My cover reveal for Separated From the Sea. It's gorgeous!

 

I couldn't love my cover more if I tried! Thanks to the wonderfully talented Jennie Rawlings at Serifim.

My Guest Post on the Retreat West Blog

 I'm over on the Retreat West blog today, talking about my exciting publishing year, and the joys of writing flash fiction.

You can read it here

 

I Must Be Off!

I'm thrilled to announce that I'm the judge for this year's I Must Be Off! Travel Writing Competition.

Announcing the Sixth Annual I Must Be Off! Travel Writing Competition!

"It's that time of year again! Time to type up those travel articles, travel stories and travel reflections. We want to read about that place that changed you, about the experiences you can't wait to share with other travelers. Whether your work is humorous, informative, quirky or profound--if it's 1000 words or fewer, send it in.

Submissions are free until May 31; afterwards until the July 31 deadline there will be a nominal charge. All proceeds from entry fees will go towards the prize money." Christopher Allen

Full details of how to enter can be found on the I Must Be Off! site:  Find out more here!

Guest Post: Allison Symes talks about her love of writing

I'm thrilled to welcome Allison Symes to Troutie McFish Tales today, to tell us more about her love of writing and to pass on some excellent tips. Welcome, Allison!

WHY I LOVE WRITING

Many thanks, Mandy, for inviting me to guest blog.  I’m Allison Symes and, like Mandy, am published by Chapeltown Books.  My flash fiction collection, From Light to Dark and Back Again, was the first in their series of single author collections.  Mandy’s Brightly Coloured Horses has recently been released by Chapeltown.   I also write non-fiction, mainly for Chandler’s Ford Today, an online community magazine.   So why do I love writing?

Why I love fiction (especially flash)

For me, fiction is the ultimate form of escapism. Characters intrigue, settings haunt, and I can choose happy, sad or ambivalent endings.  Never let it be said books don’t reflect life! Fiction can get at truths straight facts can’t always do. A great example of this is Josephine Tey’s The Daughter of Time, which changed my mind about Richard III and Henry VII.  (Great book - a combination of historical fiction and a cosy mystery - highly recommend).

My love of stories always meant I’ve enjoyed writing them.  I used to love “composition” at school and never had any trouble inventing stories.  It only occurred much later I could carry on doing this!  I fell into flash fiction by accident.  I’d been writing short stories for a while when online publisher Cafelit issued their 100-word challenge.  I decided to give it a go, discovered I loved this and ended up being published for flash fiction, which was something I’d never anticipated.  I’ve been published in print and online by Bridge House Publishing, Cafelit and now Chapeltown Books.  You never get over the thrill of being published, which is lovely.

You can buy Allison's book here

Why I love non-fiction

A writer friend told me about Chandler’s Ford Today. The editor, the marvellous Janet Williams, created this to bring people in Chandler’s Ford together, as it is one of those sprawling towns with no central hub.  What Chandler’s Ford Today has done has brought together, amongst others, the writing community in terms of writing articles of interest for it. CFT also features a regular gardening spot, social and natural history, arts and books related posts (many of which I write), and shares bulletins from local bodies such as the police force and Councils.  (The latter can be useful when the snow disrupts things, as it has done so much this year). 

Writing for CFT is a labour of love (there is no money in online magazines!) but through it I’ve met other writers.  We’ve formed a group and last year ran a book fair together, had a book stand at a local show (something not featured there before), and held an event at the Winchester Discovery Centre.   I’ve also met people I would not have met otherwise, discovered a fantastic amateur theatre company, and have learned to craft articles, work with an editor and work to deadlines.  The latter of course are all useful and transferable writing skills.  Late last year for the first time I edited a series by someone else, helping them to transfer notes into a three part series.  It was a steep but good learning curve (for both of us!).  Just recently I took part in a Q&A panel on journalism, with my angle being on writing for online community magazines, and that was an interesting experience too.

I do get feedback on my posts and have found out about writing events I would not have done otherwise.  Indeed, I’ll be taking part in a Book Fair later this year which someone told me about as a result of reading one of my CFT posts.

