Tag: flash fiction

Scrivener and Stories

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My Chandler’s Ford Today post this week will be Part 4 of my 101 Things to Put into Room 101. Is proving a fun series to write. Link up on Friday.

One of the biggest difficulties I have is prioritising time. I find I have to block out time to write, else guess what? I don’t write!

I use Scrivener on my PC and I find that great for organising my notes, especially for my non-fiction work. See one of my earlier CFT posts. I use Evernote on my phone and am increasingly using train journeys to draft a few flash fiction tales using it. I’m off again on my travels on Saturday so hope to get a few short pieces under my belt (or more accurately on my phone!) before I get home again.

 

I don’t always write directly to screen. Image via Pixabay
Technology has helped short story writers. Image via Pixabay
Books – love them, don’t mind the format. Image via Pixabay
What an upgrade from Shakespeare’s quill! Image via Pixabay
Seen on a desk near you… image via Pixabay
Work and the muse will come. Don’t wait for it to show up first! Image via Pixabay

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My favourite opening lines to stories are those that take me straight into the world of the tale or the mind of the character. You don’t need a lot of words to convey enough information for the reader to fill in the gaps. Flash fiction as a genre proves that.

For example from my Rewards in From Light to Dark and Back Again:-

She must go, Becky thought.
Becky paced her thick, red lounge carpet a dozen times. The beautiful Gemma had decided one boyfriend wasn’t enough.

You have the main character and her state of mind here. The thick, red lounge carpet is an indication Becky has (a) a home and (b) she probably isn’t poor. She also has a situation to resolve! All in 24 words.

Often I’ll write a flash piece and realise when I read it back, there are more clues to pick out than I originally anticipated. This is no bad thing. It means my subconscious is clearly working and something is coming through into what I write! That can be developed further or left as it is as a hint to the reader. Happy writing – conscious and unconsciously!

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You learn a lot when you write stories. Firstly, you learn about rejections as, unless you are phenomenally lucky, you will receive loads of those. Secondly, you realise fairly early on that write what you know, while a very useful start, is simply not going to be enough. You need to be able to write about what you can find out too!

This is why reading widely, in and out of your own genre, fiction and non-fiction, is so important. The more you feed your mind, the more you will have to draw on when writing your own work.

Great characters = great books. Image via Pixabay.
From Light to Dark and Back Again. Image taken by Allison Symes
Even in the heart of a city, books can provide escapism. Image via Pixabay.
Library shelf. Image via Pexels
Ebooks and print – both have their own frustrations when it comes to publishing. Image via Pixabay
Books are the keys to knowledge. Image via Pixabay
The to be read pile! Image via Pixabay

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A successful flash fiction story is one you’ve read where everything that is needed to be said has been! You should feel as if the writer could not add anything to the story without “over-egging the pudding”.

As with any story, a flash piece still has to have a beginning, middle and end (even if that end is a twist one). It should not feel like a piece of prose cut down to meet the word count requirements.

I love flash fiction stories where I would love to know more about the characters despite their role being over. That indicates real “life” behind the characters and their story.

Books should keep you gripped and that is down to the characters. Image via Pixabay
The perfect way to relax. All writers love to read. Image via Pixabay.
My stand at the Winchester discovery Centre event. Image by Allison Symes
The wonderful world of stories. Image via Pixabay
A blank page can take you anywhere in writing. Image via Pixabay.
Use personal reviews to help you generate characters and story outlines. Image via Pixabay.
Nobody gets their ideas right first go. Image via Pixabay.
Aiming for more “magic” from my stories this year! Image via Pixabay.

 

Flash Fiction, Top Five Favourite Books, and Guest Blogging

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Good news – another of my flash fiction tales, The Art Critic, is now up on the Cafelit website. Anyone who has had a bad review or hated a piece of artwork will sympathize with my heroine in this one. Good fun to write. Hope you enjoy reading it.

I’m outlining ideas for another collection of flash fiction tales and I hope some of these will also end up on Cafelit in the meantime. Many of my stories in From Light to Dark and Back Again started life on Cafelit. A number of Chapeltown Books authors can say the same about their flash stories – and I’m willing to bet we’re all pleased about this!

I loved the old James Garner films, Support Your Local Gunfighter/Sheriff etc. Maybe we should have something called Support Your Cafelit! In all seriousness, online sites like this are an immense help to writers including me. They give us somewhere to put our work, it can (and in this case has) led to publication opportunities, and feedback is also possible via the comments section under each story put on the site.

So give online story websites like Cafelit a try. You may well come across a form of fiction you might like to try writing. Certainly, you’ll like the stories already up there. Happy reading and writing!

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Firstly, as mentioned above, my latest flash fiction piece, The Art Critic, is now up on Cafelit. See http://cafelitcreativecafe.blogspot.co.uk/ but do check out the other wonderful stories on site.

Secondly, I am guest blogging on Amanda Huggins’s Troutie McFish Tales blog tonight. I talk about why I love writing flash fiction and for Chandler’s Ford Today and share some writing tips that have stood me in very good stead.

Thirdly, I’ll be appearing at the Hursley Park Book Fair due to take place in June. I’ll share more details nearer the time but author pics and bios are now up on their website, including for yours truly. See http://www.hursleyparkbookfair.com/authors

 

Ebooks and print – both have their own frustrations when it comes to publishing. Image via Pixabay
Good advice – and it applies to our characters too. Image via Pixabay
The familiar sight of the writing desk, regardless of genre! Image via Pixabay.
Reviews can have global reach. Most impact I think can often be local to the writer.
Where my stories are in print. Image by Allison Symes
Preparing a talk or a flash fiction story perhaps. Image via Pixabay.
Says it all really and applies to non-fiction equally as fiction. Image via Pixabay.

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My CFT post this week will be the resumption of my 101 Things to Put into Room 101 series. Yes, I can find 101 things!

I’m using my diary more to plan out what writing work I do when and am finding that useful. It reminds me to block out time for specific tasks for one thing so I am hoping by the year’s end, I will have been more productive than I was in 2017. Not that I was lazy last year, far from it (!), but I’ve been aware for a while I could probably do more than I am and that will need scheduling if I’m going to make it (a) happen and (b) work!

I am making better use of dead time thanks to Evernote and a smartphone. I use time like this to draft out ideas for flash fiction stories and CFT posts. All useful stuff. It’s amazing (though not in a good way) just how easily time slips away and you find you haven’t achieved as much as you thought or would like.

