Today I welcome on to my blog Lynn Clement . Chapeltown has just published her collection of flash fiction : The City of Stories
What do you write? Why this in particular?
I mainly write flash fiction and short stories. Also, when the
mood takes me, I write poetry.
I enjoy these forms of writing because I have a flitting mind, and
lots of ideas.
I love the challenge of writing to a title and trying to put a
twist on the stories. I try to find an angle that others won’t.
I have written 30,000 words of a novelette. I began in lockdown
but put it in ‘the drawer’ when we were allowed out! (It’s still there!)
I am currently compiling 50,000 words of short stories, as a
collection to submit to Gill in the new year!
What got you started on writing in the first
place?
I ‘found’ writing after I retired. I started a writing course at
the local Tech college, but it folded. I was so disappointed. But I soon found
another a little further away from me, in Winchester. The tutor was
inspirational and the writing bug bit.
I found some writing groups through the local library. They’ve
been extremely helpful, especially setting titles to write to and giving
feedback.
I’ve entered a few local competitions and done well, so I was
driven on to keep writing.
Do you have a particular routine?
Not especially. I prefer writing in the morning, leaving the
afternoon to relax my shoulders and do other things. Although bizarrely,
I also like writing in bed! When doing my homework for college, I like to get
something down on paper, after my drive home whilst thinking about the task.
Do you have a dedicated working space?
Yes, I have a laptop on a messy desk in the study. Above my desk I
have a lovely big, framed print of the Verrocchio painting, ‘Tobias and the
Angel,’ which I fell in love with on a visit to The National Gallery in
London. My work colleagues gave it to me on my retirement. It means a lot to
me. The story behind the painting is an apocryphal tale about doing good turns,
believing, and having ‘the scales removed from your eyes.’ It’s great.
My desk is right next to my
conservatory, which has gold window blinds and a burnt orange roof blind. The
morning sun shines in, and I feel cocooned and warm. Lovely.
When did you decide you could call yourself a
writer? Do you do that in fact?
I haven’t yet called myself a writer. I say I write. But to call
myself a writer feels odd. I suppose now I have my first book published by
Gill, I should go ahead and say I am a writer.
How supportive are your friends and family?
Do they understand what you're doing?
My friends and family are very supportive.
My husband Bob is pleased that I am doing something I want to do
and enjoy doing. Also, I am out of his way!
I have several friends from writing groups who have been very
encouraging and helpful when my writing needs critiquing or just to remind me
where commas really should go! I have belonged to Writers’Inc in Basingstoke
for several years and they have driven me on to achieve publication.
My grandson Freddie is proud of me for writing but prouder that I
play walking football!
My other grandson Barney says his favourite thing at school is
writing! Yay!
My granddaughter Poppy, who has just turned three, constantly
carries what she calls ‘her diary’ around and adds her squiggles every now and
then.
My son writes. His writing is very deep. We exchange our efforts
sometimes via email, as he lives in Australia.
My daughter can’t understand why I would want to do anything
involving writing!
What are you most proud of in your writing?
That Gill has published my collection. I never thought I would
find anywhere for my kind of writing to be published but then Allison Symes
spoke at The Hampshire Writers’ Society and told us about CafeLit and Bridge
House publications. And the rest as they say is history! (Cliché)
I followed up Allison’s lead only to find Gill was a lecturer
(then) in my hometown of Salford. It seemed like we were a good fit and so I
bit the bullet. I sent some stories off and now I have a book out!
How do you get on with editing and research?
I don’t like it!
For my book The City of Stories, I had Allison Symes as my
editor. She had to be very patient, and she was. I found the process tricky,
but Allison helped enormously.
As for research, the internet is a marvellous invention.
I also use settings I have
been to, in my stories. I collect postcards of places I’ve been, to remind me.
Such as the cream stone quintessence of the Cotswolds’ cottages or the ‘Arbeit Macht Frei’ metal sign above Auschwitz. The visit to
Auschwitz inspired my poem, Are they your red shoes? Which is in the
book.
Do you have any goals for the future?
I am hoping that I can compile a collection of short stories to
submit to Gill in 2022. I am struggling at the moment as the summer and
‘freedom’ from COVID has distracted me.
I would like to enter a bigger competition than the ones I have
entered and be placed or acknowledged in some way…but to achieve that I have to
enter!
My fourth grandchild is due in the new year. If I could write a
children’s book for them, I would.
Which writers have inspired you?
I was an avid reader of Agatha
Christie. I say was as I have read them all and have the collection on my
bookshelves. I now listen to them on Audio and love to watch adaptations of her
work. I do try to avoid writing murder mysteries though, although I have
written one about a murder in the Cotswolds for the collection of short
stories. Working title: Slaughter in the Slaughters!
HG Wells was a favourite in my
youth as was John Wyndham. Some of my stories have resonances of their work, I
am sure. Aldous Huxley’s Brave New world is an all-time favourite of mine.
Stephen King and James Patterson
are also old favourites. I love Stephen King’s book, ’On writing.’ Some great
advice in there.
My writerly friends also inspire
me.
So tell
me about your new book.
My book is called The City of Stories. Published recently
by Chapeltown books. It is a collection of flash fiction, short stories, and
poems.The stories range from dark tales of murder, mental illness,
gothic horror, science fiction, and kitchen sink but also humour. A very
eclectic mix. Hopefully, the poems are moving.
I enjoyed compiling it. I found it interesting to see which
stories were good to go together and where to place the poems.
Tell
us about your research for this book.
The research was mainly through life’s rich tapestry! (Cliché) Many
of my stories come from observations of people and their circumstances. Any
research done would involve the internet eg: ensuring symptoms of an illness
mentioned was accurate or what specific words like tontine mean.
What inspired you to
write this?
All stories were born from a different inspiration. Many were
written to a given title such as ‘The phone rang twice ‘or ‘Turning over a new
Leaf.’ Others were in response to competition stimuli eg: write a story
about someone struggling with disability or a story set in the future.
All those ideas were turned into stories that are in the book.
What's next?
I am working hard to compile a collection of short stories to send
to Gill in 2022.
In the meantime, I am promoting The City of
Stories. I have some dates to speak at my college, groups I belong to, and I
have a stall at The Hampshire writers’ Society authors’ event.
How can we get a copy of
the book?
The book is on sale through http://www.thebridgetowncafebooksshop.co.uk/2021/10/the-city-of-stories.html it is also
on Amazon.
Do you have any events
planned?
I am promoting The City of Stories. I have three dates to
speak at my college, two for groups I belong to, and I have a stall at The
Hampshire Writers’ Society authors’ book fair. I also will be attending Gill’s
event in London, where I will read extracts from the book and hopefully sell
some copies? That will see me through to Christmas when it will be time to
recuperate and go again in the new year, where there are a couple of irons in
the fire!
