Allison Symes's Blog, page 37
November 10, 2018
Remembering
I write this on the eve of Remembrance Sunday/Armistice Day 2018 when all thoughts turn to remembering those who sacrificed so much.
This is where the war poetry of Sassoon and Owen amongst others hits home. This is where historical writing - fiction AND non-fiction, can truly show what life would have been like in the trenches (and make us devoutly thankful we'll never face anything like that).
The testimonies and local history records should be treasured. Reading others' experiences and thoughts should encourage empathy in us (and I think is one of the truly great things about fiction generally).
There are so many stories - someone local to me has found out the stories of those on our War Memorial. Imagine that happening up and down the UK. Every single person recalled and their story told.
Fiction is wonderful and should reflect the human condition but the sheer brutal facts of non-fiction around things like the World Wars should never be forgotten. We owe a huge debt to those who wrote things down so we have those written records. We dare not forget (else be destined to re-live) and writers play a crucial role here.
This is where the war poetry of Sassoon and Owen amongst others hits home. This is where historical writing - fiction AND non-fiction, can truly show what life would have been like in the trenches (and make us devoutly thankful we'll never face anything like that).
The testimonies and local history records should be treasured. Reading others' experiences and thoughts should encourage empathy in us (and I think is one of the truly great things about fiction generally).
There are so many stories - someone local to me has found out the stories of those on our War Memorial. Imagine that happening up and down the UK. Every single person recalled and their story told.
Fiction is wonderful and should reflect the human condition but the sheer brutal facts of non-fiction around things like the World Wars should never be forgotten. We owe a huge debt to those who wrote things down so we have those written records. We dare not forget (else be destined to re-live) and writers play a crucial role here.
November 4, 2018
Seasonal Reading
Do you worry about reading according to the seasons?
I generally don't, though will concede I read more during the autumn and winter. There is just something about the longer dark evenings that encourage getting the Kindle out or raiding the To Be Read pile. For me, it is one of the joys of the colder times of year. (The other is hot chocolate!).
But what I read doesn't change much during the year. I read according to mood. So if I fancy crime, I read that. If I want historical I go for that. (Sometimes I fancy historical crime!!). The great thing about reading and writing flash fiction is one collection can cover a lot of moods in one volume! Mine falls into that category.
I will put my hands up to re-reading Terry Pratchett's Reaper Man around Harvest Festival Time and his Hogfather in the run up to Christmas though but that is about it for me for seasonal reading.
What I would like to do more of though is read more poetry. I know what I like in that line when I come across it but it is remembering to do so. For me it is the easiest thing in the world to reach for prose to suit my moods. And of course the majority of the time that is exactly what I do.
I do have what I call "comfort reading" books and these are generally humorous like Pratchett or Wodehouse. When I want a sure fire bet to entertain and amuse me, these are where I head first.
So what do you read seasonally?
I generally don't, though will concede I read more during the autumn and winter. There is just something about the longer dark evenings that encourage getting the Kindle out or raiding the To Be Read pile. For me, it is one of the joys of the colder times of year. (The other is hot chocolate!).
But what I read doesn't change much during the year. I read according to mood. So if I fancy crime, I read that. If I want historical I go for that. (Sometimes I fancy historical crime!!). The great thing about reading and writing flash fiction is one collection can cover a lot of moods in one volume! Mine falls into that category.
I will put my hands up to re-reading Terry Pratchett's Reaper Man around Harvest Festival Time and his Hogfather in the run up to Christmas though but that is about it for me for seasonal reading.
What I would like to do more of though is read more poetry. I know what I like in that line when I come across it but it is remembering to do so. For me it is the easiest thing in the world to reach for prose to suit my moods. And of course the majority of the time that is exactly what I do.
I do have what I call "comfort reading" books and these are generally humorous like Pratchett or Wodehouse. When I want a sure fire bet to entertain and amuse me, these are where I head first.
So what do you read seasonally?
October 27, 2018
Music and Stories
As I'm typing this, I'm listening to a concert of John Williams' music being broadcast on Classic FM. (I do love the Listen Again feature!).
Every piece of music conjures up memories of films (often Spielberg ones) and with those memories come stories. Stories of when I discovered the film, the story contained within the movie itself etc. Of course so many movies are based on novels too.
