Yet another entry to the Global Short Story Competition today illustrated perfectly the art of beginning a story.
As I have mentioned on previous blogs, no story begins at the beginning. What is important is the reader feels that they have walked in in the middle of something.
This story did just that, giving the reader the impression that they had to run to keep up, a powerful sensation and a good reason to keep reading.
John Dean
Friday, 7 March 2014
January winners announced
Judge Fiona Cooper has selected her winners for the January Global Short Story Competition and writers from the UK and Australia have taken the honours.
The £100 first place prize goes to Colin Hodson, London, England, for The Stranger, of which Fiona says: “It is very hard to judge stories, and I feel it is important that a story includes both feeling and technique. This sparse story has both, and also conveys that elusive quality of atmosphere. Not a word wasted and, although there is a conclusion, one’s imagination goes beyond with many implicit questions which are intriguing.”
Our highly commended £25 runner up prize is being divided between Florence Child, Forest Range, Australia, for Revenge, and Pam Plumb, Darlington, Co Durham, England, for Patient 129191.
Fiona says: “I had to have two runners up, since it was not possible to choose between these stories.
“Cinematic and original in concept, Revenge swept me into the land of so many movies, where people bowl through like tumbleweeds make their impression then vanish away over the horizon - excellent writing and I was left wanting more.
“Patient 129191 story drew me in with its very peculiar world view, which became the skewed reality of the whole narrative. Brilliant twists and turns on every page sustained this story and, as with the other two I have chosen, I wanted to know more. I am also convinced that all three winning writers should carry on writing and explore the idea of a longer piece of work.”
The writers on the shortlist are:
Deborah J Ledford, Scottsdale, Afghanistan
Petra McQueen, Colchester, Essex, England
Kylie Orr, Upwey, Victoria, Australia
Gillian Brown, Peyriac de Mer, Aude, France
Virginie Tozzo, France
Esther Newton, Thatcham, Berkshire, England
Paul Freeman, United Arab Emirates
Winning stories will be posted on www.inscribemedia.co.uk Well done to our successful writers. You can enter the March competition at the same address.
John DEan
The £100 first place prize goes to Colin Hodson, London, England, for The Stranger, of which Fiona says: “It is very hard to judge stories, and I feel it is important that a story includes both feeling and technique. This sparse story has both, and also conveys that elusive quality of atmosphere. Not a word wasted and, although there is a conclusion, one’s imagination goes beyond with many implicit questions which are intriguing.”
Our highly commended £25 runner up prize is being divided between Florence Child, Forest Range, Australia, for Revenge, and Pam Plumb, Darlington, Co Durham, England, for Patient 129191.
Fiona says: “I had to have two runners up, since it was not possible to choose between these stories.
“Cinematic and original in concept, Revenge swept me into the land of so many movies, where people bowl through like tumbleweeds make their impression then vanish away over the horizon - excellent writing and I was left wanting more.
“Patient 129191 story drew me in with its very peculiar world view, which became the skewed reality of the whole narrative. Brilliant twists and turns on every page sustained this story and, as with the other two I have chosen, I wanted to know more. I am also convinced that all three winning writers should carry on writing and explore the idea of a longer piece of work.”
The writers on the shortlist are:
Deborah J Ledford, Scottsdale, Afghanistan
Petra McQueen, Colchester, Essex, England
Kylie Orr, Upwey, Victoria, Australia
Gillian Brown, Peyriac de Mer, Aude, France
Virginie Tozzo, France
Esther Newton, Thatcham, Berkshire, England
Paul Freeman, United Arab Emirates
Winning stories will be posted on www.inscribemedia.co.uk Well done to our successful writers. You can enter the March competition at the same address.
John DEan
Thursday, 6 March 2014
Worth taking a look
We can heartily recommend this website, run by Chris Westlake, and not just because it will soon feature an interview with our very own John Dean about the Global Short Story Competition!.
The website at chriswestlake.co.uk will feature author interviews and book reviews and is a must for any interested author
The website at chriswestlake.co.uk will feature author interviews and book reviews and is a must for any interested author
In praise for Myra
Worth checking out this excellent review for the e-novel Cyber Rules, by Australian writer Myra King at http://www.amazon.co.uk/product-reviews/B007Y67772/ref=cm_cr_dp_see_all_btm?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1&sortBy=bySubmissionDateDescending
Cyber Rules deals with Anthea Stevenson, a farmer’s wife, midlife-challenged and living in an isolated rural Australia.
