Allison Symes's Blog, page 33
August 10, 2019
Books, Glorious Books
B - Brilliant entertainment
O - Own portable library in print or on Kindle
O - Only lack of light or tiredness stops me reading
K - Kindle has transformed reading for me
S - Stories - so many, so little time!
G - Genre - there is at least one to suit you!
L - Libraries will always need support and can be a great way to try out authors new to you.
O - Originality in story and characters is hard to achieve but your take on such should be original.
R - Reading (what else?!)
I - Imagination. Reading and writing books should fuel this.
O - Only one book at a time or several on the go? Which camp do you fall in?
U - Unsung heroes in books - I love these. Best examples for me are Sam Gamgee and Mr Tumnus from The Lord of the Rings and The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe respectively.
S - Sagas. Not my thing but I admire those who can write them. So many threads to tie up!
B - Best books of all? The ones you re-read and the ones you recall from years ago without re-reading.
O - Omnipresent narration. I do still have a soft spot for this.
O - Oily characters like Wormtongue from TLOTR are the ones you love to loathe.
K - Kindle again but it has saved much packing anguish!
S - Selective reading. I tend to read crime for a while, then fantasy, etc. I want to make sure I cover all the genres I like
O - Own portable library in print or on Kindle
O - Only lack of light or tiredness stops me reading
K - Kindle has transformed reading for me
S - Stories - so many, so little time!
G - Genre - there is at least one to suit you!
L - Libraries will always need support and can be a great way to try out authors new to you.
O - Originality in story and characters is hard to achieve but your take on such should be original.
R - Reading (what else?!)
I - Imagination. Reading and writing books should fuel this.
O - Only one book at a time or several on the go? Which camp do you fall in?
U - Unsung heroes in books - I love these. Best examples for me are Sam Gamgee and Mr Tumnus from The Lord of the Rings and The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe respectively.
S - Sagas. Not my thing but I admire those who can write them. So many threads to tie up!
B - Best books of all? The ones you re-read and the ones you recall from years ago without re-reading.
O - Omnipresent narration. I do still have a soft spot for this.
O - Oily characters like Wormtongue from TLOTR are the ones you love to loathe.
K - Kindle again but it has saved much packing anguish!
S - Selective reading. I tend to read crime for a while, then fantasy, etc. I want to make sure I cover all the genres I like
August 3, 2019
Books You Can't Finish
I'm glad to say there aren't many books I haven't been able to finish but I guess this is one of those things that happens to most of us.
I always think it's a bit of a shame when this does occur and I ask myself just why I couldn't finish the book. The answer is nearly always that the characters didn't grip me enough to make me want to find out what happened to them.
These days, given life is short and I have to TBR pile to be seen to be believed (and on my Kindle too!), anything that doesn't hook me quickly is discarded.
It's a good challenge to me as a writer to ensure I do put plenty of hooks into my flash fiction and short stories.
It also makes you appreciate those wonderful writers who can keep doing this book after book after book over many, many years. When I think P.G. Wodehouse wrote over 90 books and was consistently funny, well for me that's genius and should be recognised as such.
Now back to my reading...
I always think it's a bit of a shame when this does occur and I ask myself just why I couldn't finish the book. The answer is nearly always that the characters didn't grip me enough to make me want to find out what happened to them.
These days, given life is short and I have to TBR pile to be seen to be believed (and on my Kindle too!), anything that doesn't hook me quickly is discarded.
It's a good challenge to me as a writer to ensure I do put plenty of hooks into my flash fiction and short stories.
It also makes you appreciate those wonderful writers who can keep doing this book after book after book over many, many years. When I think P.G. Wodehouse wrote over 90 books and was consistently funny, well for me that's genius and should be recognised as such.
Now back to my reading...
July 27, 2019
WHAT A GOOD BOOK CAN LEAD TO...
Have you known a good book to change you?
For me, The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey has led to a huge interest in Richard III and conviction he is not guilty of the murder of The Princes in the Tower, assuming they were killed.
There is no evidence they were killed and my own view is at least one was smuggled out of the country. Richard himself was smuggled out as a boy so it would've been known it could be done and Henry Tudor was never able to prove where the boys were, else he would've done. That really would have damned Richard.
