Does the title of your story spark interest?
Read your story aloud ensuring that it flows from beginning to end - eliminate the stumbles.
Does your story capture the reader's attention from the beginning wanting them to read more? Ensure each and every word is a progression to your ending advancing the plot; be ruthless and remove unnecessary padding - irrelevant information that does not progress your story is not the solution to meeting a word count. Is your ending surprising yet fitting and altogether a satisfying conclusion?
Be consistent with your point of view, the tense (past or present), names, descriptions of characters (hair, eyes, clothing etc).
Check the POV used. Would your story work better if it was told in a different POV?
Do your words paint pictures in the reader's mind?
Double check the basics of grammar, spelling and punctuation.
Follow editors guidelines and meet their requirements; word count, genre, presentation and whether they prefer emails or traditional post.
Above is a short story checklist I started for myself. I hope it helps you in some way. If there are any points you can improve on or better still, add to the checklist please let me know in your comments. It's a good thing to help each other :-)
Keep writing....
Monday, July 30, 2012
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
WHAT GOOD FICTION DOES
I've been enjoying reading Patricia Briggs who writes urban fantasy which she describes as a fusion of horror, noir mystery, detective mystery, and fantasy with bits of romance thrown in. Here's what she has to say about an important thing fiction of any kind does:
"Fiction, good fiction, allows the reader to see the world through someone else's eyes. When I read I can be a black man or a young child. I can be an old woman or a deer named Bambi. Understanding how someone else thinks is the first step to accepting their differences. In a world that between faster communication and growing population, decreases in size every day, and in the light of the events of 9/11, it is imprtant for us to be able to walk a mile in another's moccasins. Books are, in my opinion, the single best medium to develop the understanding necessary to live together on our earth."
Keep writing....
"Fiction, good fiction, allows the reader to see the world through someone else's eyes. When I read I can be a black man or a young child. I can be an old woman or a deer named Bambi. Understanding how someone else thinks is the first step to accepting their differences. In a world that between faster communication and growing population, decreases in size every day, and in the light of the events of 9/11, it is imprtant for us to be able to walk a mile in another's moccasins. Books are, in my opinion, the single best medium to develop the understanding necessary to live together on our earth."
Keep writing....
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
ACHIEVING WRITING SUCCESS
I've heard it before and I've asked the same questions myself; How does one achieve writing success when there are obstacles such as the decline of the short story market, the bombardment of rejections because the supply exceeds the demand and the fierce competition from writers who seem to have secured their niche with certain magazines? How indeed!
In my writing world I have been fortunate to have experienced the odd years where I've surprised even myself with the amount of short stories I've had published, and then there have been the years where the amount of rejections I've received has to be some kind of world record. In those times I began doubting myself. This put me in a bad place. Writing gives me a sense of self, so giving up was not an option. I reassessed my situation. I knew a story acceptance would renew the faith I had in myself, and always a short story sale sparks something inside of me which motivates and inspires - the magic returns and more acceptances follow. I was determined and I persevered.
It had been many months since I'd seen one of my short stories published and now I'm happy to say within a fortnight I've had five sales. What changed? My attitude.
Achieving writing success is about working hard, commitment, believing in yourself and continuing to put the effort in despite all obstacles.
If you don't believe me here is what two successful writers have to say on the subject:
"I will gladly testify that craft is terribly important, that the often tiresome process of draft, redraft, and then draft again is necessary to produce good work, and that hard work is the only acceptable practice for those of us who have some talent but little or no genius." - Stephen King
"When I first went full-time, I worked about fifty to sixty hours a week. I assumed that when and if I became successful, I'd be able to relax a little. Now I work seventy hours most weeks, and as much as eighty hours when I'm especially captivated by a piece." - Dean Koontz
Keep writing....
In my writing world I have been fortunate to have experienced the odd years where I've surprised even myself with the amount of short stories I've had published, and then there have been the years where the amount of rejections I've received has to be some kind of world record. In those times I began doubting myself. This put me in a bad place. Writing gives me a sense of self, so giving up was not an option. I reassessed my situation. I knew a story acceptance would renew the faith I had in myself, and always a short story sale sparks something inside of me which motivates and inspires - the magic returns and more acceptances follow. I was determined and I persevered.
It had been many months since I'd seen one of my short stories published and now I'm happy to say within a fortnight I've had five sales. What changed? My attitude.
Achieving writing success is about working hard, commitment, believing in yourself and continuing to put the effort in despite all obstacles.
If you don't believe me here is what two successful writers have to say on the subject:
"I will gladly testify that craft is terribly important, that the often tiresome process of draft, redraft, and then draft again is necessary to produce good work, and that hard work is the only acceptable practice for those of us who have some talent but little or no genius." - Stephen King
"When I first went full-time, I worked about fifty to sixty hours a week. I assumed that when and if I became successful, I'd be able to relax a little. Now I work seventy hours most weeks, and as much as eighty hours when I'm especially captivated by a piece." - Dean Koontz
Keep writing....
