Catherine O'Flynn in the Hot Seat

Catherine O’Flynn is based in Birmingham, England. Her first novel, ‘What was Lost’ was published in 2007 and her second novel is due out in 2010.

FE: How did you get your first novel published?
CO: I sent it out to about fifteen agents in a fairly clueless way. I just went for ones that accepted unsolicited manuscripts (it never occurred to me that I should approach others and try and get my manuscript solicited) and got back either no response at all or a generic rejection letter that gave no indication the ms had been read. I suppose I wasn't that surprised really - I knew the odds against me were enormous and I've never been much of an optimist so I kind of assumed rejection would be the inevitable outcome. Eventually though a friend recommended an agency to me and I sent it to them and they liked it - something which still to this day is probably the single most miraculous piece of news I received. My agent worked with me on the book - suggesting some work that needed doing on the ms. When it was ready she sent it out to four major publishers all of whom rejected it. The main problem seemed to be that it didn't fit in with any clear genre and wouldn't be easy to 'place' in the market. We opted then to go for a small independent publisher (Tindal Street Press), as we thought they might be more risk taking and see beyond genre. This turned out to be true and they put everything they had behind the book.

FE: Why do you write?
CO: I think it's usually just to get to the bottom of something that's niggling at me. With What Was Lost I wanted to answer the basic question 'What was it about the shopping centre where I worked that so got under my skin?' Writing is a way of exploring my thoughts and understanding how I feel about things.

FE: What’s your greatest challenge with writing?
CO: I suppose the challenge is coming up with a story that allows me to do the exploring mentioned above. I think coming up with a story that isn't too big and isn't too little is something that takes up a lot of my time.

FE: What advice would you give to aspiring writers?
CO: Oh God - probably that they should disregard advice from novelists keen to dispense it. The only thing I can think of is to write because you enjoy it or find it helpful in some way. You have no control over publication, but if you get something out of it for yourself then whether you are published or not is not the most important thing.

FE: What are you currently working on?
CO: I'm working on what I hope is the final draft of my second novel. I haven't developed a snappy description of it yet. Its theme I suppose is ageing - both of people and of cities. The main character is a superficially corny local tv news presenter who is haunted by disappearances and the stories that never make the news. It's about town planning and brutalist architecture as well. It sounds terrible doesn't it? I will never make a blurb writer.

More about Catherine

More about What was Lost

Gotham Writers' Workshop

With a 'Best of the Web' rating from Forbes, the Gotham Writers's Workshop offers a number of writing classes in 'more than a dozen forms of writing'. They are based in New York City and you can take their classes on location or online.

I took their Fiction Writing I online class a few years ago and LOVED it. I got issued log-in information and was able to explore the class before the first lecture went up. Our teacher posted these lectures weekly and what I loved about it was that I got to work on it when I wanted to. Not famed for my organizational skills, I had a nagging feeling when I enrolled that I would be frantically doing my assignments in the middle of the night before the weekly deadline to submit passed but I found the content engaging and motivating and managed to stay on top of my work easily.

I felt that the coursework was well constructed and I learned a lot. I got clear, constructive feedback from my teacher and well-meaning, though not always constructive feedback from my classmates. Overall, I loved the experience and would especially recommend it to someone who likes to work at their own pace and who can't afford to go to New York City! Gotham Writers' Workshop offers a bunch of different classes and elevated levels of some classes so if you are thinking of taking a class make sure that it's the right one for you.

Apart from any struggles with time-management, the only drawback that I can see from an online course like this might be for someone who is not used to, or sensitive about receiving feedback about their writing. When comments turn up about a labour of love that you posted for the group to critique, they are in black and white in front of you and it can be hard to judge the tone in which it is meant. When I took the course I hadn't received much feedback and although there were a few cringes, I found that it taught me to embrace and receive criticism for which I am grateful to this day.

For more information check out their site

Glimmer Train

Since 1990 Glimmer Train has been publishing short stories by established and emerging writers. Published quarterly, Glimmer Train contains between eight and ten short stories in each issue. To find out more about this fantastic literary journal including submission guidelines and subscription details, check out their website.

Alison C Frost in the Hot Seat

Alison C Frost is originally from Brooklin, Ontario and is now living in Vancouver, BC. Alison has been writing fiction since she was 12, back when she wanted to be a journalist.

FE: Have you had any work published?
AF: I have had short fiction published in Canadian literary journals, but it is a struggle. I have learned to take each rejection slip out of the mailbox and send the piece straight back out. The whole submission/acceptance or rejection process is a long one and there’s no point waiting around. But it is ultimately not the most important part of writing.

FE: Why do you write?
AF: I write because through writing I process, if not fully understand, my experiences and what goes on around me. Things come to me as sentences and images and scenes, the world gets translated/ transformed that way in my head. I feel uneasy when I am not being creative, namely when I am not writing. It just doesn’t feel okay not to be writing regularly.

FE: What’s your greatest challenge with writing?
AF: My greatest challenge with writing is not knowing when to let go of a story and move on. I am not a prolific writer; I spend a lot of time working and reworking the same terrain. I would like to let go of old material and call it done, but that is hard for me. Any piece can always be un-done and reworked. I want to draw those hard edges, but ultimately any piece is amorphous.

FE: What advice would you give to aspiring writers?
AF: Call yourself--that is name yourself-- “writer,” at least in your own head. Don’t get caught up thinking you have to reach a level of publication or notoriety or success before you have a right to call yourself “writer”. If you write, if you must write and that is how you negotiate the world, then you are a writer. Believing in the authenticity of that gives confidence and motivation and can keep you going when no exterior element can do it for you.

FE: What are you currently working on?
AF: I am currently on yet another reworking of a collection of 10 short stories that I hope to publish as a book. I am working on several stories at once, trying to figure out how they all work together as one.

FE: How do you support yourself?
AF: I have supported myself through various retail and teaching/editing jobs. I steer clear of any job which might become too consuming for too long since that would take away from the writing. I have only started to get paid for some writing and that feels like a real victory of sorts. At this point, the truth is I am lucky I have a husband with a steady paying job.

The Never Ending Story

The Never Ending Story is a fantastic site where the famous and not-so-famous mingle to create multi-author stories. It's free and there are a multitude of different stories in different genres to read and contribute.
With well-known authors and 'famous' people starting stories, there is something to appeal to every writer on this site. All you need to do is to register with them and off you go!

The Writers & Artists Yearbook has been THE go-to book for the publishing industry since it was first issued in 1906! Focused mainly on the UK market, the guide includes international media contacts as well as a huge amount of valuable industry information and tips for writers and artists. It is updated every year and contains contributions and quotes from successful writers such as JK Rowling, Kate Mosse and Neil Gaiman.

This best seller is referenced on many publishing house websites as the way into being published.

Zoetrope All-Story Magazine

Living the short story dream, Zoetrope All-Story is printed 5 times a year and contains a selection of short stories of incredible caliber. Each issue has a different guest editor who brings their own unique look and feel to the magazine. Calling itself ‘The New generation of Classic Short Stories” All-Story is the brainchild of Francis Ford Coppola who is passionate about fostering the short story and in this wonderful publication you can find a diverse collection of writing and art. Zoetrope Magazine has partnered with Gotham Writers Workshop to offer a selection of online writing courses.

Coppola has also has created ‘The Virtual Studio’, an unrivaled resource for writers and the industry.