chrisbutler

Spent the day yesterday reviewing the proofs for my forthcoming fantasy novella, which will be coming out through Immersion Press. I think we're close to setting a publication date for this now. Hopefully we can announce it very soon.

Today, since the sun is shining, I think I should go outside and enjoy it.



 

My story "Tell Me Everything" came equal 11th in the Interzone poll of its readers for last year. I'm actually quite pleased with that. They published 28 stories.

Congratulations to Nina Allan and Suzanne Palmer who came out equal top.

And lo I have set myself up on goodreads. I like it so far.

The daylight hours over the last few weekends have been split between writing revisions and tidying up in the garden. A very daring little robin likes to position itself somewhere near me when I am in the garden, and sing loudly. This cheers me up as I persevere with endless pruning, mostly of last year's brambles, but also today I have spent some time on the giant overgrown roses. I feel confident it is now lunchtime, so I will tidy away the shears and loppers, have lunch and get back to the writing. Maybe if I leave the door open the robin will come in and observe my progress on that too.

Lovely animation for Kate Bush's "Lake Tahoe." My favourite song on the album.

Smaller than a novel but bigger than a short story, the novella is proving popular in e-formats.

If you're in the mood for such a thing I draw your attention to Strata by Bradley P. Beaulieu and Stephen Gaskell.

Steve is ex of the Montpelier writing group (of which I am still a member) and we like him a lot. Further details and purchasing available at Amazon UK, Amazon US, and B & N.

"My success rate for getting stories published is about the same for stories I've had critiqued as it is for stories I haven't."

These are the words of a fellow writer, said to me some years ago, and I've always remembered it because paradoxically it isn't an argument against critiquing or being part of a writing group.

On the face of it, this suggests there is no need to get any kind of feedback on a story prior to sending it out for publication. But one thing to keep in mind is that the comment was made by a professional writer who knows her craft and understands the industry she is providing stories to. Note also that (far from being an argument against critiquing) she was nevertheless in a writing group getting half her published stories critiqued first.

Two cautionary statements from me: There is little point in getting your work critiqued by someone who cannot write at or near a professional level. And there is little point in being critiqued by someone who is not sensitive to what you are trying to achieve (as opposed to their own agenda).

While it might not always be possible to pull together an all-professional group of writers, it is certainly possible to aspire to it. Here's another quote I could attribute to any number of writing friends:

"I am a much better writer now than I was before I joined my writing group."

Without a doubt, one of the primary purposes of a writing group is to improve, as individuals and collectively. It is no crime to be a novice, provided you have some degree of talent and a desire to improve.

My biggest frustrations in this context have been with individuals who insist on making the same mistakes over and over, or somehow think that basic writing craft doesn't matter. If they ever do find an editor willing to fix their mistakes (a rare beast) they still learn nothing from it. Inevitably they tend to vanish back into the obscurity whence they came.

One thing a writing group cannot help with very much is the story idea. When I receive a story to critique, the idea, the spark of inspiration for it, is already there. I can comment on the execution, the exploration of that idea, but it's not my job to come up with it in the first place. Nor should it be. I know some groups do challenge each other to write to agreed story ideas. As a technical exercise this might have some value, but on the whole I do think a writer should come up with their own ideas.

What the group can do is point out any clichés in the idea or the treatment of it. While it can be disheartening to learn you've inadvertently written a story that has been done a thousand times before (and better) it is better to learn it from your friends than from an editor or (worse) a critic post-publication. A writing group provides diversity of knowledge (they read a lot and they know stuff).

If you're a precious flower who only wants to be told how marvellous you are, there are no doubt groups who will tell you that. And you might well feel better about yourself than you will if you actually get something published and have your story criticized further for its every flaw. It all depends what you're after.

Which is not to say we don't ever enthuse about things. Indeed we do, a lot. But usually there is some kind of improvement possible. And why would you resist making your work better?

For myself, I like to get feedback on a story at the earliest possible time. This means I've written the story, it has a beginning, middle and end, but I haven't necessarily sweated blood over every line. I am possibly still considering options, but have committed at least one possible choice to paper (disk). At this point I am open to ideas for how it can be better. I am open to being told that one element or another does not work. If I work on the story for too long in isolation I become less and less inclined to seek feedback on it. I've put too much into it then to change direction.

And sometimes it is ok to just do your own thing, especially as you become more experienced, because you've learned your lessons on other stories.

Also, it has to be said, you do not want to be swayed from your own vision of what it is you're doing. A writing group is there to support you, not derail you.

The other great thing about writing groups (possibly the very best thing) is that you get to hear what people say about everyone else's writing. Did they really like her story for that reason? Did they really hate his story because it did that? For me, this is a big reason why a group that meets and discusses face-to-face is better than a group that works by email.

The point of a writing group is to learn from each other, and to get better at the craft of writing.


Originally posted at the montpelier writing group journal page.

Can it really be December already? The mind boggles. The months seem to have raced by this year. Suddenly it is time to buy Christmas cards and gifts and... wasn't the year just starting five minutes ago?

Soon it will be time to reflect on the best of the year, the stuff that really impressed me. As I've been working on a novel I haven't had as much time to read as I would like. So I am looking forward to the Christmas break and a chance to catch up a little.

I still have writing things to do before 2011 draws to a close. There are two new short stories that just need a bit more polishing. One of them is almost there, the other not quite yet. Thirty days to go. I better make haste.

A snowflake falls through the sky, looking for someone to catch it. A woman in Victorian dress lies beneath the surface of an ice cold lake. A woman cuts her hand while making a snow man, which then visits her in her bedroom. The footprints of the yeti are quietly brushed away to preserve its mystery. Two lovers meet and lose each other across many lifetimes. Invented words for snow. Someone surrounded by angels, but unaware.

It sounds like a collection of genre fiction. One I would want to read, or even contribute to. Ghost stories and fantasy stories for a quiet winter night with a warm fire to keep the cold at bay. But it is in fact the new album from Kate Bush.

This openness to the fantastic is just one of the reasons why I find her music so beguiling. The album seems to be reaping rave reviews from most critics, with a minority (those with little imagination or patience, one suspects) baffled by its quiet winteriness.

Certainly it is no kind of "pop" album - the tracks are long, and closer to classical or jazz music (if all jazz were like this I would be a much bigger fan of it). There are few tracks in her back catalogue that resemble the sound here, though I am reminded strongly of a song called "All The Love" on The Dreaming album, and "Under Ice" from Hounds of Love.

I thought perhaps I might dislike some of the guest male voices on the album but in fact I enjoy them all. I've rarely heard a piano recorded so beautifully, and Kate's voice, pitched a little lower these days, is as lovely as ever.

Basically, a triumph.