Signing books for a friend. Image by Adrian Symes
My reading at the local railway station. Image by Janet Williams
From Light to Dark and Back Again. Image taken by Allison Symes
The writer’s basic toolkit – image via Pixabay
What great books and stories will emerge from your laptop this year? Image via Pixabay.
Some of the strongest ideas have a simple theme. See A Christmas Carol as a classic example. Image via Pixabay.
It can take a lot of self-belief to be able to call yourself this at times. Image via Pixabay
After a swim, I’m soon back at the keyboard. Image via Pixabay.
There’s still a place for writing directly to paper. Free writing can really help you become more creative as you allow any “barriers” to go. Let your subsconscious work! Image via Pixabay

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How can you tell if you have written flash fiction and not just a short story chopped down? Well, like any short story, a flash fiction tale must have a beginning, a middle and an end. Okay, a lot is implied, especially backstory, but everything in your flash tale must move the story onwards to what will seem like the inevitable conclusion (even if is a twist one).  If your story does that, then fine!

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What is the purpose of a story?

To entertain – definitely.
To sometimes convey truths in a more palatable way – yes.
To get a message across – yes.

To set puzzles for readers to solve – think Agatha Christie here especially.

To warn – yes (particularly true for horror I would have thought. If you decide you’re going to tackle Dracula, you’ve got to be prepared for the consequences!).

Flash fiction does all of this but concisely!

I finish my writing rituals for the day by having a good read. Immerse yourself in books! Image via Pixabay.
Escape with a good book. Image via Pixabay.
You can’t beat a good book. Image via Pixabay.
What new worlds and scenes will books show you? Image via Pixabay
Love this image! Image via Pixabay
Classic Books. New Books. Love them all!
Notebooks, pens, beverages… bliss for the writer. Image via Pixabay.
Some very strange creatures are in books. Image via Pixabay

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Glad to report The Art Critic, my latest flash fiction piece, is now up on Cafelit. See http://cafelitcreativecafe.blogspot.co.uk/

It was great fun appearing on Amanda Huggins’ Troutie McFish Tales blog. See https://troutiemcfishtales.blogspot.co.uk/…/guest-post-alli… Many thanks, Mandy!

I share why I love writing (and indeed reading) flash fiction and also what I love about writing for Chandler’s Ford Today.

Printers would have fun trying to print this - image via Pixabay

Let the ideas flow and let journeys encourage that! Image via Pixabay

Printing Press - image via Pixabay

The old method of printing. Image via Pixabay

Books can be one major key to knowledge - image via Pixabay

Books are the keys to knowledge. Image via Pixabay

The To Be Read pile - image via Pixabay

The To Be Read pile. Image via Pixabay

What new scenes will a book show you - image via Pixabay

What new worlds and scenes will books show you? Image via Pixabay

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What is the best thing about writing flash fiction? I always love that moment when I’ve come up with the “killer” last line that completes the story in such a way I know there couldn’t be an alternative ending.

Sometimes I do come up with a line I think will make a great ending and plot the story back from that. It’s an interesting challenge (and Agatha Christie was known to do it too).

Do last lines sometimes surprise me? Yes. I hope they surprise you too! I will think of a line I realize is better than the one I originally had in mind. For example, with Serving Up a Treat, the last line “He never got to take a second mouthful” not only sums up the story, (and you can get the genre from that line alone), but, taken with the rest of the tale, I realised later there was more than one way of this character meeting their fate. I had not originally plotted that but was glad it came about. (Yes, you will need to rest of the tale to find out!).

Maybe the art of being a better writer is in getting better at recognizing what works well and being open to changing your initial thoughts and ideas for better ones.

Let those ideas flow! Image via Pixabay,
The wonderful world of writing should include non-fiction, which benefits from creative techniques too. Image via Pixabay.
Stories are magical and inspire other stories. Image via Pixabay.
Or you could ask some simple questions! Image via Pixabay.
A blank page can take you anywhere in writing. Image via Pixabay.
Let your stories have impact. Image via Pixabay
Fantasy may look at other worlds but often reflects on our own. Time is different too. Music can interpret worlds too. Think of classic film scores like that for The Lord of the Rings. Image via Pixabay.

Goodreads Author Programme – Blog

What are your top five favourite books? They can be any genre, non-fiction or otherwise etc.

So often my favourite books do depend on my mood. If I want humorous fiction, I will read that. If I want crime, I will turn to that genre.

But I think for me the five that stand out overall are:-

1. The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey. This book is one of the few novels to ever change my mind about a historical character, in this case Richard III.

2. The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkein. The sheer scale of Tolkein’s imagination is amazing and you won’t get a better good-v-evil battle in fiction, I think. Loved the film version too.

3. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. This was my first introduction to the use of irony in fiction and Elizabeth Bennett has long been one of my favourite heroines.

4. Men at Arms by Terry Pratchett. It was hard to pick just one Discworld novel but I plumped for this one as, for me, it is where Sam Vimes really takes off as a character.

5. The Best of P.G. Wodehouse Am I cheating here by going for a best of collection? Maybe! But I’m not sorry. This wonderful book shows off PGW’s fabulous array of characters.

So what would your choices be? Do you think they would change, say, annually, or be permanent selections?

Nice selection of books here! Image via Pixabay
Stories are magical and inspire other stories. Image via Pixabay.
A great selection of books. Image by Allison Symes
What a set of stairs! Inside the Discovery Centre. Image by Allison Symes
Such a beautiful place to read. Image via Pixabay.
This, for me, would be a magical place to be. Image via Pixabay
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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

INTERVIEWS AND UNUSUAL BUS JOURNEYS

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My latest Chandler’s Ford Today post is part 1 of my interview with fellow Chapeltown Books author, Gail Aldwin. She shares how her around the world bus journey inspired her flash fiction, especially her story, Paisley Shirt, which is the title for her new collection. Part 2 next week will see Gail sharing writing tips and her thoughts on “real” books and ebooks amongst other things. Plenty of insights for writers and readers to come.

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My Chandler’s Ford Today post this week will be Part 1 of an interview with fellow Chapeltown Books author, Gail Aldwin, whose flash fiction collection, Paisley Shirt, is now out. She shares travel tales from around the globe and looks at where paisley comes from. It is not often the East India Company gets a mention in my posts but it does here!

Part 2 will feature writing tips, a discussion on characters etc. Link to Part 1 will go up tomorrow.

There are so many things I love about interviewing other writers. Some of these things include finding out what inspires them, how links form between something they may have read years ago and a story they’ve written now (it can be amazing what conscious and sub-conscious influences come out when you’re writing), and the tips they’ve found most useful.

I also really love the way Chapeltown Books have such a distinctive image for their flash fiction collections. Okay, so my From Light to Dark and Back Again is one of them. Okay, so I AM biased (!) but if you wanted to see an example of effective branding, I would say this is a good one.

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What do you like most about interviews (regardless of format)?

I like those questions that draw the interviewee out and interviews that really do seem like it is a conversation written down or broadcast or what have you.

