Step inside to witness the shameful soliciting of fiction (1/16th my responsibility) - by Paz
Paz on 22/5/2007 at 12:26
I have
Labyrinths by Borges, which is rather splendid.
My Alice bit really IS too short, but I was bound by the demands for 500 words and no more. The original was about 750 words, before I started hacking away like a drunken fishmonger. Unfortunately, although I was happy with what I eventually settled on, the climax still always feels a bit rushed (you can make up your own joke at this point).
It actually seems as though the short story is having an attempted UK renaissance at the moment - there're quite a few contests, new publishers and (
http://www.theshortstory.org.uk/) arts-council-funded campaigns giving the format a go. And hurrah for that, because I'd like a slice if at all possible.
OnionBob on 22/5/2007 at 12:54
G fuckin G paz, it's good to see proof for my theory that the best writers aren't the twats banging away on the internet with their writing blogs and their "i'm a writer, i write, i love to write, because i'm a writer," posturing and self-publication (NAMING NO NAMES) but rather just sitting back, plugging quietly away, and getting the job done with the minimum of fuss and attention seeking.
When i saw this published in the Guardian my heart swelled a little with internet pride. It's a tight, crafty piece with genuine purpose and flair. Good going dogg.
Fingernail on 22/5/2007 at 17:07
Good stuff, Paz, the Alice piece made me smile widely with satisfaction.
On the other hand, though, Bob, one of Paz's fellow authors in this collection has his own (hilariously unhilarious) patch in the blogosphere: (
http://humorousarts.co.uk/)
SD on 22/5/2007 at 23:39
Wow Paz! I'm impressed to the max! :D
I never realised there was such popularity for short stories these days... how many words do they typically run to? I'm halfway inspired to write some of my own :)
Scots Taffer on 23/5/2007 at 00:09
Quote Posted by Strangeblue
Good shorts are an art separated from novels by a common activity: writing.
Yes, of course, while they are technically very different things I often find that I can get more out of a short story than a novel, not sure if that's due to my lifestyle requiring a more instant fix these days. In all honesty, I've encountered short stories with more depth of character and intriguing scenarios than many modern novels (in fact, quite a few novels I've read have really only been glorified short stories). I like the fact that a writer has little room for error in short story or novella format and hence has to work quickly to get the reader into the same world as he or she has created in their mind.
Quote Posted by Paz
It actually seems as though the short story is having an attempted UK renaissance at the moment - there're quite a few contests, new publishers and (
http://www.theshortstory.org.uk/) arts-council-funded campaigns giving the format a go. And hurrah for that, because I'd like a slice if at all possible.
That can only be a good thing, as I previously noted the short story market has been in dire straits for some time now and has been in need of a boost. Here's hoping it's not a half-assed initiative.
Also, as was already said, it is encouraging to see someone who just keeps their head down and gets their creative output into the world especially to those (like me) who think about writing more than actually doing it! Not to mention that stories are very important, they can touch people, and a simple tale can warm the heart of even the most joyless sod.
I
will eventually look up Borges: is
Labyrinths considered his best?
