Starting Flash Fiction and Publication News

January 12, 2021January 12, 2021Leave a comment

Image Credit:-

All images from Pixabay/Pexels unless otherwise stated.

Book cover images from Chapeltown Books and Bridge House Publishing.

Facebook – General

I don’t know whether it’s just me or does January feel like it has been with us for ages already?! Very muddy outing to the park with Lady this morning. Not that she worries… (and I do bless my late mum for leaving me with loads of towels. So useful at this time of year – and yes I’d be at a loss without my washing machine too).

Talking of necessary equipment, is there something crucial to your writing you cannot do without and if so what is it? I’ll take a PC/laptop with printer for granted but other than those things?

For me it is down to software. I can’t be without Scrivener and Evernote. And being old school the old notebook and pen still plays a major part in my life (and will do so even more when we can get to writing conferences and the like again).

Looking forward to sharing my CFT post this week. I’m talking to YA author, Richard Hardie, about the challenges of lockdown he has faced both as publisher and author. Most insightful.

After that will begin my month long series, Launches in Lockdown, where my splendid guest authors talk with me about how they’ve launched books during this strange period. A couple of them launched three! Now there’s a challenge…! (Actually if you count the anthologies I’ve been in recently, I can include myself in that number too – and yes it has been a challenge!).

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New Story Video

Pleased to share my latest story video, You Said. Hope you enjoy. Have been having fun choosing suitable audio tracks via Youtube to add to things like this though I always use the free to use ones. It is the audio equivalent to Pixabay for me! (Oh and a big thanks for the lovely responses to my Flying Too High story on CafeLit yesterday – see below!).

Lady got to play with her best friend today so, unsurprisingly, she is rather tired (and her pal will be too). They also got to play with a lovely staffy pup though at one point I did find myself as the “meat in the sandwich” between two muscular dogs – the young staffy and Lady’s Ridgeback pal. I moved quick! Dogs, bless them, generally do not look where they are going when they are busy having a riotous and fun time with each other!

Looking forward to taking part in an interview in February. More details nearer the time. And there will be blog news to share later too. So a nice start to the writing week though what is it about Mondays that are so draining? Answers on a postcard…!

CafeLit Publication News

Am delighted to share Flying too High on CafeLit. Start the year as you mean to go on and all that…

Also pleased to say my recent post about receiving a tote bag with my cover for Tripping The Flash Fantastic garnered an incredible amount of responses. Many thanks, everyone – and, of course, to Chapeltown Books!

What is the most challenging aspect of writing for you? Is it continually coming up with ideas? Is it dealing with rejections/no hears from publishers, agents etc?

The positive thing here is that there are precious few writers who’ve not experienced either or both of these so (a) you’re not alone and (b) I’ve found most other writers to be wonderful sources of tea and sympathy. Okay right now we have to make our own tea and share the sympathy over Zoom, Facebook etc but the support is still out there.

Hope you enjoy Flying Too High. It was great fun to write.

My story, Flying Too High, will be on CafeLit tomorrow so I look forward to sharing the link for that then. Nice start to the writing year. (First submission under the new system CafeLit are using but it worked well).

Must admit I do hope we can have our usual Bridge House events later on in the year but must just wait and see. Having said that, the Zoom events were good fun and it was great to see people that way.

Am currently drafting a standard length short story which I hope to submit to Bridge House in due course.

Am getting my Launches in Lockdown series together and that is coming along nicely.

I’ve mentioned before I usually listen to Classic FM when I’m writing as I find that kind of music relaxes me and when I relax, I write more (and I hope better!). But there are exceptions to this. I tune into podcasts too (mostly notably Wendy H Jones’ excellent The Writing and Marketing Show).

I deliberately save some writing tasks for when I’m listening to spoken word like this. This is the time for those tasks when I know what I’ve got to write and it is a question of just getting it down. When I need to focus hard because I’m working out an outline and story idea, it’s definitely time for the music because that can and does wash over me (but that helps me relax and ideas for me flow better when I’m relaxed).

