STORY COMP
practise it, it will make the diference between two per cent and
ninety per cent success.
In all things, there is yin and yang.
What? No, not the Siamese twins. Pay attention. My point is, to
everything in life there’s a dark and a light side. A left and right. It’s
all about balance. There is always day, then there is always night.
What? No, I’ve never been to Alaska. What’s that got to do with
anything? Stop smirking – you don’t seem to be concentrating.
Anyway, it’s the same with your brain. There are two clearly
opposing sides – or hemispheres. Always sculing with each other
for ultimate control.
War and peace? Yes... now you’ve got the picture. Like
Shakespeare’s Tempest. Caliban and Ariel. Yes. Rebellion versus
conformity. That’s more like it. But the secret is to respect the yin
and yang. You need to know those opposite hemispheres and
understand their functions.
Writers are born with a compulsion to write. It’s stitched into
their DNA. All those ideas, those fragments of stories that buzz and
whirl through their minds like irelies and keep them awake at
night are what make them special. Elite. Writers can do something
that others can’t.
But let’s get back to that brain of yours. How many times have you
sat down at your computer to capture those irelies? That’s where
the ight begins. Half of you wants to re-arrange your stationery
cupboard, ill in your tax return, clip your toenails... anything but
write. Yeah sure, I have no doubt you have people to do all that for
you but that’s not the point. The other half of your brain wants to
explode with imaginative prose – to vomit forth oceans of words
and form stories that the whole world will beg to read.
Ahh, lots of fervent head-nodding. Yes you do know what it’s
like. The pure frustration. It’s torture, right? The ight for ultimate
control. The left side controls logic. Everything in black and white,
planned to a tee. Left brain tries to dictate what you should and
shouldn’t do. ‘Don’t write today’, it says, ‘you need to patch that
hole in the garage wall.’ So...what’s the story with that anyway?
Target practice or something?
Sure, none of my business. Anyway, the right side of your brain
sees in color. Right brain says, ‘The hole in the wall can wait. I have
to write a murder story today, and a poem, and a song...’
But the delicious irony is that without both halves, there is no
whole. The right side inds and captures the irelies, then the left
side arranges them where they’ll shine brightest. Without both
sides working together there’s no completion. With all things, you
need to understand about the balance.
Get it now? I see you’re still madly scribbling notes there. That’s
good. Listen, while you’re taking notes, I wonder if I could trouble
you for a drink. I’ve brought my own, it’s in my back pocket.
Yeah OK, OK. No drinkies till the job’s done. Not normally how
I work things, but OK. Well let’s move on to Factor Four. Drumroll.
Yes indeed, the murderer. The moment you’ve been waiting for.
Yes folks, after a lengthy and painful labour, one inal push and our
murder story will be born. You’re not saying anything. Do you have
a clear picture yet?
I thought so. I knew you’d be excited. See? By building a simple
skeletal structure upon which the entire anatomy of your story is
based, you’ve almost guaranteed a plausible, saleable piece of work.
You’ve created your murder story and you haven’t even started
writing it yet.
Yes, it is amazing. OK. Well. It appears that my work here is
done. So do you think you could at least loosen the ropes around
my chest – it’s a bit hard to breathe and my boobs are hurting.
Also, I need to pee really badly. Look, I’m not complaining, but this
garage is hell cold. That was an oxymoron by the way, in case you
want to write it down. O.X.Y... look I’m starting to feel a bit – you Continued overleaf
Writers FORUM
Want to see YOUR story published?
Three great prizes every issue
1st £300 2nd £150 3rd £100
All types of story ARE welcome – crime, comedy, history,
romance, horror, SF – BUT THEY MUST BE ENTERTAINING
OR RIVETING NOT UNREMITTINGLY BLEAK. Don’t rely
on subjects like death, abuse etc to add cheap emotion. Stories
must work harder to engage readers.
● Entries MUST be between 1000 and 3000 words.
● Documents must be typed in a Word-compatible ile using
double line-spacing and good margin widths. If your entry is
placed you will be notiied and asked to email the ile along
with a brief author biography and photo.
● On the title page give your name, address, phone number,
email address, story title and wordcount.
● Entry fee is £6 or just £3 for subscribers. Pay online as
shown or ill in your card or cheque details below. Cheques
should be made payable to ‘Select Publisher Services’.
By entering, authors agree for the story to appear in Writers’ Forum if it
wins a prize. Entries must be in English. There is a rolling deadline – entries
arriving too late for one contest go into the next.
How to enter
Enter online at http://www.writers-forum.com/storycomp.html
(the greener option) and email your entry as directed.
Alternatively, send this coupon (photocopies accepted) with
your payment and manuscript to Writers’ Forum Story Contest,
PO Box 6337, Bournemouth BH1 9EH.
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broadcast and that it is my own workENTRY FEE: £6 (non-subscriber) £3 (subscriber)
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OPTIONAL: Please enrol me for an annual subscription
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