One great thing about writer interviews is that, regardless of the genre being covered, we all face the same challenges of getting the story down, editing it well, hopefully getting it published and then marketing it. That does give a lot of ground in which to find lots of lovely questions to ask!

Sometimes you can strike gold when your interviewee reveals something that you instantly recognize you’ve got to ask them more about. It is often about the most unexpected things too. My CFT post later this week contains such a gold nugget! Link to go up on Friday. All I’ll say now is it involves transport!

Ebooks and print – both have their own frustrations when it comes to publishing. Image via Pixabay
Research material, notebook and pen to hand. Image via Pixabay
Fiction is strengthened when backed by fact. Image via Pixabay
A checklist can be useful for quizzing your characters. Image via Pixabay.
I really liked taking part in the Prose Open Mic slot at Swanwick this year. Image via Pixabay

 

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The joy of flash fiction is its brevity. No words wasted. A powerful impact on the reader made very quickly. But, as with the standard short story, all moods and emotional reactions can be covered in the form (which is why I called my book what I have!). Indeed, I think it a good thing that there is variety here. I like to see my flash collection as a “selection box” of moods and stories.

I suppose it’s indicative of human nature that no one person likes the same thing all the time. I love humorous fiction but also appreciate crime stories, historical tales and so on and I like to mix up what I read too. I wouldn’t want to just read (or indeed write) one thing all the time. Another joy of flash is that you can sample different styles of writing and moods very quickly. You could even use a flash collection to try out stories in genres you’ve not read before.

Happy reading and writing!

Books invite you into their world. Image via Pixabay
Some very strange creatures are in books. Image via Pixabay
Let those ideas flow! Image via Pixabay,
Use personal reviews to help you generate characters and story outlines. Image via Pixabay.
Connections to what you read and what you write. What are yours? Image via Pixabay.
Reviews can have global reach. Most impact I think can often be local to the writer.

 

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Write what you know, so they say.
But influences come out in your every word.
Sometimes they’re buried away
For years but they will find a way of being heard.
Time means nothing there, you’ll find.
So read widely, both non-fiction or a tall tale.
You’ll feed your creative mind.
Ensure the whole story does not stumble or pale.
Strong “people” reflect our best
While the weak characters will reflect our worst side
Write, rewrite, then let it rest
Every writer has to have a skin made of hide.
Some will not get what you do.
But it’s true you won’t like everything they invent
Rejections can make you blue.
It’s all part of the process you can’t circumvent.
Ask where your story would fit.
Target well, it improves your chances of a hit!

Allison Symes – 15th March 2018

Books are the keys to knowledge. Image via Pixabay
Ebooks and print – both have their own frustrations when it comes to publishing. Image via Pixabay
Love this image! Image via Pixabay
Good advice – and it applies to our characters too. Image via Pixabay
Not arguing with this! Image via Pixabay
I’m not arguing with this one! Image via Pixabay.
Notebooks, pens, beverages… bliss for the writer. Image via Pixabay.

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I have a framed poster above my desk which says “Don’t ever give up on your dreams”. (Good advice. Okay, sometimes the dreams have to change for myriads of reasons. Just because you can’t be a novelist that doesn’t stop you from becoming a short story writer etc). But it also struck me this line could be a great motivator for a character.

What are the character’s dreams? Just what are they prepared to do to achieve them? What obstacles are in the way? Is he/she/it encouraged or are others holding them back? (You could also look into what their agenda was).

Feature Image - Facts and Fiction - image via Pixabay

What writing triggers will help you create your new worlds? Image via Pixabay

Time to find a new place to call home perhaps - what stories could that lead to - image via Pixabay

Time to have another home perhaps? Good stories to be had here! Image via Pixabay

Note taking is an invaluable aid to retaining what you learn at conferences, image via Pixabay

Write, edit, write, edit… image via Pixabay

Nobody gets their ideas spot on immediately, image via Pixabay

Nobody gets their ideas right first go. Image via Pixabay.

Escape with a good book via Pixabay

Escape with a good book, it’s good for you! Image via Pixabay

Fairytales with Bite – What is Behind Your Stories?

In my interview with fellow Chapeltown Books author, Gail Aldwin, for Chandler’s Ford Today this week, she shares with me how her round the world bus trip influenced her flash fiction.  She also shares some of the research she carried out into where paisley comes from given the title of her flash fiction collection is Paisley Shirt.  One of the things I love about these kind of interviews is discovering what has influenced a writer to come up with what they have!  There are so many influences…

This is also why every writer, regardless of genre, should read widely and well in non-fiction and fiction, classic and contemporary works.  You are literally feeding your mind.  You can’t know in advance what book it is you read that will spark off ideas of your own.  You will just know it when you come to it.  So have plenty of fun reading lots of lovely books!  It is good for your own writing.

I used to worry about picking up other writers’ styles doing this but have found it not to be the case.  I read something that sparks off an idea in me and I then write that idea down in my style only because, well, it is the only style I have.  After all, doesn’t every author want their work to be uniquely something from them?  That’s where the joy of writing is – in creating something that is unique to you.

A lot of the fairytales are retelling of stories passed down orally over many generations.  Sometimes there can be agendas behind stories.  Hans Christen Andersen must have had concern for the poor as his agenda behind The Little Match Girl (and probably the hypocrisy of people being horrified at what happened to his character yet doing nothing to allievate suffering themselves).

So what is behind your stories?  Why have you created your characters as you have?  I was surprised when I was looking back at my draft of From Light to Dark and Back Again how often the theme of poetic justice came up.  That wasn’t planned (well not consciously anyway).  I also hadn’t planned the variation in moods of the stories that formed the book (though it did help inspire the book’s title!).  Look back at what you have written and see if you can spot what is really behind it.  It may well inspire other stories!

Ebooks and print – both have their own frustrations when it comes to publishing. Image via Pixabay
Books are the keys to knowledge. Image via Pixabay
Books invite you into their world. Image via Pixabay
Plenty to enjoy here! Image via Pixabay
My book on sale at Bay Leaves Larder, a wonderful local cafe that does a lot to support writers in the area.
Big screen, little screen, LOTS of stories on either! Image via Pixabay
Gail’s flash fiction collection from Chapeltown Books. Image supplied by Gail Aldwin. Also note the Chapeltown Books branding of a frame around an image. Simple but effective

This World and Others – Character Journeys

My latest Chandler’s Ford Today post features fellow Chapeltown Books author, Gail Aldwin, and how her round the world bus journey influenced her flash fiction.

The obvious character journey (well for me it is!) is that of Frodo Baggins in The Lord of the Rings.  Everything about this story is epic!  However, character journeys can be much smaller than that.  Scrooge went on a journey of sorts as he transformed from a miserable miser to a generous (and much happier) man in A Christmas Carol.

