STINGING FLY WORKSHOP DEADLINE APPROACHES

The deadline for applications for The Stinging Fly magazine's June summer fiction workshop is this Thursday, April 23rd at 5pm.

Taking place in June, this will be a week-long intensive daytime workshop, designed for writers of short stories and/or the novel. The course will be led by Sean O'Reilly.

During the workshop, each writer’s work will be up for in-depth discussion twice. All the work will have been shared and closely read in advance. Also included in the structure of the course are three sessions on aspects of narrative prose by guest speakers, including the editors of The Stinging Fly. 

Up to ten writers will be offered a place based on the work they’ve submitted (via email) by the application deadline (Thursday, April 23rd).

The summer fiction workshop is offered in association with the Irish Writers' Centre and is supported by Words Ireland.

Dates of workshop: June 22nd - June 26th 2015

Times: Monday to Friday, 10.15am-4.30pm

Venue: Irish Writers Centre, 19 Parnell Square, Dublin 1

Cost: €325 (or €300 for IWC members)

How to apply:

The short story should not exceed 6000 words and the novel extract should not exceed 15 pages.

Email the story or extract to stingingfly@gmail.com with Summer Fiction Workshop along with your name in the subject heading.

They will accept either Word.doc or Word.docx files.

Read the full guidelines on the website before applying!

More info

DROMINEER LITERARY FESTIVAL

Dromineer - doesn't it look pretty?

I'm off to Co. Tipperary, today for the Dromineer Literary Festival, which started last night. Looking forward to meeting my flash students in the morning, and talking short-shorts for a couple of hours.

In the evening I am taking part in a panel, chaired by Maureen Kennelly, about inspirational/influential books. Also taking part: Thomas McCarthy, Liz Nugent, Michael Murphy and Kobus Moolman.

Gallery Press are having a poetry reading in the afternoon at Lough Derg Yacht Club, featuring Gerald Dawe, Medbh McGuckian and Conor O’Callaghan.

And the festival launch is on tonight at the same venue. Such a pity the weather has turned and it is now bucketing rain. Ah well, you can't have it all.

FLASH FICTION WORKSHOP - SAT. 4TH - TIPP

There are still places on my flash fiction workshop at Dromineer Literary Festival this Saturday. I'd love to see you! 10am, Lough Derg Yacht Club. More here.

UPCOMING WORKSHOPS AND READINGS

I have so many things coming up, that I thought I'd make a list here, in case any of you want to come to classes/workshops/readings, or you know people who might. Here's the schedule for Scotland, Cork, Tipperary, Wexford, Tallaght, Dublin city...

I'm doing a reading from The Closet of Savage Mementos and a Q&A with Peter Ross
Where: Nairn Book and Arts Festival, Scotland
When: Friday 5th September
More here

I'm teaching a 4-day course in The Novel
Where: Cork Short Story Festival
When: 17 - 20 September, daily 9.30am - 12.30pm
More here

I'm doing a short story reading with Matt Rader
Where: Cork Short Story Festival
When: 17th September,7pm
More here

I'm yapping on a panel with Patrick Chapman and Ladette Randolph, chair Jennifer Matthews
Where: Cork Short Story Festival
When: 20th September, 2.15pm
More here

I'm teaching a morning course in Flash Fiction and yapping on a panel
Where: Dromineer Literary Festival
When: Saturday 4th October
More here

I'm doing a reading from The Closet of Savage Mementos
Where: Wexford County Library
When: Sat. 11th October, 3pm

I'm doing a reading from The Closet of Savage Mementos at the Red Line Book Festival, with Donal Ryan, Dermot Bolger and John Sheahan
Where: Civic Theatre, Tallaght
When: Sat. 18th October, 2.30pm
More here

I'm teaching a 1 day course in Writing Effective Fiction
Where: The Irish Writers' Centre
When: Saturday 8th November
More here

And that's quite enough for now - I feel exhausted just looking at that list.

WEST CORK LITERARY FESTIVAL - BIZ OF WRITING COURSE

Beautiful Bantry House

Are you Bantry bound next week? If so, there are places still available on the 3 day Business of Writing Course, with me, agent Carole Blake, Vona Groarke et al. More here.

