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Happy National Flash Fiction Day!

Sara Crowley2 Comments

Calum Kerr has done an a-may-zing job of creating, curating and directing the first ever National Flash Fiction Day. There are events and doings all over the country, see here for further details.

 FlashFlood is a journal to celebrate the day with, erm, a flash of flood. You can read a daft little story of mine there – The Key – which combines two of my passions – book selling and Buffy. There are heaps of fab fictions from flashers all over the world appearing throughout the day, so, lots to read.

I am really thrilled to be in Jawbreakers which is the official National Flash Fiction Day Anthology.

Isn’t it gorgeous? There’s a full list of contributors (including Ali Smith – squee) and details of how to order here, it’s available to download for the kindle, or as a delicious real book. You can also buy it from Brighton Waterstones (which is where I took the photo). Aces!

Tonight I’ll be reading, chatting and generally being flashy (harhar) at Southampton City Library.

“From 6.30pm, an evening of flash-fiction, reading, talking and celebrating the first ever National Flash-Fiction Day, with Calum Kerr, Vanessa Gebbie, Holly Howitt, Sara Crowley, Tim Stevenson, Gail Aldwin and more. Complete with the launch of the first NFFD anthology and, we hope, some technical wizardry. Come along and help launch the Day.”

Finally, in honour of the day, I’ve created a rather nifty National Flash Fiction Day display at Brighton Waterstones – looky looky:

Freaky Friday

Sara Crowley2 Comments

I’m a fan of Nik Perring‘s tiny fictions ( see here for my review of his debut, “Not So Perfect”) so was happy to hear that he has just published another collection, this time in collaboration with the totally ace Caroline Smailes:





Their press release explains, “Over fifty freaks and misfits feature in this unforgettable book. A unique collaboration between three popular writers, the stories are written by Caroline Smailes (Like Bees to Honey) and Nik Perring (Not So Perfect) and illustrated by Darren Craske, a comic book artist and author of The Cornelius Quaint Chronicles.”  


Sounds good, right? Who doesn’t love to imagine what their Super Power would be? (Mine is surely the ability to lose hours, procrastinate for days, and sleep for years.)


I’m impressed by how Nik Perring has managed to carve his way as a short story writer when we are repeatedly told how difficult that is, and he has kindly written this post for me to share with you:

Just a Short Story Writer
I’m going to start off here by saying that I’ve been very lucky. I’ve had three books published and two of those have been short story collections (Not So Perfect was published by Roast books in 2010, and Freaks!, a collaboration with Caroline Smailes was published by The Friday Project (HarperCollins) a couple of weeks ago).  And in a culture where (commercially, at least) the novel is king, I know that that makes me very lucky. 
I never set out to be a short story writer. I started life as a writer about ten years ago by writing things for newspapers and magazines. Then, in 2006,  my children’s book came out. All the way through I’d been writing short stories, and I’d had a bunch of them published, but I’d not considered myself a short story writer. I was just a writer who wrote short stories. And I wrote them because I enjoyed writing them. Same as reading them.
As time went on I wrote more and more short stories. I found the form suited me and the stories I wanted to tell, or maybe I suited the form. Either way, that’s what I did. And again, they were published and I was fortunate to have a collection out with the magnificent Roast Books in 2010, and then with equally magnificent The Friday Project this year.
So, while I wouldn’t say that I fell into short story writing, or that it was a happy accident, it wasn’t anything that I’d planned. It happened as it should have happened and that’s cool.
So how do I survive as a short story writer (a label which I’m getting more and more comfortable with) in a world where, commercially at least, it’s the the novel that’s king? I think the answer’s surprisingly easy: I survive writing short stories because that’s what I do, and that’s what I love, and I firmly believe that if you do something well, and if you work hard at it (any writing’s hard, not just one form) and if you get that bit of luck, then you can do okay at it. 
Don’t forget, people like good stories. Editors and publishers like good stories and readers like good stories. And that’s regardless of their length. Some stories are always going to be longer than others (novels), but if they’re good, they’re good, and that means they’ll have a great chance of finding a home and an audience.
Commercially, short story collections don’t sell as well as novels. We know this. Twas ever thus. And that’s not a problem (it is a Good Thing that people buy stories of any length). Nor is it the whole picture. Not every novel sells by the truck load, and not every novel reader will buy every sort of novel. And most novelists don’t make a fortune. They do what they do because they enjoy it, because they’re good at it and because the novel, as a form, suits the stories they want to tell. And they make some money from it. They probably have to do other things too to keep that financial wolf from the door, like editing or teaching or running workshops – or even jobs that have bugger all to do with writing. And that isn’t all that different to us short story people. We do it for the same reasons. We’re all writers. There shouldn’t be any us and them, or any prejudice because, really, we’re doing pretty much the same thing. 
So, how do I make it as a short story writer? Simple. I do what I love doing and I do it as well as I can.
Thanks, Nik, that’s a lovely, encouraging message actually – write what you love and do it well. I wish you every success.

