Are you currently in Christmas-gift mode, looking for the perfect festive pressie for a book-lover in your life? Here’s my round-up of some of this year’s most beautiful covers, which are guaranteed to have avid readers swooning over them!
The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry (Serpent’s Tail)
The design evokes a rich, detailed tapestry which perfectly matches the finely-wrought historical prose within.
Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton (Faber & Faber)
This epic, magical adventure deserved no less than such an enchanting and mesmerising cover. I’m already counting down until the next book in this sweeping YA series comes out…
The Vegetarian by Han Kang (Portobello Books)
There’s something brilliantly visceral and unsettling about the cover of this Man Booker International Prize Winner: a torn wing lies on a web of glossy red veins. It encapsulates Deborah Smith’s unnerving translation of this provocative work.
This Census-Taker by China Mieville (Picador)
The image of mountains shrouded in mists perfectly evokes the dream-like qualities of this dark fable, and it’s mysterious (post-apocalyptic?) setting.
The Amber Shadows by Lucy Ribchester (Simon & Schuster)
I was utterly charmed by Lucy’s Victorian mystery caper The Hourglass Factory, and her next book didn’t disappoint. The silhouetted figures and shadowy rendering of Bletchley Park on the cover promise readers a war-time espionage thriller to keep them gripped.
Cogheart by Peter Bunzl (Usborne)
Last but certainly not least is this steam-punk page turner that’s alive with clockwork curios, gripping escapades and inventive touches. Fans of Phillip Pullman young and old won’t fail to enjoy this spellbindingly realised world (and gorgeous papercut cover).
HONOURABLE MENTION: The Watchmaker of Filigree Street by Natasha Pulley (Bloomsbury)
Ok, so technically I haven’t included it in my top 2016 round-up, because I first fell in love with the hardback edition cover that came out last year. But this summer saw the paperback release of this enthralling and intelligent historical fantasy, and it’s still a treat for book-magpies like me who can’t resist a shiny new cover…
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a book in possession of good qualities must be in want of a review. Well, maybe not quite universally… I know a number of avid readers who’ve never left a review for a novel they’ve fallen for. At most, the cover might end up on Instagram, or the book will find itself passed on to a friend. Amazon, Goodreads and retailer websites remain untouched. Anyone reading this who works in publishing like myself knows the importance of book reviews not only to sales, but also as a way to brighten an author’s day as they see five stars shining back at them!
So why don’t more people review? I think a key reason is that the everyday reader (who happens not to run a book blog) doesn’t know where to begin with writing one, so it feels like too much effort – even if they could talk about it perfectly eloquently over a cocktail. In the spirit of this, here’s my attempt at offering a guide to writing a novel review, and my attempt to answer the question of what makes a good critique. Feel free to share your own thoughts in the comments section. And most of all, don’t forget to get reviewing!
Finish the book first: It’s my pet hate when I see one star reviews for books with comments like ‘First chapter didn’t grab me. Gave up.’ It doesn’t do justice to the author or their work, and I don’t think you can get a true feel for a novel without taking it into account as a whole, and deciding if it’s ultimately a satisfying read. Plus, it could have the best second chapter you’ll ever read, but you’d never know.
Get creative: Before you put pen to paper, decide if pen and paper really is the best way to convey your thoughts on a book. Maybe you’re more of a talker than a writer. That’s fine – why not do a video review and get vlogging? In this blog post called ‘Crafting Creative Book Reviews’, someone has even written theirs in the form of a poem
Size matters not: Remember that there’s no exact right or wrong length for a review (but a review that’s bordering on novella length probably wouldn’t be very helpful). If time and effort is putting you off writing that all important review, a short and sweet one of a paragraph or two is perfectly fine. Or perhaps you’ve read a bunch of books lately and don’t have time for an epic review-writing session. So why not Tweet 140 character reviews, and tag the author or publisher on Twitter?
Lost the plot: A good review is not just a summary of the plot, but I see this all too often. Tell me how you felt about the characters – any favourites, and why? Did any particular language or descriptions jump out? Any themes that struck you? What didn’t work? A personal response about how the book made you feel is what makes a review engaging. Anyone could go on Google and find the publisher’s blurb.
