Episode 7

Stories form Carolyn Eddy and Michelle Heatley.

That's it for this year, but we will be back after the break - January 10 - with more stories.

I have a healthy submissions pile but please keep them coming in.

Happy Christmas and a productive New Year.

All the best
Bill

Episode 5

Stories from Norma Powers, Anna Lunk and myself.

Here are the contact details for the three competitions I mentioned on the show.
The Fish Short Story Prize: info@fishpublishing.com
Closing date 30th November

The New Writer Prose & Poetry competition: www.thenewwriter.com
Closing Date 30th November

Chudleigh Phoenix Short Story Competition www.chudleighphoenix.co.uk
Closing date 31st January


Also, from the next show on, we have a new time of 7.30pm on Tuesdays, so no clash with The Archers!

Episode 4

Stories from Laura Denning and Jean Grimsey and a bit more music than I usually stick in but I simply couldn't resist!
As promised, here are the details for the poetry workshop coming up in a couple of weeks. Led by Chris Waters this should be of great interest to any writer keen to develop their skiils at portraying and interpreting landscape.

Voicing the Landscape

A poetry-writing workshop with well-respected poet and writing tutor Chris Waters

Recent poetry collection 'Arisaig' published with Mudlark Press (2010), prize-winning finalist in the Plough Competition 2010 and Poetry Wivenhoe 2011, poet-in-residence at the Appledore Book Festival September 2011.

at the Barefoot Barn, Chagford
Sunday Nov. 6th 11 am - 5pm

Your chance to give voice to your experiences of the landscape through poetry, word-crafting and wordplay with a very experienced and accessible poetry tutor. Workshop costs £15 – 30 for the day including teas/coffees.

Run by Moor Poets (www.moorpoets.org.uk)

Episode 3

Stories from Jean Grimsey and Michelle Heatley and, as promised, here are the tips I heard during the presentation of the BBC Short Story prize:

"I set up a situation, then things go terribly wrong – as they always do in my books."

"Scientists and artists seem to make incongruous bedfellows, but they are closer than you think, both are engaged in seeing the world as honestly and clearly as possible."

"I like to grab the reader quickly, give them a lot of information quickly and also to use the voice of the character to give out a lot of information about that character’s background and mood and tone of the whole piece. I also like to be able to control the pace at which the reader takes the story in – all in one sitting."

And from the winner:
"I try and hit all the five senses every two pages – it’s just a rule that’s ingrained – to make it visceral and authentic."

And comments from the chair of judges on waht she looksfor in a short story:
“stories that drop you straight into the middle of the situation and have forward momentum. They need to be page turners, you must want to know what is going to happen.
"Also, since this was a radio competition the story had to read well on air, it had to progress logically, because a listener can’t refer back."

All useful stuff

Keep the stories coming in - a great response so far but always room for more.

season 2 episode 2: Dystopia

As promised on the show and as a follow up to the talk about Dystopian writing here are a few tips and guidelines I have gleaned from the web and my 'buy me and you won't have to do any work yourself' writing books. As always with these sorts of things they should be treated as suggestive rather than prescriptive - a bit like the Pirate's Code. In fact, one of the most creative and productive responses to any statement about writing that proclaims to be a rule is to prove it wrong.
Anyway:
Dystopian Writing

Potential story elements

a story set in the future - near or distant - but often written in the past tense

a focus on a current emerging trend that the story will put out front as the overpowering norm in society

The story might have a central governing power that is omniscient

the society is somehow dehumanised and lives in fear and ignorance

the protagonist somehow refuses to conform

the outcome shows how the protagonist fails in their attempt to rebel/escape or change society

Things to consider

Where and when is the action taking place?
What is different about technology?
Who is in charge? How did they get there?
How do the rulers rule?/control?
How does society view sex and violence?
How does society view religion?
How does the economy work? How does the workforce function?
What is family life like?
What happens to disobedient people?

Hope this all helps and look forward to seeing a pile of dystopian submissions coming in - it could be fun!

Show #1 - Flash Fiction compilation

Launched the second season last night with an episode devoted to some of the great flashes from the last series. It was all quite cathartic really, feeling like an ending and a beginning, a clearing of the way for the new stories that are coming.

While I have a healthy pile of submissions there is always room for more, so please keep the work coming in, details at the top of the page.

New Season

I am happy to announce that Soundart Stories is back for a second season on Soundart Radio. As before, the show will go out every fortnight on a Tuesday evening, but at the earlier time of 7pm. This is good, because the Archers is usually rubbish on a Tuesday . . .

I have received a good haul of stories over the summer, but, as always, would welcome more, so please keep them coming in.

One thing that strikes me about the earlier time is the opportunity it provides to broadcast some stories suitable for a younger age group - so if this a a genre that interests you, pleae do not hesitate in submitting. Child and teen fiction might make an interesting topic to cover in the show in the same way we discussed flash fiction last season.
Anyway, looking forward to it immensely.