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HOW TO WRITE

SUMMER SUCCESS Breaking the rules to sell short stories

WHAT TO WRITE

WHERE TO SELL IT

BEGIN WITH A WIN Where, when and how to start

RUN AWAY! How to cut yourself off for a day and get more writing done

HOW MUCH ACTION DO YOU NEED?

ESSENTIAL SKILL Tracking submissions

Travel in character

Advice for a reader who shocked her writing group with a sex scene

The pros and cons of donating writing to an anthology

Rupert Thomson explains his ‘method’ approach to novels

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Prude & prejudice

#202 Aug 2018 • £3.95

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WELCOME

Writers FORUM A WORD FROM THE EDITOR

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on’t buy Women’s Weekly or sell them any stories until they change their new policy of taking All Rights for fiction (see the Newsfront article overleaf for details). All Rights means they can sell it on, leave off your name, do what they like with it. You can no longer sell it or include it in a collection. Rights-grabbing is now common with non-fiction, but it usually pays better than fiction. Besides, news articles only have a short shelf-life and it’s easy to take the facts in a feature and create a new piece out of them. But short stories last and the major value in them is how they are written. Of course, the bosses in giant media companies care about profit, not value, and any rebellion may mean they close these fiction markets. Well, so be it. Better for authors to move on than work for next to nothing to make fat cats fatter. Write soon (but not for WW), Carl

Don’t miss issue #203 on sale from 16 August Writers’ Forum Select Publisher Services Ltd PO Box 6337 Bournemouth BH1 9EH TEL 01202 586848 PUBLISHER Tim Harris EDITOR Carl Styants CHIEF SUB Wendy Reed

Photography and artwork With thanks to Shutterstock COVER IMAGE Tithi Luadthong © Select Publisher Services Ltd. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher. Writers’ Forum cannot accept responsibility for any unsolicited material. Writers’ Forum is fully independent and its views are not necessarily those of any company mentioned herein. All copyrights and trademarks are recognised. Every effort has been made to identify the copyright holders of images. Writers’ Forum cannot accept responsibility for inaccuracies or complaints arising from advertisements featured.

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For submissions, visit www.writers-forum.com/contact.html We reserve the right to edit any article or letter received. Please note that Writers’ Forum does not carry book reviews.

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HEADLINES Newsfront The latest in the world of writing AUTHOR INTERVIEW Never too late Peter Perrin is enjoying debut success in his 70s with a tale of ‘seasoned romance’ – he speaks to Douglas McPherson WRITERS’ CIRCLE Your letters plus First Draft FIRST STEPS Summer shorts Treat editors (and readers) to something out of the ordinary in your next pitch, urges Douglas McPherson TALES OF MY GURU Beginners, beware, warns Hugh Scott’s mystery mentor MOTIVATION Make yourself untouchable Sarah Davies has found a way to shut out distractions while writing – she shares her secret AGONY AUNT Dear Della Writer Della Galton answers your queries CHILDREN’S BOOKS SCBWI special Anita Loughrey highlights the benefits of membership of the society for children’s writers FREELANCE MARKETS The Magazine Scene Adam Carpenter’s round-up of industry news plus Diary of a freelance hack FICTION MARKETS Inside Story What happens when a plot goes off the rails? Douglas McPherson shares his experience WRITING EXERCISE When, where & how to start Barbara Dynes outlines four essential ingredients for a successful opener THE BUSINESS Becoming a writer Don’t neglect your admin, says Kath Kilburn FLASH COMP Our writing contest is FREE to subscribers plus the £100 winner of last month’s comp

31 INSPIRATION Ideas Store Paula Williams revisits a nursery rhyme 32 TRAVEL WRITING Planning: markets & ideas Solange Hando continues her series for the occasional travel writer 34 ACHIEVEMENT CALENDAR August Set your targets 37 STORY COMPETITION This month’s winners of £550 in cash prizes 46 FICTION WORKSHOP Why dialogue matters Fiction editor Lorraine Mace uses a reader’s narrativebased story to show how to bring your writing alive 48 WRITER’S CV Writing for anthologies Susie Kearley introduces a popular genre and suggests some benefits of contributing 50 POETRY WORKSHOP Enough of a character Poetry editor Sue Butler shares techniques for creating credible people for a poem 52 POETRY COMPETITION This month’s winner of £100 and a dictionary 54 WRITERS’ DIRECTORY This month’s events, writing courses and helpful books 58 MOTIVATION The Mentor Emily Cunningham of The Write Factor helps a reader worried his writing lacks action 60 WRITING KNOW-HOW Research secrets Rupert Thomson tells Anita Loughrey about his research into the enigmatic French photographer Claude Cahun plus Writing Outlets with Janet Cameron 62 COMPETITION CALENDAR Helen M Walters speaks to the Exeter Prize team, plus comp news and tips 65 SUBSCRIPTIONS Get Writers’ Forum delivered direct to your door 66 WHERE I WRITE Phil Barrington visits novelist Catherine Burns in Manchester

Writers’FORUM #202

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newsFRONT HEADLINES

The latest in the world of books, the internet and publishing – written by you

Average author income falls again

Woman’s Weekly’s new owner starts all-rights grab

are making less ’money ’Authors than ever, according to

has been trickling out of changes to freelance fiction writing ’fees’News and contracts at Woman’s Weekly. There has, at the time of

the latest income survey from the Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society, which has found writers’ average earnings have dropped to under £10,500 a year. This is a fall of 15 per cent in real terms since its last survey in 2013. The results also show a growing gender gap, with female authors earning around 25 per cent less than men. However the Publishers Association has questioned the validity of ALCS’ findings, which it says do not ‘reflect the investments publishers are making in fostering creative talent’. The ALCS and the Society of Authors have hit back in an open letter to the industry, pointing out that publishers’ profits and shareholder payouts are increasing but authors’ total share of turnover is only three per cent, and that the downward trend in earnings is ‘incontrovertible’. The managing director of publisher Profile Books, Andrew Franklin, said: ‘The rewards are distributed increasingly unfairly and of course it should change. The best thing publishers can do is make the pie bigger.’

Pirate site pops up have reacted with ’anger ’Authors and threats to a website

offering free pdfs of books on request. We won’t name the site as we don’t want to give the idiots running it any more publicity, but it offers users free downloads of a huge number of books, including entire catalogues of bestselling authors such as Philip Pullman and Jacqueline Wilson, and also of less

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Writers’FORUM #202

writing, been no official announcement of the changes, but recently payment for new writers has been reduced from £150 to £100. Also crucially, the magazine’s publisher intends in future to purchase stories on an ‘all rights’ basis – which means all rights must be surrendered to the company, including copyright and moral rights. This leaves the writer with no entitlement to re-use their story (in an anthology, a competition, another magazine…) even after a period of exclusivity, and also no right to be credited as the author. This represents a considerable potential reduction in earnings to short story writers and no further payment has been offered to cover this loss. While short story writers have been assured they can still claim an annual payment from the Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS), the new rules will negatively impact Public Lending Right (PLR) income for serial writers who currently have their magazine serials converted into largeprint books, as PLR is calculated from public library loans. A representative of Woman’s Weekly was unable to comment on the changes, but disgruntled writers have been voluble on social media about their concerns. A standard email response to those writers who contacted the company briefly explained that acquiring all rights is standard company policy for commissioned work and that the move puts fiction writers on a similar footing to photographers. However, fiction authors argue that stories are not, in fact, commissioned; they’re written and submitted on spec, meaning each work has to be completed without the security of a certain sale. Moreover, each story has to be unique, whereas a similar photograph can be sold again, just as research for a non-fiction piece can be re-modelled from a new angle and re-submitted elsewhere. These announcements come after a difficult few months at the magazine, during which, among other changes, the timing of payment for stories was moved to ‘on publication’, so that story writers now routinely wait several months to be paid for work accepted but not yet used. The publisher, formerly known as IPC, was sold to US media giant Time Warner in 2011, became subsidiary Time Inc UK in 2014 and was sold on to a private equity firm earlier this year. The magazine group is now called Ti Media. In a show of support for the writers affected, the Society of Authors’ Head of Communications, Martin Reed, said that ‘in broad terms, we don’t advise authors to give up all rights’. He added that a number of members had been in touch to air their concerns and that the organisation’s CEO, Nicola Solomon, would be writing to Woman’s Weekly/Ti Media’s senior management shortly. If you are affected by these changes, please take a look at recent posts on https://womagwriter. blogspot.com for more information and advice. Kath Kilburn

famous authors, who could be even more affected by the loss of revenue. As publishers scramble to get the three-month-old site shut down with legal action, the owners remain defiant, telling The Bookseller they are providing a service rather than stealing livelihoods. The site had been promoted on Twitter, but the feed has now been taken down following complaints.

Open call for authors agency David ’Higham ’Literary Associates is to host

an open day for writers from ‘under-represented’ backgrounds. The day will offer 10 authors the opportunity to meet experts and to receive tailored feedback. The agency is welcoming applications from unagented writers living in the UK from under-represented backgrounds

including LGBTQ+ writers, BAME, those from working-class backgrounds and from ethnic, cultural and religious minorities, along with people with disabilities. A bursary for travel expenses will be available for each writer. The inaugural DHA Open Day will take place in London on Thursday 13 December 2018, at the agency’s offices in Soho, and will focus on fiction-writing for adults. It will also feature

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talks and Q&As with agents and publishers, one-to-one sessions to provide feedback on current writing projects and a drinks reception. A second Open Day will take place in 2019 and will focus on writing for children. Applicants should apply via the form at davidhigham.co.uk before the deadline on 17 September.

Horror rises from grave Sales of horror and ghost ’stories are surging, up by a third

so far this year on last year’s four-year high. Agents and editors are also seeing an increase in submissions in the genre. Industry experts says the recent success of horror films such as Stephen King’s It and Netflix’s Stranger Things TV show have helped, as has a ‘blurring of genre lines’ from literary fiction, citing Andrew Michael Hurley’s debut The Loney. The boom is also being seen as a response to ‘scary’ current affairs.

Distressed mother gatecrashes book launch When forensic psychiatrist ’Donald Grant launched his book

Remains of the Day author Kazuo Ishiguro ’wasTheknighted in the Queen’s Birthday Honours

list. The Japanese-born novelist, who won the Nobel Prize for Literature last year, said he was ‘touched to receive this honour from the nation that welcomed me as a small foreign boy’. Also knighted in the list was Tim Waterstone – founder of the eponymous bookshop chain – for services to bookselling and charity, while Mary Beard (pictured) was given a damehood for services to the study of classical civilisation. There were honours too for authors Jeanette Winterson and Ken Follett, Bloomsbury Publishing co-founder Liz Calder and outgoing British Library Chief Librarian Caroline Brazier, who were all made CBEs, while poet and author Kate Clanchy received an MBE for services to literature and education. Sam Todd

Murder in Brisbane on 12 June, the distressed mother of one of the murder victims featured interrupted. ‘You should’ve contacted me,’ she shouted. ‘You didn’t tell me what my daughter’s dying words were.’ The mother had learnt the final details of what had happened to her daughter only from the book, some eight years after the murder. The audience at Avid Reader Bookshop walked out after hearing this. Killer Instinct showcases 10 murder cases where Dr Grant interviewed the murderer in his role as expert witness. The Queensland government is investigating whether the book

ODD SPOT BY HUGH SCOTT

is a betrayal of the patients, victims and their families, and if corrupt conduct was involved in the publication of the book. Glynis Scrivens

Writing centre opens

’

Writers’ Centre Norwich has transformed into the National Centre for Writing, following a £2m extension and restoration of historic Dragon Hall in Norwich. The centre aims to ‘explore the artistic and social power of creative writing and support the creation and enjoyment of world literature’, curating and

commissioning new work and offering classroom-based and online courses. The centre is backed by patrons including Margaret Atwood, JM Coetzee, Elif Shafak and Ali Smith.

No jetting off for Jilly author Jilly Cooper ’hasBestselling revealed she hasn’t holidayed

abroad for over 20 years because she has never been able to face leaving her pet pooch behind. Cooper is known for her love of animals and rescue greyhound Bluebell features in her latest novel, Mount. Wendy Green

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by you or sourced from press releases or publications and rewritten for us. In return you’ll get a byline and the best item each month wins a free subscription. This month’s winner is Sam Todd. Items should be under 200 words – the snappier the better. You can attach a good quality photo and please make sure stories about events are submitted in time. Importantly, you must be able to prove your story is true and where you found it. Writers’ Forum may edit any items submitted and if a story is covered by more than one writer we’ll choose the best version. Please send items to [email protected] You can cover any topic that will be useful, interesting or amusing to writers. The subject should be big enough to appeal to a national/ global readership although local news might still inspire or entertain writers in other regions. Get writing and good luck!

Writers’FORUM #202

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HOW I WRITE

Never too late Peter Perrin tells Douglas McPherson how he got published in his 70s with a tale of late life love

P

eter Perrin was lucky enough to have his first novel accepted by the first publisher he sent it to – and he’s the first to acknowledge the element of luck involved. His novel Grace’s Turmoil proved the perfect fit for a rising trend for seasoned romance and second chance romance that focus on older characters finding love. ‘Purists say “second chance” is a romance with someone you were with before, or should have been with before,’ Peter explains, ‘whereas “seasoned romance” is simply about older people. ‘The sad thing is that people are writing so-called seasoned romance about characters in their 30s and 40s,’ continues the writer, whose book is about a semi-retired artist and a retired air force commodore. ‘What does that make mine? Seasoned-plus-plus-plus? ‘People have said, come on, your hero is 71, it’s not going to happen. But a friend of mine recently got married at 90 and his wife is 84. So truth is stranger than fiction.’ Perrin had no idea ‘seasoned’ was in fashion when he began Grace’s Turmoil. In fact, he hadn’t read a single romance novel. ‘I’ve read quite a few since, and used Nora Roberts as a guide, because she’s great on characters and carrying characters through from one book to another. But most of my reading is action and thrillers, so I’m used to a very punchy style. Mine is not long drawn-out eloquence. It’s very sharp, precise and to the point.’ Having written some poetry and stories for his children when they were young, the retired Post Office manager and former RAF sergeant was only inspired to write a novel after his 14-year-old granddaughter self-published two books via Amazon. ‘I thought, if she’s not too young to write, then maybe I’m not too old to write at 69. I thought it would be nice to write something positive about older people and came up with the idea of a romance to show that they’re not just sitting around waiting for the Grim Reaper. ‘I wanted a situation where the main characters have been through the mill. They’ve all been widowed or divorced and picked up a lot of baggage that makes

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them a bit like Grace is: very wary of going down that road again. But they manage to conquer it and get through.’ As to the setting… ‘I decided that if I had a group of the same age range in one place then I’d have a good pool of characters to work with, and the potential for sequels. I originally thought of a care home, but when I discussed it with my writing group they were very scathing. A woman who worked in a care home said the environment is so strictly controlled and secure and so full of medication that there wouldn’t be a story. ‘So I came up with a retirement village where they pay anything up to a million pounds to live in almost five-star hotel splendour. I visited one with my wife and I was initially a bit unsure. I thought, these people look extremely well-off, I don’t move in their circles and I wouldn’t know what they do for a social life. But I decided to give it a try.’ Peter had no idea how to go about writing a book. He says: ‘I sat down and basically wrote conversations. I’m very much character-driven, rather than plotdriven, so I wrote a few chapters and shared them with a wonderful Yahoo group called Rom Critters. What I got from them was there was no narrative. So I had to develop some kind of plot. ‘I basically wrote what came into my head and eventually tied it all up, but there was no overall plan, which is probably why it took me two years to get myself properly into the book and another two years to write it. A lot of time and material was wasted because I wrote a lot of stuff that I realised in a later chapter just wouldn’t work, so I had to throw it away.’ Currently working on the second book of a series set in the same retirement village, Perrin says: ‘This time I want to do things a little bit differently. I don’t think I’m a born plotter, but I do think I need an outline.’ What he does plan thoroughly is his characters – something particularly important in seasoned romances, where players have lengthy back stories. ‘For each of the main characters I have two documents. One is their profile from when they were born: their childhood,

upbringing, good and bad things that have happened in their life that might be an opportunity for a plot point or cause some conflict with their partner-to-be. ‘The second document is a question and answer interview with the character: What are your strengths? How do you dress? What do people like about you?’ Perrin used star signs as a guide to personality. Grace, for example, is a Pisces. ‘She wears her heart on her sleeve and can be easily hurt. She goes into the Grange determined that she’s going to have nothing to do with men. ‘Alfred is an Aries, which fits in with being a leader and senior officer. He’s a real chauvinist who goes there because it has a great selection of women and he intends to play the field. Of course, that all changes when he sees Grace. ‘Then I think, if I put these two people together, what would their conflicts be? In what ways would they get on or not get on? What might be a major problem that needs to be resolved?’ Perrin admits there’s a little of himself in his hero Alfred – or there was to begin with, anyway. ‘He was originally going to be a sergeant like I was, but he got promoted to air commodore, one of the top four ranks, and that set in my mind how he would behave. ‘My characters aren’t based on particular people but you don’t get to be 70-odd without getting people’s lifestyles, attitudes and anecdotes stuck in your brain, so I expect quite a bit comes out subconsciously from people I’ve met. There’s a scene at a community centre dance based on something that happened at a matinee dance my wife and I go to.’ As he wrote, Perrin posted his chapters for the Rom Critters to critique, and took their advice on board as he went along. ‘I was very lucky in that I latched on early to one person in the States who was willing to work with me and followed the whole book through to the end,’ he says. It was from another of the Rom Critters, who had already been published by them, that he got the idea of sending his novel to Canadian romance specialists Devine Destinies. They replied to his email

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submission within 24 hours – although it turned out that his work on the book was far from finished. ‘They said the chapters were way too long, at about 6000 words. There were 13 chapters in total, and they said the book needed to be about half that.’ The publisher also wanted him to make the character viewpoints more consistent. ‘The biggest problem was that the only person I read to find out how you write romance books was Nora Roberts. She does a lot of head-hopping. She chops and changes viewpoint all the time and as a result I was all over the place. They slapped my wrists and now I try to write most of a chapter from one main character’s POV and in the next switch to another. If that’s not convenient, I put in a break before changing point of view.’ As to why Roberts is allowed to head-hop but Perrin wasn’t… ‘People say Nora Roberts is famous enough that she can get away with it. I’ve a sneaking suspicion that she wrote like that from Day One, so how did she get published in the first place? But hey, I wanted to get published, so I was prepared to be flexible!’ After much re-writing and having his work re-critiqued by the Rom Critters, Grace’s Turmoil was finally published in ebook and paperback, since when Peter has been throwing himself into promotion. Having established contacts with other writers, he says, ‘I think I was on 13 blogs in 16 days. I’ve been in my local paper, the Swindon Advertiser, twice and I’ve just arranged with my local library to do

a meet-the-author session. ‘Local radio has been brilliant. I’ve done two interviews with them. One was not so much about the book as what an older person could get out of writing: the sense of purpose and how the research helps to keep your brain sharp.’ His biggest tip? ‘Believe in yourself. Just go for it, and once you’ve done it, hawk it around and try to get it published. You might be lucky like me and get a publisher first time.’ • Grace’s Turmoil is published by Devine Destinies

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READER LETTERS

Writers CIRCLE

Your news and views, writing tips and funny stories MOVE ON!

THE BUSINESS

I read the letter from Neil Follett (issue #201), who was unhappy about editors ignoring pitches, with interest and disbelief. I think Neil needs to develop a thicker skin and a professional attitude. I’ve lost count of the amount of ideas I’ve sent out and never had a reply to. Do I take it personally? No, I do not. A professional writer can’t afford to. In any case, the fact you’ve received no reply, despite a follow-up email, gives you your answer. Your pitch just wasn’t suitable. My advice to Neil is to keep reading the magazines he wants to be published in and hone his pitching skills to improve his chances. Editors don’t have time to cater for the whims of potential contributions. Send out lots of pitches and don’t wait around for those replies. Move on! Julie Phillips, Telford, Shrops

to walk their beloved pets, and there’s also a website called BorrowMyDoggy.com that matches owners and people who’d like to fill the gap in their lives by taking a dog out. Helen Yendall, Blockley, Glos

PEN PAL

BURN OUT

I agree with all Kath PRIZE Kilburn’s tips for LETTER keeping yourself healthy working from home (issue #201 July) but if you’re a dog-owner like me, most of that’s a given. A daily walk of around an hour and a half with my spaniel Bonnie gives me a break from the computer, fresh air and exercise, and there’s usually someone who wants to chat along the way – so that’s company sorted, too. If you don’t have a dog but would like to ‘borrow’ one, the Cinnamon Trust is always looking for volunteer dog walkers to help those who are too infirm

Having been a software developer, I experienced Kath Kilburn’s list of writers’ health risks first hand. She says you ‘can’t just allow yourself a day on the sofa’. But if you can’t take an unplanned day off, you need to try and manage your time differently. When negotiating deadlines, allow for slippage due to sickness and domestic emergencies, and set personal deadlines ahead of those agreed with editors. Careful self-management is vital to self-employment: Adam Smith noted that self-employed carpenters burned out after a few years and burnout is still

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Writers’FORUM #202

BECOMING A WRITER Kath Kilburn looks at how to keep yourself healthy when working at home

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re you sitting comfortably? Then I’ll… Oh, wait a minute, though. You’re a writer, so the chances of you sitting comfortably are minimal. You’re probably hunched over a laptop perched on your knee. Or, like me, you might be trying to peer through varifocal lenses and straining your eyes in the process? Maybe you’ve been typing for hours, causing nerve damage to your wrist – carpal tunnel

a hazard for the self-employed. Make an effort not to become a recluse. Exercise that involves interacting with others (not the solitude of the gym) meets two goals at once. The self-employed must avoid burning out while wearing a hair shirt. Alex Kashko, Edinburgh

RESCUE REMEDY I’ve been a subscriber for a year since my retirement. When issue #200 June arrived, I finally felt ready to stop procrastinating and seized the magazine with resolve. The first article, an interview with Sarah Painter, pushed all the right buttons. Inspired, I ordered her first book, signed up for her newsletter and looked at her latest novel, Beneath the Water, set on the remote Scottish coast. Imagine the serendipity when I found the setting is the village I live in! Apart from enjoying the story, I’m having fun trying to identify the various parts of the

cycles. ‘The ideal solution.’ Don’t feel discouraged, though, if you can’t match Jaimie’s fantastic dedication to being a healthy writer. The important thing is to do something. Walking to the library to research your subject; jogging to the cafe to fetch yourself a coffee – it’s all good. Author of the fabulous A Bad Winter Winter, Samantha Priestley makes sure she starts her day with a stroll. ‘I started doing a daily walk mostly to get me out of the

village, and, yes, I’m nearly sure my house is in it. And am I writing at last? Yes! Ann Lamont, Arisaig, Inverness-shire

WIDE LOAD Della Galton’s reply to Vaun Evans (issue #200) about his novel stalling at 45,000 words reminded me of one I struggled with: a good tale but it ran out at 53,000 words. I added more plot – what really amounted to a second story – to expand it but have never really been satisfied it was the right thing to do. So I no longer look to lengthen the plot, I look at widening it. Boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy wins girl is all very well, but make one a rugby player and the other a librarian and there is more opportunity for clashes. Make the boy religious and the girl not, because of the death of her mother, and there is another conflict to resolve. Make the boy a cat lover and the girl allergic

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The writer of the prize letter each month will win a year’s subscription to the magazine. Please make sure that you include your full name and address in your email. Write to [email protected]

Oh dear, it looks like Marlon James was having a bad writing day. Can you spot the 20 errors in this ‘first draft’ of A Brief History of Seven Killings?

Dead people never stop talking. May be because death is not

Despite favourable reviews of the preliminary stabs at my novel, its development was obstructed by various crises in the family, including illness. After Mum died a few months ago, I was determined to get back into the book. But I was nervous. It wasn’t writer’s block but a fear that I had lost the book’s voice. With extraordinary timing, out came the June issue of Writers’ Forum, with the lead coverline ‘How to Keep Going’ and, better still, a secondary one of ‘Restart after a Break from your Book’. Now if that wasn’t a sign to have a proper crack at the novel, I don’t know what would be. Della Galton’s advice to read the whole thing through again – in one sitting – led to a fundamental and painful revelation. I had shoehorned in a character who did not bring anything to the story. He is a lovely man, the chapters are well-constructed and, oh, I am pleased with the evocative passages about his childhood – but he simply isn’t needed. Gulp! If I took him out, my hard-earned wordcount of 76,000 words would be slashed to around 65,000. After an hour of browbeating, yoga breathing and a large gin, I reasoned it’s better to lose those words now than a reader in the future. And all is not lost. Jack can come back in another time and another place. Or perhaps

HELP IS AT HAND Kath Kilburn’s advice in issue #199 about professional development made me think about the amazing progress I’ve made as a writer by doing pretty much what she suggested. Starting out as a writer, living on the Isle of Man seemed a bit isolating. The local college offered an A level in Creative Writing but I couldn’t afford the time or fees. I knew there were writers on the island and I’d read many of their books but I had no idea how to contact them. Besides, even if there was a writers’ group, why would they want me? In 2016 I discovered the Manx LitFest, which featured talks by ‘real’ writers, including Martina Cole, and practical events to help writers. The 2017 festival was just as good – the session with Chris Ewan on place even produced some material for my novel. I bought a couple of books on writing but then discovered Writers’ Forum – a regular fix of help and advice. Through your pages I found the Write by the Beach conference in Brighton. All three of these writing events have shown me how supportive other writers are None of this professional development has cost me a lot, but it has boosted my confidence and helped me to feel less isolated. I am a practical example of Kath’s advice. Jude Jackson, Ballaugh, Isle of Man

death at all, just a detention after school You know where your going though you never seem to get there and you’re just dead. Dead. It sounds final but its a word missing an ing. You come across men longer dead than you, walking all the thyme though heading no-where and you listen to them howl and hiss because we’re all spirits or we think we are all spirits but we’re all just dead, spirits that just slip inside other spirits. Sometimes a women slips inside a man and whales like the memory of making love, and little children think there’s an monster. The dead love laying inside the living for three reason. (1) We’re lying most of the time. (2) Under the bed looks like the top of a coffin, but (3) There is weight, human wait on top that you can slip into and make heavier, and you listen to the heart beat while you watch it pump and hear the nostrils hiss when their lungs press air and envy even the shortest breathe. I have no memory of coffins. But the dad never stop talking and sometimes the living here. This is what I wanted to say when you’re dead speech is nothing but tangents and detours and there’s nothing to do but stray and wander a while. Well that’s, what the other’s do. My point being that the expired lean from the expired but that’s tricky. Sent in by RS Pyne, from Ceredigion, who wins £25 12 human weight (spelling). 13 breath (confusion with verb). 14 the dead never (typo). 15 the living hear (wrong word). 16 wanted to say. When (new sentence). 17 wander awhile (single word). 18 Well, that’s (misplaced comma). 19 the others do (plural not possessive). 20 expired learn from (typo). NB The author uses fewer commas than normal here.