No big spoilers! Need I say more…
Go compare: Can you suggest any other books or authors the work reminds you of? “If you like Y you’ll love Z” can feel a bit simplistic, but it’s a great pointer for potential readers. It’s worth including whether the author has written any other books of note to be aware of – especially if it’s part of a series.
To balance or not to balance: Don’t always feel your review has to be perfectly balanced and an objective split between the good and bad points if a book. I’ve read some advice about the importance of balanced books reviews, but I disagree and think if you love a work, why should you scrape the barrel for things you disliked for the sake of it? I used to write theatre reviews, and realised the balanced ones I did always felt formulaic. Just be honest and authentic.
The sum of its parts: A two-sentence summary or quick overview about your thoughts on the book can be handy for time-poor people who want a quick sense of whether the book’s worth reading. This is also seriously useful for marketing bods from the publisher. Here’s one I love about the new release Paradise Ghetto by Fergus O’Connell: “This novel took me on a rollercoaster of emotions. The passion for literature and the relationship between the two young women in this story is both uplifting and inspiring.
Starred-up: Don’t get bogged down spending ages worrying about what star ratings to give. Go with your gut. I once saw someone had given a novel 2 stars, because they were pissed off that Amazon wouldn’t let them give it 3.5 stars (the option was either three or four).
Get sharing: A review is of little use stuck on a laptop! Wondering what to do with those shiny new paragraphs you’ve written? Why not share on social media channels, like Facebook or Youtube/ BookTube. You could also post it on Amazon, Goodreads, the publisher’s website, or the sites for retailers like Waterstones and WHSmith. Don’t let the lack of your own book blog stop you posting anything (or better yet, set one up!).
Need that little bit of extra inspiration? Here are couple of great books review guides from Stylist Magazine and BookTrust.
I’ve just returned from the inspiring ‘Writing a Novel’ course hosted by Arvon, the UK’s largest creative writing charity. The Lumb Bank Centre, a former home of poet Ted Hughes, was nestled in remote Yorkshire woodland – the perfect place to get lost in my work. Here’s my round-up of the week, alongside top writing tips from our fantastic tutors, the multi-award-winning Samantha Harvey and Ross Raisin.
DAY 1: MONDAY
After a few wrong turns on meandering country lanes, I arrived at Lumb Bank early evening. My spacious bedroom offered a view over thickly-forested hills with ancient mill chimneys peeking out. The friendly staff welcomed us with tea (and all important cake!) while the writers on the course got to know each other. People had travelled here from all over the world, including the USA and Hong Kong.
The view from my bedroom window at Lumb Bank
After the first of many delicious dinners over the course of the week, we had a session with tutors Ross and Samantha, where they asked everyone to sum up the novel they were working on in a single sentence. Harder than it sounds! We also discussed what we found to be the biggest barriers to our writing practice, and what we wanted to get out of the course. The struggle to find the time, space and focus to work on a novel seemed to be the main concerns.
Before bed, I had a chance to meet arguably the most important character at Lumb Bank – the persistent (and incredibly cute) cat Harold who mewled around looking for nibbles and cuddles…
DAY 2: TUESDAY
The group kicked off Tuesday at 10am sharp with a workshop on style led by Ross. We debated the relationship between voice, style and content. In the end, we agreed that these factors should inform and shape each other. Ross then introduced us to three strikingly different passages from novels by Marilynne Robinson, Junot Diaz, and Saul Bellow. We were challenged to write something inspired by one of these, which brought me out of my comfort zone and into a frenetic train station scene based on Bellow’s voice.
Next was Samantha’s session which posed the question: what is a novel? It’s fascinating how many different concepts we all had for how to define terms like plot, story and narrative. But we came away with a clearer understanding of form and structure for our work. At the end of the workshop, everyone bounced around random ideas to generate a prompt for an exercise. The group ended up writing about a passport-smuggling Syrian refugee and a dictionary salesman meeting on a buffet cart – I didn’t see that one coming!
Samantha and Ross doing evening readings.
Tonight was my turn on the rota to make dinner for around 20 people, and it was rather satisfying to see how me, Paddy, Rose and Izzys’ chilli turned out. Plus a crumble with rhubarb freshly picked from the garden was a tasty way to lead into readings from our tutors in the cosy barn that evening.
