A.F.E. Smith
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At Home with the Smiths

– Oh dear.

– What?

– It's Friday night and I haven't written anything for this week's FFF.

– What's FFF?

– Flash fiction Friday. It's a weekly short story competition on this writing site I belong to.

– Right. So what's the prize?

– Nothing, really. Just, um, kudos.

– Doesn't sound like it matters if you miss a week, then.

– Guess not.

– In fact, I don't really get why you do it at all.

– I tell myself it's because it's good discipline for me to write on a regular basis to a specific word count …

– Uh-huh.

– … but really I'm hoping that one day, I'll write a story so amazing, so beautiful, so perfect that everyone will realise just how brilliant a writer I am.

– Has that happened yet?

– Well, no … but it might.

– OK. So if this thing's so important to you, why don't you make something up on the spot?

– Eh?

– Just improvise it. You know, like jazz.

– I don't think you understand how writing a short story works. You have to know where you're going before you start.

– I don't see why.

– Because short stories succeed or fail on the strength of their endings.

– But you could let the ending come to you as you write.

– It's not that easy.

– Come on, AFE. If you're such a great storyteller then you should be able to tell a story on the fly.

– Oh really? If it's that simple then why don't you do it?

– Er …

– Go on. Tell me a story.

– All right. 'Once upon a time …'

– Cliché.

– Sorry?

– You just started with a cliché. That's a big no-no.

– It's a fairytale, OK? They always start like that. So as I was saying, 'Once upon a time there was a beautiful princess …'

– Passive sentence.

– What?

– 'There was' sentences are weak sentences. You want to make it more active.

– I have no idea what you're talking about. Anyway, 'Once upon a time there was a beautiful princess who was loved by her whole kingdom …'

– Now you're telling not showing.

– I beg your pardon?

– Don't tell us she was loved. Show us through the behaviour of the princess and her people. Come on! Show don't tell! It's the fundamental rule of fiction!


Silence.


– Did it ever occur to you that knowing all this stuff has really ruined fiction for you forever?

– Well …

– I mean, when was the last time you read a book and didn't complain about 'telling' or 'word echoes' or 'dangling participles' or whatever else gets you all riled up these days?

– Um …

– How long has it been since you simply enjoyed something without a small part of your brain pointing out 'errors' that the average reader wouldn't even notice?

– Sorry? I got distracted by your unnecessary 'that'.

– My point exactly. You've taken something you loved and analysed it until it's impossible for you to lose yourself in it any more.

– I'm a writer! It's what we do!

– Right, and by trying to become a writer, you've stopped being a reader. I think it's a shame.


Silence.


– You know, you didn't really need the 'I think' just then. It was your point of view. It was obvious it was you who thought it.

– Whatever. I'm going to bed.



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  • Home
  • Books
    • Marked series >
      • Dawn Rising
      • The Dark Knife
    • Darkhaven novels >
      • Darkhaven
      • Goldenfire
      • Windsinger
  • Shorts
  • Gallery
  • Contact