Read to Write 2

A student on an on-line short story writing course was amazed when the tutor asked the students to share their favourite writers of short stories. He had, he said - or should that be confessed? - never read a short story. Happily most writers are only too willing to learn from published work.

In one of my writing groups, we have decided to add 'Read to Write' meetings into our programme. The Book Trust website is a wonderful resource and offers a long list of downloadable short stories by well-know writers, many of them prize winners.

To help us structure our discussions, we have found the following format works very well.

General discussion points/Short Stories

1. Emotional engagement

How does the theme of the story seek to engage the reader emotionally? How far is this successful?

2. The Types of story - as described by Damon Knight in 'Creating Short Fiction' are:

Revelation or Illumination

Twist in the Tale

Story of Decision

" " Explanation

Mystery

Does the story we're discussing fit into one or more of these categories?

3. First Paragraph

Does this grab your attention? If so, how is this achieved? If not, why not?

4. Setting

'I keep six honest serving men

[They taught me all I knew]

Their names are What and Why and When

And How and Where and Who'

[Rudyard Kipling]

Where and when is the story set? How and when is this information conveyed?

Were you, at any time, confused about the where/when?

5. Characters

How are the essential facts about the characters conveyed to the reader?

How far into the story do you feel you know who they are?

Are the characters credible? If so, how is this achieved? If not, why not?

Is the background/psychology of the characters, which has a bearing on the story, appropriately conveyed?

What does the protagonist want? How are these goals/ambitions conveyed?

What are the obstacles that provide the conflict?

6. Structure

Is this a linear story? If not, is there a good reason and does it work?

Do you feel main elements of fiction - narration, action, dialogue - are balanced? If not, is there a good reason for this?

If there are flashbacks, how are they used? Are they successful, or an irritating intrusion into the story-line?

Do you feel the structure is well handled? Does the story's end tie in with the beginning?

Do you feel the reader's expectations have been fulfilled?

Plot

How important is what happens and what happens next?

Do you want to know what happens?

What techniques are used to move along the plot?

Is the dénouement convincing? Does it tie in with the conflict?

Style

Does the style of writing/use of language fit with the setting/time/characters?

How well are imagery and sensual writing used?

Has the writer avoided clichés?

Dialogue

How do the characters 'sound'? Are their voices convincing?

How is the dialogue used? To deepen characterisation? To move along the plot?

Has the writer managed to avoid using dialogue as 'information dumps'?

'Mechanics'

Who is telling the story?

Whose point of view are we in? Is it consistent?

What tense is used? Is it the best one? Does it work?

Narrative stance - 1st/2nd/3rd person. How successful is this? How appropriate for the storyline?

Title

When you first looked at the story, did the title interest you?

When you come to the end of the story, does the title seem appropriate and well-chosen?

Heather Shaw

'First Tuesday' Meeting 7th July

2.0 to 4.0 pm

The July meeting will be an opportunity for those attending to read some of their poetry or prose so bring something suitable. Also it will be an opportunity to show case anything you wish to promote or sell in the literary field.

Chesterfield Library

'First  Tuesday' Meetings are held every month except August and are suitable for anyone  who is interested in discussing and undertaking practical exercises in creative writing - prose or poetry

They are held in the Meeting Room Lower Ground Floor - Next to 'Browser' Cafe

Slurry - Only Death is Immortal

Did This Mystery Happen in North Derbyshire?

 

 

Slurry – Only Death is Immortal, a new paperback by Christopher Fewtrell (Moorside Writers), is set in the town of Millchesterford and the village of Ambover in the Amberlea Valley.

What's the story about? Well, it's not just animals that die unexpectedly when Markus takes up post as a vet in Ambover and gets embroiled in the rotten underbelly of country life. His infatuation with Charlotte, the vegetarian animal activist, gets him ensnared in a web of intrigue as he tries to impress her. But neither of them could have foreseen what dark secrets they would uncover as they stumble into the nasty hidden world beneath the rural idyll.

The interesting question is whether the book is set in North Derbyshire and if some of the extremely bizarre characters are based on real people. What do you think?

Slurry – Only Death is Immortal is available on Amazon.

