I'm Back!

Midway through 2016, and I'm delighted to announce my return to social media - I've added a Twitter header (@jchasestories,), got my Facebook up to date and in the next day or two will be updating my website.  Pinterest collections will also be updated soon, and I'll be self-publishing a short story later in the month.  So much excitement all around, how have you been?

It's been a busy time for me, and I missed speaking to you all!  There are going to be regular updates of my writing blog, and I'm posting #1linewed weekly on Twitter, because they are great fun!  

I've just got a new laptop, and tidied my room so I have a nice comfy writing nook full of cushions, which I will be taking full advantage of, but over the past year and a bit I've been writing quite a few things, so I thought I'd update you on what I've currently got for sale:

I have a fantasy story in Random Acts of Kindness, which I mentioned in my last blog post: Tobias is a healer in a small village, busy trying to keep those who live there safe from harm.  One day, when he returns from work, he discovers that his house has been broken into.  Inside, he finds Joshua, badly injured and attempting to hide a bag of stolen jewellery.  He shelters Joshua from the King’s guard, and looks after him as he heals.  Soon, Tobias's kindness will come back to repay him many times over.

I also have a number of short stories published from anthologies in Torquere Press:

A Second Chance at Happiness in which a blind date-gone-wrong becomes a blind date-gone-right as Andrew meets Callum's three children and start to build a family.

Coffee and Chaos tells the story of Peter, the perfect serious investigator, and the notoriously difficult Charlie who is his new partner.  Despite Charlie's problems, the results still come in, but the conflict between them soon threatens to become something else entirely—if only Charlie would take his job a little more seriously.

Falling for Love has a winter theme.  At a hiking trip, Tom and Luke's friendship falls in more ways than one, as a misplaced step leads to a longstanding friendship becoming something far more.

The Fisher Lot was in the Halloween collection, telling the story of Barney's visit to a haunted house. Initially finding it unnerving, he is coping until he hears a loud crack and a frightened girl explains that someone has fallen through the floorboards.  Going to help, he meets Max -- a previous resident of the house who needs his help.

My newest story, Reunion Soda.  I've always loved the Second World War, so getting to write a relationship built in it is an amazing opportunity.  "Jim had never expected to enjoy fighting, but when the Second World War had found him assigned to Will’s unit, life had got better.  But the war ended, and for years he’s been trying to move on.  Now though, Will is coming across the ocean, and Jim gets the chance to welcome him back into his life and hold him in his arms.  He’s going to show Will the sights, and maybe even find a place that they can go dancing."

I'm going to be setting up an amazon account to self-publish soon, so watch this space, and thank you so much for your continued support and friendship! I'm so lucky to be part of such an amazing community!

I'm glad to be back.

RAOK Release

Hello Everyone!
I had another short story come out yesterday, and today only you can get a discount for it: 25% off the ebook or paperback copy of Random Acts of Kindness.

Use RandomActs (case sensitive) when checking out at the Dreamspinner Press store.

The purchase link is here: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6056

Tobias, a healer in a small village, meets Joshua when the thief breaks into his house and attempts to treat himself.  Joshua makes a split second decision to save the young thief, and the consequences of that will shape their lives forever.  Both of them had their life mapped out, but suddenly everything changes for the better, and any kindness shown will come back to be repaid dozens of times over.

This was a story that was absolutely fantastic to write, a chance to explore a fantasy world of my own creation.  I am really looking forwards to creating more stories, some perhaps sharing this world and adding more depth, and others in new and different places!

Now that I'm back here, and I want to really get the blog working again - is there anything that you'd like to read about? Anything you want to know, either about the writing process I use or anything else? Looking forwards to hearing your ideas.  Hopefully going to have some guest blog posts as well soon, so keep your eye out!

Hello Again!

Hello,
I'm sorry I've been away for a while, I got caught up in some pretty busy things in real life, but I'm back now with much more to share with you.

The most exciting news I have at the moment is that I will soon have a short story coming out with Dream Spinner Press - you can find me on their website here. http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/AuthorArcade/jessica-chase

It is for the Random Acts of Kindness Anthology, which has a truly beautiful cover:

Isn't it pretty?!

For Tobias, busy with his life as the healer for a small village, life was simple.  He cared for those around him and lived alone.  One day though, his life would be turned upside down.

