How to Shift from Short Story to Novel Writing – Part 2: Five Simple Steps

Previously, I suggested that it is common (and useful) for writers to start out developing short stories before moving onto novel writing.

I then looked into the finer details of the differences between short story and novel writing to assess why that might be, and how writers can use that information to make the shift between writing short stories and writing novels.

In this post, I am proposing five simple steps to put that transition into action:

Inkspill Magazine Issue 8 – Out Now

Inkspill Magazine issue 8 is live! This issue features articles on how to give your writing depth and resonance, and how to make the most of your writing retreat, as well as the usual array of great short stories and poetry.

It’s been a while coming, but after reading through hundreds of submissions (with the aid of the Inkspill team), doing a few editing tweaks here and there, sourcing and developing cover art, designing and laying up the issue, and finally uploading the content before shouting about it on social media… we have another great issue featuring the best emerging literary talent.

Our submission doors are still open for the next issue. If you haven’t heard back from us yet, your submission is being considered for issue 9.

You can currently read this issue (and all our back issues) free online. If you have an iPad and would like to organize your Inkspill collection by downloading the issues to the Newsstand, you can do so through our Inkspill Magazine iPad App.

Plus, we have just launched our new newsletter, Linkspill, which sends you details of UK creative and literary events every month, so you can get more involved with your local creative community. The sign-up form is on the Inkspill Magazine home page.

You can join Inkspill Magazine on Facebook and Twitter (@inkspillmag) to keep up-to-date with the magazine.

If you have any comments about the magazine, please do get in touch – I would love to hear from you. You can email me at sophie@inkspillmagazine.com

In Which a Review of ‘The Hours of Creeping Night’ Makes My Head Swell

Sam Russell wrote a non-fiction article for Inkspill Magazine, and since then we’ve been chatting via Twitter. After kindly downloading my short story collection (‘The Hours of Creeping Night‘) to read, Sam then wrote an amazing review on her site.

I didn’t know what to expect, though the forewarning of ‘dark speculative fiction’ probably should have prepared me.

There are nine tales in this debut collection, each distinct from the next if not for the underlying drive to say something more than what the story itself is saying.

For me, Playle has the same ability to convey theme and meaning as George Saunders does in Pastoralia, could probably give the Brothers Grimm a run for their money when it comes to conveying terror, and reminds me of Chekhov with her brevity and pace. … (READ MORE)

 

Thank you, Sam!

The Hours of Creeping Night – Reviews and Sales Figures

Well, it’s been around five months since I decided to self-publish a collection of my dark speculative short stories, The Hours of Creeping Night.

I haven’t been actively promoting it, so I didn’t expect much to happen. My agent actually bought a copy before he decided to offer me representation (though the offer was more about my novel). Interestingly, both he and one of the reviewers picked out my story ‘Dead Cell’ (zombie outbreak in a prison, told from the inmates’ perspective) as the best of the selection, despite a few of my beta readers not particularlly liking the story. Just goes to show how different people enjoy different stories.

At one point, I decided to make the price on Smashwords free just to get some exposure, so Amazon matched that for two months. I checked in with the figures today – and wow! Two thousand copies were downloaded in two months, ranking the ebook #41 in the Amazon.com short story Kindle chart.

Only 74 copies were downloaded from Smashwords, and less than ten from Amazon.co.uk… So I guess the US Amazon site is the one to focus on.

Out of those two thousand copies, only two people left a review, but they were great reviews!

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ What a fantastic read! 
May 23, 2012, By Meredith M.
Each story is a tiny universe to itself that explodes from the page and leaves you ink splattered and enthralled.

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ Decent book
May 29, 2012, By DareT0Dream
This book is one of many short story books ive read this year. I am actually taking the time to review this book, which means I liked it enough to spend some of my time. The only reason I am giving it a 4 rather than a 5, is because i feel it should of been longer, maybe 30 pages longer. I was so close on getting my fix, that when it ended it left me “unsatisfied”. But other than that great job, i dont want to spoil it for other readers but, one story in the book Dead Cell should be made as a stand alone book.

———————

The Hours of Creeping Night is a collection of short stories that encompass the surrealism of the late hours of the night, when the coming dawn feels like an impossible dream. This 11,000 word ebook is filled with weird and morbid tales of mechanical creatures, living forests, zombies, wedigo and other monsters, while exploring the darkness of human nature in various strange fictional worlds. Read more about the stories inside…

You can buy from the following places… The pricing is a little mixed at the moment, depending on the vendor(!) Pricing correct at time of posting (18th June 12).

• Amazon UK (£1.95)
• Amazon US ($3.08)
• iTunes / Apple iBooks (£1.49)
• Smashwords ($1.99)

Inkspill Magazine Issue 7 – Out Now

Inkspill Magazine issue 7 has just launched. This issue, we focused on genre writing. Between the pages, we have a ghost story that isn’t what it seems, poetic fantasy, thought-provoking science fiction, brilliant comedy, and more.

Our feature articles include tips on building character, and an exploration of the boom in crime fiction featuring input from best-selling crime author Leigh Russell.

Also, I’m very happy to announce that version 1.2 of the app is now available, featuring retina support for the new iPad and enhanced Facebook sharing.(It may take a few days for the issue to appear in the app, but you can download the app for free and be notified when the issue is available.)

Visit the website to get your hands on the new issue – available to read free online or just 69p an issue for iPad.

www.inkspillmagazine.com

If you enjoy reading Inkspill Magazine, the best way to support us is to help spread the word. You can ‘like’ this post on Facebook or tweet this post using the social media buttons above. You can join the Inkspill Magazine Facebook page or follow the Twitter account (@inkspillmag). Feel free to save the cover image to your device and post it to your blog, etc. If you blog about the magazine, let me know and I’ll share the link via the Inkspill Magazine social network. I’m also available for email-interview about the magazine.

If you have any comments or suggestions about Inkspill Magazine, please do get in touch.