as you hear your audience’s response to your story. Nervewracking and exhilarating all at the same time. Given this isn’t always possible, the next best thing is to put the story aside for a while and then come back to it and read it out loud so you can hear how it sounds. (Recording it and playing it back is even better).

Many thanks to Geoff Parkes for the image of me reading at this year’s Swanwick Writers’ Summer School Prose Open Mic night. Good fun!

This seems a familiar sight! Image via Pixabay.
What every writer needs. Image via Pexels.
Stories can take you to fantastic places. Pixabay image.
Read your work out loud to hear how it sounds/how your reader will read it. Pixabay image.
Love this image! Image via Pixabay
Stories reflect all sorts of moods. There is a story to suit everyone out there! Image via Pixabay.
Signing books for a friend. Image by Adrian Symes
This statue reminds me of myself when I was a lot younger. Okay I wasn’t made of stone (I’m still not!) but I did always have my head in a book. (And do so as often as I can now!). Image via Pixabay.
I write fairytales with bite as flash fiction and short stories in particular. Image via Pixabay.
Some very strange creatures are in books. Image via Pixabay

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

STORY IDEAS AND PUBLICATION NEWS

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Facebook – General

How do you develop your story ideas? I sometimes use spider diagrams to help me here. I come up with what will often go on to be the opening line and work out different scenarios and then write up the one I like the most. It does help to visualise a story sometimes.

With some stories I can hear the character talking and I’ve then got to work out where that dialogue would lead that character. Sometimes the story can be WHERE that dialogue has come from and the talk itself is actually the end of the story. In my They Don’t Understand, I had the finishing line very early on and then worked the story out backwards from there.

So I’d say be open to what approaches you take here. I’ve found one size/one way of doing things is not necessarily the best. You can constrict yourself too much. I also think it is a good thing to mix things up when creating a story anyway. It’s fun too!

Something I’ve yet to see happen! Pixabay image.
I’ve never read a book in these conditions, have you? Pixabay image.
Let one creative idea spark another. Pixabay image.
Indeed! Pixabay image.
No matter what your setting, your characters need to resonate with readers. Pixabay image.
My latest CFT post. Pixabay image.
Stories can take you to fantastic places. Pixabay image.
This made me smile! Pixabay image.

Do you find that when you have a closer look at your favourite books and stories there is a common theme? I’ve often found this to be the case.

I love The Lord of the Rings and practically all of the classic fairytales. The common link there? No matter what the struggle or how long it takes, good will defeat evil in the end. A positive theme (and yes I guess that is how you can tell it is fantasy, sadly!).

So what are your favourite themes in stories? I do like themes that speak of justice prevailing, evil being given the boot, or, in the case of historical fiction, shows me something about a past world I had not known before. I loved Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall for that though must confess I’ve not read Bring Up the Bodies as I am an Anne Boleyn fan and know how that story ends!

I recall using a manual typewriter and manually copying and pasting. Pixabay image.
Notes about your characters can help you portray them more accurately. Not every note has to make it into the story itself. Pixabay image.
Very old school writing. Pixabay image.
Lovely books. Pexels image.
I try NOT to chain down my creativity! Pexels image.
Something I’ve yet to see happen! Pixabay image.
So true. Pixabay image.
Stories can take you to fantastic places. Pixabay image.
Plugging in for new ideas? Pixabay image

Great fiction, regardless of genre, will resonate with readers and the key to that resonance is the lead character, who would have been excellently portrayed.

There will be flaws, there will be virtues, there will be plenty that any of us could identify with, knowing our own flaws and virtues, and we absolutely have to find out whether our hero/heroine succeeds in their quest or not.

The lead character is memorable for all the right reasons then – and this still applies even if that character is the villain. They’ve got to have good reasons for acting the way they are (“because they’re evil” isn’t strong enough) and readers should understand why the villain is acting the way they are. Nobody has to like it though!

I suppose we’ve got to have someone to cheer on as we read the latest flash fiction, short story, or novel. And that someone has to appeal to us so how can writers do that? Characters with a great sense of humour come across well, as do characters willing to make sacrifices for their cause. That too can apply to villains (and I bet I wasn’t the only one who almost wanted to root for the late Alan Rickman’s Sherriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves!).

Make your characters distinctive then and easy to “fall for”. It almost goes without saying the first one to love your characters must be you!

Reach for those ideas. Pixabay image.
The world is shrinking thanks to technology. Image via Pixabay.
What wonderful worlds we can creat! Image via Pixabay.
Reading should be a joy always. Pixabay image.
A typical stationery collection. Image via Pexels.
Beautiful books. Pexels image.
Online writing -v- on a line writing! Image via Pixabay
A gorgeous pen. Image via Pexels

Am delighted to say three stories of mine will be appearing on Cafelit over the next few days. Will share the links obviously but one of the tales is a direct result of an exercise set by Simon Hall in his A-Z of Novel Writing at Swanwick Writers’ Summer School. I turned one of the exercises set into a flash fiction piece.