So what journeys are your characters going on? If it is a physical journey, why are they making it?  Do they like travelling or is is something where they have no choice?  What obstacles must they overcome?  What is the landscape like?  Are they from a background where travelling is normal?  (It generally wasn’t for hobbits so Frodo’s journey was unusual from that angle).

If the journey is more of a character development one, is the journey a good one or a bad?  (People can go from being good to bad, so why not characters?).  Is it a successful journey?  What is the impact of the character change on them and those around them?  Change can threaten others so how is this dealt with?

Gail Aldwin’s round the world bus trip led her to discovering more about paisley and influenced her flash fiction. Image supplied by Gail Aldwin
Stunning notebook. Image from Gail Aldwin
The buses looking more at home in here than on snow! Image via Gail Aldwin
Part of Gail Aldwin’s global bus journey. Image from Gail Aldwin
In Paris. Image from Gail Aldwin.
Let the ideas flow and let journeys encourage that! Image via Pixabay

 

 

 

The Frustrations of Publishing

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Am a night early with my Chandler’s Ford Today post this week. Am away at an ACW conference so thought it best to schedule for this evening!

In writing my 101 Things to Put into Room 101, I came to a topic that deserves its own vault all by itself – the frustrations of publishing. There are few authors who can’t sympathise with this topic, though it has been great to share links to both the Society of Authors and the Alliance of Independent Authors in this post. Writers need all the support they can get!

Will be back to the Room 101 series in a couple of weeks or so, as this post leads into a two-part interview with fellow Chapeltown author, Gail Aldwin, who will be talking about her own route to publication.

I have yet to interview a writer whose route to publication was straight forward or easy! Nature of the beast I suspect!

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When stuck for an idea or two
Have a go at something brand new
Don’t say this is me being rash.
Doing this got me into flash!

Allison Symes 8th March 2019

I accept I’m never going to be offered the Poet Laureate’s post based on my doggerel above. Just as well too, I think. However, the verse is true! It really was my being open to the idea of having a go at Cafelit’s100-word challenge that meant I discovered the joys of flash fiction. Had it not been for that, I wouldn’t have a book to my name now.

One of the great joys of creative writing is to have fun with it and one great way of doing that is to mix up what you write. So go ahead, give flash fiction a go!

Books invite you into their world. Image via Pixabay
The to be read pile! Image via Pixabay
What new worlds and scenes will books show you? Image via Pixabay
Some very strange creatures are in books. Image via Pixabay
The wonderful world of stories. Image via Pixabay
Let the creative process flow! Image via Pixabay

Fairytales with Bite – The Frustrations of Publishing

My Chandler’s Ford Today post looks at the frustrations of publishing.  I expect you may have experienced most of them! However, there are two classic ways out of at least some of these.  One is to self publish and the other is to seek publication via the small, independent press.  I chose the latter route!  More in the post…

The main frustration I feel is the Catch 22 one of people wanting you to have a track record before they will take you on, yet the only way to get that track record is to be published!  It is also highly appropriate to use the phrase Catch 22 too given we’re talking about getting books out there…

Back to our fictional worlds though – what role does literature play in it?  Who “controls” literature?  Could your characters be published writers?  What form of writing do they use?  Do they have stories as we understand them?  Who are the publishers  in your setting(s)?  Does the government exercise any control over what the public can read?

(I like the thought of there being an underground library for those not wanting to just read what is on a government’s approved list!).

Nice selection of books here! Image via Pixabay
What writing triggers will help you create your new worlds? Image via Pixabay
Can’t beat the notebook and pen for quick notes. Image via Pixabay,
Reviews can have global reach. Most impact I think can often be local to the writer.
The keyboard beckons…

This World and Others – Overcoming Frustrations

My Chandler’s Ford Today post this week looks at (some of) the frustrations of publishing.

How do your characters overcome the inevitable frustrations they will face?  Do they handle them well or badly?  What are the consequences  of their reactions?  Are there frustrations caused by government (too much bureaucracy etc?

How do your characters face the day to day frustrations and when it comes to being under continuing pressures, how do they handle that?

I'm not arguing with this - image via Pixabay

I’m not arguing with this one! Image via Pixabay.

A familiar desk scene for writers - image via Pixabay

The writer’s desk. What do you hope will emerge from yours this coming year? Image via Pixabay.

The best advice for any writer - image via Pixabay

And prepare well!

Feature Image - Flash Fiction - Books are Gateway - image via Pixabay

Says it all really and applies to non-fiction equally as fiction. Image via Pixabay.

wallpaper-1531107_640

Flash – for light or dark fiction! Image via Pixabay

castle-2115425_640

Fantasy may look at other worlds but often reflects on our own. Time is different too. Music can interpret worlds too. Think of classic film scores like that for The Lord of the Rings. Image via Pixabay.

Heaven on earth? Image via Pixabay (of the library at Leeds Castle)

Heaven on earth? Image via Pixabay (of the library at Leeds Castle)

Goodreads Author Programme – Blog

I’m a great fan of Agatha Christie. The first set of books I collected from Odhams (remember them?) were hers and I proudly own at least 30 red leather-bound hardbacks.

Each hardback contains two novels or a novel and a set of her short stories (such as The Labours of Hercules).

My favourite character is Jane Marple, though I do love Tommy and Tuppence in The Secret Adversary.

My favourite novel, though, is Murder on the Orient Express because it looks at whether murder is ever justified, even when the usual justice system fails.

It’s still a pertinent question. Even more pertinent is the fact the justice system shouldn’t fail but can do. Desperation and anger drive people to do desperate things and this is very much reflected in this book.

I also liked the David Suchet TV version of this. His Poirot was in angry anguish over what happened (and by implication what drove those events in the first place).

So what are your favourite Agatha books?

Well, what IS your story? Image via PixabayImage via Pixabay.
Where good ideas start… but good ideas need refining and editing, Image via Pixabay
Escape into another world. Image via Pixabay
The classic beginning for all stories… Image via Pixabay
Heavenly books. Image by Pixabay
A truly beautiful library but do the books in it meet my criteria for what makes a good story. I would hope so! Image via Pixabay.
Where almost all stories spring from these days. Image via Pixabay.

SHORT STORIES

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When editing a story, I tend to check if my main characters are coming “through” well enough. I love using thoughts as a way of showing what my “people” are really made of (and it’s even more fun when they’re deliberately hiding this from the other characters in the story. You’re left wondering whether the others will find out the truth or not and this can be a great source of conflict if they do!).

If, by the end of the tale, I’ve got a clear picture of who my characters are, what drives them, and they engage me, then hopefully other readers will feel the same way and like them too. (Or in the case of villains love to hate them, which is also good).

