Stuart Aken's Blog, page 249

What’s Your Greatest Weakness, as a Writer, and Why?

"Study drawing shows the allegorical figure of Romance nude. She bends her head to read a book on her lap. Romance was one figure in a painting, The arts, in the north end lunette of the Southwest Gallery in the Library of Congress' Jefferson Building." Graphite drawing (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
And, How Are You Overcoming It?
Last week, I looked at strengths. This time, I want to take a gander at weaknesses. We all have them. I know what my major weakness is, one of many, but this one is the most important: I spread myself too thinly.
What do I mean?

I do this in many ways:1.      I divide my time between many activities instead of concentrating on what's most important.2.      I can't settle on any given genre, spreading my ideas into many different types of writing so that I find it difficult to label myself as a practitioner in any one field.3.      I support too many different campaigns, giving my voice and action to a multitude of worthy causes.4.      I read many differing titles, failing to concentrate on a specific topic or genre.
Okay, I hear many of you choosing one or more of these instances and arguing that these are not necessarily bad things. And, I agree. Variety is essential to anyone who creates. A wide-ranging interest is vital to the development of knowledge and intellect. Compassion is a response given by a caring heart and restricting it may seem selfish. Ideas can either be adapted and crammed, made to fit a specific genre of writing, or they can be given the freedom to express themselves in whatever form seems most appropriate for the story.
Let's deal first with those things that are outside the narrower field of writing, those things that fall within the normal life choices of us all, regardless of what we do for a living.
The causes are always a personal matter. I feel as if I get involved with many, but, in reality, I tend to concentrate on 4 main areas. (a)The environment and those things that impact on the future of the planet. (b) Poverty and it's destructive effect on those under its heel. (c) Religion and its negative input to society in general. (d) Education for all, especially women. Of course, these interests tend to spread and merge with others and bleed off into associated topics. And, yes, I do find myself sometimes pulled into a fight for farm animals, wild animals, even pets. It would be possible for me to spend my entire waking life fighting for causes in one way or another. But I feel I wouldn't be doing the best possible with the few talents I possess, so I have to consciously curtail and restrict those activities. They do, nevertheless, consume large amounts of my time and energy. Will I stop? Of course not. It's who I am and I'm willing to put up with that for the sake of those things I care about. Could I do more? Of course. Will I? Probably not, simply because I have a limited amount of time and energy at my disposal and there are other aspects of life I wish to become involved with.
Reading is another personal choice. The experts and pundits would have us believe that we, as writers, must read all we can of the contemporary genre(s) in which we write. I have some sympathy with the point of view. But I'm interested in many different things and my reading time is as limited as all other aspects of modern life. Let's have a 72 hour day and the need for no sleep and I might get close to reading some of what I'd like to sample. But the reality is that we are, again, limited by time and energy and therefore must select those books that we feel are most likely to entertain, inform, educate and inspire us. I currently have a 'to read' list over 130 titles in length, all sitting on my shelves. I had made a decision to read them all before I bought, borrowed or accepted as gifts, any new books. But, in writing this piece, I find myself subject to a small epiphany. I shall go through that list and extract all those titles that I was going to read in reality because they 'ought to be read'. They can go back on the shelves, to be read at leisure once I no longer have the urge to write. So, they can accompany me in my coffin and I'll read them by the light of slow putrefaction. I'll read those that I actually want to read and the rest can wait. I'm curious to see how that will reduce the list. See, this exercise has already produced positive results, for me at least.
Finally, my inability to settle on a specific genre. Will I tailor my future writing to, say, thrillers, or perhaps that most popular genre, romance? Maybe I'll concentrate on science fiction, or its brother, fantasy. Should I dive into the dark world of horror? Maybe I could dig up some crime. A bit of mystery? History calls from afar. A bit of sex in the form or erotica might spice things up a little.
But, actually, I'm not the sort of writer who can even begin a story with an idea of genre. When an idea takes me, I start to write and the genre emerges from the tale as I tell it. I am, at heart, a story teller. I love character and those threads of event that characters cause during interaction. I cannot envisage sitting down and writing out a plot. Oh, believe me, I've tried. Plot is a device, an artificial construct on which a story may be built. It's suitable for many types of stories. But not for the stories I develop. I write organically, I write by the seat of my pants. A plot would simply get in the way and, in any case, I'd deviate from it as soon as the first character decided he or she didn't want to go in that direction. So, I guess I'm stuck with being a multi-genre writer. I accept that means I'll never be known in any given field; I'm unlikely to be considered a commercial prospect by any publisher. I understand that my chances of making a million with my writing are significantly reduced (as if that chance ever really existed anyway. Even if it did, it was never a motivator for me). But I write because I must and I write because I love it and I write because I have things to say. If I don't do that in my own way, with my own voice, what's the point?
So, those are my confessions, which, they say, are good for the soul. This has been a useful exercise for me. It might help you; it depends on the sort of writer you are and what motivates you, I suppose. Why not share your thoughts in the comments? I love to know what others think.
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Life of Pi, by Yann Martel, Reviewed.

