A First For Me
I am always amazed at the generosity of authors and writers in their support of each other. They celebrate each others' successes, commiserate when stories are rejected and encourage  other writers to keep going, especially when times get tough. You only have to read comments on Twitter and on Facebook Writer pages to see evidence of this. I still consider myself to be a beginner writer aspiring to have my writing published and so far my achievements have been very modest. However, the support I've received from writing buddies, an on-line critique group, my followers on social media as well as in the writing groups I attend locally has been immense. Although the life of a writer can sometimes be a lonely one, it is made all the more comfortable knowing that fellow writers are out there supporting you.

One writer I 'met' on line was Susanna Bavin from Llandudno in North Wales. I  first met her as a buddy when I did NaNoWriMo for the first time in November, 2014. It was clear from the outset that she was very supportive, encouraging me to keep writing each day in order to achieve my goal of 50,000 words by the end of the month. Knowing there would be an encouraging comment from Sue at the end of each day in my In-box spurred me onto the finishing line.
Since then, she has regularly commented on my blog posts and takes the time to publicise them through retweets and favouriting.

I am a follower of her excellent blog where the topics are wide ranging and thought-provoking. As writers we always receive a 'thank you' from her in the form of a lovely photo of a rose if we leave a comment or tweet about it. 

This week I am thrilled to be a guest on Susanna's Blog answering questions about my writing journey so far. This is a first of me and is further evidence of how supportive she is. So, in true Susanna Bavin style, here's a rose for you, Sue, to say thank you for inviting me:

Do you have someone you've met on-line who's encouraged you on your writing journey? What support have you had from other writers?

Thank you for reading.

You may also follow me on Twitter @JanBayLit and on my Jan Baynham Writer Facebook page.

Stories in a Flash

Flash Fiction goes by many names including micro fiction, short shorts, nanofiction. At my very first lesson on a short story course, I learned that a 'drabble' is a story in just 100 words and one of the most famous examples of flash fiction is a mere six words, attributed to Ernest Hemingway. 'For sale: baby shoes, never worn.' The reader is left with so many images and interpretations that are left unsaid. Flash Fiction appears to have gained in popularity over the last few years and there are plenty of opportunities to submit your stories. In fact, there is now a National Flash Fiction Day, held this year on June 27th. So what are the main characteristics of a Flash Fiction?

• Brevity. It doesn't matter what the specific word count is, Flash Fiction condenses the story into the fewest number of words possible. You have to ask yourself if every word is essential to the story. This 'paring to the bone' is an excellent discipline for me as I tend to be very wordy when I start writing a story. 

• A beginning, middle and an end. In spite of its concise form, the story structure and plot need to show a complete story. 

'For me, the basic fictional elements, such as character, setting, conflict, and resolution, still need to be present.'  Lindsay Stanberry-Flynn, Competition Founder and Judge of Worcestershire LitFest Flash Fiction competition  

• A twist or surprise at the end. Not all stories have to have one but it makes the reader think, long after reading. Other people say that the last line of a flash fiction can take the readers elsewhere, to a place where they can ponder about the ideas in the story, making re-reads inviting. 

This week I was very pleased to hear that two of my flash fiction entries into the Worcestershire LitFest Flash Fiction competition in June had been selected for the anthology 'A Stash of Flashes' to be launched in November. 

Do you like to write Flash Fiction? If so, how do you go about writing it? Do you start with a longer piece and chip away until all the superfluous words have gone or start writing with the tight word count in mind?

Thank you for reading and please leave your comments about Flash Fiction. :-) 

Now I'm going back to that first draft of a much, much longer piece of fiction, my WiP novel - 75,441 words and rising!

You may also follow me on Twitter @JanBayLit and on my Jan Baynham Writer Facebook page.

Competitions - Are they Good For Writers?
You may think that this is a strange blog post following on from the last one where I told you that I was going to concentrate on my novel from now on. No, I haven't gone back on my word and written any short stories but I have edited and tweaked a few for competitions. 

I was delighted to have been long-listed for the West Sussex Short Story competition. Unfortunately I didn't make the final ten on the short-list  but I feel that the story has been given enough of a stamp of approval to try it elsewhere if it fits the remit of another competition.