You do get into a pattern of work that suits you. It took me a while to figure out what worked best for me but now I know, I stick to it!

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Facebook – From Light to Dark and Back Again

I don’t know whether to bless or moan at whoever is putting the Tom and Jerry cartoons on Facebook videos… I have to ration myself strictly with these, having many, many happy memories of watching these when I was a kid. Of course the great joy with these cartoons is they are a complete story in and of themselves and by the time they finish, you have had a good laugh (and hopefully are ready for the next one).

Flash fiction can be like that! And the great thing is that, dependent on the mood of the story, by the time you’ve finished reading it, you should be ready for the next funny or scary piece, as the case may be.

Learn from the cartoons! Leave your audience having had a great time with your story and wanting the next one. Oh and deliver the next one, the one after that etc etc of course!

I mix up how I start a flash fiction piece. Sometimes I will work to an opening line. Now every so often I will have brainstorming sessions and come up with a whole host of these for me to pick later on to work into stories. Highly recommend doing that. It means there is always something for me to fall back on to work into a story.

I also work to a closing line (and yes I have brainstorming sessions and list a whole host of these too).

Sometimes a phrase or proverb will catch my attention and I will often use these as the theme for my tale, though every so often, I will use it as the title as well.

And of course I am working my way through Prompts by Gill James. I will work my way through these eventually, honest!

Sometimes a character’s voice comes to me and I will start a tale with what “they” tell me.

My Punish The Innocent in From Light to Dark and Back Again began life that way. And the opening for that is:-

Dear Sarah,
They say the perfect crime is where the criminal doesn’t get caught. Wrong…

Well, with a strong character voice like that, I just had to go with it! (And if you want to find out more, you can check the book out at am Amazon Author Central page here!).

I also like mixing up how I approach a piece as it makes things more interesting for me and, I hope, for a reader too.

Hope you enjoyed my Fairies acrostic flash story yesterday. Acrostics are good fun to write and they work best when they are kept short so are perfect as a different form of flash storytelling. It also means the individual lines can’t be too long either. Again no bad thing!

I decide on what the acrostic word will be first and then ideas come from that. Fairies, for example, are known to not always be that nice so that gave me the theme for this one.

I wouldn’t want to write this kind of flash tale all the time but every so often to ring the changes suits me.

F = Fantastical creatures who are not always that nice.
A = Avoid angering them as they will find a way of repaying you.
I = Imogen, silly, girl, jumped up and down and stamped out their magic circle.
R = Revenge came quickly – as anyone with any sense could’ve told her.
I = Imogen is now entrapped in her own magic circle.
E = Exiting it is out of the question and there she must stay unless…
S = She accepts she was out of order and humbles herself and says sorry

Two days later… she is still there.

Ends
Allison Symes – 9th January 2021

Hope you enjoy the above and mind who you annoy!

IMPACT - What impact does your story have - Pixabay

No matter how strange your characters, something about them should be relatable - Pixabay image

Goodreads Author Blog – Books as Gifts

Books make wonderful presents, of course. There is something for everyone in terms of genre and format. And they’re easy to post as well (which given the current situation with the pandemic proved vital for the Christmas we’ve just had. I wonder just how many book-shaped parcels Royal Mail delivered in December 2020!).

There is one dilemma with books given as gifts though. You have got to resist the urge to read the book yourself or you’ll find it harder to give it away. Get the book home, get it wrapped! It is the only way…. Or is it?

Okay, there is an answer to this one. Get two copies of the book. You get a book, your friend gets a book (which has not been read through by you first!) and the author will love you for it.

You know it makes sense. Support your local authors!

I’m always delighted to be on the receiving end of books as presents and for Christmas and my birthday, I end up making a list. No surprises there but as I always tell my family, it does mean I’m easy to buy for!

Yes, books are wonderful. Ideal presents. And for those who loathe shopping of any kind (and I know a few!), you can give them a list and simplify what they have to do so win-win!