DARN THREADS

another character can take over the house that Jack built. Either way, I am writing daily, and that is what I call progress. Jo Scott, Broadstairs, Kent

£25

Corrections 1 Maybe because (one word). 2 after school. (full stop). 3 where you’re going (spelling). 4 but it’s a word (apostrophe). 5 all the time (wrong word). 6 heading nowhere (no hyphen). 7 Sometimes a woman (singular). 8 and wails (spelling). 9 there’s a monster (typo). 10 The dead love lying (wrong verb). 11 three reasons (plural).

and it becomes almost impossible to sort it all out in a few words. Every time you broaden the scope, it automatically adds words. Sullatober Dalton, Faringdon, Oxon

Could you ruin a passage from a modern novel? Send your error-ridden First Draft (around 250 words), and the 20 solutions, to [email protected] Please note that entries are accepted via email only. We pay £25 for the best published.

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FIRST STEPS

GET STARTED

Summer shorts Douglas McPherson suggests an adventurous approach to selling magazine fiction

and our readers go “Ooh, this is fresh and different!”’

Cut-offs

Knock their socks off

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e all like to take a break from our daily routine. Fiction editors and women’s magazine readers are no exception. So send them a story this summer that takes them somewhere different. It could be an exotic foreign locale, like the Bahamas, Dubai or Switzerland, or somewhere further off the beaten track, like Antarctica, the Amazon rainforest or the first tourist trip into outer space. Perhaps you could take them on an outing to see what goes on behind the scenes of a sausage factory, a speedway track or a fashion show. Or

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back in time to the recent or distant past, or even back to their youth. Whatever you do, don’t consign them to another boring afternoon in someone’s kitchen or anonymous office.

New style

There’s a prevalent belief that the women’s mag market is a hard nut to crack and that the only way in is to slavishly read the existing content and try to replicate its formula. The danger is that you are likely to a) end up writing something generic, half-hearted and lacklustre, and b) bore an editor who’s been reading

the same stuff week in, week out when what they’re really looking for from a new writer is something original. So this month I’m going to suggest that you STOP reading the magazines and just send them the sort of stories that you’d really like to write. Is that reckless? Not when People’s Friend fiction editor Shirley Blair recently wrote on her blog: Try to identify what you don’t see in the magazine. Try to identify a period that hasn’t been featured lately. Same with types of story. Try to break the cycle and offer us something that makes us

Of course, when editors say they’re looking for something different they mean within certain parameters, which you will have to abide by although they are more about length and tone than content. Among the magazines currently accepting unsolicited submissions are People’s Friend, Weekly News, Woman’s Weekly, Ireland’s Own, In the Moment and, further afield but open to international contributors, Allas (Sweden), You (South Africa) and That’s Life! Fast Fiction (Australia). Each uses stories of very specific lengths, such as 1200 or 2000 words, which you must stick to. You can go a few words over (up to 50 at most) but never under, as it’s easier for an editor to trim than pad. Your first stop should therefore be the guidelines of your target magazine to see what length stories they require, along with their submissions procedure. Some accept email subs, others insist on a paper manuscript by post. They’ll also often include some dos and don’ts on their particular preferences. If the guidelines aren’t on the magazine’s website, you’ll find them on the excellent Womag Writer blog at www. womagwriter.blogspot.co.uk Apart from length, the differences between the mags

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Forget what everyone else is writing about. If it fires your imagination, it’ll interest other people are mostly superficial and easy to adapt to where necessary. The Weekly News and Ireland’s Own, for example, aren’t exclusively aimed at women so they’re more open to stories with a male main character. The others occasionally run stories with a male lead if the story justifies it. You, Ireland’s Own and That’s Life! Fast Fiction prefer stories that the readers can at least imagine are set in their home countries, or that feature characters from those places, but in many cases that will mean changing little more than minor details, such as pounds to euros or dollars and avoiding unsuitable weather references for their climate. And it’s only a general rule, as I’ve sold You a story set in Paris with a French heroine and one to That’s Life! Fast Fiction set in America with an American cast.

The right tone

It’s probably worth noting here that I’ve sold to In the Moment,

You, Ireland’s Own, Take a Break and That’s Life! Fast Fiction without previous sight of the mags or altering my style, so I’d say the markets are fairly interchangeable. The reason is because all the above markets want material of essentially the same tone, which comes down to: ■ Stories suitable for family reading, so no explicit sex, violence or swearing ■ Warm, uplifting tales with a feel-good ending ■ No harsh, bleak, shocking or depressing themes ■ Stories that promote traditional family values and morals ■ Mainly stories from a female character’s point of view.

Fine tuning

The other requirements are those of any commercial fiction: ■ Be sure to tell a story with a definite beginning, middle and end, as opposed to a character study in which

TRICKS OF THE TRADE Douglas shares writing tips he’s learned through experience

#43 Start at the end The end is the most important part of a story. It’s the big, emotional (or comic, or thrilling) punch that everything else has just been setting the readers up for. A hooky beginning may draw them in, but it’s the ending that will leave your audience either satisfied or disappointed. Because endings are so important, it’s a good idea to write your closing scene as early in the writing process as you feel confident to do so. A good ending needs room to breathe. You never want to think, ‘I’ve only got 200 words left to wrap this up.’ That will result in a rushed and unsatisfying ending. It’s better to write your closing scene without wordcount pressure. Let it flow naturally and give it as many words as it needs. It will be easier to shorten any less consequential scenes earlier in the story.

■ If you have a question about getting started as a writer, please email Douglas at [email protected]

TAKE THE STEP nothing much happens, or an inconclusive anecdote. ■ A story needs a main character challenged by events and circumstances. They need a clear goal with obstacles to overcome. Wondering how they will overcome their problems is what keeps us reading. ■ Engage the reader with your main character by sticking to their point of view throughout. ■ Make them likeable, so we’ll root for them. Or, if they’re intentionally unpleasant, give them a satisfying comeuppance. ■ Use dialogue as much as possible to show the character’s thoughts rather than telling us what they’re thinking. It makes livelier reading. ■ Get into your story quickly, so we know immediately who we’re reading about and what they’re up to. ■ Get out equally sharpish. As soon as the problem is solved or the happy ending achieved, bring the curtain down.

Be yourself

Beyond those pointers, there really is no limit on creativity. From my own experience, I’ve found the secret of selling fiction to be the same as selling articles. You have to fit in with the mag’s format while bringing something uniquely your own. So if you have a passion for horses, aeroplanes, Spain, Westerns or the 1990s rave scene, forget what everyone else is writing about and write a story around the things that most inspire you. If it fires your imagination, it’ll interest other people. More importantly, you’ll write with an energy that will shine through your prose and keep your readers entertained to the end.

Next issue

How to beat first page block.

Lesson 1 The danger in trying to replicate the formula of a magazine’s existing fiction is that you’re likely to end up with something dully formulaic, whereas editors are crying out for stories that are fresh and different. Lesson 2 Every publication wants stories of lengths unique to its own design, but they all want uplifting, feel-good fiction that steers away from depressing themes. Lesson 3 The secret of success is writing stories that match the required wordcount and tone while bringing original content the author is excited about. Homework Pick one of the titles that accept unsolicited fiction and check out the length of stories require. Without trying to second guess the type of story they want, write a feel-good tale using a setting that inspires you. Send it in and let us know how you get on. • Start Writing Today by Douglas McPherson is available as an ebook to download from Amazon now

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WEST CORK LITERARY FESTIVAL

WEST CORK LITERARY FESTIVAL RK LITERARY FESTIVAL Bantry, Co. Cork, Ireland Friday 13 – Friday 20 July 2018

readings / workshops / seminars / children’s events

featuring

Zadie Smith • Bernard MacLaverty Margaret Drabble • Philip Hoare • Louise O’Neill Sinead Morrissey • Nick Laird + Many More

+353 (0)27 52788 / westcorkliteraryfestival.ie Images, from left: Margaret Drabble, Philip Hoare, Zadie Smith Photos: Ruth Corney, Dennis Minsky, Dominique Nababkov

Available online at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Google play “...give or take a pebble.”, “... give or take a shilling.”, and “...give or take a moment.” ( coming soon) Readers can contact the author at [email protected]

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LIKELY STORIES

Tales of my GURU

by Hugh Scott

The mystery mentor explains a common writer’s misconception

A

waitress, carrying a chair by its ears, approached my table. She placed the chair opposite me. ‘For your friend,’ she said. ‘Another pot of coffee?’ ‘Yes, please. Did he phone?’ ‘No,’ she said wisely. ‘I just knew.’ And I nodded. Only my Guru could convey information subliminally with enough conviction to influence a busy waitress. ‘Better bring some buns,’ I sighed; for my Guru was no ordinary friend, but a sort of esoteric layer of knowledge laid down since the beginning of time, and able to manifest as a person in order to help amateur writers like myself, and able also to consume buns and coffee by the barrowload. ‘Okey dokey,’ said the waitress, and toddled off. I liked her already: the casual acceptance of the inexplicable; the uninhibited wiggle of her – ‘There you are,’ said my Guru. ‘And here comes my coffee. And buns. How kind.’ He beamed at the waitress, and she inclined her head politely but without interest. ‘I sent her a text,’ he said, unwittingly demolishing my fantasy. ‘All writers have fantasies,’ he continued, as he poured coffee and squeezed a bun. ‘It’s how they make their living. But there is one fantasy they should avoid.’ He looked at me with his eye above the bun. ‘Tell me, then,’ I grumbled. ‘Jim Grunt?’ Jim Grunt was a prehistoric sort of bloke in my writers’ group. ‘Mrs Halburton-Smythe.’ ‘Oh.’ Mrs Halburton-Smythe – also in my writers’ group – was in crisis with her writing. She was insisting on perfecting the first paragraph of her novel before going on to the second. ‘I try to help,’ I said. ‘I understand,’ said my Guru. ‘Mrs Halburton-Smythe is indulging in a fantasy that many amateur writers get caught up in. ‘Imagine,’ he continued, pressing the bun into his mouth and selecting another, ‘a new artist, who has only just discovered which end of a pencil to use, insisting on replicating the Mona Lisa so that her copy

Imagine a new artist insisting on replicating the Mona Lisa is indistinguishable from the original.’ ‘OK.’ ‘Or a musician, who thinks that a trombone is for sucking, trying to –’ ‘Yes, yes!’ I said. ‘The amateur who wants to be a prodigy in one paragraph! I get it! Fantasy! But what can I do about it?’ ‘Perhaps nothing,’ admitted my Guru, ‘because some ladies (and men) simply will not be told. But kindly suggestions aired to everyone in your writers’ group –’ I was suddenly ahead of him. ‘You mean that I shouldn’t tell her directly? Let her overhear – sort of thing – so that she doesn’t realise that I am referring to her work. Excellent idea! But what do I say?’ I, too, ate a bun, in considerable excitement. As I chewed, my excitement faded. I was trying to imagine addressing my writers’ group in such a sly way that Mrs Halburton-Smythe’s smug ears would be unblocked sufficiently to let in new ideas. But Mrs Halburton-Smythe, I knew, had ears more thoroughly blocked than a drain full of dripping. I poured coffee slowly, hoping for inspiration.

‘I could…’ My Guru licked icing from his third bun. ‘…or perhaps not,’ I admitted, because I hadn’t actually thought of anything. I sucked up coffee. Then I wondered if I should try to overtake my Guru’s bun consumption by eating faster. But I was bun-full. Axiology came into my head. I wondered what it meant. ‘What does axiology mean?’ ‘It’s the study of essential things,’ said my Guru, and he tilted his glance encouragingly. ‘If I gave a short talk about the axiology of writing… the perfection that some writers try to reach. I could invite questions. What is perfection? How can we know when we find it? That sort of thing. Mrs Halburton-Smythe might just respond. ‘If we believe,’ I lectured my Guru, ‘that we have written perfectly for the first half of a story – not the first paragraph; she would know I was talking about her – how could we be sure of that perfection if the story is unfinished? The first half might not fit the second half And we can’t know that until the story is finished. Hmm,’ I said. ‘And!’ I said, my excitement rising. ‘Who is to decide what is perfect? Is there a Committee of Perfection who can judge? Or does the writer judge? How can the writer judge perfection if she – he – is a beginner? By gum!’ I cried quietly. ‘That might just work! What do you think?’ But my Guru was gone, along with the last bun. But I didn’t mind. He had played his favourite trick: he had made me work it out for myself And it was time, now, perhaps, for me to unbung Mrs Halburton-Smythe’s drain full of dripping.

Use it or lose it

‘Axiology’ is the study of essential things. Oh. My Guru has already told you. The early adventures of me and my Guru are published in a superbeautiful hardback, Likely Stories, published by How Stories To Books for less than a tenner – that’s the price of five coffees. Treat yourself.

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MOTIVATION

MAKE YOURSELF

UNTOUCHABLE Sarah Davies explains how she’s managed to break all contact with the world while writing, and shows how you can do it too

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hat, be uncontactable? For a whole day? Every week? Oh, I couldn’t possibly!’ Such has been the reaction of many people this year when I tell them how I’ve started isolating myself from the world while writing. It all began when I read Neil Pasricha’s article ‘Why you need an untouchable day every week’, in the Harvard Business Review. My immediate thought was: ‘I can do that.’ Usually, like most people, I then get on with real life and forget about ideas like this, but for some reason this time I picked up my diary and scheduled some untouchable days. In his article, Pasricha explained how he plans his days 16 weeks ahead of time, because his work schedule allows him to do that. I keep a weather eye on my month, but only schedule my untouchable day on a Sunday when I’m planning my work for the following week. And no, I don’t always schedule a whole day because sometimes I don’t have a whole day to spare (and there’s a whole other discussion there about needs, wants and choices). For many reading this, writing might be the thing you fit in between a regular job and your family. You might only have a few precious hours a week. So why not make them untouchable and keep them that way?

What if ‘stuff’ comes up?

In real life things do often come up at the last minute that simply can’t be missed or rescheduled. You can move your untouchable time if you have to, but you must fit it in the same week. Untouchable days or times are not about luxury, they are about committing to showing up and putting in the hours so that you achieve your writing goals. Make it clear to yourself and your family and

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I’ve upped my productivity and the quality of my work … I really get into the flow of the project friends that this is work time and that as soon as you’ve finished, they will get your undivided attention.

How do I do it?

Scheduling the time is all very well, but it’s really easy to look at that block of time and think: ‘But instead I could…’ The bottom line is, if you’ve scheduled an appointment in your diary, it’s a thing that’s happening. Get into the mindset of treating these appointments with yourself just as seriously as you treat appointments with anyone else and show up ready to get the job done. You don’t have to leave the house to do your untouchable time – it depends on your home circumstances. If it’s quiet and you can resist turning on your phone and the internet, then you’re probably going to be fine. And don’t feel you need to sit at your desk (if you have one). Move to a different place – the kitchen or a sofa – and see how that changes the experience. If you choose to go out, choose your spot wisely. Libraries are good as everyone else has their head down working too. Finding the perfect coffee shop or pub can also be a good option, but you might need to visit a few before you find the perfect environment for you… Other suggestions from established writers include: ■■ Going out walking ■■ Taking a long bus ride

■■ Going on a train journey ■■ Sitting in the garden or local park.

But I can’t work without wi-fi!

Yes, you can. I was really struck by a few people who said: ‘Wi‑fi is a must.’ Why? I understand that as writers we need to do research, but surely you can write some research notes or just leave a highlighted gap in your draft to remind you to go back and check the facts when you do have internet access? Some writers download internet pages to view offline when they’re on untouchable time, but a lot – me included – write in notebooks and type the work up later. It might seem like making the whole process overly long, but I write better quality stuff if the first draft is done with pen and paper. And you don’t have to carry a heavy laptop around with you. I know if my phone or computer is on, I’m going to struggle not to look on social media or just ‘quickly’ check my email. I won’t lie, sometimes I have missed out on potential work leads because I haven’t responded to something the minute it was posted. But those instances are the exception not the rule. Whereas by giving myself untouchable time, I’ve upped my productivity and the quality of my work because I’ve been unashamed to take the time and really get into the flow of the project in hand.

It’s a change of mindset

So often as writers we feel guilty about actually doing it. It seems like an indulgence and there are always mundane house chores to do, ‘real’ work (if we still have a day job), or commitments that we convince ourselves are more important than putting pen to paper. Once we convince ourselves, though, that we are real writers – with the rejection slips and the novel in the bottom drawer

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to prove it – we need to set ourselves our untouchable time, whether that’s a whole day or just an hour. And we need to show up ready to write.

Stick at it

You may find you sit down and think, ‘I’m not in the mood today’, but I encourage you to stick at it, even if you have to start writing a stream of consciousness piece about how you really don’t have anything to say today. Eventually you will get into the flow. If you can stand it, I’d really encourage you to leave your computer at home if you go out, or switched off if you’re at home. And definitely switch your mobile phone off.

What about emergencies?

Let’s face it, they hardly ever happen. If you decide to work away from home, let someone know where you are so that you can be found. Otherwise, allow yourself some time during the day when you do switch on your devices. You’ll soon see that most things can wait.

In conclusion

Untouchable days or chunks of time can enable you to take your writing to a whole new level by giving you the time to focus on and produce more work. But you have to be dedicated enough to: ■■ Make an appointment with yourself in your diary. ■■ Make the decision to treat appointments with yourself as seriously as you treat appointments with anyone else. ■■ Do the preparatory work beforehand so that you have everything you need to make the best use of your untouchable time. ■■ Show up to the appointment and work hard (just like you would for any other appointment). ■■ Follow up afterwards and fill in the gaps in your writing, or research the ideas you came up with during your session.

If you do all of these things, if you treat yourself as you would any other client, then you will find yourself getting more done, getting more rejections (and more commissions, because the more you pitch, the more success you’ll get). You’ll be working smarter and feeling like you’re making headway in the world of writing. Finally, if you stick to your guns and keep showing up, you could – like Pasricha himself – find yourself scheduling not one untouchable day a week but two!

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Do you have a story to tell?

EDITORS WANTED WHO WE ARE: Mortons Media Group is a long-established and highly respected independent publishing company based in Horncastle, Lincolnshire. We are looking for new non-fiction authors to work with, whether they are recognised or unknown. We publish 20-25 bookazines every year and we are always on the lookout for new and exciting titles.

WHAT WE NEED: A bookazine typically consists of between 50,000 and 70,000 words and 200 to 300 images. So if there is a title you already have or one that you would like to work on, please get in touch to see if we can work together. Remittance is typically paid in full as soon as the completed manuscript and accompanying images have been received and accepted for publication. All existing and new authors are welcome to visit our offices at any time to meet our team. We are committed to producing quality publications in a range of different topics, including but not limited to aviation, military history and historic vehicles.

CONTACT: STEVEN O’HARA – [email protected] – 01507 529 535

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Got a question – or advice for one of these readers? Email [email protected]

ADVICE PAGE

Need advice on writing and publishing? Novelist and short story writer Della Galton can help

Fruity scene shocked my writing group Q

I tend to get totally involved in my characters when I’m writing. I laugh, cry, swear, act out their movements, everything. I drew on this for one of my characters, a writer who was writing a sexy scene and getting a bit hot under the collar. But the other members of my writing group were stunned into silence when I read out the passage. I hadn’t written graphic sex, or anything approaching porn; touching on the erotic I would accept. It was only a couple of paragraphs and I don’t plan to cut them out. But just what is acceptable? Millie Vigor, Taunton

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I think what’s acceptable, as far as erotic content goes, depends entirely on your readership. Are your writing group also your target readers? If so, having read the extract you attached with your letter, I wonder why they were shocked. Maybe it’s simply that they aren’t used to you reading out a piece that’s ‘closer to the edge’ than usual. I think we also react differently to something in a public forum than we would reading in private at home. I wouldn’t worry too much. You are the author, and if you think what you’ve written fits your novel, then keep it. You might also want to seek advice from your publisher or agent, as I see you have several novels published already. My agent, interestingly, thinks I can be too reserved when writing scenes that have an erotic slant. ‘Put it all in there,’ she advised me when reading an early draft of my current novel. ‘Don’t shy away from love scenes if they are key to the plot.’ This is also good advice.

Q

I’m about to enter the Impress novel competition. As well as the opening chapters they’re asking for other information. Most of the elements are self-explanatory but they include a ‘rationale for publishing the book’. I

have a vague idea what this means but Googling it I get many conflicting answers. I’m a bit stumped. Mary Phillips, via email

website and an online presence? I feel that, without publication, I won’t have much to put on my site! Adam Peacock, South Shields

A

A

The Impress Prize rules state that each entry should be accompanied by the following: author biography; synopsis/plot summary; outline of market readership; proposed length; rationale for publishing the book. As you say, most of these are self-explanatory, but just to clarify: ■ An author biography is written in the third person. If you have any previous publications, however small, you could mention them. Eg: Mary works in the family business, but writing is her passion. She has been placed in several short story competitions and this is her third completed novel. ■ A synopsis/plot summary means a brief outline of your novel. A page of single-line spacing (500 to 600 words) is usual, written in the present tense. ■ Market readership refers to who you think will read your book. Publishers often like this to be in the context of a named author. So you might say: I think my novel will appeal to readers of Lee Child. ■ Proposed length – this is the length you anticipate your novel will be. A first novel is usually around 90,000 words. ■ I asked the Impress organisers exactly what they meant by rationale and they said: ‘What we are looking for are reasons from the author for publication: why is the book different, original, even unique? Why will it appeal to a significant readership and who will that readership be?’

Q

I have completed a crime novel (after multiple drafts) and I have started sending it out to agents listed in the Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook. I have had a number of replies, all rejections, and whilst this was exciting at first I am now starting to feel downhearted. What else could I be doing? Should I create a

I think almost every published author would agree with you that trying to get an agent is a disheartening process. Rejections are part of the journey. Have any of them offered you advice? If they just say things like ‘my list is full’, it’s not very helpful, but if they are more specific and say things like, ‘I couldn’t warm to the protagonist,’ then this might be something to think about and work on. If you are sending out a partial (three chapters and a synopsis) does anyone ask to see the rest? If they do, it means your writing is good enough but the novel maybe doesn’t live up to expectations. I’d be inclined to get a second opinion from a reputable critique agency, for example, The Literary Consultancy or Hilary Johnson. Are you a member of the Crime Writers’ Association (CWA)? Join and go to any conventions on offer. This is a good way to find out what kind of novels agents and publishers in your field are looking for. You could set up a website, but I’d be more inclined to get a Twitter account or Facebook page to begin with. Both are free and not as time-intensive as writing posts for a website. On Twitter you could follow crime publishers and agents and crime writers to start off with, for the purpose of building up knowledge of the industry. I hope this helps and I’m going to end with the advice that was once given to me by editor Linda O’Byrne: Don’t give up. There is always a market for excellence. • Della’s books on writing, The Short Story Writer’s Toolshed and The Novel Writer’s Toolshed, are available from Amazon

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CHILDREN’S BOOKS

WRITING4CHILDREN SCWBI SPECIAL Anita Loughrey, Membership Coordinator for the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, highlights its benefits

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he Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators or SCBWI is a non-profit and volunteer-run organisation that is purely about serving members’ needs. SCBWI is different to other children’s writing groups and is a well-respected global organisation. There are currently over 1000 UK members who have access to SCBWI people and events all over the world. This provides a unique and inspiring community of writers and illustrators, with a vast array of networking opportunities. You join via the International website scbwi.org and pay in dollars. Your details are then forwarded to the British Isles and your regional network.

Regional networks

The regional networks are tailored to members’ needs at a local level. Having regional networks brings the publishing world out of London. The network organisers are all volunteers who consult members on what they want, to provide a sense of belonging with a community that lasts.

Cath Jones says:

‘There are local SCBWI groups scattered throughout the UK and mine meets not far from where I live. ‘When I joined, it was run by the wonderful author Jane Clarke. She was so generous, sharing her expertise and helping me to develop my picture book texts. At one point I almost gave up on my dream, but support from the group kept me focused. ‘I have made some really wonderful, talented friends. It’s worth being a member of SCBWI for this alone. ‘I have also made lots of contacts including Maverick editor Kim Nye. My debut picture book, Bonkers About Beetroot, was published by Maverick in October 2017. Bonkers tells the story of an optimistic zebra who, accompanied by a pessimistic

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penguin, tries to save his safari park home from closure by growing a giant beetroot, with hilarious, unexpected consequences. ‘Last year was a bonkers year for me. Since June 2017 I have had 11 books published! It’s great finally being able to say: “I’m an author.”’

I would have eventually been published even without it, but winning creates a breakthrough moment in one’s career which contributes to its sustainability. So, thank you, UV.’ Is it a Mermaid? was published by OtterBarry Books in April 2018.

Undiscovered Voices

Golden Kite and Crystal Kite Awards

The Undiscovered Voices competition runs every two years and is for unpublished, un-agented children’s book writers and illustrators living in the EU. It is supported by book packager Working Partners. The aim is to put fresh, new voices in front of agents, publishers and, ultimately, readers. Winners of the 2017 competition were launched in the Undiscovered Voices anthology in February and the competition will re-open for submissions in July 2019. Writers and illustrators included in previous anthologies have received publishing contracts for over 200 books. These authors have been nominated for and won an amazing array of literary prizes, including the Carnegie Medal, Waterstones Children’s Book Prize, Branford Boase Award, Blue Peter Award, the SCBWI Crystal Kite Award and nearly 30 regional awards. See www. undiscoveredvoices.com for the fantastic success stories and details of how to enter.

