One of my cherished dreams came true today.  Chapeltown Books and Cafelit (with me as co-host) held the cyberlaunch for my flash fiction collection, From Light to Dark and Back Again.  Yes, we sold copies of the book.  Yes, I was asked to sign copies (on the ones awarded as prizes).  I have dreamed for ages of being asked to sign my own book so this is very special.

I've written a piece about this on the book's page on this website but wanted to talk here about how important it is not to give up when it comes to writing.

I couldn't tell you how often I came across that advice when I was starting out.  It's all too easy to think, when all that is coming in are the rejections, "oh yeah?" when some published author somewhere says this but they are right.  The keys to success are persistence and learning to improve your work all the time by submitting it and taking to heart feedback received on it.  Always pay careful attention when more than one person says the same thing about your work too.

Beta readers are so useful because you can be too close to your own work to read it objectively, especially if you have gone through it time and again editing and improving it.  I would also say support your independent presses as they give writers a voice the bigger, more traditional firms are unlikely to take a chance on.  The indies play a wonderful role in ensuring there is more variety out there.  And good luck, we all need a bit of that too, but hard work and persistence are more important.

When magic goes wrong, you should:-

1. If at all possible, run.  Run as fast and as far as you can.  Just run.
   
2. If 1 is not possible because you've already been turned into something nasty, grovel to the witch or annoyed fairy godmother concerned.  Grovel for all you are worth.  It is the only chance of getting them to restore you.
   
3. If you work for the fairy government, you need to work out what did go wrong and strategies for avoiding it happening again.
   
4. If you have the skills for it, repair the damage.  There will be damage done to the environment.  Nothing can stand having too much magic go through it.
   
5. Go on an adventure.  You are clearly fated to do so.  This is particularly true if you are an ill-treated step daughter or the youngest of three.
   

Keeping it real for dialague means, funnily enough, NOT writing speech as it is spoken.  Cut out the errs, the umms, the pauses, the "mind went blank" moments and so on.

What you write is dialogue that sounds real but has all these bits taken away.  Edited speech if you like.  The end result is being able to read speech that flows smoothly, which moves the story on and helps with pacing.  You want your readers to be gripped by all that your characters have to say so anything that might interrupt that should not be written into the story.

For example:-

"Where is it then?", he strode around the room, opening all the cupboards and slamming the doors shut.
"Don't know what you're on about",' she replied.
"Don't lie to me".
"I'm not."

Notice I have one action, one tag line but it is clear who must be speaking for the rest of the dialogue.  The speech itself makes it clear who must be speaking.  So let your dialogue "earn its keep".  Every word of it must help advance the story.

Further to my Postcards from the Magical World post, the following have just come in:-

From Puss in Boots
Am clearly smarter than my client.  Why do I have to work with humans?  Not that comfortable with the boots either.  Not my style, frankly.  Still if I can't turn this chump into something more promising, I'm losing my touch.

From Sleeping Beauty
I don't know what all the fuss was about.  I've never slept so well!

From Six of the Seven Dwarves
Much as we're pleased for Snow White, we had got rather used to having our meals and housework done.  None of us are prepared to let Dopey have a go, though he did offer.  We rather like being able to return home from work to a home that is still actually standing.

The classic fairytales start with once upon a time, of course, but I must admit it is not my favourite opening.  Yes, it sets you up to the idea the story you're about to read happened a long, long time ago (and many fairytales are based on fact - The Little Match Girl is almost certainly based on something Hans Christen Andersen observed).  However, I think once upon a time doesn't really tell you enough and can come across as a bit twee.  Fairytales are often gritty, no nonsense stories and so I feel deserve and should have a stronger opening.

The secret to a good opening is it must entice you into reading the rest of the story.  It can do this by giving a fantastic sentence or two that means you must read on (George Orwell's 1984 - "It was a birght, cold day in April and the clocks were striking thirteen" is a wonderful example of this.).  Another great way is to start with dialogue that again is strong enough to make you want to find out how the conversation ended and what the results were from it.  Or a character is introduced or referred to but there is something intriguing about them shown right from the outset, again making you want to read on and find out more.

So I think there is definitely room for improvement on once upon a time!

