SOME UNLOOKED FOR COMPETITION SUCCESSES

So, here’s the thing, when there’s a competition I have previously done well in I sort of feel I should give something back and so I sometimes enter again the following year – not with a view to winning again or even picking up a prize, but just to show support. That’s why I entered Fylde Brighter Writers Circle Prize, a competition that runs every two years. I have been on the podium there for all three of their previous competitions.

I have always got flash fiction pieces lying around and I’m never very committed to doing much with them. For me they are like artists’ sketches. They are like writing exercises, just to keep my hand in and my imagination working. So when Brighter Writers decided to include flash fiction in this year’s competition I threw in some pieces. I also entered a short story that was very short and little more than a flash standing tall.

I don’t know what else I would have done with these pieces, so imagine my surprise when some of my entries made it to the longlist and then the shortlist. And then today I find that my short story (tall flash!) has won second place and one of my flashes is a runner up in the flash fiction section.

Thank you so much to Steve Brodie and all at Brighter Writers. It is always a thrill when a piece is sent out into the world and it fares well. Thank you.

Oh and a couple of my flashes were honoured with special commendation status by Aberdeen Library Special Collections Centre in their annual National Book Week flash fiction competition. Thank you. I enter this competition each year because I graduated from Aberdeen University back in 1979… yes, so I feel I ought to give something back there also.

READ THIS!

Interesting read. 

Here's something borrowed* from the book : 'The writer Jonathan Lethem has said that when people call something 'original,' nine out of ten times they just don't know the references or the original sources involved.'

And this is a New York Times Bestseller!

And here's something else in the book: 'Art is theft' (Pablo Picasso)

And there are several injunctions to go out and steal… because that is just what art is.

An honest, no nonsense guide to unlocking your creativity.

* I reckon it's not stolen if it's credited.

FICTION ATTIC GO FOR GILBERT

So, I am trying still to overcome an addiction I suffer from. I am trying still to refrain from entering too many competitions (I'd like to stop entering them altogether, but small steps!). I hate the sense of failure you can get even when your strike rate in competitions is a healthy 33%. I hate the way it can undermine your faith in a story, when the story is actually worth something. I hate the waiting and waiting and waiting for results.

But it seems I can't kick the habit entirely and so I have put a few things out there this year to fisticuff with other writers' work. In my defence I am putting more stuff out to magazines than before.

Anyway, here's a wee success: Fiction Attic Press took a story of mine that I thought was good enough to be read by more than just me. It's a story that was on a Bridport shortlist a while back, and then on the Lorian Hemingway commended list, and it also got the approval of a writer whose opinion I trust. But then it faltered in a few other competitions and so I put it in the proverbial bottom drawer for a time.

I am so glad that having unearthed it again Fiction Attic Press have given it the thumbs up and have published it in their most recent anthology. The story is called 'Godforsaken Stone Gilbert'. I am waiting for my copy to drop through the letter box; I am sure there will be a rich vein of fiction inside.

NEWS UPDATE - AUGUST 2014

BLACK RIVER CHAPBOOK COMPETITION

They had 600 submissions for their Spring chapbook competition and so it was exciting to discover that I was on the shortlist and then one of seven finalists. Congratulations to the poet Sam Sax who ultimately rode out as winner and will have his chapbook published by Black Lawrence Press.

I submitted a collection of flash fiction under the title 'OUT OF THE MOUTHS OF BABES AND SUCKLINGS' - and I am very pleased that the collection had merit enough to earn a placing in the competition. It means I am on the right track with what I am doing - though I don't really want to be thought of as a flash fiction writer but rather as a writer of prose.



THE REST

I have been writing loads of short stories this summer and am at work polishing these… but we returned to work this week so my head's in another place just now… trying to learn the names of all the new kids I have to teach! 

Other news, I have a third place in a good competition (can't say which yet), and I have a couple of stories on a shortlist somewhere, and a collection of my stories in the hands of an interested party (though I have been in this position before so will not yet be counting any chickens while they are still in their eggs).

Still, all of that feels good.

BEST OF THE SHORT STORY - VOLUME 1

This came in the post today, my copy of 'The Short Story' anthology. I recently was placed third in their competition for this year, and so I have a story in this anthology - it is called 'KEEPIN THE NUMBERS DOWN' and I am quite pleased with it. 

It's always a pleasure when one's work makes it into print to find that the editor has taken great care with the presentation of the work. This is the case here, so a big thank you to Kerry Barner whose 'baby' this is.

(and by the way, this is a first: I took the picture of the book for this blog post!)

1000 words - something to read

After garnering some positive responses to my 8-Days of Ether submission, 'We Are Stardust', then the same piece being dubbed the winner for day 8, and one of those five star positives coming from Natalie Bowers and she said that some of the flashes submitted were just the standard of work she was looking to post up on her site '1000 words', well, I thought I ought to submit something.

What you have to do is write something inspired by one of the photographs on their site - and they have hundreds to choose from. So I had a quick squint, picked one, and set to the task of writing. Took me less than 50 minutes. Then I sent it straight off to Natalie and not only got a response within ten minutes but my piece was up there, too. That's quick - about an hour from nothing to publication!

If you want to look at what I wrote here's the link:

http://1000words.org.uk/old-souls-and-new-souls/

The piece is called 'Old Souls and New Souls'.