So do you find a certain piece of music always conjures up stories for you? I've only to hear the opening notes of the Harry Potter film to be whisked away to recalling the books and movies (loved both).
I sometimes use music as a guide to help me create characters for my own writing. Character X would love this, Y would love that, etc.
I also love stories set to music. Up the Junction by Squeeze is a wonderful example of this - and a great ballad in the old tradition too.
When reading I have to read in silence but music is fab for when I can't just drop everything to pick up a book. I still have the stories and the memories of stories as I work on other matters and that has to be a good thing.
Every piece of music conjures up memories of films (often Spielberg ones) and with those memories come stories. Stories of when I discovered the film, the story contained within the movie itself etc. Of course so many movies are based on novels too.
So do you find a certain piece of music always conjures up stories for you? I've only to hear the opening notes of the Harry Potter film to be whisked away to recalling the books and movies (loved both).
I sometimes use music as a guide to help me create characters for my own writing. Character X would love this, Y would love that, etc.
I also love stories set to music. Up the Junction by Squeeze is a wonderful example of this - and a great ballad in the old tradition too.
When reading I have to read in silence but music is fab for when I can't just drop everything to pick up a book. I still have the stories and the memories of stories as I work on other matters and that has to be a good thing.
October 21, 2018
After The End, What Next?
If you've enjoyed a really good book, what do you do when you finish it? Go on to read more books by the same author, or read more in the same genre, or do you go for something that is completely different in mood and style?
I have done all three of these (though obviously not at the same time!) and it very much depends on my mood at the end of the story. If I've loved a gory crime thriller, I may well want something humorous to show the lighter side of life, albeit a fictional one!
With short stories especially, I tend to read a few by the same author before moving on. With novels, if the book has really gripped me, I've got to check out what else the author has done, even if I decide I'll come back to those later.
The important thing though is that whatever you read, you enjoy it so much, you keep on reading, no matter what author, genre, style etc you choose next. Happy reading!
I have done all three of these (though obviously not at the same time!) and it very much depends on my mood at the end of the story. If I've loved a gory crime thriller, I may well want something humorous to show the lighter side of life, albeit a fictional one!
With short stories especially, I tend to read a few by the same author before moving on. With novels, if the book has really gripped me, I've got to check out what else the author has done, even if I decide I'll come back to those later.
The important thing though is that whatever you read, you enjoy it so much, you keep on reading, no matter what author, genre, style etc you choose next. Happy reading!
October 14, 2018
Images and Stories
Can you think of one image that conjures up a story so much so that when you see these images you can't stop yourself recalling the tale? Some of mine are:-
1. A wardrobe. (Narnia). (Can make life awkward when walking past a furniture shop. I walk past, see the wardrobes and smile, though really I am a bit disappointed if I see someone open said wardrobe, and there are no pine trees, a lamp post, or lots of snow to be seen anywhere! I accept this may just be me).
2. A phone box (Dr. Who - and do check out the novels. They're great).
3. A block of marble. (King Arthur). (Sometimes get to see these when visiting historical buildings, cathedrals etc).
4. A bow and arrow (Robin Hood - and I still love the Disney version of that).
5. A bonnet. (I instantly think of Pride and Prejudice, though I usually only see said bonnet if going to some sort of exhibition).
6. A cigar. (Hamlet - yes I know! I AM old enough to remember the advert for Hamlet cigars but these days I see the product and think of the wonderful production of Hamlet I saw with Benedict Cumberbatch in the title role. I have at least gone upmarket a bit!).
7. A typewriter. I think of P.G. Wodehouse and his wonderful Jeeves and Wooster and Blandings stories in particular here.
8. White and red roses. I think of The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey which is a wonderful read and made me change my view on Richard III.
9. Daffodils. Yes, Wordsworth's poem comes immediately to mind. A story captures a moment in time for a character but poems can as well even if the "character" is the poet and you are sharing with them one of their life experiences.
10. A picnic. Conjures up images of the Famous Five by Enid Blyton - and yes I'm partial to ginger beer too.
1. A wardrobe. (Narnia). (Can make life awkward when walking past a furniture shop. I walk past, see the wardrobes and smile, though really I am a bit disappointed if I see someone open said wardrobe, and there are no pine trees, a lamp post, or lots of snow to be seen anywhere! I accept this may just be me).