DAY THREE: WEDNESDAY
The morning began aptly: with a workshop all about beginnings. The group discussed novel openings they felt worked well, and suggestions ranged from Great Expectations to Catcher in the Rye. One of my personal favourites is The Bell Jar. Samantha talked about the importance of beginnings for setting up dynamics and starting the ripples of the story. We then looked over examples of some successful openers (and not so successful ones, which shall remain anonymous!). Some of the best advice I heard all week was asking yourself what makes the start of your novel an open door that encourages the reader to enter. What is the underlying question that compels them to read on?
Later that day, Ross talked us through his top tips on effective dialogue. One of the most important things I took from this is to remember that every day and novel speech are different – the latter is simplified, and the subtlest of touches (such as vernacular) have an amplified effect. Ultimately, dialogue is characterisation. The group then had a go at writing a dialogue-only piece, about two people meeting in a café, which was surprisingly fun and liberating.
Stephen May – Arvon guest
My afternoon involved an invaluable 1-to-1 tutorial with Ross, where he gave detailed feedback on the opening of my novel. I also spent some time getting to know my fellow writers better. This led to an evening talk with a guest speaker – scheduled to be novelist Nikita Lalwani, but sadly due to a broken ankle she had to pull out. But in her place stepped in author and former Arvon Centre Director Stephen May. The group loved his lively readings and Q&A, so as the bard would say, all’s well that ends well.
DAY FOUR: THURSDAY
The next day was full of character, as both tutors focused on characterisation. With Ross, the group discussed memorable personalities in literature, and what makes them so. We were split between whether we needed to find a main character likeable or not (Raskolnikov from Crime and Punishment is one of my favourites, so you can probably guess which side of the debate I’m on!). Everyone agreed that flaws, layers and conflict were vital elements though. Ross then spread out a selection of photographs for us to use as writing prompts. I ended up doing a piece about a man returning from WW1 to see his fiancée, and trying to hide his shell shock.
Samantha gave the group a series of exercises to demonstrate how we can tell a lot about a character from the way they describe the objects around them. She handed out photos of Tracey Emin’s infamous unmade bed art exhibit, and explained that this is a visual form of what writers do with novels – they curate the scene with objects carefully placed to mimic an impression of real life. Everyone had a lot of fun imagining what sort of person would live in a room like the one Emin created!
Thursday was a free evening, and some people walked over to the nearest town Heptonstall for a pub quiz, while some of us holed ourselves up at Lumb Bank to finish our pieces for following day’s tutorial. Plenty of wine/ beer was enjoyed either way…
DAY FIVE: FRIDAY
The final full day of the course came around far too quickly. But it was a great way to round off the week, with an outdoor writing workshop. Samantha encouraged us to explore the nearby woodland, and I ended up writing a poem about the old mill chimneys that dotted the landscape.
The group was given prompts themed around the senses such as touch and smell, then did readings in our stunning surroundings (luckily the rain held off!).
The last session of the week was an essential one about re-drafting work from Ross. It was fascinating to find out more about his own process, which involved writing longhand, leaving it for a while, going back and highlighting what’s good enough to make it into draft two, then typing it up. He then does HUNDREDS of mini editing sweeps over the novel. I found it reassuring to hear this process can take over twelve months, as sometimes I’m tempted to rush things with my own novel as I feel I’m going too slowly. The group then bounced off ideas about what we find helpful for re-drafting, from reading work aloud, to getting feedback from others, and printing it out in a different font to read it afresh.
That afternoon, I had my final tutorial of the week with Samantha. She read an extract of my novel set in Beijing, and it was a huge motivation to hear her positive and encouraging response to my work. I also received some handy advice around point of view.
The finale, and one of my highlights of the Arvon course, was gathering in the barn to hear everyone do readings from their work. The group had really bonded over the week, and it was fantastic to hear such diverse pieces and discover how people’s voices had developed over a short space of time. We ended the evening with wine, mingling, and some impromptu karaoke with the barn’s piano as an accompaniment!
The group all swapped emails and we plan to keep in touch. A quick warning if you hate corny things – but I couldn’t have wished for a more friendly or supportive group to spend the week with.