So are there any benefits for a writer to enter competitions? For me, there's a buzz of taking up a challenge to write something that may grab the attention of a first reader or judge. It may be a panel of writing club members who sift through the entries and then recommend stories to go through for a further reading. I learned this when I wrote a crime story when I knew the judge was a crime writer, only to find out that she would only see the shortlisted entries of which mine wasn't one! 

As the world's worst procrastinator, I enjoy the deadlines that competitions give me. Those dates are written in my diary with dates to remind me to finish edits and write final drafts. Competitions can stretch you as a writer and you may be writing about themes, and in forms of writing, you may never have considered before. I like, too, the anonymous aspect of competitions. The success - or lack of it! - depends on nothing but the words I have written and the story I have created.

Another benefit from entering competitions is that writers can learn from the feedback given by judges. Last year I was fortunate enough to have been long-listed in the Alfie Dog Short Story competition and the editor, Rosemary Kind's general feedback on the site was very helpful. We learned how the judging process was organised and what she was looking for in a winning story. 

'What set the better stories apart, more than anything, was the originality of their story ideas and the high level of reader satisfaction. Ideas were not contrived, but enabled the reader to suspend reality for a few minutes and enter a different world. Their characters were convincing and believable with a greater depth of emotion that touched the reader.This latter point is something you will see clearly if you read the winning entries.'

If you would like to read last year's winning stories, you will find them HERE . 

With this in mind, why not enter the 2015 competition? The closing date for entries is September 30th so you have some time yet. 

1st Prize:

£200 AND Publication of a short story collection of 35,000 – 40,000 words with editorial support for completion

2nd Prize:

full critique of stories to a total maximum word count of 10,000 words

Entry fee – the download of 5 paid short stories by different authors (Purchase number required on entry)

You will find full details at Alfie Dog Fiction.

I'd love it if you would like to download any of my stories as your part of your entry fee. Here's the link showing you where to find them. Thank you.

Here is another exciting competition that caught my eye and may appeal to those of you who enjoy writing longer stories. 'The People's Friend' has launched a serial writing competition for those writers who haven't had a serial published in the magazine. In the current 'Writers' Forum', Shirley Blair, the editor, gives tips on writing a serial for the magazine along with writers who have had serials published there. The closing date for this competition is October 30th and full entry details may be found on www.the peoplesfriend.co.uk

So, there's plenty of writing to do over the next few weeks as well as moving on with the novel. 

Do you enjoy entering competitions? Which ones appeal to you and which ones would you recommend? Please leave a comment about your experiences and feel free to share your successes, too. It's always good to hear how other writers have fared.

Thank you for reading. You may also follow me on Twitter @JanBayLit and on my Jan Baynham Writer Facebook page.

And now back to the novel....HONESTLY!

The Long and the Short of It
I've written my last short story. No, not for ever but for a while. I've got a few short stories to tweak and edit but as for starting to write a spanking new story from scratch, that's it. Why? Well, I've made a choice and I'm going to spend time on my novel. I know now I'm not someone who can do both at the same time. While I'm completing my novel, I need to concentrate on that and immerse myself in the story, converse and interact with my characters and get the writing done. Those of you who have been following my blog will know that it's going on a bit now and the first draft needs to be finished.

During July, I took part in CampNaNoWriMo. CampNaNoWriMo is a more open-ended version of the original November event in which I took part. The organisation welcomes word-count goals anywhere between 10,000 and 1,000,000! The idea is that you have a virtual creative retreat where you write to achieve the goal you've set yourself in the company and support of other writers. A big thank you to Kath Eastman for inviting me to join her 'cabin'. Congratulations, Kath, on achieving an impressive word count on your new novel!  I knew from the outset that July was going to be a very busy month for me with lots of family celebrations so in the end I set my goal at 12,000 words. In the end, I'd written 13,474 words. Each one of those words took me a step nearer to finishing the first draft. Apart from the week when I was in Manchester, I did write practically every day and this is what I see now when I open my page. This way of writing is not for everyone but I've learned so much in my first effort. 

