The Friday Gospels on a Saturday

Last Thursday saw the release of Jenn Ashworth’s The Friday Gospels in paperback. I’m a huge fan of Jenn and her work (she’s one of those genuinely lovely writing folk) so I asked her if she’d like me to help her celebrate by coming over here and having a little chat. And she has! Hooray for that and hurrah for the paperback publication!

 

Here we go…

 

Jenn! Welcome back to the blog! It’s always a pleasure to have you here. So, what have you been up to since your last visit, when you were talking about Cold Light. A new book, I hear…

 

It has been a while, hasn’t it. But time flies when you’re writing books… or at least, it sometimes feels that way. Yes, there’s a new book. This one is called The Friday Gospels.

 

Could you tell us about it?

At its heart is the story of Jeannie, who is a fourteen year old Mormon girl with a terrible secret – something she feels she can’t tell anyone but her older brother, Gary. He’s been away being a missionary in Utah for two years and on the day the novel is set, he’s due to arrive home. The other members of the family – Jeannie’s other brother, Julian, her mother, Pauline and her dad, Martin, all have their own reasons for wanting Gary to come home and rescue them, fix some problem, resolve issues for them and they all take turns in narrating sections of the book. But Jeannie’s story is, I think, the one that seems to have been speaking to people the most.

 

Did you have to approach the writing of it any differently to your previous books?

Well, the book isn’t autobiographical at all, but I was brought up a Mormon and I still have friends and family in the community, so it was important to me that I represented the faith fairly. That doesn’t mean that I don’t feel I can’t be critical, or presents aspects of the culture that some people would find abusive or absurd, but it also meant I felt a responsibility to really get inside these characters – to give them the full range of thoughts and feelings, to explore what religious experience and faith might feel like, even if I didn’t share it myself. So that’s how it was different. And in many ways, it was just the same. Lots of inspiration, lots of late nights, and lots of hard slog!

 

The best reason for reading a (this) book is…

I think the best reason for reading any book to expand yourself in some way. To get to know characters from different walks of life, different countries, different religions. I hope my book does that a little bit, but providing an authentic day-in-the-life of a community that I still think is often misrepresented. It’s also pretty funny in places, even if I do say so myself.

 

I saw you recently on the TV (I don’t watch it much, I was lucky to have turned it on), how was that for you?

Frightening! Like most writers, I suppose, I’m much more comfortable writing than I am talking about my work. I find the publicity side of things difficult generally, and the parts that I do like – talking directly to readers, meeting people who love books as much as I do – don’t really apply when you do pre-recorded or live television interviews. But it was fun (after writing about it in Cold Light) to go into a television studio and see how it all worked!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-21070944

 

What’s next for you?

More writing, of course. I’m working, very slowly, on another novel. And I’m also finding myself writing short stories. I find the short form such a challenge and I’d love to, one day, say that I’ve mastered it. I expect I’ll be waiting a long time!

 

Anything you’d like to add?

 

Only thanks for having me!

 

A pleasure, as always! 

Welcoming Calum Kerr

Calum Kerr, who you’ll most likely know as the chap who organises National Flash Fiction Day has a book out, a collection of flash fictions, ‘Lost Property‘. And to help him celebrate, here he is, chatting about being lonely and about National Flash Fiction Day.

Over to you, Calum…

I Wandered Lonely
Calum Kerr

Ask any writer and they will tell you that theirs is a lonely vocation. Words like ‘garret’, ‘attic’ and possibly ‘tower’ will be mentioned. Long hours of ‘staring at blankness waiting for their brains to bleed’ might also be mentioned.

But, guess what, although the moments of writing might be individual and alone, it turns out there is no need to be lonely. There are many other writers, doing the same thing as you, just waiting to share your pains, your frustrations, your joys and your delights.

This, of course, is not news. As far as I can tell, from my limited perspective, Facebook and Twitter are solely populated by writers. Certainly mine are, and that’s enough. On any given day I can read posts from people securing agents and publishers, stories and poems which have been published, accounts of writers block and rejection, tales of poor grammar spotted in the world, and of course many, many pictures of cats.

And these are not simply random individuals who happen to share a passion for words. There is a real sense of a community.

My personal contribution to formation of this community, and it came as something of a surprise when it happened, was the creation of National Flash-Fiction Day .

