I’ve been planning another anthology of short stories to add to my five Unexpected Twisty Tales. But I seem to have a mixture of flash fiction and short nature writing to include in it. Can I mix them?

This is my Insecure Writers Support Group post, in which we share our successes and failures as writers, our insecurities, in fact. Anyone can join in, just sign up at the IWSG Sign-up page, write a blog post on the first Wednesday of the month, and go back to that sign up page to link with everyone else–or a goodly sample. Our host is Alex J Cavanaugh, and cohosting this month are:

Diedre Knight, Lisa Buie Collard , Kim Lajevardi, and JQ Rose

Unexpected Twisty Tales winter

Fact and fiction in one Anthology?

The plan has been to bring out another volume of twisty tales from my backlog of weekly/monthly flash fiction, which occasionally morphs into straight nature writing..

The trouble being twofold: these anthologies are called ‘unexpected twisty tales’, which the factual ones generally aren’t, plus, would readers find the juxtaposition odd?

I suppose the answer to the second depends on careful ordering. Not all my flash fiction has a big twist at the end. Quite a few of these ones leave the outcome to the reader’s imagination. So maybe the 22 pieces I’ve currently got earmarked provide enough unexpected twists to give space to some that are less intense.

Or maybe I don’t worry about the series tag, and just bring them out together anyway.

I need about five or six more pieces. And I need a title, since ‘Green and Unpleasant’ has been used far too many times already. Maybe once I put them together they’ll start to inspire me. Come to think of it, it’s my Green and Unpleasant, and nobody is going to look for it by accident, so if the title fits, I should just use it.

I’m going to drop Critters and Crises. Too many people want to buy it for a child. It’s definitely NOT suitable for children (advanced 14 year olds minimum). That will also help my desire to bring three of the stories in that into the new one!

Question of the Month

What creative activity do you engage in when you’re not writing?

IWSG Nov 24

In theory I also paint, or draw, or sketch. In practise, it’s like my writing – ideas but no action since the wrists made painting actions difficult.

The good news is that in addition to working on short stories again, I’ve been doing roughly 1000 words a day on the early days of my asteroid miners, Pete and the Swede. It helped when I finally tracked down an interview with them, since I’d forgotten what they’d already told me about their student days. And then I had to read all three books again, to remember what they’d said about their pasts!

It’ll need a lot of work before it can see the light of day — they were quite boring as students — but l’ll try to inject some humour into it!

What about you? Any other creative endeavours to reveal?

Anthology; fact or fiction? #iwsg

18 thoughts on “Anthology; fact or fiction? #iwsg

  • 6 November, 2024 at 10:38 am
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    Hi Jemima – good for you … still creating despite the painful wrists … and I’m sure you can manage to get the Anthology to blend together … take care Hilary

    Reply
    • 6 November, 2024 at 6:23 pm
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      Well, I’ve always done chapter illustrations for the Princelings books, and they definitely improved over the series! The last book I brought out was an easy reader, for seven year olds, fully illustrated. They may not be perfect, but they’re mine 😀

      Reply
      • 6 November, 2024 at 6:32 pm
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        Oh, I’ve just realised that’s not what you meant, Alex. Duh.

        Reply
  • 6 November, 2024 at 1:11 pm
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    I think your anthology should stick to the twisty tales because that’s what readers will expect. Maybe make it a little shorter or hold off publishing it until you think of a few other stories to add to it. Then you could do a separate anthology for your fact-based stories.

    Reply
  • 6 November, 2024 at 1:59 pm
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    I’d separate them and do TWO anthologies!
    When I am not writing, I am baking, knitting, reading and drawing!

    Reply
  • 6 November, 2024 at 3:01 pm
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    Hi,
    I think your readers would notice the change. Readers aren’t dumb. So, I would look for a way to do both.
    Shalom shalom

    Reply
    • 7 November, 2024 at 10:34 pm
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      Oh, I never underestimate my readers!
      Btw, I couldn’t find an iwsg post on your blog, only ‘featured’ ones. Am I being stupid?

      Reply
  • 6 November, 2024 at 4:56 pm
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    Hi,

    Would creating two be any more demanding physically – thinking of the wrist problems, which affect my husband’s writing time ?
    Creative ? Would this count? My contribution to the cover for House of the Ghost Child – out soon, date TBC might be glorified as ‘ concept visualisation’
    The image itself was in collaboration with my husband and UK / Californian cousins,

    Reply
    • 6 November, 2024 at 6:28 pm
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      I’d just have to write more pieces, but there’s no time pressure, so that’s what I’ll do. I really value everyone’s comments on this.
      And you contribution to that cover is definitely creative!

      Reply
  • 6 November, 2024 at 5:18 pm
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    I’m not sure about mixing fact and fiction. I’m trying to think if I’ve seen that sort of thing before, and I’m not sure I have. Maybe better to wait until you have enough of each for their own books?

    Reply
  • 9 November, 2024 at 5:09 am
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    I wouldn’t mind putting all of my writing in one book but either have sections or something to make it more cohesive.

    Reply
  • 14 November, 2024 at 11:47 am
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    I like the title “Green and Unpleasant”. Go for it!

    Ronel visiting for IWSG day Find Your Inner Dragon

    Reply

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