A fantasy novel written in the style of a documentary narrative: that does the book a great injustice. Although the germ came from an earlier work about a man at sea with a leopard, this book is a work of great and unique imagination. The clever attempts to make the reader believe this is a true story lend the tale a veracity that would be diminished had it been written simply as a conventional novel.
Much that happens is, of course, incredible. The comment that the book will make even an atheist believe in God, along with the stated distrust of agnostics, struck a chord with me, since I am that agnostic, and proudly so. And, for the record, whether intended or not, it certainly didn’t convince me that there is a god.The plight of the protagonist, the description of his early life in India with his eccentric parents and odd upbringing, lead the reader to empathise in surprising ways. The courage and inventiveness of the young man, his tenacity, his honesty and his duplicity make for internal contrasts that enliven the whole tale. It becomes difficult to determine what is ‘true’, what is the product of his imagination as he attempts to remain both sane and alive in a perilous situation, what is illusion or mirage, and what is sheer invention on his behalf.
There’s humour here, inspiration, some subtle education and a great deal of entertainment on many levels. The author has gone to considerable lengths to understand the difficulties a boy in a lifeboat in the Pacific might face. He’s researched his biology and botany well, and gives a good account of the nature of the tiger and the other animals that feature. He makes an impassioned plea for the support of zoos and drives a wonderful stake through the heart of divisions that make religions enemies of each other and of some of those who have no faith.
The story is engaging, fascinating, moving, terrifying, bizarre and extraordinary. If you like your fiction to surprise and delight, to undermine and provoke, then you will enjoy this novel. I did, and I thoroughly recommend it.
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So, Where's the Pie Chart?

Okay, so I've been detailing my progress through the year each Tuesday, giving a weekly report on what I've achieved and why, or why not, depending on circumstances. So, where is it this week?
Well, it's time consuming. And I suspect it can be done every bit as well on a monthly basis. So that's what I'll do for the rest of the year. End of the month (or thereabouts, depending on my activity at the time) I'll produce an analysis. It acts as a motivator for me and gives visitors an idea of how time can be spent, wasted or used.
The picture? I like to give a visual spark to my posts, so here's a landscape to inspire you as a setting for a story. If you click on it, it'll appear at a larger size.
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Crone’s Book of Charms and Spells, by Valerie Worth, Reviewed.

