Tag: writing diary

New Year 2021 – Apprehension or Hope?

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Image Credit:-

All images from Pixabay/Pexels unless otherwise stated.

Book cover images from Chapeltown Books and Bridge House Publishing.

Image of The Writer’s Diary taken by me, Allison Symes. Much appreciated Christmas present!

Facebook – General – and Chandler’s Ford Today

It’s good to be back in business for Chandler’s Ford Today this week. It always feels a little odd when I don’t post there! My post this week is called New Year 2021 – Apprehension or Hope?

Well, folks, the post does what it says on the tin (readers of a certain vintage will remember the old Ronseal wood stainer adverts that had this as a slogan. Mind you, every time I hear Pachelbel’s Canon in D, I think of the old Wool advert from the 1970s but that does say more about my age than anything else!).

In my post, I discuss the coming 12 month and urge positivity (and I would so love to see a better balance between reporting news we need to know along with news that is more uplifting. I have found too much negativity saps the soul if you let it).

I also encourage building on the positive things. So a gentle start to my CFT writing for this year but that’s no bad thing. Am looking forward to bringing you some fascinating insights from other writers over the next few weeks. More nearer the time. Meanwhile I hope you enjoy this week’s post.

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Happy New Year everyone! Here’s hoping 2021 proves to be a better and happier year for as many of us as possible. And for those facing sad and difficult times that you have all the support you need. I don’t usually celebrate New Year. I almost certainly won’t stay up to see it in. I treasure my sleep more these days but will admit to not being sorry to see the back of 2020.

Writing wise, I hope to build on the good things that have happened this year. Am keeping what I can crossed that writing events such as conferences etc will be back on.

I chat about facing the New Year with apprehension or hope in my Chandler’s Ford Today post this week. Link up tomorrow and once again Happy New Year!

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Great to see a fab review come in for Mulling It Over. This is the Bridge House Publishing anthology for this year. My story, It Is Time, is in there (and if you like a chiller of a story, it is for you). I love reading anthologies as well as being in them as I’ve always enjoyed books which give a wide range of stories. They’re also great ways of trying out authors who are new to you. For writers, of course, they make a great way of building up a publication track record so win-win!

Many thanks for the great responses to my More Than Writers blog spot called Planning Ahead from yesterday (see previous round up post).  Even if you’re not normally a planner, doing some will help you achieve more. (If nothing else jotting down possible ideas can help you rule out what you don’t want to do and that can save you time later).

Massive puppy party over the local park today. Lady had a wonderful time with her best buddy, who is the most sweet tempered Ridgeback. Both went home absolutely shattered (but oh so happy). One good thing about the hard frost this morning? The mud had frozen over so at least I wasn’t squelching through everything!

Anyone for a quick chorus of “always look on the bright side of life”?!!

Screenshot_2020-12-30 Mulling It Over eBook Multiple, Hobbs-Wyatt, Debz, James, Gill Amazon co uk Kindle Store

Facebook – From Light to Dark and Back Again

I always find the 1st January to be a strange day, regardless of what day of the week it falls on. It never feels like a holiday. (And this year that feeling it isn’t really a “proper” holiday has increased thanks to the pandemic and the freezing fog. Mind, it has also not helped that the usual post-Christmas walks and family visits didn’t happen).

Have you made any writing plans yet? I’m continuing various things already “on the go”. I haven’t quite finished writing the first draft of my non-fiction project but am within sight of the finishing line so that’s good.

Below is a picture of my writing diary. Am putting this up now as this will be the neatest this book will ever look. My old one was beginning to look rather battered and tired (just like the year itself really!). I didn’t get to use any of the prompts from the last diary but hope to make amends for that this year. I’m sure there are plenty of prompts here I can use to generate flash fiction stories.

Onwards and upwards and forwards then. A New Year is always a time for hope. We really could do with a lot of that right now!

The Writer's Diary

Happy New Year, one and all. I was having a quick look through my flash collection indexes and have realised, while I do tell Christmas related stories, I haven’t written any about a new year. Hmm… if ever there was a time to put that right, I guess it is now, isn’t it?!

Watching the Clock by Allison Symes
I was having such a wonderful time I didn’t want it to end. Yes, I remembered what she’d said about being back home by midnight. But come on, midnight is no time to leave a party, is it?

So I stayed until the bells started to chime and then I did run. What would he think if he saw my shabby dress? I only wish I could have stopped the clock. If midnight never came, I could have continued dancing.

Still I made it home before they came back, full of gossip about who the beautiful stranger was. I couldn’t bear to hear it. I thought going to bed would stop that but no, they were full of it again the following day.

The only comfort I had was when the clock struck midnight this time, it only signalled the start of another day, another year. I wish I could believe it would be the beginning of something better but I have had years of disappointed hopes so I know not to dream any more. I won’t expect more from any new year, yet alone this one.

The dance though is something I will treasure all of my life. That I think is the fairy godmother’s real gift to me.

Hmm… what are they on about now? Something about the Prince marrying the girl whose foot will fit the glass slipper and every lady under 50 has to try the shoe on. I will have to work hard not to laugh when my step sisters try it on. Let’s just say their feet are anything but elegant and dainty.

Maybe this New Year will mean a New Start for me after all. I just have to wait then and keep the other slipper hidden. Wish me luck! It is time mine changed for the better.

