I know, I know – it’s been a little while! The main reason for this is that I’ve been wearing my editor’s hat even more than I usually do, to the extent that my teacher’s hat and my writer’s hat have been sitting forlornly on the shelf! After the turn of the year series I sent out last month, I will be writing more topic-linked newsletters in the coming months and I hope you’ll find them useful.
Today, though, I want to introduce you to a fun activity. Do you ever, like me, stand in front of your bookshelves (and in my case, the teetering towers of books beginning to march across the study floor …) and find yourself in a state of guilt and near-panic? Do you find yourself overwhelmed by the sheer number of books sitting there, beautiful, enticing, intriguing, entertaining, worthy, informative – and you haven’t read them yet? Do you worry that you never will? Do you approach the shelves determined to pick one to read – and then, because there are so many, you can’t choose?! Argh!
I’ve been in that state of mind all my adult life, it sometimes feels! So, just after Christmas, I made a decision.
'I am going to tackle the To Be Read pile,' I said to myself.
A small voice, deep in my brain, chortled at that. Not for the first time.
'Ah! But I have a cunning plan,' I replied.
'Oh yeah?' the small voice said.
Yeah!
This is what I’m doing – and I’m inviting you to join in, if you like. I have not come up with an ambitious, ultra-disciplined reading programme. Like diets, plans like this are all very well when you start, but real life and distractions pull you away from sticking to them.
So here it is. I decided to read two books from my TBR pile, per month. Couldn’t be simpler. Not one book a week. Two per month. But they have to be from the TBR pile – not newly-bought ones. I am playing with the notion of making one fiction, one non-fiction, but that’s not a binding rule. The whole point about this is not to feel bound at all, not obligated, driven or burdened. I make my decisions each month as quickly and spontaneously as possible because if I look at the shelves for too long then all those lovely books will start nagging me – Pick me! Pick me!
I walk over, grab one, start. There we are.
So far it’s working – and the paradox is that I’m actually reading more than two because there’s a kind of playful liberation going on with this process.
Want to join me? I’m going to post which TBR books I’ve read each month on my blog, Literascribe, and on my Facebook pages – both LornaFergussonAuthor and Fictionfire-Inspiration-for-Writers. I may say a few words about them, I may not. I am not going to write long reviews because then the playfulness will go out the window and I’ll feel like I’m tackling a task – guilt and pressure will sneak back in, before I know it.
If you’d like to join in – I’m calling it ‘I’ve Got It, So I’ll Read It!’ – please hit reply to this email, or add what you’ve been reading to the Facebook pages, or subscribe to Literascribe and add your comments. If you discover one of those books that has been lurking on your TBR pile is a total gem and you think everyone should read it – let us know! (Although, of course, that will mean you’re adding to our TBR piles …!)
To kick us off: my IGISIRI books this year so far are:
- Georgette Heyer’s Snowdrift – a Christmas gift from my sister, a collection of short stories which were a nostalgic pleasure
- Vanessa LaFaye’s Summertime – beautifully written, set in Florida after World War I and culminating in an edge-of –the-seat account of the worst hurricane ever to hit that region
- Catherine Ryan Howard’s Distress Signals – an enjoyable thriller set on a cruise ship, with really sparky dialogue
- Jane Alexander’s The Last Treasure Hunt – a darkly witty satire on our hunger for fame and how feeding the public’s hunger for inside stories can spiral out of control.
Now for a couple of links to competitions closing on the 28th February:
Fish Flash Fiction Prize, for stories up to 300 words. Prizes 1000 euros; a place on an online writing course. The best 10 to be published in the 2017 Fish anthology. Entry fee is 14 euros. See www.fishpublishing.com
Words with Jam Flash 500 Short Story Competition for stories 1,000 to 3,000 words long. Prizes: £500 plus publication in Words with Jam; £200; £100. Entry fee: £7. www.flash500.com
The Exeter Writers Short Story Competition for stories up to 3,000 words long. Prizes: £500; £250; £100, plus publication on their website. Entry fee: £6. www.exeterwriters.org.uk
Finally, the annual Winchester Writers’ Festival is now open for booking. It runs from 16-18 June and will include the usual wide range of talks, courses and one-to-one opportunities. I’ll be teaching a day course on The Power of Point of View on Sunday 18th. If you are interested in booking a one-to-one with an agent or editor, move fast to make your booking because these are really popular! There’s also a range of story competitions. View the programme at www.writersfestival.co.uk
Ultra-finally, I’ll be sending out a special message to you tomorrow, with a sneak peek at something exciting that's happening this weekend which I think you'll enjoy!
In the meantime, happy writing!
Warm wishes,
Lorna
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