DAY SIX: SATURDAY
Saturday involved saying quick good byes as we all prepared to vacate Lumb Bank by 10 am. I readied myself for lugging my bags and suitcase up the steep hill back, but luckily got a lift from one of my fellow writers. On the way home, Post-Arvon Blues started to set in – I’m pretty sure that’s a legitimate self-diagnosis. I’d happily spend the rest of the year ensconced at the centre (well, maybe not winter, I’m from south of Sheffield so can’t cope with the Northern climate that much!).
Overall, my week at Arvon left me buzzing with creative energy and a renewed passion for completing my novel. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to anyone. I’ve been on several writing courses and this is the only one where I’ve been made to feel so at home, both literally at the centre, and also with myself and my own work.
This month I’ve been struggling to find the time to write something every day for my novel. I tried to make turning up at the page an essential part of my daily routine ever since listing to Neil Gaiman’s ‘Make Good Art’ speech. But I work as a marketing manager for a busy publisher, and squeezing in moments with my latest novel chapter around sales conferences, book launches, author catch-ups (and a social life!) has proved a challenge.
This got me thinking about the writing habits of successful novelists. Is working on a novel daily really the way to go? What are the popular practices of those who pen bestsellers? How can we learn from other leading authors? Here are just a few of the routines and curious customs I’ve unearthed…
Haruki Murakami gets up at 4am, writes for five or six hours, then goes for a run in the afternoon. He keeps to this routine every day without variation.
Ernest Hemmingway woke each morning with the sunrise and wrote solidly until noon. Then presumably he headed to a bar or found time for some hell-raising…
Bestseller Jodi Picoult has a slightly more flexible approach. Even if she can’t write a good page every day, she tries to edit a bad one
At the more eccentric end, Brain Pickings tells me that Virginia Woolf only wrote standing up in her twenties, Truman Capote wouldn’t begin or end a piece of work on Friday, and Victor Hugo locked away his clothes so he couldn’t leave the house until he was done. Not sure I’ll be trying that one in a hurry…
I’ve decided I’ll still aim to write something every day, but time away from the page every once in a while shouldn’t make or break the chances of producing a bestseller! Perhaps it’s even a good thing to come back refreshed. What matters is doing what works for you to get the words on the page. Kafka managed to write around 12 hour shifts, so there’s no excuse for me.
What are your writing habits and routines? Does anything in particular work well for you? Let me know in the comments below!
The countdown to one of the biggest publishing events in the global calendar begins. With just 7 days to go until London Book Fair 2016 kicks off, here’s my round-up of advice for authors and publishing bods alike, not only about how to survive the fair but how to enjoy it too!
1) Wear comfy shoes
This may sound pretty basic, but trust me, you’ll be grateful for this tip after spending hours walking for miles around all the exhibitors’ stands across the three vast floors of the Olympia.
2) Plan plan plan
Did I mention plan? With such a hectic programme of events, it’s definitely worth having in mind what your must-sees are before turning up. But above all, plan to leave some time when you have nothing planned! That way you can be a bit spontaneous if someone recommends an unmissable thing to do at the last-minute.
3) Download the LBF app
The app was worth downloading last year, as I could save my fave talks into an online diary, and use it to schedule meetings with other delegates too. Just don’t forget to print a map off as well, in case wi-fi decides to play up!
4) Pack a bottle of water (or two) and lunch
In 2015, I found myself with about ten minutes to get from a translation panel event to a literary festival talk three floors above. Luckily, on the advice of an LBF veteran, I’d popped a pre-made bagel in my handbag, to avoid missing the event while queuing for food and beverages. Also, it’s surprisingly thirsty work strolling around stalls and chatting to a bunch of literary types…
5) Bring a phone charger
Ok, this might be stating the obvious, but I saw more than a couple of distressed publishing types desperately trying to make calls on a drained battery. If you’re fortunate enough to see a spare socket (I found a couple of quiet ones on level 3), then pounce on it and make the most.
6) Don’t miss the Author HQ
Authors are at the heart of the publishing industry, so it’s no surprise that LBF has a range of must-see talks, seminars and events aimed at writers in the Author HQ. This includes a traditional vs self-publishing discussion on Tuesday 12th April at 12.45pm, featuring the Director of my company Accent Press, and our author Jodi Taylor (*plug*). Get a break from those exhibition stands and come and check it out!