Ends
Allison Symes – 31st December 2020

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Hope you enjoy what follows. I thought this would be a different way of getting across a universal truth for writers!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1f3YsXSdrBg

Fairytales with Bite – Wishes a Fairy Godmother Would Love to Grant but Can’t

You would have thought the upside of being a fairy godmother is being able to dole out the odd wish to yourself every now and again but there are rules against such things. For a start, the potential for abuse is obvious. So given the rules, what would fairy godmothers love to grant in the way of wishes that they are forbidden to do? My suggestions are:-

Always making the punishment at least twice as bad as the crime. Why forbidden? Because there would be the risk that fairy godmothers would outdo each other as to how hardline they could be (as nobody would want to be seen to be “soft”).

Also when they are bringing miscreants to book, fairy godmothers want said miscreants to survive to learn their lesson and be able to warn others.

Also the usual idea is to humiliate miscreants and you can do that without using more magical energy than is strictly necessary.

Magic drains the person using it so no fairy godmother is going to waste her powers when she doesn’t have to.

Making cats trainable. This was declared an impossibility millennia ago. No amount of magic is going to change this (which is one reason fairy godmothers have always suspected cats of being magical creatures in their own right, regardless of the connection with witches).

Banning all possibilities of mistranslating a spell. Sounds a good idea but, if granted, it would have meant Cinderella would not have had her glass slipper. That has now become iconic (despite being murder on the feet – though fairy godmothers would see suffering as part of life. The main point they want to make sure of is that they’re not the ones doing the suffering!).

Taking all calories out of chocolate, prosecco and the like. I know. Lovely thought isn’t it? The argument against is you wouldn’t appreciate these wonderful things without the calories. Besides the Tooth Fairy wouldn’t like it. Take out the calories and you’re almost certainly taking out the sugar. That puts her out of a job and she’s not having that.

Photo by Matheus Bertelli on Pexels.com

This World and Others – Marking of the Seasons

How does your fictional world mark the passing of time? Is there such a thing as a year, yet alone a New Year celebration? (Not that there will be much of any of that for any of us this time thanks to the wretched Covid).
Do the seasons match up to what we know on Earth? Or does your fictional world have something unique we would never see here due to the geographical conditions you’ve set up?

Marking of the seasons is something that has been done for millennia and is closely tied to agriculture. You have to know when to sow seed and when to harvest the crops after all. You also need to know when everything is dormant (though there is plenty going on under the soil even in winter, we just don’t see it).

So is there agriculture in your fictional world and, if so, what form does it take? Is there a food based celebration when the crops are brought in? If not, how do your creations survive? What do they eat and how do they get that food?

Even in a hunting community, there should be some sense of seasons given your characters would need to know when they could hunt their food and when their “prey” needs to reproduce so there will be things to hunt the following year etc.

So time matters then. How do you reflect this in your writing?

 

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Twitter Corner

 

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It’s That Time of Year Again

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Welcome to a bumper edition of my blogs round up. As ever, all pictures are from Pixabay unless otherwise stated.

Facebook – General – and Chandler’s Ford Today

It really is that time of year again! I look back at my writing year, anticipate the one to come, and share why networking with other authors is such a good idea. (And that’s besides it being enormous fun, which is the best reason of all to do it!).

I set short, medium, and long terms goals for my writing. Do share in the CFT comments box as to how you go about this kind of thing. The lovely thing with chatting with other authors is you can learn so much from each other. I’ve picked up useful hints and tips and hope I’ve shared some too. I’m a big believer in paying it forward and backwards.

I also share some wishes I know we can all second.

Incidentally, there will be no Collected Works round up from me tonight but I am planning a bumper edition next Tuesday. As well as the link to this CFT post, I’ll be sharing my ACW blog link (due on Sunday), my Goodreads post (due tomorrow) and all FB posts from today. I’ll be back in the writing “saddle” properly from tomorrow but have relished catching up with some reading over the Christmas period.

I hope you had a lovely Christmas and more power to our pens/PCs for the year to come. Creativity is a good thing and worth celebrating on its own account!

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What are your favourite openings to a book or film?

I love the opening sequence to the first LOTR film which shows how Sauron lost the Ring of Power. There is a real sense of an opportunity lost to get rid of the thing for once and all then. You know then the rest of the story has to be about what happened to the ring, did anyone find it, and was it destroyed eventually?

It is a classic example of setting your theme and building a sense of anticipation from the start.

Another favourite of mine is the opening to Terry Pratchett’s Going Postal. It says a lot for the story that it starts with the hero being hanged and goes on from there. Yet I am really not giving much away when I say that!

Again you have a tremendous sense of expectation that the story and its hero will somehow deliver despite what must surely be a disastrous start! Do read it if you haven’t already. Even if you have, re-read it.

Great stories stand up to repeated reading and I find I always pick up on something new.

Reading is such a wonderful thing to do anyway and as a bonus, as a writer you will always learn something from what you read.

This is lovely too!
Another gorgeous library. I love pics like this.
Well… again! Pixabay
Our stock in trade… Pixabay
Books take you into other worlds.
I know I have lots of stories and books in my head but I didn’t mean it literally! Pixabay
Ideas, ideas, ideas! Pixabay.

Facebook – General – and

Association of Christian Writers – More Than Writers – Christmas Angles

My monthly spot on the Association of Christian Writers’ blog looks at Christmas angles (yes, angles!) and why I like the telling details.

