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Last week’s challenge linked to my ‘ABC of short story ideas’ series which appears on a Monday. You had a choice of writing about an ‘ambulance’, ‘burglary’, ‘castle’ or all three! Castle proved to be the favourite choice by far. Your wonderful stories can be read below. Last week it was the ‘ABC’ so this…
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This week, I’m giving the poets amongst you something to work for: The Poetry Society’s National Poetry Competition 2014 is up and running. With a first prize of £5000, £2000 for second place, £1000 for third place and seven commendations of £100, it’s definitely worth an entry. There is a fee for each poem entered…
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Yep, when I’m cleaning, I always need my trusty hoolahoop!
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Now it’s getting tricky…here’s V, W and X: V is for Victory: The victory in your short story could be a big one – a country taking victory in a hard fought war. You could take a particular character in the war, perhaps a soldier and tell the story through his eyes. Or your main…
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Banish the Bow! Last week my tip was how to open your short story and grab your reader’s attention straight away. This week my tip is about ending your short story: Don’t feel as though you have to tie your story up in a nice little bow. Many readers like a story with an open…
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I did wonder if last week’s challenge would stump a few people and stump a few it did. I challenged you to take a fairytale e.g. Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, Hansel and Gretel etc and give it a modern twist. Thank you to those who did take part and their entries can be read…
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This week, I move away from fiction and bring you a weekly travel writing competition. ‘The Daily Telegraph‘ invite writers to send in stories of their travel experiences for the ‘Just Back‘ slot. 500 words is the upper limit and if your holiday story is published, you’ll receive £200 in a currency of your choice.…
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Well, here’s a warning if ever I saw one!:
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Almost there…here’s S, T and U: S is for Spy: The word ‘spy’ immediately conjures up an image of James Bond hurtling down a mountainside on skis or careering round corners in a fast car. Your story can involve that type of spy but think outside the box. A spy could also be a sister,…
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Can’t think of a way to open your short story and to ensure you hook your reader? Shock them! It’s important to grab your reader’s interest in the first few paragraphs. It’s even better if you can do it in the first sentence. The shock factor is a great way of achieving this and for…
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Esther Chilton 