Not a book for general reading, of course. I selected this book as a research source; to discover certain aspects of magic for a fantasy I’m currently writing. I try to approach such things with a mind as open as possible, in case prejudice should blind me to things I might otherwise miss.
I think what struck me most about the book, apart from the arcane style of the prose, was the combination of detailed instruction with a type of carelessness that I found endearing. If devotees are unable to duplicate exactly the requirements for a given spell or charm, the author allows them some leeway. But, at the same time, there’s an insistence on using the exact ingredients, the appropriate time of day, the right season, even the correct manner of dress, that was amusing.
Of course, the very idea that a mix of herbs, or inanimate objects inscribed with runes, epithets or Latin sayings, can possess any magical powers is anathema to the logical and rational mind. To indulge in the practices described in the book, with any personal hope of success, requires the reader to suspend disbelief and adopt an emotional response based in superstition and folklore. There’s much here that echoes the rites and rituals of many religions, of course. And this is the reason that witchcraftwas so brutally suppressed by the early Christian church in particular. In some senses it was seen as a mockery of the rituals of the bread and wine, even though these symbols were, in fact, actually borrowed from witchcraft, of course. The same can be said of the various religious holiday celebrations: Paganism usurped by the newer prejudices and ignorance of the church. "Magic Circle" by John William Waterhouse, 1886 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
But I digress. Was the book of any use in my research? Certainly. In fact, I’ll have it close by whilst I write, so that I can consult the text and bend the ideas to fit with my own imagined world. There’s no doubt that human beings have a deep need of ceremony, rite and ritual. We have an almost instinctive need to mark certain phases in life, certain events. The failure of modern religious practice to convince populations of the validity of their creeds has opened a vacuum in society. The once accepted celebrations surrounding birth, marriage and death have ceased to have the deep meaning they used to contain; ignorance and faith have been replaced by knowledge, questions, and doubt, so that we now have relatively meaningless social ceremonies in place of sacred rites that spoke to the emotions of the celebrants.
Again, I digress, but it’s a pointer to the content and style of the book that it drives me along these particular routes. I was ‘charmed’ by the language and the attention to detail. The underlying suggestive tone that the author actually might believe in the efficacy of the preparations, concoctions, ceremonies and rites she describes amused me without causing me concern. The whole approach is, in general, harmless enough. And, in those cases where a spell or charm is designed to do harm, the author either advises against its use or, at least, cautions the potential user to give the matter serious consideration of the possible outcome. Rather like warning the hired assassin that his activities may result in the death of the intended victim, I thought. Except, of course, that there’s little doubt about the outcome of the killer’s bullet, whereas serious doubt exists about the result of the spell or charm.
So, if you’re seeking an informed source of magical incantation to use in your fiction, relating to witchcraft and it’s more material concerns, this may well be the book for you. If you’re already an adherent of the ways of witchcraft, I’ve no doubt either caused you distress (not intentionally: I’m simply applying a rational analysis) or risked the prospect of a painful curse. But, since I’ve spent my life deliberately walking under ladders and courting the disapproval of the superstitious, I shan’t lose any sleep over that possibility. This is a book you can either skim for its esoteric erudition or grasp to your breast with conviction, depending on your own particular predilections.  For me, it’s admirably served its purpose of educating me in the ways in which those who espouse magic, as if it were reality, look at the world, and that insight will inform my writing of the current fantasy. So it has been a success. I leave it to you to decide whether or not it will be of use to you.
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What Is Your Greatest Strength as a Writer, and Why?

Brits, in general, are fitted with a built-in crap-o-meter that overrides their personal pride and prevents them blowing their own horns too loudly. Yanks, we’re told, have no such inhibitions. So, as a Brit, I’m going against national stereotyping when I decide to tell you how great I am at…well, at anything at all really. But I have to get the ball rolling, if I’m to get any answers to my question. So, here goes:
I suppose my greatest strength is my ability to sit down at the keyboard, without an idea in my head, and, during an hour or so, come up with the first draft of a short story. Sometimes, of course, these stories come to nothing as they stand but will work after some fiddling. Sometimes, they simply need minor editing. Sometimes they’re completely lost causes and I toss them carelessly into the bin, recognising that at least I’ve learned something along the route to their creation.
As to why this should be the case for me; I’m at a loss to determine. But I can speculate. Let’s face it, most of what a writer of fiction does is speculation, so I should be pretty handy at that as well, I suppose.I suspect the facility came along after I read Dorothea Brande’s excellent Becoming a Writer and actually engaged with the exercises. One of those is the suggestion that the writer should emerge from sleep a little earlier than usual, go straight to the keyboard (or pen and paper if that’s your modus operandi) and start making marks on screen or said paper. No stopping to read emails, or snail mail, no reading anything at all, no stopping for coffee, fags or any other artificial stimulant (Okay, so you’re addicted and can’t face wakefulness without your fix. Make it quick; have everything ready the night before so you’re not spending any more time than necessary at it). You are, however, allowed a post-sleep visit to the smallest room (no one operates well, creatively, with a full bladder).
Initially, the writing is simply words strung together. Soon it develops into diarist type ruminations relating to the previous day or, perhaps, a dream. But, once you’ve been doing it for a short while (you need to do this every morning for a period determined by your success or failure), you’ll start to tap into the creative aspect of your subconscious. That’s when the magic starts. Your characters come to life even as you name them, the story develops out of your experiences mingled with those themes and ideas that most engage you. And, suddenly, inexplicably, you’re writing a story. At any rate, that’s how it goes for me.
I urge you to try it. But read the book first. There’s more to it than my simple explanation, and a little preparation is also necessary before you embark on this adventure. Also, Dorothea helpfully explains why it’s necessary to do it her way.
Of course, your own particular strength may mean that you have no need of such exercises. You may be brilliant, superbly creative, never short of ideas, always raring to go with some new project. If that’s so, or whatever your strength is as a writer, please share it with us. The comments box is just below and it’s begging you to fill the space: we all know how nature abhors a vacuum.
Next week I’ll look at weaknesses.
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Four Weeks in: How Are You Doing?

