THE STORY OF A STORY
Working on a book, pouring your
sweat and tears into every page, can be an epic story in its own right. And
while I prattle on regularly throughout this blog with my ups (a few) and downs
(a lot), I have recently had the privilege to cross paths with another author’s
story.
Actually, there were three
authors.
HELP WANTED!
At the tail end of last year I
was approached by Craig Anderson, author of the novella GETTING LUCKY, who asked if I would be interested in beta reading
the follow up, LUCKY SHOT. Because I
enjoyed the first of the ‘Lucky Beggar Trilogy’ so much (and because I couldn’t
turn down early access!) I leapt at the chance to assist a fellow writer,
especially one who has supported me since I stumbled into the world of Flash
Fiction a couple of years ago.
Then, just as 2016 dawned, I received
a similar message from Liz Hedgecock asking if I’d be interested in beta
reading her collection of Sherlock Holmes stories, THE SECRET NOTEBOOK OF SHERLOCK HOLMES. Although I didn’t have any experience
with Mr Holmes, literary or otherwise, I’d enjoyed helping Craig so much, and
didn’t hesitate to lend Liz a hand.
And as if that wasn’t enough to
be getting stuck into, a quick response to a twitter request meant that next on
my list was ROKO’S BASILISK, an intelligent sci-fi short
story by Michael Blackbourn, author of the children’s book CINDERCAST.
BETA BRIAN
And so it was. Spread out over
those three months I spent several lunch breaks reading three great works of
art, so different from one another, and yet each filled with a clear passion by
their individual creators. And while I enjoyed reading them, I couldn’t forget
that I had a job to do.
Now, I struggle with giving constructive
feedback. On the occasions I’ve judged Flash Fiction contests, the part I find
hardest is putting into words what it is I liked about each piece I choose as
the winner. I know the one I like most, but it’s a gut feeling. Telling people
why is tough. So putting into words the things I felt weren’t working, or what parts just needed slightly altering, was
nothing short of daunting. As a writer I know how much effort goes into creating
a story, and how difficult it can be to build up the courage and show your work
to another pair of eyes.
It’s because of this that I knew
I had to be respectful to the authors, three people whose writing and ideas I
really enjoy.
FINISHED PRODUCTS
I’m extremely grateful to have
been given the opportunity by Craig, Liz, and Michael to assist them, to have
early eyes on their precious commodities, and to be respected enough by each
that my help was useful to them.
I hope I did a good job. I hope I
didn’t offend. I hope that they’re proud of the work they produced.
Below are the links to each of
the stories, as well as related works you might be interested in. I can attest
that each project, from the Lucky beggar sequel, to the historical collection
of short stories, to the brain bending sci-fi tour-de-force, is well worth your
time. If you're stuck at a crossroads, undecided about what to read next, if you’re
willing to try new things, and if you like the idea of supporting up and coming
authors, then look no further than what is laid out below.
Also available: GETTING
LUCKY
Also available: CINDERCAST
It's worth noting that Brian was an excellent Beta reader! He provided really great feedback, both typos and errors but also regarding the plot and structure. His comments definately helped to shape Lucky Shot into a better story :)
ReplyDeleteThanks again for all your help Brian!
Too kind, sir. Too kind.
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