CISS WORKSHOPS 2014

The Cork International Short Story Festival workshops are now open for booking here. I am teaching a 4-day session on novel writing; Rachel Trezise is giving a short story masterclass; Jon Boilard is doing a workshop for beginner writers, and Kristiina Ehin will teach a poetry workshop. Something for everyone :)

When: 17th - 20th September daily, 9.30am - 12.30pm

Where: Cork city, venues TBA

Cost: All workshops €180, with the exception of Short Stories for New Writers with Jon Boilard (€150).

Class descriptions and more here.

STRANDHILL SUMMERFEST

The beach at Strandhill

Strandhill Summerfest is on the weekend of July 4th this year. Órfhlaith Ní Chonaill will facilitate along with Ted and Annie Deppe, and Joe Kearney. Online booking is now available on the Summerfest web page. There's a special early bird offer if you pay in full before June 4th. Visit the Summerfest site for more details.

I have been to Summerfest twice and had a ball - the Sligo surroundings are beautiful, the people are friendly and you will write lots. And it's good value at €140 for the early bird. That includes tuition, snacks, lunch and the Saturday night BBQ. Recommended!

Paying Attention - a one-day workshop of creative writing

Paying Attention is a one-day workshop of creative writing with writer Shirley McClure. She says:

The poem is not a discussion, not a lecture, but an instance- an instance of attention, of noticing something in the world - Mary Oliver

Paying Attention invites you to slow down and connect with your own creativity. The workshop introduces examples from short stories and poetry as well as simple mindfulness techniques to lead you into writing.

When? Sunday 3^rd November 2013 from 10.00 - 17.00

Where? Oscailt, 8 Pembroke Rd, Dublin 4. http://www.oscailt.com/ for map.
Free parking. Close to city centre.

Cost : €65 (unwaged €50)

Bookings via 086-603 4481 or shirleymcclure2@gmail.com www.thepoetryvein.com

9 Camaderry Road, Bray, Co. Wicklow Tel: 01- 286 5997 086 - 603 4481

Writers' Workshop in Lismore Castle

Writer Ethel Rohan

San Francisco-based Irish writer, Ethel Rohan, will teach a “Brilliance of Brevity” workshop in Lismore Castle, Waterford, as part of Abroad Writers Conference. This three day master class will focus on the crafting of electric and concise narratives. The workshop runs December 11-13th, 2013, and is for writers of both fiction and creative non-fiction. The class goal is to hone the art of selectivity and write one's best and briefest work. In-workshop writing will encourage fearless enjoyment of the process and the careful construction of the stories that participants are most burning to tell.

Other writers teaching at Lismore Castle as part of the Abroad Writers Conference include: Robert Olen Butler; Karen Joy Fowler; Mariel Hemingway; Claire Keegan; Jane Smiley; Lily Tuck; and many more.

Ethel Rohan is an award-winning writer and the author of two story collections, her latest is Goodnight Nobody. She invites writers at all levels to join her in Lismore Castle and says, "We will do great things together." For further details visit www.ethelrohan.com. To register email founding Director Nancy Gerbault at abroadwriters at yahoo.com.

CORK SHORT STORY FEST WORKSHOPS

The Cork Short Story Festival (CISS) has some exciting looking workshops coming up in September: Flash/prose poetry with Dave Lordan, Short Stories for Beginners with Jon Boilard, Photography with John Minihan and a Fiction Masterclass with Michele Roberts.

When: 18 - 21 September daily, 9.30am - 12.30pm

Where: Venues TBA, with most being no more than a 10 minute walk from the readings venue, Triskel-Christchurch in South Main Street. The exception is Alannah Hopkin's workshop on 'The Uncanny: Horror and Ghost Stories' which takes place at University College Cork - a fifteen minute walk to Triskel, Christchurch, or a 5 minute bus ride.

Fee: Prices vary. Please see individual class descriptions for more information.

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Speaking of CISS, I didn't get a chance to blog about David Constantine's winning the Frank O'Connor Award with Tea at the Midlands - anyway, delighted for him! And for his publisher, Comma Press.

FLASH AT THE BIG SMOKE

There are still a few places left on the one day Flash Fiction course I'm teaching at the Big Smoke Writing Factory in Dublin on Saturday May 11th. It will be fun!

Time: 10am to 4pm.

Fee: €75.

More and booking here.

BREWERY LANE WRITERS' WEEKEND

This is a brand new festival based in Carrick-on-Suir, County Tipperary. My workshop is fully subscribed (waiting list only) but you can always come along to Mark Roper's reading and/or Richard Hayes's talk. For myself, I am looking forward to meeting new writing enthusiasts and to having a nose around Carrick - I have never been there before.