2. A phone box (Dr. Who - and do check out the novels. They're great).
3. A block of marble. (King Arthur). (Sometimes get to see these when visiting historical buildings, cathedrals etc).
4. A bow and arrow (Robin Hood - and I still love the Disney version of that).
5. A bonnet. (I instantly think of Pride and Prejudice, though I usually only see said bonnet if going to some sort of exhibition).
6. A cigar. (Hamlet - yes I know! I AM old enough to remember the advert for Hamlet cigars but these days I see the product and think of the wonderful production of Hamlet I saw with Benedict Cumberbatch in the title role. I have at least gone upmarket a bit!).
7. A typewriter. I think of P.G. Wodehouse and his wonderful Jeeves and Wooster and Blandings stories in particular here.
8. White and red roses. I think of The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey which is a wonderful read and made me change my view on Richard III.
9. Daffodils. Yes, Wordsworth's poem comes immediately to mind. A story captures a moment in time for a character but poems can as well even if the "character" is the poet and you are sharing with them one of their life experiences.
10. A picnic. Conjures up images of the Famous Five by Enid Blyton - and yes I'm partial to ginger beer too.
October 8, 2018
Classic -v- Contemporary
Which books do you prefer reading? Classic or contemporary? I love both, naturally. A bookworm isn't going to worry about when a book came out. They just want the book to be good...
A lot of my contemporary reading is either flash fiction collections or crime novels. (I know: it IS a nice mix! Some of the flash fiction collections, including my own, include crime stories in them).
My classic reading includes Austen, Wodehouse, Dickens, Christie and so on. I like to think of these almost as comfort reading. I know the stories. I know I will love them. It's what I turn to when life gets particularly stressful. I want a known quantity at that point.
Terry Pratchett deserves a category of his own in that I read or listen to his works when I am in good need of a laugh. He never disappoints!
The flash fiction collections in turn amuse me, scare me, make me think and so on. I've got to be ready for the challenge of at least some of the stories in these. And that's fine. Good stories should make you think (even if they make you laugh or scream as well).
I tend to flit between catching up with lots of book reading, then switching to magazine reading. The important thing? I am reading - and loving it all!
A lot of my contemporary reading is either flash fiction collections or crime novels. (I know: it IS a nice mix! Some of the flash fiction collections, including my own, include crime stories in them).
My classic reading includes Austen, Wodehouse, Dickens, Christie and so on. I like to think of these almost as comfort reading. I know the stories. I know I will love them. It's what I turn to when life gets particularly stressful. I want a known quantity at that point.
Terry Pratchett deserves a category of his own in that I read or listen to his works when I am in good need of a laugh. He never disappoints!
The flash fiction collections in turn amuse me, scare me, make me think and so on. I've got to be ready for the challenge of at least some of the stories in these. And that's fine. Good stories should make you think (even if they make you laugh or scream as well).
I tend to flit between catching up with lots of book reading, then switching to magazine reading. The important thing? I am reading - and loving it all!
October 3, 2018
The TBR pile
Confession time. I have a large TBR pile in paperbacks AND on the Kindle. There really isn't enough time in the day, though it is nice to know I won't be running out of good reading material any time soon.
Does that mean I won't want any books bought for me for Christmas or book tokens/cards? Don't be silly, of course I will!
Okay, I may need to figure out a way of making sure my TBR pile (paperbacks) doesn't topple over and crush someone (probably me). Or that my Kindle doesn't explode with the effort of containing all those ebooks for me. But I'll manage those!
The lovely thing about being a reader and a writer is you're never stuck for gift ideas, whether you're dropping hints to your nearest and dearest, or buying for other readers and writers.
As for my TBR pile, back to reducing it a bit at a time (before I inevitably top it up again!).
Does that mean I won't want any books bought for me for Christmas or book tokens/cards? Don't be silly, of course I will!
Okay, I may need to figure out a way of making sure my TBR pile (paperbacks) doesn't topple over and crush someone (probably me). Or that my Kindle doesn't explode with the effort of containing all those ebooks for me. But I'll manage those!
The lovely thing about being a reader and a writer is you're never stuck for gift ideas, whether you're dropping hints to your nearest and dearest, or buying for other readers and writers.
As for my TBR pile, back to reducing it a bit at a time (before I inevitably top it up again!).
September 27, 2018
Playing with Language
One of the joys of reading across a wide range of genres, including non-fiction, is discovering the different ways authors play with language.