Candy Gourlay says: ‘I felt like I

was bashing my head against a brick wall, with frequent near-misses and kind, enthusiastic rejections from agents and editors alike. I needed something to tip the odds in my favour. ‘Winning Undiscovered Voices did it for me. It persuaded the agent who had been mulling one of my “not quite there” manuscripts to sign me, and we continue to work well together eight years later. ‘Being able to say I was an Undiscovered Voices winner also laid the foundation for launching myself as a debut writer. I think

SCBWI have their own highly respected awards. Both the Golden Kite and Crystal Kite Awards are for members only. The Golden Kite Awards are the only children’s literary award judged by a jury of peers and recognise excellence in children’s literature in five categories: Young Reader and Middle Grade Fiction, Young Adult Fiction, Nonfiction, Picture Book Text and Picture Book Illustration. The Crystal Kite is a peer-given award to recognise great books from 15 SCBWI regional divisions around the world. Previous winners include Candy Gourlay, Sara Grant, Dave Cousins and Teri Terry.

Teri Terry says:

‘I have been a SCBWI member since 2008. My fourth book, Mind Games, was the winner for the British Isles in 2015. Having the recognition of your peers in a regional award – and all at the amazing SCBWI annual conference party and mass book launch, among so much talent and so many friends! – was a humbling experience. There’s no doubt that an award from an organisation as respected as the SCBWI is around the world boosts your profile, and it looks lovely on my shelf. ‘I’ve got so much from being a member of SCBWI, from all the details in the early stages such as how to prepare a synopsis and submission, to the encouragement that really is a lifeline through all the rejections, to the contacts made.’ Deception was out in February 2018. It follows Contagion as the second in the Dark Matter trilogy.

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PICTURE BOOKS STORY BOOKS EASY READERS CHAPTER BOOKS MIDDLE GRADE YOUNG ADULT EASY READERS CHAPTER BOOKS MIDDLE GRADE YOUNG ADULT PICTURE BOOKS STORY BOOKS

Slushpile Challenge

This competition runs four times a year in the SCBWI British Isles online magazine, Words and Pictures. It involves commissioning editors and agents setting a challenge for current SCBWI un-agented members to enter. Each challenge is for a different age range. The winner of each challenge is put in touch with the agent or editor who set and judged the competition to arrange a 30-minute discussion, in person, by Skype or on the phone.

Em Lynas says:

‘I met my agent Amber Caraveo of the Skylark Agency through the Slushpile Challenge. She was looking for “voice” and I had one. Nosy Crow (Children’s Publisher of the Year 2017) liked the voice too. They offered a three-book deal and published You Can’t Make Me Go to Witch School! in August 2017. ‘It features Daisy Wart who has been dumped at Toadspit Towers School for Witches but she is definitely not a witch. She is a Shakespearean actress and she is ac-chew-ally starring in a tragedy!’

SCBWI Conference

The SCBWI Conference takes place in Winchester each November.

Sue Wallman says: ‘Winning a

manuscript critique with the editorial director at Penguin Random House was a big part of how I got published. I was at the SCBWI Conference and there were

lots of raffle prizes, most of them critiques from different editors and agents. You could choose which envelope to put your tickets into and I shovelled lots into Natalie Doherty’s envelope. I really wanted to win that critique. ‘Lying About Last Summer was my fifth attempt at a young adult novel. I’d written and re-written it and thought it was ready, but I knew it had to be as good as it could possibly be. Of course, I secretly wanted Natalie to read my manuscript and say it was the best thing she’d ever read and offer me a book deal. She didn’t, but she emailed me a list of incredibly useful comments. ‘Among other things she suggested making two characters sisters rather than cousins in order to intensify the grief in the story, adding flashbacks to show the bond between characters, and changing my first chapter to something more dramatic. ‘I knuckled down and re-worked the book yet again. A couple of months later, I had a two-book deal with Scholastic. ‘Before I joined SCBWI I had no idea I would learn so much about the craft of writing or that I’d make such great friends. The year after I was published, I teamed up with four other SCBWI debut authors, Olivia Levez, Patrice Lawrence, Kathryn Evans and Eugene Lambert, to tour various bookshops around the country. I will always be grateful to them for their comradery and support. ‘My second book, See How They Lie, was published in February 2017 and the third, Your Turn to Die, also published by Scholastic UK, came out in May 2018.’

Agents’ Party

The Agents’ Party is a members-only event where attendees can meet top children’s literary and illustrators’ agents who are actively expanding their lists. The agents

talk on a panel about what books excite them, what they’re looking for and their submission process.

Peter Bunzl says: ‘The biggest

thing was meeting my agent Jo Williamson at the Agents’ Party. The event is a chance for unrepresented writers to go and hear children’s agents speak and to meet them informally. Afterwards I sent Jo my book and three months later she asked to represent me. ‘Since being a member of SCBWI I have discovered what children’s agents are looking for and how to approach them. I’ve also learned what’s involved in being a successful author, how to create a public persona through web presence, performing at festivals and doing school events. ‘Moonlocket came out in May 2017 with Usborne Books. It’s the sequel to my Waterstones-nominated debut Cogheart.’

Summing up

All of these factors help to make SCBWI stand head and shoulders above other organisations. SCBWI is not a critique service charging for each stage of a book’s development; as you can see, SCBWI offers so much more. ■ www.britishisles.scbwi.org ■ Twitter: #SCBWIchat ● or follow @SCBWI_BI ● or @SCBWI_illustrat ● or @Words8Pictures ■ Facebook: @SCBWIBritishIsles

• To find out more about Anita’s books, visit www.anitaloughrey.com

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FREELANCE MARKETS

THE MAGAZINE SCENE Adam Carpenter gives a round-up of launches, trends and other magazine news

THE FINAL FRONTIER…

Air & Space magazine is a bi-monthly title from the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum in Washington DC. ■ The magazine’s goal is to show readers, whether expert or enthusiastic beginner, new aspects on the enterprise of flight. The emphasis is on the human rather than the technological, eg the ideas behind events or emotional accounts from those involved. ■ A good section to aim for is Above & Beyond, a ghostwritten, first-person narrative of an adventure in air or space, with an ‘I was there’ flavour. Meanwhile, Flights & Fancy is a shorter recollection with a whimsical feel that should leave the reader ‘chuckling quietly’. The tone varies each issue, from purely nostalgic to cheeky and satirical. ■ Start by sending a proposal, which should explain what your article will bring to the topic that other authors have not reported. Include details of sources and interview subjects as well as images.

Recent coverlines: How combat made the A-1 better; This CEO’s vision: 1000 workers in space; Meeting at the face of the sun

Visit: www.airspacemag.com

Celebrate our achievements in air and space

AMAZING WOMEN WANTED

Monthly glossy Woman & Home has been around for decades and claims to have been the first title of its kind to embrace ‘a brand new attitude’ for women over 35. Here’s how to make an approach: ■ This is a place for positive stories, particularly in relation to age, as emphasised by the ‘50 over 50’ Amazing Women Awards. Editor Kath Brown says: ‘We discover awesome ladies working in their local communities, setting up successful businesses and generally holding up the world. We think they all deserve awards, actually.’ If you know a woman who fits this mould, you may have a good story on your hands. ■ The target reader is trendy and wants to travel the world, so they welcome inspirational stories of women who have achieved this in some interesting way. The reader, says Kath Brown, ‘loves to read features about inspiring women who are achieving great things.’ ■ The team are always on the lookout for real-life stories that get to grips with interesting and relevant health issues, including those affecting children or partners. Food, interiors and books are also important, so ideas or interviews in these areas are worth pitching. ■ Kath Brown says: ‘Our women have cash to spend, but want advice on spending it wisely. They have no problem shopping in Aldi for the award-winning champagne but are also quite happy to splash out on an amazing holiday in Vietnam if we say it’s brilliant.’

Recent coverlines: Yes, you can afford a holiday home; Grown up festival guide – great loos, posh food and people like you; You and your adult kids – shopping, sharing and sex under the same roof.

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MARKET NEWS When is a magazine not a magazine? When it’s a ‘marketing communication exercise’, according to Facebook. The social network recently brought out print publication Grow but insists it’s not a magazine, even though it says it’s ‘a quarterly magazine for business leaders’ on the cover. Its ethos is to ‘grow businesses, networks and perspectives by shining a light on people, companies and trends that are challenging the status quo.’ The print version replicates content found on its ‘Grow by Facebook’ page for high-end businesspeople too busy to read unless travelling. It will be distributed in exclusive locations such as executive airport lounges. Commentators have suggested that Facebook doesn’t want to be known as a publisher because that would mean it would be legally responsible for the content published on its website. We regularly cite the importance of including quality photos in your pitches as they can really sell stories. More often than not these days, editors are finding photos taken with our phones are good enough and now there are apps to help you edit images to a professional standard. Filters you see on social media are just the beginning. Apps such as Snapseed and Darkroom offer many of the same features and tools that you find in powerful desktop editing software, and because they are available on your phone, you can edit anywhere. Some offer free trials so it’s worth experimenting. A tweak may help send your pitch to the top of the pile.

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THIS WRITING LIFE

INSIDE VIEW

KINBOX website

WRITER ON CALL Kinbox is a new website with the tagline ‘for parents, by parents’ and features ‘stories from the heart of family life’. It offers a chance for people to open up about all aspects of parenthood, so there is a lot of opportunity to get your story on the site and in front of Kinbox’s fast-growing community. We spoke to editor Paul Connolly… Tell us more about Kinbox and how it came about Kinbox was started by Safwan Hak, a Syrian-Canadian living in the UK. He and his wife Petia have family all over the world. He has a vision of connecting families around the globe by collecting and sharing their stories. Kinbox’s aim is simple: to tell great family stories and inspire those with stories to tell theirs too.

What sort of ideas are you looking for? It seems like personal, first-person stories are ideal but are you happy for writers to tell others’ stories too? Our mission is to tell family stories that move us, make us laugh and provoke us to think about our own families. Personal, first-person stories are the best way to do that. We also welcome anonymous, ghostwritten stories. We also like parenting guides, but they tend to be from experts. If you know of any good family stories, please get in touch.

You have other sections on the site, such as culture and tech, health and wellbeing – can writers pitch ideas for these too? We’re looking for book and gadget reviews but, as with the other areas, the big family stories are our obsession.

What fees are you offering for copy at this stage? £200 to £300 per 1000-plus words, dependent on the quality of the story.

Email: [email protected] Visit: www.kinbox.com

U

rgent is an elastic term in the world of magazines. The mag has to go to the printer’s every month, and there have to be words on every page, so there are obviously deadlines. Thanks to forward planning, however, the deadlines dished out to us freelance hacks are seldom of the ‘We need this today!’ type that newspaper reporters work to. It’s useful to have that ‘Hold the front page!’ mentality in reserve, however, as you never know when you’ll have to turn a job around in double-quick time. Very often a relaxed ‘Three weeks from now’ deadline can turn into ‘We need this today!’, either because you end up putting the job off for three weeks or because you’re beset with unexpected hold-ups. This month, for instance, I got an email from Pete, who plans further ahead than most editors. ‘Can you do an urgent interview?’ he asked. ‘Sure,’ I replied, because the hack who always says ‘Yes!’ is the hack who always gets called. ‘How urgent?’ I asked. ‘By the end of next week,’ he said. Now, as it was only Tuesday of this week, that was hardly urgent at all. Especially as the shortish one-page interview with a German singer had been offered by Howard the Reluctant PR, who I’ve dealt with for years, and Pete said Howard was aware of the rush. So I emailed Howard and waited for an interview date, which didn’t materialise. The following Monday, with the deadline drawing closer, Pete emailed: Any luck with the interview? So I relayed the same question to Howard. ‘We’ll hopefully hear soon – her manager was away last week,’ Howard replied. By the Wednesday, ‘urgent’ was becoming a more apt term, even though I knew Pete probably had at least another week in reserve before going to press. I chased Howard, and again on Thursday, but Howard wasn’t getting any response from the singer’s management, even though they’d offered her up for interview in the first place. I suggested he try writing his emails in German, but it didn’t help. Last thing Friday – my deadline day – Howard assured me he’d have a time for me by Monday at the latest, so I told Pete we might just scrape in under the wire. By Monday afternoon, however, it was clear the interview wasn’t going to happen. ‘OK, we’ll fill the page with news,’ Pete said, philosophically. On the Wednesday, however, he emailed: I’ve got a replacement interviewee if you’re up for the job! This time the PR was on the ball and a phone interview was arranged so quickly I had just an hour to prepare. Now that’s what I call urgent!

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FICTION MARKET

INSIDESTORY

Douglas McPherson reveals the story behind his My Weekly serial Over the Moon – before it all went wrong…

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t’s often said that writing is re-writing, but I’ve never re-written anything as much as my serial Over the Moon, which was submitted in three different forms to two magazines before it was published. Appropriately for a story that took two years from first draft to print, the idea had been germinating in my mind for several years before that. It began with the idea of a woman arriving at an ivy‑covered stately home where she’s appearing as a voice actor in a Thunderbirds‑style puppet show. Running late, she’s still wearing her raincoat as she takes her place at a row of microphones, self-conscious of the disapproving looks she’s getting from the other actors. That scene came to me as images rather than words, like a clip from a TV show, and I had no idea what to do with it. Vaguely, I considered the idea of a story within a story. In one thread, we’d follow the plot of the sci-fi show, in another we’d follow the story of the actors, with the relationships of the fictional characters somehow mirroring those of the people playing them.

Research

I liked the concept and did some research into Thunderbirds creator Gerry Anderson. I thought there was dramatic potential in his relationship with his wife Sylvia, who began as his secretary but progressed to his co-writer and leading actress – she was the voice of Lady Penelope. I didn’t feel ready to proceed, however, so I shoved the idea

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Fired up with the crazy chemistry of my characters, I leapt from bed to laptop and rattled out the serial on to the back burner of my subconscious, where such thoughts either eventually begin to give off an appetising aroma or dry up in the bottom of the pan. My interest was revived when I interviewed the former trainer of the PG Tips chimps and learned that in the 1960s she’d worked on a string of animal films for Disney at Pinewood Studios. Pinewood was built around a Victorian country house – much like the stately home I’d originally thought of – and my interviewee provided some colourful insights into life there. First, she was making back-to-back films with the ethos of a theatrical repertory company. It was always the same actors playing the hero, heroine and villain. The Carry On films and the James Bond flick Dr No were being made at Pinewood at the same time, with all the casts socialising together. The busy environment sounded like a colourful setting for a serial, and my interviewee provided some humorous anecdotes about working with the larger-thanlife film producer, Walt Disney. ‘He told me, “If you want to get on in this business, you have to do something different.” I went in the next day wearing odd shoes and

he said, “That‘s not exactly what I meant.”’ Around the same time, I chanced upon an article about the secretary to an eccentric West End theatre impresario in the 1950s. She’d open seemingly urgent letters from his associates and ask if he wanted to reply. ‘Oh no,’ he’d say, ‘I’ll bump into him sooner or later and talk about it then.’ I chucked these accounts of unconventional bosses into my back-burner pot, along with all the mid-century flavouring, and some semi-related stories I’d heard along the way, such as secretaries at Motown Records being called on to sing backing vocals when a professional singer didn’t turn up, and ending up as stars.

Countdown

Over time all these ingredients brewed together in my bonce and one day I woke up with Over the Moon pretty much fully formed. Set in the 1960s, in a stately home called Dogwood House (mainly because I’ve got a lot of dogwood in my garden and had only just found out what it was called), the story revolved around Henry Cronk (an echo of Pinewood founder Arthur J Rank), the half-mad writerproducer of a puppet show called Moon Base. Physically, he was tall and imposing, with a bald head

and large, round glasses. He wore dark suits that were often covered with dust and soot, due to his dangerous obsession with staging on-set explosions. When we first meet him, he’s on his knees, stuffing explosives into a model flying saucer. ‘Um, Mr Cronk, do you think you’ve got enough explosives?’ asks a nervous puppeteer. Missing the sarcasm, Cronk says, ‘You may be right,’ and reaches for more charges, declaring, ‘We don’t want another damp squib like last week!’ As a boss, Cronk is loud, manic and high-handed. And because he’s completely preoccupied with the show and its associated merchandise – Moon Base action figures, sweet cigarettes and pedal cars etc – he’s absentminded, as evidenced by the verbal tic of taking three alliterative blind stabs at every name he forgets: ‘Ah, you must be Helen, or Heidi, or Heather.’ ‘Valerie,’ she corrected. Valerie was to be Cronk’s foil, the latest young secretary sent to replace a string of assistants who have left suddenly, due to Cronk being such a mad taskmaster. Valerie was herself quite an eccentric, comic heroine. Extremely short-sighted, even with her thick glasses, she’s a gauche girl from the provinces, out of place in the glamorous world of mid-’60s television. For her interview she’s bought an expensive

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Funny New Serial

Small-town girl Valerie is off for an interview at Dogwood Studios – it’s 1966 and who knows how far this opportunity will take her! By Judy Punch

I L L U S T R AT I O N S : L A U R E N R E B B E C K , W W W. L A U R E N R E B B E C K . C O M

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alerie slammed the front door and hurried down the path of her neat little terraced house. As she left the gate, she could feel her mother’s eyes watching her from behind the net curtains – and doubtless the eyes of several neighbours, too. Well, she wasn’t going to look back, and she wasn’t going to feel guilty, either. She wished that for once her mother could be happy for her. But, oh, what was the point? In the distance, she heard the shriek of a steam whistle. “And now I’m late!” Cursing the stupid argument with her mother, Valerie trotted as fast as she could in the pencil skirt of her navy blue suit. She made it to the station as the train thundered over the bridge above her head, showering her with smoke and cinders as it slowed. Heart hammering, she drummed her fingers on the counter while the elderly clerk slowly took a ticket from his wooden rack. The moment her ticket touched the counter, she snatched it away and turned on her heel. “Wait up, Miss, your change – !” the clerk called. But Valerie was already running breathlessly up the sloping tunnel to the platform. She slammed the carriage door behind her as the train jerked forward. Relieved, she flopped into a spongy seat and watched the parade of back gardens that passed her window as the train gathered speed. Her head full of songs by the Kinks

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and the Rolling Stones, Valerie couldn’t wait to leave behind a provincial town that hadn’t moved on since the war. She wanted to feel the energy of Carnaby Street and the King’s Road, where life was swinging. As she stepped onto the concourse of King’s Cross station, however, with its rushing city gents, swooping pigeons and deafening echoes, she was daunted by London’s size and busyness. She was taken aback by how many girls were sporting knee-high boots, mini-skirts and straightened hair. She’d thought her suit and seamed stockings were sophisticated, but suddenly wondered if she should have chosen something trendier. At nineteen years old in 1966, it was hard to know what to wear.

made her look more glamorous than she’d imagined. “Dogwood’s where they make the TV shows, ain’t it?” said the cabby. “Like Moon Base.” “Ah, yes.” Valerie smiled. “But I’m only going there for an interview. As a secretary.” “I thought you might have done the voice for that Dr Jones,” the driver grinned in his mirror. “Never miss an episode, me.” “I haven’t really watched it,” Valerie confessed. “It’s not just for kids,” the cabby assured her. “Me and the missus are glued every week. You almost forget they’re only puppets.” Valerie was grateful just to get an interview in London. That the job was in

“Thanks,” answered Valerie, and murmured, “I’m going to need it.” As the cab turned and drove away, leaving her dwarfed by the mansion’s pillared entrance, Valerie suddenly felt very small, alone and out of place. She hadn’t come all this way to lose her nerve, though. The red front door stood open, so she took a deep breath, straightened her back and strode up the steps. She found herself in an airy hall, with a sweeping staircase and a vast chandelier. To one side was a long reception desk, like they had in hotels, but no one was manning it. “Hello?” Valerie peered across the desk into an empty office. From behind her came a ka-BOOM! that nearly scared her out of her skin. She turned with a yelp to see a huge cloud of smoke mushrooming from a doorway. Along with it came three men – just shadows in the pall – coughing, staggering and fanning the air. “Now that, Chris, is how you blow up a flying saucer!” As the owner of the upper crust accent stepped from the gradually thinning smoke, brushing down his suit as he came, Valerie saw he

She peered into an empty office. Behind her came a huge ka-BOOM “Where to, miss?” The driver of the rattling black taxi threw a folded newspaper onto the seat beside him and tapped his cigarette ash out the window as Valerie climbed into the back. “Dogwood Studios, please.” A few minutes later, they were speeding past Trafalgar Square, with Valerie craning her neck for her first glimpse of Nelson’s Tower and its surrounding lions. “You an actress, then?” the cabby asked cheerfully. “Me?” Valerie wondered if her new suit and freshly permed chestnut hair

television felt like a miracle. As the taxi chugged up the long, curving drive of Dogwood House, however, she began to wonder if the chance was too good to be true. Set in emerald lawns with a backdrop of woodland, the huge stately home, draped in dark ivy, looked almost as grand as Buckingham Palace, which they’d passed on the way. On the gravel by the front door Valerie gawped at a parked Rolls Royce, flanked by a scarlet E-type Jaguar. “Good luck with the interview,” the cabby called cheerily.

was a tall, handsome man with swept back wavy brown hair. She put him in his late twenties. He coughed and thumped his chest, then caught sight of his visitor. Valerie was amazed by how quickly his manner transformed. “Are you being looked after, miss?” As he strode towards her, an easy smile on his face, his limbs loose and relaxed, no one would have guessed he’d emerged from an explosion just seconds before. “I’m here for an appointment with Mr Crondell,” she said, her throat dry. “Call me Harry,” he grinned. “And you are?” “I…” Transfixed by his open smile and the confidence of his steady gaze, Valerie’s brain went blank. Eventually, she realised her mouth was hanging open. “Valerie Maddox.” She pulled herself together. “I’m here for the secretarial job.” “Of course!” Harry punched his temple with the heel of his hand. “I completely forgot!” He offered his hand to shake, then pulled it back as he realised it was black with soot. He tugged a handkerchief from his breast pocket to wipe his palm.

“There’s a bit up there, too,” Valerie pointed. She tapped her temple to indicate where he’d left a smudge of soot on his face. He rubbed it with his hanky. “Gone?” He raised his eyebrows with such boyish innocence that Valerie couldn’t help grinning goofily as she nodded in reply. “Well, as you can see, it’s a bit of a madhouse around here. You’d better come up to my office.” Valerie stared at his back as he strode on long legs towards the sweeping staircase. Shaking her head to clear it, she trotted after him, pausing only to glance back at the two figures still choking and wiping their eyes on the far side of the hall. “Don’t want to risk another damp squib like last week, do we!” one of them lisped camply.

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alerie followed Harry into an office full of more paper than she had ever seen. Precarious piles towered everywhere. “Take a seat,” said Harry. “What on?” she blurted. Continued on page 31

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tailored suit which she thinks is sophisticated but which every other character finds ridiculously Mary Poppins-ish. This results in frequent use of her exasperated catchphrase: ‘Well, really!’ The new secretary, however, quickly proves her ability to save Cronk from his forgetfulness: ‘Can I brief you on something before your meeting?’ ‘What’s that, Valerie?’ ‘You’re wearing odd shoes.’ See how I inverted the Disney anecdote, there?

Lift-off

Fired up with the crazy chemistry of Cronk and Valerie, I leapt from bed to laptop and rattled out my three-part serial in three days – 3000 words a day. It began with Valerie arriving at Dogwood after her first ‘Well, really!’ encounter with a taxi driver, who cracks the first of many jokes about her outfit. Cronk, stunned and sootblackened from his latest explosion, mistakes her for a guest actress he’s expecting and Valerie finds herself press-ganged into recording

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an episode of Moon Base. In the studio, she meets the regular stars of the show: George L’Amore, an older, vain ladies’ man, and Sabrina, an ageing, never-quite-made-it actress. L‘Amore and Sabrina are constantly at each other’s throats. The third star is Tony, a young drama school graduate who Valerie falls in love with. Unfortunately, Tony seems to be Sabrina’s toy boy, although it will eventually transpire that he’s just the unwilling recipient of Sabrina’s flirting, which is designed to make L’Amore jealous. In Episode 2, Valerie is taking late night dictation in Cronk’s office while he struggles to find inspiration for the flagging show. Valerie suggests a new female character and Cronk creates Val Venus, a starship captain to be played by Valerie herself. Valerie becomes a star, much to the resentment of the others, and the instalment ends with the bombshell of Cronk proposing marriage. Part 3 reveals Valerie’s horror at the proposal. She loves Cronk as a boss and work-wise they’re a perfect team, but romantically there’s zero chemistry between them

and she’s still secretly in love with Tony. The crisis is compounded by a newspaper scandal in which an anonymous jealous co-star accuses Valerie of getting the star part through having an affair with Cronk. Valerie blames Tony for the tip-off, because he’s the only one she told about Cronk’s proposal. With everything going wrong, she decides to leave the show. On the morning of her departure, however, one of Cronk’s explosions sets light to Dogwood House. Valerie and Sabrina are trapped in the burning building, where Sabrina confesses responsibility for the newspaper story. Valerie forgives her and the day is saved when L’Amore and Tony take on the roles of their puppet personas to bravely rescue the women from the inferno. With Valerie and Tony united in a clinch, Cronk finally realises that his proposal was misplaced. He loves Valerie for her mind but has never been the ‘kissy, huggy sort’. The serial ends with all the characters about to embark on another adventure in a

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new live-action programme of Cronk’s devising.

Crash landing

I thought it was the funniest, fastest moving thing I’d ever written. And the reason I’m telling you is as a warning that, whenever you find yourself thinking ‘this is the best thing I’ve ever done’, your pride is almost definitely about to be slapped down with a mighty rejection! In my case, Over the Moon was to be rejected by My Weekly, re-written for People’s Friend and rejected by them too, then re-written again for My Weekly. And little did I guess when I first hit ‘send’ in such high spirits that the final version would only be accepted once I’d written out my two favourite characters. Next issue, I’ll tell you where it all went wrong. Or can you work it out from the summary above? How to Write and Sell Fiction to Magazines by Douglas McPherson is available to download from the Kindle store.

Writers’FORUM #202

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WRITING EXERCISE

WHEN, WHERE & HOW TO START that is going to be significant later. Readers love a mystery!

Setting

It is not easy to bring in background and setting at the beginning of a short story, where economy of words is everything. Novelists, of course, have the time and space to create atmosphere with compelling description at the start, if they so wish. Yet, even in a novel, that description needs to be relevant to the plot or the reader will get impatient. One excellent example is the beginning of Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca:

Barbara Dynes explains a foolproof way to begin your stories – and sets an exercise

A

s fiction writers, we are given a lot of tips about beginnings. It is the first example the editor sees of your work, so a good start is vital. But my advice – especially for the new writer – is not to sit biting your nails over the first paragraph for too long. Move on with the story, or you might be tempted to give up altogether. Get the thing written! Then go back and revise that beginning – again and again and again. Check that you have:

■■ Included a narrative hook to make the reader read on ■■ Introduced a setting, so he can begin to picture the scene

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Writers’FORUM #202

■■ Brought in the main

character, particularly in the short story ■■ Established the tone of the story or novel It will not always be possible to include all those points at the start, depending on your chosen genre. But they are important aspects to consider.

