Inspiring Books and Flash NANO 2024

November 5, 2024Leave a comment

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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. Screenshots taken by me, Allison Symes.

Hope you had a good weekend. Nice one here. Lady turned 8 years old on 4th November – yes, she was spoiled! Writing wise, am looking forward to sharing my review of I’ll Be Back Before Midnight on Chandler’s Ford Today on Friday. Am also loving Flash NANO so far. Plenty going on and more author interviews to come on CFT in due course too.

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Hope you’ve had a good day. Lady was delighted to get to play with her Hungarian Vizler and Rhodesian Ridgeback pals again. It’s been a cracking start to her birthday week for her!

Books are so inspiring in so many ways. Especially for series books like Discworld, I love the way familiar characters develop over the course of several novels plus I love the one-liners. With Wodehouse, I love the elegance of language and the wonderful good humour emerging from the characters themselves and the situations poor Bertie Wooster gets dumped in.

Reading widely shows me what I like about characters and how their creators have brought them to the page. That alone is inspiration for what I want to do with my own creations. Those authors ensure their characters’ dialogue, attitudes, and behaviours are spot on for them and I aim to do the same with mine. Their creators knew their characters inside out and I aim to do the same with mine, though for 100 word stories I don’t need to know as much.

But you do take in what works with stories as you read them and if that is not a great advert to read more, I don’t know what is! It really does help with your own writing.

4th November 2024
Special day today – it’s Lady’s 8th birthday. Hard to believe where the seven years since we brought her home from the Dogs Trust have gone. Yes, she has been spoiled rotten. And she got to see her Hungarian Vizler and Rhodesian Ridgeback chums today so Lady has had a great day.

Incidentally Lady’s actual birth date is the same as the day we brought her home, the only one of our three collies for whom this has happened. She’ll probably wonder why she isn’t spoiled quite so much tomorrow!

Writing wise, I’m looking forward to sharing my review of I’ll Be Back Before Midnight, an excellent thriller recently staged by The Chameleon Theatre Company. Review will be up on Chandler’s Ford Today on Friday. More author interviews to come on CFT too.

Am thoroughly enjoying Flash NANO so far and will be tackling Day 4’s prompt shortly. Did so and loved writing it up!

Hope you are having a good weekend. Quiet one here. Not sorry about that.

About to crack on with flash fiction Sunday afternoon, a highlight of my week. Takes my mind off the fact it is dull and gloomy at 2.30 in the afternoon! I do wish they’d leave the clocks alone. Confuses the dog a bit too.

Writing Tip: If you’re taking part in Flash NANO, don’t worry if you can’t do the prompt on the day it is issued. It isn’t always possible. Life can and does get in the way. But don’t give up! What I do and have found helpful is get back to the prompts as soon as I can but I do them in the order in which they are issued. That way I still have the surprise of what is to come and it ensures I do give each one a go.

Hope you have had a good day. Managed to get the lawn cut – probably for the last time until the spring.
Writing wise, I will be sharing my review of I’ll Be Back Before Midnight recently staged by The Chameleon Theatre Company for Chandler’s Ford Today next week. Link up on Friday. Looking forward to sharing that.

Enjoyed the first Flash NANO prompt yesterday and looking forward to writing up today’s one later. First story came in at 94 words excluding the title. I found for previous years the story word counts will vary. Most I’ve ever gone up to on this is a 750 worder. Most of my tales end up between 50 and 500 words my natural flash fiction habitat so can’t say I’m surprised by this. If you’re taking part in this, have fun and good luck.

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Dog is wondering why she can’t have a second birthday as she enjoyed being spoiled rotten yesterday!

Am loving Flash NANO and will be having a crack at Day 5’s prompt later. Done! The variety of prompt is incredible already and so good for keeping you on your creative toes.

Am preparing a couple of flashes separate to this for a competition I’ve got in mine. One is drafted and probably won’t need much work to it but the other one does! This is the way of it!

4th November 2024

It’s Monday. (It’s also my dog’s 8th birthday so she and I have had a lovely time today – I spoiled her, she lapped it up!). It’s still time for a story. Hope you enjoy my latest on YouTube – Going Out With Mum. What could possibly go wrong taking dear old Mum out to an art exhibition? Find out here.

