Tag: Short Stories

WIP Wednesday 1st May 2024
3. Wednesday · Characters · Editing · WIP Wednesday

WIP Wednesday 1st May 2024

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It’s Wednesday so today is a round up of what I am working on right now. I have taken on a few short stories for anthologies as I have been struggling working on longer pieces but I am hoping to get back to it this month. I have noticed that the length of the short stories is increasing from 5k as the norm to between 10 and 20k in length. This trend going forward does mean I will have to cut back how many I do in the future, which is a shame because I enjoy being pushed out of my comfort zone. The plus side is when the rights are returned I have a chunky piece of writing to expand and make full novella out of which is something I am working at right now.

This week I have two things I am working on. Firstly, I am working on finishing the story for the Books On The Beach Anthology which was inspired by the people I met at the riding school. I have to say writing young adult has been an interesting challenge, one I wasn’t convinced I would be up to but the test will be at the end of the month when I let me tester audience try it.

The second project is turning In Search Of Ghosts into a novella. I realised when I got it back that it stands at 15k words and that I could actually expand it quite easily to extend it. This was originally published as part of the Indie Love Myths & Legends anthology. The story is set in Wales and I went for the Lady Of The Lake legend for the basis of my story but it was also looking at the way people handle grief. I was in a position when I wrote it where I was worrying about losing my dad, and at the same time dealing with the fact if he lived he would forget who I was more and more.

Working on short stories is a really good way to get back into the mindset of writing every day, even if it is only 500 words. That is my plan going forward to get me back writing and to also get some work published. It will also allow me to focus on getting some of the half written projects I have on my computer finished and out into the world.

Fans, Fiction, & Ballgowns Charity Anthology 2024
1. Monday · Book Reviews · Monday Musings

Fans, Fiction, & Ballgowns Charity Anthology 2024

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This weeks read is another anthology I am part of and is available until July!

This intimate collection of short stories will take you on an adventure to all things fae, goblins, cathedrals, balls, forests and your own inner fantasies. Written exclusively for this anthology, each special story comes from fourteen of the attending authors at 2024’s Fiction, Fans and Ballgowns event in a unique collaboration.

All proceeds will be donated to Cancer Research.

by Stephanie Hudson (Author), Paula Acton (Author), Amy Davies (Author), B. Lybaek (Author), Grace Harper (Author), Laura Greenwood (Author), Arizona Tape (Author), Luna May (Author), Maggie Brown (Author), Martin Tracey (Author), Lily Wildhart (Author), Tatum Rayne (Author), Molly Shelby (Author), Adaline Winters (Author) 

Get your copy here

From United Kingdom

Ro

5.0 out of 5 stars Oblivion 5*++

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 2 March 2024

Short, yummy and on so tempting. This is such a naughty tease of a tale, that I can’t wait to read more of. Stephanie Hudson’s work is the bomb, especially this series.

From other countries

Kindle Customer

2.0 out of 5 stars Too many unfinished stories

Reviewed in the United States on 27 March 2024

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Some of the stories were great and interesting, and those were typically unfinished, which was just truly frustrating. That just ruined my enjoyment of the book.

Some people will query why I include what could be perceived as a negative review, here is the thing, that review actually praises the stories, they just wanted more. I have been guilty in the past of writing short stories where readers have told me they wanted more but in short story format you can’t always round off every single loose thread as much as you try to. the chances are if you read a story in an anthology you really love it may be reworked at a later date into a full book, or it may be part of a wider world that the author has created that you will fall in love with if you check it out. Every reader is entitled to review as they see fit, I think 2 stars is a little harsh but I choose to take the positives that is was the fact the stories were so good that left this reader frustrated but I always recommend trying things for yourself.

Fact Vs Fiction

Where it all began!

paulaacton1 Comment

As I set about getting this year off to a productive start I decided the appropriate place to begin was back where it all began…

A series of short stories about when the fairy tale ends and everything falls apart. Love,death and revenge all feature in these tales where not everything is as it seems. The phrase till death do us part takes on a different meaning in both Disintegration and Empty, while Table For One and Deuce examine the more humorous side of betrayal.

It was my first book but it wasn’t supposed to be. I had been writing Voices planning to help raise funds for a courageous little boy named Charlie Harris Beard, if you have been around for long enough you will know what happened and that sadly he passed before I finished the book. I put that to one side and wrote some other stories but I had no clear plan of what to do with them. At this time my 18 year relationship was crumbling and many of the stories came as a result of my inability to write a happily ever after.

Once the relationship was over I was determined to find myself, so I pulled together these stories and took a better look at them. Some went in the bin, never to see the light of day, some still remain hidden in files on my computer but these precious few were initially hastily edited and put together. The cover created in the kindle app using a photo I had taken and which I constantly consider replacing but I am too attached to the symbolism. Then before I could second guess myself I hit publish and hid.

I sat waiting for the horrible reviews to come, so far I have been lucky and I am still waiting. I have gone back and given it a proper edit since, but I cannot tell you the mix of excitement and terror I felt hitting that button. I love some of these stories, one ended up with a sequel in Voices, but my favourite is Table For One. I think it was probably inspired by Alan Bennett’s Talking Heads. Somewhere there was a recording of me reading it but it’s much better if you listen to the audio book instead. Here are a few reviews about the book…

5.0 out of 5 stars Great set of short storiesReviewed in the United Kingdom on 25 September 2022

Verified Purchase

I decided to buy this on paperback as I like them and it’s so cheap.
The stories are well written and dark but well thought out with regard to being the injured party for revenge and retribution. Already bought Paula’s ghost stories off the back of this

5.0 out of 5 stars Great selection of short stories with twists you won’t expect.Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 11 July 2017

Verified Purchase

A selection of short stories based around divorce/separation and the reasons behind it. Even though each tale is short in length, they all have enough in them to make you invested in the tale.
I thoroughly enjoyed them.

4.0 out of 5 stars 4.5 stars from meReviewed in the United Kingdom on 19 May 2019

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There are some really good short stories in this book, some of them I would like to be made into longer stories as I felt they had more to give but all in all they were good but sometimes dark reads.

As you can see not all 5 star reviews but the main complaint was not the quality but the length of the stories and maybe I should have made some longer. If my brain wasn’t full of stories I might go back and do more to them but for now they stay as they are, a tribute to survival when my world crumbled.

If you would like to read it for yourself if is available on Amazon and in Kindle Unlimited.

https://mybook.to/Disintegration