I am always happy to recommend a good read on Cafelit given the site has a wealth of stories and styles of storytelling on there – and not just because I’m on it sometimes but you will just have to take me at my word on that one.

What impact do your stories have on your readers? Image via Pixabay
The basic necessities of the writer’s life!
I read three stories from From Light to Dark and Back Again. Many thanks to Dawn Kentish Knox for the picture!
Is the truth welcome in your fictional world? How does your community react to it?. Image via Pixabay.
Flash fiction for impact. Image via Pixabay
Stories are magical and inspire other stories. Image via Pixabay.
Grow as a writer? Grow your reading! Image via Pixabay
Preparing a talk or a flash fiction story perhaps. Image via Pixabay.
Books invite you into their world. Image via Pixabay
Connections to what you read and what you write. What are yours? Image via Pixabay.

Facebook – From Light to Dark and Back Again

I set the scene in the opening line or two of my flash stories, though sometimes that scene is the lead character’s thoughts and attitude! In those cases, you are entering their world as they see it. You don’t have to agree with them though (and I often don’t!).

Writing flash really does force you to focus on only those points without which the story makes no sense. It is the best way I know of learning how to write tight.

Scenes don’t have to be convoluted, far from it. You want the reader to get into your world as quickly as possible (especially since it’s not going to be a long ride!). Your job, as writer, is to open the door for the reader to be able to get in and out of the story at the appropriate points.

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The flash fiction stories that mean the most to me are ones which make the most impact on me. Sometimes that will be to make me laugh out loud, other times to recoil in horror, and occasionally make me feel I’m really glad NOT to be the character in the tale I’ve just read!

A good test for a story you have written is to see, after a period away from it, what impact it has on you. Did it make you laugh as you were meant to when you first read it? Is it still making you laugh when you re-read it a week or so later?

I’m looking then for the emotional impact of the story. A story is a moment in time for a character. A flash fiction piece is a fraction of a period of time, so the writer has to make that impact quickly and through the lead character.

For me, a good way in for this is to show the lead character’s attitude. Attitude is indeed everything and is quick, effective way to show what your people are like. Their attitude can also convey how other people are likely to react to them too and then hopefully that will make readers want to read on to see if they are right on that. Usually they will be but that’s fine. It means the writer has delivered.

Bad tempered character annoys everyone else in the story? Yes. Ticks all the boxes. The fun bit here is HOW did they annoy everyone and did they get their comeuppance? Bad tempered character is out done by someone more bad tempered still? Yes. There’s a story there too with the prospect of someone being taught an overdue lesson.

Assemble your characters, assemble your world. Image via Pixabay
The classic start to a fairytale. Image via Pixabay.
I prefer to sit and read rather than stand! Pexels image.
Let the words flow! Image via Pixabay.
Plugging in for new ideas? Pixabay image
Plenty to enjoy here! Image via Pixabay
A great new idea makes me smile, as does this image. Pixabay image.
Writing is rewriting. Image via Pixabay.
Your blog, your topic, your theme – just be sensible on copyright and libel issues. Image via Pixabay.
Write your piece, leave it for a while before editing. Pixabay image.

An interesting flash fiction challenge could be to start every sentence with the same word – and nominate a word for this. “The”, “A”, “An” etc will not be allowed. So let’s see what I can start with – I’ll have a go with “Habitat”.

Incidentally I usually prepare these posts as I type them! Very much on the fly writing (though I love the challenge of that). I only schedule posts in advance for holidays etc. Basically, I haven’t prepared this in advance, honest ‘guv’!

HABITAT
Habitat varies from creature to creature, and must include man.
Habitat isn’t put at risk by most, spot the difference if you can!
Habitat is what we all need to survive
Habitat is where our characters thrive.
Habitat is where I will place my heroes.
Habitat is where I will put my no-goes.
Habitat is the world of my story.
Habitat can be blissful or gory.

Allison Symes – 17th September 2018

I think the format of the flash fiction here will depend on the word you choose to use as your opener. Some words will lend themselves more obviously to a “straight story” rather than a flash poem so to speak but there is fun to be had exploring ideas here!

Let the ideas flow and let journeys encourage that! Image via Pixabay
My latest CFT post. Pixabay image.
Beautiful pens. Pexels image.
Online writing -v- on a line writing! Image via Pixabay
A good reading pile! Pexels image.
Just what is your story then? Image via Pixabay
Books have their own sense of time and space. Image via Pixabay.
Planning your characters. Image via Pixabay.
Generating the writing ideas. Image via Pixabay.
Doesn’t look comfortable to me. Pexels image.