Lady has been enjoying Pet Classics on Classic FM over the weekend. This is basically calming music designed to drown out the noise of fireworks etc. Found it useful over the last couple of years.

Now taking the idea of music and flash fiction, let’s put them together and have a writing prompt of a character influenced by one piece of classical music only. What is it? Why have they chosen it? What difference does it make to them hearing it as they go about the business of the story? Does it help them to succeed in what they are trying to do? What does it reveal about their personality?

Am sure answering those questions can throw up some story ideas!

So good to be taking part in Flash NANO again. Will be writing up Day 2’s prompt later. Have ideas brewing!

Plus I’m looking forward to my usual flash fiction Sunday afternoon tomorrow. I get a fair bit of flash written then. I expect by the end of the year I will have a rough draft for a potential further collection. (Will let you know when I hear more about my third one).

Flash Writing Tip: Focus on your lead character. Do you know how they would speak, what kind of language they would use, what kind of things they are likely to come out up with? If not, why not free write some conversation between them and you as their creator? See what comes out. By the end of that session, you will have ideas forming. For example:-

Me: Tell me a bit about yourself then.
Character: Why? It’s for you tell me, isn’t it?
Me: Okay, okay, I think I’ve got a bolshy one here. Now I wonder what kind of awkward situations I can dump you in. Be awkward with me, would you?
Character: See if I care. I will find a way.

Just writing that has told me a lot about this character already – as well as being defiant, they’re prepared to struggle, prepared to find ways of working things out so they’re a good thinker and likely to be creative with it. Yes, I can have fun with this one.

But I hope you see the point Just writing a couple of lines like this has already put some images of this potential character in my head.

Goodreads Author Blog – Stand Out Characters

I’ve always thought characters make or break a story. If a character grips me, whether it’s due to my being sympathetic to their cause or because I want to see them fail, then I will read on and find out what happens. The challenge for me as a writer, of course, is to create stand out characters of my own but given I’ve always loved inventing fictional characters, this is a joy.

It doesn’t matter either what format the story is in. I’ve recently seen my local excellent amateur theatre company stage a thriller where, throughout, I was routing for one character to succeed but didn’t know until the last minute whether I was right to think that way or not. Kept me glued to my seat and I wasn’t the only one. You couldn’t hear a pin drop in that hall. Now that is wonderful characterisation and acting for you.

But it’s true for books too. The classics are the classics because we remember their characters (and thus their stories). I don’t need to add anything if I say Oliver, Jeeves, Frodo, Hamlet, the Bennets, Harry, Aslan, and so many more I couldn’t list them all here, do I? You will recall their stories immediately and maybe think it’s time for a re-read!

WRITERS NARRATIVE SUBSCRIBER LINK

This time I share the March 2024 edition of the magazine, which focused on writing for children. I have two pieces in here – Writing for Children and Writing for Anthologies. Not long to go now before the magazine is back.

AMAZON AUTHOR CENTRAL – ALLISON SYMES

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liked Allison Symes's blog post: Stand Out Characters https://t.co/dWkLppMz3w via @goodreads I look at why I think characters make or break a story (regardless of what format it is in) for Goodreads this week. pic.twitter.com/dWkjmBqe63
— Allison Symes (@AllisonSymes1) November 2, 2024

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It’s Monday. It’s time for a story. Hope you enjoy my latest on YouTube – Going Out With Mum. What could possibly go wrong taking dear old Mum out to an art exhibition? Find out here.https://t.co/UgB7NQRbLZ
— Allison Symes (@AllisonSymes1) November 4, 2024

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On Characters and Being a “Proper” Writer

November 26, 2019Leave a comment

Image Credit: Unless otherwise stated, all images are from Pixabay.

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What I look for in a great character:-

1. I totally understand why they’re acting the way they are. It doesn’t mean I have to approve though!

2. You can see how they got into the situation they’ve got to overcome and are keen to see if/how they get out of it again. You believe the character has the potential to get out of it and it’s a case of seeing whether you were right about that or not.

3. I love characters who come out with great one-liners but only as long as they arise naturally out of the situation and the character. It must never feel forced.