That aside, good books have expanded my view of how irony works thanks to Austen, Wodehouse, and Pratchett. Now there's a trio for you!
Good books have expanded my ideas of what can be done in fiction, especially in fantasy. There's a reason The Lord of the Rings is considered an epic. It is! The sheer scale and scope of the trilogy will always amaze me.
Good books open your mind and imagination.
Happy reading!
For me, The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey has led to a huge interest in Richard III and conviction he is not guilty of the murder of The Princes in the Tower, assuming they were killed.
There is no evidence they were killed and my own view is at least one was smuggled out of the country. Richard himself was smuggled out as a boy so it would've been known it could be done and Henry Tudor was never able to prove where the boys were, else he would've done. That really would have damned Richard.
That aside, good books have expanded my view of how irony works thanks to Austen, Wodehouse, and Pratchett. Now there's a trio for you!
Good books have expanded my ideas of what can be done in fiction, especially in fantasy. There's a reason The Lord of the Rings is considered an epic. It is! The sheer scale and scope of the trilogy will always amaze me.
Good books open your mind and imagination.
Happy reading!
WHAT A GOOD BOOK CAN LEAD TO...
Have you known a good book to change you?
For me, The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey has led to a huge interest in Richard III and conviction he is not guilty of the murder of The Princes in the Tower, assuming they were killed.
There is no evidence they were killed and my own view is at least one was smuggled out of the country. Richard himself was smuggled out as a boy so it would've been known it could be done and Henry Tudor was never able to prove where the boys were, else he would've done. That really would have damned Richard.
That aside, good books have expanded my view of how irony works thanks to Austen, Wodehouse, and Pratchett. Now there's a trio for you!
Good books have expanded my ideas of what can be done in fiction, especially in fantasy. There's a reason The Lord of the Rings is considered an epic. It is! The sheer scale and scope of the trilogy will always amaze me.
Good books open your mind and imagination.
Happy reading!
For me, The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey has led to a huge interest in Richard III and conviction he is not guilty of the murder of The Princes in the Tower, assuming they were killed.
There is no evidence they were killed and my own view is at least one was smuggled out of the country. Richard himself was smuggled out as a boy so it would've been known it could be done and Henry Tudor was never able to prove where the boys were, else he would've done. That really would have damned Richard.
That aside, good books have expanded my view of how irony works thanks to Austen, Wodehouse, and Pratchett. Now there's a trio for you!
Good books have expanded my ideas of what can be done in fiction, especially in fantasy. There's a reason The Lord of the Rings is considered an epic. It is! The sheer scale and scope of the trilogy will always amaze me.
Good books open your mind and imagination.
Happy reading!
July 20, 2019
I'm "Just" Reading
Do you ever feel guilty when you get to relax with a book? I must admit I do sometimes. There are always other things I could be getting on which would be more obviously useful.
However, that is the point. Those other things will always be there. And all writers know you need to read widely and well to feed and nurture your own imagination.
So I will continue to "just" read as and when I can though the majority of my reading time is at bedtime. It is the perfect way to wind down before sleeping (though this may be why it is just as well I'm not a huge fan of horror. I don't want to be too scared to go to sleep!).
Flash fiction and short story collections are a great boon for people whose reading time is limited, given they make good books to dip into for those breaks in the day when you have a lovely ten minutes to relish a cup of something nice and get to "steal" some reading time to go with it. (So now you know what I do when I have a cuppa!).
I've never had time for those who look down on genre fiction as somehow being less worthy. Genre fiction - and reading for entertainment only - brings people into reading. Who knows what they will go on to read but it is vital that spark to read is ignited. Besides being able to entertain others with words you've written is something rather special.
The purpose of reading from a writer's viewpoint is to engage with the reader whether you're reading something serious or something light. Nobody says it has to be deadly dull and worthy. Let it be what it is - an entertaining read. It really is good enough (and more difficult to achieve than some people think).
However, that is the point. Those other things will always be there. And all writers know you need to read widely and well to feed and nurture your own imagination.