Vials on the table were pushed to the side, the herbs tangled together and out of the neat piles he had left them in. Some of the books had been knocked from the shelves, and the blankets were pulled from the boxes.

In this chaos, he finds Joshua hiding from the men who are after him.  A split second decision to look after Joshua will change both their lives forever.

Having been gone for a while, I've been missing you all and can't wait to hear from you again.

Any random acts of kindness which have impacted upon your life, or split second decisions you made which changed everything?

Writing Wednesdays - October Short Story Course Summary

So, welcome back! Sorry for the break last week - I was working on the October Short Story Course, which is now complete (indeed, I'm about 14,000 words into Nano).

I thought what would make most sense today would be to create a summary of the October Short Story Course, putting all of the information in one place.  So here it goes!

One - Word to describe the atmosphere, description of the setting: http://jchasestories.tumblr.com/post/98901308170/october-short-story-course-day-one

Two - Names and character descriptions, pick out your three main characters: http://jchasestories.tumblr.com/post/99005632115/october-short-story-course-day-two

Three - Make profiles for each of your main characters: http://jchasestories.tumblr.com/post/99082797335/october-short-story-course-day-three

Four - Work out relationships between different characters: http://jchasestories.tumblr.com/post/99173206170/october-short-story-course-day-four-draw-a

Five - One sentence summary of your story, paragraphs, and characters meeting: http://jchasestories.tumblr.com/post/99255112535/october-short-story-course-day-five

Six - Check things work together, write overview from different characters: http://jchasestories.tumblr.com/post/99352013545/october-short-story-course-day-six

Seven - World building questions: http://jchasestories.tumblr.com/post/99436499895/october-short-story-course-day-seven

Eight - daily routines for main characters: http://jchasestories.tumblr.com/post/99516973970/october-short-story-course-day-eight

Nine - Drawings of your characters: http://jchasestories.tumblr.com/post/99595631895/october-short-story-course-day-nine-draw-a-sketch

Ten - Write three or four short paragraphs, each for a different scene: http://jchasestories.tumblr.com/post/99671192945/october-short-story-course-day-ten

Eleven - Write the scenes from yesterday in name: *action* format: http://jchasestories.tumblr.com/post/99762521490/october-short-story-course-day-eleven

Twelve - Write your favourite scene from yesterday out in full: http://jchasestories.tumblr.com/post/99851317035/october-short-story-course-day-twelve

Thirteen - Draw a table of character responses to plot development:

http://jchasestories.tumblr.com/post/99942432230/draw-out-a-table-of-how-your-characters-feel-and

Fourteen - Song for each character, how they develop across the plot: http://jchasestories.tumblr.com/post/100026607310/october-short-story-course-day-fourteen

Fifteen - In character explanations of the scene from the twelfth, pick a POV: http://jchasestories.tumblr.com/post/100107300325/october-short-story-course-day-fifteen

Sixteen - 700 words, personality test: http://jchasestories.tumblr.com/post/100188541275/october-short-story-course-day-sixteen

Seventeen - Which animal would each character be and 700 words: http://jchasestories.tumblr.com/post/100270305520/october-short-story-course-day-seventeen

Eighteen - Timeline for each character, 700 words: http://jchasestories.tumblr.com/post/100355128880/october-short-story-course-day-eighteen

Nineteen - Living space and 700 words: http://jchasestories.tumblr.com/post/100446260065/october-short-story-course-day-nineteen

Twenty - Living space and 700 words: http://jchasestories.tumblr.com/post/100530766065/october-short-story-course-day-twenty

Twenty One - Living space and 700 words: http://jchasestories.tumblr.com/post/100615900035/october-short-story-course-day-twenty-one

Twenty Two - 700 words, and the characters dreams, ambitions and super powers: http://jchasestories.tumblr.com/post/100690896985/october-short-story-course-day-twenty-two

Twenty Three: 700 words, Christmas gift: http://jchasestories.tumblr.com/post/100776133875/october-short-story-course-day-twenty-three

Twenty Four - 700 words, school report card: http://jchasestories.tumblr.com/post/101031102185/october-short-story-course-day-twenty-four

Twenty Five - 700 words, floor plan: http://jchasestories.tumblr.com/post/101118698560/october-short-story-course-day-twenty-five-write

Twenty Six - 700 words, collage for each character: http://jchasestories.tumblr.com/post/101118779685/october-short-story-course-day-twenty-six-write

