‘At first, I barely notice the beige lump that’s heading my way, and then I realise… it’s me, reflected in the mirrored cladding of an office block.’ Read LINDA McVEIGH’s Asham Award winning story and her account of writing the uncanny.
To celebrate International Short Story Day, we invited our Twitter Followers and Facebook Friends to send us synopses of their favourite stories that can be found online.
Wednesday 20th June is International Short Story Day. KATIE SLADE, from Comma Press, tells about some of the events taking place around the globe.
‘If you are anything like me, the act of writing a first draft includes periods when the work is “sticky” and there is a feeling that the words are having to be forced to come out, a feeling that I am controlling the action.’ VANESSA GEBBIE sets an exercise with hidden characters.
Katherine Orr has coffee with writer Vanessa Gebbie. Listen to the podcast of their conversation.
‘Who knew that Mary Wilkins Freeman and I would have so much in common?’ DORA D’AGOSTINO finds a writing mentor.
Asham Trust administrator CAROLE BUCHAN writes about the house that inspired Virginia Woolf – a house which, even after its demise, provides encouragement to a new generation of women writers.
Chair of the Asham Trust, Stephanie Anderson, leads a discussion on the Gothic and Ghosts theme for the 2011 Asham Anthology, ‘Something Was There’. With ghostly readings from Sarah Waters, Naomi Alderman and Kate Clanchy.
‘A short story moves towards a revelation, and once that revelation has been achieved the story must die. Anything that follows will, at best, simply be a waste of words.’ MIKE SMITH continues to explore the craft of story writing.
SARAH HEGARTY: ‘When I first read ‘Ralph the Duck’ I was starting out as a writer, searching for clues about how to do it….’