Narrative hook

This is essential. You must give the reader something to worry about at the beginning or why would they want to read on? The key word here is change. Always try to start at the point of change in a story; something has happened in

your main character’s life – he gets an unexpected phone call or email, he meets someone, he loses his job, his girlfriend walks out on him. Something is going askew – not necessarily in a major way, perhaps just emotionally – and his life is changing. This needs to come in right at the beginning. If you are writing a novel, where you have more time to unravel your story, you might favour a more leisurely start. But you still need to hook your reader in some way, perhaps with a hint of mystery or a tiny clue to the excitement to come. You might do this through someone’s dialogue or attitude or by adding something subtle

Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again… It seemed to me I stood by the iron gate leading to the drive… No smoke came from the chimney, and the little lattice windows gaped forlorn. The descriptive setting, with its haunting gothic tone, hints at the tragedy to come. The short story, too, needs to be placed somewhere immediately, albeit briefly, so that the reader can picture the scene. Example: Neville took the letter out of his pocket and stared at the envelope. So efficiently typed; typical of Jan to announce she was divorcing him like this. No emails, phone calls or texts for Jan. He could not trust himself to read it again. Though, no doubt, his bored fellow passengers would welcome his emotional outburst. Where is Neville? In a train, plane, bus? Until we are told

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Writers’FORUM about fellow passengers, he could be in his kitchen or halfway up a mountain. The first sentence might begin: Once seated in the train…

Main character

Your opening should give the reader someone to focus on – usually the main character. In a short story, that person – or at least a mention of him – should come in as soon as possible. He or she is integral to the main action and the crucial conflict presented at the start will involve him or her. In the above example, it is obvious that the main character is going to be Neville because we are in his viewpoint, thinking and acting along with him. And this adds a bonus. If you start like that, showing Neville’s character, you’ll help him to come alive for the reader straightaway. In the example, we begin at a point of change – Neville’s wife wants a divorce. He obviously does not, so we’ve given our main character a problem, tempting the reader to read on. A tip for those writing for commercial markets, such as women’s magazines: the main events should circle around your viewpoint character. If he is merely looking on, telling the story but not really affected, it probably won’t work. OK, he might have learned something by the end, but it is still not his story. Such a plot device can work well in a novel (The Great Gatsby, where F Scott Fitzgerald uses a narrator, is an example) but it is rarely successful in the magazine market. If you’re writing a novel, you may not be able to establish the main character straightaway, but readers still like to identify them as soon as possible.

The tone

The other aspect to be aware of is tone. Even if you don’t plot in detail, you will have settled on the type and genre of the story you are about to write. You might adopt a chatty style, perhaps using first person, and develop a light tone. A romance

EXERCISE

might mean a more reflective style of writing. Should you stay in the main character’s viewpoint for the whole story, the tone will be established through that person’s personality. That way, the reader sees everything – action, thoughts and emotions – through his or her eyes. Example:

A

Sunday April 4th My father sent a telegram to the War Office. He wants to take part in the war with Argentina. His telegram read: QUALIFIED HEATING ENGINEER STOP A1 FITNESS STOP OFFERS HIMSELF IN THE SERVICE OF HIS COUNTRY STOP.

Jane awoke suddenly. There was some sort of commotion going on outside in the street. She got out of bed and looked out of her window. Two men were fighting in the road, wrestling with each other and yelling and swearing. To her horror she saw that one of them was her boyfriend, Dan. She pulled on her dressing gown and ran downstairs. Once outside, Jane saw that Dan was on the ground, lying very still. In the distance she saw the blue lights of a police car approaching. She screamed.

That is the beginning of Sue Townsend’s The Growing Pains of Adrian Mole. It tells us exactly what to expect: a funny story, told in diary form. The book works because Townsend never overwrites, and the focus is always on the story rather than the clever phrases. Now, summing up:

When to start: Not when everything is going smoothly and there is no change. Aim to drop your reader right in the middle of the action, especially in a short story.

Begin the beginnning

Notes

Completed

B

Where to start: Establish

where the action is taking place immediately, so the reader can visualise the scene.

How to start: Bring in

the conflict, whether major or trivial, as soon as possible. Why should your reader read on if nothing is happening? Once you’ve finished go back and revise that beginning over and over again. It will pay off!

Barbara Dynes’ latest book, Masterclasses in Creative Writing, is published by Constable & Robinson at £9.99

Rewrite the following as the beginning of a short story. At the moment we are just ‘told’ what is happening. Where will you start? Bring the alarming situation to life with dialogue and setting.

/

/

My scene rating

/

Rewrite the following situation as a short story beginning. Think about Gary’s character and write it from his point of view. Pay particular attention to the tone of the story emerging as you create his thoughts and reactions. You’ll also need to include some setting.

Gary is a happy-go-lucky young lad, regularly bunking off school. He is sitting in the Head’s office with his father. Gary’s dad is shouting at him; the head teacher is more restrained. Is Gary bored, thinking about his girlfriend or mates while pretending to listen to their lecturing? . Notes

Completed

/

/

My scene rating

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THE BUSINESS

BECOMING A WRITER Kath Kilburn takes a quick look at ADMIN & RECORD-KEEPING

I

t was a day of great sadness for me when our local stationery superstore closed. Oh, they sold computers and filing cabinets and stuff of that ilk too, but what set my own little heart aglow were the multi-packs of highlighters, the crisp new A4 pads, the file wallets and pens. I’m a regular stationery junkie and it’s all in the cause of organisation. Because one thing you really need as a writer, from the very start of your career, is good record-keeping. I know it eats into precious writing time but trust me, you’ll feel better for being on top of this stuff. What might you need to keep records of? A whole raft of things: ■ Which publications or publishers you’ve sent your submissions to, who has replied and, if successful, whether you’ve been paid ■ A file of current contracts so you can easily refer to them should you wish to re-use material ■ A file of your target markets’ requirements, be it publishers, newspapers, websites or magazines ■ And you need to keep together any bank statements, copy invoices and remission slips for your tax return.

In case you’re smiling wryly at this point and thinking I’ve lost my marbles because you’re never going to make enough money to pay tax on your writing income – remember, lots of writers have separate salaried occupations and both streams of income together can edge even fledglings over the tax threshold. It sounds like a lot of paperwork and all of the above are important but, in

my experience, by far the most significant is your record of submissions. Ask any group of writers how they keep track of their submissions and each person will have a different method. What they’ll agree on, though, is the need for accurate records, even if they don’t always practise what they preach.

Double trouble

Imagine the fall-out from accidentally sending a short story to two magazines at once and having it accepted by both. You should be so lucky, eh? Wrong response! You don’t want to end up on the writerly naughty step! So, record submissions as and when you make them to avoid upsetting editors, which is never a good career move. One former writer found this to her cost when she sent duplicate submissions to an anthology and a magazine at the same time. Staggered print times should have meant all was fine but, alas, timings changed and this particular writer ended up, temporarily, in the submissions doghouse. Another anonymous writer – see how discreet I’m being this month? – had a problem when one magazine took much longer than expected to respond, so she sent her

story off somewhere else and, again, disaster! One early acceptance collided with one late acceptance. Uh-oh. It might seem unreasonable to have to wait more than six months for a response to your submission but, to be on the safe side, you should always chase up your sub or officially withdraw it before you send it elsewhere. Unless you’re one of those thrill-seeking, live-onthe-edge types… For new novel writers, the situation is different, but you’ll still waste a lot of time and effort if you mistakenly send your synopsis and excerpt to the same publisher twice or if you have to scrabble through your sent emails to check when they went off.

Keep it simple

So, what specifically should you note down? Well, I send out mostly short stories and my record-keeping is almost embarrassingly low-tech. I list submissions in a notebook in chronological order noting what I sent, where I sent it and when. Later I add details of acceptance or rejection and, later still, when I was paid for it. (It might seem unlikely, but it’s possible, in the excitement of a sale, to overlook payment.) To complement the chronological list, each story

also has its own card filed in alphabetical order by title in a card index box, showing where the electronic version of the story is. Originally mine were on numbered floppy disks – remember those? Easily corruptible little so-and-so’s, weren’t they? These days I use memory sticks and the PC, and I also have printed copies in loose-leaf files. Belt and two pairs of braces, just in case. I also note on the card wordcount and submission history. That’s my very simple, but diligently completed, record-keeping. At any moment I can check whether a story’s free for sending to a competition I’ve just seen, or if there are any stories sent off ages ago that seem to have got lost in the arid desert of magazineland. I don’t send out hundreds of subs per month, though. And I’m guessing you don’t either at this stage. Others, who are more prolific than you and me, might choose to keep their records on a spreadsheet or in a Word table, or they might write notes to accompany their printed copy. It matters less how you do it than that you do do it – in whatever way suits you. I have another file and it’s my favourite one. Not so much a file as a periodicals box, full of magazines that have published my stories or articles. There’s nothing quite so inspiring, when you’re struggling with a story, as a shelf full of magazines, each featuring something you have written. For a writer, your first publication is probably just as memorable as your first love, so don’t let that memory slip away. Celebrate it!

Writers’FORUM #202

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SHORT SHORT WRITING

Writers’FORUM

FLASH COMP RESULTS

Last month’s task was to write up a nice walk for a local magazine

T

£100 winner On Tollesbury Wick by Ken Smith, Colchester

I

t’s a contradictory day; a blue sky offers an invitation out into something wilder; a cold fierce wind blows a caution down from the north, questioning presumptions of summer’s arrival. I pass through the gate, while the boats in the marina behind me jostle and clang. Their smartness soon gives way to smaller wrecks and ruins, slumped in the mudflats that stretch alongside the Wick. The wind barrels over the land making my hat redundant but exciting the lapwings into ever more daring acrobatics, as they patrol and defend their marshland territory. It’s an empty, mid-week day, full of space and time; a day when encountering anyone on the path only emphasises the remoteness of this place. The sea wall runs away, a raised bank between two different terrains united by their need for water. Half an hour along it, I see a lone figure, just below me near the edge of the borrow dyke. He’s poised motionless within an abundance of pockets and straps, staring towards the shallow lagoon where the sheldrake calmly refuse to be forced out of their anchorage by the wind; and where the snipe thrust at the water. He is as still as the egret caught in the lens of his camera. Further on by Shinglehead Point, the air rolls even more powerfully off the creek. A kestrel flies ahead of me, balancing on the wind, absorbed in his search for prey. He falls in stages down a staircase of air, coming nearer to his victim, unaware of my slow enraptured approach. He sinks ever closer to the ground and to me, and I can see the delicate flecks of his feathers, the intelligent terror radiating from his flaring eye – and then he sees me come too close to him and in an effortless, parabolic sweep he dips and soars around me, a hot brown streak of energy curving against the wind, rising up to reach a safer place for his hunt above the sea wall. There is a glimmering, glorious melancholy here, pricked just now by a coloured fragment of light. It grows imperceptibly

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Writers’FORUM #202

www.essexwalks.com

here’s a great skill in being able to transport readers to a different place through travel writing. One of the main issues I found this month was entrants using rather tired phrases to describe the scenery and wildlife they encountered: leaves rustling, crows cawing, cows grazing, eagles soaring etc. Try to think of new imagery that encapsulates a specific aspect, so that readers can picture it vividly. Use a cliché and the reader’s brain has no work to do, but bring a particular aspect to life and the reader’s interest is piqued and the brain has to extrapolate in order to create the whole. The image is then created in the mind, rather than on the page. This is what good poetry does, and every writer can benefit from thinking like a poet. Look at this aspect of your entry as an exercise. A number of readers wrote about recent walks or bus rides etc, rather than going on a new one. Given the tight deadline and that some people have mobility issues, I was happy as long as they met the brief. But continue to try and get out and observe the world. Interact with people, think about the senses, perception and your reactions. Find the detail and depth that will inform and improve your work.

larger as it approaches; until I step aside, allowing it to rush past me, tightly bound in lycra and breathing heavily. She nods the merest nod, not wanting to be distracted from her campaign against herself. Further on, where the mud narrows and the estuary opens out, a spit of land runs sleekly into the river, marked by a thinning layer of sand. At its furthest edge stands another figure. He wears a brown lounge suit in place of his habit; a time-travelling ghost from Saint Cedd’s long-gone mission across the river at Bradwell. Even from this distance his expression seems earnest, looking over the driving waves and beyond out to sea, as if listening for the voice of his God. And with startling courage, a sky lark rises up contesting the wind’s dominance, and sings and sings and sings. • Ken says: ‘I’ve been a walker all my life, through fields and forests, and have only lately come to know and enjoy the creeks and estuaries of the Essex coast and their particular spirit.’

Editor’s comments This piece is full of fantastic new imagery – boats jostle and clang, snipe thrust, the kestrel falls in stages down a staircase of air. The land itself becomes a character – two different terrains united in their need for water. I get a real sense of the atmosphere of the place, and the quiet battles of its inhabitants. Excellent work. Runner-up A Walk to Remember by David Jackson, Bolton

T

he day before New Year’s Eve is a time to clear your head. It seems to call for a walk in a high, lonely place. If that walk is in the company of one you love, so much the better. And so we set out. After driving to Old Bewick, we started up the narrow track that leads up the hill. We passed the row of cottages in one of which, local lore says, Jane Grigson first watched her grandmother bake ‘Singing Hinnies’. We passed through the gate and climbed upwards. The snow

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HOW TO ENTER

lay thick, and the way was a ribbon of ice, more frozen stream than path. We climbed on with the steep ramparts of the Iron Age fort on our right, until we reached the flattened tops of the moorland. The snow was getting deeper. The path became harder to follow. In the distance ahead of us lay our goal, the ruined steading of Blaewearie, its roofless house and barn standing at the foot of the tree-topped rock outcrop. Thirty minutes later our path took us close to the Bronze Age burial cists. We made a detour to look closer at the stones, half‑buried in the snow. In the springtime we’ve sat to watch young adders slither across these ancient graves. But this was not the season and it was too cold to tarry. Reaching the steading, we passed by the ruined buildings. On the bank surrounding the old farmyard stood the ancient plum tree whose fruit we’ve gathered most autumns. Before us lay the wall of rocks that encircle the secret garden that had been hewn out for a Victorian farmwife many years before. Ahead was the flight of steps that take you up the wall and down into the garden. And ahead was a shock. The great beech that for years had stood guardian over the entrance lay fallen, half covered in snow, like the body of a slaughtered giant at Ragnarok. It had seemed so permanent and I felt that something important had been lost, like losing a friend. It seemed a sign that something was ending. She stood, at the top of the steps, in her green coat, her face pink with cold and the joy she always feels in this place. Her happiness broke my melancholy, brought me back to the moment. ‘Take my photo,’ she called. We didn’t stay long in the abandoned garden, and moved out through the snow-covered bracken seeking the pool beyond. A perfect circle, ringed with alder saplings, it is an eerie, magical place, a place of myths and moonlight meetings. That day the pool was frozen, and she sat for a while entranced by the patterns of ice crystals forming on the reeds. But we could not stay. Winter days are short and the darkness was falling. Reluctantly we left the pool and retraced our steps down the hill, back to the waiting car, and the journey back to the coast. • David says: ‘This piece describes a favourite walk to a homestead called Blaewearie in Northumberland. My wife and I have been making this walk for nearly 50 years, but advancing age and diminishing mobility mean that the occasion described could well have been our last visit. If so, it was a fitting end.’

Editor’s comments This was another atmospheric piece but this time about companionship rather than solitude. I like the melancholic touches when David mourns the fallen tree and the passing of the years, tempered by its positive message about living in the moment. Highly commended Milestones by Diane Tatlock, Worton, Wilts – a good theme touching on three centuries of military history in the peaceful rolling landscape around Salisbury Plain. Suffolk Showstopper by Angela Keeler, Lowestoft, Suffolk – nice theme about a couple walking to see a visiting celebrity who turns out to be an American bittern. Livadia to the Red Beach by Christine Acaster, Alnwick, Nthmb – a descriptive piece sharing the dramatic scenery on the tiny Greek island of Tilos, which Christine calls a walker’s paradise.

Writers’FORUM

FLASH COMP Enter our monthly quick writing contest with a £100 first prize

T

he editor’s monthly competition for short short writing has a £100 prize for one winner and a number of runners-up may also be published, depending upon the nature of the contest and available space. The flash competition is FREE FOR SUBSCRIBERS (single entry only). For non‑subscribers (or extra subscriber entries) the entry fee is £5, which you can purchase by following the link on the Writers’ Forum website (www.writers-forum.com). Entry is strictly by email only. Writers’ Forum wants to encourage you to write, so:

■■ We will have a theme/task each time so that new writing has to be produced.

■■ There will be a tight deadline so that results can be published quickly and entrants can’t dither! The editor’s decision is final and no correspondence over results will be entered into. By entering, entrants agree to these rules and for their entries to be published in Writers’ Forum.

COMP 202: RISKY BUSINESS Deadline: 12 noon GMT on 30 July 2018

Editor’s assignment: Read Douglas McPherson’s Summer Shorts article on page 10 and then write an 800‑word short story suitable for the type of magazines he mentions. Your story must take a few risks and shake things up, while still fitting the general magazine story guidelines that Douglas lists. The rest is up to you. How to enter 1 Paste your entry straight into the body of a new email (NOT as an attachment) followed by the wordcount and your name and address. Give your purchase order number or state if you’re a subscriber to check against our database. Add a line or two about what inspired you. 2 In the email’s subject line box, write Flash Comp 202: followed by your interesting and relevant story title. 3 Send your email to [email protected] by the deadline above. The results will be published next issue. Good luck!

Writers’FORUM #202

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THE WRITERS’

L

INSPIRATION

was Jock Dobbin? Was he murdered? If so, by whom? And why? Into my mind’s eye came a country village, where there’s suddenly a series of anonymous notes, starting with ‘Who killed Jock Dobbin?’, each one following the lines of the nursery rhyme Who killed Cock Robin? There was a different note (and a different bird) for each

ast month I shared with you my mixed feelings as my novel, Murder Served Cold, moves steadily towards its publication date in October. I’ve recently completed the edits process, something I’d been looking forward to and dreading in equal measure. The last time anyone paid such close attention to my work

Paula Williams has been in and out of her comfort zone was when I was at school. At least this time I didn’t have to worry about getting B-minus or ‘See me later’ scrawled all over it. My first read-through of the edits was punctuated with occasional gasps of indignation and frequent groans of embarrassment. I was shocked at how often I’d used unnecessary capital letters. In my defence, the book’s written in the first person and the narrator, Kat, is a bit of a Drama Queen (see, I’m still doing it!). If I’d been writing in the third person I’d have probably described her as using air quotes every now and again to make this point. I had a really major wobble after the second edits and it took all my courage to send it back, knowing it would then go on to the next stage of the pre-publication process and, consequently, one step nearer Launch Day. Suddenly it’s all beginning to feel very real and

quite terrifying. I’m not so much out of my comfort zone as completely off piste. Which is why it’s such a relief to turn back to serial writing, a much more familiar world. My eight-part serial, All the Birds of the Air, started in People’s Friend on 29 June. The original idea for this came from a creative writing class I attended over 30 years ago. I enjoyed the course very much apart from those dreaded moments when the tutor would say: ‘OK, it’s your turn now.’ The rest of the class would be scribbling away furiously while my brain stayed resolutely blank. The only thing I’d written in my notebook that particular time was the line ‘Who killed Jock Dobbin?’ And that was as far as I got. I had no idea where to go with Jock Dobbin’s unfortunate demise until I was looking for inspiration for my People’s Friend story all these years later. I started to ask questions. Who

FICTION SQUARE Roll a dice to find all the ingredients for your next story – or use each of the squares as a daily prompt this month Ist & 2nd roll

Characters

3rd & 4th roll

Traits

1

Seamstress

7

Complex 2

Manager

9

4

Overprotective

5

Editor

Nanny

10

16

17

21

27

Unwanted gift 22

28

Party hat

23

Supermarket 18

Overcast

26

Beehive

Rose garden

Sea mist 12

Frail

20

Rooftop

Snow

25

Old glove

15

11

6

19

Art gallery

Drought

Inhibited

7th roll

Object

Deserted beach

15

Light rain

Miserly

Child

13

8

3

6th roll

Location

Heatwave

Dreamer

Singer

5th roll

Weather

29

Torch

24

Classroom

30

Piano

episode of the story – and, of course, the rhyme provided me with the story’s title All the Birds of the Air. I loved every moment of writing this story and am already well ahead with writing the sequel, but its fate will depend on whether the People’s Friend readers enjoy this one as much as I have. I’ve also just finished writing our annual village pantomime. This year it’s based (very loosely indeed) on the old TV series The Addams Family. Only my version is The Fladdams Family. It’s been both fun and frustrating to write as it isn’t really standard pantomime material. I always keep a notepad next to my laptop when I’m working. If I get stuck (and I got stuck a lot writing The Fladdams Family) I often find writing rather than typing can unblock the flow. I’ve put an unedited page from this notepad on my blog. It’s a graphic example of the creative process – or maybe the ravings of a madwoman. Check it out and decide for yourself. It’s at paulawilliamswriter.wordpress. com – follow the link to the entry headed ‘Dog walks, hurdles and a murder mystery.’ You’ll also find a picture of my handsome Dalmatian, Duke. There are also, as usual, some daily prompts. They’re a collection of random prompts I’ve gathered over the years, many of which have resulted in stories. The 6 August prompt ended in a sale to Woman’s Weekly. My advice, as always, is to pick the prompt for the week from the list below, then start free writing. No stopping to think about what you’re going to say, or to correct typos. ● 6 August: Once when nobody was watching… ● 13 August: A secret revealed… but too late. ● 20 August: A time to laugh, a time to cry… ● 27 August: If I had my way, I would… You could ring the changes by writing with pen and paper or even on a whiteboard. It really doesn’t matter. The important thing is to write unchecked for, say, 15 minutes or three pages. Do let me know how you get on at [email protected]

Writers’FORUM #202

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TRAVEL WRITING

TRAVEL WRITING PART TWO Planning: markets & ideas Solange Hando continues her series for the occasional travel writer

B

ack from your trip at home or abroad? Check your notes, check your pictures, then jot down any ideas that come to mind, the more the better – it could inspire you to write several articles from a single trip. Poised to begin? Hold on! If you want to be published, you must act like a pro: research the market before you start writing, and don’t be shy. Did you know English is the official language in over 80 countries? If the UK travel market seems thinner than it was, think worldwide. There are thousands of publications out there waiting for your work, so check the internet and ask friends and family to bring back likely magazines from their holidays. What sort of publications feature travel, regularly or occasionally? Titles come and go but travel is about places and people and opportunities cover a much wider range than you might think.

The choice is yours

Travel magazines are an obvious target, although there is a lot of competition from other writers. But if you have come across something unusual, being stalked by a tiger for instance, it’s definitely worth pitching. Most are published monthly but browse newspapers and you will find a lot of weekly travel pages or supplements. Then of course there are hundreds of in-flight magazines covering airlines and partners’ routes, most of them with English language features. Less obvious? Check the women’s mags, then look out for publications about food, health or body and soul that are looking for relevant holiday content: wine, olives, yoga, spa, meditation… The great outdoors is another possibility – cycling, hiking, caravanning and more – plus you’ll find niche markets for interests or hobbies you might enjoy on a trip. Sports, too. Perhaps you watched a cricket match in Samoa, went scuba diving, found a golf course with amazing views. Or you could consider magazines aimed at specific social groups – families, seniors, business, `disabled – or those

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If you’ve been stalked by a tiger, it’s definitely worth pitching produced by tour operators, hotels, banks or supermarkets. Don’t forget local or county mags, because what is home to you is travel to someone else and most British people take their holidays in the UK. Then there’s online opportunities, even your own blog. It may not pay, but display your work and pictures and you never know who might notice and get in touch.

Current trends

Travel writing is a business and it helps to know the flow. Browse a number of publications and you will see what kind of trips and follow-up features are popular: ■■ Activity holidays: bird watching, painting, cooking, photography and so

on. Even if you did only one morning, it should provide sufficient material for an article. With a little extra research, you can add facts to personal experience. ■■ City breaks: anywhere in the world, often presented as 24 hours in… or it could be a stopover on the way to Australia or a feature with a theme: Hong Kong for families; Gastronomy in Berlin. ■■ Beach holidays: Five best beaches in Sicily; secluded creeks in Cornwall; three Greek islands – which is best for you? ■■ Green holidays: responsible tourism – did you stay in a farmhouse, visit a national park, a botanic garden, go dolphin or whale watching, ride a horse, cruise on a canal or river? Waterways are increasingly popular and an afternoon cruise might suffice. Or perhaps you helped save turtles in Sri Lanka or clear a footpath in Wales? ■■ Adventure: adrenaline seekers will have plenty to write about but soft adventure is equally needed, whether it’s rambling on the South Downs or bouncing in a jeep on an exotic safari. ■■ Relaxation: your whole holiday or just a few hours; a mud bath in Turkey; a massage in a Bangkok temple. ■■ Culture: history, tourist sites, festivals

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and also human interest, for instance an interview with a craftsman or a chef. ■■ Reviews: hotels, campsites, an unusual restaurant…

Less is more

The secret of success? Don’t offer the destination: the tighter the angle, the better. For instance, take a river cruise: ■■ One article could focus on the green

holiday: scenery, peace and quiet, rural villages, wildlife, wonderful sunrise or sunset, relaxing on deck… ■■ Another could be about a city you visited on a day excursion ■■ A third, food and wine – on the boat or local specialities ■■ Did you wander around an archaeological site which could fill an article, with appropriate research? Or maybe a temple or a cathedral? Someone might want an article about the whole cruise, but keep considering angles and you will increase your revenue.

Snapshots

Now, whatever your trip, is there a snappy little story somewhere, truly original? Did anything dramatic, hilarious or unexpected happen? That may be only a few hundred words, but get it published and you will feel on top of the world. Examples: ■■ Safari in Kenya: 30 minutes from birth to death – watching a zebra being born then taken away by a lion, sold to Travel Africa. ■■ Kathmandu: a holy man doing incredible things with his private parts, sold to TNT. ■■ Taiwan: one night with 200 monks, wow, sold to Real Travel (now gone). ■■ Paragliding on a 60th birthday: for a seniors magazine.

