creative writing

Author News – Allison Symes – Getting Out and About with ACW

October 31, 2025 By Allison Symes Leave a Comment

Image Credits: One image directly from Pixabay. Some images created in Book Brush using Pixabay photos or images taken by me, Allison Symes. Other photos were taken by me, Allison Symes, at the ACW Autumn Gathering event in 2025 (and for the funny captions on the tables from their event in 2024 but the captions do not date!).

Last Saturday, 25th October, I had the joy of going to Egham for the Association of Christian Writers Autumn Gathering. It is the annual in-person gathering. The other ACW meetings are held on Zoom and are so useful but there is something special about getting together with other writers in person.

Tags: ACW, am reading, am writing, Association of Christian Writers, author event, creative writing, networking, the writing life, writing event

Author Interview: Introducing John Puzey – Captive Audience

October 24, 2025 By Allison Symes Leave a Comment

Image Credits:-

Many thanks to John Puzey and Richard Hardie of Authors Reach Limited for supplying book and author shots. Other images created in Book Brush using their images or Pixabay photos. Screenshots were taken by me, Allison Symes, as was the picture of John Puzey at the Hiltingbury Book Fair in 2023.

It is a great pleasure to welcome John Puzey to Chandler’s Ford Today, as a local author and a member of The Chameleon Theatre Company.

John has recently been published by Authors Reach Limited (which local author and publisher, Richard Hardie, is behind) with his book, Captive Audience. John has recently held an author talk at Chandler’s Ford Library and launched his book on Facebook.
For more on what John writes, check out his website

Tags: acting, author interview, Authors Reach Limited, Captive Audience, creative writing, historical fiction, historical non-fiction, John Puzey, Richard Hardie, The Chameleons, World War Two, writing, writing tips

Ending A Piece of Fiction

October 17, 2025 By Allison Symes Leave a Comment

Image Credit: Images created in Book Brush using Pixabay photos.

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.

Tags: am writing, closing lines, creative writing, knowing the story ending first, story endings, story structure, writing advice

Starting A Piece of Fiction

October 10, 2025 By Allison Symes Leave a Comment

Image Credit: Images created in Book Brush using Pixabay photos.

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!

Tags: am writing, characterisation, creative fiction, creative writing, creativity, fiction, story structure, story templates, writing advice, writing process

Writing Competitions

September 19, 2025 By Allison Symes Leave a Comment

Image Credits: Images created in Book Brush using Pixabay images

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.

[Read more…] about Writing Competitions

Tags: am writing, anthologies, benefits of writing competitions, creative writing, flash fiction, short stories, writing competitions

Flash Fiction Collections

September 5, 2025 By Allison Symes Leave a Comment

Image Credits:- Some images created in Book Brush using Pixabay photos. Book cover images are from Chapeltown Books/Bridge House Publishing.

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.

Tags: am reading, am writing, Bridge House Publishing, Cafelit, Chapeltown Books, creative writing, fiction, flash fiction collections, From Light to Dark and Back Again, putting a story collection together, Seeing The Other Side, short story anthologies, Tripping the Flash Fantastic

Returning to The Writers’ Summer School Swanwick for 2025

August 22, 2025 By Allison Symes 4 Comments

Image Credits:-

One image created in Book Brush using my photos. Some images created in Book Brush using Pixabay images. One image directly from Pixabay. Many thanks also to Penny Blackburn and Joy Wood for supplying author pictures. Also thanks to Julia Pattison for taking the image of me when I ran an editing course at Swanwick in 2024. Other photos of The Writers’ Summer School, Swanwick were taken by me, Allison Symes.

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.

Tags: am writing, creative writing, fiction, networking, non-fiction, The Hayes Conference Centre at Swanwick, The Writers' Summer School - Swanwick, writing courses, writing workshops

Meeting Up With Other Writers

August 15, 2025 By Allison Symes Leave a Comment

Image Credit: Images created in Book Brush using Pixabay images. One photo taken by me, Allison Symes.

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.

Tags: am writing, Continuing Professional Development, creative writing, meeting up with other writers, networking, The Writers' Summer School - Swanwick

Author Interview: Introducing Esther Chilton and The Secret Dragon

July 25, 2025 By Allison Symes 10 Comments

Image Credits:-

Many thanks to Esther Chilton for supplying book cover and author shots. Images from The Writers’ Summer School, Swanwick were taken by me, Allison Symes. Other images created in Book Brush using Pixabay images or images supplied by Esther Chilton.

