Monday 1 September 2014

Fantastic News

Last night I checked my emails and one was from India.  I had been waiting for it and yet dreading it.  It's a feeling experienced by many, not just us writers.

I had made by first ever submission of flash fiction to a magazine.  Was it good news or bad?  Jump up for joy or jump down off the nearest (fictional) bridge?  It was the former.

My short story had been accepted and gone live.  See ISF.  Fantastic news.  Time to throw arms up in the air and run around hooting wildly through the house, into the garden and back again.  A few weeks ago I would have said naked, but the weather has turned now.  It felt as euphoric as, 1) when I was commissioned to write a play for children, 2) when a SF short story was published in a magazine, 3) my play on witches was performed in the local town centre.

The writing related successes seem have been few and far between, and the slog continuous, but they will never be forgotten.

Typical writer here, currently going through a fitful sleep phase, carrying on regardless.  Signing off.


Thursday 21 August 2014

I am definitely getting there

My fingers are not crossed, how could they be, I'm the one typing this blog am I not? Of course with the technology around these days, there is no knowing.  However, maybe it isn't as good as they make out in adverts, films or in fiction?  I was trying to have a conversation over Skype at the weekend and after 15 mins or so, we gave up and used the old fashioned method, no not smoke signals.  Although with my land line, smoke signals would probably have more clarity and none of that tinny buzz.  Or is that because someone is listening in...:)

This particular post is about my successfully jumping over an enormous hurdle.  Trust me, it is.  Formatting might be easy for some/many, but not for me.  And I have done it.  Formatted my book, She Dreamed Of Flash Fiction and all on my own.  I followed the instructions given to me by my tea loving friend, (though how anyone can drink tea without milk and sugar is still beyond me), and have been told that I got it right.  (See his 'tea' blog; http://www.thephilosophersbrew.blogspot.co.uk/ ).

I have bought three books off the internet on how to do it, but some of us just aren't meant to use instruction manuals.  In the end what actually worked was a 1:1 tutorial when I last went down to London.  Anyway, the resultant glow of happy smugness from Cheshire must have shone bright enough to be seen globally.

Tuesday 29 July 2014

Why A Collection of Short Stories?

Many writers are meant for writing short stories.  It is their forte.  But can it be for everybody?

When I started out, back in the day, I joined a writing group and that is all I did, (short story writing), or even thought about doing.  If I managed to create a piece that I actually liked, and didn't apologise for profusely prior to reading it to the group, then I was happy.  Oh, the apology thing?  The explanation, the excuse about lack of time to proof read, the apologies for any language that might offend - I still do that.

Somewhere along the way, several groups and anthologies later, and having listened to hundreds of excellently crafted short stories, I suddenly stopped writing.  It was as if my characters refused to be constrained.  There was so much they wanted to say, and I just didn't have the experience or the confidence to let them.  One could say, that perhaps my power over them, was the only bit of control I had.  However, when you are meant to write, no amount of impediments, or life constraints, will stop it happening.

For me, it was when I came through the tunnel of further education, and held those pieces of paper (because that's all those certificates are) that I felt I could venture forth.  How does it go in A Knight's Tale?  'You have been judged...'  Except that I had not been found wanting, and I had the seal of approval, or perhaps the armour of protection; to write.

Monday 14 July 2014

The Proof Is In The Eating

This post is linked to my last one.  Which means it is more to do with my recent writing experience than other references, tales, analogies, what have you, I may or may not have previously posted.  In even more words, this is being directly typed from my heart, to my head, along my arms, to my fingers...okay, you probably get the picture and I'm procrastinating again. :)

A few days ago, I completed my collection of short stories.  I was happy with them.  Had gone through searching for repetitive words (I hate seeing the same ones in the same sentence or paragraph - sometimes it is unavoidable but it is rare).  The plot too was defined, enough clues to allow the reader to see what was coming and yet (hopefully) an alternative there too, to mislead.  After that I went through changing some of the names of the characters.  Somehow, from conception to finalising, many

Wednesday 9 July 2014

How Many Times Do You Edit/Proof Read?

I've realised the reason why I don't blog all that often (yes, procrastination is one of them), is because there are a thousand and one things to do, and who knows, but that might not be an exaggeration!

Okay, this mini write up is to justify why even the most conscientious writers, of which I am definitely one, end up with mistakes in the 'final' versions of their work.  Recently I took almost a day out from normal routine stuff and that includes editing, to catch up with reviews of items that I have purchased over a very long period of time and not reviewed.  Reviewing anything takes time.  Reviews of books, even longer.  Are reviews important?  I think so.  I use them; to me they're as useful as verbal recommendations.  During those hours that I slogged away, I came to understand that every book I've recently read, bar one, had typos.  And it was the plots, the characters, the dialogue, the writing style, and the good grammar,

Wednesday 7 May 2014

GIVING IN AND COOKING A CURRY....


Waste Not and Want Not

Many love curries, but do not necessarily want to wake up to the smell of one.  However, they are missing out, because lots of curries taste fantastic the following day.  They are also easy to heat up when coming home after a hard day at work.

With the house up for sale, I have been avoiding cooking a curry, just in case the estate agent rang and had somebody wanting to come for a viewing.  But nothing keeps forever and as we know, even the refrigerator can only keep food fresh for so long.  My carrots were leaving me no choice, either I boiled, roasted or threw them out.  None of those appealed so I decided to use them in the easiest and most

Saturday 5 April 2014

It's been a while!


It has been many, many months since I last blogged.  I logged in and low and behold there was a message from Google about some things they wanted me to update.  I hate trying to keep up with changes in technology.  I followed a couple of steps then gave up.  Apparently I need Google Chrome.  Okay, so I'm a bit behind the times!

My intentions are always excellent, but it is not just the spirit that is weak, so is the will power.  Then there are the distractions that have kept me from blogging.  We all have them.  Some have genuine, out of their hands type, and others where they had to choose.  Mine well...I blame Twitter.  It is so easy to use.  You can watch T.V. have the laptop close to hand, the crochet that increases nicely, and it makes you feel you're multi-tasking.

Of course television watching, tweeting and crocheting isn't all I've been doing, but it