7) Avoid the lifts
It can be tempting to take the lifts after a knackering day on your feet, but it’s not the wait as hundreds of people try to use them daily (whilst they argue with the lift operator about whether it should go up or down). Just put your best foot forward and take the stairs.
8) Get tweeting
Who knows what bigwig from the literary world could end up retweeting or favouriting one of your pics? Plus you’ll get a bunch more followers if you keep up with the goings on using the LBF hashtag (#LBF16, if you’re wondering). It’s a good way to remember what you got up to and who you connected when you look back in a few months time too. Make the most of online and face to face networking.
9) Remember business cards
This might seem a bit formal, but do you really want to scrawl your name illegibly on a torn notebook page when you’ve finally got a moment with that sought-after agent/ publisher/ author (delete as appropriate)? Didn’t think so.
10) Embrace getting lost
Let’s face it, in a venue the size of the Olympia, it’s impossible not to. You might get pointed in the wrong direction a few times too. Use it as an excuse to see who (or what) you might stumble upon on your travels.
11) Don’t mistake it for a careers fair
This isn’t the time or place to be waving CVs under harangued publicist’s noses, or dumping a manuscript in front of an agent in the middle of an important rights meetings. They’re here to do business, not get you a job or book deal! By all means network, drop people a tweet, and follows things up with emails where appropriate. But try not to be pushy to the point it’s just annoying.
12) Have fun!
Some people will inevitably be sweating over make or break book deals. But it’s worth remembering this is also a great day out surrounded by like-minded people who are passionate about publishing too. So however busy you are, take a moment to enjoy it. Who didn’t love the giant sofas the size of a truck and tequila bars last year? Thought not.
Hope you liked these tips, as inspired by my experiences last year. Feel free to share some of your own suggestions in the comments below!
By day I’m a Marketing Manager for a publisher, writing blurbs and catchy sales copy for other authors. In my spare time, I’m writing my own novel – and starting to discover how much harder it can be to neatly package and sum up your work!
I have a place at this month’s Discovery Day at Foyle’s, where leading literary agents are offering support to aspiring authors on pitches and extracts. But what details should I include, and what do I leave out – and is it even possible to sum up a historical fantasy that spans continents with a huge cast of characters and multiple plot twists in 30 seconds? In short, yes. Here’s a summary of agency Curtis Brown’s must-read pitching advice for what Discovery Day participants could cover. Hopefully you guys will find it handy too:
Introduce yourself. Tell us briefly who you are.
Talk about what is at the heart of your novel. If there’s a strong original idea, tell it to us.
Tell us the title if you have one.
Think about genre.
If you can liken your novel to a successful published work or say that you are aiming to write like a particular author, do so.
Tell us the story! We’d like to know what happens. You’re delivering a lively snapshot.
Who are your characters? Who are the people you’re writing about?
If you’re really stuck with working out your pitch, you might like to practise pitching a novel that you love.
So, now it’s time for me to bite the bullet! Here’s my attempt at a 30 second pitch. Feel free to let me know what you think works about this (and what doesn’t!). Does this sound like a novel you’d want to read?
NOVEL PITCH – A DRAGON AMONGST MEN
I’m an award-winning writer and a marketing manager in publishing.
A Dragon Amongst Men is historical fantasy fiction, inspired by The Night Circus and Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell.
The British and Chinese Empires hunt escaped magician Angharad Anderson, who holds the power to win the Opium Wars. But aspiring journalist Emma Delaney joins with infamous pirate Madam Cheng to find the magician in London, and they discover a plot tooverthrow a nation.
This opening novel in an adventure series is about strong women in a man’s world. It combines my passions for Chinese culture and the Victorian era.
I recently went along to a rather brilliant Masterclass at Bloomsbury with Natasha Pulley, bestselling author of The Watchmaker of Filigree Street.
Although I can’t share all the mince pies and mulled wine I tucked into with you, I can share some of the writing advice and activities about how to create the perfect blend of history and fantasy in your fiction. Feast on my pick of the top tips here:
RESEARCH
Natasha stressed that you don’t need to do all your research and have an in-depth chapter plan before beginning your novel. Writing tells you what you need to research in the first place – allow the possibility of ideas to flow into other ideas.