For many years she has harboured a dark secret. Now caught up on the addictive side of the Internet, she holds another secret, one which ultimately may prove to be far more deadly.
About Myra King
Myra King is an Australian writer, and a member of SINC, living on the coast of South Australia. She has written a number of prize-winning short stories, including first prize in the UK-based Global Short Story Competition, and has a short story collection, City Paddock, published by Ginninderra Press.
In 2010 her short story, The Black Horse, was shortlisted for the US Glass Woman Prize. And in 2011 her story, The Trousseau Box, was story of the week in Short Story America.
She has upcoming (or recent) work in Boston Literary Magazine, Eclectic Flash, Meat for Tea, eFiction, Red River Review, Fast Forward Press, Illya’s Honey Journal, San Pedro River Review, The Fiction Shelf, and The Foundling Review.
Her work has also appeared in The Pages, Herons Nest, BuzzWords, Eclecticism, Every Day Poets, Meuse Press, Dark Prints Press and A Hundred Gourds.
Cyber Rules deals with Anthea Stevenson, a farmer’s wife, midlife-challenged and living in isolated rural Australia.
For many years she has harboured a dark secret. Now caught up on the addictive side of the Internet, she holds another secret, one which ultimately may prove to be far more deadly.
A proportion of the funds raised from sales of the e-book will go to Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Doctors Without Borders, an international, independent, medical humanitarian organisation that delivers emergency aid to people affected by armed conflict, epidemics, natural disasters and exclusion from healthcare. MSF offers assistance to people based on need, irrespective of race, religion, gender or political affiliation.
About Myra King
Myra King is an Australian writer, and a member of SINC, living on the coast of South Australia. She has written a number of prize-winning short stories, including first prize in the UK-based Global Short Story Competition, and has a short story collection, City Paddock, published by Ginninderra Press.
In 2010 her short story, The Black Horse, was shortlisted for the US Glass Woman Prize. And in 2011 her story, The Trousseau Box, was story of the week in Short Story America.
She has upcoming (or recent) work in Boston Literary Magazine, Eclectic Flash, Meat for Tea, eFiction, Red River Review, Fast Forward Press, Illya’s Honey Journal, San Pedro River Review, The Fiction Shelf, and The Foundling Review.
Her work has also appeared in The Pages, Herons Nest, BuzzWords, Eclecticism, Every Day Poets, Meuse Press, Dark Prints Press and A Hundred Gourds.
John Dean
Cyber Rules deals with Anthea Stevenson, a farmer’s wife, midlife-challenged and living in an isolated rural Australia.
For many years she has harboured a dark secret. Now caught up on the addictive side of the Internet, she holds another secret, one which ultimately may prove to be far more deadly.
About Myra King
Myra King is an Australian writer, and a member of SINC, living on the coast of South Australia. She has written a number of prize-winning short stories, including first prize in the UK-based Global Short Story Competition, and has a short story collection, City Paddock, published by Ginninderra Press.
In 2010 her short story, The Black Horse, was shortlisted for the US Glass Woman Prize. And in 2011 her story, The Trousseau Box, was story of the week in Short Story America.
She has upcoming (or recent) work in Boston Literary Magazine, Eclectic Flash, Meat for Tea, eFiction, Red River Review, Fast Forward Press, Illya’s Honey Journal, San Pedro River Review, The Fiction Shelf, and The Foundling Review.
Her work has also appeared in The Pages, Herons Nest, BuzzWords, Eclecticism, Every Day Poets, Meuse Press, Dark Prints Press and A Hundred Gourds.
Cyber Rules deals with Anthea Stevenson, a farmer’s wife, midlife-challenged and living in isolated rural Australia.
For many years she has harboured a dark secret. Now caught up on the addictive side of the Internet, she holds another secret, one which ultimately may prove to be far more deadly.
A proportion of the funds raised from sales of the e-book will go to Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Doctors Without Borders, an international, independent, medical humanitarian organisation that delivers emergency aid to people affected by armed conflict, epidemics, natural disasters and exclusion from healthcare. MSF offers assistance to people based on need, irrespective of race, religion, gender or political affiliation.
