Tag: What Makes a Good Story for You?

Interviews and Ideas

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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 start to the week. I was pleased to be back on the air over the weekend (link below) and it is also great seeing the lighter evenings. I can sometimes come back with Lady from my evening dog walk without having to use my torch! It is the little things in life which mean so much at times!

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Facebook – General

Busy day. How to tell it is cold outside? Go swimming in my local pool. It is the only time the water there feels remotely warm but it does encourage you to get a move on!

Looking forward to sharing my Catch Up – Local Author News – Allison Symes post on Chandler’s Ford Today on Friday. They do say write what you know!

It does pay to take stock of where you are, writing wise, every now and then. It can also help you plan ahead a bit too. And it will be nice having news to share.

What I can tell you now is that all of the things which have happened, writing wise, for me have been connected in that one thing leads to another and so on.

A writing career is built up over time and networking is nothing to be worried about. After all you’re chatting to other writers who understand your drive to write and the ups and downs of the writing life. It has been lovely when I’ve been able to share useful information for other writers. It is very much a two-way process, as it should be.


Pleased to be able to share a link to my interview on Hannah Kate’s show on North Manchester FM last Saturday but this link gives you the whole show in one go, so to speak. Further down are links to Part 1 and Part 2 of the show.

In other news, you may recall I set a theme of clearing away over on my Facebook book page (From Light to Dark and Back Again). Well, I have used the theme myself. I’ll be sharing my new YouTube story based on this topic over on my book page shortly (see further down) but my submission for Friday Flash Fiction this week was based on this too.

If an idea occurs to you, as it did when I was writing my previous Facebook post, note it down because it is the only way to be sure you’ll end up doing something with it! I am sure there must be some hidden depository somewhere where all the ideas writers forget to write down must end up (it’s where odd socks go as well) – so the only thing to do with good ideas is nail them down and write them up!

Screenshot 2023-03-01 at 16-17-49 North Manchester FM Hannah's Bookshelf Saturday 4 March 2-4pm - Hannah Kate

Hope you have had a good day. I’ll be sharing a “catch up post” with what I’ve been up to recently writing wise for Chandler’s Ford Today on Friday. I like reading catch up posts from other authors. It is always interesting to see where someone is in their writing journey, where they have come from, and then find out where they are heading next! I find that encouraging. The writing journey isn’t meant to be a static one after all. It is also lovely having news to share!

Have spent the weekend preparing future blog posts elsewhere so pleased with that. Will be on to flash fiction writing shortly. I shared a possible theme over on my book page yesterday so will be using it that. What is nice is when a thought occurs to you for a blog post and you realise, hang on, I could get a flash fiction piece out of this as well. Doesn’t happen nearly often enough for my liking but I grab the opportunity with both hands when it does!

May be an image of text that says "WHAT'S WHAT'S NEX Good question! One thing I've learned 1S the writing journey is a continual one."

It was lovely being back on North Manchester FM today for a catch up interview with Hannah Kate. I am on the first hour of her show and the link for this is below. (I am on at about the 27 minute mark but do check out the whole show and the link to the second half of Hannah’s show as this is a wonderful celebration of books, stories, reading, and writing. What is there not to love about those things?).

Great to put in a good word for Mom’s Favorite Reads too and my title there as “flasher queen”! Please see further up for another link where you can access the show in “one go” so to speak.

May be an image of text that says "North Manchester FM 106.6 Listen Again Listen whilst connected downloading our shows is not possible. Home Hannahs Bookshelf Saturday March E 2023 Everything books, writing and publishing Categories Hannahs Bookshelf 1st hour PodHawk BBC News ABOUTME selection url some NAVIGATION 0:00 1:00:00 Return again music download any our programmes. Please do otc broadcast without express permission from home page CATEGORIES 50 и RPM 60sJuox Rewind 90s Rewind Helping History"

Facebook – From Light to Dark and Back Again

Ideas can be triggered by all sorts of things. What matters here is keeping your mind alert to the possibility that something which has popped into your head is the potential for a story idea!

I’ve found ideas from a wealth of different random generators, proverbs, phrases, story cubes, an odd thought I’ve typed up for a blog post (and I’ve then realised fictional possibilities) amongst others.

What I’ve not done is keep the old notebook by the bed in case I wake up with interesting thoughts. Why? I Because when my head hits the pillow, that is it! I do know that idea can work for writers. I just know it never works for me. And it helps to be aware of that too, mainly because you will then know which sources to focus on for ideas.

May be an image of text that says "Word ordPlay I love the way writing exercises enable me to enjoy playing with words and coming up with fresh deas"

It’s Monday. It’s getting cold again. I have one crocus out in the garden and I hope the forecasted snow doesn’t flatten it! Definitely time for a story. Hope you enjoy Clearing The Air.

 

Brrr… it’s been getting cold again with more to come next week. How do your characters react to their climate? And are they cold at heart or a warm-hearted person/being of choice by the writer?! (Bear in mind this comes from someone who has written a story from the viewpoint of a mother dragon. My characters are not necessarily human!).

Interactions between characters are great ways of revealing much about them all. Character A gets on well with B but loathes C and finds it is all they can do to be polite etc. Instinctively I want to find out why that is so I read on – job done by the writer there! And these details can show up in how a character speaks, as well as through their thoughts and actions.

May be an image of text that says "Your character's mood attitude should be clear from context. Again they will be showing the readers what they need to know."

Hope you have had a good day. Spent some time clearing my desk today – it needed doing! – but it gave rise to the thought about what your characters might need to clear from their lives. Could be whom as well of course. Definitely flash (and short story) potential there I would have thought.

You could also give some thought as to what they couldn’t bear to clear away and what that is is and what would happen if they were put in a situation where they had to do that. Happy writing (and I hope to have a go at these themes myself later on in the weekend. Will report back). See above!

May be an image of text that says "You're "fizzing" with ideas? Great. Just get them down. Sharpen them later."

Goodreads Author Blog – What Makes a Good Story For You?

For me, a good story is all about whether I care about what happens to the characters or not. If I do, I will read all the way through, whether that tale is 100 words long (classic flash fiction territory, that one!), or a 100,000 words novel. I have got to find out what happens to the characters so I need to be able to identify with them in some way or, at the very least, have empathy for the position they find themselves in.

The plot works for me as long as I can believe in the characters, no matter how fantastical they are (or their setting is). I also love reading (and writing) character dialogue and thoughts which move the story on. You want to feel as if you are in that character’s head and can see exactly where they are coming from.

You want to feel what your character does. That’s the only way to avoid characters being cardboard cut-outs in my view.

Screenshot 2023-03-04 at 21-05-49 What Makes a Good Story for You

 

ALLISON SYMES – BOOK BRUSH READER HUB

Screenshot 2023-02-24 at 21-11-57 Reader Hub Book Brush

MOM’S FAVORITE READS LINK – CHECK OUT THE MAGAZINE INCLUDING MY FLASH FICTION COLUMN HERE – 

AMAZON AUTHOR CENTRAL – ALLISON SYMES

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