Facebook – General – and Chandler’s Ford Today
My CFT post shares an update from Richard Hardie with regard to his Authors Reach group. More writers than ever are banding up together to hold events they would not go to alone or to assist in marketing.
A great example of this is last year’s Book Fair where a number of local writers got together to sell our books in the area. (We succeeded too!). A good group will cross-pollinate each others’ works. Sometimes it can be easier to promote others’s works than your own. But in this day of print on demand, smartphone, and other technologies, offering to assist can be crucial. It is appreciated by readers too. Having an event with a wider range of authors taking part gives readers more choice (and makes it more likely they’ll turn up to the event!).
Facebook – General
I’m glad to share the first part of a series for Chandler’s Ford Today on which I am series editor. Graham MacLean on Art will run for the next three weeks. Tonight’s article features Graham discussing the purpose of art.
Next week Graham will talk about the different media used in painting and share some of his fantastic artworks using the different forms. He’ll finish the series with a look at his favourite artists.
It was a real pleasure to help Graham put this series together. His paintings are wonderful. Hope you enjoy. The images below are just three of Graham’s wonderful pictures. Many thanks, Graham, for these. There are more in all three articles. The other two parts to this will appear on 14th and 21st June respectively.
Facebook – From Light to Dark and Back Again
One great thing about writing is that each writer brings their own perspective to a story. So even if several writers had the same theme, word count etc, our stories would be different. (Yes, there would be bound to be some writers coming out with similar ideas as to how to treat the topic but even there, the way characters are portrayed, the use of language, style etc all show the individual author’s voice).
This is why reading work by other writers is such a pleasure as I love seeing how others treat a theme etc, especially when it is a world away from the way I’d treat it. I like the contrast. I like other writers surprising me with what they come up (and hope sometimes at least I can return the compliment with my writing!).
Got plenty of reading to catch up on when I’m on holiday before long. Very much looking forward to it!
(Am glad to say the books in the slideshow below are some of those I’ve read as a result of interviewing the authors! Am more than happy to recommend them all – and naturally I’m starting with mine!!).
Facebook – From Light to Dark and Back Again
Good luck to all of the authors taking part in the Waterloo Arts Festival next week. A special hello goes to my fellow Bridge House and Cafelit authors, Paula Readman, Christopher Bowles, Gail Aldwin, and Dawn Knox, who, like me, have work included in the anthology that ties in with the Festival.
I’m only sorry I can’t be there but hope the readings go well and that the ebook sells really well! (Not that I’m biased or anything… much!).
The stories in this anthology are all flash ones so if you are looking to add to your flash fiction collection, do look out for the release of this ebook from 14th June. I will share more details towards the end of next week.
It is heartening to see flash fiction in such fine form!
Goodreads Author Programme – Blog – What Defines a Good Book?
A good book, as far as I’m concerned, has to:-
1. Have characters I care about (though I don’t mind if some are “slow burn” characters so I grow to care about them. I am prepared to give them time but I feel cheated if by the end of the book, I haven’t been made to care about the characters.).
2. Have characters I can get behind and either “root” for their success or, usually if a villain, hope they get their comeuppance. (I do love finding out how they do!).
3. Give you a sense that the author has said all that has needed to be said but oh how you wish there was more of the story because you enjoyed it so much.
4. Give you a sense of a wonderfully created world, leaving the way for prequels or sequels, whether or not the writer actually does write these.
5. Have a gripping plot, obviously.
6. Have an easy to remember blurb. It makes it easier to recommend the book to others because it gives you the main point, which drew you to reading the book in the first place.
7. Have a title that intrigues or you can see a few different directions in which the title could take you. That opens up all sorts of possibilities for the story itself and makes me want to crack on and read it!
8. If within a really popular genre, such as crime or fantasy, being able to offer something different to the “mix” so the book stands out.
9. You could see a decent film being made out of the plot as long as the movie people stick to the plot of the book, given it is so good.
10. You want to re-read it at least once a year. Always a good sign that.
Fairytales With Bite – Time to Wonder, Time to Reflect
Do your characters ever wonder or take some time out to reflect? Wonder can be at the physical beauty of the world they’re on, of course, (or if in a really bad place at just how ugly it is!), or they are aware of just how small they are in comparison to their surroundings.
Characters, like us, need periods of reflection, especially if they are on any kind of quest. So how do they find the time to reflect or is it forced upon them? (They’ve got to hide out for a while, so have got plenty of time to do some thinking etc).
What do your characters make of the world you’ve put them in? Are they observant? Do they treat their natural world with contempt or are they conservationists? Do they ever reflect on their own behaviour and attitudes?
Are your characters thoughtful or thoughtless ones? If you have characters where one is a reflective type and the other would far rather watch paint dry, (a) you can see the potential for clashes here (though they could be humorous ones) and (b) how do you resolve matters if the two absolutely have to work together? (Again potential for comedy or tragedy here).
I’ll leave you to wonder how to write that! Good luck!
This World and Others – Purposes
I’ve recently been the series editor for a series on art by Graham MacLean on Chandler’s Ford Today. (The other two parts of this series will be going live on 14th and 21st June. I’d highly recommend having a look – Graham is a superb artist). Part 1 of this series talks about the purpose of art. (We could have gone on at length about that rather than just write and edit one post about it!). Part 2 will see Graham discussing the different media used in painting and he shares some fantastic examples of his own work in most of the forms discussed. Part 3 will be his thoughts on his favourite artists.
So this led me to think about what purposes your characters (a) have, (b) consider worthy, (c) would not go a million miles near no matter how much you paid them, or (d) intend to carry out, no matter how or of who tries to get in their way. How did they discover these purposes? What is behind their attitude towards them? Are societal/tribal pressures influencing them on how they should react/which purposes they should carry out or avoid?
A purpose will have a clearly stated aim so will automatically give your character something to either strive for or get away from, as the case may be. It will be the conflicts caused by that striving or avoiding which give you your story. The purpose has to be strong enough and definite. So a purpose of, say, killing the dragon terrifying the village is fine. A purpose of sitting down to think about what should be done about the dragon is not – far too wishy washy!
And talking of dragons, I’m glad to share a recently published flash fiction piece, Time for a Change, which has recently appeared on Cafelit. Hope you enjoy.
And now I’m off for a few days break. I will be back on here during the week beginning Monday 18th June. Hope you all have wonderful holidays this summer. I have, meantime, scheduled short Facebook posts on my author page and also on my From Light to Dark and Back Again page for the next few days. I will be back here with a big round-up of those on my return. Happy summer, everyone!
Allison Symes: Collected Works 