I have reached a milestone birthday since I last wrote. It was a larger number than I care to admit to, but it marks the time to stop waiting for that Martine McCutcheon perfect moment to arrive. Time to achieve what you have always dreamed of achieving. So as well as losing 2.5 stone this year and getting back into clothes I haven't worn since my 24 year old was born, I would also love to show the UK publishing world that short stories, as in the US, are just as formidable and compelling a genre as novels. The short story writer aims to encapsulate a critical moment (not always perfect)within a life, and all, as Jamie Oliver says, in 15 minutes!
We create a character's history, a past, an intense present, and the hint of a future. Some are left hanging on a cliff edge, leaving you wondering or guessing. Some have a twist - glorious in horror stories. Some are wrapped up neatly. Mine do all of those. I like them to add satisfyingly, but not necessarily tritely. We want you wanting more. Some could even build into a full length novel one day.
So far the only novels and short stories I have published have been erotic (see my other blog, Primula's Progress). But the sexy build up, climax, afterglow analogy of erotica is useful for any story telling arc.
Start with inspiration from a snapshot spotted in the street or out of a train window, a note or comment sounded in your own life, something funny or touching the kids have said, comic or tragic stories from the world around us, a crazy, sad, mad idea plucked out of an over-active imagination. Then you nick it, dress it, trick it out in technicolour or monochrome depending on the mood you want (I have a kind of telly, cinematic commentary going on in the back of my mind when writing, seeing it all on screen as well). Then load it with drama and potential, taking it with the tools of a handful of bright characters and realistic, relevant dialogue, to whatever conclusion you want for it.
My youngest son coined the muscular phrase 'Stabbing the Rain' which is the title of my Amazon collection. The stories commit to fiction moments from real life: mysterious encounters in Venice, an extraordinary Christmas in Alexandria, unexpected pregnancies, lost love, diagnosis with serious conditions, all treated with a somewhat black, compelling humour. Here is the link and I hope you enjoy them. http://tiny.cc/rkqaow
We create a character's history, a past, an intense present, and the hint of a future. Some are left hanging on a cliff edge, leaving you wondering or guessing. Some have a twist - glorious in horror stories. Some are wrapped up neatly. Mine do all of those. I like them to add satisfyingly, but not necessarily tritely. We want you wanting more. Some could even build into a full length novel one day.
So far the only novels and short stories I have published have been erotic (see my other blog, Primula's Progress). But the sexy build up, climax, afterglow analogy of erotica is useful for any story telling arc.
Start with inspiration from a snapshot spotted in the street or out of a train window, a note or comment sounded in your own life, something funny or touching the kids have said, comic or tragic stories from the world around us, a crazy, sad, mad idea plucked out of an over-active imagination. Then you nick it, dress it, trick it out in technicolour or monochrome depending on the mood you want (I have a kind of telly, cinematic commentary going on in the back of my mind when writing, seeing it all on screen as well). Then load it with drama and potential, taking it with the tools of a handful of bright characters and realistic, relevant dialogue, to whatever conclusion you want for it.
My youngest son coined the muscular phrase 'Stabbing the Rain' which is the title of my Amazon collection. The stories commit to fiction moments from real life: mysterious encounters in Venice, an extraordinary Christmas in Alexandria, unexpected pregnancies, lost love, diagnosis with serious conditions, all treated with a somewhat black, compelling humour. Here is the link and I hope you enjoy them. http://tiny.cc/rkqaow
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