I looked at the little details that mean the most to me in my blog for More Than Writers, the Association of Christian Writers’ blog, this month. What was crucial was the Bible story only gives what it considers to be the vital details. Now there’s a lesson for a flash fiction writer right there!

What can be tricky is working out what ARE the vital details and I never get this right on a first draft either. But that’s not what a first draft is for. I’ve always loved Terry Pratchett’s take on first drafts when he said “first drafts are just you telling yourself the story”.

So let that thought take the pressure off. You don’t have to get it right at the first go – nobody does!

 

Facebook – General

I’ll be looking at Beginnings appropriately enough for this week’s CFT post. I’ll be sharing some of my favourite beginnings, have a look at why they’re so important to the success of a story or film, and discuss why I DON’T go in for New Year’s Resolutions. Link up on Friday (3rd January 2020).

I’ll be including LAST week’s CFT post (my end of year review) in tomorrow’s WP round up, which will be a bumper edition as it will also include a link to yesterday’s post for ACW on Christmas Angles. (I had to work hard here to make sure I DIDN’T put the word “angels” in. That’s the problem with words that are right in and of themselves. I’ve found grammatical aids do not pick up on context so it is still possible to come up with total nonsense, albeit it beautifully spelled and gramatically correct so beware!).

I’m editing two short stories for competitions and hope to have them submitted by the end of this week too. Whatever your week holds in store (writing wise or otherwise), I hope it’s a good one!

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Am drafting this via my phone and Evernote enroute to West Bay, Dorset. This is one of my post Christmas traditions.

Having enjoyed the feasting, now comes the time to do the walking it off! Lady will be having a particularly good time today. She loves the beach.

Do your characters have favourite places to go? What makes these places special? How often can your characters get to go there?

Also, do they have special places from their past which they can’t visit now but which have special memories for them?

How do those memories affect their behaviour in the here and now?

I suspect some good stories can be generated from answering those points. Good luck!

Lady having a good time at West Bay in Dorset. Image by Allison Symes.
A familiar sight to many of us. Pixabay
The writing life. Pixabay
Let the ideas spill out! Pixabay
Read widely to inspire these. Pixabay
A writer’s life. Pixabay,

Facebook – From Light to Dark and Back Again

I’ll be back in the writing “saddle” properly from tomorrow (Saturday, 28th December) but wanted to pop by to say I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. I managed to catch up on some reading which is always a fab thing to do!

My next Collected Works round up won’t be tonight but I am planning to post a bumper edition on Tuesday. I take a look back at my writing year on Chandler’s Ford Today which is now live.

http://chandlersfordtoday.co.uk/its-that-time-of-year-again/

I hope the coming year brings you much joy whether you write stories, read them, or do both!

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Some thoughts for as we rapidly approach 2020:-

F = Find new competitions to enter but check out credentials first.
L = Love writing, love reading.
A = Always have stories to read and write.
S = Submit work regularly so you have plenty of material “out there”.
H = Have plenty of writing prompts to hand so you’re never short of ideas to work on.

And talking of which:-

I’m glad to say #GillJames has put together this book of prompts which were written by authors published by Bridge House/Cafelit/Chapeltown etc. I’ve got a few prompts in there too and I am very much looking forward to working my way through this book in the New Year. Hope you have as much fun with this as I intend to!!

Prompts 2020 by [James, Gill] Image by Gill James

The biggest challenge for flash fiction writers is continually coming up with interesting characters to write about (though that for me is what I love most about it).

I have, in the collection I’m working on, linked a few flash stories where either characters carry on into another story or two or where they are referred to by others. I’ve liked that and will continue to do it but I do relish inventing new people.

I also love taking known settings and looking at a story from the viewpoint of an alternative character. For example, I have a flash piece called The Craftsman in this quarter’s edition of Christian Writer, the magazine produced by the Association of Christian Writers. I took as my lead character the man who makes Jesus’s cross.

What alternative/minor characters could you get to tell a flash fiction story? What would their outlook be on an event we know well? It’s an interesting angle to work with.

 

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Well, have you got your writing diary on stand by? I’ve gone for the same type as last year with lots of prompts to work my way through. (What with that and the book Gill James has produced – see below – I’m not going to be short of things to work on. Oh good!).

Whatever your writing year holds in store, have fun! Writing should be fun. It is also hard work, frustrating at times etc., but it should be fun most of the time.

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Loved listening to Ravel’s Bolero on Classic FM when I drafted this post enroute to West Bay in Dorset earlier today.

Yes I do remember watching Torvill and Dean ice dancing to it in the 1984 Olympics. The other breath taking sporting moment for me was Murray winning Wimbledon in 2013. (Loved his second win too but the first was pretty special).

What breath taking moments have you created for your characters and why pick these to be special? Could you write a flash story solely based on something like that?

Hmm… now there’s a thought!

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Goodreads Author Blog –What Day of the Week Is It?

Do you find you lose all sense of what day of the week it is after Christmas and Boxing Days? I do.

Time only has meaning in that I get to do more reading at this time of year. And naturally all time and its meaning goes completely when you’re engrossed with a good book! (But that is exactly how it should be).

Also why is it when, having decided to have a good read in bed, you find you’re asleep in minutes?