When I came up with the idea, back in the autumn of 2011, I was in touch with one or two people who identified themselves as flash-fiction writers, rather than belonging to any other form. But once I started spreading the word, they began to gather around the NFFD flame. They emailed with their details, to be added to the NFFD website, they signed up to the Facebook page or followed the Twitter account, and they added me as their ‘friend’.

Slowly, as the first NFFD approached, I realised that a synergistic reaction was taking place. It was not simply that I was meeting and befriending all of these people, but through the various activities of the day, they were becoming aware of each other, and joining up in projects and events.

Flash-fiction, defined under that particular term, is still a relatively new form, and as a result the practitioners were often isolated, working away at their tiny tales without being able to share their thoughts with many others. As NFFD approached, they started to notice the crowd which was gathering and I even received emails thanking me for bringing them together.

After that initial day, and on through NFFD2, the community has continued to grow, with more and more cross-fertilisation of ideas and projects, until we are reaching the stage where flash-fictioneers are becoming a community to rival that of poets or novelists. I am proud of the day and its output – events, competitions, journals, anthologies, etc. – but more than anything I am proud that I have been able to bring people together to share this activity which brings them such joy.

It doesn’t need to be a national ‘day’ to achieve this kind of cohesion. I have seen the same thing happen with other projects including Jo Bell’s Bugged, but this has been my contribution.

With the wonders of the web and social media (plus that thing where you actually meet up in the real world) it would seem that writers no longer need to be lonely alone.

And, in that spirit, here is a story which is kind of about being a writer.

Ulan Bator

“What time of night do you call this?”

“About half-ten. I’m going to write my story.”

“Where’s tonight’s set, then?”

“Ulan Bator.”

“Where?”

“The capital of Outer Mongolia.”

“Why there?”

“Why not? It has to be set somewhere.”

“I guess. Are you going to be using dialogue in it?”

“Probably. Why?”

“I don’t agree with using dialogue because it never truly captures the essence of speech.”

“Huh? What do you mean”

“We’re talking in complete sentences aren’t we?”

“Yeah, so?”

“So people don’t really do that?”

“You mean this is a story?”

“Of course it is. You’re writing it. You should know.”

“I guess.”

“And you could say anything you want.”

“Anything?”

“Why not?”

“Bum!”

“Do that one more time and you’ll be in a world of pain!”

“Why?”

“Because it’s just a cheap laugh. You could say anything you want. You could say ‘I like soap’. You could say ‘And then she left to join the circus’. You could even say ‘Impromptu massacres are not what this organisation is about, John.’”

“My name’s not John.”

“It doesn’t matter. You could say anything, but you just say ‘Bum’.”

“Bum! – Ow!”

“I warned you.”

“But it’s my story I can do with it what I like. It’s a woman’s prerogative.”

“Woman? You’re an invention. You don’t even exist never mind have a vagina.”

“And that doesn’t even make sense.”

“Screw it! It’s my story, I’ll do what I like.”

“What does all this have to do with Ulan Bator?”

“Well, you know what they say about little acorns?”

“Yeah, so.”

“Well, I’m hoping that if we talk long enough I’ll think of something to write about Ulan Bator.”

“Is it working?”

“Not so far.”

Calum Kerr is a writer, editor, lecturer and director of National Flash-Fiction Day in the UK. He lives in Southampton with his wife –  the writer, Kath Kerr –  their son and a menagerie of animals. His new collection of flash-fictions, Lost Property, is now available from Amazon, or direct from the publisher, Cinder House.

Radio

 

I was asked last week if I’d mind popping down to the local radio station, Canalside FM, to talk a little about the writing group I run at Bollington Library, and being the amiable chap I am, I said of course. So, on Thursday I went. What was supposed to be a two minute segment actually ended up lasting most of the show. I talk about writing and books and stories and all sorts. Even Russian Red.

 

It’ll be broadcast on Monday 15th at 6pm on 102.8 FM.

 

Do have a listen.

A Weird Visit

I don’t tend to get out much these days, mostly because I’m tired after long days and because those days are long, by the time I’ve finished it’s pretty late anyway. However, I made an exception last night, by golly.