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.

Tags: author interview, children's writing, creative writing, Esther Chilton, fiction, flash fiction, freelance writer, stories, The Secret Dragon, The Writers' Summer School - Swanwick, the writing life, Writers' Bureau

Breaking Down Why A Story Works

July 18, 2025 By Allison Symes Leave a Comment

Image Credit: Images created in Book Brush using Pixabay photos

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.

Tags: am reading, am writing, breaking down why a story works, creative writing, fiction, learning from other writers

Quizzing Your Characters

July 11, 2025 By Allison Symes Leave a Comment

Image Credits: Images created in Book Brush using Pixabay images. Screenshots were taken by me, Allison Symes.

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.

Tags: am writing, characterisation, creative writing, fiction, outlining, quizzing your characters, tips for outlining characters

Thoughts on Editing

June 6, 2025 By Allison Symes Leave a Comment

Image Credit: Images created in Book Brush using Pixabay photos

Now I’ll put my hands up and admit to being biased about editing. Well, I am an editor so I would be. But my experience wearing a writer’s and editor’s hat (and sometimes both together) is there is no middle ground here. People love it or hate it.

Before becoming an editor, when I found my acceptances were increasing when I put in decent editing work on my own stories, that changed my attitude too. I thought I’d share some thoughts on editing here which I’ve found helpful with my writing. (A lot of them can apply to when I’m editing someone else too).

[Read more…] about Thoughts on Editing

Tags: am writing, creative writing, editing, editing tips, fiction, non-fiction, the writing life

Author Interview: Val Penny and Historical Short Stories – The Ring

May 23, 2025 By Allison Symes Leave a Comment

Image Credits:-

Many thanks to Lynsey Adams from Reading Between the Lines Vlog and Val Penny for supplying author and book cover shots. Other images created in Book Brush using Pixabay photos. Screenshots were taken by me, Allison Symes.

It is with great pleasure I welcome back Val Penny, author of the DI Hunter Wilson/Edinburgh Crime Mysteries and the Jane Renwick Thrillers, to Chandler’s Ford Today with something different from what she normally writes.

This time Val has a short story with a historical aspect to it included in an anthology. This must be as close as it can get to be the total opposite for the crime novels she is best known for. Naturally there is a fabulous reason for Val doing this. The anthology, called The Ring, is going to be a charity one and the money raised will be going to that excellent cause, The Reading Agency.

Tags: anthologies, charity anthology, creative writing, historical fiction, historical short stories, The Reading Agency, The Ring, using an object in fiction, Val Penny

Inspiration Ideas

May 16, 2025 By Allison Symes Leave a Comment

Image Credit: Images created in Book Brush using Pixabay photos

One of the great things about getting out and about during the spring and summer months is this can give you plenty of inspiration for your writing. You don’t have to go far from home necessarily either. How come?

Partly the reason is you are doing something different. That in itself can inspire you to think differently and be more open to creative ideas. Even just walking the dog gets me out and about, gives me screen breaks, and it gives me opportunities to spot things I might get to use in stories later.

[Read more…] about Inspiration Ideas

Tags: am writing, creative writing, ideas, inspiration, taking breaks from writing, using breaks for inspiring writing, writing advice, writing tips

Building On What Has Gone Before

May 9, 2025 By Allison Symes Leave a Comment

Image Credit: Images created in Book Brush using Pixabay photos.

In all walks of life, we build on what has gone before. Well, there is no point in reinventing the wheel, so to speak. One person’s discovery often does lead to someone else taking that discovery and doing something special with it.

Isaac Newton confirms this thought with his quote, “If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.”

Tags: am writing, author interviews, building on what has gone before, creative writing, inspiration, learning from other writers, writing advice, writing tips

Honest and Dishonest Characters

April 25, 2025 By Allison Symes Leave a Comment

Image Credit: Images created in Book Brush using Pixabay photos.

It is ironic that, regardless of whether you create honest or dishonest characters or both, you do have to be honest about how you create them. What do I mean by that?

I mean you create a character who is fully rounded, where readers can see why they are the way they are, even if they disagree with them, and your characters are not set up as cardboard cutouts. They have to seem real and believable, an honest creation if you like.

But you can have fun with honest and dishonest characters and naturally literature abounds with both kinds.

Tags: am writing, character creation, characters, creative writing, fiction, outlining, traits

What You Need to Know About Character Creation

April 18, 2025 By Allison Symes Leave a Comment

Image Credit: Images created in Book Brush using Pixabay photos

As I write a lot of flash fiction and short stories, I need to create a lot of characters. I do re-use some but not many compared to the numbers I’ve created in total. My characters often have one story in them, though occasionally one may play a “bit part” role in another tale.