Conversely, on the thankfully rare occasions I have insomnia, why is it reading does not send me to sleep then?!

I read during the day when I can, usually at lunchtime, but it always feels a little like I’m playing truant. It’s tricky trying to ignore all the things I should be doing but I usually manage it!

Reading and time available are never in the ratio I’d like though! Still there is always time for one more book, one more story etc. Now back to that To Be Read pile. The only decision to be taken is whether I’m going for the “real” book TBR pile or the Kindle one!

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Will resume Fairytales with Bite and This World and Others from my next post on Friday. 

Have a wonderful 2020 and many thanks for your support.

 

 

 

 

Stories, Persistence, and Progress

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Facebook – General

Making good progress on the novel. Really enjoying finding out what my heroine is getting up to again! My third volume of flash fiction is coming along nicely as well, though I need to group the stories better. I’ve found grouping flash fiction really well helps add to the pace of the book as you read through so it is worth getting right.

Not impressed with the snow and ice. Okay they’re hardly a surprise in the UK in February but I’ve got to watch it when I take the dog out as she doesn’t seem to understand Mum really doesn’t want to go downhill skiing so Lady can get to the park that bit quicker! Lady is generally pretty good on the lead unless she knows we’re near the park! Pleased to make the acquaintance of a 12 week old Labrador puppy this week who wanted to use Lady’s ball chucker as an outsized teething ring…

One huge advantage of being a dog owner is you get to meet all sorts of interesting characters…. four legged and otherwise!

Now how can I put them into a story I wonder…!

Let the words flow! Image via Pixabay.
Let one creative idea spark another. Pixabay image.
This seems a familiar sight! Image via Pixabay.
So true. Pixabay image.
Hope you have lovely books as presents! Pixabay image
Planning your writing can save you lots of time later. Pixabay image.
The blank page (or screen) is ready for your diary (or blog!). Image via Pixabay.
Thinking your writing through is always a good idea. Pixabay image.
Words have power, whether funny or tragic. Pixabay image.

There is an advert about great characters making great drama doing the rounds at the moment. And it is true but it is also true the characters don’t think they ARE great. They’re just getting on with the job or situation they’re in. What makes them great is how they handle things and their persistence. They almost always need that to keep going.

So what drives that persistence? Look deep into what really motivates your characters. What will they absolutely NOT stand? Then make them face it!

You’ll have fun writing that and readers will love reading it!

Get those ideas coming! Pixabay image
Reality should feed your imagination. Pixabay image.
Beautiful pens. Pexels image.
Stepping into another world.. Pixbay
Thoughts are free but check images used are either free to use or your own! Image via Pixabay.
Puns can be visual. Pixabay image.
Books are fabulous, whatever the format. Image via Pixabay.
Always good advice. Image via Pixabay.

Submitted flash fiction pieces over the weekend so pleased about that. I often end up submitting flash stories in batches. Mind, I often write them in batches too.

One of the pieces was based on a character study writing prompt in my writing diary for this year (which is proving to be worth its weight in ink just on the challenges from the prompts alone. I do love the way the prompts are varied. Keeps me on my toes).

Editing of novel going well and, looking ahead a little, am investigating publishers to approach with it when ready. Some publishers accept submissions from unagented writers so that’s almost certainly the route I’ll have a crack at. I’ve got a couple of non-fiction ideas ticking away in the back of my mind too so definitely no chance of boredom setting in!

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Glad to report there’ll be a couple of stories of mine on Cafelit over the next month. Will flag up more details nearer to the time of each. Have also submitted an entry for the Waterloo Festival writing competition, which Bridge House Publishing sponsors. Am also drafting a story for Bridge House’s own annual anthology.

I strongly suspect the writing prompts in my diary are going to generate stories for submission as well. I used to have the Mslexia diary but the new one I’m using has regular spots for To Do lists, Monthly Achievements, as well as the different writing prompts. There are plenty of pages at the back for notes too. It’s almost like a writing scrapbook but I like the format and will almost certainly go for it again. I find a writing diary helpful for keeping track of submissions but this one is helping me to produce more work, thanks to those excellent prompts. I just HAVE to do them (which of course is the idea!).

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Facebook – From Light to Dark and Back Again

Which characters do you like writing about/for the most?

I adore writing characters who I know will make me smile.

I also have a very soft spot for characters with hidden depths whether they use those depths for good or ill.

That element of surprise is wonderful to write and I know when reading that kind of thing by other authors, those are always the most memorable parts of the stories.

Sometimes you can guess at the surprise to come, you pick up on the early hints; at other times you don’t guess, but in both cases, the story has you gripped. Job done on the part of the writer there!

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Stories are ultimately problem solvers. Your characters must have something they wish to achieve and there must be obstacles in their way. Often those obstacles are other characters of course who either want the desired “object” themselves or simply don’t want your hero having it!

The great thing though is the way the character solves the problem can be so varied and that will affect the tone of the story. A wisecracking character is going to tip the story into humour, a sour one into a crime one (another character will be totally fed up with them and bump them off by Chapter 5 – well, you now know what I’d do!).

The problem has to be sufficiently important for the character (and ultimately your reader) to care about the outcome. The character needs to be appealing to readers (though bear in mind there’s a reason the charming villain as a character works. Readers love them. There has to be a wish to find out what really makes the character tick).