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
UNSOLICITED MANUSCRIPTS
It can be difficult to find a publishing house that accepts unsolicited manuscripts. I can't count the number of times I've read 'we do not accept unsolicited manuscripts' or 'we will only read manuscripts which are sent via an agent'. Here are links to publishers who are willing to give both new and emerging authors a chance:
Allen and Unwin - The Friday Pitch
Pan Macmillan - Manuscript Monday
Penguin Books - The Monthly Catch
Penguin Ireland
Harlequin Mills and Boon
So if you've got a manuscript looking for a home check out the above guidelines - good luck!
Keep writing....
Allen and Unwin - The Friday Pitch
Pan Macmillan - Manuscript Monday
Penguin Books - The Monthly Catch
Penguin Ireland
Harlequin Mills and Boon
So if you've got a manuscript looking for a home check out the above guidelines - good luck!
Keep writing....
Thursday, June 7, 2012
SHORT STORY SALES
I nearly fell of my chair today when I received an email accepting three short stories. It has been a while between sales for me, and I've never sold three stories in one hit before - the drought has been broken!
I feel rewarded, encouraged and motivated. Oh, what a feeling!
What have I learned from playing this waiting game? Be persistent, keep writing and be patient. Sometimes it does seem like I'm putting the effort in and not seeing a result, but in the end the fact remains the more stories I submit the more chance I have of making a sale OR perhaps it was Jeff Hargett weaving his magic when he left his comment on my post Writing Blues:
"I'm sending clouds of creativity over there to rain ideas down upon you. May their droplets of inspiration cling to you, their lightning electrify your prose and their breeze bring brilliance to the next sell you're about to write."
Thank you to all my writing friends who lift my spirits, who encourage and who inspire me.
Keep writing....
I feel rewarded, encouraged and motivated. Oh, what a feeling!
What have I learned from playing this waiting game? Be persistent, keep writing and be patient. Sometimes it does seem like I'm putting the effort in and not seeing a result, but in the end the fact remains the more stories I submit the more chance I have of making a sale OR perhaps it was Jeff Hargett weaving his magic when he left his comment on my post Writing Blues:
"I'm sending clouds of creativity over there to rain ideas down upon you. May their droplets of inspiration cling to you, their lightning electrify your prose and their breeze bring brilliance to the next sell you're about to write."
Thank you to all my writing friends who lift my spirits, who encourage and who inspire me.
Keep writing....
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
THE POSITIVELY PRODUCTIVE WRITER
The Positively Productive Writer by Simon Whaley has become my new best friend. This book is divided into four parts:
Setting Achievable Writing Goals
Learn To Look On The Bright Side Of Life
Putting It Into Practise
A Positive Writer's Year - Strategies To Succeed
The best way I can sum up this encouraging book is by quoting the intro:
"This book is dedicated to all writers who sit down regularly to write. Some days we find it far easier to do this, than others. This book is for those other days."
The Positively Productive Writer guides, inspires and motivates. I give it the thumbs up!
Are there any books on writing that have inspired and motivated you?
Keep writing....
Setting Achievable Writing Goals
Learn To Look On The Bright Side Of Life
Putting It Into Practise
A Positive Writer's Year - Strategies To Succeed
The best way I can sum up this encouraging book is by quoting the intro:
"This book is dedicated to all writers who sit down regularly to write. Some days we find it far easier to do this, than others. This book is for those other days."
The Positively Productive Writer guides, inspires and motivates. I give it the thumbs up!
Are there any books on writing that have inspired and motivated you?
Keep writing....
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
EXPECTATIONS
A few years ago a friend of mine told me that I needed to lower my expectations, that I was continually setting myself high expectations which in turn was setting myself up for a fall. Truth hurts.
Today his words sprang to mind and I found myself relating them to my writing. I used to set myself writing goals, a 'to do' list for each day. I expected a lot from myself and by the end of each day having not succeeded to complete this list I would be disappointed. Felt like a failure.
I stopped doing these lists and decided to write what I wanted when I wanted to. Discipline went out the window and my achievement rate when down hill really fast. This plan was not working. Needed a new plan.
After many long walks last week I re-assessed my situation and came up with a new plan:- Back to the daily 'to do' lists BUT make it achievable, still challenging but achievable. I think this will give me some direction and bring balance and order to my writing regime. Have expectations but make them achievable!
How do you go about your writing day? Do you have a plan?
Keep writing....
Today his words sprang to mind and I found myself relating them to my writing. I used to set myself writing goals, a 'to do' list for each day. I expected a lot from myself and by the end of each day having not succeeded to complete this list I would be disappointed. Felt like a failure.
I stopped doing these lists and decided to write what I wanted when I wanted to. Discipline went out the window and my achievement rate when down hill really fast. This plan was not working. Needed a new plan.
After many long walks last week I re-assessed my situation and came up with a new plan:- Back to the daily 'to do' lists BUT make it achievable, still challenging but achievable. I think this will give me some direction and bring balance and order to my writing regime. Have expectations but make them achievable!
How do you go about your writing day? Do you have a plan?
Keep writing....
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