I’ll leave you with a taster from Freaks, stories aren’t credited so the reader is left to guess which is written by Caroline or Nik – I like to think I can pick who wrote which but… hmmm, there’s no way to know which adds to the fun. Who do you think write this one?:

Invisible 
[Super Power: The ability to make oneself unseen to the naked eye]
If I stay totally still,
if I stand right tall,
with me back against the school wall,
close to the science room’s window,
with me feet together,
pointing straight,
aiming forward,
if I make me hands into tight fists,
make me arms dead straight,
 if I push me arms into me sides,
if I squeeze me thighs,
stop me wee,
if me belly doesn’t shake,
if me boobs don’t wobble,
if I close me eyes tight,
so tight that it makes me whole face scrunch,
if I push me lips into me mouth,
if I make me teeth bite me lips together,
if I hardly breathe,
if I don’t say a word.
Then,
I’ll magic meself invisible,
and them lasses will leave me alone.

End of year thing

Sara Crowley9 Comments

I feel like there should be an end of the year post but I have such a lousy memory I can’t recall all the things I liked best. I listened to Nicki Minaj a lot  and I have much love for her. “Did it on ’em” was a song that actually made me go “What the fuck is this? What is she saying?” and then “Oh my god, it’s amazing. She’s amazing. This is perfect.” I’m so glad there is a woman more than equal to the top guys in the field, and that she is recognised as such.

I have sadness that there’s still “top guys in the field” instead of top people. It’s true all over – TV, comedy, writing, whatever. There are the successful men and then the select women who are deemed of rare enough quality that they get to hang there too. Even on twitter amongst the people who tweet about lit stuff it seems there’s a boys club (with separate UK and US branches of these in the blog world too) and only a few honorary women. Anyway, a massive cheer for Caitlin Moran who somehow managed to write a clever, funny, brilliant, best selling (number one on the list for weeks and weeks) book about feminism (even if it is mainly a biography) How To Be a Woman.

Favourite novels of the year are The Canal by Lee Rourke and The Coward’s Tale by Vanessa Gebbie. Fave short story collections are Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned by Wells Tower and Ayiti by Roxane Gay. Speaking of Roxane Gay, it’s been a pleasure to read her intelligent, articulate thoughts online in a wide variety of places (HTML Giant, The Rumpus, and her own blog to name a few.)

Fave TV show was Sons of Anarchy. Compelling viewing that just kept relentlessly building. We’re a season behind the US here and I am so looking forward to watching Season 4 when it airs. I also loved The Mentalist. I want to be Patrick Jane, and date Cho.

Film of the year? No idea. I saw Thor yesterday though and really enjoyed it. Home and Away boy has done good! And learned how to open his eyes. How buff? More fun than I expected too. I appreciated the Shakespearean swagger and am really looking forward to Whedon’s Avengers.

Scent of the year – Amazing Grace by Philosophy. Absolutely gorgeous. Fresh, clean, non-cloying.

Meal of the year was in the Fork and Field where I tasted the best pasta I have ever had. Seriously so good that I couldn’t stop smiling. It was Gratin of Macaroni with spinach, parmesan and fresh truffle and was perfection.

Book-selling hurrahs were realising we’d sold over 100 copies of Janice Galloway’s Collected Stories, and selling out of Kuzhali Manickavel’s Insects Are Just Like You and Me Only Some of Them Have Wings yet again, selling heaps of The Best British Short Stories, and ordering in goodies like Roxane Gay’s Ayiti and Breece D’J Pancake‘s Collected Stories. I get a real thrill introducing people to damn good writing and I’ve never had anyone come back and complain about a recommendation I’ve given so I hope that’s a good sign.

More personally, my family have struggled through hellish times this year but emerged stronger. I pack the sad, angry, bitterness down inside me and carry on. What else to do? One of my boys made up a song – “I’ve got an arch of love for you” – and he sings it, complete with arm gestures, to me. I congratulated my other son on how well he dealt with an awkward situation – “I model myself on you,” he said. There is nothing more precious, more wonderful, than my twins. My resolution for 2012 is the same as the advice I give to my beautiful boys – “Be the best you that you can be.”

