Given last week’s post looked at Starting a Piece of Fiction, I thought it would be apt to write about ending the said piece of fiction. The beginning of a story has to set up interesting characters and a good premise to hook the reader in, but the ending must deliver on this.
I’ve often found starting a piece of fiction can be more problematic than finishing a first draft. How come? Knowing where to start is a crucial component to any story and every writer knows the opening lines, especially the first one itself, have to be strong enough to hook the readers in to want to read the rest of the tale. So no pressure then!
All the overgrown clumps of herbaceous perennials that you have been saying this summer need to be split, now is the time to do it, as the plants are dying down for the winter. Don’t worry if you aren’t able to do them all, some can wait until the spring.
Is there anyone who can’t name a list of things they wished they’d known earlier? No matter who you are, there is bound to be something here. I thought I would look at this question from a writer’s viewpoint (otherwise this post will be far too long!). Were there things about the writing life I wish I’d known earlier? Oh yes.
As many of you will know, as well as writing for the fabulous Chandler’s Ford Today, I also write for a monthly online magazine called Writers’ Narrative. I am also their copy editor. The magazine has a monthly theme and the October edition will be about Short Form Fiction.
I’m delighted to say I will be their Featured Author for October and have been interviewed in depth by the Editor in Chief, Wendy H Jones. I also wrote a separate article breaking down one of my published flash tales and looking at how I wrote it, as well as sharing some of the influences which led to its creation. Am very much looking forward to sharing this via my website and social media later.
It was interesting being on the other side of the interview. The questions were thoughtful and challenging and a joy to answer. So I thought for this post, I would look at what makes for a good interview, what authors can do to prepare themselves for interviews they face, and how to make the best of them once they are “out there”.
Writing competitions can be useful in helping you get your short stories and flash fiction into print. There are novel competitions out there too, though the entry fee is significantly higher for these, which is understandable, because you are paying for a judge’s time to read your 100,000 words.
But for this post, I thought I would focus on the short fiction forms as there are more competitions available for them.
It can be a small world. The same applies to the writing one. I’ve followed Joan Livingston (via her Substack) for some time and recently discovered she is a friend of Val Penny, whom I met at The Writers’ Summer School, Swanwick and have interviewed here. Now it is Joan’s turn to be put under the spotlight.
This interview forms part of Joan’s blog tour for her new book in her Isabel Long series, Finding The Source. The blog tour has been organised by Lynsey Adams from the Reading Between the Lines Book Vlog.
Make the most of the warmth in the air and soil, before the temperatures drop at the beginning of Autumn. To help grapes ripen, remove leaves shading fruit. Check if there are any heavy laden branches on fruit trees that need supporting. Pinch out tops of tomatoes, remove any new flowers, and remove any growth below the lowest fruit and growth shading fruit.
[Read more…] about Wellie’s Gardening Tips for September 2025
I make a point of mixing up what I read in terms of genre and type of story. So as well as reading novels, I read novellas and, naturally for me, flash fiction and short story collections.
I love reading stand alone novels. One of my favourites here is The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey. The story is complete. There could not be a follow up. But especially in genre fiction, there is a lot of the room for the series novels. Crime and historical fiction seem to me to lead the way there. I will be interviewing an American author shortly who is renowned for her crime series, but I thought for this post I’d take a look at the joys and challenges of writing stand alone books.
It is always a pleasure to return to The Hayes, Swanwick, Derbyshire for my big writing event of the year – The Writers’ Summer School, Swanwick. I spend a fabulous few days in the company of friends, enjoy making new friends, and learn so much from the courses and workshops on offer. I am immersed in the world of writing and it is a wonderful, tiring, and inspirational experience.
This year, the weather was gloriously sunny. We appreciated the air conditioning in the rooms where the workshops were being held, and there were new additions to the grounds at The Hayes. I do not remember seeing the goats before.
[Read more…] about Returning to The Writers’ Summer School Swanwick for 2025
By the time this goes live, I will have just returned from my annual jaunt to The Writers’ Summer School, Swanwick. As ever, a good time was had by all (and far too good a time had by me, writing events have their social side which doesn’t necessarily do that much for the old waistline!).
I learned so much from the workshops and courses. I do think this is one aspect where writing is good for you. You keep learning all of the time and developing your craft. That keeps you on your toes, encourages you to up your game and when, hopefully, publication successes come as a result of this, that too encourages you to keep going and it encourages you to see if you can be published again. At least that has been my experience to date.
