• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Chandler's Ford Today

  • Home
  • About
    • About Chandler’s Ford
    • Chandler’s Ford War Memorial Research
  • Blog
    • Blogging Tips
  • Event
    • Upcoming Events
  • Community
    • Groups
    • Churches
    • Schools
    • GP Surgeries
    • Leisure
    • Library
    • Charities
      • Eastleigh Basics Bank
      • Cat & Kitten Rescue in Chandler’s Ford
    • Fair Trade
      • Traidcraft stalls in Chandler’s Ford
    • Chandler’s Ford Parish Council
  • Contact
    • Subscribe
  • Site Policies
  • Site Archive
    • Site Archive 2018
    • Site Archive 2017
    • Site Archive 2016
    • Site Archive 2015

fiction

Judging a Book by its Cover – Part 1

April 16, 2021 By Allison Symes 4 Comments

Judging a book by its cover is a well known saying. We do judge by looks, even when we know we shouldn’t.There is one realm where the saying is 100% accurate and 100% justified and that is for book covers.

For writers, a book cover is crucial to get right. We all want the best cover possible to showcase our stories.

A good book cover draws people in to read the book.

A bad book cover – people are unlikely to pick the book up to even see if the blurb might be of interest.

Feature Image – Part 1 Judging a Book by its Cover. Image created in Book Brush using Pixabay photo.

[Read more…] about Judging a Book by its Cover – Part 1

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Google
  • Email
Tags: Association of Christian Writers, book covers, fiction, Fran Hill, Joy Margetts, Maressa Mortimer, publishing, Ruth Leigh, Wendy H Jones

Favourite Writing Exercises and Why They’re Beneficial

January 8, 2021 By Allison Symes 4 Comments

I use a variety of writing exercises to help trigger ideas for stories though a lot of these are also useful for generating thoughts for articles.

Feature Image – Favourite Writing Exercises. Image created by Allison Symes using Book Brush (images there are from Pixabay).

[Read more…] about Favourite Writing Exercises and Why They’re Beneficial

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Google
  • Email
Tags: creative writing, fiction, non-fiction, thinking outside of the box, writing exercises

Introducing Elizabeth Hurst – Historical Mysteries, Romances, and Ghosts!

November 13, 2020 By Allison Symes 2 Comments

One joy of going to a great writing event such as the Swanwick Writers’ Summer School is discovering so many wonderful writers and their amazing range of work.

It is my pleasure then to introduce Elizabeth Hurst, another Swanwick stalwart, who writes the Lost Souls series.

Feature Image – Introducing Elizabeth Hurst. Image kindly supplied by Elizabeth Hurst

[Read more…] about Introducing Elizabeth Hurst – Historical Mysteries, Romances, and Ghosts!

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Google
  • Email
Tags: A Friend In Need, creative writing, Elizabeth Hurst, fiction, Kindle countdown offer, Lost Souls series, paranormal fiction writing, Siren Spirit, Swanwick Writers' Summer School

A Novel Approach – Jennifer C Wilson In Conversation With Allison Symes

August 21, 2020 By Allison Symes 2 Comments

The defining thought for my recent CFT posts has been how writers can pick up on the zeitgeist, long before we know there is one to tap into!

This summer the topic has been about changing direction. Some writers do this a lot, others only every now and again. Some make the change a permanent one, others see the variation as a detour from what they usually write though they will resume that in due course. My recent interviews with Scottish crime writers, Val Penny and Wendy H Jones, are good examples of this.

Another author changing direction is Jennifer C Wilson who has gone from writing ghost stories crossed with history in her Kindred Spirits series to romance with The Raided Heart and is now writing non-fiction with her recently released A Novel Approach.

Jennifer C Wilson’s latest book is her venture into non-fiction writing. Image kindly supplied by her.

[Read more…] about A Novel Approach – Jennifer C Wilson In Conversation With Allison Symes

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Google
  • Email
Tags: A Novel Approach, creative writing, creative writing guide, fiction, Jennifer C Wilson, Kindred Spirits, non-fiction, The Raided Heart

Mixing Things Up

March 20, 2020 By Allison Symes Leave a Comment

Feature Image - Mixing Things Up

I remember as a child sometimes being allowed to mix up whatever Mum was preparing in her big brown earthenware bowl and not just for Stir Up Sunday.

But writers need to mix things up too. Why and how?

