Writing fiction: the long and the short of it

Explore the nuts and bolts behind the (hopefully) smooth finished product that is the published novel or short story

• by delving into the mind of the short story writer, analysed in this book by Hornsea Writer, Linda Acaster:

Reading A Writer's Mind

• or by lifting the bonnet (or the hood – depending which side of the Atlantic you are) on the full-length commercial novel and seeing how the component pieces fit together in this book co-authored by Hornsea Writer, Penny Grubb:

How to be a Fantastic Writer

Local publisher takes a shine to Hornsea Writers

Local publisher, Fantastic Books Publishing, published its first short story anthology in 2012. It was called Fusion and one of the Hornsea Writers, Stuart Aken, was invited to contribute.

Since then, Fantastic Books has published six short story collections and four of them feature stories from the Hornsea Writers. Stuart Aken was again invited to contribute in 2015 to Synthesis.

Horror followed a year later with the 666 anthology in which Stuart was joined by Linda Acaster as an invited contributor. The collection also included a story from Penny Grubb.

The most recent collection, a railway anthology, Dreaming of Steam, showcased four Hornsea Writers; Penny Grubb was invited to contribute and stories from Elaine Hemingway, Madeleine McDonald and April Taylor were included.

Fantastic Books’ current competition, Fire and Ice, closes at the end of February. If you feel up to producing a short tale that touches on dark, twisted and dystopian, why not follow this link and have a go. Fireand Ice Entries must be in by the end of February.

'Dreaming of Steam' Celebrations!

As well as pursuing individual longer works, members exchange information on short story competitions. When the heritage line Yorkshire Wolds Railway announced a publicity and fund-raising fiction event, members rose to the challenge. Their enthusiasm paid dividends. Submissions from three members were placed, and one member was invited to submit to the anthology as a professional.

Elaine Hemingway’s The Diary of Daniel Duck – Runner-Up
Madeleine McDonald’s A Solicitous Wife – Highly Commended
April Taylor’s Smokescreen – Long-Listed

All stories appear in the anthology, along with Penny Grubb’s Sir Tatton Sykes Cooperates, submitted as one of four non-participating professionals. 

Elaine Hemingway & Madeleine McDonald with driver Graham

The prize-giving turned out to be quite an event. Lord Faulkner of Worcester, President of the Heritage Railway Association and a published writer himself, travelled up - by train of course - to present the prizes, and a heritage East Riding Motor Services double-decker bus arrived carrying no less than five Lord Mayors from the region, plus friends and official photographers, to lend support to a worthy charity project.

Much chat was exchanged, much tea consumed, but best of all were the rides in the cab of the 'Sir Tatton Sykes' diesel shunter along the short stretch of currently usable line. As everyone agreed, riding the cab of any locomotive stirs the blood and fires the imagination.

Congratulations to all our finalists.

  Dreaming of Steam – 23 tales of Wolds and Rails is available as a paperback and ebook from Fantastic Books Publishing or Amazon
 The Yorkshire Wolds Railway, Fimber Halt, near Wetwang, is open every Sunday & Bank Holiday Monday until the end of October.

Steaming to Victory with Hornsea Writers – join us at Fimber Halt 30th April

When the long list for the Yorkshire Wolds Railway short story competition came out back in January, no fewer than three Hornsea Writers were included.

All entries on the long list in all of Fantastic Books’ competitions are considered for inclusion in the subsequent anthology, so it already looked like we would figure prominently. But add to that another group member being invited to contribute as one of the professional writers, and it’s starting to look like a takeover.

The shortlist that has just been published, and two Hornsea Writers are there amongst the six finalists.

The winners will be announced at a prize-giving at the railway site on April 30th where the prizes will be presented by Mark Blakeston, Mayor of Driffield, and Lord Faulkner of Worcester, President of the Heritage Railway Association.

The site at Fimber Halt rests in the heart of the beautiful Yorkshire Wolds. Please put the date in your diary and come and join us on the 30th April. The site is open from 11 am to 5 pm. The prize-giving starts at 1.30 pm.

FOR SIX CUPS OF COFFEE OR A WALK ROUND BASEL

The “I recommend” section of Chichester University’s Thresholds website allows contributors to recommend a short story, or collection of stories, by a favourite author. My choice, For Six Cups of Coffee and Other Stories, was inspired by memories of exploring the Swiss city of Basel, on foot, and in print. For a foreigner, Swiss authors have an easy, readable style, I suspect because they have to write in two steps, thinking in one language (their native dialect) but writing their thoughts down in another (Schriftditsch or written German).

With author Rainer Brambach for company, I peeked into life beyond the picture-postcard mediaeval centre of Basel. As in any big city, the dispossessed and homeless are there, hiding in plain sight and surviving on meagre handouts. Brambach depicts life on the margins with understanding but without sentimentality. 

Explore the city with him at http://thresholds.chi.ac.uk/for-six-cups-of-coffee/

Short of Success?

Stuart Aken, who recently had a short story competition entry shortlisted and published in the winners’ anthology, writes about the benefits of entering writing contests. Short fiction is popular with readers, but almost impossible to have published. The contest route can be a way of gaining recognition and publication. You’ll find his post on the subject if you click this link.

The relevance of the picture of the Humber Bridge will become clear when you read to the end of the post and click on the final link there!

Startling facts behind this set of short fiction

It isn't always easy to find a really good short story collection, but this one - featuring Hornsea Writers' Stuart Aken - is well worth reading. It is available either as an ebook or as an illustrated paperback.

As an added bonus, there is a whole set of true stories behind the fiction as related in this set of interviews with the authors.