 CYBERLAUNCH NEWS
My cyberlaunch is on Saturday 1st April between 10 am and 6 pm (UK time) for From Light to Dark and Back Again.  I've started posting items on to the page and will continue to do so as lead up for the main event on Saturday.  I've created a poll about how writers started writing and comments would be most welcome. 

So I've set up a quiz and question type post for the book launch.  What kind of quizzes and questions would your characters be expected to know?  Are educational standards high in your fictional world so everyone would do well in a typical general knowledge quiz?

If there is a media, do quizzes and questions feature as part of the overall programming offered to people?  Who would host such things?  What would be the general educational/intelligence standards your world's quizzes and quesitons would aim for.

Anyone with Google here?  Good.  Time to explore what postcards could come to the magical world.  More hopefully tomorrow.

From the Big Bad Wolf
Had good walk in the woods.  Met nice kid on her way to Granny with a picnic basket.  Have arranged to meet kid for lunch later.

From Cinderella
Glass slippers, I ask you!  Oh they were murder on the feet.  What my fairy godmother was playing at here with this, I'll never know. I deliberately left one behind on the steps of the Palace.  Couldn't wait to get rid of the things.  Just hope he finds it.  Now off to clean out the grate...

From the Ugly Duckling
Whoever said beauty is in the eye of the beholder needs shooting (I'd happily pour orange sauce over them I tell you!).  I've been picked on morning, noon and night because I look different to everyone else.  Have got to get right out here, right out of town.

What you don't want to hear...

1. I wonder what this ring with the strange writing does.  Don't get involved!  Before you know it, you will be on a life threatening quest to Mordor (which will never feature in any Best Ficitonal Worlds to Visit Guide).
   
2. I'll ask that old lady in the pointed hat for directions.  She looks friendly.  And she is probably the owner of a gingerbread house.  She'll give you directions all right - to her oven.
   
3. I'll go and visit that cottage where the Three Bears came out.  It will be quiet with them gone.  It won't be when they get back and see what you have done to the place.  Having gone through this once, they won't be so tolerant this go.
   
4. I wonder if this mirror will show up my blemishes.  Yes it will and it will give you a running commentary on each and every one of them.  You will end up feeling depressed.  Best to ignore the mirror.  It can inflict its caustic comments on someone else.
   
5. That shiny red apple really is glowing.  Is it a GM crop?  No but it has been magically "enhanced".  Never eat anything if you don't know where it has come from, especially in a magical world.
   

My post yesterday was all about the way forward so naturally a follow-up post to that has to go in the opposite direction!

Generally, characters do need to be moving forwards in their lives.  It is the whole point of the story after all.  Incident X  happens to Character Y, they do Z because of it and then A happens etc etc.  However, not all characters learn from what happen to them.  Others take longer than perhaps they should to learn (because that is how the writer has portrayed them).  Still others go backwards... 

Not everyone responds well to pressures.  As in life, characters can retreat into themselves, almost inevitably in an attempt to protect themselves from (a) having to face up to a situation and (b) dealing with it! 

The story here then is do those characters stay at this point (in which case there is no resolution to the problem) or do they go "backwards" into a retreat position to give themselves time to get their act together, before re-emerging and dealing with the problem the way they feel it needs to be tackled. Do they find the retreating like this really does help them or does it just delay resolving the issue and they end up wishing they had NOT done this?  There could be some cracking stories here...

Whichever direction your characters are heading, there do have to be good reasons and resolutions (of some sort). 

Often in writing, the way forward is not clear cut.  Sometimes there can be too many choices as we write (just what do we do with Character X?  What we decide will affect their fate and the whole story!).  Equally when trying to market a book, there are so many options to go for.

Your characters, however, should have some idea as to what they think is the way forward for them.  (They don't have to be right incidentally!).  They should also be striving to moving forward all the time towards whatever their goal happens to be.  Of course the clashes come when other characters want to thwart that objective (for good reasons according to them).  But your characters should still always be trying to find another way to move forward and overcome the obstacles suddenly in their way.

One of the things I like about fairytales is the humble hero/heroine usually discovers they have more resourcefulness, courage and intelligence than they (or their enemies) thought they had.  The Little Mermaid shows determination and works out ways in which she could achieve her objective (though according to Andersen's original the ways were very unpleasant.  No wonder Disney toned it down for the big screen).   And I love The Ugly Duckling for not giving up too.