The lovely Jen Campbell (fabulous writer and poet and long time friend of the blog) had an event over at the fab Simply Books bookshop in Bramhall (where I launched Not So Perfect a few years ago – oh, memories!) for independent booksellers’ week, and I realised I’d be a fool not to pop along. So pop along I did.

We had a little chat, I gave her cake, and then listened to her talk to a packed house about book selling and her books: Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops (which she came here to talk about), its sequel, MORE Weird Things (which is newly out), and her poetry pamphlet, The Hungry Ghost Festival (which I’m reading and loving).

And it was a great night, with lots of laughs. I’m glad I went. I should do things like that more often.

And here are some photos:

JenandNik

Jen and yours truly

JenandSue

Jen signing for Sue from the bookshop.

Jen

And Jen, doing her thing. Top banana.

DVD Extras – In Books

Today, I welcome the lovely Jude Starling to the blog. She has a new book out, The Goldcord Asylum, and she’s here to chat about that and, more interestingly, the idea of extra gifts in books. Over to Jude…

*

I have a confession that might be somewhat embarrassing for me as a 21st century self-publisher who formats her own ebooks and print editions: for years I was convinced that DVDs would never catch on. (Clearly I was a technological trailblazer.) Needless to say I’ve climbed down from that particular soapbox, and now that I have, one of the major benefits of DVDs in my eyes is the extra material you usually find on them: commentaries, deleted scenes etc. Furthermore, as novels and films have quite a bit in common as storytelling media, I’ve often wondered why this sort of bonus material isn’t more common in books. It is beginning to catch on in some areas – in a bid to win back customers from online retailers, Waterstones are producing limited editions containing ‘extras’ which are exclusive to the chain – but by and large, the practice isn’t (those lists of thought-provoking questions for reading groups aside) yet commonplace.

This is where self-publishers have an advantage. As we’re calling more of the shots, the decision to include any bonus material with our books is ours alone, and this presents a number of opportunities. I always appreciate the insight into the creative process that you often find in DVD bonus material – how someone else approaches the task of telling a story – and given the amount of research many authors put into their novels, it’s a good opportunity to share your knowledge while taking a broader and more objective view than the naturally skewed perspective of your characters tends to offer. Yes, you could always blog about these things, but not all your readers will be in the habit of reading blogs and if you include at least some of your analysis of your story with the book itself – the best of the stuff you would otherwise have blogged, perhaps – you place it into the hands of every reader without them having to note your blog URL in your author bio, think ‘Hmm, I must check that out when I have a moment’ and then remember to actually do it. Plus it seems like a nice gesture of appreciation; some ‘free gifts’ to thank people for buying your work.

So what sort of things might you want to include? The best choices naturally differ depending on the book in question, but I’ll discuss a few possibilities to get your mental ball rolling. Let’s begin with my novel Goldcord Asylum, and to give you an idea of the sort of book it is, here’s the cover blurb:

Preston, 1866:

Time is running out for Goldcord Asylum. Once a progressive establishment dedicated to curing the mental problems of the inmates, now the asylum is under increasing pressure to treat and release patients whether they are ready or not. Professional pride, personal ideals, financial pressures and dark secrets compete to determine whether Goldcord will survive. In the midst of this maelstrom of conflicting interests, Ivy Squire is committed. A strange young woman, so self-destructive that she must be kept in isolation, Ivy begins to reveal her story to new nurse Tilly Swann. But can Tilly find the key to Ivy’s madness before she is dragged into danger by Superintendent Enoch Gale’s increasing recklessness?

So what we have here is a historical novel set in a mid-Victorian ‘lunatic asylum’, and a key protagonist whose condition is a mystery to the medical profession of the day. In fact, Ivy as a character was partially based on my own experiences of Asperger’s Syndrome, a high-functioning autistic spectrum condition, and so it seemed appropriate to discuss this in one of my bonus articles. If you have personal connections with an aspect of your story this might be something to consider: it’s an opportunity to establish yourself as being able to write with authority on your subject, and allows the reader a chance to connect with you as a person. You might want to share something of how you found the experience of ‘writing what you know’ and how you balanced this with ensuring that you still wrote a novel and not an autobiography – indeed, my bonus piece briefly mentions the fact that for a long time I resisted the idea of writing about an AS character because I didn’t want to create an author insert, before eventually it dawned on me that done properly, this was not a foregone conclusion any more than it would be for an author writing about a character who shares their gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion or political views. A word of warning here, though: when discussing personal matters in your bonus material, remember that the purpose is to entertain and inform, not to get defensive, so don’t subject your readers to a diatribe about how Character X isn’t you in costume so how could they ever think that?! Nobody understands your art…