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

[Read more…] about Mixing Things Up

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Google
  • Email
Tags: creative writing, fiction, mixing things up, open themes, set themes, writing competitions

Introducing Paula Readman: What Books Mean to Her

February 28, 2020 By Allison Symes 5 Comments

Paula Readman and I have publishers in common. We’ve both been published by Bridge House Publishing and Cafelit. We’ve shared the great joy recently of both of us having two stories in The Best of Cafelit 8 and also a story each in Nativity, the most recent books published by Bridge House. Naturally we are both keen on the independent small presses!

Paula R C Readman
Paula R C Readman – image kindly supplied by her

Paula is going from strength to strength and is starting 2020 off in great style with a recently released novella and a short story collection to come later in the year but more on that in a moment.

I learned a long time ago if someone makes something look easy, that same someone will have worked very hard for years to get to that point. This is true for Paula and she’ll share more about this too.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

[Read more…] about Introducing Paula Readman: What Books Mean to Her

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Google
  • Email
Tags: books, Bridge House Publishing, creative writing, Days Pass Like A Shadow, Demain Publishing, fiction, marketing, Paula Readman, The Funeral Birds

What Makes A Good Story

December 20, 2019 By Allison Symes 1 Comment

Feature Image - What Makes a Good Story

How do you decide something is a good story? Do you judge that by the genre or by the quality of the characters?

For me, the latter is by far the most important criterion. Really good characters stay with you long after you’ve finished reading or listening to the story.

Like the look of this as a reading place
Like the look of this as a reading place. Pixabay

[Read more…] about What Makes A Good Story

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Google
  • Email
Tags: books, favourite stories, fiction, flash fiction, non-fiction, reading, stories, the Christmas story

Review: Chandler’s Ford MDG Players: ‘Welcome to our village, please invade carefully’

December 2, 2019 By Ben Williams 3 Comments

MDG Players next production is *‘Welcome to our village, please invade carefully’* by Eddie Robson on Thursday 28^th – Saturday 30^th November in the Dovetail Centre Café at 7.30pm.

This year’s performance by the MDG Players is a pastiche of sci-fi storytelling that lampoons radio plays and the stories of Stephen King and John Wyndham. Presented as a radio play, Welcome to Our Village, Please Invade Carefully is filled with clever humour and wit that results in a very original, fun way to spend an evening.

Mike Standing (A Minion), Lester Parry (Gryvook), and Mike Slatcher (Uljabaan)
Mike Standing (A Minion), Lester Parry (Gryvook), and Mike Slatcher (Uljabaan)

The plot is simple – the village of Cresdon Green, Buckinghamshire, is a normal English town that has just happened to be slowly invaded by aliens. It starts with a dome being placed over the village and then Uljabaan, an alien trying desperately hard to impress his superiors, attempting to blend in with the villagers. Whilst some embrace the aliens, others, led by the rebellious Katrina Lyons, want to see the aliens gone. Hilarity ensues. [Read more…] about Review: Chandler’s Ford MDG Players: ‘Welcome to our village, please invade carefully’

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Google
  • Email
Tags: acting, arts and crafts, Chandler's Ford, community, Dovetail Centre, drama, entertainment, event, fiction, humour, local interest, MDG Players, Methodist Church, review, social, theatre, Winchester Road

What Books Mean To Me – Part 3

October 18, 2019 By Allison Symes 6 Comments

Feature Image - What Books Mean to Me - Part 3

Thank you to my guests in this series, especially for answering my first question. I can’t think of any writer who would willingly just save one book!

I conclude with contributions from Bridge House Publishing/Cafelit colleagues, discover what two fine Scottish crime writers would save if push came to shove (that’s an apt expression given what they write!), and will finally answer the questions myself. [Read more…] about What Books Mean To Me – Part 3

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Google
  • Email
Tags: books, creative writing, fiction, libraries, reading

What Books Mean to Me – Part 2

October 11, 2019 By Allison Symes 7 Comments

Feature Image - What Books Mean To Me - Part 2

It was a great pleasure last week to start this series on What Books Mean to Me.   Now I write, I have realised  how important reading well is for developing my imagination. [Read more…] about What Books Mean to Me – Part 2

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Google
  • Email
Tags: books, creative writing, fiction, non-fiction, reading

What Books Mean To Me – Part 1

October 4, 2019 By Allison Symes 7 Comments

Feature Image - What Books Mean To Me - Part 1

Any writer will say to write well, you must read well (and widely). Every writer I know is as happy to talk about the latest great book they’ve read as well as what they’re working on. Why would you write if you didn’t love books and stories in the first place? There are two sides to this coin.