It nearly always takes a crisis event to bring out the best in someone (sometimes the worst but usually the best.  Most people "rise" to the event and are determined not to let it beat or cow them).  This will be true for your characters too.  The crises you set up for them are what will test them to their limits and you will really know what they are made of because of the way they react.

Do your characters ever surprise you with what they come out with? What do you think your characters' cracking points would be and what would they do if they did crack?  How much courage can your characters discover?

Birthdays in fairy tales can often be the event around which a story turns.  For example, Sleeping Beauty's parents are warned about what will happen to their daughter on her 16th birthday.  Do as they will to try to avoid it, only the fairy godmother's blunting of the original curse stops disaster.  And in Cinderella the Prince's birthday is the catalyst for having the Palace ball and a reason for those invites to go out and for Cinders' own fairy godmother to turn up to ensure the girl did get to go to the ball.

How are birthdays commemorated by your characters or are they not considered important?  Are the birthdays of, say, the ruling monarch celebrated (whether the people want to or not!)?  Is your character's birthday the starting point for their adventure?

When push does come to shove for your characters, what makes them act the way they do? Cowardice?  Heroism?  Is there a deep seated need to prove themselves or to show some kind of redemption for things they may have done in the past? 

What is the main characteristic that comes out from your characters when under real pressure?  Do your characters show signs of changing behaviour as their stress levels rise?   Do your characters show signs of learning from their experiences and developing greater maturity as a result?

Sometimes when push comes to shove can apply to writers too.  What will we do to get our work out there?  Are we prepared for rewrite after rewrite until we get the story right?

When in doubt:-

1. Characters:  Ask yourself if your characters are working.  Are they seemingly true to life to you?  If you have doubts on this, think about what you can do to make your characters seem more real. A detail or two here or there can make a huge difference.  Also look at how your characters speak.  All they do and say should be right for them.
   
2. Plot:  If in doubt as to whether this is working, pretend to be another author and read your story as if you were a complete stranger to it.  Make notes on what seems to work and what doesn't.  Alternatively ask a trusted writing buddy to read the story (trusted, because you know they will be honest) and see what they make of it.
   
3. Writing Competitions:  If in doubt, check them out via the net and see what other writers have made of them.  You could also ask the Society of Authors (UK) for advice here.  If the costs seem too expensive, ask yourself what are you getting for the fee?  A genuine novel competition will charge a higher fee as you are paying for the judges' time to read the whole book.  There may be a critique too.  So ask what you are getting for the money and, if still in doubt, don't enter!
   

What counts as being news worthy in (a) the eyes of your character and (b) the world you've put them on?  I don't like the idea of fake news.  For me, something is news or it isn't.  Likewise, I have no time for alternative facts.  Facts are facts or they're not. 

So what makes the news?  I would anticipate, on a magical world, there being some kind of dragon and other monsters alert so people would know when to take cover.  The travel bulletins would have to cover those walking, running, using wheeled transport and flying (directly or by broomstick etc).  This could take some time!

Headlines would be for successful restaging of the classic tales and would warn of alien visitations to that world.  What does your main character think is the main news item and why?  Do they prefer the lighthearted stories or is their interest in the news professional and they watch the more serious programmes?  How much control do news editors have over their material?  Is there a government checking "service" so that everything that goes out live on air is deemed fit to broadcast by officials?

Does your fictional world find out about what is going on in neighbouring worlds?  How does it do so?  Or does it totally ignore anything but its own news?

I'm thinking about heroes and heroines tonight as it fits in with my latest Chandler's Ford Today post, which is a review of Blood and Valour.  This is the first in a series of graphic novels about the stories of Sir Bevis of Hampton, whose stories were once as well known as Chaucer, and whom the city of Southampton in the UK adopted as its mascot.  (Many upcoming towns and cities in medieval times adopted mascots showing virtues they wanted to emulate or believed they had!  Southampton obviously wanted to be identified with courage, loyalty and adventure!).  Highly recommend.

What do we want our heroes and heroines to be in our stories?  Reflections of those characteristics we would like to have ourselves or the better parts of our personalities perhaps?  I can't see how any writer can avoid bringing some of themselves into the characters they write, but what really does matter is your characters must be their own people.  They must be true to themselves. 

