Final Goodbye to The Fiction Workhouse

A final goodbye to the Fiction Workhouse, the online place I created back in February 2007, and where I worked for most of those two and a half years, writing, chivvying, critiquing, analysing, discussing, arguing, and bollocking.
I have taken breaks, even ‘left’ once intending not to go back, then did. But this is different.
Recent experiences are still taking their toll. I can’t work with people I don’t know well personally any more. I can’t post any unpublished work for feedback any more. I don’t even really want to read it out to anyone else. Although I will, I know. It is just harder to do right now. I need company and am getting that from my family.
I can’t expend huge amounts of energy supporting anyone else’s writing journey any more, both my hands having been bitten so badly. I need all that energy for my own journey.
But more importantly, if I am not there online, chivving, keeping an eye, I don’t know that things are still as rigorous, as focussed and as hardworking as I always wanted them to be in ‘my place’.
So, the forum has been taken out of my vast internet holdings and it is now officially owned by someone else. And it will no longer be called The Fiction Workhouse. I retain that domain name, and may well use it again in years to come. Besides, what if the site becomes a site for bad erotica writers? With zombies doing the erotics? And happy twist-in-the-tail/tale endings? What if it becomes in time just any old writing place, chat shop mostly and no focus, strings of low-grade hits and everyone rushing around congratulating everyone else when in their hearts they know it and they could/should be working differently. No progression?

Then it would not be The Fiction Workhouse would it?

As soon as I know the name I will add it here. And at some point I will write a post describing the vision that led to me setting it up, and how it was configured. How it worked.

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(pic from HERE)

THANK YOU WORKHOUSE INMATES..........

COR BLIMEY!

EVEN MORE COR BLIMEY!!!!

I don't know what to say, really, except THANK YOU.

I just opened a big envelope - recorded delivery - a HUGE Chrissie card and a million book tokens, from the lovely inmates at The Fiction Workhouse.

Thanks guys. I will be able to buy a fabulous collection of poetry books... and am so pleased, surprised, and I nearly burst into tears like a daft old bat. What, Moi??

But the nicest thing is what you SAID in the card. I am now going to embarrass you!

All I did was create a workplace, somewhere for good writers to congregate and push each other to do better... YOU do the work. No teaching. I just configured something I thought would be good, and looks like it works. Am delighted. Really delighted.


Here's what you said, you SOPPY LOT.

Thank you so much for everything you have given me this year - not least the encouragement to keep going and keep improving...

Thanks for being a blessing to me...

With your help, it's been a great year.

Thank you for making The Fiction Workhouse the place it is...

Here's to shelves full of books, pages full of words...

I have learned a lot and gotten to know some brilliant and talented folk too...

Thank you for recommending me to The Workhouse. I am learning such a lot from all these wonderful writers..

What can I say? FW changed my life. Thanks...

Maybe we'll see you back in FW?

I wanted to thank you. I've learned so much since joining. All the writers are kind, helpful and gifted...

Thanks for setting up FW, and for providing us with a cool writing space!

Love from all at Fiction Workhouse...

Children used to be sent to The Workhouse because they were paupers. I was, in a way, when I arrived - not quite wealthy enough with language, or confident enough to use it effectively. I was also reclusive and hurt by criticism. Your skill, energy and sheer blunt ballsy attitude to writing has made me rich.

Without you and The Fiction Workhouse I would be a much lesser writer...


OK. That'll do. Get back to work!


(FW is an online space for writers of short and flash fiction who have already amassed some credits in publication or competition terms. It is specifically for those who are stretching their literary muscles. There is NO teaching. It is a collective. Entry is through some door or other. I no longer have the key as I am doing other stuff, but can have a word with the doorman. If writers are seeking teaching/mentoring this is NOT the right place.)

FICTION WORKHOUSE CELEBRATIONS

There's always something going on in the Fiction Workhouse, and that's great.

But in the last few days it's been busy, champers corks popping everywhere:


The CIRCLE PRIZE

Congrats to Joel Willans who finds himself with no less than three pieces on the shortlist!



ECLECTICA, a rigorous and brilliant ezine (one of the originals) have agreed to take a special project selection.

Working from image, (a collage)some 11/12 writers wrote flash pieces. Eclectica indicated interest, then looked at all the work (submitted anonymously). They chose their top three pieces for publication alongside the collage.

So: Congrats to Beverly Jackson (Artist AND chosen writer)
and to Michelle Tandoc-Pichereau,
and to Anna Britten.



FLASHQUAKE ezine have two Fiction Workhouse pieces up together.
Congrats to Sara Crowley (in Fiction section)
and again, to Michelle Tandoc-Pichereau (in Poetry section)




PER CONTRA

Per Contra announced finalists and winner yesterday of this year's prize.

CONGRATS to Beverly Jackson (again!)
to Elaine Chiew

and me.

Narrative Structure

Over on The Workhouse, we are having some interesting discussions, and some new things to keep us on our writing toes, dragging us into The New Year!

A good discussion on Narrative Structure has to head my list, looking at which structures work best to deliver a story, and more importantly, why. It is particularly interesting to get a viewpoint from someone who is very into screen work, visual media. It makes me realise how hard every element has to work to make a seriously strong story.

Link to very good comprehensive paper on narrative structure HERE.

Then one member has proposed that we have a formal, regular reading group, rather than occasional pieces posted as the whim takes us...and we are starting off with a short story by Anton Chekhov.

Flash blasts are now going to happen every fortnight instead of every month...

members are going to post a week's worth of writing ideas every Sunday

...

I don't think we are going to get much sleep.