Tag Archives: Short Stories

ReadWave And The Debate On Freebies

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A couple of months ago I went to the “launch” of a new web site… ReadWave which has been set up in association with Circalit

It’s a place to upload your short stories, extracts from novels etc, and is read by agents and publishers. ReadWave are very proud of the fact that they have had examples of contributors being contacted by industry professionals because of work placed on the site.

I joined up the day after the launch party, but it was only a couple of days ago (prompted by a comment one if my friends made on FaceBook and the fact that there isn’t much of my stuff online) that I decided to upload a story. It’s one I’ve had knocking about for a while so I’ll be interested to see the feedback I receive…..which has been very positive so far :)

Here’s my story “Eating Out” on their page:

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And if you want to go have a read you’ll find it HERE :) Please leave a comment if you liked it.

This does beg that age old question…should a writer make their work available for free? Personally, I think the odd short story or extract is fine, because it’s promotion and many writers have found that its led to a publishing deal. But what do you think? Do you make any of your work available free online? Or are you anti freebies?

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Six Sentence Sunday 18th November

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Thank you for all your comments yesterday. It’s really interesting to hear how you all work :)

Today’s 6 sentences come from an exercise I did in my Faber class the week before last. The idea was to imagine you’re walking into a house and describe what you see…..

The hallway was a sensory overload. The muddy tones of the paisley carpet battled against the tiny delicate flowers that covered the walls. The ceiling and woodwork, painted white, a welcome reprieve to the eyes.

Turning into the dining room the carpet continued, but the walls were now a deep shade of red. A blood bath to dine by. The furniture, reproduction deep mahogany, a homage to Victorian style.

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Who would live in a house like this?

Water, Water Everywhere

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Yesterday was launch day for Patsy Collins. Her collection of 7 short stories, Not A Drop To Drink, has been published under the Smiling Dog imprint at Alfie Dog

Here’s the blurb.

Scientists say the human body is around 70% water. We know that’s not true.
Oh, we could drink ‘straight’ H20, but usually we don’t. More likely it’s vitamin rich juice or teeth rotting cola. We like a nice cup of tea to calm us down or cheer us up. Perhaps a nice glass of wine to celebrate or drown our sorrows. Two glasses. Too many glasses.
Our bodies do contain liquid of course. Never just water. What’s in yours; acid and bile or the milk of human kindness? Blood, sweat and tears of joy or sorrow?
It’s these waters you’ll find running through these stories.

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I’m a huge fan of Patsy’s (*whispers* Not only is she a great writer but she’s a lovely lady too!), so I was thrilled to get the opportunity to ask her a few questions :)

1. What made you decide to release a book of short stories after having 2 successful novels?
It seemed like a good idea at the time! Actually ‘Not a Drop to Drink ‘ really did start as just a vague idea. I mentioned it to Rosemary at Alfie Dog Fiction and she offered to edit and publish the book under the Smiling Dog imprint to help promote my writing and the Alfie Dog website – where you can download around 600 truly excellent short stories by authors who write in a wide range of genres. My husband agreed to produce a cover so I didn’t have to do anything really, except email Rosemary a selection to pick from and agree with her excellent suggestions on layout etc.
2. What inspires you?
I often get idea when I’m carrying camera gear along the beach, climbing hills or working on my allotment, so probably it’s getting puffed out in the fresh air. Just in case I’m wrong and cake is my real inspiration, I eat loads of that.
3. How much time do you spend on research?
It depends. I tend to base stories in areas I know and give characters jobs I’ve done which helps quite a lot. I’ve worked in shops and offices, on a ship, as a waitress, on a farm and as a telephone operator, so I’ve already done a fair bit of research. When I do need to research anything new, I do it as thoroughly as possible. I’ve attended inquests, got lost on the underground and sang carols in order to write about these things.
4. Describe your average day?
If I’m working – drink tea, go to work, write in my lunch break, come home and check emails etc, submit to a magazine, cook dinner, drink wine, read, sleep. If away in the van – drink tea, climb a hill, photograph ships, visit a castle (or all three), write, cook dinner, drink wine, read, sleep.
5. What book are YOU currently reading?
I’ve almost finished Burning Bright by Tracy Chevalier and am really enjoying it.
6. Any advice for aspiring authors?
Write! Having a go is the best way to learn. Reading books of advice, attending classes and learning the rules are all a good idea, but you need to actually do the writing, not just know the theory.
7. How do people get hold of your book?
‘Not a Drop to Drink’ is available from the Alfie Dog website.

Thank you so much Patsy for stopping by today. Good luck with the new release, you know I’ll be downloading a copy don’t you! :)

Do check out Patsy’s other work. Escape to The Country and Paint Me a Picture both available on Kindle. I promise, you won’t be disappointed :)

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Patsy is one of many Indie authors, who have decided to go down the Kindle route, and I wish her every success. My own thoughts on this are that if you’re a “good” writer, your work will shine, no matter how, or where its published. So please support our indie authors. It’s authors like Patsy who are paving the way for writers like me :)

And don’t forget to check out the Alfie Dog website (link above). Is it something YOU would consider?