BRITTLE STAR - A PIECE OF NEWS

I have been keeping this one under the proverbially hat for a wee while, sworn to secrecy until the launch made official all the announcements. I am talking about Brittle Star Magazine’s inaugural short story competition. The magazine is into its 34^th edition but running a competition was a new venture for them. They secured the services of two fine judges for the occasion – David Constantine for the short story section and Mimi Khalvati for the poetry.

I put in a couple of stories, an old one and a new one. After the initial sifting, 51 stories were then sent to David Constantine and he had the task, seeing the stories ‘blind’ (no names attached), of selecting a 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd and a few commendeds. This time two of my stories ended up on the podium with 3^rd and 1^st place, which I was delighted with (and quite embarrassed about when it came to the awards ceremony).

I always want to go to the prize-giving events when there are such things, but all too often the day job gets in the way, that and being so far away from where it's at. However, the launch of Brittle Star’s 34^th edition, combined with the awards ceremony, fell neatly within my school holidays and so I was able to attend. Of course, hot footing it down to London and staying over for a night and then getting back punches into nothing the prize-money won, but as I solidly maintain, entering these competitions is not ever about the money.

The launch event took place on Wednesday of this week in the Barbican Library and I was invited to read my 1^st place story there as part of proceedings. Now, who wouldn’t want to do a reading in such a big named place - I mean, THE Barbican! The occasion got to me and I think I delivered one of my best readings and the story went down very well and garnered lots of positive responses over the pimms and strawberries afterwards (to those who came up to me to say how much they loved my story, many many thanks).

I should like to pass on my sincere congratulations to all the other readers at the event. I was thoroughly entertained by what was read, the poetry and the prose, and there were some new names for me to look out for in the future. I should also like to thank the judges for the work they did. And finally, I should like to thank Jacqueline Gabbitas and Martin Parker for putting together the competition, for doing such a brilliant job in producing the magazine (and any writer would be pleased to have their work in such a well presented piece of publishing), and for being such incredibly warm hosts on the evening.

As for the magazine, it is a lovely thing, so well produced and full of good stuff. You should take a look for yourselves.

ETHER BOOKS - GOLD

Ether Books is an online bookshop for short stories and articles. The app is free and then you can download stories direct to various appliances, including your phone. There are also a whole bunch of free stories for you to download - a whole bunch.

I have a couple of stories up there.

And, recently, they ran a flash fiction competition called ‘8 Days of Ether’. They posted a different theme each day for eight days and invited submissions. Writers had twenty-four hours to submit something before the next theme went up. Then Ether Books hung the stories up for free downloading, inviting comments and rating scores from all readers. Finally, to close the competition, they chose a winning story for each day and named the single story that had received the most downloads.

On day eight, I submitted a story. It received a number of five star reviews and comments were all very positive. My story was ultimately named as the winning story for Day 8. You can go to my stories on Ether Books and download it for free – it’s called ‘We Are Stardust’ (It did well in another competition: second place at ‘Flash 500’ some time ago).

I did also notice on Ether Books that I am now a recommended author and my status in this regard is ‘Gold’ – meaning that Ether Books think my stories are very good. There aren't too many gold status recommended authors, so it's nice to have that.

So Fast He Catch'd Up With Mama

SO FAST HE CATCH'D UP WITH MAMA

Fast as fizz, Marty’s fingers when he played, pluckin at pa’s old six-string guitar and takin new music out of somethin that had laid unseen for seven years under pa’s bed. I said it was still too soon and that’s what pa’d say. Marty singin also, like a cat moon-howlin, and that in a house that’d heard no other sound but prayer for so long.

Marty couldn’t say where he learned to play like the devil. It just come to him, he said, like he was born to it, like it was somethin he’d heared his whole life. He said it was the first sound he could remember, listenin through the dark wall of his mama.

Pa nodded and he was not cross with Marty, did not take the guitar from the boy or put it back ‘neath his bed. Seven years mama had slept in the ground out back, a stone for a pillow, flowers at her feet, and that day was the first I saw pa smile. It was like the sun comin out after a black and broodin storm has passed.

‘Play some more,’ pa said, and he took to his room and shut the door, but we knowed he was listenin on the other side.

Fast as fizz or fireworks or flame, and once he’d started Marty couldn’t stop, not though his fingers blistered and bled. And pa said nothin 'gainst the boy’s chores not done or his schoolbooks unopened. And we threw wide all the windows in the house, so’s we could breathe at last, and the whole neighbourhood heared the boy playin.

Old man Fordie said he thought it was pa at first. When he heared it was Marty, well he slapped his thigh and called the boy a chip off the old block.

Years back that was, and now I do think on that time, believin it had somethin to do with the devil after all. Marty joined a band and one day his face was in all the newspapers, and they said he was fast and loose with women, and his eyes in those pictures was heavy with drugs and drink so he was not hisself. Too fast by half he was, and faster, and too soon in the ground with his mama.

These days pa’s all dark and silent and prayin again, though I don’t rightly know what he’s prayin for.

THE VIPER

(If a viper in its nest says beware it is a viper's nest we're in, is the viper-truth really truth?)

THE VIPER

Beware the viper

its flickering tongue

and pretty speeches that say

it’s a viper’s nest we’re in

and poison stings

sharper than nettles or wasps

yet it coories in

weaving its slip-slither coils

into folded plaits

running like quick-silver

or words softly spoken

and what it says

the second cousin of truth

only eat of this apple

so you shall know

all things

and you shall know
lies.