Worlds, real and imaginery, are found in books - image via Pixabay

INTERVIEWS - You could ask this of your character but also of yourself

How well populated is your fictional world - Pixabay image

Books make great presents - PIxabay image

Appearing in anthologies is another way of supporting other writers as well as yourself. You all want tthe books to do well! Image created by Allison Symes using Book Brush

WRITING DOES - couldn't have put it better

INTERVIEWS - What is it about your stories we as readers absolutely have to know about

liked Allison Symes's blog post: Books as Gifts https://t.co/sCyLoX9NN9 via @goodreads I discuss the joys of books as presents for my Goodreads blog this week. Hope you enjoy. pic.twitter.com/ApRW6of9fB
— Allison Symes (@AllisonSymes1) January 9, 2021

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CafeLitMagazine: Flying Too High https://t.co/eJxijW7qYQ My latest CafeLit story is now up on the website. Hope you enjoy. pic.twitter.com/ks216SrZQG
— Allison Symes (@AllisonSymes1) January 10, 2021

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Favourite Adverts

November 8, 2019Leave a comment

Image Credit:

Unless otherwise stated, all images are from the magnificent Pixabay.

Facebook – General – and Chandler’s Ford Today

I look at advertising in this week’s Chandler’s Ford Today post. I also look at the topic of writers and advertising. Naturally I get in a little bit for The Best of Cafelit 8! Well, you’ve got to practice what you preach, right?

And some more advertising right here! Many thanks to Gill James for the cover image.

Also, if you remember the 1970s and 80s well, there’s a quiz here which may well suit you! Have fun. (I’ll be putting the answers up to said quiz in the comments box early next week to give people a chance over the weekend to see how many they can remember).

I also discuss how advertising has benefited me – yes, really!

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I’ve got some slogans and products for you to identify as my quiz within my CFT post on Favourite Adverts this week. I look at how adverts have benefited me too (they were my way into classical music for one thing).

Branding etc is a topic very much on my mind as I continue to revamp my website so I thought I’d write about a closely related topic!

I’ve found the postcards of my book cover (From Light to Dark and Back Again) have proved effective, as have the pens. I guess you can always use a postcard and a pen when all is said and done! (The postcard can double up as a bookmark too).

I’m generally not impressed by “flamboyant” advertising. For me the ones that work best are simple, often humorous, and to the point.

The lesson about not going on for too long and refusing to over-complicate things is a good one for writers too.

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My CFT post this week is called Favourite Adverts. I share some of mine and also look at advertising for writers. I will be sharing some thoughts on what can work for writers and how important it is not come across as too pushy. It puts people off! There will also be a kudos only quiz! Link up on Friday.

Talking of advertising for writers, there will another CFT post prepared by me which will go up tomorrow advertising a joint local author talk.

#RichardHardie YA author of Temporal Detective Agency fame and Antony M Brown of Cold Case Jury fame will be in the Hiltonbury Farmhouse next Tuesday from 7.30 pm. They’ll discuss how they became authors and hold signing sessions. Do get along if you can.

I don’t need an excuse to visit a pub but finally I seem to have one! Thanks, guys.

Author signing and talk at Hiltonbury Farmhouse

Poster kindly supplied by Richard Hardie

Facebook – From Light to Dark and Back Again

My CFT post on Favourite Adverts this week of course made me think about advertising for writers.

Good copywriting makes flash fiction look “wordy” given the best adverts keep their slogans simple and to the point. The trick for writers is to do exactly that for our one line pitches/tag lines. The old question of can you sum up your story/book in one line is a good one.

Thought for My Day

Write some one liners down that sum up a story or book you love which is written by another author.

Then do this for your own work.

Then simplify!

(Never go with the first efforts here. You will know when you’ve got your one liner right – it will be when you really cannot change anything and it flows and it sounds so good to YOU that you’d read the work if someone else had written it. That’s a good test by the way – ask yourself, would you?).