So I will continue to "just" read as and when I can though the majority of my reading time is at bedtime. It is the perfect way to wind down before sleeping (though this may be why it is just as well I'm not a huge fan of horror. I don't want to be too scared to go to sleep!).
Flash fiction and short story collections are a great boon for people whose reading time is limited, given they make good books to dip into for those breaks in the day when you have a lovely ten minutes to relish a cup of something nice and get to "steal" some reading time to go with it. (So now you know what I do when I have a cuppa!).
I've never had time for those who look down on genre fiction as somehow being less worthy. Genre fiction - and reading for entertainment only - brings people into reading. Who knows what they will go on to read but it is vital that spark to read is ignited. Besides being able to entertain others with words you've written is something rather special.
The purpose of reading from a writer's viewpoint is to engage with the reader whether you're reading something serious or something light. Nobody says it has to be deadly dull and worthy. Let it be what it is - an entertaining read. It really is good enough (and more difficult to achieve than some people think).
July 13, 2019
Storytelling
I love taking in stories via reading, of course, but also have a very soft spot for the oral storytelling tradition. We owe our oldest tales to that tradition, but there is something wonderful about being told a story.
Whether it brings back happy memories of being read to as a child, or of great jokes told as a story, if you get the chance to go to Open Prose and/or Poetry Nights, do go. As well as supporting those taking part, you are helping to keep this fantastic heritage going.
I always loved the Ronnie Corbett monologues in The Two Ronnies. The ultimate in shaggy dog tales, I think, though I also love the My Word collection by the equally much missed Frank Muir and Denis Norden. I didn't hear the radio series on which these are based, but if you love puns, do look them up.
Stories on radio and audio books are the modern oral storytelling methods, I guess. What would Chaucer or Shakespeare made of those?!
Whether it brings back happy memories of being read to as a child, or of great jokes told as a story, if you get the chance to go to Open Prose and/or Poetry Nights, do go. As well as supporting those taking part, you are helping to keep this fantastic heritage going.
I always loved the Ronnie Corbett monologues in The Two Ronnies. The ultimate in shaggy dog tales, I think, though I also love the My Word collection by the equally much missed Frank Muir and Denis Norden. I didn't hear the radio series on which these are based, but if you love puns, do look them up.
Stories on radio and audio books are the modern oral storytelling methods, I guess. What would Chaucer or Shakespeare made of those?!
July 6, 2019
Settings in Books
Does the setting in a book matter to you?
I was always gripped by Kirrin Island in the Famous Five series by Enid Blyton. (I guess the nearest I got to visiting anything like it was when I went on a day trip to Brownsea Island, just off Poole! I lacked the lashings of ginger beer though... sighs...).
One of the things I love about The Lord of the Rings is the way The Shire is conjured up as a lovely place to live. Mordor is anything but! The films did full justice to this too. (Not always true for film adaptations either).
A really good setting is almost a character in its own right and the authors treat them that way too. This is true for Narnia, Winnie the Pooh (I've just got to say 100 Acre Wood and that will conjure up the world of Pooh immediately - to me at least!), amongst many, many others.
Do I need intensive descriptions of settings? Not really.
What I look for is enough for me to be able to visualise that setting for myself. Also, the characters should fit the setting - Jeeves and Wooster are great examples of that. There shouldn't be any feeling of anything of anyone being out of place. Even the villains in a story should fit (think of the weasels in The Wind in the Willows for example - they still fit in that world).
Which are your favourite settings and why?
I was always gripped by Kirrin Island in the Famous Five series by Enid Blyton. (I guess the nearest I got to visiting anything like it was when I went on a day trip to Brownsea Island, just off Poole! I lacked the lashings of ginger beer though... sighs...).
One of the things I love about The Lord of the Rings is the way The Shire is conjured up as a lovely place to live. Mordor is anything but! The films did full justice to this too. (Not always true for film adaptations either).
A really good setting is almost a character in its own right and the authors treat them that way too. This is true for Narnia, Winnie the Pooh (I've just got to say 100 Acre Wood and that will conjure up the world of Pooh immediately - to me at least!), amongst many, many others.
Do I need intensive descriptions of settings? Not really.