About Myra King
Myra King is an Australian writer, and a member of SINC, living on the coast of South Australia. She has written a number of prize-winning short stories, including first prize in the UK-based Global Short Story Competition, and has a short story collection, City Paddock, published by Ginninderra Press.
In 2010 her short story, The Black Horse, was shortlisted for the US Glass Woman Prize. And in 2011 her story, The Trousseau Box, was story of the week in Short Story America.
She has upcoming (or recent) work in Boston Literary Magazine, Eclectic Flash, Meat for Tea, eFiction, Red River Review, Fast Forward Press, Illya’s Honey Journal, San Pedro River Review, The Fiction Shelf, and The Foundling Review.
Her work has also appeared in The Pages, Herons Nest, BuzzWords, Eclecticism, Every Day Poets, Meuse Press, Dark Prints Press and A Hundred Gourds.
John Dean
Monday, 3 March 2014
What makes a good writer?
The other day a writing student asked me what qualities must a successful writer have? I replied always be willing to learn, never be afraid to try something different and always bear in mind that good writing is good writing because of the detail it contains. Little lines, images, lines of dialogue can bring it crackling to life. Oh, and never ever write padding! And never use exclamation marks when they are not needed like I did there.
John Dean
John Dean
The age of the novella?
I was recently talking to a writer about his latest crime novella. As a result, I have been researching the world of short novels and it seems to me that their time could be upon us because of the e-book revolution. Folks are happy to read 30,000 words of story on their hand-helds - particularly on holiday when a book that can be finished in a day or two is welcome.
So what exactly is a novella? Well, it’s an extended short story in many ways, constructed in episodes but written in a tight and clipped way to guarantee pace. The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America Nebula Awards defined the novella as having a word count of between 17,500 and 40,000. Other definitions start as low as 10,000 words.
There are plenty of writers who can see the sense in the idea. I know some who would love us to run a short story competition with a word limit around that figure because they feel that 2,000 words simply does not give enough space for the story to breathe.
Why are novellas so effective as a genre? Well, usually I write novels that run to 60,000-70,000 words but this one has seen me cutting back big-time. An eight page scenes becomes two pages, a, 800 word passage of dialogue becomes 200, if that. It’s the mantra I teach to the many writers with whom I work across the world - does your story need those words, can they come out, will the story really suffer if they do? They’re good questions all writers should ask.
John Dean
So what exactly is a novella? Well, it’s an extended short story in many ways, constructed in episodes but written in a tight and clipped way to guarantee pace. The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America Nebula Awards defined the novella as having a word count of between 17,500 and 40,000. Other definitions start as low as 10,000 words.
There are plenty of writers who can see the sense in the idea. I know some who would love us to run a short story competition with a word limit around that figure because they feel that 2,000 words simply does not give enough space for the story to breathe.
Why are novellas so effective as a genre? Well, usually I write novels that run to 60,000-70,000 words but this one has seen me cutting back big-time. An eight page scenes becomes two pages, a, 800 word passage of dialogue becomes 200, if that. It’s the mantra I teach to the many writers with whom I work across the world - does your story need those words, can they come out, will the story really suffer if they do? They’re good questions all writers should ask.
John Dean
Sunday, 2 March 2014
New competition opens for entries
The March Global Short Story Competition is open for entries.
Begun six years ago, the competition runs every month with a £100 first prize and a £25 prize for highly commended writers.
The competition, which has topped £10,500 in prize money handed out, has had entries from more than 50 countries over the years.
Each month’s competition is judged by Fiona Cooper, an author in North-East England, where the competition’s organisers Inscribe Media are also based. The competition can be entered at www.inscribemedia.co.uk
We will announce the January winners on Friday March 7. * There is plenty of time to enter Inscribe Media’s latest free flash fiction competition at its Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Inscribemedia/183385438479538 or accessed through www.inscribemedia.co.uk
John Dean
Begun six years ago, the competition runs every month with a £100 first prize and a £25 prize for highly commended writers.
The competition, which has topped £10,500 in prize money handed out, has had entries from more than 50 countries over the years.
Each month’s competition is judged by Fiona Cooper, an author in North-East England, where the competition’s organisers Inscribe Media are also based. The competition can be entered at www.inscribemedia.co.uk
We will announce the January winners on Friday March 7. * There is plenty of time to enter Inscribe Media’s latest free flash fiction competition at its Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Inscribemedia/183385438479538 or accessed through www.inscribemedia.co.uk
John Dean
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