I love the variety of what I write, I never get bored, and my only real wish is for more time!  Is there any writer who hasn’t wanted more time?

Oh and as well as my book coming out last year, I was a named character in a book too (with my blessing I should add!).  If you like cosy mysteries check out Winter Writerland by Beatrice Fishback.  I’m not going to say if I was the murderer or not!

My Top Tips

Be open to trying different styles of writing.  You may discover, as I did, a form you love and have a flair for.

Read, read, read.  I know every writer says this but it is true.  You do learn from what others have done.  (Sometimes it is what to NOT do!).  I’d say read classics and contemporary, fiction and non-fiction.  The latter can be incredibly useful for sparking off fiction ideas, funnily enough.

Never edit on screen.  I have no idea why this is but you miss things.  Paper shows errors up much more clearly.

Read your work out loud (and maybe record it via Audacity).  You can hear how your story works as you read it out.  (Playing it back again is even better.  I tend to do this for longer short stories, rather than flash, which is easier to just read out loud repeatedly).  You will pick up where you stumble over dialogue.  The moment you do, you know that’s an area you need to rewrite.  If you stumble over it, your reader will too.

Use “dead time” to write.  I  use an app on my phone (Evernote) to draft out flash fiction pieces, blog posts etc, whenever I’m on the train.  I drafted three flash fiction pieces when I was waiting at the garage for my car to have an air bag refitted (it was a manufacturer recall) and I felt miffed when they called me. I was well into the writing zone and hadn’t wanted to leave it!!

I’ll be sharing Mandy’s thoughts (and mine) on networking in a future CFT post.  My page there can be found at http://chandlersfordtoday.co.uk/author/allison-symes/

If you would like to know more about what I do fiction wise, please do visit my website at allisonsymescollectedworks.wordpress.com

I'm talking to Linda Parkinson-Hardman today!

I'm over on Linda's blog today, talking about my writing, my favourite TV moment, and a few unforgettable experiences.

Take a look here

And Brightly Coloured Horses is now available in stock on Amazon!

"We meet a baby that never existed, a car called Marilyn, a one-eyed cat, and a boy whose kisses taste of dunked biscuits."

You can buy it here

My story, What to Expect, is up on Cafe Aphra today

Very pleased to have my story, What to Expect, up on the fabulous Cafe Aphra today!

You can read it here

An interview with author, Gail Aldwin

I'm pleased to welcome Gail Aldwin to Troutie McFish Tales. Gail is a prize-winning author of short stories, flash fiction and poetry, and has worked on a number of projects for screen and TV. Her flash collection, Paisley Shirt, was published last month by Chapeltown Books and has already received five-star reviews.

I know that you're an intrepid traveller - amongst other things you lived in Papua New Guinea for two years, and travelled from London to Kathmandu by bus. Do you ever use these experiences in your writing, and is creating a strong sense of place important in your work?

I began writing creatively as apart of my studies to become a teacher. Job satisfaction is seeing pupils gain skills and confidence but as they moved forward, I was standing still. This realisation sent me back to university where I wrote a travel book about the pilgrim route to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. Failing to find a publisher coincided with pregnancy and all writing went on hold. Had I enjoyed early success with my writing I may very well have been more influenced by a sense of place. As my fiction developed, I found character to be more important than place, although I do use my experience of living and working overseas to imagine life in a range of contexts. I once wrote a story set in Nigeria, which was published online and a reader contacted me to say it reminded her of growing up in the country. This was very pleasing feedback as I’d never been to Nigeria but had read about the country and used my experience to imagine place. I am very conscious to avoid cultural appropriation and am wary of the tensions in using a white narrator in post-colonial contexts.

What's the first book that you remember reading? Is there a book that changed your life? Which book do you wish you'd written? And what was the last book that made you cry? 

My reading history is checkered. I grew up suffering from intermittent hearing loss which meant it was challenging to distinguish phonic sounds and this made learning to read very difficult. As a child I regarded reading as hard work. Technically I could decode but I never saw books as a source of interest or pleasure until I was a teenager. Then I borrowed my sister’s copy of Valley of the Dolls by Jacqueline Susann and I was hooked.