Ready to pitch

Always query before you write, as any professional would do. You may know what has been published but you cannot tell what is in the pipeline so avoid wasting time or risking a rejection. The only exception is a scoop. Now go back to your original ideas and decide what your first article will be: content, focus, pictures. What sort of market would be interested? Allow plenty of time for this research – it is the most important part of the process. And bear in mind that a weekly publication will need a lot more contributions than a monthly. When you feel you have found a suitable match, read at least two or three copies and build a picture of the reader: age, budget, likely interests. Could

TRICKS OF THE TRADE Hook it up

PERFECT for WRITING RETREATS

Anything topical will increase your chances of acceptance, so dig deep and see what you can find. For example: ■■ A new museum or attraction ■■ New low-cost or direct flight to the

destination ■■ Recently listed Unesco site, like the Lake District ■■ Upcoming event, a royal visit, the Tokyo Olympics ■■ Recovery after a natural disaster: Nepal after the earthquake ■■ Bouncing back after unrest: Tunisia, Turkey, Egypt… ■■ An anniversary of any kind, but if it’s well known you’ll have to be quick.

The Mount

Durlston, Swanage

you write for them? Did you enjoy the magazine, and the style? Brilliant, now email the travel editor or features department. If you cannot find the details, phone the switchboard for names.

Tips for your query/pitch

■■ Subject line clear and simple: ‘Feature on Madagascar Lemur Island’. Don’t try to be clever, it might look like spam. ■■ Show, don’t tell, that you are familiar with the publication: use the same style and don’t ask for guidelines. ■■ No CV, former publications (or lack thereof) – all the editor wants is your idea. ■■ Keep it brief and to the point, mention topical hook if at all possible. ■■ Offer images. If you have an amazing one send it low res but offer high. ■■ Do not ask about rates at this stage.

Guess what sort of query editors really hate ? ‘I have just spent two weeks in China, would you like an article about my trip ?’ Just imagine how many articles one could write on China! So think angle, focus – and remember that less is more.

Large reception areas for group workshops and socialising

Six bedrooms with twin or kingsize beds and writing desks

Get going

■■ What trip will you write about ? ■■ What is your main idea/angle/focus? ■■ Find the right market ■■ Query the editor

Next month

Time to write: we’ll look at format and style to fit your chosen market while keeping your own voice to liven up the story. • Solange Hando is the author of Be a Travel Writer, Live your Dreams, Sell your Features, available on Amazon

Surrounded by a private garden and Purbeck’s inspirational scenery To book The Mount for your writing group, please visit www.themountswanage.co.uk or call 01929 424163

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Writers FORUM

August 2018

‘I d on’ th ave to

wri te

Time to get serious about your writing – pin up this calendar and then use it to keep track of your progress this month

abo ut t he f utur For e. mo st p eop le, t he p rese nt is

Pin up this calendar and then every morning add a note about what you are going to write that day – it really works!

enou gh li ke th e

futur e to b e pre tty sca r y.’ William Gibson

Image: Tithi Luadthong

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Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

What am I writing?

Notes

Enter brief notes about what you want to achieve TODAY (or plan your work for TOMORROW if you prefer)

Important dates and deadlines

Bank Holiday (Scotland)

Fiction and poetry comps (rolling deadline) Writers’ Forum #203 on sale

Bank Holiday (not Scotland) Flash comp #203

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MASTER YOUR CREATIVE WRITING CRAFT

The Manchester Writing School Join our MFA/MA Creative Writing programme and one of the UK’s largest and most successful literary centres. • Study on campus or from anywhere in the world via online distance learning (September or January entry). • Follow a specialist route in Novel, Poetry, Writing for Children & Young Adults, or Place Writing (Creative Non-fiction). • Complete your own full-length manuscript with editorial input from one of our world-leading writers. • MA English Studies, short writing courses and two-day Summer School also available.

Visit: mmu.ac.uk/english/creative-writing

£10k Poetry and Fiction Prizes The Manchester Writing Competition is now accepting entries for the 2018 Poetry Prize and Fiction Prize. Both prizes are open internationally and offer the chance to win £10,000. Find out more: manchesterwritingcompetition.co.uk

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STORY COMP

Writers FORUM

fictioncompetition Congratulations to this month’s winners, Jack Dabell, Rowena Fishwick and Christopher Fielden. Do you have a short story that could impress our head judge Lorraine Mace? Any subject, any style is welcome. Turn to the rules and entry form on page 38.

FIRST PRIZE £300

Alone Together Jack Dabell

Contains strong language

A

re you cold?’ I cast my eyes towards Ethan and a long silence draws out between us. I look at him with equal parts incredulity and disdain. ‘Are you kidding me? Don’t I look cold? What sort of question is that?’ Ethan’s eyes drop to the floor the way they always do when someone snaps at him. His feelings bruise easier than an old peach. ‘Sorry, Ethan,’ I lie. ‘I’m just… struggling a bit. We’ve been here too long. I think it’s starting to get to me.’ The cabin is as familiar to me as my own home now. Its walls, once glossy and strong, are peeling and bent. The windows are just single panes of white, not much of a view anymore. The ancient stone fireplace sits cold and barren along one wall. No furniture to speak of, hence why Ethan and I sit huddled on the floor. We’re going to die here. That thought keeps creeping back out. I put it in that box everyone has in the back of their minds: The one labelled ‘DO NOT OPEN’ and ‘FRAGILE’ which is buried in the very back of your mind-cupboard. Trouble is, my box is getting very full. ‘How’re you doing?’ I ask. ‘I’m fine, Mason. I think I’m holding up better than you.’ I know he doesn’t mean that in a spiteful way, but I kind of hate him for it. Why is he holding up so well? He doesn’t even look cold or hungry. ‘How are you holding up so well?’ ‘The power of positive thinking, my friend.’ Ethan taps his finger on his temple and offers a smug smile. I hate you. Ethan looks like he always has: his big blue eyes shine with that unshakable positivity of his and he chats away like he just learned to talk. ‘So,’ Ethan chirps, ‘what’s the next plan?’ I was always the one who made the plans when we were kids. I remember when we were teenagers and wanted to get drunk

for the first time. I spent weeks planning an incredibly elaborate burglary of Ethan’s dad’s liquor cabinet. What I wouldn’t give for that bottle of Jack now. ‘Sit here and die.’ ‘Not one of your best sounding plans but you’ve never steered me wrong so far, Mason.’ I wonder which one of us will die first. I wonder what I’ll do if it’s him. ‘I don’t know what you want me to say, Ethan. We’ve been stuck in this cabin for what? Twelve? Thirteen days? We ran out of stuff to burn a week ago and we’re about to run out of food. We’re buried under fuck-knows how many feet of snow in a cabin that probably isn’t even on anyone’s map anymore. Our phones don’t work and it’s clearly impossible to dig out of here. So, no. I do not have a plan.’ We are going to die here. Continued overleaf

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Writers FORUM Want to see YOUR story published?

Three great prizes every issue 1st £300 2nd £150 3rd £100

All types of story are welcome, be it crime, comedy, history, romance, horror, sci-fi… but THEY MUST BE ENTERTAINING/ RIVETING NOT UNREMITTINGLY BLEAK. Don’t rely on subjects like death, abuse etc to add cheap emotion. Stories must work harder to engage readers. ● Entries MUST be between 1000 and 3000 words. ● Documents must be on plain A4 paper with double line spacing and good margin widths. No handwritten entries. ● On the title page give your name, address, phone number, email, story title and wordcount. ● Entry fee is £6 or just £3 for subscribers. Cheques (sterling only) should be made payable to ‘Select Publisher Services’ or fill in your card details below. ● If your entry is placed you will be notified and asked to email a Word-compatible file of your story plus a brief bio and photo. How to enter Enter at www.writers-forum.com or post this coupon (photocopies accepted) with your payment and manuscript to: Writers’ Forum Story Contest PO Box 6337, Bournemouth BH1 9EH By entering, authors agree for the story to appear in Writers’ Forum if it wins a prize. Entries must be in English.There is a rolling deadline – entries arriving too late for one contest go into the next.

Name Address Postcode

Alone Together continued

‘Well yeah, it all sounds pretty bad when you say it like that. But I’m sure there are loads of people out there looking for us.’ ‘Oh, you’re sure about that, are you?’ ‘Well, I still have hope.’ I look away and wrap my arms tighter around myself. ‘I just don’t think focusing on the bad stuff is going to help us right now.’ ‘But how can you not? We’ve got hardly any food and no heat. Aren’t you starving? We’ve barely eaten in three days.’ As if on cue, my stomach grumbles. ‘I’m just trying not to think about it. Think about other things; happier things.’ Like slitting your throat. Jesus, where did that come from? A few hours of stillness pass. I decide to take Ethan’s advice. I sit and I think. I think about home and I think about work. I think about my grandpa’s old armchair for some reason. I think about dying again and then I think about trying not to think about that. Eventually, I decide to eat the last of the food. In normal life, which this is not, running out of something isn’t a big deal. You run out of milk, you go and get more. You use the last of the cheese (shit, don’t think about cheese), you go and get more. Your car runs out of petrol, you go and fill it up. It’s no trouble.

He doesn’t sound right. There is a look in his eyes suggesting something has changed…

Email address Phone number Story title Length

words

I declare the story has not previously been published or broadcast and that it is my own work ENTRY FEE: £6 (non-subscriber) £3 (subscriber) Subscribe below and take advantage of our special entry fees – you can also subscribe online at www.writers-forum.com OPTIONAL: Please enrol me for an annual subscription £38 UK £49 Europe £56 Rest of world FEEDBACK: I would like a story critique from the judges and include a large stamped addressed envelope plus the fee of £5 TOTAL amount payable £ I enclose a cheque

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However, now, running out of things is definitely a problem. I start to cry. Pathetic, salty tears appear on my cheeks and soak into my collar. I try to wipe them away so Ethan won’t see but it’s too late. ‘Are you crying?’ ‘No,’ I sniff. ‘You are, Mason. I can see that you are.’ Fuck off. ‘Fuck off.’ ‘Mason, it’s going to be all right. Like I said, I’m sure they have people out there looking for us. They must know about the avalanche. They’ll have rescue teams out there.’ He might be right. Maybe there are rescue teams out there. Maybe they are on top of us right now, digging down to save us. I wish he would hug me. Isn’t that the natural instinct when one of your friends is crying? I mean, I know we are both guys but I don’t think masculine ideals should be a factor right now. I need the comfort. But I’m not going to ask him. Fuck that. ‘Maybe. I just hope they get here in time. This is the last of the food. You should have some.’ ‘No, you have it. I’m not that hungry.’ I don’t argue too much. I eat and then lie down. Sleep is a good idea. You’re not hungry or cold when you’re asleep. We’re going to die here. Stop it. A few short hours of fitful rest later, I wake up. A few wonderful, euphoric seconds pass where I haven’t yet adjusted to reality. In those few seconds, I’m not hungry. I’m not cold. I’m not trapped and I’m not going to die. For those few seconds, I am happy. And then those few seconds pass and the grim reality comes crashing back. Shivering, I push myself into a sitting position against the

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STORY COMP

wall. Ethan is propped up opposite me. ‘Did you sleep?’ I ask. ‘Nope.’ ‘How come?’ ‘I wasn’t tired.’ He doesn’t sound right. There is a look in his eyes suggesting something has changed. That persistent positive light that always shines beneath the colour is fading. Maybe he, like me, is starting to give up. ‘Are you OK?’ I ask. ‘Are you?’ he counters. I pause for a long time to think about my answer. Ethan has been trying so hard to stay positive I feel like I should do the same. The situation is clearly starting to get to him too. I should help. ‘No.’ Good helping, Mason. Ethan lets out a snort. ‘Of course, you aren’t. You never are, are you? Everything’s always a problem with you. It’s always unfair or unjust or somebody else’s fault. You can never just be positive about something, can you?’ Ethan stands up and starts walking towards me. Is he going to kill me? I let out my own sarcastic laugh this time. ‘Positive!? What exactly do you expect me to be positive about?’ I could kill him. ‘I don’t expect you to be positive about anything. That’s the problem. That’s why we’re friends because I’m the positive one and you’re the miserable, cynical, pessimistic one. We balance each

other out. And you know what, Mason? The balance is slipping.’ It would be easy. ‘So, what are you saying, Ethan? What’s your fucking point?’ Should I? ‘I’m saying that if you don’t lighten up a bit, I’m going to leave!’ Before he gets the chance? ‘Leave! You’re going to leave!? Well, that’d be a neat trick. Let me see, go on, good fucking riddance.’ I stomp across the room and gesture dramatically to the door. Ethan’s eyes drop to the floor again but it does nothing to quell the anger he has stirred in me. ‘You can’t leave, Ethan. We’re going to die down here and the sooner you accept that the better.’ Look at his face. He wants me to do it. ‘I should never have come on this trip.’ Ethan’s voice is soft now, the opposite of mine. Die, you miserable fuck. ‘Well, it’s a fucking good job you didn’t then! It’s a blessing that your baby got sick and you had to leave after two days…’ Oh. Well, this is just brilliant. I am going to die down here.

About the author Jack is a 25-year-old primary school teacher living and working in Brighton. Despite being a professional pessimist and fully licensed cynic, Jack dreams of one day releasing a book of short stories and a sci-fi novel.

SECOND PRIZE £150

Down the Mississippi River Rowena Fishwick

D

id you hear?’ Dolly says. ‘Someone threw a brick through the Earles’ window.’ ‘Good on them.’ My sisters look at Mrs Humphries, their spoons halfway to their mouths. ‘George Earle should’ve been shot.’ Pru lowers her hand. ‘You can’t mean that.’ ‘Can’t I?’ There’s a glitter in her eyes. ‘I’m surprised at you, Prudence Andrews. Your own dear brother was killed and you defend that conchie? Think of him. And all those other poor souls who laid down their lives.’ Pru clears her throat, flashing me a glance. ‘Yes, but perhaps –’ ‘And you can’t be sticking up for Mrs Earle. It’s always the mother. She must’ve done something for him to turn out so cowardly.’ ‘Read him too many ghost stories as a child, I expect,’ Dolly says, grinning. ‘Well, it certainly wasn’t the Bible.’ And Mrs Humphries gives us a look because we know what she means. It was before I was born, but I’ve heard the story often enough. One Sunday, Reverend Whitman was reading through his sermon when George – then about ten-years-old – stuck up his hand. ‘Yes George?’ Reverend said. To which George replied: ‘You said God created the sun on the fourth day. Well, how were there days before the sun?’ Reverend was too shocked at his blasphemy to reply. ‘And while we’re here, what evidentiary support do you have for all of this? I mean, the theory of evolution is proven by the

existence of fossils, but what do you have? And if you don’t have anything then why should I waste my time?’ That day, George Earle walked out of church and never returned. He declared himself an atheist. Mrs Humphries says it’s the worst thing a person can be, even worse than a Methodist. So it’s not like he refused to fight for religious reasons. No. George Earle made the same argument to the War Office that he did to Reverend Whitman. ‘So, tell me, where is your evidence that this war is the Continued overleaf

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STORY COMP

Down the Mississippi River continued

right thing to do? I mean, I don’t understand how my going abroad to kill some Germans I have no quarrel with will be at all beneficial to society. I’m not saying you’re wrong, mind you, I just want some proof, or why should I waste my time?’ And the official was too shocked by his lack of patriotism to reply. ‘Just think how ashamed you’d have been if Malcolm turned out like that. At least you can be proud of him.’ Pru stares at the table. Dolly sucks the last of her pudding from her spoon. ‘Well, I’m proud,’ I say. ‘If all the men had been filthy conchies and refused to fight what would’ve happened to the war?’ ‘Now that,’ Dolly says, ‘is something to consider.’ ‘Hester.’ Pru clears her throat. ‘Help me clear the table.’ As I take Mrs Humphries’s bowl she says, ‘Whoever threw that brick deserves a medal.’ And I hold my head high as I march out of the room. The river is green today, like a field. It’s always changing colour. Sometimes it’ll be blue, sometimes brown, and sometimes black. I like it best when it’s blue, like Ma’s sapphire brooch. The one Dolly claims is hers, but I’m sure we’re meant to share. Not that I care for jewellery. I’d rather have a rifle, but Pru keeps saying: ‘This is Oxford, England, Hester. Not Oxford, Mississippi.’ I’m up in the crab-apple tree. Now I’m seven I can climb almost to the top and I’ve got a clear view of the riverbank. Mal is down there with a girl. This one is blonde. They’re writhing on the grass like a couple of snakes. I asked Mal once what he wanted to do all that kissing for. He said it’s just what folks do when they grow up. Like going to the Crown, or saying: ‘You do as you’re told.’ I can see why people do

There are things rustling in the trees and something cries out. But I’m no coward. I climb aboard… those other things, but the kissing looks kind of painful. Must be, from the way the girl keeps gasping. There’s some apples close to my head. I reach over, pluck one off, and throw it. It hits her on the arm. ‘Ouch.’ I throw another and it bounces close to her leg. ‘Someone’s throwing apples at me.’ Mal spots me. ‘You quit that, Hester.’ ‘Who is it?’ ‘Only my kid sister. Hester, you come on down here.’ ‘Not till you use my proper name.’ ‘All right, Huck. You come on down and apologise.’ ‘Huck?’ ‘Huck Finn. She’s wanted to be him ever since she read the book. You know, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. That’s why she dresses like a boy. We’re gonna sail down the Mississippi together one of these days.’ I reach the ground and scuff towards them, my hands in my pockets. The sun is so bright it near enough blinds me. ‘You apologise to Sibyl.’ I look at this Sibyl. Up close I can see she’s got spots all over her chin. ‘She aint as pretty as the other blonde.’ ‘You thought Beatrice was pretty?’ Mal asks. ‘But neither of them is pretty as Lydia.’

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Sibyl has been getting rather red in the face and now she starts screeching. ‘Malcolm Andrews! How many girls are there?’ He shrugs. ‘You… you…’ We wait for her to get her words out, it seems to take an awful long time. ‘You aren’t a good boy.’ ‘I told you, honey. I’ll be eighteen in a few weeks, and they’ll be calling me up. I could be dead soon.’ ‘I hope you do die. I hope you get blown to pieces!’ She snatches her jacket off the grass and stomps off through the trees. We watch her go. Then I roll up my overalls, and dip my feet in the water. It’s so cold it makes me shiver, but the day’s so hot it’s a real nice feeling. ‘She weren’t so nice as Lydia, neither.’ ‘No,’ he says, and lies on his back. ‘I guess she wasn’t.’ ‘Does it feel kind of bumpy kissing someone with all them spots?’ ‘You’ve got to kind of kiss around them.’ He’s staring up at the sky, one hand hovers flat over his eyes. ‘When we gonna take our trip, Mal?’ ‘We need to build a raft first.’ The water is still, like it’s turned to jelly. ‘How d’you build a raft?’ ‘You need wood and stuff.’ ‘But we’ll go soon, won’t we? Down the Mississippi. Just you and me.’ ‘Course we will, Huck. All the way to New Orleans. Just as soon as we build that raft.’ ‘I’d rather you didn’t say things like that around Hester,’ Pru says. ‘You put ideas in her head.’ Mrs Humphries snorts. ‘George Earle’s a criminal. That’s why he went to prison.’ ‘That’s your opinion. It isn’t mine. And I’ll thank you not to drag my brother into your opinions. He would have agreed with me.’ She takes a breath. ‘Since my parents died, Hester has been my responsibility. She’s a little wild, I know. Mal was the only one who could handle her. But I don’t need you getting her all worked up about poor George Earle. If you can’t hold your tongue you’ll have to find a room to rent elsewhere.’ I don’t care to listen anymore, so I go out to the back garden. I can see Mal’s bedroom window. There’s no light inside, but when the moon hits the glass it sometimes looks as though there is. I wish Pru would stop saying, ‘Mal would’ve agreed,’ or, ‘It’s what Mal would’ve wanted.’ Folk are always saying things like that, like they can speak to the dead. And if Pru did get a chance to speak to Mal, would she really be asking things like, ‘Do you think Hester should do her school work?’ or, ‘Do you mind if we donate your old clothes to the Red Cross?’ Not likely. I head off down the lawn. When I reach the fence I climb over the broken part and I’m running through the heath. Thanks to the moon I can see clearly where I need to go. It’s bright and swollen, and I guess that’s why the river is white. The raft is hidden under the blackthorn. It doesn’t look like much. It’s just some odd bits of wood tied together with rope, but now Mal’s gone there’s no one I can ask for help. So it’ll have to do. It takes a long while to push it to the edge because it’s so heavy. It’s been hot all day, but now the air’s blood temperature. It feel like nothing at all. There are things rustling in the trees and something cries out. It’s so loud I think it might be right beside me. But I’m no coward. I climb aboard the raft and use my foot to push myself out, on to the river. There, now I’ve done it. I let the raft drift. It wobbles. For a second I wonder if this is a good idea. The river is faster than I’d thought and before I know it I can no longer see the clearing.

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But I’m no coward. I lie on my back and look at the moon. The sky’s so black and thick, like it isn’t a sky at all but just one big rip in the world. If I sail far enough I can find the part where the real sky returns. The raft gives a lurch and water splashes me. I’m going much faster now, and begin to spin. I roll on to my front and grip the sides. I’m afraid. But it’s bad to be afraid. Did Mal feel scared when he went off to war? I don’t think so. Although… he did seem a bit peculiar when he came home on leave. Sort of quiet. He smoked too much and spent too long at the Crown. When he was around he’d just stare. But that wasn’t because he was afraid. He was just tired. That’s what he kept saying when I asked about our trip. ‘I’m too tired right now.’ Then he’d go back to staring. The raft crashes against a rock. It snaps and I tumble into the water. I’m a good swimmer, but I can’t seem to pull myself up. I open my eyes, but all I can see is dirt and it stings so bad I have

I lie on my back and look at the moon. The sky’s so black and thick … like it’s one big rip in the world to close them. Somehow I manage to break the surface, but the water’s got so rough I can’t stay up. I take a gulp of air and I’m back under. Something is dragging me down. Like some poor soul is under there and he’s hooking around my ankles and pulling. I am scared, then. I’m so scared I want to scream and cry, but you can’t do those things underwater. I open my eyes and can just about see a light. The moon. It’s flickering. I scrabble around for something to grab onto. My head thumps against something hard. Then the light is gone. Something touches my face. I lift my hand to bat it away, but it keeps coming back. ‘Stop doing that. I’m trying to help you.’ Then I remember the river and I wonder if this is it. I’m dead. And maybe this angry person is some kind of angel. But I thought angels were nice and sweet, not grumpy. I prise my eyes open. There’s a fire. I’m so close it makes my skin all tingly. I look up and there’s a man sitting beside me. He’s been pressing something against my head. ‘You nearly drowned,’ he says. ‘You always go swimming at night?’ ‘I wasn’t swimming.’ ‘No. That you weren’t. You were doing the opposite of swimming.’ ‘If you must know I was sailing to New Orleans.’ ‘On the Thames?’ I sit up so fast I feel dizzy. ‘What am I wearing? You take my clothes off?’ ‘My mum did that. You’re wearing one of her dresses. She’s gone to fetch your sister.’ I look at where I am. The first thing I notice is the cardboard covering the window. It’s from a parcel of Swan matchboxes, and I wonder how many matches these folk need, to buy a whole parcel. ‘You’re George Earle.’ I look closer at his face. He used to be handsome. Not like Mal, who was dark and dashing, but like a boy in a story book I once had with yellow hair and blue eyes. Now he has a scar on his top lip and broken teeth, and a blackened eye. ‘How’d I get here?’ ‘How do you think? I saw you in the water and pulled you out.

Then I carried you up here. You know you’re heavy for a little girl.’ ‘I’m ten, I’m not so little.’ ‘No,’ he rolls his eyes. ‘Ten’s old enough to know better. Are you stupid?’ ‘I am not. Dolly says she never met anyone with a smarter mouth than me.’ He shuffles across the floor, until his back is leant against a chair. Then he gives the fire a prod. He looks so mad, I wonder if he knows it was me that broke the window. Perhaps I’m not safe alone with him. He might strangle me. Though, on second thought, if he wanted to kill me he might as well have let me drown. ‘So what were you doing by the river at night?’ ‘I like to walk at night. There’s no one around to bother me.’ He touches his bruised eye. ‘People only bother you because you were a conchie.’ He shoots a glance at me and I glare back. ‘If it weren’t for all you conchies my brother might still be alive.’ ‘And how do you work that out?’ ‘Well, it’s law of averages. The more men there are, the less likely you’ll be the one to bite it.’ ‘I heard your brother’s ship got blown out of the water. You ask me, if there were a few more men on board all that would’ve happened is a few more men got killed.’ ‘And why shouldn’t you be killed? Why should you be walking around, all safe and cosy, while all them other men are dead or wounded or… You’re a filthy coward. How can you live with yourself?’ I erupt into tears. I don’t know what’s wrong with me, I just can’t stop. I’ve not cried like that since I was a baby. When Pru told me Mal was gone I squeezed a few out, to make her happy, but crying is for silly girls in books. Huck Finn wouldn’t cry. Neither would Mal. I guess I’m not brave after all. I hear voices outside. I get to my feet and run to the window, but I can’t see past that cardboard. It seems to take an age for the door to open and I fling myself at Pru. I’m expecting her to be mad, but she says nothing, just pats my hair and waits for me to stop. ‘You should see the doctor about that head,’ Mrs Earle says. I look at her over Pru’s shoulder. She’s a small woman, with long yellow fingers and hair in a plait that reaches her waist. She looks like a creature in a fairy-tale – only one that’s grown old and faded. ‘You’ve been very kind,’ Pru says, and steps around me. I watch her walk up to George. ‘Thank you.’ She holds out her hand. He stares at it, as if unsure what it is. At last he uncurls his fingers and touches it. He goes red, but then most folk do that around Pru. Mal used to tease her and call her Anna Karenina, because he said she looked like a Russian heroine with those dark eyes. ‘If there’s ever anything we can do for you, you’ll let me know.’ He nods. Then she says something that shocks me. ‘You’re the bravest man I know.’ Even George must be shocked, because he doesn’t say a thing. There’s a flurry of fuss from Mrs Earle, and then we’re walking up the path in the moonlight. We’re halfway home before I can speak. ‘How could you say that? About George Earle being brave? He was a conchie. He was too scared to fight.’ ‘There are different ways of fighting,’ she says. ‘Mal would’ve agreed with me.’ About the author Rowena recently received a free read from the TLC for her novel-in-progress, a psychological thriller she is currently editing. She lives with her son in Southwick, West Sussex, and is delighted to have been placed in this competition.

