It’s amazing where a story idea can take you. My latest short story is set in 1944. My character is a twelve year old boy. Busy writing when l suddenly need to know how long the blue whale had been hanging in the British Museum and came across this amazing Video
I’ve never been a fan of Flash Fiction. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve always admire others for writing a story in less than a 100 words, but somehow it wasn’t for me. However, I’ve been playing around with a few ideas and came up with a couple of my own.
On Friday the publisher, Gill James, who I’ve a few of my short stories published with, had an online book launch for her book, January Stones 2013 During the launch she set a task for us all to write a piece of Flash Fiction using a picture from her book trailer.
I chose the book cover picture, and title for the inspiration for my flash fiction. First of all I sat down and thought about the title in itself, January Stones. What did these words say to me?
Stones always make me think of my first love stone circles. The mystery of why they were built, and how they were used. Secondly, I thought about how the month got its name, January. Now most of us know that January got its name from a Roman God, Janus.
Using my Brewer’s dictionary of Phrase & Fable I looked up what other facts about him might add another dimension to my story. I knew he was always depicted with two faces, one looking forwards to the coming year, and the other looking back over the past. Another interesting fact about January was that the Saxons called it, Wulf-monath, because wolves were very troublesome then from the great scarcity of food.
So with what I had found out how could I put it all into a bite size story. Taking my first idea of a stone circle, a thought than jumped into my head was a pillar of salt. In the bible, the story of Lot’s wife being told not to look back, and when she broke her word and was turn into a pillar of salt seemed to mirror one of the stones in a circle.
So was born my Flash Fiction story called The Janus Stone which is now published on Cafelit.
Please check it out for free. Oh, and please leave a comment and let me know what you think. If you would like to write your own flash fiction and see it in print both online and in hard copy then check out Cafelit’s submission guidelines.
Have a great week, and keep on writing.
Paula R. C.
I never saw myself as a writer of Flash Fiction, this year I’ve had two pieces published.
If you would like to read it, check out this link http://cafelitcreativecafe.blogspot.co.uk/2017/05/the-rest-is-up-to-you.html
Hope you enjoy it.
Have a great day,
Paula R. C.
At the moment, l’m busy working on two projects. Firstly, my novel, and secondly, a short stories collection. The one thing I don’t seem to have enough of is time. Yes, I’m a full-time writer but as a mother and wife I have other duties I must carry out too. The garden calls too. Though with the lack of rain my vegetables don’t seem to be growing so well.
On Monday evening l gave my first talk on my writing journey to the Canvey Writers. I was very nervous and wasn’t sure whether what l had to say was interesting enough, but it went well and now l’ve done it I’m sure next time I’m asked I will be better prepared.
This morning, I’ve made better progress with a new story I’ve been working on. I was a little unsure quite where it was going. When l woke this morning, I thought l would sketch out the ending. I had an image in my mind how the ending would come about after he main action had finished. Two of the characters say their farewells.
It has worked. Now l need to join up the dots and complete my first draft.
A long journey has an ending when you know where you are going.
Happy writing everyone, and have a peaceful day.
Best wishes,
Paula R.C.
Between taking my first trip in an airplane to Madeira and busy editing and rewriting a collection of my short stories which I hope to have published this year, I’ve been too busy to drop by here. So please forgive my lack of postings.
I hope you all have been keeping well and busy. Spring is now on the way, so like me I bet you are looking forward to the warmer weather.
Hope to catch up with you all soon.
Happy Writing
Paula R C
Time is flying. At the moment I’m busy putting together a collection of stories ready for an anthology. Straight forward you may think. Just sort out the ones that have already been published and stick them in a file and send to the publisher, job done.
Ahh yes, but you’re talking to a writer here. The trouble is one can always see where to make improvements. It’s that need to be happy with one’s work.
Editing is about chipping away at the body of the story and find its soul, to make it the very best it can be. By tightening your sentences you can make more of an impact with less words while keeping the flow going.
I’m afraid I can see where huge improvements can be made in my work. For the last few days I have been working on a story which has been sitting on my computer for quite a few years. It has gone through many edits before, but somehow how the impact of the piece has eluded me.
Over the passing years my skills as a writer have developed, allowing me to see far more clearly what I need to do to bring out the core of the piece. It’s that little secret all writers need to master and understand between the showing and telling.
That’s what the art of writing is all about; the learning. It’s something that doesn’t happen overnight and only comes with time and practise. 
No one can truly teach you the fine art of editing. They can only teach you the basic skills in writing and editing. It’s the difference between talent and the X-factor.
I will never know whether I was born with the X-factor or not, but I shall die trying 🙂
Have a great day, and keep on writing. Our day to shine will come.
Paula R C
Yes, I know. We all make plans for the future. We all set ourselves goals, impossible targets. Lost weight, write a book, go to the gym, take up running. Somehow at the end of each day the goal posts keep on moving further away.
Well, this year I’ve decided to settle for being POSITIVE.
Yep, just that!
Positive is a powerful little word. Whatever life throws at me I’m going to look for the positivity.
I was watching the News this morning about the shooting in Turkey on New Year Day and one of the survivors was talking about how she was in the toilets when the shooting started and was positive she was going to die. She said she hugged her friend and they said their goodbyes when the shooting stopped because they believed the gunman would blow themselves up.
Is that accepting your fate?
Do you think it is wrong of her to accept her fate, that nothing could change what was going to happen next?
I felt the young woman was very brave to go quietly into the darkness, to accept that death was the only option open to her, no knight in shining armour.
Her experience will never leave her. She has been changed for ever by it, and is all the stronger for it too. For her whatever fate throws her way, her positivity will always help her deal with the rest of her life from now on.
We must all believe in our dreams and fight on, keeping our eye on our target, but not allow it to rob us of our sense of joy and the pleasure of living life to the full. 
We all have mountains to climb, so allow me to wish you a Positive New Year as we step forward into 2017 and the next lap in life’s little adventure.
Keep on Writing!
Keep the Faith and Keep Safe!
I shall catch up with you again soon.
Paula R C