4. They stay with you in your imagination long after you’ve finished reading the story!

Examples of great characters for me:-

1. Elizabeth Bennett and Fitzwilliam Darcy

2. Jeeves and Wooster

3. Sam Vimes and Lady Sybil Ramkin – Discworld

4. Frodo Baggins and Sam Gamgee

5. Aslan – Narnia

6. Ebenezer Scrooge (though I prefer him AFTER the visitations! Am very fond of the Muppet Christmas Carol. Thought that was the best Muppet film too).

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I’m delighted to share Part 3 of Peter Russell’s local history series on The Hutments for Chandler’s Ford Today. If you have any memories to share of a part of the community that has now gone, do comment via the comments box. I know Peter would be pleased to hear from you.

It has been a good writing week. There has been plenty of progress on the novel. I’m enjoying it ! (That HAS to be a good sign, right? 😊😉).

Short story and flash fiction submitted. Am fleshing out another standard length short story for a competition and have got another “resting” for me to have a look at again, hopefully later this week.

Almost done on next week’s CFT post too. Continuing to add to my website and working on a non-fiction project.

So, no, I’m never short of things to do but that’s how I like things to be!

I’ll be talking about progress and success and how to judge them in the CFT post for Friday.

Am really looking forward to the Bridge House celebration event. Not far away now. It’s a great chance to catch up with friends and to make new ones!

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Word association can be a great way of triggering words to use in a story. You can play the standard way by setting a word and then finding others to link to it – e.g. play, toys, games etc.

Equally you can play the I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue version where there should be no connection at all to the chosen start word – e.g. play, universe, green.

Whichever version you go for, I suggest setting a limit of how many words you are going to use – I find that helps me focus. But of course you can raise or lower that limit for future stories.

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How do you know if you’re a “proper” writer?

1. You scorn the very idea you have too many notebooks.
2. You develop a thing for collecting nice pens too, some of which you will actually use.
3. You dread power cuts as they always seem to happen in the middle of a writing session.
4. You have the great joy of having a number of books written by friends on your shelves.
5. You are even more thrilled when your works are on the same shelves!
6. You can’t wait to tell everyone your latest publication news.
7. You open the latest copy of Writing Magazine and look for people you know in the letters page and the Subscribers’ sections in particular.
8. You feel a little miffed when you come across an issue when there isn’t someone you know in it. (It’s a kind of something’s not quite right with the world feeling).
9. Launches, especially online ones, are a regular part of your life and you love them all.
10. Your TBR and TBW piles never diminish but that’s the way you like them.
11. There is no such thing as having too many books. What you CAN have is not enough shelving.
12. You just feel SO at home in book shops and libraries.

Okay, guilty as charged on all those. How about you?

Looks a nice cosy set up to me.

The writing life. Pixabay

Always good advice. Pixabay

Well… Pixabay

Now that is a great place to read but I'd still want a comfy chair

Lost in a good book.

What we all need… Pixabay

Plenty to choose from here. Pixabay

Another gorgeous library. I love pics like this.

This is lovely too!

Books are their own world. Pixabay

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I always consider impact to be the most important aspect to my flash fiction writing, but do you go about creating the impact you want to achieve?

Some of it is out of your hands. You may write a funny story but a reader doesn’t find it amusing – this is why humorous writing is so hard to do. It is subjective after all but what can you do to level the playing field a bit?

Having decided what the impact of my story is going to be, I look at what would make ME feel that impact. For example, if the tale is going to be a sad one, what would trigger that feeling of sadness in me?

Then it’s a question of picking the most appropriate trigger for your story. I prefer to go for understated emotional impact too. A story that tips overs into melodrama can put people off. I know it would do so for me. But sadness that is shown through the character without laying it on with a trowel will always make me want to read more if only to find out if the character “overcomes” the sadness or is beginning the process of adapting to the sitution by the end of the story.

For example if your story is about a fairy godmother rapidly approaching retirement and she really doesn’t want to retire, you could take that in a humorous or sad direction. So decide what you want it to be first.

If funny, what would make you laugh? Would setting your character into a ridiculous situation do it or are you better off having a wise cracking character who comes out with tremendous one liners?