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A great short story has to have:-

Strong, memorable characters

An intriguing start

A middle that wants to make you keep reading to see what
happens next (definitely no saggy middles)

A powerful and appropriate ending (and I do love twist endings as they end the story with a “punch”. Sometimes I’m pleased when I see the ending coming and basically, my guess turned out to be right, but I’m even more pleased when the writer wrongfoots me).

The right word count for the type of story it is. I like short stories to be 1500 words or so. Flash fiction is 1000 or under but I must admit I feel a bit short-changed if a short story comes in at 1200 words or so. It feels to me like the story hasn’t quite got the “legs” to go the proper distance.

(Many thanks to Dawn Kentish Knox for the picture of me reading from From Light to Dark and Back Again at the Bridge House event in December. Huge fun!).

My stand at the Winchester discovery Centre event. Image by Allison Symes
Paula Readman, Dawn Knox and I at the recent Bridge House celebration event. Many thanks to Paula for the image. Also Paula is another winning entry for the Waterloo Festival.
Aiming for more “magic” from my stories this year! Image via Pixabay.
I read three stories from From Light to Dark and Back Again. Many thanks to Dawn Kentish Knox for the picture!
Some of the books I’ve appeared in and FLTDBA of course. Image by Allison Symes

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Some more Murphy’s Laws for writers:-

1. Your old PC will always play up when you’re trying to save the latest version of your MSS, especially something of novel length – and you have to save several times to make sure you HAVE saved it. (No longer the case for me I’m glad to say!).

2. You’re waiting eagerly for news of how you did in a writing competition. You check your inbox as often as possible at the relevant time. Nothing. You leave the PC for two minutes to go to to the loo, hear the unmistakable sound of more email coming in, get back to your desk as quickly as possible, only to find the new mail is selling you something you didn’t want, or offering you a date with a “hot” babe, which you also don’t want. The latter offers incidentally don’t seem to mind which gender they target.

3. You’re waiting for the author copy of your book to arrive. The days you stay in – guess what? Nothing turns up even though you know it is due. You pop round to see a neighbour or go to the local shops and come back to find… the “Sorry we missed you card” on your mat. Your vocabulary tends to veer into the brusque at this point!

A clean sheet can lead to some fascinating characters and stories. Image via Pixabay
Can’t beat the notebook and pen for quick notes. Image via Pixabay,
A checklist can be useful for quizzing your characters. Image via Pixabay.
Writing to screen. Am using smartphone more for this.
Sound advice. Image via Pixabay

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About a week ago, I set up a quick poll as to what was the most important part of a story, regardless of word count. Many thanks to all who voted.

I asked whether an intriguing start or a twist ending was the most important component. And the results are:- (Ta da… imaginary drum roll here!)

83% An intriguing start
17% A twist ending

I’m not surprised by that. After all, if the start of a story doesn’t grip you, the chances of you getting to the twist ending are slim indeed!

Having said that, an intriguing start still has to be well supported by what follows. There has to be “follow through”. If the ending disappoints, would someone read another story from that author even though the start seems very promising? I think there could be a case of “once bitten, twice shy” here.

So my view? I am a little torn on this one as I sometimes write the ending to a piece of flash fiction first and then work backwards. One great thing about doing things that way is you definitely have the twist ending and you can then work out the intriguing start that led to it.

Overall though, I would go for the intriguing start (as I also love coming up with a strong opening line and seeing where it takes me).

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Am glad that flash fiction has really taken off as a format and that Chapeltown Books now has a good range of publications to its name.

I love the “frame” around the powerful central images (see link) and think this is a great form of branding. The stories are pretty good too… Now I know I’m bound to say that but I wasn’t just referring to From Light and Dark and Back Again, honestly. Go on, check them out. Available in paperback and Kindle.

The small independent presses are a lifeline for authors and Chapeltown has particularly encouraged quirky fiction. Fine by me! I am a quirky writer…

A clean sheet can lead to some fascinating characters and stories. Image via Pixabay
A good interview will bring the best out of the interviewee.
Social Media Tree. Image via Pixabay.

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When is a tale a piece of flash fiction as opposed to a shortened story? When it has a “proper” beginning, middle and end and doesn’t feel as if more could be added to it.

I try to leave my stories on either a twist or punch ending (they’re not quite the same thing) so there really is nothing left to be said. I like people to be able to feel that the ending was an appropriate one (which, of course, is not the same thing as a happy one necessarily!).

Well, what IS your story? Image via PixabayImage via Pixabay.
Heavenly books. Image via Pixabay
Where good ideas start… but good ideas need refining and editing, Image via Pixabay

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

STORIES – AND A WRITER’S THREE WISHES

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My Chandler’s Ford Today post this week will be Part 2 of my interview with crime writer, Val Penny. She discusses how much research she does and why networking is invaluable for all writers, amongst other topics. Will put the link up on Friday.

I was thinking, for my new Goodreads blog post, which went up earlier this evening, about why I love short stories and flash fiction so much. I think it may be because I’m impatient! With a novel, you have to wait for the tension to build and build… With a short story (and even more so for flash fiction), you get the impact nigh on immediately. That probably says a fair bit about me!

Let creativity spill out - image via Pixabay

Let the creative process flow! Image via Pixabay

Hunter's Chase book cover

Val’s latest crime novel. Image supplied by Val Penny.

The fantastic world of books must include non-fiction too - image via Pixabay

The wonderful world of writing should include non-fiction, which benefits from creative techniques too. Image via Pixabay.

Feature Image - Facts and Fiction - image via Pixabay

What writing triggers will help you create your new worlds? Image via Pixabay

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What do you find most difficult to do – start a story or finish it?

For me, it’s finding the right starting point. Once I’ve got that, I’m up and running, I know I will generally end a story on a “punch” ending (and often a twist in the tale at that). As the story progresses I can sense myself getting to that bit, so finishing a tale is usually okay. I’m the same with blog posts. Get me started and I’m away!

I try to start anything I write with a “hit the ground running” approach. I often will go straight into the main character’s head so “they” can show a potential reader what state/mood they’re in, what crisis they’re facing etc. I find that really useful.

Other opening lines can include a brief indication as to the setting, but I keep that as short as I can. Later, if I need to go back and fill in more details, I do but I am wary of too much description. In flash fiction, there’s no room for it anyway!

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I created a poll a few days ago about whether an intriguing start or a twist ending was the best for a story. Please do vote if you haven’t already. I’ll discuss results in a few days’ time.

Have submitted my follow-up book to From Light and Dark and Back Again. Really glad to have that done. Would like to focus on my third book and getting more stories out there. Would like to do something with my non-fiction articles too at some point. Always good to have plenty to be getting on with!

