Tag: sayings

Questions and Answers For Characters

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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 have had a good few days. Unbelievable weather here – heavy rain, gale force winds etc. March is supposed to come in like a lion and go out like a lamb. No sign of the lamb yet! (I also know parts of the country have had snow too). Am always grateful writing is something to be done indoors! Writing wise, will have a very special interview coming up on Chandler’s Ford Today in early April. Looking forward to sharing more about that a bit nearer the time.

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29th March 2024 – CFT
Second blog from me today and it is my usual weekly post for Chandler’s Ford Today. This time I talk about Questions and Answers for Characters. This ties in nicely with my More than Writers post for ACW (see further down) too given I look at how little details can make a story seem more believable to readers.

Well, getting little details right about your characters will help make them more believable to readers too. For this post, I share what I think are five useful questions to ask of your characters which would, I’m sure, inspire story ideas for them to “serve in”. I’ve long found outlining my characters does then trigger story ideas and I think is well worth doing. Hope you find the same.

Questions and Answers for Characters

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29th March 2024 – MTW
It’s double blog day for me today. First up is my post for More than Writers, the blog spot for the Association of Christian Writers. (Well, it was first up when I put my posts on Facebook!). This time I talk about Easter Stories and Little Details. I share how the little details in the biblical accounts make them more real for me.

I also go on to discuss how getting the little details right in your stories will help make your characters and tales seem more believable to readers too. This ties in nicely with my Chandler’s Ford Today post this week. More on that in a moment. (See above). Hope you enjoy the MTW post.

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Can’t believe the weather today – heavy rain and gale force winds! I was walking Lady earlier when another local commented it feels more like November. It does too. For those of you who have had snow, I’m sorry!!

On to happier matters. I’ll be looking at Questions and Answers for Characters for Chandler’s Ford Today tomorrow. See above. Some of what I share in here could make a useful template if you’re not sure where to start in finding out what you need to know about your potential creations.

It will be a double post from me tomorrow as I’ll also be sharing my More than Writers post tomorrow for the Association of Christian Writers where I’ll discuss Easter Stories and Little Details. Again see above! Blogs can be like buses – none for ages then two or three at once!

I often find little details make a character/story for me because it helps to make them seem more real and believable, no matter how fantastical or otherwise the setting is.

Also had a lovely time at the Association of Christian Writers Flash Fiction Group meeting last night. Lots of great ideas were shared. I take part in the writing exercises I set on the night of the meeting. I love live writing exercises. They fire up the old imagination and I now have some promising opening and closing lines to investigate further in due course. That will be fun!

 

Strange weather again today though Lady did see her Hungarian Vizler chum and we managed to get damp rather than have a thorough soaking. I guess that counts as a win.

Looking forward to tonight’s Association of Christian Writers Flash Fiction Group meeting on Zoom. Will be looking at Endings and Beginnings. Apt as we head into Easter.

Will be looking at Questions and Answers for Characters on Chandler’s Ford Today on Good Friday. See above. I’ll be sharing tips on what I’ve found useful in getting to know characters before I write their stories up. Hope it will prove useful. Also pleased my copy of Christian Writer arrived yesterday. I have a humorous piece in there this time which I hope ACW members will enjoy.

And don’t forget the April issue of Writers’ Narrative is already out in good time for a fantastic Easter read! Check it out at the link.

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Pleased to say my second entry for the Andrew Siderius competition for Friday Flash Fiction is now up on site. This one, Memories, has the theme of manipulation and is in the 151-500 words category. Hope you enjoy the story. Let’s say my sympathy here is for my alien character and there is none at all for Mrs Evans. See what you think. Link here.

Screenshot 2024-03-29 at 09-29-35 Memories by Allison SymesFlash fiction is great for sharing different moods of story. I’ve written funny tales, scary ones, and the poignant kind, just to name a few examples.

One of my latter type is Judgement Day from Tripping the Flash Fantastic. It is a story I often read out at Open Prose Mic Nights and the last line has a “punch to the gut” ending appropriate for the character and their situation. With this tale, I did know the ending first and worked out what would lead to that ending.

If you’d like to find out more, do check out my Amazon Author Central page.

Screenshot 2024-03-29 at 19-25-20 Facebook

A useful writing exercise, which I’ve used to kick start flash fiction ideas, is to just jot down ideas for titles and then one or two lines working out which direction you could take those titles.

For example, if I used a title such as The Open Door, I would then write a line or two indicating what kind of mood I would want the story to be, what kind of character would best serve that mood, and then I’d jot down some notes for a potential character. All of that would be about a paragraph, similar to this.