Think about what you would like to read here as if the story was being written by someone else. I’ve found this to be really useful and hope you do too.

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Have you tried writing a piece of flash fiction to, say, 25 words, and then separately, writing it out to, say, 250 words?

It’s all perfectly legitimate but there will be different markets and competitions for the two stories.

I sometimes do this as a writing exercise (it’s a good way to get into a session of writing).

Not all stories or characters will be capable of being expanded. If the impact you are seeking to make on a reader is over and done with in 25 words then leave it at that. Never ever pad out a tale.

But if you CAN expand the story because the character is capable of so much more (and that’s the key way to judge whether a story IS capable of being expanded), explore what else you can do with that character and then you can either submit the two stories to two DIFFERENT places or pick the one you like the best and just submit that.

Set goals for the short, medium and long terms. Pixabay image

Pixabay

Ideas, ideas, ideas! Pixabay.

But to be any good you need to do something with it

Barbara Large has done so much to support and encourage writers for many years. Pixabay image.

I read some of my flash fiction from FLTDBA and Cafelit. Image by Dawn Kentish Knox

My smartphone has not yet managed this! Pixabay image.

Ah! The joy of the edit! Pixabay.

Love reading in both formats! Pixabay image.

I like my titles to give a flavour of what is to come in the story without giving away too much. I like the title to lead people into wanting to read the rest. Of course, the challenge for me is to make sure I deliver on that promising title!

I occasionally use questions as story titles but prefer the statement, though I try to keep this as open as possible. Most of my titles could be taken in a humorous or serious direction.

I’ve mentioned before I have to have a title to work to as I draft my story but I am more than happy to change it if something better comes along as I am writing. It does sometimes and it is best to go with the flow here. Again, as with the story itself, I am looking for the likely impact of the title on the reader. The stronger impact title always wins.

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Do you ever think of music to suit your flash fiction stories?

The main time I have was coming up with ideas for the music for the book trailer for From Light to Dark and Back Again. I plumped for Saint-Saens Danse Macabre – quirky music to suit quirky fiction.

One of the things I love about music (and especially classical) is that, like flash fiction, there is something to suit every mood. I’m not going to be at any risk of running out of ideas for suitable musical themes any time soon either!

I’ve not yet used a piece of music to influence a story idea but may well give it a go and see what happens. The potential is there!

So true. Pixabay image.

Words have power, whether funny or tragic. Pixabay image.

Good reading – and writing to be done – here. Pixabay image.

Image taken by Adrian Symes

Let your writing sparkle. Image via Pexels.

What worlds will emerge from your writing? Pixabay image

Another gorgeous library. I love pics like this.

I’ve never read a book in these conditions, have you? Pixabay image.

Whenever and whatever you read, enjoy. Image via Pixabay.

A great new idea makes me smile, as does this image. Pixabay image.

I love a wide range of music but especially classical - Pixabay

Words are the power source of so much creativity. Pixabay iamge.

Notes about your characters can help you portray them more accurately. Not every note has to make it into the story itself. Pixabay image.

Online writing -v- on a line writing! Image via Pixabay

Books are fabulous, whatever the format. Image via Pixabay.

Adverts can be one way into classical music

Something I’ve yet to see happen! Pixabay image.

Fiction can take you anywhere. Image via Pixabay.

Goodreads Author Blog – Juggling the TBR Pile

I must admit I couldn’t physically juggle my TBR pile. There would be an almighty crash and some inventive language on my part, I think, if I tried that.

I love reading a mixture of fiction across many genres, non-fiction, short stories, novels, articles etc. I also like to mix up reading on the Kindle with reading “real” books but I also want to put magazine reading into the overall mixture too.

Over the course of a week, I try to cover most of those bases. I’m currently reading historical fiction, true crime, short stories, flash fiction, and my own novel (on Kindle. I’m reading it as a reader would. It has been illuminating!).

Over the course of a week, I have been thoroughly entertained too!

And yes I have a TBR pile on my Kindle too. One of the reasons I don’t put a Kindle app on my phone is so I don’t have a TBR pile on there as well.

It is true – too many books, too little time!

Still I’ll press on and have a fab time doing so.

Happy reading!