Six Sentence Sunday 30th September

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This weeks six sentences come from a prompt I did earlier on in the week :)

Stuart had never really liked women, it all went back to his childhood, his mother. The contempt she felt for him was evident in her daily actions. The way she spoke to him, the way she looked at him.

As a young adult he was convinced that women were not to be trusted. That they would lie and cheat to get what they wanted. Numerous relationships he purposely sabotaged, incapable of loving, incapable of accepting love.

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image curtesy of chrisroll/freedigitalimages

Awwwww, poor Stuart ;)

Ok, I need a happy ending for this one don’t I :)

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Priceless Gift

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This is the piece I wrote in response to the photo prompt of the locket on Saturday :)

Hope you like it, and any suggestions, or comments are as always, gratefully received.

Sophia sat with her back pressed firmly against the chair and watched, with a blazing jealousy, the scene in front of her.

Did he know she would be here today? Was that why he’d brought that whore here? To make her jealous?

She lifted her coffee cup and took a sip, her eyes fixed on the table in the corner.

James looked good, but then he always did. He playfully flicked a strand of hair from his companions face. Sophia felt instantly sick. She thought about where that hand had been. The parts of her he had explored with his fingers only last week.

Feeling the anger rising in her chest, pushing hatred into her throat she took another mouthful of coffee. But it was no use, no amount of sweet hot liquid would be able to eradicate the bitter taste that had developed in her mouth.

Clutching the gold locket at her neck she glared at the slim attractive women who was now laughing. Willing her to turn around, but she was too engrossed in James. Too caught up in lust to be aware of anyone else in the cafe.

James fumbled in his jeans pocket as his guest rose to her feet. Sophia grabbed her bag and flung it over her shoulder, shifting to the edge of her seat.

The red head kissed James on the cheek and tottered on her six inch heels in the direction of the ladies. With head down, Sophia stood, and followed her into the toilets.

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Oh come on, you know I don’t do happy? Did you really expect anything else? Lol ;)

In my mind I was thinking along the lines that Sophia is one of those women who James can pick up and put down whenever he wants, a shag buddy, but in his eyes, nothing more. She’s not slim and attractive, but she is available. Lets face it, Sophia is in love with him, and in her eyes, its not his fault, its all these gorgeous women who keep throwing themselves at him. James bought her the locket as a gift out of guilt, Sophia thinks that it means they have a future, if only these other women would leave him alone. But the question is……

What does she intend to do in the toilets? ;)

Six Sentence Sunday 23rd September

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Here are my six sentences :)

Douglas ran his fingers through his chestnut brown curls and sighed.

“But you promised Douglas.” Nancy whined.

“I know, I know, but what do you expect me to do love?”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever, I hate this place!”

Douglas winced as Nancy stormed from the kitchen, slamming the door and stomped up the stairs.

Awwwww, poor Douglas lol. Nancy is one of them trophy wives, and when she doesn’t get her way, Douglas ends up on the sofa lol. She wants one of those swanky new apartments down on the river, but Douglas is running out of dosh, and fast…..she’s bleeding him dry.

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So what should Douglas do? Which in my reckoning probably isn’t what he will do ;)

New York New York

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This is the piece that I wrote for the photo prompt I posted last Saturday :)

Stefano arrived in New York with 50 dollars in his pocket, a back pack and a small scrap of paper, on which his Mama had written his uncles address.

He soon found the restaurant, Casa Mia, along a road filled with Italian Deli’s, shops and Cafe’s. He pushed open the heavy oak door.

“Stefano!” An elderly man with white hair rushed towards him and enveloped him in a welcoming embrace.

“Uncle Roberto?”

“My boy, my boy, si, si.”

Stefano returned the hug and began to talk in Italian, but Roberto held up his hand.

“No Stefano, English, we is in America now.”

“Sorry uncle, you received Mama’s letter?”

“Yes, yes, please, sit.” Roberto put his arm around Stefano’s shoulders and guided him to a chair. As he sat down opposite he shook his head.

“Such a catastrophe, such a sad event that you should come here.”

Stefano hung his head, he could feel the tears pricking his eyes.

“Your father was a good man, yes? A good man for my sister.” He sighed. “But, this has brought you to me, yes? Your Mama says you can cook?”

“I…err…well, a little uncle.”

Roberto laughed. “Ahhhh…no more farming for you Stefano. Now, you come to America, be famous chef, yes?”

It was now Stefano’s turn to laugh. “We’ll see uncle, we’ll see.”

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photo courtesy of Carlos Porto/freedigitalphotos

I have a bit of a thing about Italians, have you noticed? Lol ;) Must be something to do with my Italian blood (my great grandparents were Italian Trapeze artists….how cool is that?).