I've now written over 71,000 words of the first draft and am well on my way to finishing. This is something I'm determined to do without any more distractions from short stories but I'm sure the pull to write one will still be there. I like the fact that you can finish a complete story in a relatively short space of time and the sense of achievement that brings. I also know that 'getting it right' will be when the real work begins but for now I need to get the book written! 

What about you? Can you write short stories along side writing your novel? How do you get the balance right? Perhaps you started by writing short stories but now you mainly write novels. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this.  

Thank you for reading. You may also follow me on Twitter @JanBayLit and on my Jan Baynham Writer Facebook page.

Judith Barrow Guest Blog

Today, I’m delighted to be chatting to author, Judith Barrow. Those of you who read my blog regularly will know that I’m a big fan of Judith’s first two novels set during and just after WW2, 'Patterns of Shadows' and 'Changing Patterns'. I referred to them in my post on 19^th July last year when I was discussing how authors undertake research for their writing. I’m thrilled to say that today,15^th July, is the eagerly awaited publication day for Judith’s third book in the Patterns trilogy, 'Living in the Shadows'.

Judith, welcome. Please introduce yourself and tell us a little about your novels.

Hi, I’m Judith Barrow, born and bred in a place called Saddleworth, a group of villages on the edge of the Pennines in Yorkshire. I moved to Pembrokeshire in 1979 with my husband and three small children into a half-built house in a field. That’s a whole other story. I tutor creative writing for adults under the Lifetime Learning Scheme for Pembrokeshire County Council and hold private creative writing workshops. I write family sagas which sometimes dither over into other genres.

  

Can you tell us what inspired you to write the first novel?

'Pattern of Shadows' was inspired by my research into a disused cotton mill in Oldham, a town in Lancashire in the North of England, and its history of being the first German POW camp in the country.  I was looking for information in the Oldham Local Studies and Archives for general background for a story I was writing. The history of Glen Mill brought back a personal memory of my childhood and I was side-tracked.

So, had you visited Glen Mill when you were young girl then, Judith?

Yes, my mother was a winder (working on a machine that transferred the cotton off large cones onto small reels (bobbins), for the weavers). Well before the days of Health and Safety I would go to wait for her to finish work on my way home from school. I remember the muffled boom of noise as I walked across the yard and the sudden clatter of so many different machines as I stepped through a small door cut into great wooden gates. I remember the rumble of the wheels as I watched men pushing great skips filled with cones alongside the winding frames, or manoeuvring trolleys carrying rolls of material. I remember the women singing and shouting above the noise, of them whistling for more bobbins: the colours of the cotton and cloth - so bright and intricate. But above all I remember the smell: of oil, grease - and in the storage area - the lovely smell of the new material stored in bales and the feel of the cloth against my legs when I sat on them, reading until the siren sounded, announcing the end of the shift.

You've certainly transported us back to that time with such vivid memories.

When I thought of Glen Mill as a German POW camp I wondered what kind of signal would have been used to separate parts of the day for all those men imprisoned there. I realised how different their days must have been from my memories of a mill. There would be no machinery as such, only vehicles coming and going; the sounds would be of men, only men, with a language and dialect so different from the mixture of voices I remembered. I imagined the subdued anger and resignation. The whole situation would be so different, no riot of colour, just an overall drabness. And I realised how different the smells would be - no tang of oil, grease, cotton fibres; all gone - replaced by the reek of 'living' smells.

I knew I wanted to write about that. But I also wanted there to be hope somewhere. I wanted to imagine that something good could have come out of the situation the men were in.

Perhaps, you’d like to tell us how you got that book published.

I was taken on by an agent the day before 'Pattern of Shadows' was accepted by Honno Press. Honno was gracious when I told them I was going with the agent. Long story short, she sent it to a commercial editor. When it came back, it wasn’t my book; it was more of a chick-lit. Nothing against that genre but it’s not what I write. The agent wanted me to keep it like that – I didn’t – we parted company. Meanwhile another agent want to take me on but I decided I’d be happier with Honno so, cap in hand, I went back to them . Luckily they liked the book enough to give me a second chance. I’m more than happy being part of a wonderful group of women authors.