Been a funny week for me. As many regulars will know, I’ve suffered from ME/CFS for around 10 years. It’s a weird condition, coming and going, fooling you into believing you’ve recovered when things are going fine for a while, and then returning to bite you on the bum when the stress increases. That happened this week and I had to take the last day of my day job, Friday, off. It drains my batteries and makes everything much harder to do. It also means I have to take more frequent and longer rests in order to recharge those batteries. Today, Tuesday, I’m feeling as though I’m back on the road to recovery, so I hope to be up to normal speed shortly. At any rate, I managed an hour’s ballroom dancing with my wife last night and I’m not suffering too much this morning.
So, what have I managed this 4th week of the year?
I’ve edited 2 chapters of the fantasy, written a new short story, started another, edited another 2, submitted 2 contest entries and sent 2 stories off to magazines, thereby catching up on last week’s targets. I’ve reviewed my 6thbook of the year and started reading the 7th of my target of 52, and written and posted another blog post.
All in all, not bad. I’d have liked to have completed the story I’ve started (maybe today I’ll manage that). I’d like to have done a couple more chapters of the fantasy. But one thing I’ve learned over the last 10 years is that I can do so much and no more. Once I try to exceed the work my batteries will power, I simply become drained and then have to spend more time recovering than I’ve used in producing. In the end, it’s not worth the wasted time and energy. So, I have to pace myself in order to get at least something done. I have a theory, which will shortly be either borne out or shattered, that it’s my day job, the part-time employment, that causes the ME/CFS. I cease that work in late March and retire from the wage-slave arena in early April. We’ll see then just how correct have been my suspicions.
So, that’s me for this first month of the year. How about you? Keeping those resolutions? Reaching your targets? Enjoying what you’re doing?
The pie chart, explained: 'Writing' - initial creation of stories, blog posts, reviews and longer works.'Editing' - polishing of all written work to make it suitable for readers.'Research' - discovery of info for story content, market research, contests and blog posts.'Reading' - books and writing magazines.'Networking' - emails, Twitter, Pinterest and Facebook activity.'Admin' - story submission, blog posting, marketing, organisation and general admin tasks.(You’ll note, if you’re a regular visitor, that I’ve substituted ‘Networking’ for ‘Emails’ here; it seemed a more accurate label.)
Share your triumphs and disasters here, so your fellow writers can commiserate, congratulate or simply empathise.
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The Good Guy, by Dean Koontz, Reviewed.