And flash fiction? You do all that in as few words as possible of course!

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com
Lost in a world of books. Pixabay image.
The ultimate book tunnel? Image via Pexels
A good read means you ARE in a world of your own. Pixabay image
Where will inspiration strike? Pixabay image.
A good writing group will help you discover this. Pixabay image.
Definitely a fantasy story here! Pixabay image.
A stalwart character in the fairytales. Pixabay image.
A storyteller on their travels perhaps? Pixabay image.
This IS what I call a reading pile. Pixabay image.
The love of writing must equal the love of reading. Pixabay image.
Changing from one state to the other with your writing goals! Pixabay image

Flash fiction can encourage word play especially where it can convey more than one meaning. That in turn saves a lot on the word count!

Below is a story of mine called Test Pilot. I appear to use the same word twice in the same sentence (that’s a sin for a start, isn’t it?!) but the meanings are very different.

TEST PILOT
The crash landings were becoming embarrassing. Nobody minded the odd accident. That happened to everyone but this one was going to mean the test pilot, if unlucky enough to survive, would be hauled before the Board of Inquiry.
Like all such Boards, there was a hell of a lot of bureaucracy and paperwork. Unlike most Boards, said bureaucracy was to minute in minute detail what happened to the late specimens who’d faced them.
And this latest Inquiry was going to play to a packed house.
The crash had been spotted by those pests of the universe – humans.
Nobody was going to forget the Board of Inquiry for Roswell.

ENDS

Allison Symes – 4th February 2019

Hope you enjoy!

 

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Glad to say a couple of my flash fiction pieces will be appearing on Cafelit over the next few weeks. Hope to get more out to them in due course, naturally.

When writing a story, of whatever length, I have to be able to hear the voice of the main character and know what is their chief attribute. From that I can gauge what mood would suit the character best and I write the story accordingly.

Of course, the great thing with, say, a pompous character is that gives great possibilities for humourous tales. Equally a pompous character could work in a tragedy (either by being the character that causes the tragedy for others or by being the victim because their pomposity blinded them to things that others could see all too clearly).

 

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Goodreads Author Programme Blog – Series or Singles?

Which kind of book do you prefer reading? A series or a stand-alone book?

I love both. Really good series ensure each book in it DOES stand alone. Brilliant series ensure you have to read the others in it! Bit of a challenge there then…

There are books which I think work best as stand-alones and/or have had sequels/prequels which didn’t really work. Well, they didn’t work for me at least. I never did “get” the Pride and Prejudice and Zombies thing. Yes to the former, it is one of my favourite novels and a well written zombie book is fine too but to mix the two? Argh! Definitely not for me.

Of course a series author can’t know when a new reader is going to get into their books. I’ve never yet read a series from Book 1! I find the series, am gripped by the book I read and THEN look back at what else the writer has done and explore those works before going on to books beyond the first one I discovered.

The most important thing for me always is did I enjoy the book? And my answer to that is always down to whether I got behind the characters or not.

Hope you have lovely books as presents! Pixabay image
Let the ideas flow and let journeys encourage that! Image via Pixabay
Reading is wonderful. Image via Pexels.
Lovely books. Pexels image.
Lovely and treasured book collection here. Image via Pexels
Love books! Pexels image.
Lost in a world of books. Pixabay image.
I try NOT to chain down my creativity! Pexels image.
Books are the keys to knowledge. Image via Pixabay
Quite a few to choose from here. Image via Pexels

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A New Year – New Goals?

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Facebook – General

I don’t really start thinking in specific terms about what I’d like to achieve writing wise for a New Year until about now. I know what my general goals are and those don’t change much but at about this time I set myself some specifics and then work my way through them as the year goes on.

Some years I achieve them all, some years I don’t, but I feel as if I achieve more for having set some ideas down as to what I’d like to get done.

One specific thing I really do want to do next year is enter more writing competitions (flash, short stories, maybe novel but certainly the first two). I didn’t enter as many as I thought I might this year though I have been working away at other projects, one of which I’d like to also get out in 2019 if I can.

Whatever your projects are, whatever your writing goals are, the most important thing is to enjoy what you write and believe in it. If one market or competition does not work out for you, see if you can figure out why. If there is nothing obviously wrong, try with another market or competition that the piece or story would suit. Above all, don’t give up. Enjoying what you write helps a lot when the rejections come in – and they will.

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The only problem I have between Christmas and New Year is working out which day of the week it is and I know I’m not the only one to lose track. Back to full writing routine from tonight though and it is great to be back.

Looking forward to using my new writing diary. Full of prompts and loads of places to jot down ideas (including a monthly To Do/Goals page and at the end of the month an Achievements page. The trick here is to try to get both pages equally full I think! A blank achievements page could be depressing! However I plan to use this to help me try and achieve a plan to enter more writing competitions this year).

Under the picture prompts, there is space to jot down notes for story ideas. I’m going to use those to flesh out some flash fiction!

Big plan is to have the novel ready to start submitting again (I hope around Easter time). So lots to do and I start by preparing material for a guest blog and my usual CFT spot. More details on both to come.

Good luck with your writing plans and have fun with them!

