Friday, 28 February 2014
Glitch
We understand that some of you have been having problems voting for the annual winner. The problem has been sorted now. We apologise for the inconvenience.
Gettng it right
Characters can make or break a story. You cannot make your stories live unless you have characters. This came to mind with some entries into this month’s Global Short Story Competition (last day today). Here’s some thoughts on how those writers got it right.
They described their main characters' physical characteristics but picked only the salient information
They made the reader visualise the person by thinking about the small things which make them stand out, make them live.
They captured their demeanour.
They described their views, their emotions, they type of character.
They did not pack the information in all at once, rather revealing the character as the story progressed.
They made sure the main characters are strong enough to carry the story on their shoulders.
And they made sure we care about them - not necessarily like but care.
Above all, their characters were REAL.
Still time to enter at www.inscribemedia.co.uk
John Dean
They described their main characters' physical characteristics but picked only the salient information
They made the reader visualise the person by thinking about the small things which make them stand out, make them live.
They captured their demeanour.
They described their views, their emotions, they type of character.
They did not pack the information in all at once, rather revealing the character as the story progressed.
They made sure the main characters are strong enough to carry the story on their shoulders.
And they made sure we care about them - not necessarily like but care.
Above all, their characters were REAL.
Still time to enter at www.inscribemedia.co.uk
John Dean
Wednesday, 26 February 2014
Voting under way
People are already starting to vote after the Darlington-based team behind the Global Short Story Competition launched an initiative to find its annual winner.
The monthly competition, run by Inscribe Media Limited from the North East of England, was launched in December 2007 and, in addition to £125 of monthly prizes, an annual award of £250 is made.
The award is normally selected by a panel including monthly judge Fiona Cooper and competition administrator John Dean, and goes to one of the writers who was successful in the previous twelve months of competitions.
This year, though, the company is asking people to vote by reading each of the twelve monthly winners then selecting their favourite for the sixth annual prize, taking in the whole of 2013.
Voting is open until March 31 at www.inscribemedia.co.uk where the latest competition can also be entered.
The monthly competition, run by Inscribe Media Limited from the North East of England, was launched in December 2007 and, in addition to £125 of monthly prizes, an annual award of £250 is made.
The award is normally selected by a panel including monthly judge Fiona Cooper and competition administrator John Dean, and goes to one of the writers who was successful in the previous twelve months of competitions.
This year, though, the company is asking people to vote by reading each of the twelve monthly winners then selecting their favourite for the sixth annual prize, taking in the whole of 2013.
Voting is open until March 31 at www.inscribemedia.co.uk where the latest competition can also be entered.
Monday, 24 February 2014
Ah, you've arrived
An 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. Stories start in the middle, sometimes at the end; lives have been lived, dramas enacted, grief experienced, joys celebrated.
What is important from the writer’s point of view is that your reader feels that they have walked in on a scene that is already unfolding. If they feel that, then they want to stick around to see how it all resolves itself.
This story did just that with the character addressing the reader as if the reader had arrived in mid-sentence. Brilliant.
John Dean
As I have mentioned on previous blogs, no story begins at the beginning. Stories start in the middle, sometimes at the end; lives have been lived, dramas enacted, grief experienced, joys celebrated.
What is important from the writer’s point of view is that your reader feels that they have walked in on a scene that is already unfolding. If they feel that, then they want to stick around to see how it all resolves itself.
This story did just that with the character addressing the reader as if the reader had arrived in mid-sentence. Brilliant.
John Dean
Where you live, what you write
The Global Short Story Competition received an entry from Norway today, which got me thinking about landscapes.
As I have said in previous blogs, I have always believed that a writer is influenced to some degree by where they live and work.
Yes I know it is a gross generalisation but I am sure that a writer writing in a dark, cold country produces different fiction than one in a bright sunny one.
Certainly if you look at the great Scandinavian and Icelandic crime writers their work is influenced by their surroundings and darkness permeates their work.
I can only speak from my own experience. I write best in Winter. I also write about a fictional city called Hafton. Sited in the North of England, it is based in part on a real city which most appeals to me in winter, when the streets glisten with rainwater and darkness falls early, casting long shadows.
The result is work that deals with dark themes and I believe they emerge from the darkness of the city.
You can offer your thoughts on our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/inscribemedia
John Dean
As I have said in previous blogs, I have always believed that a writer is influenced to some degree by where they live and work.
Yes I know it is a gross generalisation but I am sure that a writer writing in a dark, cold country produces different fiction than one in a bright sunny one.
Certainly if you look at the great Scandinavian and Icelandic crime writers their work is influenced by their surroundings and darkness permeates their work.
I can only speak from my own experience. I write best in Winter. I also write about a fictional city called Hafton. Sited in the North of England, it is based in part on a real city which most appeals to me in winter, when the streets glisten with rainwater and darkness falls early, casting long shadows.
The result is work that deals with dark themes and I believe they emerge from the darkness of the city.
You can offer your thoughts on our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/inscribemedia
John Dean
A quiet one
The February Global Short Story Comp is five days from closing and we have had very few entries. Good time to go for the £100 first prize. More at www.inscribemedia.co.uk
John Dean
John Dean
Taking to the reader
I know I talk about first lines a lot in my blogs but they are so important and that came to mind when we received an entry to the Global Short Story Competition over the weekend.
One of the best ways to start a story is to instantly introduce the reader to a character who addresses us directly in a voice that is distinctive and compelling. What do I mean? Try this: “If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you’ll probably want to know is where I was born, and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don’t feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth.” — J. D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye
The voice is distinctive, you are challenged and want to learn more about this person. It was the same with the story over the weekend, creating a character that talked directly to the reader.
And if the character is talking to the reader, the writer has a great platform on which to work.
Still a week to enter our latest competition at www.inscribemedia.co.uk It’s still a low entry so it’s a good time to go for the £100 first prize.
John Dean
One of the best ways to start a story is to instantly introduce the reader to a character who addresses us directly in a voice that is distinctive and compelling. What do I mean? Try this: “If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you’ll probably want to know is where I was born, and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don’t feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth.” — J. D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye
The voice is distinctive, you are challenged and want to learn more about this person. It was the same with the story over the weekend, creating a character that talked directly to the reader.
And if the character is talking to the reader, the writer has a great platform on which to work.
Still a week to enter our latest competition at www.inscribemedia.co.uk It’s still a low entry so it’s a good time to go for the £100 first prize.
John Dean
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