Pull Out All the Stops

I've just finished reading 'Pull Out all the Stops' by Geraldine McCaughrean, a sequel to 'Stop the Train'.  Much of the action takes place  on a storm-damaged Mississippi paddle steamer during the late eighteenth century. The narrative is fast-moving, funny and hugely enjoyable, But, above all, it's  superbly written in a style sparking with originality and fizzing with humour. Anyone who is seriously interested in writing, whether for children or adults, should read her work. Every page just dances with original images: describing the storm-swollen river, 'And when it has made its point, and withdrawn, it leaves behind flotsam, like a drunkard's tip on the bar.' Or, talking about Cissy, the central character, 'Cissy sat back down in her chair, tears pressing her eyes like cows in a cattle crib.'  - Wonderful stuff!

Short Story Competitions

Having set aside the novel for the moment (trying to pluck up courage for a major redraft!), I've been exploring short story competitions to provide motivational deadlines to keep me writing. There are so many of these that it can be very confusing but this month's edition of the magazine 'Writing' provides a selection of interesting ones. I've also spent some time checking out useful websites which list current competitions for all genres. Here are three that I've found useful in providing links to rules, entry forms etc. www.firstwriter.com (need to subscriber to this one but it's pretty cheap), www.theshortstory.org.uk/prizes and www.jbwb.co.uk/writingcomps.htm
Happy writing! And do keep me posted about any aspect of writing you'd like to discuss.

Perthshire Open Studios - How did it all go?

Last post told you about the latest collaboration with artist, Kyla Tomlinson. These are a few images from the 'Candid Cameos' exhibition we put together for September's Perthshire Open Studios week. Hugely enjoyable but seriously tiring! The sun room was converted to a studio and, once the weather deteriorated, the lounge area into a coffee shop!
Lots of very complimentary feedback and very encouraging sales of stories, books and prints. Made a number of excellent contacts and met some really interesting people. It was a great adventure which I'd tackle again  but with some slight changes to direction now I'm not an entire novice!
If you're serious about getting your writing (and your name) out there, then I'd recommend exploring all possible avenues, including this kind of collaboration with another artist from a different medium. Go for it! What's been your experience of getting your writing to new audiences? I'd love to hear from you.

Raring to Write: Collaborating with others to get your writing out ...

Raring to Write: Collaborating with others to get your writing out ...: I've joined forces with a young artist in an exhibition of text and image. I wrote several short stories around the theme of characters we m...

Collaborating with others to get your writing out there.

I've joined forces with a young artist in an exhibition of text and image. I wrote several short stories around the theme of characters we meet on everyday journeys. Dundee-based, Kyla Tomlinson (kylatomlinson.blogspot.com), has produced a number of humorous character-based illustrations to accompany the stories. From these images, we've also produced a range of prints. gift cards and postcards to exhibit in 'Candid Cameos', part of the Perthshire Open Studios programme (perthsireopenstudios.com). This opens on Saturday, 3rd September at Ardblair House, Burnhead Road, Blairgowrie.

No idea how this will go but going to enjoy the experience whatever the outcome! Who knows who might be reading/viewing our work . . .

Pruning the words

Are there any others out there who find editing their own writing as difficult as I do? The problem is I just love language - the shape, the sound, the size, the taste of it. And that tends to mean I overuse it. So what to do? Sometimes, it  helps to let others read the manuscript and make editing suggestions but only if they're brutally honest ones. At the end of the day, I think it's a question of maturity: like people, and with perseverance, writing progresses from the juvenile to the mature. One begins to lose some of the awkward self consciousness that characterises youth and grows into a more critical adulthood marked by a dispassionate eye and a ruthless economy of style. Well, that's the hope, anyway. In the meantime, please share your editing experiences.

Why must pace always be fast moving?

It would appear that currently there's no longer any room for the less than fast paced novel. Every top ten book list seems to be filled exclusively with fast paced titles, usually thrillers. So where does that leave reflective writing with its slower pace and greater emphasis on the inner lives of characters rather than on action per se? And what does it say about today's readers who seem to have an insatiable appetite for breathless plots that twist and turn at breakneck speed?