For me the late Denis Norden and Frank Muir were great exponents of this and one of my favourite paperbacks is their My Word The Ultimate Collection. This is full of puns and tall tales galore! Bliss and an addictive read.
I like crisp, punchy styles of writing but every so often you come across a line or two that are just so engrossing, they almost take your breath away. P.G. Wodehouse was a master at creating worlds within what would be considered now very long sentences, but you simply have to read to the end.
I suppose the real test of a good story is does it provoke your curiosity enough so you read it through regardless of the style or genre in which it was written?
For me the late Denis Norden and Frank Muir were great exponents of this and one of my favourite paperbacks is their My Word The Ultimate Collection. This is full of puns and tall tales galore! Bliss and an addictive read.
I like crisp, punchy styles of writing but every so often you come across a line or two that are just so engrossing, they almost take your breath away. P.G. Wodehouse was a master at creating worlds within what would be considered now very long sentences, but you simply have to read to the end.
I suppose the real test of a good story is does it provoke your curiosity enough so you read it through regardless of the style or genre in which it was written?
September 22, 2018
Story Moods
What are your favourite moods in stories? Does it depend on the mood you're currently in?
I find the latter isn't necessarily the case. I often turn to humour for escapism when life is proving to be somewhat on the grim side. I doubt I'm the only one.
I like the character moods in any story to be those I can identify with at some level. I like to be able to see that, yes I too would react like this, or no, I wouldn't but can see exactly why that character has. This is where not glossing over a character's flaws is so important. It really should be a warts and all portrayal.
I admit I can only take "grim" in small doses. My overall favourite are humorous stories but I like crime, historical fiction, and thrillers amongst others. I like to see where the detectives are struggling to solve the crime and are getting frustrated with that. I like to see why a historical character would react the way they have and how the context of their times shapes that.
So what are your favourite character moods and why?
I find the latter isn't necessarily the case. I often turn to humour for escapism when life is proving to be somewhat on the grim side. I doubt I'm the only one.
I like the character moods in any story to be those I can identify with at some level. I like to be able to see that, yes I too would react like this, or no, I wouldn't but can see exactly why that character has. This is where not glossing over a character's flaws is so important. It really should be a warts and all portrayal.
I admit I can only take "grim" in small doses. My overall favourite are humorous stories but I like crime, historical fiction, and thrillers amongst others. I like to see where the detectives are struggling to solve the crime and are getting frustrated with that. I like to see why a historical character would react the way they have and how the context of their times shapes that.
So what are your favourite character moods and why?
September 16, 2018
Opening Lines
What is it about an opening line that makes you want to read on?
For me, that opening line has to intrigue me, show me something of the fictional world to come, or show me something about the lead character. The very best opening lines combine at least two of these.
I'm thinking especially of Orwell's 1984 "It was a bright, cold day in April and the clocks were striking thirteen.". I'm immediately intrigued by the thirteen and I want to know about what kind of world it could be to have clocks capable of doing this. The opening line has definitely fulfilled its role there!
The challenge then for the writer is to make sure that everything which follows lives up to the promise of that opening line and delivers on it! And some people think writing is easy...hmm... I learned a long time ago that when someone makes something look easy, that same someone has almost certainly worked their socks off for years to get to that point.
So what are your favourite lines and why?
I also love the opening to Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice and Dickens's A Tale of Two Cities. Very different in style but they intrigue and set the tone for what is to come.
Happy reading, and writing!
For me, that opening line has to intrigue me, show me something of the fictional world to come, or show me something about the lead character. The very best opening lines combine at least two of these.
I'm thinking especially of Orwell's 1984 "It was a bright, cold day in April and the clocks were striking thirteen.". I'm immediately intrigued by the thirteen and I want to know about what kind of world it could be to have clocks capable of doing this. The opening line has definitely fulfilled its role there!
The challenge then for the writer is to make sure that everything which follows lives up to the promise of that opening line and delivers on it! And some people think writing is easy...hmm... I learned a long time ago that when someone makes something look easy, that same someone has almost certainly worked their socks off for years to get to that point.
So what are your favourite lines and why?
I also love the opening to Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice and Dickens's A Tale of Two Cities. Very different in style but they intrigue and set the tone for what is to come.
Happy reading, and writing!