Image Credit:  A big thanks to my guests for supplying photos. Unless otherwise stated, the book and library pictures come, as always, from those magnificent people at Pixabay.

[Read more…] about What Books Mean To Me – Part 1

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Google
  • Email
Tags: books, creative writing, fiction, reading, writers

Swanwick Writers’ Summer School

August 23, 2019 By Allison Symes 2 Comments

Feature Image - Swanwick 2019

Image Credit:  Unless stated otherwise, all photos were taken by Allison Symes

I’ve recently returned from my annual trip to the Swanwick Writers’ Summer School, which is based at The Hayes Conference Centre in Swanwick, Derbyshire. I had a fantastic time learning from the courses and workshops, meeting up with old friends and making new ones. [Read more…] about Swanwick Writers’ Summer School

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Google
  • Email
Tags: creative writing, fiction, non-fiction, support and encouragement, Swanwick Writers' Summer School, writing conferences, writing courses, writing workshops

Titles

July 26, 2019 By Allison Symes Leave a Comment

Feature Image - Titles

Janet and I will have seen The Chameleon Theatre Group’s latest production, They Came from Mars and Landed Outside the Farndale Avenue Church Hall in Time for the Townswomen’s Guild’s Coffee Morning, by the time this post goes live. The play is written by David McGillivray and Walter Zerlin Junior and I look forward to sharing a review next week.

This production easily has the longest title of any play I’ve seen but it is a great illustration of one of the prime purposes of a title for any piece of writing. That is, it should give you some idea of what to expect! No doubts here – this title practically screams out “sci-fi spoof” at you! I love a good spoof so this ticks all the right boxes for me. [Read more…] about Titles

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Google
  • Email
Tags: creative writing, fiction, non-fiction, The Chameleon Theatre Group, titles, using titles

Writing Legacy

June 21, 2019 By Allison Symes 3 Comments

Feature Image - Writing Legacy

I had the great joy of being at the Winchester Writers’ Festival on Saturday 15th June and a lovely time was had by all. As ever, I learned a great deal from the courses I attended. I also loved chatting to friends, old and new, including Scottish crime writer, Val Penny, author of the Edinburgh Crime Mysteries, who I interviewed for CFT a little while ago. [Read more…] about Writing Legacy

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Google
  • Email
Tags: Barbara Large, creative writing, encouragement, fiction, inspiration, non-fiction, Winchester Writers' Festival, writing legacy

Reading Aloud Allowed (and Local Author News: Allison Symes)

June 14, 2019 By Allison Symes 7 Comments

I make no apology for the pun! Reading aloud is encouraged in youngsters to help them develop their vocabulary and rightly so but, unless you are a performance poet or oral storyteller, this habit is forgotten in adulthood. I think this is a shame. I find it is a real treat to be read to and it makes a lovely connection to the old oral storytelling tradition too. [Read more…] about Reading Aloud Allowed (and Local Author News: Allison Symes)

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Google
  • Email
Tags: audio books, creative writing, entertainment, fiction, listening to stories, open mic, performance prose, reading, reading aloud

Behind the Scenes

June 7, 2019 By Allison Symes 3 Comments

Feature Image - Behind the Scenes

In almost every walk of life there are those who are behind the scenes, who are easily overlooked but without whom life would be that much poorer. In any organisation or indeed on a website like this, there is at least one person driving it who makes things happen (take a bow, Janet and Neil).

I guess it is like housework in a way. Nobody notices when you’ve done it. They do notice when you haven’t! [Read more…] about Behind the Scenes

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Google
  • Email
Tags: behind the scenes, creative writing, fiction, non-fiction, research, volunteering

What Do You Look For In A Good Book?

May 31, 2019 By Allison Symes 3 Comments

Feature Image - What Do You Love in a Good Book

Can someone ever define what a good book is given everyone has different tastes in genre? I think so. [Read more…] about What Do You Look For In A Good Book?

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Google
  • Email
Tags: books, fiction, learning from other writers, libraries, non-fiction, reading

Story Analysis – Why Bother?

April 19, 2019 By Allison Symes 2 Comments

Feature Image - Story Analysis Why Bother

Does it seem like an odd thing to do for a writer to regularly analyze stories? Does it take the joy out of reading? I suspect many an English Literature student, at whatever level, may well say yes to that, but I feel that would be a shame. It certainly isn’t the point of analysis. [Read more…] about Story Analysis – Why Bother?