Let your writing sparkle. Image via Pexels.
Love that clock. Pexels image.
Decisions, decisions and a not terribly helpful signpost. Image via Pixabay.
Time flies when reading or writing. Image via Pixabay
Let the ideas flow and let journeys encourage that! Image via Pixabay
Is everything black and white in your stories? Image via Pexels
Lovely nib! Image via Pexels.
Great characters = great books. Image via Pixabay.
Great characters will engross you. You will lose time reading their stories. Image via Pixabay.
Can’t have too many notebooks and pens. Image via Pexels
A nice clear desk (not mine!). Image via Pexels

Happy New Year, everyone. Good luck with all writing endeavours.

Never be afraid to check out the credentials of publishing services companies/publishers/agents etc as the genuine ones will (a) not mind you doing this as it shows you are taking things seriously and (b) will be able to answer queries well and thoroughly. Also don’t forget you can seek advice from the Society of Authors/Alliance of Independent Authors and their websites are always worth checking out.

Have fun with your writing, try out competitions, write what you would want to read, and read loads! (Magazines, novels, short stories, flash fiction, non-fiction – it all “counts”).

I’ve got a couple of projects planned for the next year including submitting my revamped novel, a third flash fiction volume, and I’d love to do more non-fiction too. Don’t know whether I’ll get this all done but it will be fun finding out – and I guess that’s the point!

Hope you have lovely books as presents! Pixabay image
Love this image! Image via Pixabay
Ebooks and print – both have their own frustrations when it comes to publishing. Image via Pixabay
Says it all! Pixabay image.
Doing something with those ideas! Pixabay image
What will this be for your writing journey? Pixabay image
Finding time to read can be difficult but is so worth doing. Pixabay.
Memories are fragile especially over time. Pixabay image.
A good writing group will help you discover this. Pixabay image.
Alas, too late for me! Image via Pixabay
Plugging in for new ideas? Pixabay image
Being lost in the world of your story. Pixabay image
Get those ideas coming! Pixabay image

Loved the Doctor Who special tonight. Can’t keep a good enemy down, that’s all I’m saying.

The whole point of any story is conflict resolution though that can cover anything and everything from exterminating someone to being reconciled with them. What matters is the conflict is over. The story has concluded.

But while the conflict is going on, it is true that the hero/heroine and villain must be worthy of each other. No hero/heroine gets to win “easily” – there must be huge hurdles to overcome. The villain needs then to be capable of stretching your heroes to their utmost (and beyond ideally, making said heroes stretch too. Drop your characters right in it and see what they can do).

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Had a great trip on the Watercress Line (steam railway) yesterday with family. Always think of the stories of the navvies who cut out the sidings etc to make our railways. So many stories we won’t know but can only make educated guesses at.

When it comes to our own stories, what is most important to your characters? Who are the characters who you MUST tell stories about and why? Think about what has made you choose these people and play to their strengths and weaknesses. A well portrayed character has plenty of virtues and failings and both will affect the direction of the story.

Your blog, your topic, your theme – just be sensible on copyright and libel issues. Image via Pixabay.
A familiar sight to many of us. Image via Pixabay.
Preparing the blog. Image via Pixabay.
I’ve never read a book in these conditions, have you? Pixabay image.
Assemble your characters, assemble your world. Image via Pixabay
The blank page (or screen) is ready for your diary (or blog!). Image via Pixabay.
All writers feel this way sometimes. Pixabay image.
Or get away from it all in one book. Pixabay image.
Outline the characters and away you go! Image via Pixabay
Stepping into another world.. Pixbay
Beautiful books. Pexels image.

It’s a good idea to mix up how you source ideas for stories. I like to use proverbs, well known sayings, songs can be an inspiration too and this year I hope to use more picture prompts. (My new writing diary has loads of these in it and I plan to get several flash fiction pieces from these!).

It’s also nice from the writer’s viewpoint to mix up how you gather the ideas/raw material to get you on you way to generating a new story. It keeps things interesting for you and you on your toes, which is never a bad thing. One of the things I adore about flash fiction is it is always a challenge to write small but doing so is very satisfying. (Even more so if the story is published!).

One thing I would like to try and do more of is use more of my own photos to trigger ideas and to take pictures specifically with story generation in mind. The great thing with using your phone for pictures is it is so easy to delete the ones that don’t work out. Sometimes you need to do that with a story too but that is much harder to make yourself do.

I try and avoid getting into that position by outlining first (it really does help). The great thing with outlining is it can be as detailed or not as you like. I’ve sometimes drafted a one-line outline for a piece of flash fiction but it has helped me work out which route to take with the story before I start it. I find I then write more efficiently too.

CAN you manage time? Pixabay image.
Books invite you into their world. Image via Pixabay.
Use personal reviews to help you generate characters and story outlines. Image via Pixabay.
A gorgeous pen. Image via Pexels
Work and the muse will come. Don’t wait for it to show up first! Image via Pixabay
Memories are fragile especially over time. Pixabay image.
My feature image for tonight’s Chandler’s Ford Today post. All images in this post were taken by me.
Love both the Kindle and the paperback. Why choose when you can have both? Image via Pixabay
I don’t understand those who dislike books, in whatever format. Image via Pixabay.
Notes about your characters can help you portray them more accurately. Not every note has to make it into the story itself. Pixabay image.
Good reading – and writing to be done – here. Pixabay image.

What are your hopes and plans for your flash fiction writing in 2019?

Mine are to submit pieces online and for competitions more regularly. I also hope to post more on my website – allisonsymescollectedworks.wordpress.com – as well.