But it is enough of an outline to get me started and I find that in itself is enough to fire up other ideas. I often find it is the starting of a piece which can prove tricky. Once I have a way in, I can then get on with the first draft.

I can then judge the piece as a whole later and make suitable amendments (and there always are some!). But you have to have something down in the first place to be able to do that. Getting over a blank page/screen, for me, is vital.

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Fairytales with Bite – The Biter Bit

One of the things I’ve always loved about fairytales from an early age is that justice will be done. Sometimes that justice can be on the rough side – a case of the biter bit. But for those characters who are kind and honourable, you know somehow things will work out for them in the end. (If only that was always true in life!).

The phrase The Biter Bit would make a great theme for many stories. Who would deserve to be bitten like that? What have they done to deserve it? And where does magic come into it? Is it a case of an annoyed magical being doling out the punishment here (as is often the case with the fairytales) or would they be on the receiving end? Who would be powerful enough to do this?

Thinking about your setting as a whole, how would the justice system operate? Who would make sure any kind of poetic justice, especially if a magical kind, wasn’t overdone?

Story ideas there too I think!

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This World and Others – Sayings

Proverbs and sayings are so useful for giving theme ideas for stories. I’ve sometimes used them directly as titles too. But for your alien setting, what kind of proverbs and sayings would they have? Would they be similar to ours or something totally unknown?

Many of our proverbs and sayings come from the Bible, Shakespeare etc. Where would your setting’s sayings come from? What would be the texts your characters would treasure and how have these influenced their culture/outlook/treatment of aliens (including humans)?

There is no reason either why you couldn’t use our sayings to influence how you portray your alien characters and/or settings.

For example, take the saying Truth Will Out. If your character is an honest one in a setting which isn’t, how would that play out? What led to your character becoming counter culture here? If the setting is based on truthfulness, what would it do to characters who were not (and again what led them to being counter culture here? I think it would take more than just greed here too. To go so against your own culture would take strong motivation given the risks involved, especially if your setting has the death penalty. So the drive behind this would have to be more than material, I think).

Again, interesting story idea potential here.

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WRITERS NARRATIVE SUBSCRIBER LINK

AMAZON AUTHOR CENTRAL – ALLISON SYMES

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The Word Fairy

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So if the word fairy turned up and granted you three wishes but they had to be related to writing in some way, what would you ask for? My choices would be:-

1. To never run out of ideas that will work!
2. To edit perfectly in one big edit. (Fat chance but just think of the time saved!).
3. To always be proud of what I have published.

Funnily enough, I don’t think I would ask for everything of mine to be automatically published. The quality has to be there and you as the writer should be proud of what you’ve written long after you’ve moved on to other writing projects.

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Editing – the crucial part to getting a story right. Image via Pixabay.
What wonderful worlds we can creat! Image via Pixabay.
No room for gobbledygook here. Image via Pixabay.
Books are the keys to knowledge. Image via Pixabay
Nice selection of books here! Image via Pixabay
Love this image! Image via Pixabay

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Many thanks to all who commented or liked my post yesterday on the three wishes I would go for if the word fairy turned up.

So turning this idea on its head, what three things related to writing would you ask the word fairy to take and dump somewhere inaccessible with no chance of said items ever coming back? (Naturally no pollution would be caused).

My choices would be:-

1. Amazon saying your book is temporarily out of stock when it is easily available. Grrr…

2. All snobbery relating to genre fiction.

3. All snobbery relating to the independent press.

Now before you say, hang on, Allison is published by the independent press and her stories would count as genre fiction, yes, yes I know. It just gives me added reason to dump these things! I am not pretending to be unbiased here (just as well really).

So what would you choose? (We’ll assume nasty reviews that are clearly having a go at the author rather than trying to be objective about the book have already been dumped by the word fairy. She’s good about things like that or will be when I’ve had a word in her ear…).

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My Chandler’s Ford Today this week is a review of the latest production by The Chameleons. This was a set of three plays, all different in mood and setting, called an April Trio of Plays. More tomorrow but it was intriguing to see three different stories performed.

Contrasts in mood can also work well in stories generally, of course. If there could be said to be a golden rule, it is that there has to be at least one good reason for the mood to be shown. Mind, there has to be at least one good reason for any character to be in a story. If they are not contributing, out they go!