Happy new year y’all.

Dogsbodies and Scumsters – stories by Alan McCormick and illustrations by Jonny Voss – review

Sara Crowley2 Comments
Dogsbodies and Scumsters is a new short story collection from Roastbooks – a publisher that designs interesting and gorgeous books (Nik Perring’s ‘Not So Perfect’ for example.)
If I understand correctly, the Dogsbodies part refers to the longer stories, written by Alan McCormick, and the Scumsters are illustrations by Jonny Voss which McCormick has responded to. 
McCormick has an easy way with language. His characters sound believable even when they are doing unbelievable things, and they feel like the people we glimpse as we go about our lives. Maybe we warily keep an eye on the angry looking bloke in the pub, or cross the road to avoid that nice enough woman who seems a bit odd. Here McCormick gives them a voice. 
“Real Mummy” was, in my opinion, the most potent story here, and the narrator’s innocent voice recalling how her daughter was taken away from her is very powerful. I was glad to revisit the character in “Granny ♥ Terry Wogan” where her relationship with a taxi driver – 
Mister Haji – rings true. 
“…when you’re sixty all the streets look the same: dirty and full of ugly people with unwashed hair, clutching carrier bags and babies.”
“Howl” describes its main character, Eddie, a terrifying alcoholic bully, in such a simple, effective way that he remained in my head long after the story was finished. In “Deal or No Deal” Brenda’s kindest exchanges every day are not with her family but with the polite Mr Patel in the corner shop. It’s the plausibility that makes some stories so damn sad.
I didn’t get much out of the Scumsters parts. I like the illustrations, they are a fun way of letting some air into the book, but the accompanying prose seems a little throwaway in comparison with the Dogsbodies. They reminded me of writing exercises, but fans of the absurd will enjoy how McCormick has interpreted Voss’s drawings.


Ethel Rohan

Sara Crowley4 Comments

One of my favourite stories of Ethel Rohan’s is Shatter at FRiGG. Maybe it’s because the main character feels so real. I recognise her and am touched.

“She chewed harder on the side of her thumb. Maybe she should call her husband back and tell him to forget the chips. Hardly any of her clothes fit anymore. Her mouth watered. What was living if she couldn’t have her few treats every evening, some chips with wine before dinner after a hard day’s work. She thought to phone her mother, but felt too tired. She really should call her sister, too, one of these days. They hadn’t spoken in months.”


I appreciate Rohan’s skill at conjuring with reality and the ache of life, saying so much in a clean, crisp, concise way. That the title of her collection of short stories is Cut Through the Bone seems incredibly fitting as that is exactly how she works her words. It’s a must read book as far as I’m concerned. Congratulations too, Ethel, for being one of The Story Prize’s “Notable 2010 Short Story Collections”

Talking to myself

Sara Crowley2 Comments

Sara, could you please stop going on about Ted Hughes letters? It’s getting boring.

Hmm, well, I would, but…

But what?

There’s this poetry book called “The Scattering”…

Right. And?

When I was in Oxford I picked it up and considered buying it. Truth is I felt compelled to buy it. To be honest, I only didn’t because I knew that I could get staff discount at work.

Okay, and?

Well, it’s kinda unusual for me to buy poetry. I mean, I love Les Murray but otherwise I’m not a huge reader of poetry. I certainly don’t write it. There’s Plath, Paul Beatty, Bukowski, Les Murray and…well, that’s pretty much it.

So what was there about this particular book of poetry then?

Not sure really. It is written by a man in response to his wife’s death. It seemed emotionally open and… Nope, not sure.

Right. So, you saw this poetry book but didn’t buy it? Fascinating.

But!

Okay?

I came back and tried to buy it at work but we had sold out. Three people in one day came and asked me for it. Three people asking for the same poetry collection! Then I heard that it had won the Costa Book of the Year Award. This is highly unusual.

Cool. I’m pleased for poetry.

Yes. So. Today I saw the book was back in stock and bought it.

Good for you.

Ta. You can buy a copy at a branch of Waterstones or online at Waterstones.com

Great. Thanks.

Did you notice who the author is?

No. Who?

Christopher Reid.

Right.

Christopher Reid!

Okay.

Ring any bells?

Nope. Should it?

Christopher Reid is the editor of The Collected Letters of Ted Hughes.

Ooh! Spooky.

Is it?

Dunno. Could just be a coincidence.

Yeah, that’s what I figured.