I came across the terms shallow and deep readers recently. Shallow readers tend to read books by lots of different authors while deep readers find authors they like and read everything they’ve written. I am a shallow reader and like to dip into a range of work. So while I adored The Museum of Innocence by Orhan Pamuk (a story about obsessive love) I’ve only read one or two of his other novels. Thinking back, I reconnect with the raw emotions produced by the reading but I rarely cry over books.

You write in such a mix of genres and styles - poetry, flash, short stories, and comedy for screen and stage - and create an eclectic mix of characters. Where do all your characters come from? And which of these things do you enjoy writing the most?

I am a visual writer and see my characters long before I hear their voices or begin to understand them. I might develop a character from someone I’ve seen in a café or by flicking through magazines to find images I connect with.
Once I know what a character looks like, I build their interior world. By thinking about their unique skills and talents I identify traits and motivations. Then, I see how these characters cope in different locations and contexts and develop their interaction with others.

I love working with other writers on collaborative projects developing scripts for stage and screen. One of the challenges of writing collaboratively is to have a shared understanding of character and plot. As a result, we spend a lot of time working on backstories and developing scenes before we divvy up the writing tasks. Each writer has to be confident to tackle any part of the writing project. The editing process is much easier when working collaboratively and as for proof reading – it’s easy to spot each other’s mistakes!

Your flash fiction collection, Paisley Shirt, came out at the beginning of February, and has garnered a number of 5-star reviews. Reviews and press attention are hard-won - have you found it tough going, or do you enjoy the promotion and marketing side of writing?

I am inexperienced at promoting and marketing but I always like a challenge. It’s been fun to develop ways to connect with an audience whilst trying not to badger readers into buying my collection. It was serendipitous that I named the collection Paisley Shirt, which has provided considerable potential for writing content material associated with this title. By drawing upon the history of the paisley pattern, I have been able to discover links to Kashmir and Paisley in Scotland through the tradition of women wearing shawls with a paisley pattern in the Victorian period. I’ve traced representations of paisley patterned garments in Victorian novels such as Elizabeth Gaskell’s North and South and discovered many artists’ paintings of women wearing paisley shawls. There is potential for further research into the craft of weaving and embroidery and how this is represented in art and fiction. I’ve even discovered the influence of paisley pattern in my home country through Dorset Feather Stitchery. It’s been a fascinating journey and new ideas for catching the interest of potential readers for Paisley Shirt is an ongoing process.

What’s next for you, Gail Aldwin?

I lost my literary agent when she decided not to return to work after maternity leave, so I have a novel called The String Games that needs a home and another novel on the go. I also want to go through the poems I’ve written over the past few years and shape them into a collection. A children’s story I wrote is under consideration by a publisher, so it would be marvellous to see that in print.

Twitter: @gailaldwin

Facebook:       https://www.facebook.com/gailaldwinwriter/

Blog: The Writer is a Lonely Hunter  can be found here


Gail’s new collection of short fiction, Paisley Shirt, is available for Kindle from Amazon , and the paperback is available from Book Depository and also from all good bookshops.

Interview with author, Alyson Faye

I'm delighted to welcome Alyson Faye to Troutie McFish Tales to talk about her writing. Alyson's flash fiction collection, Badlands, was published by Chapeltown Books at the beginning of 2018, and has already garnered a number of 5-star reviews.

You mention in your author profile that you've been writing poetry and children's books since the 1990s - what inspired you to start writing at that time? 

In the 1990s I was working with children as a tutor, telling stories, and having them as an audience inspired me to start writing for age 7 years upwards. After a few failed submissions Collins accepted the time slip adventure 'Soldiers in the Mist' for ages 11-12. I wrote poetry in the aftermath of a serious illness to help with my recovery. Which it did! I performed my poetry live in pubs in the Black Country and at the Midlands Arts Centre in Birmingham.

What's the first book you remember reading? Is there a book that changed your life? Which book do you wish you'd written? And what was the last book that made you cry?

