Fiction or not, books are the gateways to other worlds. Image via Pixabay.

THE WORKING LIFE

September 22, 2016Leave a comment

FAIRYTALES WITH BITE

Unwinding at the End of the Day is tonight’s post on Fairytales with Bite. I look at how characters unwind and ask what might happen if their lives are turned upside down so any chance of unwinding goes completely (think Frodo Baggins knowing he’s got to go on a quest he’s unlikely to survive to try to get rid of the Ring of Power – just how do you cope with that?). Also given we all need to unwind, so do our characters and this aspect should show more of their personalities, always helpful in the overall portrayal.

THIS WORLD AND OTHERS

The Working Life by contrast looks at this aspect of a character’s life. What work do they do? In a magical world, what is done workwise without the aid of magic given to use that kind of power all the time is bound to be draining on the practitioner? Also who carries out the lowly jobs that need doing but where using magic is probably going to be overkill? (In any world someone has to take out the bins for example! Do you really want to use magic for that?!).

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I discuss the one thing that makes a good story or book as far as I’m concerned – the quality of the characters. Are they believable? I also share a brief thought on villains and on characters that are too good! Do you agree?

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A beautiful place in which to read stories – image via Pixabay

THE FAIRY GODMOTHER’S TO DO LIST

September 21, 2016Leave a comment

FAIRYTALES WITH BITE

Any fairy godmother who ever hopes to survive long enough to make a career out of her role knows there is nothing that can beat research and thorough preparation. So she and her colleagues all have to-do lists. My post looks at what you could expect a fairy godmother to have on hers.

THIS WORLD AND OTHERS

Moods and Meanings looks at how music can create and affect moods. The post also discusses how we can disguise our real meanings except from those who know us really well. Can your characters do that and who do they want to hide things from and why? Plenty of food for thought there.

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I go back to my childhood in my post tonight and look back at the fiction I really loved all those years ago. I caught up with Dahl thanks to my son loving his books but for me I suppose it was the fairytales and the Famous Five that most grabbed my attention.

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The way to the magical realm perhaps? Image via Pixabay

MIXING IT UP

September 20, 20162 Comments

FAIRYTALES WITH BITE

Tonight’s post is called Mixing It Up where I discuss variety in writing in terms of what you write and also in terms of short stories. After all there are markets and competitions now for the very short story and the much longer one so have a go at both! I also share news of a flash fiction piece of mine, Telling the Time, which first appeared on the Cafelit website now being available in their annual anthology, The Best of Cafelit 5.

THIS WORLD AND OTHERS

Not the most imaginative title I know but my post tonight called Ten Writing Tips I’ve Found Useful sums up this blog nicely! Hope you find at least some of the tips useful.

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Again I share news of The Best of Cafelit 5 on my Facebook Author page tonight but I also refer to Baubles, the upcoming Bridge House Publishing annual anthology, where I’ll also have a story appearing. More details on that when that book comes out.

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A world of technologies means more places for stories to appear! Image via Pixabay

Imagine all the stories in here! Image via Pixaba

WHAT I WOULD LOVE ABOUT LIVING IN A MAGICAL WORLD

September 20, 2016Leave a comment

FAIRYTALES WITH BITE

I don’t know if this is me being negative but tonight’s post, What I would love about living in a magical world, I found more difficult to write than yesterday’s one where I listed the disadvantages of being in such an environment! Maybe to me at least the disadvantages are more obvious!

THIS WORLD AND OTHERS

I discuss music in tonight’s post, The Joy of Strings, so if anyone was thinking that title meant the blog was going to be a celebration of the old string vest, you’re in for a disappointment! I was listening to a classical concert as I was typing this and I wondered what role music might play in your fictional world.

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The advantages of being a writer is my topic for tonight. I only listed a few. What could you add to the list?

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Where so many classic stories started life – just ask Dahl and Wodehouse to name just two. Image via Pixabay.

Now here is a magical environment! Enough books to be going on with for one thing! Image via Pixabay.

LIVING IN A MAGICAL WORLD – THE DOWNSIDES

September 18, 2016September 18, 2016Leave a comment

FAIRYTALES WITH BITE

I must admit I do love my lists. I love reading them. I enjoy writing them too. In tonight’s post I share my reasons for why I would hate living in a magical world. I think my reasons are pretty sound. See what you think!

THIS WORLD AND OTHERS

Continuing with lists and the general theme of the downsides of living in a magical environment, I share some hints and tips to those who might be called magically naive. Such people need all the hints and tips they can get!

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I discuss what I like about each stage of the writing process tonight. Do you agree with my thoughts? Or is there one aspect you really hate and dread doing?

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Books can be magical, regardless of what genre they actually are. Image via Pixabay.

BEING TAKEN OUT OF YOURSELF

September 18, 2016Leave a comment

FAIRYTALES WITH BITE

In tonight’s post Developments I ask how your characters react to the big changes in life. I also ask how development in general takes place in your fictional world. Can big business dictate to government or is there one central power controlling everything?