You see what I mean. Your extras are a gift to them; they’re supposed to be enjoyable, and while you can by all means discuss the things you have in common with your character and the areas in which you differ (again, this is all part of talking about the process of creation and how your book came to be), it’s sensible to do so calmly and concisely. That objectivity I mentioned earlier is worth bearing in mind even when talking about personal things, and the more measured you can be, the more considered your bonus material is likely to be. Remember too that you are writing for the public, so if you’ve written a YA novel about the turmoil of growing up, don’t transcribe your most personal thoughts from the secret diary you’ve treasured since you were a teenager unless you’ve really thought about the consequences of this and how you’ll feel once the adrenaline of the publishing process has worn off and the realisation’s dawned that anyone can download your adolescent ponderings along with your story at the click of a button.

You need not, however, have personal experience of an aspect of your plot for it to have potential as a bonus article for your book. The setting and cast of characters for Goldcord Asylum provided me with a couple of ideas for extras: one article discussing the history of psychiatry and what things were like at the time in which the story is set (progress that had been made and those aspects of mental healthcare in which understanding was still poor, influential figures in Victorian psychiatry and how they informed my creation of any characters in the profession, contemporary laws and codes of practice governing the care of the mentally ill etc.) and one dedicated to the subject of the patients one might expect to find in a Victorian asylum and those who exist as characters populating the wards of my fictional facility. Here I wrote a little about the sort of conditions for which Victorian doctors would be likely to recommend hospitalisation and whether the same course of action would be advised now, as well as raising the issue of those patients who would probably no longer be considered mentally ill at all. And as Ivy, like many people with AS, has a passion for bits of interesting information, I also included a trivia section at the end – a compilation of one- or two-sentence titbits that I discovered and found interesting during the course of researching the story – but I doubt I’d do that with any other novel, my reasons being similar to those governing Wikipedia’s policy on trivia sections within its pages. It was the right decision for a novel prominently featuring an autodidactic protagonist with such a strong interest in the various pieces of interesting information she picks up while reading, but I can’t see myself making a habit of doing it with other books.

What else can you include? It might be worth your time to have a look at some of the offerings in the extras sections on DVDs in your collection, because many of those ideas can be adopted or adapted to fit a novelist’s purpose. The full-length commentaries in which the director, screenwriter and/or cast talk over the film from beginning to end and share their experiences of making it are interesting but I’d imagine difficult to translate to novels (if someone manages to pull this off though, I’d be interested to see it!), but one area in which elements of this could work is the deleted scene, which you’ll also recognise as a stalwart DVD extra. If you’ve had to murder a darling (i.e. delete material you loved for the good of the manuscript as a whole), it may be possible to allow it at least some exposure in your bonus section, providing it’s in reasonable shape – it doesn’t have to be as polished as your published story, but do go through and pick up any spelling, punctuation or grammar glitches and ensure that it can be read as a coherent piece. Such scenes can be prefaced with a brief commentary (a couple of paragraphs or less) explaining context and why you made the decision to cut the material from the story – I’ve done this with some material deleted from The Right of the Subjects, the book I’ll be releasing after Goldcord Asylum, but obviously this is dependent on you having suitable deleted material that you’re sufficiently happy with. On some DVDs you can find little vignettes; mini-documentaries focusing on an aspect of the story, and as I’ve discussed here, it probably wouldn’t be too difficult to look at your story and the issues it covers and find at least one idea to explore.

The possibilities are many, and although you may have lost faith in me as a soothsayer after my DVDs-won’t-catch-on confession, I suspect that we’re going to see more of these sorts of bonus pieces in books in the years to come. Publishing is changing a great deal, and with those changes comes opportunity – perhaps you might want to explore the concept of extras in books now, thereby becoming an early adopter of the idea. Not to mention that this is a chance to haul out and dust off all that research-generated knowledge that your family are sick of hearing about – now you have a reason to share, and it can be quite fun!