 The link is at: Slurry

'First Tuesday' Meeting 2nd June

2.0 to 4.0 pm

A Sense of Place

Millchesterford and the Amberlea Valley

Chris Fewtrell

 

Chesterfield Library

'First  Tuesday' Meetings are held every month except August and are suitable for anyone  who is interested in discussing and undertaking practical exercises in creative writing - prose or poetry

They are held in the Meeting Room Lower Ground Floor - Next to 'Browser' Cafe

I Know What You Mean But...Part One

How many times have you heard someone being interviewed say "You can't underestimate how..." when they meant overestimate?

'First Tuesday' Meeting 6th May

2.0 to 4.0 pm

'Caves'

 

Anne Norman

 

Chesterfield Library

'First  Tuesday' Meetings are held every month except August and are suitable for anyone  who is interested in discussing and undertaking practical exercises in creative writing - prose or poetry

They are held in the Meeting Room Lower Ground Floor - Next to 'Browser' Cafe

The Publishing Game

Submit your book to a publisher, or publish it yourself? It’s the question many writers ask. Completing a book - poetry, short stories, novel, non-fiction - takes a lot of time and effort and most of us aren’t content with leaving the manuscript, unread, in a drawer. Members of writing groups get some feedback as the work progresses but there comes a time when we feel the need for a wider range of readers.

In 2012 Pewter Rose Press published Brushstrokes, my short story collection but they rejected The Mulberry Fugue, the novel I submitted in 2014 so I decided to publish it myself. Now I’ve had experience of both methods, I’ve been asked which was preferable.

It’s exciting getting an email from a publisher accepting the work you submitted - cloud nine for a while. And then comes the editing, the negotiation between you and the publisher about what will appear on the page. Small changes, of syntax, or paragraph order etc. aren’t too difficult to make but larger ones are more tricky. I found it very difficult when asked to alter the ending of one story and wasn’t confident enough to dig in my heels.

With self publishing you make all those decisions yourself. In many ways that’s an advantage but without another eye or opinion, it can be daunting to launch your work. Any mistakes are your own. To keep costs down, I opted to proof-read and edit myself. I wouldn’t do this again. However many times you re-read, you see what you intend to be there, not what actually is. There are typos in my novel which I regret.

I had found most of them myself before the book went to print but I was unfortunate in my choice of publishing package. The guy dealing with my novel, an ex-army brigadier, was not only patronising [he spoke of ‘Ladies in writing groups who fancy seeing their work in print.’] but intransigent when it came to the timescale we’d agreed. He was, he said, too busy with a ‘much bigger project’ to allow me more time for further editing. When I suggested it was in his firm’s own interest to put out the best book we could produce between us, he informed me there wasn’t a book in print without mistakes in it.

I’d chosen a local company who publish a lifestyle magazine as well as offering publishing packages. I had heard good reports of the way they dealt with writers and also wanted the option to sort out problems face-to-face. Only after I’d signed the contract did I discover that this side of the business was now being run from another part of the country. All communication had to be by email.

These days, even well-established writers, published by the big publishing houses, are expected to take a big part in marketing their books. Many small presses aren’t able to offer much in the way of publicity and marketing opportunities. As with self-publishing, it’s down to you.

Pewter Rose made the decision about how many copies of Brushstrokes to have printed; sales amounted to about 250. I had 100 copies of The Mulberry Fugue printed, many of which were sold at the launch event I organised along with two friends whose work came out at the same time. Publicity in local Arts magazines and Amazon reviews resulted in further sales. Experience suggests that meeting the writer and hearing her read her work is one of the best way to sell books. After readings at Moorside Writers’ events later in the year, I hope to have sold them all.

The more copies of The Mulberry Fugue I had printed, the cheaper they would be per copy. It’s tempting to place a large order and hope for the best but a friend who opted for 300 copies is now wondering how she will sell them.

Using an online publishing/printing service, like Lulu, is probably a better way into print than the one I used. They will store your manuscript and print it only on demand. If you don’t want a personal service and can jump the online hurdles, this is a better option financially. Royalties on Brushstrokes are 8%; The Mulberry Fugue would only make a profit if I offered it at a price far higher than most readers would be prepared to pay.

It is good to see your words between covers. Both publisher and publishing package did a very good job making my books look attractive. In neither case was it down to me to apply for an ISBN number or arrange Amazon sales.

If I finish another book, I shall either just have it printed by a local printer, after persuading someone else to proof read it for me, or ask advice from a friend who has successfully used one of the online services. Another option would be to send out chapters, by email, to interested readers. After all, there are very good precedents for issuing fiction in instalments.

Heather Shaw