Delighted to have three new stories due to appear on Cafelit over the next few days. Will share links as and when. But back to the idea of using the same word to start the sentences of a flash piece with. My word for tonight is Restless and I will ‘fess up and admit I have given this one more thought though I did like the environmental theme that came through with Habitat yesterday.

RESTLESS
‘Restless, you are, Wilma, that’s what you are – always have been, always will be.‘
‘Restless, surely not, I just can’t get comfortable, that’s all’.
‘Restless, I said, and restless I meant.’
‘Restless, that’s the last thing I should be in here, George; I always thought I’d have peace HERE.’
‘Restless spirit, restless grave – I did think I’d have a break from your fidgeting when I joined you in here!’

ENDS.

Allison Symes – 18th September 2018

Hope you enjoy.

 

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Goodreads Author Programme – Blog – Opening Lines

What is it about an opening line that makes you want to read on?

For me, that opening line has to intrigue me, show me something of the fictional world to come, or show me something about the lead character. The very best opening lines combine at least two of these.

I’m thinking especially of Orwell’s 1984 “It was a bright, cold day in April and the clocks were striking thirteen.”. I’m immediately intrigued by the thirteen and I want to know about what kind of world it could be to have clocks capable of doing this. The opening line has definitely fulfilled its role there!

The challenge then for the writer is to make sure that everything which follows lives up to the promise of that opening line and delivers on it! And some people think writing is easy…hmm… I learned a long time ago that when someone makes something look easy, that same someone has almost certainly worked their socks off for years to get to that point.

So what are your favourite lines and why?

I also love the opening to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and Dickens’s A Tale of Two Cities. Very different in style but they intrigue and set the tone for what is to come.

Happy reading, and writing!

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HAVING FUN WITH YOUR CHARACTERS AND KEEPING IT LOCAL!

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Nice combination of titles for tonight’s posts I think!

Image Credit:  Images are either from Pixabay or, where NOT stated, taken by me.

Facebook – General and Chandler’s Ford Today

Tonight’s Chandler’s Ford Today post looks at local communities and writers and how they can help each other. I also look at the benefits to both of this and discuss sponsorship, how local events (often sponsored) can raise awareness of the writing community’s existence and encourage spending in the local area (and not just on books!).

I use Chandler’s Ford as the “model” and take the opportunity to thank a wide range of people who have been very supportive of our writing community. By community, I do mean everyone from local businesses to our fantastic Grade 2 listed library to the Age Concern Centre to the Post Office! So there’s a good old mix in there!

(I also manage to have a quick moan about Nat West closing our local branch as our shopping centre has had closures, this being the latest, yet has other shops moving in. It has been a bit of a strange time – businesses you think would stay for good now gone, others you think may not last going on for years.).

I also share news of another event on 25th November at Winchester Discovery Centre where several local authors, including yours truly, will be taking part in the Centre’s 10th-anniversary celebrations with talks, readings, etc. Should be fun and I hope to post more details later.

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Facebook – General – Part 2 – When Your Main Character Is a Wimp

What can you do when your main character turns out to be a wimp and a secondary character is “nagging you” for more of the action? I would see this as a sign your main character simply isn’t up to the task of being the lead, unless you significantly re-write them, Equally this can give you the chance to look at whether you have written the story from the right character’s viewpoint after all. You can always rewrite, promoting the secondary character in importance, and see which version of your story works best. (My money would be on the version where the secondary character “takes over”).

The magical world of the imagination. Image via Pixabay

Is your main character really up to the job of leading the story or a bit of a wimp?  Whose story is it?. Image via Pixabay

Facebook – From Light to Dark and Back Again

Flash fiction is the perfect format for those lovely incidents which are not enough to make a standard length short story (usually 1500 words or so) but are worthy of being told all the same.

I’ve found it lends itself really well to laugh out loud moments and, strangely, those tales that give you a sense of something walking all over your grave. Why there is such a contrast in the mood generated I don’t really know, (of course it could just be me!), but flash fiction, for me, is all about impact. The twist in the tale ending comes into its own with flash fiction too as it is such a great way to ensure you do make that impact.

There are a lot of steps on any writer’s journey but I am pleased to say I’ve made another one. I’ve become a character in Beatrice Fishback’s novella, Winter Writerland. I met Beatrice at Swanwick this year and along with Jennifer C Wilson, Fiona Park and Val Penny, we came up with ideas for a cosy mystery, which Beatrice has now written up! The story is set in the fictional writing conference of Branwick and all four of us have given our blessing to being named characters.