I use character traits as the foundation of my character building.  For example, if a character is stubborn, just where could that lead them?  It would also have a major effect on their relationships with others (and probably do a lot of damage, unfortunately, but that could make a very good story, possibly of novel length).  I worry less about how a character looks though I end up working this out later.  I have got to know how my characters would act in any given situation and why.  Whether they have brown hair or blue eyes strikes me as much less important to know though I do fill these details in later for longer stories.  (Often in flash fiction you don't need to know at all).

So how do you go about creating your heroes and heroines?  Don't forget to put in the flaws.  I like the development of flawed heroes.  None of us are perfect after all so the vast majority of our characters shouldn't be either.  If you are writing about a perfect being,this is going to be difficult as all stories revolve about conflict.  Any conflict arising from a perfect being will inevitably be on others' reactions to that being so the story should probably be from their viewpoint anyway.

What do your characters do when in a tight corner?  Is the automatic response to be to find whatever practical things they can do and hope that's enough to escape the impasse?  Or do your characters just wish for their fairy godmother to turn up?!

I prefer those characters who try to do something to help themselves even if what they do turns out to be wrong or not enough.  I like my characters to be proactive.  I find them far more interesting to read about (I think this is partly because they inevitably learn something from what they do).

Wishing then really is for the character who can't do anything else - they've already done whatever they can do to help themselves.  This is the time you really do want your fairy godmother to turn up promptly!

Proverbs can be a great source of story ideas as they literally give you motivation or theme in one line.  For example, the love of money is the source of all evil is a great theme (and I would say Wall Street is based on that premise).  So what proverbs could be found in the fairytale world?  My suggestions could include:-

1. Never cross a witch.  Not just a proverb but very sound advice.  What is not said is if you decide to ignore this, you definitely won't live to tell the tale.
   
2. The most ordinary looking being is likely to be a powerful wizard so treat all with respect.  Difficult to argue with this one, really.  There are always sound reasons for never judging anyone by looks alone.
   
3. Talking animals may well make more sense than you do.  Especially if they warn you to stay away from their property on pain of death.  This is likely to be aimed at blondes (the horror of Goldilocks' behaviour runs deep) but if you come across a cottage that seems to have animals living in it, do not visit unless invited.
   
4. It's not the size of the wand or crystal ball that matters, it is what you do with it.  And be very wary of those who can do a great deal with any magical equipment.  They'll usually be keen to show you exactly what they can do and it's unlikely to be for a good reason.
   
5. Fairy godmothers always turn up late.  Just ask Cinderella...
   

Tonight's blog post is a strong contender for the Longest Title I've Written Award!  But I was thinking about when things are going well (which is always nice), then it is time to be on the lookout for what P.G. Wodehouse called "the stuffed eelskin" (which is always ready to bash the unsuspecting!).

How do your characters react to when things go well for them and then suddenly they're not any more?  What is your world's equivalent to Murphy's Law ("anything that can go wrong probably will")?  When the thorns of life do show up, how do your characters handle them?

How do your characters cope with adversity?  Are they generous to others in the face of it or do they withdraw into themselves?  In particular, when others are still doing well, how do your characters react to their change of circumstances which mean they're not?

We all need down time in which to unwind.  How do your characters do this?  What hobbies would they have?  What kind of creative arts exist in the fictional setting you've created?  What sports are there?  Do characters follow teams and so on?

All of these things can create a much more vivid picture of the world you've set up even if your story is not directly connected to them.  Usually a lot of description is not needed.  A few lines here and there to conjure up images of say what creative arts exist and which your characters enjoy would be enough.

I listen to a lot of music (especially classical) and find it very soothing.  What do your characters find helps them "chill out" after a stressful day?  And down time also, for me, means going back to the basics.  Your characters are not "on" all the time - they have to eat, drink, sleep and so on.  How do these things happen?  What happens when your characters feel overwhelmed because they have had little chance to relax?

And now on to more of my down time as I write my next blog post...!

I've spent a lot of the day on the train today going to and from a wonderful Association of Christian Writers' Day about podcasting and radio interviews amongst other topics.  I love train travel (despite the fact so often the operators could do with putting more coaches on) and it led me to wonder about transport in a magical environment.

1. Broomstick.  Not comfortable.  No protection from the elements.  Could get "saddle sore" (which makes the eyes water a bit just thinking about it).
   
2. Wing Power.  Not sure if size matters here.  The bigger the wings, the more strength you will need to manage them and the more energy you will burn when it comes to lift off.  Distance travelled could be greater but would your average fairy be so shattered at the end of a long journey any advantages would be lost?  I think so.
   