Anyway, I like Stefano, I think this one could definitely end up a very happy story (that makes a change!!!!!!). I’m thinking Stefano turns out to be an excellent chef and really turns the restaurant around. But his cousin (Giovanni) is not happy (bit of conflict is always good)
and is worried that Roberto will hand the business over to Stefano (as he’s getting a bit too old to run the place). What actually happens in the end is anyone’s guess ;)

But, how did the dialogue seem? Any tips to getting across an Italian accent would be much appreciated :)

Edited to add commas as per Dianne’s suggestion – See below

Six Sentence Sunday 16th September

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Today is Six Sentence Sunday!

I’ve finally managed to get my link up on the site so this week I am participating officially! :)

Still experimenting with first person POV, and d’ya know what? I’m really enjoying it :)

In my first life, when I lived in France, my bed was straw. In my second life, in Italy, I laid on a large white bed, surrounded by vases of flowers, my body draped in the finest silk. Now, in what I call, my third life, I am a prisoner in a two up two down tiny terraced house in a small town in Northern England.

I don’t mind the cold and the rain, i was expecting that. But what I wasn’t expecting was how much John would change. I’m trapped and he has my passport.

This was part of a piece that a wrote about a poor French girl who tries to better herself. Unfortunately, in Italy she meets a man who, after promising her the earth, whisks her back to England to a life of misery (he turns out to be a right nasty bit of work!).

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photo courtesy of Darren Robertson/freedigitalphotos

Poetic justice for being greedy? Or will the Italian Stallion come to England to rescue her?

Day of Rest? – Swanwick Day Two

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Ha ha ha, yeah right ;)

Up and ready to go at 7am yesterday morning, but it did give me the opportunity to do some writing on a bench outside in the morning sunshine :)

After breakfast it was off to my first course, which was Characterisation with Steve Hartley (the children’s author who was the speaker last night). A great session where Steve told us all about the Behaviour Model which is based on Carl Jung. If you follow the system it helps you focus on keeping your characters behaviour consistent throughout your novel. Very useful!!!!
I know this photo is gunna look really confusing but you need to know the whole system for it to make any sense.

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After tea on the lawn it was off to the Short Story writing class with Linda Lewis who was as amusing and interesting as ever :)

I had my one to one with Linda where she critiqued a short story for me. She pointed out where I was going wrong and we discussed my thoughts about giving up short story writing. She’s given me a lot to think about, so I’ll wait til I get home before I make a decision and look into some of the advice Linda gave me.

After a roast beef lunch it was off to Show and Tell with Roz Southey which was an excellent workshop, but, I think I came out even more confused than when I went in! Lol. For me, it’s one of the hardest parts of writing :(

In the evening, our speaker was Stephen Leo Davis the author and screenwriter. A very interesting man who told us about his experiences of writing for the TV and the film industry over the last 38 years. Two things he said that I took away from the talk….

1. There are no professional tips (ie shortcuts)
2. Learn how to control the fear of failure

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My evening was rounded off by watching the closing ceremony of the Olympics in the bar

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Do you struggle with show and tell or is it just me? ;)

And now…..I need sleep lol

On The Pull

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Nooooo, not me, I’m a married women…..but then so is she ;)

This is the piece I wrote that was inspired by the “powder room” photo on Saturday :) In first draft, I’m still experimenting with first person POV.

“Quick, hold the door and keep watch.”

“But Sara, I can’t physically stop people coming in?”

“Yes you can, go on, stand in front of the door.”

I rested my weight against the door and tried to focus my attention on the flock wallpaper rather than my friend, stripping down to her bra and knickers.

“I don’t know why we have to go through this every time. You looked fine.” I muttered under my breath.

Sara laughed as she pulled up the scarlet Lycra mini dress.

“Oh please, you know if Dave saw me going out like this he’d kill me!”

I had to admit she was right. Sara’s husband was possessive. She was only allowed to see me once a month and as far as he was concerned you didn’t need to dress up for Bingo. But then, he didn’t know that we never actually went.

Sara folded her jeans and T shirt and placed them in her bag. She was already wearing high heels, Dave loved her in stilettos.

“Right, all done, just the makeup.” She twirled “How do I look?”

I wanted to say like a whore, but I bit my tongue. It wouldn’t have worried her anyway, that was the look she wanted.

“Great, very sexy.” Well, it was partly true.

She quickly applied some more makeup and pouted her blood red lips.

“Now, just a little something to get me in the mood.” She winked and laid a small mirror on the shelf above the sink. I bowed my head and listened to her snorting.

“Do you have to do that in a place like this?”

“Oh, stop being such an old woman Chlo. Right, let’s go get em.” She shrieked with laughter and as she leaned over my shoulder to the door handle, she paused. “and don’t forget, if I pull, I’ve stayed at yours tonight.”

I smiled, I knew the drill.

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Hmmmmm, not too sure where that one is going. Perhaps tonight, Chloe will tell Dave the truth?

I’m open to suggestions?