Oh and before you ask even I don’t know if I’m the murderer yet. There’s a sentence I never thought I’d write!😀 The novella is currently in e-book form only but there are plans for a paperback.  Amazon link below. I never thought I’d promote a book where I’m a character but that’s one great thing about the writing life. It can take you down some very interesting avenues! Good luck with the novella, Beatrice. I wonder what we’ll come up with at next year’s Swanwick!

Winter Writerland: A Daisy McFarland Mystery
A gruesome murder was inevitable, but how the death would unfold would be anyone’s guess. And the murderer’s identity? That would remain a mystery until the appropriate time…Meet Daisy McFarland, an American spinster…

Facebook – From Light to Dark and Back Again Part 2

Sometimes even I find 100 words are not enough for the tales I want to tell. One of my favourite longer stories in From Light to Dark and Back Again is They Don’t Understand, which is a poignant character study.

The reason for the longer word count here (though it is still under 750 words) is I needed some time to establish the relationship between the two characters in the story. Without that the punchline would not have the impact I wanted it to have. So my guideline here was the impact and had I put in enough detail to support it? Yes, I had but this time it took more than 100 words to do so.

I like the flexibility of flash fiction regarding genre but I also like the fact it has sub-divisions within it so I can vary the word count I use. Whatever word count I go for, it has to be right for that story. There mustn’t be a word out of place, whether it is a 100-word tale or a 1000 word story!

My book on sale at MIBI Gift Shop. Image taken by me.
Always lovely to meet readers. Image taken by Janet Williams, editor of Chandler’s Ford Today
Flash fiction for impact. Image via Pixabay

Fairytales With Bite – Having Fun With Your Characters

Do you have fun with your characters?  There should be the initial fun of creating them, of course, but for me I think the most fun comes when they develop and mature and truly take on a life of their own.  You can look back at the earlier stages of their development and literally see how far they have come.

I also enjoy dropping my characters right in it when appropriate to do so but that probably says more about me than them.  I will claim dramatic licence though!  So yes you should have fun with your characters, especially for novel writing, you will be living with them for a long time.  Even in flash fiction writing, while you will generally go from one character to another for each story, you should still know what makes that character tick and enjoy working out how best to get that across to your readers.  If you become tired of your characters, it does show through in your writing so love them, love to hate them, enjoy writing for them, enjoy putting them through the emotional wringer etc!  It will help your writing flow and sparkle.  Characters written like this always draw me to a story.  I think it is the characters, more than anything, that makes a story unforgettable.

Talking of characters and having fun, I’ve become a character in a book, Winter Writerland, written by Beatrice Fishback.  I met her at Swanwick Writers’ Summer School this year and, along with Jennifer C Wilson, Fiona Park, Val Penny and, of course, me, the five of us came up with story ideas for a cosy mystery.  All highly enjoyable and many laughs were had at what we came up with!  Beatrice has written the story up as a novella and I’m very glad to share the link.  (Naturally all four of us have given our blessing to being characters in a book but I must admit it was a development in my writing journey I hadn’t anticipated!).  Oh and don’t ask me if I’m the murderer (a sentence I never thought I would write!).  At the moment I don’t know.  I wouldn’t say anyway.  No plot spoilers here!

Love your writing.  Your readers will love you for it.

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This World and Others – The Joys of Editing

As well as editing my own work, I sometimes edit pieces for Chandler’s Ford Today. I’m currently editing a local history mini-series, which I hope will be up on the website fairly soon. Fascinating material which just needed putting together in the right order to improve clarity. Funnily enough, it’s thrown up a few odd coincidences with my life, which I wasn’t expecting.

I love editing. I love sensing how my story or post is improving because I have taken the wasted words out. Without a decent edit (and ideally at least two to three), I know no work of mine will be accepted anywhere because I always overwrite and so have to cut out the padding. But I don’t mind doing that. I like to write down all of my ideas and then select the strongest, based on my outline. It is always a relief getting that first draft down because I then know I definitely have something to work with and experience to date tells me the edit only improves a piece.

I do think it vital though to keep the creative side away from the editing side. You need that joy of creating something new to help you get that story nailed to the screen but the sensible editing side comes later. They really are two separate tasks. How can you edit something properly that isn’t finished? So write first, edit later is my mantra and I’ve never regretted following that.

It can take a lot of self-belief to be able to call yourself this at times. Image via Pixabay
Such a familiar look. Image via Pixabay.
Where good ideas start… but good ideas need refining and editing, Image via Pixabay

Goodreads Author Programme – Quotes

I thought I’d share the link to my quotes page here.  I make no apology that, to date, the majority of quotes come from the much missed Terry Pratchett.

From Light to Dark and Back Again

Allison Symes’s books on Goodreads