I’m working on a third volume of flash stories as well and hope to get this up together and ready for submission.

I really enjoyed taking part in Open Prose Nights for the first time this year and would love to do more of those. I would also like to give more talks on flash fiction as well.

But I should finish the year’s posts with a flash fiction piece I think.

CROSSING TIME
‘I suppose you think that was clever’, the girl said.
‘Of course, why do it otherwise?’ I replied.
‘You can’t hold me back. It doesn’t matter what you do.’
‘There’s not a human born who doesn’t long to, you know. I had the courage to try.’
‘Or the foolishness! Most of you accept you cannot beat me. You even celebrate me once a year.’
‘Yes, it’s all lights and fireworks and parties, but you are a cruel devil and I will beat you.’
The girl laughed. ‘How? You’re not immortal. You can’t win a fight with Time. I should know. I also know how long you have. I can see your sands running through’.
Out of nowhere she produced an hour glass and sure enough the sand was running through but I didn’t care. I didn’t bother looking. I didn’t want to know. It wasn’t the object of the exercise. I wanted to defy Time and I had.
‘I can keep you at bay with this time piece, and keep doing so until it is time for me to go. I like my current age. I will stay this way. That will do.’
I waved the pocket watch in the girl’s face as if daring her to take it but she waved it away from me. The watch’s hands were going backwards. I set them to a week ago last Friday. I wanted to see if I could do it the way the saleman in that strange little shop insisted I could.
And sure enough here I was back where I had been last Friday. Just outside the chip shop, cursing myself for forgetting my coat on what was the coldest night of the year so far. What I hadn’t expected was this wraith like girl turning up to berate me.
‘There is always a price to pay for crossing Time,’ the girl said, sighing. ‘I will catch you in the end. Your time will come. And trust me I will make you know it when it does. I don’t like cheats. I never have.’
‘So be it but my “time’s up” will be at the age I choose.’
‘And how are you going to explain that to people? Tell them you’ve got a funny portrait in your attic?’
I grimaced. I must admit that thought had not occurred to me. But so what? I could always tell people I had found a really good moisturiser!
The girl vanished. I went and got my chips. I was just crossing the road, munching them happily, when a Mini came out of nowhere and sent me crashing across to the other side. The last thing I remember was seeing the girl reappear and she was laughing.
I got one thing right. Time IS a cruel devil.

Allison Symes – 31st December 2018

Be open to change. Pixabay image.
The world’s most famous timepiece. Pixabay image.
My writing desk is nowhere near as elegant as this one. Pixabay image.
Jotting down ideas for future stories is always a good idea. Image via Pixabay
Some very strange creatures are in books. Image via Pixabay
Too much to do, too little time perhaps? Pixabay image.
The Waterloo clock. Pixabay image.
The one time of year when Time itself is the news. Pixabay image.
Finding time to read can be difficult but is so worth doing. Pixabay.
Indeed! Pixabay image.
Good advice. Image via Pixabay.
The time turner. Pixabay image.
The precursor to blogging – journal keeping, Image via Pixabay.
Your blog, your topic, your theme – just be sensible on copyright and libel issues. Image via Pixabay.

One nice aspect to flash fiction is if you use a writing exercise to help you start off your creative work for the day, then there is nothing to stop you revisiting what you come up with for that and see if you can turn it into a flash fiction story.

From that writing exercise can come an entry for a competition, a published flash tale etc. Give it a go if you try these writing exercises (which often get you to write a couple of hundred words or so. Perfect length for a lot of the flash fiction categories. You can always edit to get a piece down to 75 words or less or keep the piece as it is and look for the 200, 250, 300 word category competitions and markets).

Good luck!

What journeys are your characters going on? Image via Pixabay
Being lost in the world of your story. Pixabay image
Always good advice. Image via Pixabay.
Images from the magical world… 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.
There must be some truly fantastic fiction here. Image via Pixabay.
Making the most of the writing time. Pixabay image
Hope your Christmas books take you to all sorts of wonderful places! Pixabay image
Shakespeare had his quill, modern writers have their laptops. Image via Pixabay.
Good advice – and it applies to our characters too. Image via Pixabay
So true. Pixabay image.
Let the creativity spill out. PIxabay image.
Reviews can have global reach. Most impact I think can often be local to the writer.
My desk is NOT this tidy. Pexels image.

Goodreads Author Blog – And Happy New Year!

Following on from my Merry Christmas post last week, I could hardly call this one anything else!

So with a New Year in mind, what are your reading and/or writing plans for 2019?

I would like to read more flash and short story collections in the next 12 months plus get my own third anthology of stories finished and ready to submit. (Still very much at first draft stage).

I would like to catch up on my To Be Read pile (but I suspect that is an ambition most of us have!). I would like to submit more non-fiction pieces too.

I don’t tend to take up reading challenges because I think I would feel so disappointed in myself if I don’t manage them. However, I would like to widen my variety of reading (which is reasonably wide as it is but I am conscious there are many genres I haven’t tried and I ought to explore. The world of books is meant to be explored!).

Whatever your plans here, good luck! Happy New (reading) Year!