Look for the weird stuff in history as inspiration, from unusual crimes, to the fact that ancient Greeks had clockwork. JSTOR offers unlimited access to journals which are great sources to delve into, and the Illustrated London News is ideal if you like to work visually.
We did a mini-workshop in the Masterclass, where we looked at a map of 19th century Edo (aka Tokyo), and had to create the beginnings of a story from this. The purpose was to take a time and setting that’s unfamiliar to us, and find out what exactly we should be researching. For example, most people found the gaps in their knowledge were around Japanese names for characters, and what the local area would have looked like in that period.
LANGUAGE
Natasha explained that in historical fiction, there are two approaches to language: imitation and translation. The former means writing in a style that mimics the way people spoke in the era you’re writing about. For example, The Wake by Paul Kingsnorth imitates Old English. Translation, on the other hand, is finding modern words and register to give readers a sense of the time period. Natasha does this in her Victorian-set novel The Watchmaker of Filigree Street.
Some shortfalls with imitation are that it can be alienating to 21st century readers if they have to keep checking a dictionary to understand out-of-use words, and it can be a hard style to sustain. Personally, I prefer translation, as I feel it makes characters easier to relate to. But the Oxford English Dictionary is a handy tool to check word origins, ensuring your writing doesn’t become jarringly modern.
We were set an interesting exercise, taking a piece we’d written, and re-writing it in both formal, high-register Latinate style, and then stripped-down, informal Anglo-Saxon style. This really got me thinking about what language I choose to use and why in my work – why not give it a go!
FANTASY
The second half of the Masterclass involved Natasha focusing on the fantastical, and discussing sub-genres from Flintlock Fantasy to Steam Punk. She stressed that language doesn’t have to be in the High Fantasy, Norse-inspired Tolkien style.
Natasha suggested that a great way to add a sense of fantasy to a historical novel is through the use of a magical object. Often in fairy tales, these take the form of items such as enchanted mirrors or rings, which have a sense of the uncanny or peculiar. However, if you’re writing about non-European cultures, it’s worth thinking what items would have magical or uncanny connotations there (such as bamboo, parasols or peaches in Japan).
Masterclass attendees were set a task to think of a familiar everyday object that we use, and to come up with a magical explanation for how it works, with some logic behind it. For example, watches and trains. Or if there’s a tree that grows golden apples, how did this come to be, and what’s the wood used for? This means the object isn’t simply arbitrary, and your story goes from fairy tale to fantasy and world-building. But Natasha still advised to keep some vagueness about how the items really work, to help maintain the fantasy (this made me think of Phillip Pullman’s Alethiometer in His Dark Materials).
Overall, I found the Masterclass invaluable as I embark on my own historical fantasy fiction – an alternative reality novel that imagines what if Britain didn’t win the Opium Wars against China? The main things I took from Natasha were: write before you research; it’s ok not to stress about perfectly mimicking language from the era; and to add both a sense of the fantastical and logical to the magical objects you include. Plus I got a copy of her book signed for my sister, so an evening well spent 🙂
Feel free to comment if you have any other helpful hints to add about historical and fantasy writing!
I’ve just returned from an inspiring stint at Faber Academy’s “The Five Day Short Story” course. Here’s my low-down on highlights and things I learnt from the week:
Day One
After a near-hiccup trying to find the Faber Academy (the building was camouflaged behind scaffolding!), myself and the thirteen other lovely participants arrived and got stuck into introductions.
We kicked off the course, led by tutor Shelley Weiner, by discussing what actually makes a short story. Ideas ranged from length, to plot, pace, theme, characters, and epiphany moments. One of my favourite quotes from course was “a story begins with a recognition of the strange” (Graham Swift, I believe), and a sense of what if…
Each day focused on a particular short story, the first being ‘The Book of Ruth’ from the Bible. We looked at how a writer can effectively cover an extensive time-span in a short number of words, and how to approach writing compelling beginnings. We then undertook a character-themed writing exercise, choosing a photograph and imagining who that person was, what they wanted in life, and what their obstacles were. I decided that my picture of an elderly lady in a fur coat would be a hard-working Russian called Miriam Ivanovna!
The Faber Academy group getting creative!