3. Portal Power (in my novel I use transporter trees) - Are they reliable enough?  Do they cover a great enough distance?  What about those areas where high background magic might interfere with the running of these?
   
4. Coach, formerly pumpkin.  You really have got to hope the wretched thing doesn't leak, or you'll end up smelling like a vegetable as I think any leak would reveal what the coach had originally been.
   
5. Red Shoes.  You may go quite a distance in these if you like dancing - the downside is the spell means you dance to your death.  Probably best to skip these.  Certainly I'll be sticking to my flat blacks.
   

I love interviewing other authors and frequently do so for Chandler's Ford Today.  I always learn a lot from how other writers work.  But it was lovely  having the tables turned when fellow scribe, Jacci Gooding, interviewed me.  I met Jacci at the Winchester Writers' Festival a few years back and we are email writing pals.  Both of us love the short story format.  And her questions really made me think about my writing journey.  I think the best interviews are the ones which draw the interviewee out and Jacci has real talent here!

See http://chandlersfordtoday.co.uk/the-joy-of-interviews-by-allison-symes/

Sorry for having to do the link like this but there seem to be technical issues with Weebly tonight and this seems to be a good work around for the moment.

Now I've talked before about interviewing your characters, which I find a really helpful way of getting to know them in depth before writing about them.  But in your fictional world, who would do the interviewing of others?  Who runs the media?  What is the media in your setting?  Are there certain people would never be interviewed (or it would be too dangerous to even try)?  How do your people get their news?  Does anyone ask questions on behalf of the layman?  All things to think about which can add depth to your portrayal of your setting.

Making the most of things is something that is not a bad thing to practice.  It doesn't mean putting up in injustices but does mean appreciating what you have and trying to make the most of your talents etc.  So how do your characters do this?  Are they making the most of the skills you've endowed them with?  Why did you give them these particular skills?

What prevents your characters from making the most of what they have?  How do they react to those who may try to take away whatever they have (be it a lot or a little)?  In the fictional world you've created, does the government/peoples as a whole make the most of the resources of that world (and what are these)?

If your world is in a stable time, does it ever look back to when it wasn't in that position and try to avoid the things that caused instability before?  Has it learned from its mistakes?  Have your characters learned from theirs?  (I believe one sure way to make the most of what you have is to learn from errors because hopefully that will mean you keep on developing and I think that should apply to your characters too).

Seeing is believing or so they say.  It is true to a certain extent for fiction.  We see characters behaving the way that they are and so we form judgements.  Okay, only reading the story through will tell us whether we were right to form those judgements.

So ensure readers can see what your characters are like.  Show reasons for the characters being the way they are (a good villain will elicit sympathy).  Take us into the thoughts of your characters so we can see why they think the way they do.  In seeing things from their perspective, we can see what drives them (and the great thing with this is we don't have to agree with that perspective either.  We just need to see the character really believes in what they are saying and doing).

In seeing what the characters do, we don't necessarily see everything.  After all in any story a character will only see so much - there will be things they don't know.  But we will go on the journey of the story with them and will understand their reactions so much better if we know where they are coming from.

Signs of a good character (whether they are actually good or a villain!), include:-

1. You have to read about them.  There is something about them that draws you in and makes you want to know more.
   
2. You want them to succeed.  A well drawn villain can have the same effect.  (Indeed the really good villains will make you sympathise with them far more than you normally would for any villain or anti-hero).
   
3. They attract others to their cause because they either elicit sympathy or are charasmatic enough people will go to the ends of the earth for them (literally possibly too!).
   
4. You want to know more about them than the author gave you.
   
5. You can pick out more about them from between the lines of what the author did give you.  (A kind of sensing a likely back story).
   
6. Once the story is over, you can visualise what the character would go on to do  next.  (I can understand fan fiction while not writing it - or wishing to).
   
7. In novels where the same characters appear, each of the novels shows significant development in those characters.  Best example of this for me is Sam Vimes in Terry Pratchett's Discworld series.
   
8. A good character has depth to them and how they handle crises reveals more of that depth.
   
9. You can see the potential for the character to develop further at the end of the story.
   
10. You can see why the author has portrayed the character the way they have.  It really should all follow through.