Northern Short Story Festival, Leeds
Look at the all the shiny things on offer here – also, am giving a workshop on image-based fiction.
A little more information:
We will beg steal and borrow for our image workshop. I work in a variety of media and think that each brightens the other. In the workshop, we’ll borrow a little from script and poetry, but ultimately produce a short piece of work for a target market, should you want to. You could even practice your piece straightaway in the Flash Fiction Slam after the workshop. All levels are welcome, and always happy to tailor my initial plan to the needs of the group.
Here’s an indicative structure – lots to get through!
1 minute silent short
The vignette
Soundscapes and musical fiction
No translations! How to convey meaning with image
Crafting: Heart/head – emotional plot, vs event-based plot
Target market: Segora vignette competition
Here’s a quick script-based example from the stage directions of a play I’m working on. What does this tell you about the characters? How might you write this in prose? One of the fascinating things about script is that it forces you to rethink (somewhat) our approach to prose. I’m forever filling in the blank spaces, and then trying to create more, to keep a reader guessing. Sharp editing in prose creates jumping points for a reader to imagine, be active, and to interpret for themselves. Who doesn’t like that? Resist translation!
Q/ So – what could this say about the twins’ relationship as demonstrated in these stage directions? Who has the upper-hand? Are you trying to interpret? Is that better than saying, ‘They laugh because they’re no longer angry with each other’. Why do they laugh? Why does Joanie run off-stage? Is If we wrote this in prose, would we actually need to write the internal thoughts (as we often do)? Does a blank space always need filling in? (We’re not completing forms!) Could we even write it like this in a prose piece? (Would it be too bland? What would you add? Why?) Etc…
Dandelions (in-progress)
THE TWINS UNFOLD THEIR ARMS. THEY EACH POINT TO THE OTHER, SHRUG, LAUGH. THEY MOVE CLOSE, CLOSER, SLOWLY START TO PERFORM A CHILD’S HAND-CLAPPING GAME. IT GETS FASTER AND FASTER UNTIL JOANIE CAN’T KEEP UP AND RUNS OFF STAGE. EM RE-FOLDS HER ARMS.