Only wish? As ever, that I had more time. Now, this is where I could do with arranging for one of my fairy godmothers to become real and grant all writers three wishes. What would those wishes be?

1. Whatever time you need to write with NO interruptions or disruptions.

2. You will never suffer a dodgy internet connection again.

3. You will also be given as much time as you want to read whenever you want again with NO interruptions or disruptions.

Sounds good to me!

The wonderful world of stories. Image via Pixabay
Jotting down ideas for future stories is always a good idea. Image via Pixabay
From Light to Dark and Back Again. Image by Allison Symes
Writing to screen. Am using smartphone more for this.

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What do you think is the most important part of a story, whether it is standard length or flash fiction?

I’ll leave this poll up for a few days and report back later in the week. I’ll give my view as part of that.

An intriguing start
A twist ending
This poll ends in 2 days

Goodreads Author Programme – Blog

Short Stories Pack a Punch
I’ve loved short stories for years. Flash fiction has been a fairly recent innovation and I quickly became addicted to both reading and writing it.

As you can imagine, I was thrilled to be published for the first time last year with Chapeltown Books for a flash fiction collection (From Light to Dark and Back Again).

Now I have nothing against the novel. You can’t beat the novel for a satisfying, longer story when all is said and done.

But sometimes you just want a glimpse into a character’s life (rather than have the whole “spiel”) and this is where short stories, and especially flash fiction, come into their own.

They really do pack a punch when you consider their limited word count. (Even the longer short story is still short when compared to your average novel).

I love to write my stories knowing they will have an impact, whether it is to hopefully make readers laugh or, if the tales are darker, to make them shudder!

The big problem with a novel is keeping impact going without it seeming artificial and ensuring the final impact happens at the right moment. It is possible to write a final scene for a book and then decide you’ve just got to add this, or that, and thaen the final impact is diluted.

You can’t really do that with short stories (and you certainly can’t for flash). You have the big, final moment and that’s it. But to me that is a huge advantage as a writer. I know when to stop then!

The images below were taken at the Bridge House celebration event last December.  We all know the value of stories!

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QUIZZING YOUR CHARACTERS AND WRITING FRUSTRATIONS

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This is kind of a catch up post on my Facebook items this week.  Will share my Chandler’s Ford Today post tomorrow where I have the first part of a fab interview with crime writer, Val Penny.  In the meantime:-

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If you could ask your characters, especially your main leads, just one question, what would it be? I think my question would be to ask what drives them. When I’m creating new people, I like to know what their main characteristic is and I then go back to find out why it is that particular one.

If a character is brave, what led them to discover they had that quality? There could be some interesting stories there. Also, are they really as brave as they think? Is the declaring themselves brave merely their own judgement or is it something others have said of them?

So one question will lead to others, which is how it should be and how you will really find out what your people are made of.

Microphone - image via Pixabay

Quizzing your characters can help you get the best out of them! Image via Pixabay

A blank page can take you anywhere writing wise, image via Pixabay

A blank page can take you anywhere in writing. Image via Pixabay.

One thing that has been true throughout history is the need for a good edit! Image via Pixabay

The joy of editing but a major part of my writing rituals is to always keep this separate from creative writing. Image via Pixabay

Shakespeare had his quill, modern writers have their laptops. Image via Pixabay.

Such a familiar look. Image via Pixabay.

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What is your chief factor in choosing the main character you have for your stories?

I love quirky characters but for me that in itself is not enough. The character has to have a certain amount of drive so that they are prepared to fight for what they want and/or to overcome anything their life throws at them. (Trust me, I tend to throw a great deal at my people, it’s fun and I’m just like that!).

I don’t like goody-goody characters, they never come across as realistic, and there must be at least some redeeming quality about my characters. I’m looking for something any reader can “root” for as they read my character’s story.

 

Typical of the main track at Jermyns Lane

What kind of journey will your characters go on? Image by Allison Symes

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I love walking by water – so calming. Can also inspire how you create your own world. Image by Allison Symes

Good historical fiction will conjure up a sense of the world in which it is set - image via Pixabay

Or not as the case may be! My fiction is quirky!Image via Pixabay.

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Let your stories have impact. Image via Pixabay

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I’m currently (and finally!) putting the finishing touches to what I hope will be my second book, which I hope to submit shortly. I sometimes think the hardest thing to make yourself do is to put the work aside for a while so you really do come back to it and read it, as if for the first time. It does pay to do this though. I find it is the only way to read the stories as if a reader would.

If you don’t leave enough time before coming back to the work again, you will find yourself still in “editor mode” and will want to change this word here, that word there and not because they really need changing. You need to give yourself time to switch off that “editor mode” and put it back in its box for when it is needed, which is after you have got that first draft down.

Reading the book as a reader would means no editing. Yes, sure, I make notes of anything I spot that I think might need sorting out but I do that as a totally separate task. Also, at this stage, I have already gone through that process so now it really is just a case of reading (and hopefully finding you enjoy it because if you don’t, nobody else will!).

 

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The trouble with writing flash fiction
Is it can cause a lot of friction.
Do you need fifty or seventy-five
Words to make your story come alive?
Bad luck to me here, oh dearie me
I do need one hundred words, you see.
But I understand this is okay
It is just the story format’s way
To have so many different word lengths
Meaning people can write to their strengths.
So dribble away at fifty words
I’ll drabble and be amongst the nerds
One hundred words it will be for me
Nothing less will do for me, you see.

ALLISON SYMES – 31ST JANUARY 2018

The great irony is I’ve counted the words here as coming in at 99! (And I refuse to add “Ends” to make up the “ton” – that would be cheating!).

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One of my main writing frustrations is having lots of lovely ideas to work on but not having nearly as much time as I’d like to get on with them! But then I know I’m not alone in that.

I’m trying to focus more on mini-goals at the moment. I’ve made a couple of diary notes to remind me to submit work to X here and again later on. I have found if I write down plans, whether they are long term or short, I am more likely to achieve them!

Incidentally, flash fiction may be very short but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re fast to write. They still need editing and crafting every much as a longer story.

A checklist can be useful for quizzing your characters. Image via Pixabay.
How do you use your writiing time most effectively? Image by Allison Symes
Sound advice. Image via Pixabay
Preparing a talk or a flash fiction story perhaps. Image via Pixabay.

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What is the one thing that makes you proud or ashamed of your characters and why? Is your hero secretly a bit of a wimp and you really prefer your villain? (You would not be the first writer that’s happened to!).

If you could give one bit of advice to your characters, what would it be and why have you chosen this? Does it say more about you than the character?

I like to have a reasonable knowledge of what makes my characters tick before I start writing for them but deliberately don’t fill in each and every detail. I want to have the fun of discovery as well as their story emerges.

