Facebook – General – and Chandler’s Ford Today
My CFT post this week looks at some of the best (and worst!) decisions I’ve made in writing! I also share some thoughts on where to get good advice. Hope this proves helpful.
The writing journey is precisely that – and there are bound to be things like potholes, wrong turnings etc along the way. Doesn’t mean your particular journey has to come to a grinding halt though. I’ve found offen things that were not great at the time, I’ve (a) learned from that experience and (b) gone on to do much better.
What is your favourite one liner?
Mine is an Eric Morecambe classic – “He’s not going to sell much ice cream going at that speed, is he?”. Surreal and very, very funny. (Oh and correct too – nobody sells ice cream at speed!)
In fiction, I love Jane Austen’s, “It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife”. Delicious irony here and a great foretaste of what is to come from Pride and Prejudice.
I don’t know how often Eddie Braben wrote and rewrote that line for Eric Morecambe or how often Jane Austen wrote and rewrote her classic opener – but definitely worth the effort in both cases!
On a sadder note, I was sorry to hear of the death of Jacqueline Pearce (Servalan from Blake’s 7 – great acting and a fantastic character to play).
My CFT post this week will be about The Best and The Worst. I take a look at some of the best and worst decisions I’ve made as a writer. (There will be tears before bedtime… mine!). Link will go up on Friday but what I hope will come from this will be a few thoughts on where to go for advice and not being afraid to say no to something that is not good for you or your writing. You’ve got to to see yourself as being in this for the long haul – the VERY long haul!
It was interesting trying to work out what I considered the best and worst decisions I’ve made (to date at least) when it comes to writing/publishing.
You can see my list on my Chandler’s Ford Today post this week (I’ll put up the link tomorrow). It took me a while to figure these out and even then when it comes to the worst decisions, something positive has come out of those. So, overall, that is okay!
As with so much in life, you can only make the best decision you can at the time, but I found out early on it DOES pay to be as informed as possible. This is why bodies like the Society of Authors and Alliance of Independent Authors are vital.
Facebook – From Light to Dark and Back Again
Time for some six-word stories then:-
1. While the light lasted, danger abated.
2. “Help me”, he screamed to silence.
3. When the going gets tough, tough!
4. The planet destroyer was wheeled out.
5. So near to the Sun now.
6. I never forget a face, sunshine.
I thought it would be appropriate to have six of those!
What are the most important points any flash fiction writer needs to bear in mind?
1. The story has to be character led – and that character has to grab the reader’s interest from the very first words. (No waffling here!).
2. The story’s ending must be appropriate for the tale and be a satisfactory conclusion. Doesn’t mean it has to be happy though!
3. The opening line, in any form of writing, is crucial to hook interest but in flash fiction, where there is no such thing as spare word count, that line must grab your reader immediately. (Does your opening line make you think YOU would want to read this story if it had been written by someone else?).
4. Use the title to set the scene or mood of the story for you. (This is particularly useful for those competitions where the title is NOT included in the word count permitted. Do make the most of that).
5. Whether you’re writing a character study, a crime story, or writing for laughs, each word must contribute to the tale. There must be no wasted words.
6. Have fun with your stories. I love the fact flash fiction has to be character led. It gives you so much scope.
The cat sat on the mat
(Waiting for the postie)
All ready to surprise
While feeling all toastie.
Why should the household dog
Have all the games and fun
The cat, ready to roar,
And see postie was “done”
Would be Number 1 pet
With a prank, the best yet.
Postie duly obliged
With screams to wake the dead
No-one had told him the “cat”
Was a lion instead.
Allison Symes – 6th September 2018
If my regular postman reads this, I’ve only got a pet dog, okay!
Each flash fiction story is its own little world, of course, but the flash of illumination (in terms of what drives a character to act the way they do) can be taken and developed further for longer stories.
I don’t do this as often as I once thought I might because I’m generally moving on to the next idea, the one after that etc., but I have managed to write flash pieces and then get standard length short stories out of the same idea. Double whammy! Different markets and competitions are available to you too doing this. Something to consider…
What I am doing with the book I’m currently working on is having a few flash pieces with the same characters in, showing different aspects to what is happening with them. Am really enjoying that.
Goodreads Author Blog – Favourite Moments
Some of my favourite moments in a book come when a character has to face up to something they would never anticipate and find a way of dealing with it.
For example, my favourite Agatha Christie novel is Murder on the Orient Express, because Poirot has to deal with a situation he would not have guessed at and which in many ways should never have been able to happen. The David Suchet TV adaptation particularly plays on this element. (Not going to say more than that – no spoilers here! But if you’ve not read the book and/or watched the TV adaptation, try and do so. It really is a great story).
This element works especially well with a series character like Poirot when you have already come to know a lot about how they operate and think. To have that all thrown up in the air keeps the character and you, the reader, on your toes. Always a good thing, I think.
It confirms to me that what makes a really good story is the strength of the character, whether they’re a hero or a villain. Plots are fine but you need well rounded characters to carry them out!
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- See! It is a good idea, weather permitting! Image via Pexels
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- What writing triggers will help you create your new worlds? Image via Pixabay
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- Let the creative process flow! Image via Pixabay
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- Creating great characters does mean hard work. Image via Pexels.
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- Preparing a talk or a flash fiction story perhaps. Image via Pixabay.
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- Unless in a thunder storm or high winds, this is a good idea! Image via Pexels
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- What most writers connect to! Image via Pexels
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- My book table. Image taken by Finian Black, children’s author, also at the Winchester Discovery Centre event.
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- What new worlds and scenes will books show you? Image via Pixabay
Fairytales with Bite – Fairytale A to Z Part 5
M = Myth/Mythology.
So many of the classic fairytales are based on old legends and myths. The Brothers Grimm collected German ones. Hans Christen Andersen also collected (and embellished!) and of course went on to write superb tales of his own. So look into your country’s myths and legends. Look at the themes emerging from those and write your own fairytales around that. I do wish people wouldn’t just dismiss something as “just a fairytale”. There’s no “just” about a fairytale. There is so much truth in them – and that should be reflected in our own stories too. Honest writing = characters that grip people because they can identify with them.
N = Numpties
I love this Scottish word for idiot. And fairytales do need their idiots (especially if they themselves don’t think they’re idiots or realise they are). There is great comic potential here for one thing. The Emperor’s New Clothes is a great example of a numpty in power! Even the rich and powerful can be taken in by clever conmen. One of the things I love about Puss in Boots is the miller’s son knows and accepts the cat is cleverer than he is!
O = Origins
This ties in with M above. Look at the origins of fairytales. Think about the origins of your characters. What made you want to write about them? How do their origins impact on their lives and the stories you are going to write about them?
This World and Others – The Best and the Worst
It is appropriate to come full circle on this tonight!
Following on from my Reflections post last week, I’ve been busily reflecting too this week! My CFT post looks at The Best and the Worst decisions I’ve made with regard to writing/publishing and I hope this will prove useful. A faulty step or two does not derail the whole writing journey and I think sometimes that needs to be said out loud.
What would be the best and worst decisions that your characters have made, especially your lead ones? Do they learn from their mistakes? How do they handle the fallout?
Often with decisions, it is a question of making the best judgement possible based on available knowledge at the time. Sometimes the best decisions come as a result of taking time out to take stock and reflect (that word again!), and/or seeking advice from others. Do your characters do this? If so, what is the impact on them and your story?
Allison Symes: Collected Works 