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THIRD PRIZE £100

Bloodless

Christopher Fielden Contains strong language

M

irrors don’t lie. That’s why I avoid them. I know I ain’t pretty. Got a broken nose. Teeth that make my tongue look like it’s in prison. Face like a tattoo-and-scar crash. I’m called Ton, because I weigh a ton. Well, I don’t. Just look like I do. Me and the dark make nightmares together. But I’m 60. At 60, you can’t contend. Not with men half your age, not with men a third your age. You’re done. I started out working in factories. Manual work. Lifting, moving, packing, boring. Wanted to do something different. Something better. Joined a gym. Worked out. Boxed. Studied Krav Maga. Met people. Got invited to fight. Said, ‘Yes.’ The fight took place in a derelict warehouse. In a cage. No rules. I won. I wasn’t just good, I was exceptional. I had speed, strength, stamina, power. No fear. No remorse. Gave me the advantage. Worked hard. Became notorious. Gamblers loved me. King of the cage. Got a manager. He looked after me. Went legit. Earned good money. Kept on winning. I was unbeatable. Problem is, you’re only unbeatable until Time takes you to bed and fucks you. I had the sense to stop before I got beat. Actually, that ain’t entirely true. My manager had the sense to make me stop before I got beat. My name became legend. Could Kane have taken me at my prime? Could Ruin? Maybe. We’ll never know. They’re now. I’m yesterday. My manager thought I had a future hosting fights. Doing interviews. Running a gym. Shows how much he knew me. No reason to train meant no training. No training meant no routine. No routine meant no rules. No rules meant I could do whatever I wanted. I had money. Not loads, but enough. For someone with sense. Problem is, sense ain’t something I got a lot of. Spending’s too easy. Women, drugs, booze. Moderation don’t work for me. Didn’t plan ahead. Got hooked on Blue Gold. Stupid name, seeing as it was white. Didn’t matter what colour it was. Made me feel good. Snorted too much of it. Lost part of who I was. Ended up taking a bath in Shit Creek, using piss for shampoo. Woke up one morning on the floor. In a bus stop. Covered in filth. My filth. It was lunchtime. People with jobs, with families, with lives, looking, staring, avoiding. Pity in their eyes. Disgust. Lowest I’d fallen. Not the lowest I’d fall. I stumbled into an alley. Hid in a bin. Big metal dumpster. It stank. Rancid. But I felt better, away from people, out of sight. Then a shadow gave me a little black card. Yeah, that’s right. A shadow. Whoever it was, they looked like a shadow to me. Not sure how I got out the bin, or what I did in-between. I remember it was dark. I was in a kids’ playground. Me and a few other fuckups, sleeping under a climbing frame. Felt the card being pressed into my hand. Opened my eyes. Saw the shadow. Gone before I could work out if I was dreaming. Thought it had given me money. Nearly threw the card away. Didn’t. Noticed the design. Liked it. Gold writing, like sun rays. Title said ‘Witch Way?’ Under that, it said ‘I deal in magic’. Then there was a phone number: ‘553700078’. Things were bad. I wanted magic. Needed it. If the card wasn’t a witch’s, maybe it was a hooker’s. Maybe she’d listen. Make me

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feel better. Used the last of my change to call. We talked. Turns out ‘witch’ wasn’t a typo. She thought magic was real. Possible. I almost hung up. Almost. Her voice was kind. Genuine. I listened to her. She was good with words. I decided to meet her. Find out if her witchcraft bullshit was witchcraft or bullshit. She had a hut by the river. It looked like crap from the outside. Covered in weird graffiti. Made me think voodoo. Inside was different. Warm. Inviting. Safe. She was remarkable. Striking. Angelic. Not like you’d imagine a witch to be. She wore a dress that hugged her curves. Multicoloured. Looked like a paint factory had puked on it. She stared into my eyes and listened. Let me talk, tell her how shit things were. When I was done, she told me I was the one making things shit. I liked that about her. Her honesty. Then she talked about magic. I was desperate. Wanted to believe her so bad. Told her I had no money. She didn’t care. Told her I’d do anything. She gave me a contract. I signed it. Didn’t read the bottom bit. You know, the bit written so small you can’t read it. Wish I had. She stuck a pin in my finger. Pulled her dress open. Smeared my blood on her chest, over her heart, and cast a spell. I must have blacked out. Gone into a trance. Something… Not sure what happened, but when I came out of it, my head felt clear. Sober. I saw things from a distance. Saw my life how it really was. Saw me how I was. I’d been a mess for a decade. Thought I was beyond salvation. Wished I was dead. Didn’t have the courage to end it. Hoped the drugs or booze would do it for me. Now I was considering the future. Being less of a prick. Someone I could be proud of. I was thinking about living life. Dreams. Aspirations. What I could be. Hadn’t thought about that in years. I smiled. It felt alien. Made me realise how long I’d been frowning. She had worked magic. Offered me hope. I was surprised to find I wanted it. She watched me carefully. Made me tea. Watched me drink it. Gave me food. Watched me eat it. Made me promise to stay clean. I promised. If I stayed clean, my life would be better. I’d be happy. I’d be alive. If I didn’t, the magic would be wasted. I’d be back where I was, snorting, drinking, waking in bins, wishing I was dead. I promised again. She took my hand, opened my fingers and pressed my palm on to her chest, over her heart. Her skin was soft. Warm. She looked into my eyes. Repeated herself. Insisted I live

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life, not endure it. I promised again. I don’t know if she believed me. I think she wanted to. I’d done good. For a while. Got a job. For a while. Went to the gym. For a while. Helped other wasters do better. For a while. Pictured the witch. For a while. Remembered her words. For a while. Lived clean. For a while. Fought the cravings. For a while. But then the clawing, niggling, itching, yearning… it hunted me. I tried to ignore it. Couldn’t. Cravings always in my thoughts. In my dreams. Every moment of my existence consumed by want want want. Need need need. Relentless. Eternal. Maddening. Sometimes, the only way to stop the cravings is to let them in. Accept there’s no escape. Embrace them. I stole. Bought drugs. Amphetamines. I like being wired. The energy. The power. Feeling immortal. Unstoppable. Like a storm. I got wasted. I remember waking in mud and oil. Scrap metal place. Cars heaped around me. Moon in the sky. Silence. Complete silence. Puke and blood on my chest. My puke. My blood. A girl next to me. Naked. Wasted. A guy next to her. Bloody. More teeth on the floor next to him than in his mouth. Looked at my fists. Red. Bruised. Raw. Bite marks. Pain. It felt good. I smiled. Right then, I knew. Knew what I was. No amount of magic would help. No amount of trying. Pretending. I was no Samaritan. No priest. No good. No use. Nothing. I was an asshole. I was me. Got up. Stared at the guy. His eyes moved to look at me. He groaned. Blood bubbled from his nose. Bone poked out of his arm. Caught the moonlight. Looked like a magic wand. Went through his pockets. Found a wallet. Took the cash. Fuck him. Prick. Probably tried to rape the girl. Or me. There’s usually a reason I get punchy. Unless I’m off my tits. Maybe he looked at me funny. I was hungry. Lights in the distance. A town. Or the edge of a city. Dawn creeping through darkness. I walked towards the light. Looked for food. I was eating a burger. Had some stupid name. Burger Me. Something like that. I’d spent the guy’s cash on it. It was the size of a planet. Had its own centre of gravity. Curly fries were orbiting it… OK, I’m exaggerating. But it was big. I’d only had one bite when I died. One. Then the burger went all see-through. Couldn’t grip it. Dropped through my hands. I looked down and saw the back of my head, resting on the bun. ‘Hello, Ton.’ The voice was hypnotic. Laced with disappointment. I looked up. The witch was sitting there, watching me. She was naked. Blonde hair fell over white skin, hiding her tits. ‘My real name’s Dennis,’ I said. Needed her to know. Not sure why. Seemed important. She shrugged. ‘It doesn’t matter. You broke your promise.’ Her eyes were different. Unnatural. So bright they hurt. It was like looking at the sun. ‘I expected more from you. Dennis.’ I looked at my knuckles. Still raw from the fight. Bloody and oozing. I’d let her down. Let me down. Upset me so much it surprised me. My eyes felt like they might piss tears. I hid it. Coughed. Spat. Looked at her. Talked. I remember the conversation. Every word. ‘Nice scythe,’ I said. It was resting on the table. The blade was golden. Shone like the moon. ‘I thought you were a witch.’ ‘I am.’ ‘Death is a witch?’ ‘I’m not Death. I’m Life.’ ‘You said your name was Meg.’ ‘You told me yours was Ton.’ Talking to her felt like I was losing a game. ‘I’m dead, right?’

She nodded. ‘So where’s Death?’ ‘You gave me your soul.’ ‘When?’ ‘In the hut.’ ‘Did I fuck.’ ‘You should’ve read the small print. But it’s a good thing. It means she can’t have you.’ ‘She?’ ‘Death is my identical twin. Well, almost identical. Our eyes are different. On this side of mortality, mine are of stars. Hers are of the void. And she wears a cloak. I’m pure. Naked. Free. Alive.’ I looked down at the burger. I didn’t feel hungry no more. ‘What happens now?’ ‘You’ll become Bloodless.’ ‘Bloodless?’ ‘Alive beyond death. Undead.’ ‘Like a zombie?’ ‘No. Nothing like that.’ ‘What then?’ ‘You’ll be in my care. You’ll spend eternity helping others. You’ll guide mortals, help them understand what’s important, what isn’t, what they’ll find fulfilling, how to find happiness. You’ll tell them your story. You’ll dispense magic.’ ‘What if I don’t want to?’ ‘What you want is of no consequence.’ ‘Great. Your magic didn’t work. Don’t see why you should have me.’ ‘My magic worked perfectly. I gave you clarity. Sight. Perspective.’ ‘Didn’t want clarity.’ ‘It’s what you needed.’ ‘Still, didn’t help, did it?’ ‘Yes, it did. It cleansed you. But you allowed your addiction to consume you. The magic worked. You failed.’ ‘And you still want me?’ ‘Yes. I see greatness in you, Dennis. By working with me, you might release that greatness and see it yourself.’ She spoke softly. Every word filled with kindness. Hope. Belief in me. Me. An old prick who did so many drugs he’s dead. My eyes were threatening to piss again. ‘It’s time.’ She stood up. ‘Embrace me.’ I got up. Did what she told me. Had to obey. She was beautiful. Perfect. But I felt no arousal. Just content in her arms. Protected. And protective. I don’t know. I ain’t good with words. Or feelings. Hard to explain it. I felt that maybe… maybe I wasn’t all bad. I had something to give. And someone to guide me. A guardian. With her help, I could be someone of worth. A wind began to swirl. Her embrace got tighter. Her lips pressed against mine. My mouth burned. I became hers. She was with me. In me. Everywhere. She pulled away from me. Floated up. Her hair lashed about. Her eyes burned. She was power. She was beauty. She was everything. I was nothing. She looked down on me. ‘You’re of the ever now. You are unending. Of the sun and the stars. Of eternity. You’re Bloodless.’ The wind scattered, exhausted. She floated down. Stood next to me. Took my hand. Led me out of the burger place. No one looked. No one cared. No one saw what I saw. We stood on the street. The sun was bright but it didn’t warm me. People didn’t see me. Walked through me. ‘You will be seen by those who seek something better,’ said Life. ‘Those who have the propensity to give everything in return for Continued overleaf

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Bloodless continued

clarity. Those with hope. Those who seek magic.’ Then she taught me everything. And now I’m sitting here, in Life’s hut, talking to you. She must see something in you. Hope. Strength. Something. Not everyone gets her number. Only those she can see inside. Only the few. You. You’re special. Don’t think you are. Think you ain’t. But you don’t know nothing. That’s why you got a card from a shadow. Same one I did. You read the words. Couldn’t ignore them. Couldn’t forget them. Called the number. I sat where you are. When I was desperate and living seemed pointless. I ain’t perfect. Neither are you. I don’t look like no witch. Neither do you. That don’t mean we can’t work magic. Do good. Just depends how we think. What we do. How we do it. I can’t tell you what happens if you face Death. I never done it, so I don’t know. Even Life don’t know. Says it ain’t her business. Same way Death’s got no business knowing what she does. But Life says being Bloodless is a blessing. A gift. Makes you the best you can be. You know what? I’m starting to see it that way. OK, I admit, part of me wishes I’d read the small print. Chosen death. Faced Death. Been dead. I always wonder about it. Knowing I’ll never know. Makes me restless. Like I missed a fight. A battle. Something better than I got. But that part of me – the asshole – is dying. I enjoy what I do. I learn all the time. I’m getting wiser. Slowly. Feeling complete. Whole. Somebody. I see that greatness Life told me about. I’m proud. Not of what I was. Or what I am. Of what I’m becoming. I think Life’s better at talking about this than me. She says that ain’t true. I’m better. Sounds real coming from me, cos I’ve been where you are. Up Shit Creek, piss for shampoo and all that. Yeah. You know what I mean. Trying to escape. Nowhere to escape to. Wanting better. Not sure what better is. That’s why you’re here. Looking for magic. I’ve said all I got to say. You know all you got to know. It’s time for you to make a choice. Here’s a pen. Here’s a contract. You gonna sign it?

About the author Chris writes, runs a humorous story competition, plays drums and rides his motorcycle, sometimes to Hull and back again. He runs flash fiction challenges and has published hundreds of authors in support of various charities.

Highly commended There were eight other shortlisted stories this month: Let’s Never Get Boring by Timothy Cant The Loop by Heledd Williams Stolen by Natalie Watson Interview with a Button-Eyed Rabbit by Dan Patton Colours of Julia’s Sunday by Celtria Wakenarrow Us and Them by Julie Evans Release by Tasha Martini-Cooper Aftermath by Julianna Fejer

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I

always enjoy stories where the ending takes me by surprise, but for an entry to be successful, what happens leading up to the denouement also has to be gripping and credible. The story itself has to be enthralling and not simply a series of events enabling a twist ending. Jack Dabell has done this extremely well with his winning entry, Alone Together. For most of the story I was expecting the narrator, Mason, to attack his friend, so to discover right at the very end that Ethan wasn’t even there was a satisfying twist. This shows how skilfully Jack misleads his readers while at the same time planting plenty of clues along the way to show the truth of the situation. These pointers are well disguised and appear to give Mason reasons for disliking his friend. ‘How’re you doing?’ I ask. ‘I’m fine, Mason. I think I’m holding up better than you.’ I know he doesn’t mean that in a spiteful way, but I kind of hate him for it. Why is he holding up so well? He doesn’t even look cold or hungry. Although we don’t know it at this stage, Ethan is a figment of Mason’s fevered imagination, so wouldn’t look distressed. However, on first read this appears to be a normal conversation between two friends trapped in a remote cabin smothered by an avalanche. The author has made it clear Mason believes in his own bleak fantasy because to accept he is alone would be more than his rational mind could bear. Later in the story another clue arrives when the imaginary Ethan insists there will be rescue teams out looking for them. Mason needs reassurance, but this isn’t forthcoming. I wish he would hug me. Isn’t that the natural instinct when one of your friends is crying?

Readers will be wondering why Ethan isn’t reacting to his friend’s distress, but before we can question it, the subject of food comes up. Mason offers Ethan some of the last remaining provisions. ‘No, you have it. I’m not that hungry.’ I don’t argue too much. I eat and then lie down. Sleep is a good idea. You’re not hungry or cold when you’re asleep. When the narrator wakes he asks Ethan if he has slept, only to hear that Ethan wasn’t tired. So now we know that Ethan doesn’t respond with physical gestures, doesn’t eat and doesn’t sleep, but these aspects are not presented in a way that makes the truth obvious – until we reach the end and discover Ethan left before the avalanche hit. At this point the constant refrain of ‘we are going to die down here’ changes to the singular. Oh. Well, this is just brilliant. I am going to die down here.

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own the Mississippi River by Rowena Fishwick opens with some excellent scene setting dialogue. ‘Did you hear?’ Dolly says. ‘Someone threw a brick through the Earles’ window.’ ‘Good on them.’ My sisters look at Mrs Humphries, their spoons halfway to their mouths. ‘George Earle should’ve been shot.’ I immediately wanted to know who George Earle was and why Mrs Humphries felt so strongly. Rowena uses another telling section of dialogue to answer these questions. This also leaves the reader in no doubt about the narrator’s part in the attack on the window. ‘Well, I’m proud,’ I say. ‘If all the men had been filthy conchies

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Competition round-up Dead and alive – maybe Lorraine Mace explains why she chose this month’s winners that a lesser writer would have lost my attention. However, Christopher introduces Ton’s saviour in such prosaic terms, it was possible to believe in her. I liked the way her multicoloured dress was described as like a paint factory had puked on it. Had the story ended with Ton’s lifestyle conversion I wouldn’t have been as convinced by the characterisation as much as I was by his trying and failing. This showed him as flawed, but decent underneath it all.

and refused to fight what would’ve happened to the war?’ ‘Now that,’ Dolly says, ‘is something to consider.’ ‘Hester.’ Pru clears her throat. ‘Help me to clear the table.’ As I take Mrs Humphries’s bowl she says, ‘Whoever threw that brick deserves a medal.’ And I hold my head high as I march out of the room. Hester is young enough to see the world in black and white. People are brave or cowardly. There is no middle ground. The fact that her adored older brother perished in the war makes her even more determined to be brave. She completely misunderstands his attitude during his leave. He smoked too much and spent too long at the Crown. When he was around he’d just stare. But that wasn’t because he was afraid. He was just tired. The entire story is skilfully presented, leaving the reader to

decide which view of conscientious objectors is correct. Even at the end, the narrator hasn’t accepted that not fighting can be the braver option, so is shocked by her sister’s statement to the very person Hester sees as a coward. ‘You’re the bravest man I know.’ I like the way it is up to the reader to understand what hasn’t been said. I was left feeling sad for George Earle, and all the real George Earles through the ages who have been brave enough to be a coward. ‘How could you say that? About George Earle being brave? He was a conchie. He was too scared to fight.’ ‘There are different ways of fighting,’ she says. ‘Mal would’ve agreed with me.’ This is a story with a strong message, but one that has been lightly handled.

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he punchy sentences of Christopher Fielden’s Bloodless give the narrative pace. It fairly races along as we travel through Ton’s triumphs and disasters. Underlying the reading experience is the feeling the narrator is talking directly to someone other than the reader. I felt like I was eavesdropping on a conversation – which, in effect, is exactly what I was doing. Ton doesn’t hold back on who and what he was in life, or try to make his choices appear more altruistic than they were. He beat other men senseless for money: The fight took place in a derelict warehouse. In a cage. No rules. I won. I wasn’t just good, I was exceptional. I had speed, strength, stamina, power. No fear. No remorse. Gave me the advantage. His downward spiral into drugs and penury was inevitable before the witch appeared on the scene. It was at this point

I’d done good, for a while. Got a job. For a while. Went to the gym. For a while. Pictured the witch. For a while. Helped other wasters do better. For a while. Remembered her words. For a while. Lived clean. For a while. Fought the Cravings. For a while. I even enjoyed the death, which was as matter-of-fact as the meeting with the witch. I’d only had one bite when I died. One. Then the burger went all seethrough. Couldn’t grip it. Dropped through my hands. I looked down and saw the back of my head resting on the bun. The dialogue in this story is short and sharp. I believed totally in Ton – both alive and dead. The final three sentences sum up the point of the story. I was sure the unknown recipient of Ton’s newfound wisdom would sign the contract. I know I would. Lorraine is co-author of The Writer’s ABC Checklist (Accent Press) and author of children’s novel Vlad the Inhaler (LRP)

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SHORT STORIES

Fiction workshop

with tutor Lorraine Mace

Our head judge uses reader entries to show how to improve your writing

Why dialogue matters

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t is hard to make characters come to life when the use of dialogue is limited. It is almost impossible (other than in the hands of extremely skilled writers) if no dialogue at all is employed. Dialogue has so many uses, it would be difficult to choose the most effective reason for including it, but here are some of the benefits.

Characterisation

hits home to the reader as being important.

Essential exposition

The important word here is essential! You can use dialogue to give readers facts but the dialogue has to be credible; it’s no good having one character tell another something they would already know, such as their place of birth, where they work or the name of a spouse.

As characters experience change and turmoil, their dialogue will reflect their feelings. Using narrative to explain these changes would be far less effective. An additional benefit is seeing first hand the way characters relate to one another.

Moving the story on

How they speak

That’s far more effective than the longer narrative version:

Using dialogue shows the background of characters much more effectively than narrative. What is said, how it is said and any dialect used provides a wealth of information. Good dialogue shows mood, personality, background and character.

Increasing conflict

Dialogue can (and should) provide turning points in the story as the characters discuss possible options and decisions they need to make.

Foreshadowing events

It is easier to drop in crucial information that doesn’t initially appear to have any impact on the plot via dialogue than in narrative. A character can deliver a seemingly innocuous line that only later

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Dialogue can advance the plot in a more direct way than a narrative explanation. For example: ‘Jack has the knife,’ George said. ‘Where is he?’ Sally asked, edging closer.

George told Sally Jack had the knife. Sally asked George where Jack was, as she edged closer.

A story minus dialogue

The Old Man by Jack Howard has been written entirely in narrative form. This causes several issues, many of which I have outlined above, but another difficulty is knowing whose story is being told. The story opens with a passage telling the reader about an old man who moves into a derelict cottage above a fishing village. In time, the cottage is renovated to a respectable state. The old man keeps a dingy called Jade, which he sails out to an island most days to catch enough fish to feed himself. This introduction is followed

by several paragraphs describing the village and the surrounding countryside. The old man begins visiting the local pub, where he sits in the window overlooking the harbour. He reads and keeps to himself. A woman begins working for him as a domestic, but she knows no more about him than the other locals do. One of the cottages is owned by city dwellers Janet and Derek, who visit at weekends with their two children, Jason and Sophie. Janet loves the place and is accepted. Her husband is unpleasant and widely disliked. The two children are keen sailors. One day, while the parents are in a nearby town shopping, the children go out to sea and the weather blows up. They are able to make it to the island, but their boat is swept away. Janet is worried about her children, but Derek cares only

that his suit is getting ruined by the rain. By the time Janet is able to return to the village, the weather is so bad the lifeboat can’t be launched. The old man puts to sea in Jade, makes it out to the island and brings the children back safely. After this exciting rescue, he sits in his usual seat in the pub and then dies. Janet makes a plaque in his honour, which is placed outside the cottage.

Whose story is this?

As you can see from my summary, it is the old man whose story is being told, but he is not the central character. In fact, there isn’t a protagonist as such. I would strongly advise Jack to rewrite the story, using Janet as the central character. Through her interaction with the villagers we would be able to see the old man as someone

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If you’d like your Story Comp entry to be considered for a workshop, tick the box on the entry form or state it clearly in your email

who is present, but not really part of village life. The children he saves are hers, so again this would enable readers to be on the wind-battered shore watching and praying that the old man can bring her offspring safely home. Taking this idea one stage further, I am going to show how certain passages could be rewritten using dialogue and interaction between Janet and the other characters.

Janet’s acceptance

The following passage from the story introduces the family, but doesn’t bring them to life. Janet loved the village and she eventually became well-liked by the villagers. Her husband Derek was the opposite. He rarely made an appearance and when he did he was miserable, complaining about the lack of facilities and making veiled threats to buy the harbour and turn it into a private marina. As can be imagined, the residents were not impressed and the general opinion was that Janet should divorce him. There were two children of the marriage, Jason aged eleven and Sophie aged nine. Both children loved the village and the sea and were often out in the family boat, usually with Janet, but sometimes, during fine weather, alone. It would help to see Janet as she interacts with the villagers. ‘Hello, Janet,’ said Bill. ‘I see Jason and Sophie were out bright and early in the dinghy this morning.’ ‘Morning, Bill. I was hoping to go with them, but Derek and I need to go into town later.’ ‘Anything to get away from this place,’ muttered Derek. Janet saw the frown on Bill’s face and jumped in before her husband could get going on his favourite subject of turning the harbour into a private marina. ‘Can I get you anything from town, Bill?’ ‘Oh, for goodness sake!’ Derek hissed. ‘Are you going to talk all morning? Let’s go.’

Adding drama

In the following passage we are told about Jason and Sophie going out in bad weather. Janet had gone shopping with Derek to the nearest town, Jason and Sophie preferring to sail than to shop. They had sailed further out from the coast than they had intended or were allowed to do, so when the storm struck they were only just in sight of land. Janet sensed the change in the weather and when the rain started began to worry about Jason and Sophie: Derek worried about his new suit getting wet. It isn’t necessary for us to be with the children in the dinghy as we can use Janet’s observations to add the necessary drama. ‘Derek, do you think the children will be OK? I don’t like the look of the weather.’ ‘You don’t like it? How do you think I feel? You’ve dragged me all over town and now it’s starting to rain. My new suit is going to be ruined!’ And then later: Janet was getting more and more worried about the children: Derek was getting more and more worried about his suit. The inevitable explosion happened and Janet returned alone to the village, hurt and crying and determined to ditch her sod of a husband at the earliest opportunity.

Narrative has its place

Instead of telling us there has been an explosive row, we need to see it happening: ‘We need to get back. I’m worried sick about Jason and Sophie.’ ‘Don’t be stupid. They’ll be fine, which is more than can be said about my suit.’ ‘How can you care more about your stupid suit than your own children? I’ve had enough of you and your bloody moaning. I’m getting a taxi back to the village.’

Upping the tension

In the following scene, the tension level needs to be raised. She burst into the bar and immediately commanded silence, her whole appearance, wet and dishevelled, stating her panic. She stumbled on her words, a glass of whiskey was placed in her hand; she somehow, if rather incoherently, informed everyone that her children were out to sea. There were the usual platitudes and excuses, telling her not to worry and that the children were more than likely at some friend’s house. Eventually she convinced them that her children were out in a force ten gale in a small dinghy. She collapsed sobbing at the bar. In such situations, dialogue really comes into its own. Janet burst into the bar. ‘You … can anyone … my children…’ ‘What is it?’ Bill asked, taking

I am not advocating avoiding narrative completely. There are valid reasons to use it in place of dialogue. Linking one scene with another Let us suppose a character has a conversation which he then has to relate to a third character. It would be tedious for us to have to wade through the same words. Narrative can move us on more quickly. Descriptive writing Allowing readers to see the setting through the eyes of the protagonist adds to the reading experience. But don’t go overboard. Action and interaction Characters need to move during scenes – picking up a glass, dressing, opening and closing doors, getting into cars, jumping on trains, fighting (physically), making love, or pushing someone away. Anything that requires some form of action usually needs narrative to show the reader what is happening.

her arm and guiding her to a stool by the counter. ‘Pour her a glass of whiskey, Tom. Don’t you be worrying, Janet. I expect they’re over at a friend’s house.’ She swallowed and coughed as the fiery fluid hit the back of her throat. ‘No, they’re out in the dinghy… Jason and Sophie … someone help them,’ she begged, tears flowing.