Twenty Seven - 700 words, diary entries: http://jchasestories.tumblr.com/post/101210107130/october-short-story-course-day-twenty-seven

Twenty Eight - 700 words, interview: http://jchasestories.tumblr.com/post/101210168030/october-short-story-course-day-twenty-eight

Twenty Nine - Reward for characters and 700 words: http://jchasestories.tumblr.com/post/101294672320/october-short-story-course-day-twenty-nine

Thirty - 700 words and wordle: http://jchasestories.tumblr.com/post/101376699835/write-700-words-of-the-story-not-shown-and-make

Thirty One - Finish the story, and consider how characters have changed: http://jchasestories.tumblr.com/post/101437960375/october-short-story-course-day-thirty-one

Thanks, I hope this has helped you to see how I sometimes go about constructing a story, and I'll talk to you soon!

Writing Wednesdays - Reading

Just a short blog entry this week due to being rather unwell (just a bad cold, but enough to make stringing long sentences together difficult).  The focus for this is going to be something that I am sure most of you already know - the importance of reading.  (Topic suggested by the amazing LJ Hamlin http://www.amazon.co.uk/L.J-Hamlin/e/B00B1F6318)

You probably already know this, but if you want to get better at writing, one of the best things that you can do is reading a lot.  Read as much as you can, in different genres, things that people say are classics, things in the genres you want to read, and stories that people recommend.  Work out what you like reading, what people like reading, and go from there.  The more you read, the more you'll see how the writer's craft works. 

Read magazines, read novels, read writing blogs and read short stories, and if you can jot down the things that are most interesting in a journal or notebook.  A sentence or image that is interesting, a description you love, a concept that you like, things like that.  So you can look back and see what you find works, and you can get ideas.  Not copying what you read, but seeing what you enjoy and developing it.  Plus, being able to flick through everything you like will be quite fun, and can give you some much needed inspiration.

So reading matters.  Talk to people about what they enjoy reading, and take a look at it!  If you have no ideas of what to look at, people around you might have ideas.

Best of luck!  Go and read something now, and think about if there's anything there you can use.

Writing Wednesdays - What to Write

So I've got up to day fifteen on my writing course - I hope it's helpful for people to see how it goes together, what happens as I construct an idea and develop characters and the worlds that they inhabit.  I'll be reviewing the entire thing on the fifth of November, but first I thought I'd return to the idea of what to write.

This is something I've already looked at here: http://jchasestories.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/writing-wednesdays-what-to-write-tips-1.html - where I said quite simply that you should write what you want to read.  I stick by that, but thought I should maybe provide some more tips.

So here are my top tips for deciding what to write:

1.  Write what you want to read.  If you aren't interested in it, then you won't want to finish it, and the readers will be able to tell you're bored.

2. Write a genre that you love.  You know it well, and it's familiar to you.  You already have some idea of how these stories fit together, you know how they work and you enjoy reading it.  If you get stuck, this can help you to work out where to go next.

2b.  But try and put your own spin on it.  Is there a trope there that annoys you? Do you love reading fantasy but get sick of damsels in distress? This is your chance to fix it.

3.  Write what you know, covering your experiences. This works well, because you already know all about it.  You know what will happen (even if it's an adapted version), and the characters in it are familiar to you (still, be careful not to offend any friends!)

4. Write what you have to.  Sometimes there is a story in your head that you just need to get down, and it won't leave you alone.  If you have a story like this, you'll know.  Get it down, and it'll be easier.

5.  Write to work out what happens next.  Stories don't pop into our head fully formed.  If a concept intrigues you, then write it to work out what will happen.

6.  Write something for someone you care about - this often works for short stories, but can work for longer pieces.  You know the individual, and you know what they like.  You can make it as a gift, and by giving it to them, it'll be a present that they will treasure, and it will mean that it will be read.

7.  Write your dreams.  Work out what you would like to happen, create the worlds that you dream of, and have fun with it.  This is particularly good when you're starting out, to get ideas together and carrying a story from start to finish.

8.  Write your fears and your insecurities.  Write about the dark things that bother you.  This can be difficult, and you need to be careful not to push yourself into something you aren't comfortable with, but  it can really grab the reader if you put your own concerns into a character's mouth - you can understand these fears and put them across well.