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I think there has to be balance in fiction. The reason for my book’s title is it does reflect most moods. I find I write funny tales for a while (I’ve always had a very soft spot for humorous fiction) and then HAVE to write something darker in tone as a contrast. So it was right my book should reflect all that I write.

Equally, I can only do grim in small doses (flash fiction is brilliant for that!) before I find I’m writing tales that are less grim, then funny ones again.

I think it is inescapable that fiction will reflect on you, the writer, to a certain extent, whether it is the moods of the stories reflecting your moods or whether the main character has your virtues or vices (or both!).

Fiction is strengthened when backed by fact. Image via Pixabay
Is your story light or dark? Image via Pixabay
Could this picture inspire stories? Good fiction will take you out of the world for a while. Image via Pixabay.
Escape with a good book, it’s good for you! 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)

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This post comes about as a result of a conversation I joined in with earlier today online.

I don’t usually write a collection of stories to a specific theme but what I found with writing From Light to Dark and Back Again is that groups of themes emerged from the tales I gathered together.

There are the rough justice stories (Punish the Innocent), the creepy ones (Why Stop Now?), as well as the twisted fairytales (Collector’s Piece). Now given all stories reveal something about the writer, I’m not going into details as to what I think my themes make me! Probably best not to go there.

I find it much easier to write to a theme for an individual story for a competition. Not sure why that is, but maybe it is because I’m only committing to writing one tale at a time for such things.

Paula Readman, Dawn Kentish Knox and I celebrate where our stories have appeared! Many thanks to Paula Readman for the picture.!
From Light to Dark and Back Again. Image by Allison Symes
Enjoy what you write and read! Image by Allison Symes
My book on sale in a local gift shop. Image taken by Allison Symes

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What influences you the most when you write your own stories? I think with me it has to be the books from my past and my present. You do learn how a writer sets out their work, uses grammar etc, as you read their short stories and novels. You also develop a feel for the rhythm of the language used (and I know that has influenced how I do this, though that is a good thing).

With regard to characters, what influences me most is knowing all of them have to justify their places in my stories. They don’t necessarily have to be strong. Weak characters can be interesting as (a) they can become strong and you can explore that journey or (b) they betray a stronger lead character because you always apply the pressure where the chain is most likely to break.

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WALKING, WRITING AND GETTING AWAY FROM IT ALL

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My Chandler’s Ford Today post this week is another one in my Hidden Hampshire series and looks at a lovely, local woodland walk. Let’s just say Mabel and now Lady were and are huge fans of it!

On a more serious note, I also put out a plea for dog owners here to be more responsible where this applies. There are no dog bins on this walk and the Council do NOT come and collect dumped poo bags (which I do see here) so please, please bag it and bin it at home! Then the walk remains nice for everyone, dogs included.

General forest walk shot but similar to Jermyns Lane, image via Pixabay

General woodland shot but typical of the Jermyns Lane walk I enjoy. Image via Pixabay

Mabel at Jermyns Lane

My late dog, Mabel, used to love walking at Jermyns Lane. Image by Allison Symes

Lady loves Jermyns Lane

Lady, my new dog, also loves Jermyns Lane. Image by Allison Symes

Typical of the main track at Jermyns Lane

Typical of the track at Jermyns Lane. Image by Allison Symes

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Is flash fiction a flash in the pan? I don’t think so. After years of everyone saying the short story as a form was dying, I think the advent of flash fiction has breathed new life into that too. Technology isn’t going to go away so there will always be room for a story format that is easy to read on a mobile or tablet.

I love flash fiction for its flexibility. For everyone who loves the 100-word form, there are those who prefer 75 or 50 or 500 and there is room for all. Long may that continue!

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Fairytales with Bite – Getting Away From It All

I often use walking the dog as a chance to get away from it all for a bit and my latest Chandler’s Ford Today post is another in my Hidden Hampshire series, which looks at a local, lovely woodland walk.

How do your characters get away from it all?  What drives the need for them to do so?  How successful or otherwise are they at this?  Does whatever is “bugging” them catch them up and overwhelm them or does the break away give them the respite needed to find a solution to their problems?

How often can your characters get away from it all?  Are regular mini breaks enough or do they have to get right away for a week or more?  How easy, or otherwise, is it for them to do this and what obstacles might get in their way?  Some good stories to be found in answering those questions I think!

Have a wonderful writing year in 2018.  I plan to!

A place of peace – at least in the summer months! Image by Allison Symes
Lonely? Bit bleak? Perhaps but you really do get away from it all. Image by Allison Symesy A
I love walking by water – so calming. Can also inspire how you create your own world. Image by Allison Symes

This World and Others – Walking and Writing

This topic came about as a result of this week’s Chandler’s Ford Today post, which is another in my Hidden Hampshire series, and looks at a lovely, local woodland walk.

The big problem with writing, of course, is it is a sedentary activity (though very good for the brain!), so I walk the dog (a) because she needs it and (b) because I do too!  The break from the desk can and does inspire creative thought, which is another excellent reason to walk.

What kind of exercise do your characters do to keep themselves fit, assuming they do? What are their walks?  What hazards would they face in their world that simply wouldn’t happen on Earth?  What are the similarities?  Going to meet someone of course can be a pivotal point in many a story but where would your characters go if they needed secrecy and can they guarantee this?

Does your created government restrict where people can go?  What are the laws on land ownership, rights of way and trespass, if any?  These sort of details can help flesh out a realistic picture of the world you’re conveying to us as we can appreciate the equivalent of these that we have so it is easier to identify with this.

Fallow deer. Image via Pixabay.
The lovely and petite Muntjak. Image via Pixabay.,
Red deer. Image by Pixabay.
A barn owl in flight. I’ve been lucky enough to see one in flight like this. Great sight. Image via Pixabay.

 

 

 

 

 

 

AUTHOR INTERVIEWS AND INSPIRING YOUR WRITING

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What do I love about author interviews? Well, firstly, you can learn a lot from them. I’ve found out about competitions this way and also was alerted to the joys of Scrivener. (It’s amazing how many writers use it). Often you can adapt the questions so you can ask them of your own characters and build their profiles up further. Thirdly the questions should make you think about what you write and why you write at all. I don’t think it’s a bad thing to take stock of that every now and again. I find it encouraging.

When I interview writers for Chandler’s Ford Today, I always ask for their three top tips. There’s a lot of overlap, of course, but what is fascinating is the priority each writer gives to each tip! No two writers are the same here!

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Facebook – General – Inspiring Your Writing

What inspires your writing? For me, it is not just one thing or person. There are the many authors whose books I’ve loved for years (and still do), writers new to me whose works I’m enjoying, and my general love of stories. Behind all of that is the debt I owe my mother for teaching me to read and instilling that love of books in the first place.