Wow! This book held my attention from the first page and wouldn’t let go until I’d finished. Only the necessities of daily life intruded to make me read it in instalments.
Exciting, moving, sensitive, sometimes violent, thought-provoking and carrying a love story that explains the amazing action of the main protagonists, this is a thriller with heart. I generally don’t much like thrillers; they often lack character development and rely too much on action. This is an exception. Mind you, having read previous books by Koontz, I was unsurprised at the depth of character in all the players in this tale of murder, conspiracy and action. The political manipulation, the suggestion of some controlling force beyond the obvious, the arrogance of the chief antagonist and the quiet confidence and credible fear of the two major protagonists gifts the story with more depth than is usual in the genre.
I’m not going to attempt to synopsise the plot; it would be a pointless exercise and would provide a less than adequate explanation of the story. Suffice it to say that we are in contemporary USA, with all the bluster, hype, overblown confidence and mad over-consumption familiar to those of us in the West but not of the States.
Of course, there’s action that borders on the incredible; this is a thriller. But Koontz has a way of persuading the reader to extend his suspension of disbelief just enough to go with the tale. Because the book is so well written, the language so apposite yet poetic, the characters so beautifully drawn, the reader is willing to accept certain aspects of the story that would become a hindrance in the hands of an inferior writer.
As the tale comes to its climax and the denouement builds, the tension is so palpable that the reader speeds through the pages, hoping for an ending that will satisfy all aspects of the story without leaving a taste of either sourness or disappointment. That the final pages tie up the necessary loose ends and manage to leave the reader satisfied, is testament to the craftsmanship and skill of this excellent storyteller.
If you like your action books with emotional punch, suitable humour, larger than life but credible heroes and heroines, and respect for the reader’s intellect, you’ll enjoy this book. Thoroughly recommended.
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#Imagine: Penny Grubb Interviews Author Stuart Aken

Recently, I was interviewed by crime writer, academic, and Chair of ALCS, Penny Grubb, on her blog.
For those who are interested, but missed that interview, here it is in full, with Penny's kind permission.


#justimagine Author Stuart Aken on Fusion, alien gastronomy and other delights
It’s a real privilege to have been asked to interview this group of very talented authors for Fantastic Books Publishing’s Fusion spotlight. There are some amazing admissions, surprising secrets and fascinating insights to follow in this series of interviews. Fusion itself is a brilliant anthology – twenty-five of the best tales of sci-fi and fantasy.
My first interview is with prolific author, Stuart Aken. Stuart describes himself as a husband, father, novelist, playwright, short story writer, blogger, word wrangler, committed agnostic, romantic open-minded radical liberal, sometimes dangerous to know. He was born, against the odds, to a widowed artist, in a neighbour's bed, raised by a mother who knew what love meant and a step-father who lacked imagination but loved and educated him in things natural and worldly. Stuart tells me that he wrote the wrong things for half a lifetime, until he learned who he was and understood his opinion was as valid as that of anyone else.