THIS WORLD AND OTHERS

In Being Taken Out of Yourself, I ask what triggers enable your characters to escape their humdrum lives for a while. I also ask what happens when characters that need to escape for a while find they can’t do so. Just how long can they keep going before they crack.

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I discuss what I hope will become a mini series for Chandler’s Ford Today and wonder why it is I have days, like today, when I can catch up with my reading, yet on other days I barely have time to read at all!

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Books help you wind down, can be a trigger to escape life. Image via Pixabay.

A bookshelf of beautiful books. A joy to look at, but a greater one to read! Image via Pixabay.

IS THERE A MAGIC WAND IN WRITING?

September 16, 2016Leave a comment

FAIRYTALES WITH BITE

You shouldn’t be too surprised that the answer to “Is there a Magic Wand in Writing?” is a resounding “no” but I discuss how you can help “beef up” the imaginative muscle. And the best way of all is to indulge in the flip side of writing, which is to read. Is there a writer who doesn’t love to read? I don’t think so and my attitude here is go for it – prose, poetry, fiction, non-fiction – indulge, knowing it will help your own writing no end!

THIS WORLD AND OTHERS

On a similar theme, my post Flexing the Imaginative Muscle shares three writing exercises. Writing exercises are, of course, the other great way to fire up your imagination. Some have given me opening lines, which I’ve then used to write flash fiction or longer short stories, though a play, a novella or longer piece of fiction could also start from something like this.

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I use my FB author page tonight to discuss my Chandler’s Ford Today post called Why I Use Scrivener Writing Software. This is likely to remain the most technical piece of writing I ever produce but I hope it might be useful to those writers considering using this software. I have, however, put in links to some of my favourite authors for whom writing technology consisted of the quill and the typewriter! And those sites are worth exploring if you are a fan of Roald Dahl, P.G.Wodehouse and/or Shakespeare! At the end of the day it is the imagination that is the most important writing tool of all.

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Feature image for my Chandler’s Ford Today post. Image via Pixabay.

Writing in many forms. Image via Pixabay.

CALLING OCCUPANTS AND FAIRYTALE ETHICS

September 15, 2016Leave a comment

FAIRYTALES WITH BITE

I look at Fairytale Ethics and Etiquette tonight where you can find out what I think about the intellectual capacities of cats wearing footwear and what that means for us humans. One thing I always liked about fairytales as a kid, and still do now, is they do have a very strict sense of fair play and justice. Even as a kid I knew the world wasn’t like that. Maybe that is part of the very strong appeal these stories have now. We know fair play and justice should be a normal state of affairs (but sadly so often are not).

THIS WORLD AND OTHERS

Calling Occupants brings to mind a great Carpenters song but also makes me ponder if, in your fictional world, whether there is acceptance of other life forms and does your world try to make contact with those forms? There are some story prompts here which I hope you find useful. At the very least I can see some short stories coming out of these, maybe longer works of fiction too.

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I share why I love short stories on my Facebook page tonight. I love (and indeed write) quirky fiction and there are some wonderful online magazines which take these. This is one of the lovely things about being a writer. You hopefully get to submit work and see it accepted but you also get to indulge in being a fan and loving other writers’ work too. You can’t write well without reading well after all.

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Where all stories start regardless of technology. Image via Pixabay.

My library is not so huge or grand but precious all the same. Love this image though. It is the library at Leeds Castle. Image via Pixabay.

DAY TRIPPING AND FAIRYTALE WORRIES

September 14, 2016Leave a comment

FAIRYTALES WITH BITE

Tonight’s Fairytale Worries is a light-hearted piece about what fairytale characters might worry about! Well we all have our concerns and crosses in life to put up with, so why should fictional characters be any different?

THIS WORLD AND OTHERS

One of my favourite things, away from the worlds of writing and reading, is getting to see a bit more of this big, bad world. I love day trips. Tonight’s post, Day Tripping, wonders if characters in a magical world might enjoy this too and asks where would they go? How would they get there? There could be some humorous stories to be found in following those ideas up. Note to self: give it a go!

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I discuss the debt those of us who write tales for grown ups (as opposed to adult stories, that’s more of E.L. James’ market!) owe to the writers of children’s literature. I share what I loved reading as I was growing up too.

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The ultimate Book Circle perhaps? Image via Pixabay

Escape with a good book - and Roald Dahl's were amongst the best. Image via Pixabay

SHORT FICTION

September 13, 2016Leave a comment

FAIRYTALES WITH BITE

In Short Fiction I discuss why fairytales fit a short story format so well and what fairytales and other short stories have in common. One thing I forgot to put on is that both fairytales and other short stories should have a strong emotional response on your readers.

THIS WORLD AND OTHERS

In Legacies, I look at legacies in terms of the impact characters have on your story, other characters and so on. I discuss Roald Dahl’s legacy briefly (I could have written much more about that!).

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I discuss Roald Dahl in more detail here and share the YouTube clip of the opening and closing credits for his Tales of the Unexpected. I also list some of my favourite Dahl stories.

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The most important advice of all when it comes to books whether you are just reading them or trying to write your own as well. Image via Pixabay.