Thursday, August 8, 2013


Hello Everyone!

An inevitable part of starting anything new is stumbling. You research, try things, fail, and eventually you get your bearings and get better. My career as a writer and my work on this blog are no different. That is why I am now revamping my blog. The new format/schedule will be as follows:

  • Monday Mini- weekly release of the best chapter of my miniseries Phone sex operators need love too. It's the funny, quirky story of the self-proclaimed loneliest phone sex operator in the world and her escapades in online dating.
  • Topic Tuesday- I will post a new writing topic each week and encourage you to post your response to to the topic.
  • Wednesday in Review- each week I will add a new review of a book that I have read. I would love to read your work!
  • Trippin Tippin Thursday- a new author will be featured in a guest post. They will give their advice or tips on things they have learned throughout their professional writing career. If you are interested in being a guest please contact me at author.o.evans@gmail.com

There is no time like the present to start something new so in honor of my new schedule below is a post by my first guest author Angeline Trevena from Devon in the UK.


Trippin Tippin Thursday!

Angeline Trevena
Her website: www.angelinetrevena.co.uk

I began telling stories as soon as I learned to speak. I still have a copy of the very first story I wrote as a young child. It's just something I've always done, and the desire to write comes to me as naturally as breathing.

But a desire to write is one thing, turning that into hours of dedication, strict self-discipline, and an ability to ignore the inner editor, that is something quite different. Writing is hard work, and getting published is even harder work.

I started my journey towards a writing career with novels. It had never really crossed my mind that writers might ever write anything else. But I have a bit of a problem with novels. They're long. Very long. And my attention span, enthusiasm, and motivation doesn't quite match up. I've never managed to get very far past a first draft. My house is filled with abandoned novels gathering dust.

If I ever wanted a writing career, I needed a serious personality transplant, or a new writing focus. And then I found it.

In January 2011, my first short story, 'The Vincent Orphanage', was published in The Mirador Fantasmagoria anthology. That was the moment I realised; I could have a writing career without having to slog my way through a 90,000 word novel.

Don't get me wrong; short stories aren't easier to write than novels. In many ways, they're even harder. But it's a little like comparing apples and oranges – they require such a different approach, such a different set of skills. Try fitting an entire story into 1,500 words: besides the plot itself, there's themes, fore-shadowing, character arcs, sub-plots. That's a lot to fit in while still making it engaging, immersive, and exciting. It's a tough gig.

And I'll admit; I'm hooked. The moment I submit one story, I'm looking for my next call for submissions. I bounce from story to story, world to world, character to character. I barely know where I am half the time, and it keeps my adrenaline pumping. One month I'll be in the middle of a zombie apocalypse, the next I'm battling evil fairies, then I'm bedding down for the night in a haunted castle. I love that.

Besides, writing a brand new story is the best way to cope with the wait for a submission response. Writing something new saves me from checking my emails every 30 seconds.

I've been told I'm not a 'real writer', I've been told I'm 'choosing the easy option', but I know none of it's true. I can now boast to be, not just a published writer, but a paid one too. There'll always be people who think short story writers are somehow 'lesser' than novelists, but you'd be surprised how many big name writers started out writing shorts, who still write shorts, and who encourage aspiring writers to do the same.

Some runners will always be sprinters, some will always run long-distance. Neither is easier than the other, neither is less prestigious or less honourable. There are some invaluable skills writing shorts can give you, skills that you can bring to your novel, that will improve your novel and your writing style as a whole.

Find yourself a call for submissions that catches your imagination, and give it a go. You've nothing to lose, and you might just discover a new writing passion. Maybe you're a sprinter after all.

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Angeline Trevena is a horror and fantasy writer, poet and journalist from Devon in the UK. She lives above a milkshake shop and has a habit for climbing into wardrobes to look for Narnia. She has short stories published by Mirador Publishing, Crooked Cat Publishing, Angelic Knight Press, and Horrified Press. Visit her website to find out more: www.angelinetrevena.co.uk

10 comments:

  1. Thank you for letting me take over your blog Olivia, and good luck with your new blogging schedule!

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    1. You are more than welcome. I loved reading your post and I must say your message really resonated with me because I think I write somewhere in between short stories and long novels. I used to worry if my work was long enough. Now I realize as long as it has a beginning, middle, and end with some kick ass content I am good! :)

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  2. Great article, Angeline! I'm kind of the opposite of you. I wanted to start writing short stories--it was advice given by all the established authors, it seemed--but I didn't have a short story in me at the time, only a novel-length one. I'm rather amazed than anyone might say you aren't a real writer. Writers write. Word count is irrelevant.

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    1. Short stories are a great way to hone your writing skills, but some writers are just naturally long-disntance runners. Maybe you'll write that short story one day; I know I'll get a novel out of me at some point!

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    2. I love that, "Writers write. Word count is irrelevant". Something I will keep in mind as I progess.

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  3. Nice article, Angeline. I relate very much with how you described your inclination toward short stories. I felt the same way. That is not to say that I won't write a novel one day, but on a day-to-day basis and week-to-week basis, my mind works better in thinking of short stories I can produce and share with the world.

    Great inspiration in seeing how you jump from one submissions call to the next--it keeps your writing very active. Thanks for the article.

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    1. I also know I'll write a novel someday, but right now, I'm loving shorts and it suits my mind and my lifestyle.

      Good luck with your stories!

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  4. I'd say you are a writer, definitely. Few of us become authors though I believe, but writing regularly is a start. You certainly sound focused and on the way.

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    1. I certainly try my best to stay focused; but life so often gets in the way of writing. That's why shorts suit me so well. I can jump in and out of them with ease, and take breaks in between submissions.

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