Category Archives: stories

The Shape of Stories

27 Friday Nov 2009

Posted by in stories

≈ 15 Comments

Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about the shape of stories. And, after a conversation on Twitter last night, I decided to have a go at putting the shape of one of my stories into an image. This is what I came up with.
A challenge: what would yours be? What shape are you?

Good Ideas Vs Good Stories

05 Thursday Nov 2009

Posted by in stories, writing advice

≈ 18 Comments

I notice it’s been a little while since I last posted here. Sorry. I’ve been a bit under the weather and I’ve been busy, mostly with writing. Some of what I’ve written I’m pleased with, other stories, erm, not so much. It’s reminded me, and I think this is a really, really important lesson for anyone beginning to write, that a good idea does not guarantee a good story. But not being able to turn a good idea into a good story does not make you a bad writer. 

There are often other ways to tell it (two of the best things, in my opinion, that I’ve written, have been tackled from half a dozen different angles) and, probably more often, it just doesn’t work. And that’s fine. Knowing when to give up and move on’s a really healthy thing to learn – that’s probably as important as learning that writing  something good takes a lot of time and hard work.
And let’s not forget, of course, that there are other good ideas that do make good stories.
So, um, that’s what I think about that.

Me, reading

13 Thursday Aug 2009

Posted by in 20 Photographs and 20 Stories, flash fiction, readings, stories

≈ 3 Comments

http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=6087742&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1

Nik Perring, reading from Nik Perring on Vimeo.

I met Paul and Claire last night (they are a seriously good team) to have a look at and edit (or watch them edit) the video Claire shot of the launch night of the photo book back in May. Thank you both, very much.

And here’s me reading my contribution to the book (a piece of flash fiction inspired by the projected photograph).

Thank You

24 Monday Nov 2008

Posted by in A Kind of Intimacy, Jenn Ashworth, short stories, stories, thank you

≈ 2 Comments

Over this past week or so I’ve had loads of emails from people, some I know, some I’ve never spoken to before, telling me that they like my work. Usually I get that kind of mail now and again and it’s lovely. It’s really great. It’s fab to hear that my work’s enjoyed by people – it’s something I’ll never get tired of hearing. So to all those who’ve taken the time to read what I’ve written and then taken the time to tell me: Thank You.

***

And this is cool too, isn’t it? My friend’s (and TOP writer) book cover. Go Jenn.

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 44 other followers