Observations

Dialogue can give an observation more emphasis. It was Bill who first noticed that Jade was not at her usual mooring and that the old man had left. It gradually dawned on them that he must have put to sea and that the only reason could have been to try to find the children. Compare: ‘Look! Jade’s not in her mooring,’ Bill shouted. ‘The old man must have gone out to look for the children.’

Adding poignancy

The ending to this story is extremely poignant. Narrative doesn’t quite do it justice. The old man sat in his usual seat staring out to sea. It took a while for it to register with the others that he had not moved and would not do so again; that was indeed his last voyage. And using dialogue: Janet walked over to the old man, who had resumed his usual place looking out to sea. ‘I can’t thank you enough,’ she said, but the old man didn’t respond. Bill touched her arm. ‘I don’t think he’ll be answering you, Janet. It looks like he’s made his final voyage.’ Writing as Frances di Plino, Lorraine Mace is the author of the DI Paolo Storey crime series. Her latest book is Looking for a Reason.

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CV BOOSTING

WRITING FOR ANTHOLOGIES Susie Kearley looks at the benefits of contributing to a short story collection

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n anthology is a book of short stories written by different people, usually on a specific theme. They’re often produced to raise funds for charities, but some anthologies, such as Chicken Soup for the Soul (www.chickensoup.com), have also enjoyed major commercial success. You have to send story contributions ‘on spec’ to Chicken Soup for the Soul, but if your work is accepted, the fee is well worth having. When my story was accepted in 2013 I received $200 and five copies of the book, and qualified for regular newsletters. I also became part of their writing community, which for US contributors includes opportunities to participate in book fairs and events, and receive advance copies and special offers. As I’m based in the UK, it’s not possible to take part in all the promotions, but it’s still nice to be kept in the loop. Chicken Soup for the Soul is a much bigger brand in the US than it is the UK, but they sell millions of books, so being a contributor is something

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you can feel proud of. Holy Cow Publishing (see www.holycowpublishing.com) publishes anthologies regularly. In their last call for science-fiction stories they offered up to 10 cents a word, which works out at $200 for a 2000-word story. Crystal Lake Publishing (www.crystallakepub.com) pays less for contributions to its anthologies, which include the Tales from the Lake series. If you have a piece of work that would suit one of their themes, the pay is about 3 cents per word, which equates to $180 for a 6000-word story – the maximum length they accept. Dark Moon Digest (www. darkmoondigest.com) publishes horror anthologies. Their last call for submissions offered up to $160 for 8000-word stories. These are just a few of literally hundreds of opportunities to write for anthologies (see box, below right).

Plus points

Nadia Ali, a Londoner who moved to the Caribbean, is a prolific contributor to anthologies. She’s written for numerous titles, including encyclopaedias, children’s books and true-life collections. She says: ‘Anthologies don’t always offer payment; you get a byline and a contributor’s copy. So you won’t get rich in a monetary way from them. But I contribute because it’s a way of establishing myself as a published, credible writer. ‘I get richer as a writer, and it helps me develop better skills and grow in confidence.’ Nadia is a contributor to celebrity charity anthology We Will Survive, fronted by singer Gloria Gaynor, and is also part of the Chicken Soup stable. She freelances for a variety of

Regular anthology contributor Nadia Ali

paying publications, including Animal Wellness magazine. Has she got more work as a direct result of being published in an anthology? To be honest, it’s hard to tell. ‘Commissioning editors don’t explain why they accept a submission, but being

published in a bestselling anthology may have influenced an editor’s decision.’ It’s certainly true that having a good portfolio of work improves your chances of being published elsewhere. Nadia continues: ‘In anthologies, you’re published

Where to find news of open anthologies ■ The Writing Career (www.writingcareer.com/call-foranthology-submissions) is a good resource for up-to-date anthology information, with rates of pay included. ■ Literary Mama (www.literarymama.com/tag/calls-forsubmissions) publishes a monthly list of calls for submissions. ■ Angela Benedetti (www.angiebenedetti.com/blog/ category/anthology-market-listings) publishes a monthly blog of anthologies seeking submissions. ■ Another useful resource is Literarium (https://literarium.net/ collection/anthology) which flags opportunities. ■ Published to Death (www.publishedtodeath.blogspot.com/ p/calls-for-submissions.html) clearly lists rates of pay for each publication seeking submissions.

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was chosen. The anthology was such a success that they’ve since published a second volume. ‘I’ve now been published in three anthologies and it does please me to be in them. I think they’re a worthwhile addition to my writing CV.’ Writing for publication helps to focus the mind, develop your writing skills, and of course, practice makes perfect! There’s nothing like having your work considered for publication to make you pay attention to detail.

It was stimulating to have a purpose for my writing alongside fellow writers, so you become part of a writing community. You also have a publishing credit that’s in print for the long term, as opposed to a magazine, which goes out of circulation quickly.’

Writing for charity

Charitable anthologies are a popular way to raise funds for a good cause. English Heritage released one last year called The English Heritage Book of New Ghost Stories. Submissions to charitable anthologies may not be paid, but the author can expect a complementary copy of the book on publication. You could argue that it’s better simply to give money to a charity rather than donate a story that may or may not raise funds. But the call for stories in itself raises awareness of the charity, and a book can highlight important issues. Whether you want to donate a story depends on your circumstances and your writing goals. In a recent blog, Nicola Solomon of the Society of Authors warned authors to be careful when agreeing

to work for charities, and to make sure that they are happy with the terms. This includes keeping copyright, being kept informed of any reissues (to update an author biography) and ensuring that work cannot be easily pirated, given that charities are not usually experienced publishers. When I first started writing seriously at the age of 16, publication was a distant dream. I was willing to write for a small fee or to help a charitable cause. If you’re a struggling writer, it’s nice just to have your work read, appreciated and taken seriously. Today I write for a living, but I’ve still given the RNIB permission to reprint one of my articles in Braille for free, as it supports a good cause. Debbie Ash-Clarke from Buckinghamshire is passionate about eliminating homelessness and rough sleeping in the UK. She contributed to the Stories for Homes anthology, which raised money for the homeless charity Shelter. Debbie says: ‘As a society, we offer little help to those who have found themselves homeless, so I wanted to write a story that made a point. I imagined a teenage girl whose life goes very wrong after her mother dies. ‘It was stimulating to have a purpose for my writing and I was delighted that my story

Non-charity collections

You might, however, take a more cautious view towards contributing to the many non-charitable anthologies out there, many of which pay very poorly, or not at all. Consider the monetary value of your time and effort. Is it reasonable for writers to work for nothing? If the anthology is being sold, and the printers and organisers are being paid, some might think the writers should get a decent fee too. That said, some people are happy with any fee. Allen Gittens, a teacher who writes for pagan magazines among others, says: ‘I usually write for nothing so I’m happy to be paid a small fee for contributions to anthologies. Any financial benefit is a bonus, as I usually write for fun. ‘I’ve contributed to a poetry collection, had short fiction published in heavy metal fanzines, and I have a regular

column in the Berengaria Order [of Druids] newsletter.’

Publishing an anthology

Short story writer Sharon Boothroyd edited Kishboo magazine for two years, running a short story and poetry competition with cash prizes for the winners. She later re-published some of the best stories from Kishboo in an ebook anthology, Paws for Thought, to raise money for the local Halifax, Huddersfield & District branch of the RSPCA. ‘We adopted a cat from the RSPCA and an e-anthology seemed like a good idea,’ Sharon explains. Additional stories were donated by fellow women’s magazine story writers keen to get involved. In the first year, the anthology sold 20 copies and raised £25 for the RSPCA. ‘I know it isn’t mega bucks,’ says Sharon, ‘but it’s paid for a few tins of dog and cat food. It’s a kind of “drip drip” effect – the sales will all add up. ‘The anthology showcases the work of contributors, and for the experienced writers it was an opportunity to help a charity that was close to their hearts.’ • Stories for Homes (CreateSpace, 2013) is available at www. amazon.co.uk/dp/1493534246 • Paws for Thought (Ryecorn Digital Publishing, 2017) is available at www.amazon.co.uk/ dp/B072HRFX8F

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POETRY WORKSHOP

Enough of a character The wind has worked its way through the ropes that hold the bamboo slats. In a minute the slats are at the wind’s mercy. It lifts them off the ground and carries them far into the distance. In those flashing moments when lightning strikes the earth, the boys watch in amazement as the wind chases the fence away, part by part. Like magic, thinks Shortie. The rain. The keening wind and thunder. And lightning. Shortie wonders about the goats. Have they run away with the wind? He does not think they are in the pen, or where the pen was, anymore. He is sure they are not under the felled hut frame and thatch. These are still there, and there is no bleating from under them. Selvan suddenly gets up and starts running towards the twin palm. Clutching the kid to him, he pushes his way through the wind. Shortie runs after him and drags him down and they both sit in the open field. Shortie holds himself tight and small. Selvan drops the kid into Shortie’s lap and puts his hands around his shoulders. He howls and weeps. Louder and louder. Sobs wrack his stricken and cold body. Shortie hugs Selvan to himself. ‘There, there, it’ll soon be over. Soon.’ Selvan cries even more and buries his head in Shortie’s lap. Burdened by the two creatures in his small skinny lap, Shortie looks up. The rain is steady now. Lots and lots of it. The wind appears to be dying down. Looking up at the sky, he feels a surge of joy. Selvan digs himself deeper into Shortie’s lap. Shortie’s hand tightens round him. Wind, rain and lightning dance all around them to a steady rhythm. Shortie feels himself a raindrop, bouncing off the wind and falling to earth. Seasons of the Palm by Perumal Murugan Translated from the Tamil by V Geetha

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s soon as a character appears in a poem, it is essential that everything about them is believable. This does not mean they can’t have two heads, wings and a third eye if that is right for the poem. What it means is that the author needs to think carefully about what evidence they provide to the reader and what they might just hint at or suggest; and the possible impact of this difference. To start with, let us consider names.

He or she, young or old? What do the names Shortie and Selvan convey to the reader? The names you

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choose for your characters can have a significant impact on the way your reader perceives them. Whether we like it or not, different names conjure up different images of the person concerned. The names you choose for the characters in your poetry can reveal or suggest a whole range of information including sex, nationality, age, class, religion, a physical characteristic or a character trait. You might even link the name to the character’s job or hobby. And remember, you can use names to conform to a reader’s expectations or confound them. To explore this further, try writing six lines about each of the following: ■■ An Inuk (Eskimo) called Percival ■■ A waitress called Abigail Harrington-

Jones or a waiter called Horatio ■■ A cowboy called Pierre-Auguste Patel ■■ A monarch called Tracy

Abbreviations are another aspect of names you might want to consider. For example, might the reader have different reactions to a character called Roberto, Robert, Robo, Bobby, Bob or Bobsy? If so, why is this?

Get physical What does the reader know about the physical characteristics of Shortie and Selvan? Spend a few moments making a list. There’s not much information, but

what else does the reader need to know? A character’s physical features can be reported or described directly or revealed more subtly, eg in the way they move. With this in mind, how might you show or suggest the following physical characteristics without actually naming them directly? ■■ A wall eye ■■ Beauty ■■ An amputated or under-developed limb ■■ Morbid obesity or emaciation

Voice What can the reader deduce from the spoken interaction between Shortie and Selvan? In the extract by Perumal Murugan, there is no description of Shortie or Selvan’s voices. The only reported speech is Shortie saying: ‘There, there, it’ll soon be over. Soon.’ And Selvan cries, howls and weeps. Take some time to think about the difference between a character’s voice and the words they use or the noises they make. Explore this further by writing some direct speech for a voice that is: ■■ Posh or not posh (think carefully about your notion of both) ■■ Brittle, chipped or broken in some way ■■ Musical (think beyond baritone or soprano) ■■ Exhausted

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POETRY

You can contact Sue at [email protected]

with poetry editor Sue Butler

EXPERIMENT Manners of speaking For a Child of 1918 by Elizabeth Bishop (1911–1979)

Ensure the direct speech is appropriate for the historical period in which your poem takes place.

All in the mind What is the reader told or shown about mental and emotional characteristics of Shortie and Selvan? Does it matter if the reader has no idea about the relationship between the characters before the poem began and after the poem ends?

Physical location Where in the world are Shortie and Selvan, the goats, the pen and the storm? The location in which a poem is set should always be 100 per cent believable in poetic terms; however, does it always matter whether the reader knows exactly where? How do you convey a sense of the location without saying this poem takes place in the kitchen of 86 Acacia Avenue or in a specific goat pen in a specific field in a specific region?

Time of day Is it important that the reader knows exactly at what time of day or night the action in your poem takes place? For example, what is the difference between Shortie and Selvan being caught out in the storm at noon or at midnight?

My grandfather said to me as we sat on the wagon seat, ‘Be sure to remember to always speak to everyone you meet.’ We met a stranger on foot. My grandfather’s whip tapped his hat. ‘Good day, sir. Good day. A fine day.’ And I said it and bowed where I sat. Then we overtook a boy we knew with his big pet crow on his shoulder. ‘Always offer everyone a ride; don’t forget that when you get older,’ my grandfather said. So Willy climbed up with us, but the crow gave a ‘Caw!’ and flew off. I was worried. How would he know where to go?

‘and he’s well brought up. See, he answers nicely when he’s spoken to. Man or beast, that’s good manners. Be sure that you both always do.’ When automobiles went by, the dust hid the people’s faces, but we shouted ‘Good day! Good day! Fine day!’ at the top of our voices. When we came to Hustler Hill, he said that the mare was tired, so we all got down and walked, as our good manners required.

But he flew a little way at a time from fence post to fence post, ahead; and when Willy whistled he answered. ‘A fine bird,’ my grandfather said, What constitutes good manners 100 years later? What type of behaviour might a grandparent, parent or any adult for that matter expect of a child in 2018? Write a poem on this topic using the same style and format as Elizabeth Bishop. Take note of Bishop’s rhyme scheme and be sure to have your poem narrated by a child. Pay careful attention to the way the adult and the child in your own poem speak to each other. How might this differ from the interaction in Bishop’s poem?

Pulling it all together There is so much to think about when creating a character. Have you considered their clothes, the contents of their pockets, the food the characters might eat, the songs they might sing? Try to literally step into your character’s shoes, their skin and their mind; experience the time of day and the physical location, then enjoy writing bravely and boldly.

Poetry feedback service If you’d like detailed and targeted feedback from Sue, you can purchase an extended critique of three poems for £35. Email her at [email protected] for details.

POETRY WORKOUT Forget choosing eight pieces of music, a book and a luxury – what would it really be like on a desert island?

1 2 3 4

Cook a three-course meal using only fuel, utensils and foodstuffs found (or made with available materials) on your island, plus two items saved from your shipwreck. Who or what makes the footprints or the eerie wail at twilight?

Try to attract attention or escape. Do you know how to start a fire or build an electronic signalling device? Can you build a raft, an aeroplane, a time-travel machine? What do you miss and what don’t you miss?

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POETRY

Poetry competition

with poetry judge Sue Butler

£100 winner

The Toolbox

Terry Baldock, Droitwich Spa, Worcs I found my Dad’s toolbox The other day, Dumped in the garage; Hidden away. A fold-out lid That held old screws, Tools inside that he’ll Never use.

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he winning poem this month is by Terry Baldock from Droitwich Spa. On the page, the final two lines might initially look like an unanswered question, but having read the poem it is abundantly clear how an old box can break a heart. About the poet Terry, 71, is a retired civil engineer who tries to enter as many writing competitions as possible and has had a few successes. He joined a writers’ group last year and is grateful for the encouragement and help it has provided.

Highly Commended Painting Sound by John William Thompson, Ashton-under-Lyne Ageing by Tracey Foley, Holtby, N Yorks The Chair by Peter Hickman, Purley, Surrey

Poems that might have been Use the ideas below to explore the different directions the winning poem might have taken. Think about format, style of language and narrative development. Use the questions to inspire your own poem or poems. ■■ The poem explores how a box full of things can break a heart. Use the same four-line stanza format to explore the contents of a box that creates a different emotion, eg joy, horror, anticipation or remorse. ■■ The narrator says: ‘All being sold except, Loved souvenirs’. Write about buying one of these. Consider location, finances, emotions, the object’s ability to ‘speak’ and what happens next. ■■ The father is not a professional carpenter or joiner. Write about someone (or yourself) by only saying what they (or you) are not.

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There’s hammers and spanners And bits for drills; Old Polyfilla That no longer fills. Screws to put in and Screws taken out, Picture hooks wire and Pieces of grout. Packets of nails that He never used. All as forgotten when He was confused. The saw that created My cricket stumps; The train he made me, When I had mumps. He wasn’t a carpenter, Or joiner by trade, But we were so proud of things That he made. Tables, lamps, wardrobes, And shelves. Things that we couldn’t have Made for ourselves. All being sold except Loved souvenirs, That have meant something Over the years. Things put together, Things taken apart. How can an old box Break someone’s heart?

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Writers FORUM

Professional Self-Publishing

Want to see YOUR poem published in these pages?

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Join adults of all ages and backgrounds at the University of Cambridge International Summer Programmes. The Creative Writing Programme (5 - 18 August) builds on Cambridge’s rich literary tradition and will help you develop your writing skills. Courses will focus on the writing of fiction and non-fiction in a range of genres and styles. Course Directors – all established writers – will set practical writing tasks and guide you in critical reflection of your own work, that of fellow students, as well as that of published writers. Well-known figures from the world of publishing will give plenary lectures and evening talks. Our other open-access programmes include Literature, Shakespeare and, new for 2018, Art and Visual Culture. You can stay in a historic College, get to know other students at meals in magnificent dining halls, join excursions and social events, and enjoy all that Cambridge has to offer. +44 (0)1223 760850 [email protected] www.ice.cam.ac.uk/intsummer

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Literary diary FESTIVALS 26-29 July An annual celebration of words, music, ideas, nature, food, fashion, laughter, exploration and fun. This year Billy Bragg, Blake Morrison, Philip Marsden and Clare Mulley are among those taking part. www.porteliotfestival.com

Jasper Fforde, Oxford

3 August, 7pm The author will be at Waterstones to talk about and sign copies of his latest novel, Early Riser. Tickets cost £5. For more details call 01865 790212.

Edinburgh International Book Festival

Swanwick: The Writers’ Summer School, Derbys

11-17 August A week of speakers, courses, workshops, panels, talks and more. There’s no need to sign up in advance for courses or workshops – choose what inspires you on the day. Our own Della Galton is among those taking part, alongside Sue Moorcroft, Paul Dodgson and Julia Pattison. www.swanwickwritersschool.org.uk

Beyond Borders International Festival

25-26 August Panel discussions and debates exploring world cultures and new ideas in the tranquil setting of Traquair House, near Peebles. Authors taking part include Richard Holloway and Stuart Kelly. www.beyondbordersscotland.com

Hastings Litfest

31 August – 2 September Venues across the town including the pier will be hosting author talks, workshops, meet the agent events, a book fair and poetry readings. Michael Arditti, Kevin Brooks, Alison Moore and Sheila Bugler are among those taking part. www.hastingslitfest.org

NAWG Annual Festival of Writing, Warwick

31 August – 2 September Hone your writing skills, meet new friends and enjoy opportunities to network with writers, agents and publishers. Workshops are run by professional tutors such as Ken MacLeod, James Nash and our columnist Morgen Bailey. www.nawg.co.uk

Kate Medhurst brings you the pick of next month’s writing and book events Smith Theatre, reading from their latest works and taking questions. Tickets cost £7. For more details call 02920 871846.

Port Eliot Festival, Cornwall

11-17 August Set in a specially created tented village in Charlotte Square Gardens, this festival offers something for every age and interest, with more than 1000 authors taking part, including novelists, poets, scientists, philosophers, sports people, illustrators, historians, biographers and Nobel and Booker prize-winners. www.edbookfest.co.uk

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Peter Robinson, Reading Budleigh Salterton

PENfro Book Festival, Pembs

8 August, 12.30pm The author will be at Waterstones, signing copies of his new DCI Alan Banks novel Careless Love. The event is free, arrive early to get a seat. For more details call 0118 958 1270.

6- 9 September Rhosygilwen Mansion hosts this annual event celebrating the quality and diversity of writing in Wales today, recognising the contribution of local publishers and booksellers. Paul Dodgson and Angela John are among those taking part. www.penfrobookfestival.org.uk

Louis de Bernières, St Andrews

Festival of Writing, York

17 August, 2pm Kent will be at Waterstones signing copies of her latest novel, Knights and Bikes, for ages 9-12. For more details call 01642 939720.

7-9 September Meet agents and publishers, get advice from professional authors and make lifelong friends during this inspirational weekend, which takes place at the University of York. Now in its 12th year, it’s for writers looking to hone their craft and get published traditionally or independently. https://jerichowriters.com/festival-of-writing

Budleigh Salterton Literary Festival, Devon

19-23 September Now in its 10th year, the event is bigger than ever, with five days of bestselling authors, lively panel debate, workshops and events for children. Hilary Mantel, Kate Morton, Michael Rosen, Wendy Cope and Michael Morpurgo are just some of the big names appearing this year. www.budlitfest.org.uk

AUTHOR & BOOK EVENTS Jack Sheffield, Milton Keynes

1 August, 1pm Waterstones hosts the author as he signs his new novel Starting Over, set in the years before his Teacher,Teacher series. The event is free. For more details call 01908 395384.

Paige Toon & Lindsey Kelk, Cardiff

2 August, 6.30pm The authors will be in conversation at Reardon

15 August, 8pm The bestselling author will be at Topping and Company Bookshop with his new novel, So Much Life Left Over. Tickets cost £7. For more details call 01334 585111.

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Carrie Hope Fletcher, Birmingham

20 August, 7pm The Glee Club hosts an exclusive author talk and book signing with the singer, songwriter and author. Tickets cost £17.99 and include a copy of her novel, When the Curtain Falls. For more details call 0871 472 0400.

Matt Haig, Glasgow

25 August, 7pm The author will be at Waterstones talking about his new book, Notes on a Nervous Planet. Tickets cost £12.99, including a copy of the book. For more details call 0141 332 9105.

Patrick Gale, Bristol

29 August, 7pm Gale will be discussing his new book Take Nothing With You with novelist Tiffany Murray at the Central Library. Tickets cost £4. For more details call 0117 922 2000.

Sebastian Faulks, Bath

11 September, 8pm The author will be at Topping and Company giving an exclusive, pre-publication reading from his forthcoming novel, Paris Echo. Tickets cost £20, redeemable against a purchase of the book. For more details call 01334 585111.

