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research

Being Interviewed

September 26, 2025 By Allison Symes Leave a Comment

Image Credits: Images created in Book Brush using Pixabay images. The Writers’ Narrative image was supplied by Wendy H Jones with text added by me, Allison Symes, via Book Brush.

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”.

[Read more…] about Being Interviewed

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Tags: Allison Symes interview, am writing, author interviews, being the interviewee, being the interviewer, Chandler's Ford Today, prep work for interviews, research, Writers' Narrative

History – Fact and Fiction

April 19, 2024 By Allison Symes Leave a Comment

Image Credits:- 
Images created via Book Brush using Pixabay photos. Some images directly from Pixabay. My book cover image from Chapeltown Books.

Earlier this month, I had the great pleasure and privilege of presenting to an online history group a PowerPoint on Josephine Tey (author of The Daughter of Time) and Philippa Langley (co-author, with Michael Jones, of The Search for Richard III: The King’s Grave, and, more recently, The Princes in the Tower, where she is sole author).

[Read more…] about History – Fact and Fiction

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Tags: Agent ZigZag, am reading, am writing, Ben Macintyre. Operation Mincemeat. Double Cross, checking research, historical fiction, historical non-fiction, history, Josephine Tey, making history interesting, Philippa Langley. The Princes in the Tower. historical flash fiction, research, The Daughter of Time

The Joys and Pitfalls of Writing Research

May 19, 2023 By Allison Symes Leave a Comment

Image Credit:   Images created in Book Brush using Pixabay photos. One image from CFT archives.

Every writer has to carry out some research regardless of whether they write fiction or not. As I mentioned in my History in Stories post last week, the need for research crops up in every fictional genre. It perhaps is a more obvious need for the non-fiction writer.

[Read more…] about The Joys and Pitfalls of Writing Research

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Tags: am reading, am writing, crediting sources, fiction, joys of writing research, non-fiction, pitfalls of writing research, research

Good Writing Topics

October 22, 2021 By Allison Symes 5 Comments

Image Credit:  Images created in Book Brush using Pixabay photos. Title page from Pride and Prejudice taken from Chandler’s Ford Today archives.

So what do I mean exactly by a “good” writing topic? Surely whether it is good or not depends on the nuances, personal bias etc of the writer in question (and whether you agree with them or not!), and whether they “deliver” on the theme in an entertaining and/or interesting way?

[Read more…] about Good Writing Topics

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Tags: am writing, creative writing, finding ideas, inspiration, picking good topics, research, writing topics

Small World Syndrome – Part 2 – Helen Matthews

July 9, 2021 By Allison Symes 2 Comments

Image Credit: Many thanks to Helen Matthews for supplying the author and book cover pics. Other images either created in Book Brush using Pixabay photos or are direct Pixabay images.

Welcome back, Helen, to Chandler’s Ford Today. This week Helen shares with me what drew her into writing domestic noir, her social media preferences, and reveals her top three tips for writers amongst other topics.

[Read more…] about Small World Syndrome – Part 2 – Helen Matthews

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Tags: After Leaving the Village, am reading, am writing, creative writing, domestic noir, Facade, Helen Matthews, Lies Behind the Ruins, research, three top tips for writers, thrillers. social media

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

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Tags: behind the scenes, creative writing, fiction, non-fiction, research, volunteering

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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

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Reviews of local performances and places

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