9. Ask people for prompts.  Ask your friends for an idea, and try to put it down on paper - perhaps "A walk on the beach" or "Two married spies on holiday".  Use it as a start for a short story, and see if it can go from there.

10.  Write what you see.  Either go to a crowded place and look for interesting characters, making some notes, or look up pictures of interesting places - for horror perhaps look up pictures of abandoned buildings, or whatever else you would find helpful - it might help to spark an idea.

So there we go, top ten tips for what to write if you have no ideas.  Write what you want to read, a genre you love (with its own unique twist, what you know, what you have to, to work out what will happen, for those you care about, your dreams, your fears, to fill prompts, or write what you see. 

Best of luck with getting some ideas, and turning them into some words.   Feel free to suggest some prompts for me!

Writing Wednesdays - October Short Story Course #3

This is the final block of the October Short Story Course - you can follow my work on it on tumblr:  jchasestories.tumblr.com.   The previous two blocks can be found here (http://jchasestories.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/writing-wednesdays-october-short-story.html - days 1-10) and here (http://jchasestories.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/writing-wednesdays-october-short-story.html days 11-21).  Now there are ten days left, and we are certainly on the home stretch.

By the time you reach here, your characters and world have been designed.  Your plot is sorted, and you have already written 4,200 words - very nearly half way there.  Just a little further to go!

Day Twenty Two:

Writing - approximately 700 words.  Today's side project: Design a floor plan in whatever way you would like of any buildings which it would be helpful for you to have a plan for.

Day Twenty Three:

Writing - approximately 700 words.  Today's side project: Make a collage for each of your main characters, including at least five pictures for each - perfectly acceptable to do this on pinterest, or using a computer.

Day Twenty Four:

Writing - approximately 700 words.  Today's side project: Write what each character's main ambition is, and what their dream life would be.  Also write which super power would suit them, and which wish they would have granted if they were able to choose - do this in the voice of the character in question.

Day Twenty Five:

Writing - approximately 700 words.  Today's side project:  What would each of your characters want for Christmas (or another similar gift-exchanging occasion) and what would they give to their fellow characters? What is the best present they ever received? What is the worst?  Write a short and sweet scene of Christmas/gift exchange for them – trying to make their attitudes towards each other exactly how it is currently in your plot. (I'd be interested to see this work if your characters are currently trying to murder each other).

Day Twenty Six:

Writing - approximately 700 words.  Today's side project: Make a school report card for each character commenting on how they did or would do in each subject that they studied or would take given the chance.  Who was the best pupil? Who was the worst?

Day Twenty Seven:

Writing - approximately 700 words.  Today's side project: Write a diary entry from each character's point of view about what you wrote yesterday in the main story.  Try and explain how they are feeling.  50-100 words for each story.

Day Twenty Eight:

Writing - approximately 700 words.  Today's side project: Write a page or so of an interview, with you speaking directly to your characters - praising and blaming them for what has happened.  This should help you let off steam, see any minor issues, and completely destroy the fourth wall (the barrier between you and your characters, stopping them and you from conversing normally: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourth_wall)

Day Twenty Nine:

Writing - approximately 700 words.  Today's side project: Give your characters a reward, something that they deserve but don't get in your story.  Maybe it's a kiss, maybe it's a happy ending.  But write something to thank them for what has happened this month, and put your mind at ease about any hanging threads.  Alternatively, use this to torture them for all the problems they have caused this month.

Day Thirty:

Writing - approximately 700 words.  Today's side project: : Make a word cloud of your story using wordle and consider if it captures the ideas you'd like: http://www.wordle.net/

Day Thirty One:

Last day.  Finish the story.  What has each character learned from it? Have they become a better or worse person?  Has their life changed? Has their outlook on life changed?  Finally, and most importantly, having made these characters from nothing in a month, do you now agree that you can write fiction?

There we go.  That's the end of the course.  All that would be left now would be to edit what you have, redrafting as you go, until you end up with a piece you are happy with.  Then it is yours to do with what you wish!

If you've really enjoyed this month's activities, why not give Nanowrimo a go in November?  That's a 50,000 word story in a month, so you'll have to write 1666 words a day - a bit of a jump up, but with what you've managed this month it is perfectly doable.  Maybe you can even carry on with the story you have been writing?  I'll be taking part in Nano, trying to meet the wordcount, and hope to see you there.