Why the need for stories at all? To try to make sense of the world is a valid reason but I’m all for stories being “just” for entertainment. Given the news is grim, always has been, unlikely to change anytime soon, stories that can take you to different places or times are a great form of entertainment (and possibly therapy too).

 

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Facebook – General – Chandler’s Ford Today post sneak peek

My Chandler’s Ford Today post this week will be another in my Hidden Hampshire series. One lovely thing about owning a dog is discovering walks to take them on and that gives me material to blog about, so it’s a win-win situation for me! Lady likes it too, as did Mabel before her. More details tomorrow.

Lady currently curled up on the carpet happily dozing after a busy afternoon making new dog friends and generally having a ball (sometimes it was her own!) at the Rec earlier. Am blessing my late mum for leaving me a huge bundle of old towels as the Rec is currently a quagmire in places and the towels are proving extremely useful.

Inquisitive Lady. Image by Allison Symes
Tugging the box. Image by Allison Symes
What’s that camera thingy then, Mum? Image by Allison Symes

Facebook – From Light to Dark and Back Again – Quizzing Your Characters

How often do you quiz your characters? I tend to ask mine what their motivation is (“darling”!) and it can surprise me just what is behind my initial thoughts as to why they’re acting the way they are. There IS a lot of psychology in writing! The chief thing I want from my characters is honesty. They have to be true to themselves whether they’re a heroine or an out and out villain.

What do you look for in your characters? What drives them and is that drive strong enough to overcome any obstacle in their way?

 

A checklist can be useful for quizzing your characters. Image via Pixabay.
I really liked taking part in the Prose Open Mic slot at Swanwick this year. Image via Pixabay
Can’t beat the notebook and pen for quick notes. Image via Pixabay,

 

Facebook – From Light to Dark and Back Again – Concentration Levels!

Does flash fiction, due to its brevity, mean less concentration is needed because there is less to read? Not a bit of it! If anything, I think more concentration is needed on the part of both writer and reader, as so much has to be implied.

I must admit I realised on re-reading one of my crime tales in From Light to Dark and Back Again that I had unwittingly written in more than one way for my heroine to achieve justice against the brute who had bullied her for so long. I just didn’t realise it until after I’d written the story! Not that I am sorry about this, but, had I thought about it more when I was writing the tale, I could’ve been more selective with my words. And that is where concentration is needed. Word selection counts for so much more the shorter the form of fiction you’re writing in!

Escape with a good book. Image via Pixabay.
Aiming for more “magic” from my stories this year! Image via Pixabay.
Sound advice. Image via Pixabay
Such a beautiful place to read. Image via Pixabay.

 

Facebook – From Light to Dark and Back Again – The Joy of the Writing Life

Can you identify with this I wonder?

When everything is said and done
This writing lark is such fun
But what nobody then tells you
Is that it can be hell too.

Characters won’t leave you alone.
You cut word counts to the bone.
You’re never sure a piece is done
Though acceptance proves you’ve “won”.

But something drives you on to write,
Work hard and get your piece right
As much as it could ever be.
You have to prove yourself, see.

Allison Symes – 4th January 2018

I can think of a few writers who can identify with at least some of the above!

Learning with others in a writing conference is huge fun, image via Pixabay

Sharing the joys and woes of the writing life. Image via Pixabay,

Note taking is an invaluable aid to retaining what you learn at conferences, image via Pixabay

Write, edit, write, edit… image via Pixabay

So many writing conference rooms look like this, image via Pixabay

A writing conference room. Image via Pixabay.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BEGINNINGS AND ENDINGS

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Well, it is an appropriate theme given we’re rapidly heading out of 2017 and into 2018.  Happy New Year to you all!  I hope your writing and/or reading brings you much joy in the New Year.  Literacy is a truly wonderful thing…

Facebook – General – Story Endings

When is a story finished? When the ending is appropriate for the tale and to add any more would be to “over-egg the pudding”.

I often get to a point when I’ve finished the story and realise I’ve gone on a bit beyond where I really need to be so out those extra bits come. They don’t push the tale forward or add anything useful.

For me, that’s the guiding principle when I’m editing. Do I REALLY need this in the story? The same goes for the ending though I’m also looking for maximum impact on a reader so I ask myself does this line achieve that? My finishing line must always be that one which does achieve that impact and then it is time to go!

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Facebook – General – Story Beginnings

When it comes to the start of a tale, I find I begin and then, later, cut until I get to the “real” beginning of the story.

I often don’t know the “real” start of the tale until I have written the whole thing and look back and see this point here would make a better start than what I originally came up with, but that’s fine. I see my original start point as the basis for getting on with the story. Everything, including that, can be tidied up or cut as appropriate later.

The deciding factor is which starting point has the most impact. It’s the same factor that helps me work out what the ending should be.

Happy New Year to you all. Happy writing and editing too!

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Facebook – From Light to Dark and Back Again

Contrary to its name, flash fiction isn’t written in a hurry! The real work comes in when you have a story and you need to edit it down without losing its meaning and yet it still counts as flash.

There are other names for flash fiction. I think my favourite of these is postcard fiction as this sums the genre up very well. What you can write on a back of a postcard basically would be a flash fiction story. (This gives me some scope as my handwriting is tiny and my postcards to friends and family are legendary for the amount of information I can get on these things!).

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Facebook – From Light to Dark and Back Again

Firstly, happy New Year to you all! Secondly, hope 2018 is a great writing year for everybody.

The highlight of 2017 for me was obviously the publication of From Light to Dark and Back Again. Am currently putting the finishing touches to the follow-up book. Would like to write more stories in 2018 than I did last year and have some thoughts as to how I will achieve that. Will hopefully say in a later post if what I think works!

I hope flash fiction continues to go from strength to strength and that more reluctant readers find it a useful way of getting “into” stories at all. Now that would be a result…

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Goodreads Author Programme – Blog

I must admit the book cover has got to lure me into wanting to read the blurb. Once the blurb has then interested me, I will read the opening paragraph or two and then if still interested, I buy the book.

There are exceptions. I’m a huge fan of history (fiction and non-fiction) and almost anything on Richard III is going to trigger my immediate interest. Much as I love the Bard of Avon, I don’t rely on HIM for historical accuracy!

One of my favourite novels is The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey. The title comes from the phrase “Truth is the daughter of time”, which I think is lovely. It is also one of the few books to make me change my mind about something, in this case, the guilty of Richard III regarding the Princes in the Tower.

The book’s “star” is Inspector Alan Grant who is confined to a hospital bed by a nasty accident and who decides to investigate Richard III from that bed as a means of passing the time (Grant is VERY bored in the hospital). The conclusions Grant reach are startling. Highly recommend this great book.

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Allison Symes’s books on Goodreads