For me, any good story of whatever length is all about what happens and, specifically, what happens to the lead character. I must know what happens to them. I must care about what happens too, even if they’re a villain and I am hoping their evil plans will fail. I also need to know whose story it is.

Tags: am reading, am writing, character attitudes, character creation, characterisation, creating characters, creative writing, dialogue, fiction, flash fiction, positive and negative sides to traits in characters, short stories, situations, what you need to know when creating characters

Writers and Stationery – A Match Made In Heaven

April 11, 2025 By Allison Symes Leave a Comment

Image Credit: Images created in Book Brush using Pixabay photos. Image from The Writers’ Summer School, Swanwick was taken by me, Allison Symes. Two images directly from Pixabay.

With apologies to the late Jane Austen, I will start by saying it is a truth universally acknowledged that writers have two obsessions, okay three if you count chocolate, but what are the other two?

Books – our own and those we love reading.
Stationery items – pens, notebooks, items for the computer, but especially the first two.

Tags: creative writing, fiction, non-fiction, notebooks, online notebooks, pens, writers, writers and stationery

What Makes A Story Work

April 4, 2025 By Allison Symes Leave a Comment

Image Credits: Images created in Book Brush using Pixabay images

You take in what makes a story work subconsciously. Even as a child, when I read the classic fairytales, I knew on the third time of something occurring, there would be a different result leading to the happy ever after ending. I had no idea that was the Rule of Three in action. I just knew if this didn’t happen, there was something wrong with the story. I also knew early on I had to want to find out what happened to the characters so there had to be something interesting about them to grab my attention (and just as importantly keep my attention going).

Tags: am reading, am writing, beginnings middles and ends, creative writing, description, dialogue, fiction, keeping the reader interested, learning from what you read, understanding characters, what makes a story work

Springtime in Words and Music

March 28, 2025 By Allison Symes Leave a Comment

Image Credit: Images created in Book Brush using Pixabay photos

Springtime is one of my favourite times of the year. The other one is autumn, funnily enough. I like both ends of the spectrum. Life as it begins and life as it begins to ebb and fade.

I love spotting the Virginia Creeper in our area and seeing it change colour from red to green and back again. Lovely plant. As I walk the dog it is great to spot the crocuses and other spring flowers emerging, though I am a little saddened my snowdrops have now finished.

It is great being able to walk Lady in the early evening and still be in daylight when only a month or so ago, the same time would have seen me coming back home with her in the dark. It also means we can put her light up collar away for a bit. It is odd walking with a glow in the dark dog (at least around her collar!) though she doesn’t care.

Tags: am writing, Canon in D, creative writing, Four Seasons, ideas for using spring in writing, Kenneth Grahame, P.G. Wodehouse, Pachelbel, spring, spring related books, Vivaldi

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Image Credits:-

Many thanks to John Puzey and Richard Hardie of Authors Reach Limited for supplying book and author shots. Other images created in Book Brush using their images or Pixabay photos. Screenshots were taken by me, Allison Symes, as was the picture of John Puzey at the Hiltingbury Book Fair in 2023.

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Image Credit: Images created in Book Brush using Pixabay photos.

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Image Credits:- Some images created in Book Brush using Pixabay photos. Book cover images are from Chapeltown Books/Bridge House Publishing.

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Image Credit: Images created in Book Brush using Pixabay images. One photo taken by me, Allison Symes.

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Image Credits:-

Many thanks to Esther Chilton for supplying book cover and author shots. Images from The Writers’ Summer School, Swanwick were taken by me, Allison Symes. Other images created in Book Brush using Pixabay images or images supplied by Esther Chilton.

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Image Credit: Images created in Book Brush using Pixabay photos

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Image Credits: Images created in Book Brush using Pixabay images. Screenshots were taken by me, Allison Symes.

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Image Credits:-

Many thanks to Lynsey Adams from Reading Between the Lines Vlog and Val Penny for supplying author and book cover shots. Other images created in Book Brush using Pixabay photos. Screenshots were taken by me, Allison Symes.

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Image Credit: Images created in Book Brush using Pixabay photos

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Image Credit: Images created in Book Brush using Pixabay photos. Image from The Writers’ Summer School, Swanwick was taken by me, Allison Symes. Two images directly from Pixabay.

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