Words with JAM Shortlisted

                                                 The Pyrenees: View from the Gers

My short story ‘Poke’ was shortlisted in the Words with JAM Short Story Competition 2012. I'm absolutely delighted because it’s a magazine I greatly admire.

February Issue and winning stories can be read online here:

My pick from the winning stories: 'B for Bottom', by Tracy Darnton, in the Shortest story competition (250 words). I’m still laughing! Look it up—It’s excellent!

Becerrada

 
Our orchestra played this weekend at the becerrada in the warm March sunshine. 

Bullfighting is traditional in this part of France. Even small villages have an arena. The event was the becerrada where the baby bulls learn the ropes, and the younger matadors as well. No animals were hurt (or killed) although I'm sure the first bull gave a sigh of relief when they let him back in to his Mammy, who was waiting patiently. Wine and Armagnac was had by all (well, not the bulls--they're underage!)

Back to the desk tomorrow morning:
Delighted to see my recent flash fiction piece 'Just working on my tan...' has been published in The Galway Review

Writing West Midlands Short Fiction Comp Winner

Trying to Blossom:

Great news this week from the Writing West Midlands Short Fiction Competition 2013.

Kalashnikov for Shoes is the overall winner. I’m particularly pleased with the comments from guest judge, Tiffany Murray:

‘This is a big, sweeping journey. It’s one that tells the story of these particular characters, but also one that tells a story of a whole nation. It’s hard to get such ‘bigness’ into a very short story without becoming sweeping, general, or mawkish. I think Kalashnikov for Shoes succeeds. Of course it starts with a great title.’

Click here to read the rest of her comments and links to the other winning stories.

Writing for Radio (RTE Arena Shortlisted)

RTE Radio 1’s Arena programme, together with New Island Books, is running a Creative Writing course every month, which is co-ordinated by writer Dave Lordan. Every month he gives a prompt and invites the listeners to participate. I was thrilled this month to have written one of the shortlisted stories ‘Don’t Mind Maggie!’

It was also a boost to hear Eoin Purcell, commissioning editor at New Island Books, giving positive feedback on the entries: ‘If these were the first four pages of four novels, I’d have asked for full novels from all of these writers. That’s how good they are…’

Another encouraging week!

Further details on Arena competition to be found here:

‘This month's creative writing prompt from Dave Lordan focuses on dialogue. It's called "The Universal Lottery"… Write what you have overheard in the form of a dialogue of less than 700 words and send it to arena@rte.ie by midnight on the 28th of March.’

Shortlisted

Excited, exhilarated, delighted...


...to receive the news that my story, Kalashnikov for Shoes, has been shortlisted in the
 Writing West Midlands Short Fiction Competition 2013, 
and I have been invited to read at a Celebratory Reception in Birmingham in April.

Looking forward to the final results in March.

Learn your Craft

 

Writers need to learn the craft of writing. No matter how good we were at writing essays at school, no matter how well we entertain our friends with stories, no matter how many of the classics we’ve read, we still need to practise and learn. Key advice from all the experts:

• Write every day
• Read a lot, including books that are not in your comfort zone or favourite genre
• Keep an ideas notebook

 And more specific advice...

• Lose the adjectives
• Make the verbs stronger
• Learn how to use punctuation
• Know whose point of view you’re in and don’t head hop
• Plot--know how, and when, to include a hook, trigger, first plot point, crisis, climax, 3 acts, rising action and downtime
• Action--use it to move the plot forward
• Backstory--know where, and how much, to include
• Dialogue--limit the beats, and use ‘he said’ rather than ‘he muttered, shouted, whined, or asserted.'
• Show don’t tell

 Plenty of good tips to be found at Daily Writing Tips

Over the past year, I’ve been sitting down every day to write, and feel more confident and organised. So, am I capable of applying it all? I'm sure I could take another run through punctuation at the very least, but how much more is there?  

How do you know when you’ve grasped enough to start sending out queries?

Crusty bread and a jug of wine

One of my favourite restaurants is hidden away in a hilltop village, with 350 inhabitants. And all along the street under the arcades flanked by a 14th century castle, and a 16th century covered market, there are mismatched and rickety tables and countless diners happy to spend a long afternoon in the dappled sunshine.

There’s no menu. On the table, they place a big pot of soup, usually a wholesome garbure, full of cabbage, meat, beans and goodness. The entrée is a platter of cold meats, salad, and hard-boiled eggs, or sliced tomato, Bayonne ham and melon in summer. A big basket of crusty bread, a jug of water, and a jug of table wine complete the first uninterrupted hour. 

The waiter eventually takes the order for our meat. It's served on a large platter, with garlic potatoes or chips or French beans or whatever vegetables are in season, and probably picked in their own garden. The region provides plenty of beef, veal, pork and, above all, duck. We don’t count calories around here, but they say that the particular combination of duck fat and red wine is the secret of the locals' longevity.

Dessert is ice cream or fruit. The fruit comes in a huge basket with a plate and a knife. Help yourself.

12€ for the 4-course set meal, including wine. Where is this paradise? In the picturesque village of Bassoues.