Local author, John Puzey, will be at Chandler’s Ford Library on 16th August 2025 from 10.00 am.
All are welcome. John tells Chandler’s Ford Today that a big part of his new book is about life in a POW Camp. If you have letters, photos, or diaries of relatives who may have been in camps, do bring them along to when John holds his library event. Please note it should only be paperwork you bring along to this!
John (who is part of The Chameleon Theatre Company based in Ritchie Hall), will be discussing and signing his book, Captive Audience, which is published by Authors Reach Limited.
Behind the wire and the watchtowers, three prisoners of war begin their journey to fame. An adventure of escapism and escape, set against the backdrop of war-torn Italy and the lure of post war stardom.
For more information on this book, and his others, do check out John’s website at https://johnpuzey.co.uk/
I had the opportunity recently to go and see a Jane Austen exhibition at the Dorset Museum in Dorchester. This year marks the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth and there have been various events to commemorate this. (I am sure there will be more as we head to Miss Austen’s birthday in December and it would pay to keep an eye out for events at Winchester Cathedral, where Jane is buried).
There is lots of pruning and harvesting to be done in August. Dead head faded blooms, but leave some to turn into seedheads for the birds and ones that you plan to sow for next year. Crysanths will benefit from being pinched or sheared back, encouraging more growth and flowers. Take pelargonium cuttings. Trim lavender plants by removing flower stalks and about 2.5cm of the current year’s growth.
It’s always a delight to go and see the latest production from The Chameleons but this one is a little different for me. It’s the first time I’ve gone to see a play based on a famous book but which remains one I haven’t read. I don’t know whether that means I went with a more open mind than I might have done if I had read the book (though I like to think I am fairly open minded anyway). I have often watched films based on books I’ve read (and most work well) but plays, no.
[Read more…] about Review – The Chameleon Theatre Group – Notes From A Small Island
It is a great privilege and pleasure to welcome Esther Chilton to Chandler’s Ford Today. Esther is a fellow flash fiction writer, a tutor for the Writers’ Bureau, runs workshops and goes to The Writers’ Summer School, Swanwick, which, naturally, is where we met. She will be running a course on flash fiction there this year.
But as well as writing for adults, Esther also writes for children in the 5 to 7 years old category. Her new book, The Secret Dragon, comes out on 25th July.
[Read more…] about Author Interview: Introducing Esther Chilton and The Secret Dragon
Breaking down why a story works may seem a strange thing to do. Surely you just want to read an enjoyable tale and move on to the next one, ideally having a good mix of genres, classic and contemporary works as part of your “reading diet”?
Well, yes, but if you want to write your own stories, it does pay you to work out what it is you love about those you enjoy reading. You will learn a great deal from this, some of which at least you will be able to apply to your own writing.
Now I’m fond of a good quiz (Pointless, Mastermind, University Challenge etc) and I always count it as a good day if I get the book/author related questions right. I do feel like I’m a numpty if I don’t!
But I also use quizzing techniques when it comes to creating stories. One way I do this is to quiz potential characters. I want to find out just what it is about them which means I should write their story up. I see it almost like interviewing a potential actor for a role. I must get my cast right. If they don’t fascinate me, they’re unlikely to work their charms on potential readers.
This month focus on maintaining your garden, encouraging further blooms and preparing for harvesting. Divide congested clumps of bearded iris after flowering. Dead head bedding plants, sweet peas, roses and herbaceous plants to encourage more flowers. Trim evergreen hedges, including conifers, (but still just check for nesting birds first). Feed dahlias and cannas every two weeks with a high potassium fertilizer, such as tomato feed.
Prune early-summer flowering shrubs, such as Philadelphus, once they have finished flowering. Cut back flowered growth to a strong lower shoot and thin out up to a fifth of old, woody stems.
Cut back hardy geraniums to ground level after they have had their first flush of flowers to encourage new foliage and more flowers later in the year. Fruit trees and bushes need a lot of extra water to support developing fruit. Pinch out climbing beans when they reach the top of their supports. Water courgettes consistently so they continue to crop well. Keep tomatoes well watered to prevent blossom end rot.
Regularly check for pests like aphids, spider mites and caterpillars. Consider using eco-friendly methods, and introducing beneficial insects like ladybirds. Keep bird baths topped up.