When you embarked on 'Pattern of Shadows', did you envisage that it would be the first of what we now know to be a trilogy?

No, not at all. But then I found out that the Howarth family wouldn’t leave me alone.

When did it occur to you that there was a further story to tell?

When I reached the end of 'Pattern of Shadows'; I realised that there was so much more to tell.

  

Does that mean we follow the same characters in each of the three books?

Yes, along with the next generation.

  

Your characters are very real and you explore the whole gamut of human emotions in the books. Can you say which came first the characters or the story you wanted to tell?

The story. But the characters soon made themselves known. And what a lot they are!

That leads me on to the next question, how much planning did you do for each of your novels?

I have a general idea what I’m going to do. But then the characters chime in and say what they will and won’t so. Sometimes that’s very frustrating.

  

On a more general note, do you have a particular writing routine when writing?

Yes, I start writing about five in the morning and try to get three hours in before I even look at any social media. But sometimes curiosity gets the better of me with that; I do like to see what everybody else is doing. Then, if I’m on a roll I keep going until domestic trivia (which I do grudgingly – hah!) or my classes (which I love!) drag me away from my PC. I also try to get a hour in in the evening.

5 a.m. Wow! Do you have a special place where you write?

I’m lucky enough to have my own study; one end of the room is for my writing desk and teaching files etc. and the other is set out for my painting – which I don’t do enough of, I’m afraid.

What is the biggest compliment a reader could pay you after reading one of your novels?

Giving it a review.

What are you currently working on?

Two  books actually: 

'Foreshadowing', which will be the prequel to the trilogy and which is the story of Bill and Winifred Howarth, the couple that started the whole shebang!

And, 'The Memory' – a novel I’ve been working on for a while. It’s the story of a woman looking after her mother who has Alzheimers – but has another story running parallel to it.

Oh, and then there’s my children’s book that I keep going back to (middle-grade) I’ve been told there are too many characters in it and the trouble is I can’t decide who should go.

  

You must be very excited about the launch of ‘Living in the Shadows’ today. How will you be celebrating?

Oh I am. It was such a thrill when I actually held a copy of it in my hand. I won’t have much time for celebrating though ; I have a lot of events in front of me over the next few months. But I will be having a glass of wine … or two!

  

Thank you so much for taking time out of such a busy week to chat to me, Judith. I wish you good luck with the new book. 

‘Living in the Shadows’ is published by Honno Press http://www.honno.c.uk/

Details about Judith and her books may be found on:

www.judithbarrow.co.uk

www.judithbarrow.com

www.barrowblog.com/

You may also follow her on:

Twitter  - @barrow_judith

Pinterest - http://www.pinterest.com/judithbarrow/

Facebook - Judith Barrow

Can Holidays Be Good For Your Writing?
Every Wednesday between 8 and 9 pm,  if I can, I tune in to #writingchat on Twitter. It's usually hosted by @PatsyCollins and @mariaAsmith but this week the role fell to @CarolBevitt. 'Tweeps' are encouraged to converse with each other about chosen topics that vary each week . On June 17th, the topic was 'holidays' and guess where I was? On holiday on the beautiful island of Madeira.

Using the hashtag, I was able to catch up with the tweets on my return. Here is a selection of comments made:

Holiday destinations can be good settings in stories. Time to take notes about smell, taste, as well as sounds and sights.

I love being inspired by new places. 

Sometimes a 'writing holiday' can be as simple as taking a notebook to the park, away from the noise of the house.

I always write a travel journal when we're on holiday. The journals have proved their worth, giving me stories and characters.

It got me thinking about how holidays have influenced some of my writing. I don't usually sit and write a whole story or chapter on holiday but I always take my notebook with me. Photographs taken on holiday are also a good inspiration and are a permanent record of what you've seen. My story 'Whispers In The Olive Trees' was inspired by holidays to my aunt's house on the Peloponnese. I remembered feeling the gnarled bark on the solitary olive tree at the end of the garden on the beach. The smell of the summer jasmine and the vibrancy of the scarlet geraniums tumbling out of huge Greek urns was all the more real because I'd been there. I'm pleased to say that it's been short listed in Crediton Short Story Competition 2015 

Madeira is famous for its Jacaranda trees and the beauty of the tree in full bloom figures in my story 'Meet Me By The Jacaranda Tree' which was published on Alfie Dog Fiction last year. I've tried to capture not only what it looks like but the feel and the smell of the flowers. The appeal to the senses has a direct effect on the decision made by Lucy, the main character.

