I was asked a few weeks ago about appearing at a literary event as part of the Three Harbours Arts festival. It spans a week and hosts lots of events promoting the arts, including music, literature, and arts and crafts over various venues in East Lothian, Scotland.
"Sure," I said. "Sounds like fun. What do you want me to do?"
"Read a story," they said.
Of course, it wasn't that easy - I had to write the story first.
Also, it couldn't be too dark as there would be young children present.
Well, I wrote the story. I liked it, and moreover, I liked that I managed to weave a hint of a local legend into it, as well.
The evening was a resounding success. There was a diverse bunch of writers there, and it was fascinating to hear their stories. I also learned a few things, technical tricks to play with language and a couple of the stories gave me an insight into character development from a totally different style to mine.
It also gave me a fresh appreciation for the short story form. I've always liked it, but this reinforced just how hard each word has to work. I've been thinking about some of the ideas I've got for stories and finding fresh new angles to explore them from. I've found myself mapping out plots in my head, ready to write.
Oh, and my story was well received. I didn't even scare the children.
At least, not this time...
"Sure," I said. "Sounds like fun. What do you want me to do?"
"Read a story," they said.
Of course, it wasn't that easy - I had to write the story first.
Also, it couldn't be too dark as there would be young children present.
Well, I wrote the story. I liked it, and moreover, I liked that I managed to weave a hint of a local legend into it, as well.
The evening was a resounding success. There was a diverse bunch of writers there, and it was fascinating to hear their stories. I also learned a few things, technical tricks to play with language and a couple of the stories gave me an insight into character development from a totally different style to mine.
It also gave me a fresh appreciation for the short story form. I've always liked it, but this reinforced just how hard each word has to work. I've been thinking about some of the ideas I've got for stories and finding fresh new angles to explore them from. I've found myself mapping out plots in my head, ready to write.
Oh, and my story was well received. I didn't even scare the children.
At least, not this time...