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Advertise in Writers’ Forum To talk about advertising call Wendy Kearns on 01392 466099 Or email advertising@ writers-forum.com

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New courses

West Dean College

RESIDENTIAL COURSES Fiction Retreat, Inverness-shire

6-11 August This course provides an opportunity to develop your ongoing work in a supportive and inspiring environment. Whether you are stuck in the middle of a project, attempting to whip a first draft into shape or applying the final tweaks to your manuscript, this course provides detailed one-to-one tutorials to cater for your needs. It takes place at Moniack Mhor Creative Writing Centre, in the beautiful Scottish Highlands near Inverness, and costs from £540. www.moniackmhor.org.uk

Short Story Writing, West Sussex

11-17 August On this week-long summer course run by Ruth Brandt you will learn the fundamentals of writing as you develop your ideas into short stories. Through a series of exercises with plenty of feedback, discover how to use character, setting, dialogue, conflict and dramatic structure to write and edit your work. It costs £709 (course only, accommodation extra) at stunning West Dean College (above). www.westdean.org.uk

ONE-DAY COURSES Beginner’s Guide to Writing a Novel, London

8 August The emphasis of this course is to get a grasp on what you’re up against – and to make it clear that although talent can’t be taught, story techniques and principles do exist and are very powerful. Learn them well and you will have

the basic tools to write a novel. It costs £49 and takes place at the Guardian offices in Farringdon from 6.30pm to 9.30pm. www.theguardian.com/guardian-masterclasses

Writing Haiku Poetry, London

10 August This interactive daytime workshop offers students the opportunity to learn about key literary figures in the haiku genre and write their own poetry inspired by a range of stimuli and prompts. It takes place between 10.30am and 4.30pm and costs £59. www.citylit.ac.uk

Writing for Wellbeing Taster, Staveley, Derbys

1 September This workshop with Leonie Martin uses a series of fun and engaging prompts based on the five senses.You’ll be encouraged to unlock your imagination and put pen to paper. It takes place 10.30am–12.30pm at Staveley Library. The workshop costs £5.83 and can be booked via Eventbrite (use search to find the event). www.eventbrite.co.uk

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HELPFUL NEW BOOKS Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook 2019 (Bloomsbury Publishing, £19.49) is the bestselling guide to all areas of publishing and is updated every year. The book is packed with advice, inspiration and practical guidance on who to contact and how to get published, and includes over 4000 listings entries. New articles this year include writing about sport, writing successful dialogue, world-building, self-publishing your audio book and more. Novel & Short Story Writer’s Market 2019 by Robert Lee Brewer (Writers Digest Books, £22.99) includes hundreds of listings for book publishers, magazines, writing competitions and literary agents, updated annually. It features advice from the experts, covering everything from character and plot to unleashing your storytelling skills, as well as interviews and articles on selling your work. An American publication, it’s essential for anyone looking to publish in the US. Published 28 September. interview plus a submission of written work. It costs £2750. www.oxfordplaywriting.co.uk

Novel Writing, London

13 September 13 – 7 March Based at Curtis Brown’s central London offices, this hugely popular, face-to-face creative writing course features visits from the Curtis Brown literary agents and takes place over six months. It is led by Simon Wroe and costs £2990. www.curtisbrowncreative.co.uk

SHORT COURSES

ONLINE COURSE

The John Retallack Playwriting Course, Oxford

Writing for Children

10 September – 3 June This professional-level course based in Oxford is from award-winning playwright and director John Retallack and covers every aspect of writing a play. There will also be individual tutorials at the end of each term. Sessions take place every Monday and there is a maximum of eight writers per group. Admission is via

Jericho Writers Learn how to turn a simple premise into a full-length story for children, how to develop your voice, build recognisable worlds and create unforgettable characters.You’ll learn what publishers and agents are looking for and gain the tools to begin creating compelling stories. The course costs £365 and lasts six weeks. www.jerichowriters.com

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MOTIVATION

Emily Cunningham of The Write Factor publishing agency helps you find the way forward with your writing

THE

MENTOR I’m stuck in an introspective rut I love to write about the thought processes of my character but then I end up neglecting the ‘action’ element of the story. What can I do? Cara, Kidwelly

A

glimpse inside someone’s head is a delicious treat, Cara, and isn’t necessarily a problem. One of the greatest strengths of a novel over any other creative media is that it allows for descriptions of emotions and thoughts. You don’t get such hand-holding during films and TV dramas. The viewer is left to guess what’s going on in the actor’s head by scrutinising their facial expressions. Equally, there’s no explanations with visual art or poetry, you have to make your own mind up, which can be off‑putting (many people find both of these intimidating for just this reason). In a book, you can lay it out beautifully for the reader to enjoy. One example I enjoyed reading recently was by a student on my creative writing course at The Write Factor. She wrote a short story told in the first person about a nurse sitting by a patient’s bed, knowing he is about to die. The whole piece is devoted to her thoughts during this time; reflecting on who the patient was, wondering whether his family will

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arrive in time and then drifting into daydreaming about what to have for dinner, all while she held his hand and watched his chest rise and fall ever-more slowly. The only action of the piece is at the beginning, when she decides to keep the patient company during his last moments. It was written so elegantly that I wasn’t craving a car chase and the absence of hand grenades didn’t leave me disappointed. Instead, I was entranced by the depiction of that moment in time, suspended as if in amber. The fact that you enjoy writing about a character’s interior life is hopeful, as it suggests that you have a talent for it, that what you write excites you. There’s no need to tack on extra action just because you think you should. In your email, Cara, I can hear a ‘should’. You feel you should include action, that you should tread a recognised path in your work, but I want you to ignore that tedious harpy and pursue your own style. Is the ‘should’ popping up because

you doubt your own ability? Or perhaps because you think your work won’t be successful? Try not to let this influence you. As author Geoff Dyer said: ‘Never worry about the commercial possibilities of a project. That stuff is for agents and editors to fret over – or not. Conversation with my American publisher: ‘Me: “I’m writing a book so boring, of such limited commercial appeal, that if you publish it, it will probably cost you your job.” ‘Publisher: “That’s exactly what makes me want to stay in my job.”’ There’s plenty of room on bookshop shelves for a variety of writing styles. Leave the action to James Patterson. Thinking about books that favour internal monologue over action, I’m reminded of the greatest book no one’s ever finished: Ulysses by James Joyce. According to literary critic Declan Kiberd, this lengthy stream of consciousness is a ground-breaking

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Send your letters to Emily at [email protected]

own style. If you have faith that your writing is absorbing and your characters are believable then you’re on to a winner, action or no action. As Margaret Atwood said, one of the key goals in writing is to: ‘Hold the reader’s attention. (This is likely to work better if you can hold your own.) But you don’t know who the reader is, so it’s like shooting fish with a slingshot in the dark. What fascinates A will bore the pants off B.’ There are readers out there, including myself, that relish an examination of someone’s psychological makeup. Gaining an insight into another person’s perspective is often fascinating and a very effective way to flesh out a character. Learning about their motives, desires and regrets is the meat and drink of creative writing. One caveat I would offer is that you make sure that whilst you’re deep inside your character’s head, their thoughts are moving the story forwards. Something has to happen, even if it’s that your character decides not to leave her husband. Having a plot, a framework from which to hang your work will helpd to make your book a page‑turner. So, to summarise, Cara, you worry about neglecting action, but I think that if your writing is engaging, then action must still be there, just not in the form of in-your-face murders and explosions.

There’s plenty of room on bookshop shelves for a variety of writing styles masterpiece: ‘Before Joyce, no writer of fiction had so foregrounded the process of thinking.’ (Anyone else pause over the word ‘foregrounded’?) Another, more accessible book of a similar style is by Nicholson Baker. I’ve mentioned him before as having the ability to turn daydreaming into an art form. His novel The Anthologist focuses entirely on a poet agonising about writing the introduction to a forthcoming book. Yes, that’s the plot of the whole novel. It’s a courageous move, ironically, to sacrifice action completely. And did that gamble pay off? A review in the literary blog No Pun Intended is not sure: ‘Reading

The Anthologist is like reading the memoir of someone who just wants desperately to be liked; there seems to be little other point to the story.’ Ouch. The reviewer goes on to suggest that the book’s success is explained by the Emperor’s New Clothes mentality: ‘It can sometimes seem plebeian or vulgar to want stories to have plot – it can make you seem like the kind of person who only reads Stephen King and John Grisham, or only sees movies directed by Michael Bay. This, I suspect, is why The Anthologist received such good reviews. Critics don’t want to sound crass by complaining that not enough happens. But the traditional elements of story are there for a reason. We don’t just read novels because they are about someone; we read them because they are about something. And for a story to really have an impact, it needs to have conflict.’ This is a fair point, but it’s still possible to do this whilst remaining true to your

Tips to take away ■■ Remember pace – writing about internal workings has a more sedate pacing so use techniques such as moving between different scenes, or the past and present, to keep up the flow. ■■ Big up the colour – because you’re sacrificing traditional ways to grip the reader, you have to compensate by making sure your descriptions zing. ■■ Take comfort in the words of 18th century philosopher William Godwin: ‘The philosophy of the wisest man who ever existed is mainly derived from the act of introspection.’

The Write Factor offers all sorts of services to support your writing process, from mentoring and writing courses to editorial feedback and assessment. Find out more at www.thewritefactor.co.uk

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AUTHOR KNOW-HOW

Research secrets Rupert Thomson talks to Anita Loughrey about his ‘method writing’ approach to his research for his novel Never Anyone But You

I

n 2006, I opened a magazine – I forget which one – and was stopped dead in my tracks by a black-and-white photograph of a woman with a shaved head and eyebrows, her face alert but wary, as if the photographer had taken a liberty, or startled her. She looked like a vampire or someone in a concentration camp. Who was she? Her name, it turned out, was Claude Cahun, and the photo had been taken in 1928. I found that hard to believe; the image looked so modern. I began to read about Cahun – her sexual ambiguity, her long-term relationship with Suzanne Malherbe, her association with the Surrealists in Paris, her defiance of the Nazis in the war – and became intrigued. That was where Never Anyone But You began, though it was almost 10 years before I wrote a single word. When the time felt right, I familiarised myself with the basic details of Claude’s life, and studied all the photos I could find online, and began. If I had known everything before I started, I would have felt hamstrung and suffocated. There would have been no room for the imagination. In the first two drafts, I was looking for an undertow, a dynamic, some kind of psychological truth. I made up scenes that seemed in character, not knowing if they could have happened. It didn’t matter. They could be re-worked later, or discarded. The difficulty came when I saw the gaps in my knowledge. Where did Claude go to school? How many times did she attempt suicide? What did

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I was stopped dead in my tracks by a photograph she like to drink? There was only one biography – Claude Cahun: L’exotisme intérieur by François Leperlier. It is a masterly and fascinating book, but it’s yet to be translated. I had studied French to A Level but it would still take me an hour to read six pages. What’s more, it’s organised around themes and ideas rather than chronologically.

Experts

It became obvious I would need to interview Monsieur Leperlier, since he was the world’s leading expert on the two women I was writing about. I contacted him through his publisher, and arranged to meet him in Nantes for a drink. A year later, in August 2016, he invited me to his house in

Normandy. I spent three days with him. In the mornings, I recorded his answers to my questions (I came away with nine hours of conversation). In the afternoons, he allowed me to explore his Cahun archive. Some of what I discovered was extremely inconvenient. Leperlier would listen to my account of a scene from my latest draft, then laugh and say: ‘Impossible!’ Throughout the autumn and on into 2017, I was constantly writing to him with questions. Some were complex – Could you give me a brief medical history of Claude Cahun, including all the major crises? – and others were seemingly trivial – What brand of cigarettes did Claude smoke? – but he was always patient, generous, and swift to respond. A simple example of how I integrated a real event into the book occurs when Claude disappears for 36 hours in Paris. There is no record that Claude ever disappeared for such a length of time, but it seemed plausible, and it allowed me to reveal the anxiety that lurked beneath Suzanne’s stoical façade. I had read about the trance sessions that took place in André Breton’s apartment on rue Fontaine in the early 1920s, and wanted to include them in the novel to convey what Surrealist Paris was like. When Claude has been missing for several hours, Suzanne starts to look for her. She calls on friends and visits various restaurants, bookshops and cafes. As darkness falls, she stops at a café for a pastis. While there, one of the founders of the Surrealist movement, the writer Philippe

Soupault, invites her to Breton’s apartment. She ends up witnessing one of the very first trance sessions, during which the poet Robert Desnos speaks from his unconscious. There is no actual evidence that Suzanne ever witnessed one of these events, but the point is, she could have done. (François Leperlier would probably say: ‘Impossible!’)

Location

I always try and go to the locations I am writing about – but only after I have written about them. I imagine them first and am often surprised to find how accurate the descriptions turn out to be. I often travel in character. In Jersey, for instance, I would travel as Suzanne. I call this ‘method writing’. The things I notice are the things she would have noticed. The things that happen to me are the things that would have happened to her. Again, it’s uncanny how the world seems to cooperate with this approach. Sometimes, in fact, it offers me things that are simply too good to be true. During the writing of Never Anyone But You I went to Jersey twice. On Jersey, the Cultural Development Officer put me in touch with a 93-year-old man called Bob Le Sueur. He helped to hide escaped Russian prisoners during the war. In his twenties, he had seen Claude and Suzanne walking their cat along the beach at St Brelade’s on a lead. He called them ‘the two Jewesses’. I recorded Bob talking about the history of Jersey, and about the occupation, and he was kind enough to give me a

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LITERARY MARKETS

WRITING OUTLETS with Janet Cameron

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tour of the island in his car. There are times when research turns you into a detective. I found the name Lucille Renouf in a Jersey phone book in my hotel. Lucille was Claude and Suzanne’s housekeeper. When I went to her house nobody was home. For a year I called her number but no one ever answered. On my return to Jersey, Bob put me in touch with a friend who told me Lucille was in an old people’s home in St Helier. The only problem was, she had dementia. With permission from her nephew, I spent an hour talking to Lucille. She wasn’t always lucid but she gave me pieces of information I wouldn’t have discovered elsewhere. My detective work had turned up trumps.

Mistakes

The French artist Louise Bourgeois said: ‘I trust my subconscious. My subconscious is my friend.’ I believe we know things that we don’t know we know, and the first draft is a chance to unearth that hidden knowledge. Structure, continuity, verisimilitude – all that can come later. The disadvantage of my approach is that I make all kinds of embarrassing mistakes. I wrote an ending to Never Anyone But You based on a photo I found in the Jersey Heritage archive. I had been led to believe it had been taken by either Claude or Suzanne in Majorca in the early 1950s, so I set the scene in Majorca – only to be told by François Leperlier, in no uncertain terms, that the two women couldn’t possibly have gone to Spain at that point, since Claude was

already half-blind and Suzanne had arthritis and was having trouble walking. François said the photo had probably been sent to them by a friend. The ending I have now is better than it was before. It doesn’t matter if you make mistakes. No one need see them. And they allow you to discover things you might not have discovered otherwise. Mistakes can be a source of inspiration.

What to include

This beautiful online journal is published three times a year. It does not stick to a particular school of poetry but is looking for quality. The material for each issue is rolled out over a 10- to 14-day period so that every piece can be appreciated. Each poet’s work can be accessed via a photo byline. Tip: Poems should ‘continue to intrigue and haunt, and provide a calm space – a metaphorical boulder in the flood’. Submissions: Send six poems in a single Word document with your name on every page. Email [email protected] with Submission in the subject window and an author bio. Have a good author photo ready to send.

The Apple Valley Review applevalleyreview.com

Never Anyone But You is essentially a love story – one woman’s account of a life spent with a woman she couldn’t live without. So scenes could only be included if they shed some light on that relationship. That was how I decided what to use. At a very late stage – draft nine, I think – I discovered that Suzanne had a cancer scare in 1932, and had to have one of her breasts removed. Once I had written a scene that included the cancer and the mastectomy, I had to find other ways to bring that in, since it felt unnatural to refer to it just once. I decided to have the sadistic Nazi, ‘Wolf of the Gestapo’, mock Suzanne for her missing breast during an interrogation in 1944. Slowly, biographical detail is woven into the fiction until the two cannot be distinguished. Fiction is first and foremost an act of the imagination. There are imagined facts, and real facts, and imagined facts must always be given priority. Real facts are merely servants of the narrative.

Published in spring and autumn, this online literary journal seeks finely crafted fiction and poetry. They prefer their poetry unrhymed. Don’t send pure genre submissions, although such elements within a literary piece are fine. Apple Valley has an impressive resumé of achievement – see their About page. Tip: Although they require fine writing, it must never be inaccessible. Shorter pieces stand a better chance. Submissions: Three prose pieces of 100-4000 words or up to six poems. Email in the body of an email to [email protected] with Poetry or Fiction in the subject window. You may send a cover letter and a brief author bio.

• Follow Rupert Thomson on Twitter @rupertthomson1

• Janet’s ebook Fifteen Women Philosophers, published by decodedscience.com, is available from Amazon

Projected Letters projectedletters.com

Projected Letters prides itself on its diversity, welcoming poetry and stories from all over the world and from all minority groups. They also accept essays, book reviews and journals/diaries, and occasionally photography. They do not pay. There are no rules about poem length or how many you may submit. Work and presentation speak for themselves. Tip: The editors strongly suggest you read content online, for an indication of what is required. Submissions: Please use the online submissions manager. Receipt of your contribution will be acknowledged and they promise to respond to all submissions.

Writers’FORUM #202

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Competitive Edge CREATIVE WRITING MATTERS This month, Morgen hears from novelists

and comp judges Cathie Hartigan, Sophie Duffy and Margaret James

A

few years ago, creative writing tutor and novelist Cathie Hartigan set up Creative Writing Matters, an Exeter-based business intended to encourage writing talent. Cathie was soon joined by fellow novelists Margaret James and Sophie Duffy, who together form the team of three who run several writing competitions every year – the Exeter Novel Prize, the Exeter Story Prize and the Exeter Flash being the three most prominent. They also mentor aspiring writers, run literary events and generally get involved in the literary life of Exeter. What advice would Cathie, Margaret and Sophie offer anyone entering writing competitions?

development, no conflicts and no resolutions. A short story always needs to have a resolution of some kind. ■ Some competitions ask entrants to write a story based on a specific theme, so always remember to check this out. ■ Send your story to the organisers in the format they demand. These days, almost no competitions accept handwritten entries, but Creative Writing Matters still receives a few every year. ■ Start any comp entry with something exciting, interesting, compelling or even horrifying taking place; do almost anything rather than spend that vital, hopefully attention-grabbing first page filling in the background to the story.

■ First of all, read the rules, and remember they apply to everyone who enters. ■ Also, if possible, read entries that have won in the past, so you get a feel for the kind of thing the judges are likely to enjoy. Short story competition organisers often produce anthologies of winning and shortlisted entries, and you can find three anthologies of the Exeter Story Prize winners on Amazon – search ‘Books’ and ‘Exeter Story Prize’ to track them down. ■ When you enter a story competition, you’ll always need to tell a story. Creative Writing Matters receives plenty of entries that aren’t stories at all. They’re anecdotes and they feature little or no character or plot

Morgen’s Motivation

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Cathie, Margaret and Sophie mentioned conflict. This doesn’t have to be a car teetering on the edge of a cliff, although this always gets the reader’s attention. No, conflict can be anything from being denied an expected promotion to being threatened with a gun, to Freda’s washing machine breaking down. Whatever it is, don’t make the solution too obvious. Write down as many possibilities as you can think of, go do something else, then come back and write another one. That could well be the winning idea – the one that is the least likely option and that fewer readers, or judges, will come up with.

Left to right: Sophie, Cathie and Margaret

Start an entry with something exciting, compelling, even horrifying Comp of the Month The flagship competition of Creative Writing Matters is the Exeter Novel Prize. At the end of March 2018, the fifth award was given to EJ Pepper, whose novel, Mr Whittaker, was chosen by head judge and London literary agent Broo Doherty. Broo has been the head judge for all five years of the competition. The first winner, Sealskin by Su Bristow, and the second, The Gunner Girl by Clare Harvey, have now been

commercially published, as have novels by several runners-up. There are full details of all the award events on the Creative Writing Matters website. The first prize of £500 is generously donated by Exeter Writers, Cathie, Margaret and Sophie’s local writing group (www.exeterwriters.org.uk). The next competition is the Exeter Story Prize 2018, which closes on 31 August 2018, the same deadline as the Exeter Flash comp. Details of both competitions and how to enter can be found at www. creativewritingmatters.co.uk ■ Send Morgen your recommendations for ‘Comp of the Month’ as well as competitions we could include. She’d also love to know how you’ve got on with comps listed in these pages or elsewhere. Get in touch at the email address above.

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Send your success stories, questions for Morgen, tips and comp news (three months in advance) to [email protected]

with writer, editor and competition judge Morgen Bailey publication. Details: see www. parkpublications.co.uk/competitions.html or write to Park Publications, 14 The Park, Stow on the Wold, Cheltenham GL54 1DX. COMPS CLOSING SOON COMPS NOW OPEN Arkbound Short Story Competition Closes 1 November 2018 Story: max 1000 words. Theme: ‘Hope’. Fee: £3. Prizes: £100 plus feature; £50 plus feature; £25; 3 x £10; certificates. Details: see arkbound.com/writing-competition or write to Competitions, Arkbound, Backfields House, Upper York Street, Bristol BS2 8WF. BeaconLit Flash Fiction Competition Monthly Story: max 500 words. Theme: varies. Fee: £2; optional critique £5. Prizes: three per month go through to following July’s BeaconLit Festival final, with 10 prizes worth over £325. Details: see beaconlitblog.wordpress.com/500word-competition NAWG ‘100’ Competition Ongoing Flash fiction: 100 words. Fee: £3 or £5.50 for two or £8 for three. Prizes: £75; £25. Details: see www.nawg.co.uk/3805 Scottish Book Trust 50-Word Competition Monthly Flash fiction: 50 words. Fee: FREE. Prizes: Mug or books. Details: see www.scottishbooktrust.com/reading/the-50-wordfiction-competition

Doris Gooderson Short Story Competition Story: max 1200 words. Fee: £5. Prizes: £200; £100; £50. Details: see wrekinwriters.wordpress.com or write to Competition Secretary, 29 Christine Avenue, Wellington, Telford TF1 2DX. 12 JUL Ledbury Poetry Festival Competition Poem: max 40 lines. Categories: Adult; Young Persons; Children. Fee: £5.75 for first then £3.50. Prizes: Adult £1000 plus course at Ty Newydd; £500; £250. Young Persons £100; £50; £25. Children £25 book token; £15 book token; £10 book token. Judge: Nia Davies. Details: please see www.poetry-festival.co.uk/ledburypoetry-competition 31 JUL Ink Tears Flash Fiction Competition Flash fiction: max 500 words. Fee: £3.50. Prizes: £250; £50; 6 x £25 plus publication. Details: see www.inktears.com/ffentry Scribble Quarterly Short Story Competition Story: max 3000 words. Fee: £3 (free to subscribers) or £5 with critique. Prizes: £75; £25; £15. Details: see www.parkpublications.co.uk/competitions.html or write to Park Publications, 14 The Park, Stow on the Wold, Cheltenham GL54 1DX.

Continued overleaf

▲

Scribble Annual Short Story Competition Closes 1 November 2018 Story: max 3000 words. Theme: ‘Neighbours’. Fee: £4 (free to subscribers). Prizes: £100; £50; £25;

10 JUL

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Aesthetica Creative Writing Award

Continued from page 63 To Hull & Back Humorous Short Story Competition Story: max 3000 words. Fee: £11, £18 for two, £22 for three. Prizes: £1000; £500; £250; 3 x £50; 14 x £25; plus extras. Details: see www.christopherfielden.com/ short-story-competition

Call for Entries Dedicated to supporting and championing creative talent from around the world, the award is a celebration of outstanding poetry and short fiction. Deadline 31 August 2018.

www.aestheticamagazine.com/cwa

Aesthetica CWA - QP Writers Forum.indd 1

31/01/2018

Ilkley Literature Festival/ Walter Swan Trust Poetry Prize Poem: max 30 lines. Fee: £5. Prizes: £200; £100; £75. Judge: Imtiaz Dharker. Details: see www.ilkleyliteraturefestival.org.uk/ join-in/competitions or write to Ilkley Literature Festival, 9 The Grove, Ilkley, W Yorks LS29 9LW.

Sentinel Literary Quarterly Poetry Competition Poem: max 50 lines. Fee: £4, £7 for two, £9 for three, £11 for four, £12 for five, £22 for ten. Prizes: £200; £75; £50; 3 x £20. Details: see sentinelquarterly.com or write to Sentinel Poetry Movement, Unit 136, 113-115 George Lane, London E18 1AB.

Ilkley Literature Festival Short Story Competition Story: max 3000 words. Fee: £5. Prize: £200. Judge: Nikesh Shukla. Details: see www.ilkleyliteraturefestival.org.uk/join-in/ competitions or write to Ilkley Literature Festival, 9 The Grove, 14:39Ilkley, W Yorks LS29 9LW.

1000-Word Challenge Flash: max 1000 words. Fee: £5. Prizes: £100; £50; £25. Details: see www.1000wordchallenge.com.

30 AUG Biographers’ Club Tony Lothian Prize Biography: proposal of 20 pages. Fee: £15. Prize: £2000. Judges: Alex Clark, Lindsay Duguid, Edmund Gordon. Details: see www.biographers.club/tlp-prize-entry 31 AUG

Postgraduate Diploma in Creative Writing CENTRE FOR LIFELONG LEARNING ONLINE STUDY OR FACE-TO-FACE

Contact Us Telephone: +44 (0)1904 328482 Email: [email protected] Web: york.ac.uk/creative

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Exeter

1 AUG

win £1,000 & publication

Exeter Story Prize and Flash Competition Story: max 10,000 words. Flash: max 1000 words. Fee: £12. Prizes: £500 plus trophy; £150; £100; Tricia Ashley award for best humorous entry: trophy plus £200. Details: see www.creativewritingmatters. co.uk/competitions.html Reflex Quarterly Flash Fiction Competition Flash fiction: 180-360 words. Fee: £7. Prizes: £1000; £500; £250. Rules: entrants must be aged 16 or over. Details: see www.reflexfiction.com/flashfiction-competition-rules

18 SEP Templar Poetry Quarterly Portfolio Awards Poems: 10- to 12-page portfolio. Fee: £12. Prize: publication. Details: see templarpoetry.com/ pages/submissions-and-awards 30 SEP Jerry Jazz Musician Short Fiction Contest Story: max 3000 preferred, max 5000 words considered. Prize: $100 plus publication. Details: jerryjazzmusician.com/2013/02/ short-fiction-contest-details UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED… Theme and genre are open. Entries should be original and unpublished. Postal entries should be printed on white A4 in a clear plain font. Include a separate cover sheet with the title, word count, your name, address and postcode, phone and email. Stories should be double-spaced with good margins.Where necessary include a large enough sae with sufficient postage. Always contact the organiser or check their website to confirm details.Writers’ Forum does not accept responsibility for errors in or changes to the information listed.

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WRITING ROOMS

Where I write

Phil Barrington visits recent debut novelist Catherine Burns in her Manchester home

I

write in my dining room. It gets a lot of sun in the morning. It also has shelves full of books and a big comfy sofa for me to lie on and read when I lack inspiration. Horror and gothic are favourites – Shirley Jackson, Stephen King and Joyce Carol Oates – but I read lots of genres including non-fiction. It’s important to spend a lot of time reading. Recently, I read a book about the financial crisis in 2008 as research for a fiction book I’m working on. My first book, The Visitors, is on display, maybe to convince myself I’m a real author. My house is in a red-brick terrace, built around 1900. It isn’t as large or rundown as the Georgian mansion Marion and John Zetland, the main characters in The Visitors, live in but it does have similarities. There’s a very creepy cellar, attic rooms and creaky stairs. It’s certainly a little spooky with its draughty rooms and creaking floorboards. I do, in fact, believe

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it has been visited by a ghost on at least one occasion. This house and the objects I inherited from my family were a major inspiration for my novel. There are a lot of antiques here. Marion in The Visitors has plenty too, mostly linked to unhappy memories. I get attached to objects as well but am not as much of a hoarder. There’s a silver tray on the table that belonged to my great-grandmother. She was a servant in a big house and was given it when she retired. It was my mum’s job to polish it when she was a little girl. I usually start work around 10am with a cup of strong coffee. The house has to be fairly tidy. I don’t like being surrounded by chaos, though I’m not obsessive about neatness either. It’s easy to get distracted. I can’t imagine working in public but when I’ve finished a draft of whatever I’m working on it gets sent to my Kindle and I can read that anywhere. I find reading on the Kindle helps me to spot

problems that I don’t see on the computer. The view from here is all right. I can see the garden, which is nice and green, but it’s overlooked by a lot of terraced houses. I’d love to look out on to a lake or the sea and be somewhere warmer. I am usually wrapped up in jumpers and scarves. Sometimes I listen to music, something without lyrics that will help set the tone for what I’m working on. I like Ligeti, Haydn, Bach or Philip Glass and soundtracks from Stanley Kubrick films. A rigid routine wouldn’t fit with my personality and it’s too late to change. But I try to make sure I do something every day. Not all work is done sitting in front of a computer. You need to keep the story in your head. Sometimes I’ll be thinking about it while I’m driving and a new idea will come to me. The daydreaming part of writing is really important. There’s a notebook by my bed so that I can write ideas down in the middle of the night. Once, I was lying in bed late at night when I heard someone scream. That gave me the idea for opening of The Visitors. I looked out the window but couldn’t see anything. I hope the person was OK.

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