Sunday 5 October 2008

Just a little update

I seem to have been a bit lax with posting and commenting recently. Sorry.


For those that do comment here you will notice I've had to switch security settings. As a vegetarian I took great offence at a slab of spam being deposited on my blog. I've scrubbed away with e-bleach and anointed with Eagh de Cabbage to take the smell of cadavers away so I hope all is better now. This does mean no more anonymous posts but I think I've only ever had one before this anyway.


Been incapacitated recently. Hobbling about like the witch in Sleeping Beauty (after her makeover to bag lady). This should have meant lots of time for writing but instead I finally installed Black and White on my laptop. These things are really addictive or is it just being an omni-powerful God. Yep I can live with that.


So I need to get my head down and some serious writing done. I have my first episode to finish in my Red Planet horror. In case I get that magic call or email. I know the odds are horrifying but I'm in glass half full mood at the moment. That's to make up for a summer of doom and gloom as I got a string or rejections.


My radio play is coming along nicely. The characters are bouncing off each other well. I have the overall story arc sorted and I'm just writing it out. Less structuring than I would do for a film or TV. I'm letting it wonder off on a tangent if it wants to and then I'll sort out what I like at the end.


I then plan to spend the winter working on some stageplay ideas and a novel I'd put on one side. Is it me or have others noticed a literary feel to bloggers efforts recently. Several working away at novels.


Mine has sat on the shelf for a couple of years. It is a horror again but for teenagers. I'd done the first four chapters and knew what was going to happen in each of the others to the end. Then I went back to it a couple of weeks ago. My full story arc. Hmmmm. More like up to the crisis and then running out of steam. I only have half a story! Got to sort out the rest.


And it has been ages since I've written any short stories. My excuse has been that there's not much of a market for them. I don't write great literary pieces for the more creative magazines or "I met my true love while cleaning out the bins" stuff for the women's weeklies. I just write stories with a dark edge. I think I need to do another market review to see if there's anywhere new to try and place them.


Hope you are all working hard and getting things out there.

6 comments:

Colin McBride said...

Hi Rach,

I agree about the short stories. There are smaller mags out there that will take the darker stuff, I think but I hardly write short stories these days. They seem like actually quite a lot of effort for very little potential reward. (Or does that sound a bit too mercenary?)

Gareth Michael Turpie said...

Hi Rach, glad you're "e" back!

Good luck with RP. Mine's in, a new one this year, too.

I've done a post on the "stages of RP fever" you might like/recognise...

(and you & Dave were me-me'd on blog101, but you were busy then...)

steve said...

Hello,

I would like to invite you to take part on the Thought for the Day feature on BBC Radio Cumbria:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/cumbria/local_radio/tftd/

This is the link - if it sounds like something you might be interested in, fill in the online contact form on the "A guide to becoming a Thought for the Day contributor" page and that will go straight to me.

I look forward to hearing from you,

All the best

Lucy V said...

Actually, there's lots of stuff online for short stories - just a case of knowing where to look.

East of The Web is a fave of mine. You can find it here:
www.short-stories.co.uk, click on "submissions". It's been running for years and years and has new talent and old hats alike. A real boon for English teachers. There's also short story groups and initiatives on Facebook, just search "short stories".

You don't make money from short stories, but you can get exposure and with the internet lapping up new content, there's no excuse. I have lots of short stories coming through Bang2write now and quite a few have gone up over the years on EotW I've noticed.

Rachael Howard said...

Colin: I find short stories fairly easy to write. It was more not having anywhere to place them that held me back rather than the financial side. Though I can understand wanting to prioritise what you work on.

Sheiky: Got the meme and will do when I get a chance. Good luck with your RP too.

Steve: Duly contacted, thanks.

Lucy: Thanks. I'll check out those leads. When I did a lot of short story work it was before I was online. Yes there was a day when the internet was a big murky mess to me.

Dave said...

The New Writer is currently running it’s annual writing competition.

"Short Stories, Novellas/Serials - stories up to 4,000 words, serials/novellas up to 20,000 words on any subject or theme, in any genre (not children's).
Previously published work is not eligible.
Short Stories: 1st prize £300, 2nd £200, 3rd £100. Novella: 1st prize £300.
Entry fees £5 per short story (TNW subscribers may enter 2 short stories for the same fee) and £15 per serial/novella."

Closing date is 30th November.

More details here:

http://www.thenewwriter.com/prizes.htm