In March this year, we visited Los Gigantes in Tenerife and witnessed the annual carnival which culminated in the Burning of the Sardine ceremony and a firework display. I did use my notebook on that occasion and made loads of notes, writing from our balcony where we had a superb view of the procession. I was able to capture the colour and spectacle of events both with photographs and on video. This has resulted in a short story entitled 'Burning Our Sardine' after I'd asked a favourite question for writers 'What if?' What if a little child was lost in the hoardes of visitors who'd congregated in the square? I'm hoping to submit the story soon so watch this space!

In my novel WiP, my main character, Clara, finds out that her father was an Italian POW from Sicily. For the purposes of authenticity, I hope you agree that I now need to go on a fact finding visit to the place of his birth. Clara herself traces him to a Trattoria in his homeland and it's important that I get it just right I think! :-) That's what I'm telling myself, anyway, and I feel a trip to Italy coming on... 

How have holidays inspired your writing? Do you write whole stories/chapters or use a notebook when away? I'd love to hear about how holiday destinations have influenced you.

Thank you for reading my blog. You may also follow me on Twitter @JanBayLit and on my Jan Baynham Writer Facebook page.


P.S. 

*** I came home from Madeira to a lovely surprise. I'd subscribed to Bridget Whelan's Newsletter and won a copy of her book, Back to Creative Writing School. It arrived in the post yesterday and I'm looking forward to reading it. Thank you, Bridget! ***

A Day in Hay
Apologies for the lack of posts on the blog. I've had a few busy weeks since half term and although I've managed to keep to deadlines for my writing, it's the blog that has suffered. 

On Wednesday 27th May, my daughter and I went to Hay Festival. We were only able to go on that day and it was relatively quiet but at the weekends it was much busier. There's so much to choose from and I can see why many people stay up there for the whole week so that they can attend every day. 




The weather was kind to us, dry but cold, and we were able to wander around soaking up the atmosphere of the festival. Aren't these deck chairs wonderful?





Our first event was 'Adventures In Stationery: A Journey Through Your Pencil Case'. A strange choice, I hear you say. Jo, my daughter, was always obsessed with stationery when she was little and no holiday to France was complete without a trip to the hypermarket so that she could add to her collection. We were entertained by James Ward, the author, whose lively and hilarious talk made us look at the humble paper clip, post-it note, fibre-tip pen or Pritt stick in a totally new light! For 5 stationery facts to impress your friends at parties, please Click Here.


After lunch we went to the BBC tent and went behind the scenes of Ambridge with the Editor of 'The Archers', Sean O'Connor. The tent was packed and Jo did comment that she was perhaps the youngest member of the audience whereas I was completely at home! We are both avid fans of the programme and from a writing point of view it was interesting to hear how the editor organises a number of writers to present a uniform style. The extensive knowledge of Archers listeners can help shape the show's plots after dragging up story lines even writers have forgotten, we were told.

We did attend a rather more literary event, too. Rose Tremain was ably interviewed by Peter Florence about her short story collection, 'The American Lover'. She read extracts from the book and talked about the soul of her characters.The question and answer session at the end showed how many of her fans in the audience had an in depth knowledge of her books.


We used the shuttle bus to go into the ancient market town of Hay, too, and browsed through the many book shops for which it is world famous. Founded by Richard Booth in 1961, it has become one of the world's largest secondhand and antiquarian book centres. Some of the bookshops specialise whilst others carry general stock.




It was a great 'mother and daughter' day out. Jo and I have promised ourselves we'll plan in advance next year and attend on a number of days rather than restrict ourselves to just the one. 

Did you attend the Hay Festival? Who did you see and what events would you recommend? Thank you for reading my blog. I'd love it if you left a comment. :-) 

You may also follow me on Twitter @JanBayLit and on my Jan Baynham Writer Facebook Page.