Books very much formed my childhood and visiting the local library was an important part of my week. I remember being 5 years old in my infants class, taught by the formidable Mrs Roberts, and being desperate to reach the Gold level reading series before I moved up to primary school. Sadly, I only reached Silver.

Reading Enid Blyton's books, on my own, was a huge step for me. I particularly loved her Malory Towers series and the Mystery of... series. I re-read them all many times. I read Harper Lee's 'To Kill a Mockingbird' when I was about fourteen, and it made a massive impact on me. It made me think about racism, prejudice and family life in a new way. I wish I'd written that book! But I loved Penelope Lively's novels for teens and Susan Cooper's books too; to have written one of those would have been amazing.

I probably cry a bit too easily, so films, news stories, books and poems can all make me cry. 

You write in such a mix of genres and styles - horror, YA novels, poetry, flash - and create so many worlds. Where do all these worlds come from? And which of these things do you enjoy writing the most?

Yes that's surprised me - how many genres I've come to write in! Not a planned development but more an outcome of my interests, writing classes I've attended - where I was introduced to flash fiction - and time constraints. I like variety in my projects.

I draw on the places I visit, the films I've seen - I'm a huge film fan especially 1940's and film noir - the books I read, the people I meet. Some tiny event or anecdote can spark a piece of writing. The tone and style of the piece develops as I write, making it clear which genre it will fall into. Imagination has no horizons does it? 

My favourite is always the one I am working on at the time! It has to be that way I think otherwise you wouldn't take the time and energy to write it. Though I do like to alternate between dark, Gothic horror pieces and lighter stories. Sometimes the words come out as a poem, so I go with how it comes. 

Your flash fiction collection, Badlands, came out at the beginning of this year, and has garnered a number of 5-star reviews. Reviews and press attention are hard-won - have you found it tough going, or do you enjoy the promotion and marketing side of writing?
 
Yes I have had some lovely reviews for Badlands, which is great. Promoting my work doesn't come naturally to me. It's also time consuming, and takes time away from writing. Getting the balance hasn't been easy. I do prefer the creative side more. I enjoy a small amount of live mic performing though. I'm always very appreciative if anyone does buy or read my work. It is a huge compliment when they feed back to say they have enjoyed it. 

 
 
What's next for Alyson Faye?

I'm working on a collection of horror/ghost stories, with the tentative title of 'All the Lost Children'; the stories are set in or inspired by the towns around West Yorkshire where I live. It will be a mix of stories which have been published online or in print anthologies and a few which are original to the collection.

I have a time slip YA novel on the back burner, also set locally, which I am returning to this year. 

I will keep writing flash fiction, as ideas come to me. I do love the demands of this type of writing, the need for brevity, tight storytelling and most interesting use of the words for the maximum impact. It's still exciting for me.


Web Links:

Alyson's Amazon page can be found here

Alyson's blog can be found here 

Follow Alyson on Twitter: @AlysonFaye2

An interview with me on Alyson Faye's Blog

Interview with prize winning writer, Mandy Huggins…..

 

You can find the full interview, and access Aly's blog from here

Could you tell us a little more about yourself and how you got started as an author?

Apart from good wine and good company, my three passions in life are writing, reading, and travel. I inherited a love of travel from my parents, so as well as being a fiction author, I’m a keen travel writer.

My first writing success was winning third prize in the school literary competition when I was eleven, with a poem about George Best! And my first serious rejection was an erotic story I wrote for the Sunday Sport in the early 90s. It came back with ‘Good writing, but too dirty. Ed.’ scrawled across the top in blue pencil!

I started writing seriously a few years ago. The first pieces I wrote were for specific competitions, as I found the deadlines were a useful incentive. I sent a travel piece to the Daily Telegraph every single week until they published me!

I have a full-time day job in engineering, so I write in the evenings and at weekends. My partner writes too – a very popular niche music blog – so we both understand each other’s need for creative space!

Which writers have influenced you? Or whose books do you particularly enjoy reading?