What I look for is enough for me to be able to visualise that setting for myself. Also, the characters should fit the setting - Jeeves and Wooster are great examples of that. There shouldn't be any feeling of anything of anyone being out of place. Even the villains in a story should fit (think of the weasels in The Wind in the Willows for example - they still fit in that world).
Which are your favourite settings and why?
June 29, 2019
Changing Books
Which books stay with you as firm favourites throughout and which only last for a specific period in your life?
I wouldn't give you a thank you for the old Peter and Jane books again (!) but would probably still enjoy the Famous Five.
The Lord of the Rings and the Chronicles of Narnia, along with the classic fairytales, will always be favourites.
But the joy of reading is discovering new genres and authors. It has only been comparatively recently I've discovered the joys of non-fiction reading. It wasn't as if I was particularly against it, I just hadn't tried any.
Now it's a regular part of my reading routine. (I like the Ben Macintyre books especially. Loved Agent Zigzag in particular). The best non-fiction uses great fictional storytelling techniques and should keep you as gripped as an epic novel.
Which books from your reading past would you change now? Which would you change them for?
I wouldn't give you a thank you for the old Peter and Jane books again (!) but would probably still enjoy the Famous Five.
The Lord of the Rings and the Chronicles of Narnia, along with the classic fairytales, will always be favourites.
But the joy of reading is discovering new genres and authors. It has only been comparatively recently I've discovered the joys of non-fiction reading. It wasn't as if I was particularly against it, I just hadn't tried any.
Now it's a regular part of my reading routine. (I like the Ben Macintyre books especially. Loved Agent Zigzag in particular). The best non-fiction uses great fictional storytelling techniques and should keep you as gripped as an epic novel.
Which books from your reading past would you change now? Which would you change them for?
June 22, 2019
What Do You Look For in a Story?
What people look for in a story differs of course but, for me, the primary wish is to be entertained.
I don't like it when genre fiction is looked down on for not being "highbrow". That isn't the purpose of genre fiction. Besides genre fiction CAN be challenging and make readers think.
There is nothing wrong in writing or reading "merely" to be entertained. A good story that can make you forget your troubles for while is wonderful.
One of the lovely things about books/stories is they can take you out of yourself for a while and that is invaluable. In difficult times, I've relished those periods when I've been able to escape with a good book. The ability to escape for a while is crucial.
I can understand the point of misery memoir but frankly it isn't for me. I hope others find healing and help through it but I want to switch off the real world when I read and deliberately venture into something I know is totally made up!
I don't like it when genre fiction is looked down on for not being "highbrow". That isn't the purpose of genre fiction. Besides genre fiction CAN be challenging and make readers think.
There is nothing wrong in writing or reading "merely" to be entertained. A good story that can make you forget your troubles for while is wonderful.
One of the lovely things about books/stories is they can take you out of yourself for a while and that is invaluable. In difficult times, I've relished those periods when I've been able to escape with a good book. The ability to escape for a while is crucial.
I can understand the point of misery memoir but frankly it isn't for me. I hope others find healing and help through it but I want to switch off the real world when I read and deliberately venture into something I know is totally made up!
June 15, 2019
Planning Your Reading
Do you plan your reading time? Over a week, I like to make sure I've had a good balance of magazine, short story, flash fiction, non-fiction, and novel reading. I like to mix Kindle and paper reading too.
Whether it is better to read one thing before moving on to the next, or reading slices of different forms is best, is down to personal preference, of course. What is good is changing what you read whether you do this sequentially or not.
I've gone for the "slices" approach because some evenings I really do just want to read a novel. The next evening I'll want to read short stories. I don't want to feel obliged to finish one thing first.
Having said that, a fantastic book will keep me gripped as a reader so I have to complete it. The challenge for a writer is to produce that effect!
Whether it is better to read one thing before moving on to the next, or reading slices of different forms is best, is down to personal preference, of course. What is good is changing what you read whether you do this sequentially or not.
I've gone for the "slices" approach because some evenings I really do just want to read a novel. The next evening I'll want to read short stories. I don't want to feel obliged to finish one thing first.
Having said that, a fantastic book will keep me gripped as a reader so I have to complete it. The challenge for a writer is to produce that effect!
