Comments on: Introduction by Short Story

By: Georgia Rose

Georgia Rose — Mon, 02 Jun 2014 16:03:05 +0000

In reply to Rayne Hall.

Excellent – well I can cope with that! I’ll let you know how I get on. 🙂

By: Rayne Hall

Rayne Hall — Mon, 02 Jun 2014 15:45:48 +0000

In reply to Georgia Rose. No horror on an aircraft - but horror on a train. :-)

By: Wendy Percival

Wendy Percival — Mon, 02 Jun 2014 11:35:34 +0000

Thanks for passing on Terry’s reply, Georgia. (And my apologies for getting her gender wrong. Sorry, Terry!) Yes, I’m like you, Georgia. It’s the ideas which tend to grow and get out of control, developing into a novel plot rather than staying nice and succinct! Then once I see the novel potential I don’t want to use them as a short story because I’m excited about the novel idea and want to keep it as such. Hopeless!
It’s a brilliant idea about the ‘first’ chapter in the back of a short story collection, though.
Thanks for the tip, Terry. I shall certainly try and retrain my brain! 🙂

By: Georgia Rose

Georgia Rose — Mon, 02 Jun 2014 11:11:34 +0000

In reply to Wendy Percival.

Hi Wendy again – I’ve just heard from Terry who has tried to respond to the question in your comment but it keeps getting rejected so she has sent it to me and here it is:-

‘When I’m writing short stories my head goes into ‘blog post mode’, in that a short has to have a punchy beginning, absolutely no digression and a satisfying denouement or twist. I get ideas for short stories from incidents, or observations; I’d suggest that if you do get the idea for one when mid-novel, write down notes there and then, so you can go back to it when your head is in the right place.’ Terry

Good idea, and it stops you getting distracted when on novel mode. Georgia

By: Georgia Rose

Georgia Rose — Mon, 02 Jun 2014 10:08:16 +0000

In reply to Wendy Percival.

Hi Wendy, I’m glad it’s not just me that struggles with this. Every idea I come up with seems to start transforming itself into a novel as soon as I start putting any more thought into it! Though you could have a look through your stock of short stories and see if you have an anthology in the making? I think the idea Terry (she not he) had of putting a chapter of a novel in the back of the short stories is a great idea. Certainly if I found that and was captivated I would buy the book immediately. Also with the rise of ebooks as you brought new novels out you could change the chapter that you put in at the end to your latest novel and gain extra readers that way. I think once I get to the end of my Trilogy I might take some time out to try a few short stories and see how I get on – however I already have novel number 4 itching in my brain so who knows 🙂 Georgia

By: Wendy Percival

Wendy Percival — Mon, 02 Jun 2014 08:23:51 +0000

Hi Georgia. You make an interesting point about short stories being useful when reading time has become boiled down to a snatched few minutes. I’m having one of those sort of periods at the moment! I tend to read non-fiction, then (currently Millions Like Us, by Virginia Nicholson).
As far as writing goes, I ‘cut my teeth’ writing short stories and have written loads over the years (most unpublished) but once immersed in novel-mode, I find it hard to come up with short story ideas, though I’d love to be able to. I’d like to ask Terry if he has a way of compartmentalising his brain to get over that problem!

By: Georgia Rose

Georgia Rose — Sun, 01 Jun 2014 16:58:56 +0000

In reply to Rayne Hall.

Absolutely and I’m looking forward to getting to this one. Think I might read it whilst travelling as I’m off on holiday shortly – as long as there’s no horror aboard an aircraft type stories 🙂 I will feedback on my favourites.

By: Rayne Hall

Rayne Hall — Sun, 01 Jun 2014 16:53:52 +0000

That’s the great thing about anthologies. You get stories by several authors, each with a different writing style and a different approach to storytelling, so you’re bound to find something you like. 🙂

By: Georgia Rose

Georgia Rose — Sun, 01 Jun 2014 16:08:52 +0000

In reply to Terry Tyler. Thanks for all this info Terry, very useful. I hadn't thought about putting the first chapter of a novel in there as well, great idea and clearly very effective!!

By: Terry Tyler

Terry Tyler — Sun, 01 Jun 2014 16:02:34 +0000

In reply to Geoffrey West. Good idea Geoff, especially as you have them all there, waiting! Please see my comment, below :)