My fiction is influenced by many of the great writers that I love – such as Yoko Ogawa, Helen Dunmore, Ernest Hemingway, Richard Ford, A L Kennedy, Helen Simpson, John Steinbeck, Tessa Hadley, Patti Smith, Colm Toibin, A M Homes, Kazuo Ishiguro – the list is endless!

There are many books I would love to have written, such as The Siege by Helen Dunmore, The Housekeeper & the Professor by Yoko Ogawa, The Old Man and the Sea by Hemingway, or the wonderful Jane Eyre. But the one that stands out for me is The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro. I love all his books, but this is my favourite. It is so beautifully written. A story of a life lost to duty; unsentimental and utterly heartbreaking. A masterpiece.

Where do you get your ideas from for your stories?

My stories are occasionally inspired by personal experiences, and the settings are often places I have explored on my travels. I was brought up on the North Yorkshire coast, and so the sea appears as a major character in a lot of my work as well.

However, most of my main story ideas come straight from my imagination, often sparked by something observed or overheard. Sometimes the starting point will be a newspaper story, or a single scene from a film that inspires me to create a completely new story or an alternative ending.

Writing is a solitary business. How do you interact with other authors?

I’m a member of my local writing group, as well as several on-line groups for fiction and travel writers, all of which are very supportive. Authors I’ve met on-line have become real life friends, and I try to meet up with them a few times a year. Harrogate Crime Writing Festival is one of my regular haunts, even though I’m not a crime writer, because it’s great for socialising! I do find it difficult to attend events, workshops and literature festivals, because most happen during the week when I’m working, and the majority take place in London, or other places far removed from the frozen north!

What do you have coming up in the future?

Seven of my short stories have just been published in the InkTears showcase anthology, Death of a Superhero, alongside three other writers. There was a launch party in London last year, which was very exciting.

..

You can buy it here

And my first flash fiction collection, Brightly Coloured Horses, is out now, February 2018 - published by Chapeltown Books.

 ..

You can buy it here 

BRIGHTLY COLOURED HORSES

“Brightly Coloured Horses is the first flash fiction collection from award-winning author, Mandy Huggins.
Twenty-seven tales of betrayal and loss, of dreams and hopes, of lovers, liars and cheats. Stories with a strong sense of place, transporting us from the seashore to the city, from India’s monsoon to the heat of Cuba, and from the supermarket aisle to a Catalonian fiesta. We meet a baby that never existed, a car called Marilyn, a one-eyed cat, and a boy whose kisses taste of dunked biscuits.
These stories all have something in common; each is a glimpse of what it’s like to be human. We make mistakes, we do our best, and most of the time we find hope.”

It is earning ***** 5 star reviews:-

“A mind blowing collection of flash fiction stories. So many great windows of life in it, I don’t know where to start. Perfect Word – loved it. Only the Best - brilliant, but sad….”

Follow Mandy here on this link to her Amazon author page-

Amazon - Mandy Huggins

I would love to write a literary novel or a full length travel book, but my writing time is limited, and I can’t seem to give up the buzz of writing short fiction and travel pieces.

I am trying to find a home for my full length short story collection at the moment.* I’ve had a couple of very positive rejections, with some really useful feedback, so I’m still optimistic!

*News update on that last paragraph -  Mandy has signed with Retreat West to publish her short story collection – Separated from the Sea.

Brightly Coloured Horses now available for Kindle!

Brightly Coloured Horses is now available on Kindle, and the paperback will follow shortly!

"Brightly Coloured Horses is the first flash fiction collection from award-winning author, Mandy Huggins.

Twenty-seven tales of betrayal and loss, of dreams and hopes, of lovers, liars and cheats. Stories with a strong sense of place, transporting us from the seashore to the city, from India's monsoon to the heat of Cuba, and from the supermarket aisle to a Catalonian fiesta. We meet a baby that never existed, a car called Marilyn, a one-eyed cat, and a boy whose kisses taste of dunked biscuits.

These stories all have something in common; each is a glimpse of what it's like to be human. We make mistakes, we do our best, and most of the time we find hope."

YOU CAN BUY IT HERE!!

Brightly Coloured Horses

I have a cover for my flash fiction collection! Just checked the final proofs, so it won't be long now!