Even in the heart of a city, books can provide escapism. Image via Pixabay.
A beautiful home for lovely books. Image via Pixabay.
Let those ideas flow! Image via Pixabay,
What writing triggers will help you create your new worlds? Image via Pixabay
This was part of the pub decor at the place where Bridge House had their event. Very apt! Image by Allison Symes
Is the truth welcome in your fictional world? How does your community react to it?. Image via Pixabay.
Getting the word out! Image via Pixabay
Let the writing flow and if music can help it along even better! Image via Pixabay

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The delights of short fiction
Are in all of the friction
Contained in fewer words
That please us writing nerds
Who want to have a ball
With their tales and, in all,
Show cynics it can be done
In 100 words – it’s fun!

Allison Symes – 1st May 2018

For all you fellow drabblers out there! (Who did come up with the terms for flash fiction categories? Above all, why?! I still don’t see how 100-word stories could be called drabbles. What is the link there? If anyone knows, please let me know. Mind, I feel more sorry for the 50-word writers. To be a dribbler doesn’t sound right, does it? You just want to reach for some tissue…).

Books – love them, don’t mind the format. Image via Pixabay
The writer’s basic toolkit – image via Pixabay
The tools of the scrivener’s trade. We’ve come on a bit since then! Image via Pixabay
Good advice – and it applies to our characters too. Image via Pixabay
The wonderful world of stories. Image via Pixabay
I’m not arguing with this one! Image via Pixabay.
Flash fiction for impact. Image via Pixabay
What is your story? Image via Pixabay
Never give up, work hard, be disciplined… all valuable traits for success, whether you’re a tennis player, a writer or a character in a story! Image via Pixabay.
Beautiful books. Image via Pixabay.

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Am delighted to say I am one of the authors chosen to appear in the Waterloo Festival anthology. Am gutted I can’t get to the launch event in June due to a much looked forward to holiday! Murphy’s Law for writers strikes again… ah well.

Timing being “off” sometimes is just one of those things that happens to most writers at some point. Sometimes a story can be rejected not because there’s anything particularly wrong with it, but because the editor has chosen another on a similar topic so doesn’t want two close together like that. So definitely time to see if you can find another home for your story then.

Am very pleased to see there are so many more flash story competitions around these days so hopefully that gives us all more scope to find what suits our writing best. Good luck!

Gill James talks with Dawn Knox and I at a networking event held by Bridge House Publishing last December. Am glad to report Dawn will also be in the Waterloo Festival Anthology. Image from Paula Readman and thanks to her for permission to use it.
So much history here, so many stories here. Image via Pexels.
What a beautiful home for books. Image via Pixabay
Books are a fantastic form of escapism. Image via Pixabay
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.
One of the best ways to escape is with a good book. Image via Pixabay.
My own library is not on this scale but isn’t this a fabulous place? Image via Pixabay (of Leeds Castle).

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Of all the sayings that flash fiction justifies, less is more is probably the best one!

You can only use the most important details in a story. I often don’t name a character either but write in the first person. (I tend not to use that at all for longer short fiction).

You have to get to the point of the story quickly (or if writing a twist ending, everything must be seen to build up to that point. There must be a sense of “movement” in the story getting your readers to where you want them to be).

Heading to the light. Image via Pixabay.
From Light to Dark and Back Again perhaps? Image via Pixabay (and so beautiful)
Beautiful light. Image via Pixabay.
The world is shrinking thanks to technology. Image via Pixabay.
The classic start to a fairytale. Image via Pixabay.
The wonderful world of stories. Image via Pixabay

Goodreads Author Programme – Blog

One Book To Rule Them All?

A good writing diet includes plenty of reading, in and out of the genre you focus on, and should include non-fiction too.

Why? Because ideas for stories spark from all over the place and by reading widely, you are effectively casting your net further. You are giving yourself more opportunities to be inspired. What’s not to like about that?

It is also a good idea to read contemporary as well as classic fiction. Again you are mixing up your reading and, especially if you’re a writer seeking publication, it does make enormous sense to support the industry you are trying to join by reading some of the books that come out of it!

I also think it a good idea to mix things up still further when reading fiction by reading novels, short stories, flash fiction, and poetry. I love reading things I know I couldn’t write myself because the joy of being creative in writing is enjoying the creativity of others. After all, what inspired you to write? Almost certainly something you’ve read.

REAL WRITING POST - Let your characters live

Books should keep you gripped and that is down to the characters. Image via Pixabay

Or you could just ask a few simple questions - image via Pixabay

Or you could ask some simple questions! Image via Pixabay.

Nobody gets their ideas spot on immediately, image via Pixabay

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

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

Where my stories are in print. Image by Allison Symes

The best advice for any writer - image via Pixabay

And prepare well!

Writing in many forms... Image via Pixabay

Writing in many forms… Image via Pixabay

Images from the magical world... Image via Pixabay

Images from the magical world… Image via Pixabay