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Google
  • Email
Tags: creative writing, development, fiction, flash fiction, how a story works, story analysis

Experimenting with Words and Form

April 5, 2019 By Allison Symes 9 Comments

Feature Image - Experimenting with Words and Form

One great thing about playing Scrabble is it does increase your vocabulary. It’s amazing just how many three and two letter words there are. I play on a mobile app so there are no worries about losing any of the tiles either!

Mind, there have been times many years ago when I’ve played the traditional board game when I would happily have stuffed the Q, X, V, and Z somewhere I could guarantee they’d not be seen again but that’s another story! I’m less hostile to the Q now I know you don’t always need the U to go with it. [Read more…] about Experimenting with Words and Form

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Google
  • Email
Tags: fiction, flash fiction, having fun with writing, stories, word games, words

Character Types – and Why It Matters to Get Them Right

March 8, 2019 By Allison Symes 4 Comments

Feature Image - Character Types and Why It Matters to Get Them Right

What are your favourite types of fictional characters? Mine include:-

1. The deserving hero/heroine. (This is one reason why I love fairytales, they’re full of these!). [Read more…] about Character Types – and Why It Matters to Get Them Right

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Google
  • Email
Tags: character types, fiction, non-fiction, the purpose of stories
Next Page »

Primary Sidebar

Search

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to Chandler's Ford Today blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Archives

Top Posts & Pages

999, 111, 101, 112? Emergency Numbers You Must Know
101 Things to Put into Room 101
Home
Hook Road Hutments and My Family by Peter Russell - Part 1
My Favourite Short Walk - Itchen Navigation from Bishopstoke to Allbrook
Hidden Hampshire - Woodland Walks: Jermyns Lane
A walk in a park
101 Things to Put into Room 101 - Part 7 - The Final Leg
Meet The Chinese Cop Andy Lai
Cat & Kitten Rescue in Chandler's Ford

Categories

Tags

arts and crafts books Chandler's Ford Chandler's Ford Today Chandler’s Ford community charity Christianity Christmas church community creative writing culture Eastleigh Eastleigh Borough Council education entertainment event family fundraising gardening good neighbours Hiltingbury Hiltingbury Road history hobby how-to interview Joan Adamson Joan Adelaide Goater local businesses local interest memory Methodist Church music nature news reading religion review social storytelling theatre travel Winchester Road writing

Recent Comments

  • Allison Symes on Judging a Book by its Cover – Part 1
  • David Lamb on Judging a Book by its Cover – Part 1
  • Allison Symes on Judging a Book by its Cover – Part 1
  • Jim Bates on Judging a Book by its Cover – Part 1
  • Allison Symes on Story Types
  • Jim Bates on Story Types

Regular Writers and Contributors

Janet Williams Allison Symes Mike Sedgwick Rick Goater Doug Clews chippy minton Martin Napier Roger White Andy Vining Gopi Chandroth Nicola Slade Wellie Roger Clark Ray Fishman Hazel Bateman SO53 News

Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal by Joan Adelaide Goater

Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal by Joan Adelaide Goater

Growing up in Chandler’s Ford: 1950s – 1960s by Martin Napier

Growing up in Chandler’s Ford: 1950s – 1960s by Martin Napier

My Memories of the War Years in Chandler’s Ford 1939 – 1945 by Doug Clews

My Memories of the War Years in Chandler’s Ford 1939 – 1945 by Doug Clews

Chandler’s Ford War Memorial Research by Margaret Doores

Chandler’s Ford War Memorial Research by Margaret Doores

History of Hiltonbury Farmhouse by Andy Vining

History of Hiltonbury Farmhouse by Andy Vining

My Family History in Chandler’s Ford and Hursley by Roger White

My Family History in Chandler’s Ford and Hursley by Roger White

Do You Remember The Hutments? By Nick John

Do You Remember The Hutments? By Nick John

Memory of Peter Green by Wendy Green

Memory of Peter Green by Wendy Green

History of Vickers Armstrongs (Supermarine) Hursley Park by Dave Key

History of Vickers Armstrongs (Supermarine) Hursley Park by Dave Key

Reviews of local performances and places

Reviews of local performances and places

Copyright © 2021 Chandler's Ford Today. WordPress. Log in

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.