Day Two
The second day of the course focused on Chekhov’s exquisite story, ‘The Lady with the Dog’. This tale of a man incapable of settling down, who (seemingly) finds love with a woman for the first time was my favourite piece of the week. It opens in the Russian seaside resort of Yalta, and we observed the importance of setting and a sense of place to a story. I particularly love Chekov’s advice about description: “Don’t tell me the moon is shining, show me the glint of light on broken glass.”
We also talked about how Chekhov’s writing follows the pattern of real life – meandering, aimless, and not always neatly tied up at the end. The discussion led onto point of view, and who tells the story. Our task for the day was to re-write it as Anna in first person – I attempted to make the lady with the dog a more empowered and active character, who is secretly leading the man Gurov along.
By this point I had also begun writing my own short story, with just two days to go until the deadline for the anthology at the end of the week! Afternoon sessions became a chance for others to share their varied short stories for feedback from the rest of the group.
Day Three
On Wednesday, the group dissected Hemmingway’s masterful short story, ‘The Killers’. This tale of two hitmen walking into a diner left several people cold, but if offered a perfect lesson in writing killer dialogue, the theme of the day.
Author Elizabeth Bowen wrote that dialogue is “the most vigorous interaction.” We bounced ideas off each other about the purpose of dialogue, from revealing more about characters and their relationships, to conveying a sense of time and place. One of the top tips that I got from this session is that it’s fine to use the speech marker “said”. I used to try and find more creative way to express this in my short stories, such as “she mumbled”. But as evidenced by ‘The Killers’, which uses “said” over 100 times, it works well as an invisible word, allowing readers to make up their own my about how characters say something.
Afterwards, we split into groups to get stuck into a practical exercise on writing dialogue. The prompt was: imagine three people at a bus stop— then someone asks for money for the fare home. It was amazing how many different scenarios that came out of this.
Day Four
Today’s sessions were all about crime writing, with reference to the intricate short story ‘Death and the Compass’ by Jorge Louis Borges. I found it somewhat contrived and pretentious (perhaps this was a translation issue?), but I can appreciate that the plot is supposed to be as labyrinth-like as the crimes and motivates within the story.
The group mapped out the conventional structure of a typical detective story, and how it’s as much about the detective themselves as the crime being solved. We then undertook a surreal task, where we were given absurd crimes, and had to invent suspects, motives and the “ah-ha” moment when the detective solves it. Let’s just say my group’s involved a man in a bath, a breast pump, and a dummy….!
Thursday also saw the moment I received feedback on the first draft of my short story, ‘Diminishing Returns’. It follows an elderly widower struggling to come to terms with his wife passing away from cancer. Strange occurrences begin to happen around the house, and he starts to question whether they’re down to his memory problems, or if his wife really is communicating with him from beyond. I was really pleased by the positive response it got from the group, and also the constructive feedback about cutting one of the extra characters out to make the story tighter.
Day Five
The final day of the course came around far too quickly. Before we knew it, the group was chatting together about Nobel Prize-winning author Alice Monroe’s ‘The Beggar Maid, as if we’d known each other for months. It was incredible how well Monroe seemed to understand her characters, and they felt like real people when she got inside their heads and walked them around the pages.
Tutor Shelley then led us into a discussion about beginnings and endings. We looked at what makes the opening and closing sections of the stories we’d read that week effective. Some key thoughts on how to make an ending stick in someone’s mind included; give a sense of life continuing afterwards; leave moralising to fairy tales; think of the structure in advance and don’t rush towards your destination.
We rounded off the afternoon with a session bouncing ideas around about how we could all motivate ourselves and keep up the momentum with our writing. I suggested (rather geekily!) that I’d set up a spreadsheet of publications and submissions to keep track, and also that I’d write a letter to myself outlining my goals, and ask a friend to post it back to me in six months.
*****
The Faber Academy anthology!
At that, it was time for a meal at the pub, and the presentation of anthologies (after some technical difficulties at Faber—something to do with printer and stapler issues!). As we tucked into our grub and caught up about the week, we realised how much food for thought the course had left us with. I can’t wait to keep in touch with the group, and see where the Faber Academy leads us all!
With thanks to New Writing South’s New Buds Award for supporting me to attend this course.
Perhaps you’re already on Twitter, and looking to find ways to maximise its benefits. Or maybe you’re a Twitter novice, thinking of signing up but not quite sure whether it’s worthwhile. Either way, there’s something here for you!