I was pleased to find the picture from Pixabay that I’ve used for this week’s Feature Image. It kind of says it all for writers. What is our brand? How do we come across when engaging with readers, potential or actual? All of that should feed into the brand we present to the public. But it should be genuine (people spot fakes) and it should be fun for YOU. You’re the one living with this after all! You’re the one who needs to keep it going for future books and stories.

Well, what is your brand? Pixabay

Always pleased to advertise Pixabay!

What are the things you most like about your characters?

What are the things you most dislike about your characters?

Even in flash fiction, I have a rough idea of the answers to these for my lead “actor”. I find I have to have something to like AND dislike about them. It reassures me that this character is “real” enough to be liked and disliked. Well they’re real enough to me anyway. The first reader you have to convince IS you!

Besides nobody’s perfect. Our characters shouldn’t be either. Nobody wants to read about perfect characters even if somehow they did exist. It’s how flawed creations overcome their difficulties (or not) that fascinates readers. I can’t see that changing at any time soon!

All great ideas for writing but you still need to “apply the seat of your pants to the seat of the chair” (P.G.Wodehouse). Pixabay image.

So many lovely forms of writing… Pixabay

This feedback I like! Pixabay

Working out where to put your scene breaks makes all the difference to how your story flows - Pixabay

Ah! The joy of the edit! Pixabay.

Warning: Writer at Work. Pixabay

What every writer and advertiser wants but they also want them to work

A first draft is not meant to be perfect.

LEGACIES - Equally true for your writing but I'd say looking for continued improvement is a good goal to work for - Pixabay

How true and Murphy's Law helps ensure this - Pixabay

Always a good idea this!

This sums up the questions asked at school but they are useful for writers too - Pixabay

Flash fiction, like any good story, needs a beginning, a middle, and an end. The only difference is those three key ingredients are so much closer together! I often find with my very short stories (sub 100 words) that one line is the middle and acts as the pivot point of the whole tale.

I occasionally start with the pivot point and then work out how my character got to it. I then work out in which directions the pivot point could take them and go with the one I like best. But I do find it hard to start with a middle point. (There are competitions which give you a middle line you have to incorporate into the story).

My preferred way of starting a story is with a strong character whom I’ve just dumped right in it, (I’m a sweetie, really, just not to my characters!), and then go from there. It’s a really fun way to start! But however you start a story, it helps a lot if you know where you want your character to be at the end of it. It helps keep you on track.

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Fairytales With Bite – Fairytale Advertising

Linking in with my theme for tonight, what would or should be the advertising slogans for some of our favourite fairytale characters? Hmm…

Cinderella – Comfortable Classic Shoes Always or

Cinderella – Troubled by rats? Worry no more!

Sleeping Beauty – You can’t beat a good cocoa to send you to the Land of Nod or

Sleeping Beauty – Needles giving you the needle? Worry no more!

Rapunzel – Never let your hair get too long or

Rapunzel – Life too short for washing your hair? Worry no more!

Snow White – Additives in my Apples? Never!

Thumberlina – See what the high-heeled look has done for me.

Tom Thumb – If I can get a suit to fit, so can anyone.

The Ugly Duckling – Feel good about yourself, look good!

I love inventing this kind of thing, as you can probably tell. Hope you enjoy. Several of my stories in From Light to Dark and Back Again play on nursery rhyme/fairytale themes and characters though the example given in the trailer below is my nod to Frankenstein.

This World and Others – Likes and Dislikes

As well as working out what your characters like and dislike (so you get to know them ahead of writing the story), what is it about the world you’ve set them in that you like and dislike? No world is perfect. What are the flaws of your creation? How do your characters cope with or overcome those flaws?

Why have you put those flaws in? If a character has to go on a quest and hates water, having your world mainly as a seafaring one, with all that implies, gives said character a lot to overcome before they even start on their quest. They will know that they’ve got to go by boat at some point so how do they prepare for that? What makes them do it when the more sensible thing would be to stay at home? (I know, I know, no story then but your character does have to be driven enough to overcome their fears. And having to face fears as well as carry out the quest makes for a very powerful story when well done).