Stuart was invited to contribute to the Fusion anthology as one of two professional writers. He says, ‘I was honoured and delighted to be one of the professional writers invited to contribute. Thank you to Fantastic Books for that opportunity to reach more readers, the very life-blood of the author.’ Of the other professional invited to contribute, Stuart says, ‘Danuta Reah is a well respected and popular writer and I was pleased to be published in company with her. Knowing the judges in the contest, I was confident only the very best stories would make it through the filtering process, so I was more than happy to be included with the winners.’
Anyone who is familiar with Stuart’s writing will know what a compelling tale he can weave. I wondered which of his own stories he would recommend to someone wishing to fight the tedium of a long haul flight. He had many to choose from, but went for one of his science fiction pieces, saying, ‘The Methuselah Strain is a science fiction novelette set on a not-too-distant future Earth. Those who’ve read the book, and commented, have found it absorbing and compelling, so it should distract your attention enough to make the time whizz by. There are no references to air travel, so you won’t be induced into panic by a simulated crash, but you might find yourself considering the message once you’ve finished and you doze off toward the end of your long flight.’
SmashwordsUK AmazonUSA Amazon
Taking the flight theme up into space, I wondered how Stuart would see Earth through an alien’s eyes. Mentioning something he’d written a while ago, he reminded me, ‘I made this the subject of a short story. It featured in Ten Tales For Tomorrow: A Gastronomic Treat at the Edge of the Galaxy.’
This ‘light-hearted’ tale is presented in the form of a spoof review by a restaurant critic. I read it several years ago. It’s one of several of Stuart’s stories that have remained etched on my brain and that make me glance at the night sky with some trepidation. As Stuart himself says, ‘Within the seasoned folds of the soufflé lurk sharp surprises for the unwary. Try it, you might develop a taste for something unexpected.’Smashwords UK AmazonUSA Amazon
What I really want to know of course is what will come next from Stuart’s pen. ‘My epic fantasy trilogy for adults is well under way,’ he tells me, ‘with book one complete and book two undergoing the penultimate edit. Book three lurks in the fog of my subconscious, making increasingly frequent demands to be allowed to take material form. I intend to start writing that volume in the very near future. Also, I continue to produce short stories and, of course, make weekly posts on my blog.’
Stuart’s story, Rebirth, appears in the Fusion anthology but where else can his readers find him?
He says, ‘Find me, and my fiction, the only place I ever bend the truth and which, after love, remains my raison d’être, on my blog http://stuartaken.blogspot.co.uk/. This gives details of all my published work, with links to the outlets where you can buy them.’
Thanks, Stuart, it’s been a pleasure talking to you. Best of luck with the writing. Can’t wait for that epic fantasy to hit the shelves.
Stuart also has an Amazon Author page; UK readers can find it here and International readers can click on this link 
He has a profile page with Smashwords And a Facebook Author page You can follow Stuart’s Tweets 
And the last word goes to Stuart, who says, ‘Thanks, Dan and Gabi at Fantastic Books Publishing, for this opportunity to be part of your publishing concern. I wish you well with what I believe will be a very successful enterprise, bringing quality work to a growing circle of discerning readers.’
CLICK HERE FOR FANTASTIC BOOKS PUBLISHING FUSIONSPOTLIGHT
This interview was originally posted by Penny Grubb - crime writer at  http://pennygrubb.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/justimagine-author-stuart-aken-on.html
For the rest of these interviews, every one of them fascinating, visit Penny’s blog at http://pennygrubb.blogspot.co.uk/                  
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Interview with Linda Acaster from Hornsea Writers.