The joy of books. Image via Pixabay.
Books are wonderful – whether in print or electronic, whether as audio stories or told by a storyteller. Image via Pixabay.
Stories reflect all sorts of moods. There is a story to suit everyone out there! Image via Pixabay.
Books are the gateway to other worlds. Image via Pixabay.
I loved writing this book. I also enjoyed editing it before submitting it to Chapeltown Books.
Heavenly books. Image by Pixabay
Love this library. Mine is somewhat smaller than this! Image via Pixabay.
Let a book carry you away! Image via Pixabay
Books are magical – image via Pixabay
Some of the strongest ideas have a simple theme. See A Christmas Carol as a classic example. Image via Pixabay.
Well, what IS your story? Image via PixabayImage via Pixabay.
This statue reminds me of myself when I was a lot younger. Okay I wasn’t made of stone (I’m still not!) but I did always have my head in a book. (And do so as often as I can now!). Image via Pixabay.
It can take a lot of self-belief to be able to call yourself this at times. Image via Pixabay

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WRITING DIARIES, REVIEWS AND CLARITY

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Another nice mixed bag I think!

I am on Goodreads and part of their author programme so if you wanted to send me questions about flash fiction, blogging, writing for online magazines, I’d be pleased to hear from you.

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Do you keep a writing diary? I find mine useful for planning out when I want to have work done by etc. (I don’t always achieve what I originally set out to do, life can get in the way sometimes, but I find I end up achieving what I set out to do, albeit occasionally later than I’d have liked. I think if I didn’t plan out what I think I’d like to get done, then I wouldn’t get as much written).

It’s also useful for keeping a note of submissions sent, where to, results etc. Naturally acceptances are written down in capital letters! I don’t think I’ll ever get over the buzz you have when you know a piece is going to be online or in print and that is how it should be.

 

Work and the muse will come. Don’t wait for it to show up first! Image via Pixabay
I don’t always write directly to screen. Image via Pixabay
Books should keep you gripped and that is down to the characters. Image via Pixabay
A clean sheet can lead to some fascinating characters and stories. Image via Pixabay
What ever writer needs. Image via Pixabay
It can take a lot of self-belief to be able to call yourself this at times. Image via Pixabay
Some of the strongest ideas have a simple theme. See A Christmas Carol as a classic example. Image via Pixabay.

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My CFT post this week will be Part 5 of my 101 Things to Put into Room 101. I’m up to No. 75! Link up on Friday.

Off to see a local show with my lovely CFT editor tomorrow and again next week. Seems like ages since I’ve watched a play so am looking forward to both of these plays. Reviews will probably follow! I have to say I have been impressed by the quality of the local theatre productions I’ve seen. Always a good sign when the time seems to whizz by as you’re watching.

I must try and get around to seeing one of the Discworld plays at some point. Love the novels, curious to see how the plays work. The great thing about seeing plays is that it is another way of taking in a story. I think it is a good idea to mix up the “formats” in which you do take in stories. No chance of being bored, sometimes a play will get across something in a way a novel doesn’t quite do and so on.

I admit though it would be a challenge to make a play out of a piece of flash fiction though!

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Facebook – From Light to Dark and Back Again

Reading widely is a sensible thing to do regardless of what genre you work in, given doing so helps you feed your own imagination. Ideas for stories spark from all over the place. The trick is to be open to receiving those ideas. (Also it does make sense to support the industry you want to be part of!).

What drives a story are the characters, of course, but knowledge of human nature/how politics works/history etc can inspire how you create the world your people live in. By knowing what we’re capable of as humans, you can create your own worlds based on what we know here. If we act in this manner, how will your people act? Are they better than us or worse? As a result, it will make your world seem more “possible” and believable to a reader.

What will change here is the length of the story you are writing. For flash fiction, you have to convey a sense of the world your people are set in quickly. A few telling details are key here. If you say your character lives under a dictatorship, that is enough for the purposes of your flash fiction. We all know what dictatorships can be like so our imaginations will fill in the details your flash fiction piece doesn’t have the room for. If you were writing a novel, you would want more details as to what that dictatorship is like, possibly how it came into being, and what happens to those who rebel against it.

Gill James reading from her January Stones collection. Image by Allison Symes
Books invite you into their world. Image via Pixabay.
Jennifer C Wilson’s second book in her Kindred Spirits series – Royal Mile. Image kindly supplied by Jennifer C Wilson
From Light to Dark and Back Again. Image by Allison Symes
Ebooks and print – both have their own frustrations when it comes to publishing. Image via Pixabay
Aiming for more “magic” from my stories this year! Image via Pixabay.
Always happy to sign one of my books.
Val Penny’s Hunter’s Chase is on Kindle and in paperback. Image kindly supplied by Val Penny.
My latest CFT post. Image kindly supplied by Gail Aldwin.
“Real” books or Ebooks? See what Gail Aldwin thinks in my latest CFT post. Image via Pixabay
Or not as the case may be! My fiction is quirky!Image via Pixabay.

 

Facebook – From Light to Dark and Back Again

Clarity is important to any storyteller but when you have limited word count as with flash fiction, it is vital. The words you use can often carry more weight as you select the ones that will give you the most meaning without using up too much of your word count.

I’ve come across some annoying examples of how NOT to write in adverts, business speak etc, and I think the main reason why these things irritate so much is because they lack clarity. Someone somewhere with these examples has equated lots of words with lots of meaning. To quote George Gershwin, “it ain’t necessarily so” as any flash fiction writer would tell you!

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