So, here are my Top 10 writing hashtags (and let me know if you want to throw any of your own favourites into the mix by adding them to the comments below):
1) #amwriting : a hashtag started as a way of supporting writers and fostering a sense of community. Think of it as a virtual watercooler.
2) #amediting : If you’re at the editing stage, let people know and ask for any advice you need.
3) #WriterWednesday: or #ww is a great way to give shout-outs to writers / suggest authors to follow.
4) #writetip: Self-explanatory, I think! Share and discover writing tips and advice.
5) #Wordcount: Regularly sharing your word count in public can be a great way to stay focused, as well as motivate yourself and others.
6) #followfriday or #ff is one of the most popular hashtags on Twitter, used on a Friday to suggest people to follow to your followers.
7) #Fridayreads: Tell fellow tweeters what you’re reading, and name-check authors you admire (or persuade others to give YOU a mention).
8) #Writingprompts: Use this as a way of engaging with other writers by suggesting a trigger for a story, or to look for writing inspiration yourself.
9) #BookGiveaway: Running a book giveaway on Twitter? Use this to help people discover it (I should use this more often myself!)
10) #askagent: some agents will answer questions and give advice on Twitter. This is the hashtag to use. #askpub and #askeditor are variations to ask questions of publishers and editors.
(Much credit goes to Publishing Talk’s website, which is the source of many of my writely hashtags.)
What are you waiting for? Join the conversation now!
The London Short Story Festival returned from 18-21 June, bigger and better than ever!
I had an incredible time at the inaugural LSSF in 2014, so I was quick on my keyboard when the team did a call out looking for volunteers for this year’s event. Organised by Spread the Word and hosted by Waterstones Piccadilly, I couldn’t wait to get a glimpse behind the scenes, meet some of the world-class authors, and (major perk alert!) see some of the cracking sessions on the programme for free.
LSSF volunteers – photo credit Sira Pocovi
Here’s the list of my ten top insights during this literary-fuelled weekend:
1) Award-winning writer Toby Litt’s top three tips for a strong short story are; tie no bows, open gaps, and make it more wrong if the story isn’t right. (What are you waiting for, give it a go!)
2) One of Laura Van Den Berg’s greatest inspirations is Murakami’s short story collection After the Quake, and she recommended everyone should read it. *Buys copy*
3) Waterstones Piccadilly is so vast it actually has its own gravitational pull like a planet, it’s practically big enough to become a country and declare independence from London, and it has miles of shelves full of amazing books. Ok, at least the last bit’s true…
4) The festival line-up boasted 65 leading writers and speakers across 4 days and 27 events.
5) During the Short Story Gate Keepers session, the panel’s most important advice included; read what magazines publish before you submit to them, don’t just write what you think publications want to read to tick them off your hit list, and remember it’s the voice that grabs.
6) I discovered some fascinating cuisine-based facts at the Cooked Up: Food Fiction event. Did you know that Ben Okri’s favourite dish is Nigerian peppered soup? Plus, Elaine Chiew makes the BEST cheese straws ever.
Wine and nibbles at Food Fiction event
7) The fiction scene in Wales is going from strength to strength, as demonstrated by readings from a selection of fantastic authors at Wales Arts Review’s showcase.
8) I learnt it’s very confusing having your identical twin sister attend the festival you’re volunteering at! Inevitably many people mistook her for me, and asked “where are the book signings/ are there any tickets left for the next event/ which floor are the ladies toilets on/ insert random enquiry here.”
9) Irish writer Kevin Barry is hilarious, and he cracked the entire room up with his reading during the festival finale, a Sunday times EFG Short Story Award themed-session.
10) Only at the London Short Story Festival could a 12 hour volunteer shift go by in flash, and leave you wishing there was a another event still to come afterwards. Fingers crossed LSSF will be back next year!
The countdown to one of the biggest publishing events in the global calendar begins. With just 7 days to go until London Book Fair 2016 kicks off, here’s my round-up of advice for authors and publishing bods alike, not only about how to survive the fair but how to enjoy it too!
ntly went along to a rather brilliant Masterclass at Bloomsbury with Natasha Pulley, bestselling author of The Watchmaker of Filigree Street.
Cover Girl 