Some of the motley crew making up Hornsea Writers.As a member of this group of supportive and talented writers, I thought I'd pass on this interview with Linda, one of our founding members. It originally featured on the blog Rebeccah Writes and I reproduce it in full here with her blessing. The picture's from my own files, though.


Welcome to my interview with Linda Acaster from Hornsea Writers.
         
*****Hello Linda.  Can you please tell us a bit about your writing group?
Hi Rebeccah, thanks for inviting us to participate. We’re based in a seaside town in East Yorkshire, but we pull our small membership from across the Riding because we aren’t your usual writing group. Ooh that sounds interesting.  
How are you different?
Hornsea Writers is a support group for professional writers. Among our membership we have a Crime Writers’ Association Debut Dagger winner who is also the current chair of the Authors’ Licensing & Collecting Society, two past winners of the Romantic Novelists’ Association New Writers’ Scheme, and winners of various national writing competitions. Individually we’ve written and had published/produced radio plays, a plethora of newspaper and magazine articles in the UK and overseas, how-to and academic books, short fiction in a variety of genres, and historical, fantasy, SF, crime and romance novels. The very last thing we do at our weekly meetings is write.
If you don't write, what do you do?
After gaining a drink at the bar – all writing groups should have access to a bar, even if it sells only tea – it’s a round-table news and hard copy information exchange to augment the closed Yahoogroup we maintain for fast exchanges of hyperlinks to anything pertinent to our business. To members, writing is a business; no one at Hornsea Writers carries the attitude that it’s a pleasant hobby. For most it’s a big part of our working day; for some there are deadlines implicit in publishers’ contracts.The reason we turn up weekly – Christmas off for good behaviour – is for the detailed criticism of read aloud work-in-progress. This is where prospective new members wilt just listening to the measured but detailed exchanges, and why we are now an invitation-only group. We feel we’ve put off for life too many beginner writers, even when they’ve never read out a word of their own fiction.
What kind of feedback do you give each other?
No one says that’s nice or didn’t like that. Because individually we work with agents and publishers’ editors we evaluate our work through that level of filter: if the character does x and y there, why is he doing z further on? Why would that character think in those terms at that point? If no cast-iron answer is forthcoming the work is deconstructed across the table and suggestions offered. There are always suggestions for remedies or new routes when a possible problem is recognised. No member is ever left hanging, and it takes as long as it takes, so we might spend an entire evening on one person’s work. This is rare, but it can be beneficial at the opening of, say, a novel where a better starting point might be identified thus later saving hours, or even days of rewriting when cracks start appearing in the structure. The beauty of such a diverse group of individuals is that we each have our areas of expertise borne from experience. 
Do you have any advice for new writers?
Hornsea Writers’ tip: find a writing group that both supports your level of engagement and challenges your current expertise. Most of all we urge you to never stop writing.
Is there anything else you'd like to add?
I used to be a creative writing tutor and still critique novels for a London agency. My Reading A Writer’s Mind: Exploring Short Fiction – First Thought to Finished Story does what it says on its e-cover, and it’ll soon be a paperback. Penny Grubb, our crime-writer, has distilled her university and conference teaching intoThe Writers’ Toolkit – A Handbook for Writers of Commercial Fiction. Making up the trilogy, April Taylor has condensed her librarian skills into the very useful Internet Research for Fiction Writers after continually having to explain the easiest way of gaining the research members needed. We embody the ‘write about what you know’.
Readers of Rebeccah Writes may well find of use the blog of SF/F writer Stuart Aken where, among other interesting content, he maintains a comprehensive and useful list of current writing competitions. 
Does your writing group have a website/blog/Twitter/Facebook? 
Hornsea Writers has no internet presence but has produced a group e-anthology of prize-winning short fiction, A Sackful of Shorts. Connect with members mentioned above at:
Linda Acaster: how-to, historical, supernatural thriller, fantasy and short fictionhttp://lindaacaster.blogspot.com
Penny Grubb: crime, academic, how-to, short fictionhttp://www.pennygrubb.com   http://www.alcs.co.uk/
April Taylor: how-to, alternative history (Tudor), short fictionhttp://treasonsstratagemsspoils.blogspot.co.uk/
Stuart Aken: SF/F; literary, romance, horror, SF short fiction and a useful bloghttp://stuartaken.blogspot.co.uk/ 
Thank you very much Linda.Posted by Rebeccah Giltrow at 10:32 
To Linda's thanks, I'd like to add my own, Rebeccah. This was generous of you and all group members appreciate the opportunity for exposure.

Do You Duotrope?

If you write shorts, factual or fictional, you should seriously consider joining Duotrope. On site, you’ll find up-to-date information, with links, for 4588 publications. The information is extensive and gives a really useful guide to help you decide whether to visit the publication’s website for more details. This is a real time-saver. Magazines, journals, online publications, anthologies and some contests are all listed here. You can search by publication name, subject, genre, word length and many other search topics.
BUT, here’s the real clincher. I bet you have difficulty keeping track of your work once you send it out there into the wild world of publishing. Well, fear not; Duotrope has a very efficient and comprehensive submissions tracker. Use this, and you’ll never again wonder where or when you last sent that story, or whether you’ve already sent it to the publication you’re currently considering. No more egg on face, no more embarrassing responses from fed-up editors telling you they’ve already seen this piece, thank you, and ‘no, they still don’t want it, and, oh, by the way don’t send the effin’ piece again! In fact, don’t send me anything again!’
Now, none of us want that sort of response from an editor, I know I don’t. It’s never happened to me, but I’ve kept my own spreadsheet of submissions for over a hundred years, so it isn’t likely. But I make use of Duotrope’s submission tracker as well, as it’s actually easier and more comprehensive than my own. And, since it’s online, I won’t lose all those details next time my PC takes a nosedive.
No, I’m not on commission for Duotrope. I doubt they’ll even know I’ve done this piece. I just think that when one of us finds something that’s clearly of use to writers, we should share the information, spread the word, encourage the usage. The site, once a free resource, has recently become a subscription service, costing £31.51 ($50)per year or £3.15 ($5)per month.
So, there you have it.
Have a look, and if you feel you can’t spare £31.50 on spec, try it for a month and see whether you feel it’s worth that small annual sum. If you’re a serious writer, you’ll make the subscription back with your first sale anyway, and it’s tax-deductable! 
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