NOVELLA COURSE AT IWC IN 2013

There are lots of great new courses on offer at the IWC for 2013 including ‘Writing The Novella’ with Eoin McNamee. It's on for 10 weeks from 21st January to 25th March; Mondays 6.30-8.30pm.

Fee: €280/€260 members. Booking here.

This is from the IWC site:

Stephen King, in publishing a collection of his novellas, described the form as ‘an ill-defined and disreputable literary banana republic.’ That is to say a good thing. This ten-week workshop will be based around this unique form and is aimed at people who are working, or thinking about working towards completing a novella, those who have started a short story that looks as if it might outgrow the limits of the form, or a novel which may not fit the conventional length. It will be less concerned about the technicalities of what the form might be, and more concerned with getting words on paper, and hopefully having something to show at the end of the workshop.

Eoin McNamee is the author of fifteen novels including Resurrection Man (released as a film in 1998), Booker nominated The Blue Tango and Orchid Blue, and the novellas Last of Deeds (shortlisted for the Irish Times Literature Prize) and Love in History.

More courses at the IWC here.

WRITING FROM THE BODY WORKSHOP

Author Shirley McClure is running a one-day workshop of creative writing for women called ‘Writing From the Body’. It looks at the body as metaphor and inspiration for writing creatively.

When? Sunday 4th November 2012, from 10 a.m. to 4.30 p.m.

Where? St Patrick’s Parish Centre, Greystones, Co. Wicklow. Ample free parking. Within walking distance of the Dart.

Cost: €50 (limited concession places available)

Tea/ coffee provided. The centre is close to great cafés for lunch.

Enquiries/booking: 086-603 4481 shirleymcclure2@gmail.com www.thepoetryvein.com

IWC SHORT STORY COURSE

There are lots of new courses to choose from at the Irish Writers' Centre in Dublin this autumn. I'll be teaching a one day short story course entitled 'Writing Winning Short Stories'. The details:

Saturday 13th October

10.30am-4.30pm

Cost: €80 / €70 (IWC members)

More info and booking here.

TANIA HERSHMAN - THE SHORT REVIEW INTERVIEW

Author Tania Hershman’s latest book is a collection of short short stories called My Mother Was an Upright Piano. Tania runs The Short Review which exclusively reviews short fiction collections, new and old. After making a living for 13 years as a science journalist, writing for publications such as WIRED and NewScientist, Tania gave it all up to write fiction. Lucky for us :)

Accompanying the reviews in The Short Review, there is often an author interview and it struck me that Tania had never been asked the questions. So she is here today, answering her own questions, on Women Rule Writer. Enjoy!

1) How long did it take you to write all the stories in your collection?

Wow, it is very strange to finally be having to answer the same questions I've been asking authors for the past 4.5 years for The Short Review but never thought I'd be asking myself! Anyway, the fictions in my book were all written between 2007 and early 2012.

2) Did you have a collection in mind when you were writing them?

No, not at all. For a long time I wasn't convinced that a collection of very short fictions worked. I thought perhaps so many stories would be too much for a reader all together - I'd not really read any successful examples of such collections. But then I read both Stefanie Freele's Feeding Strays and David Gaffney's The Half Life of Songs, and saw how it could be done, and done so well. So I started contemplating, but the stories were all written with no thought of collection.

3) How did you choose which stories to include and in what order?

I had over 150 that I'd written during that period and so - in contrast to my first collection, which contained basically everything I'd written up to that point  - I got to pick my favourites, the ones I really love, the Top 56, you could say. That's a really nice and different feeling. I can never put my own stories in order - my fabulous publisher, Richard, at Tangent Books, did it for me. We didn't want any conscious thought of ordering by theme so he tried as much as possible to mix them up - but then you read them and things jump out at you. Like how many times trees appear. And certain images I clearly like to use, that I'd ever seen before!

4) What does the word "story" mean to you?

Oh god, I always admired our interviewees' answers to this question, I never knew how to answer it. I think, for me, it means anything that transports me, however briefly, outside my own skin, into another world. Not just short stories but any stories - films, TV, novels.

5) Do you have a "reader" in mind when you write stories?

I write to amuse myself, to move myself. I write to express things I wonder about. I don't write with any thought of a reader, I am always, always amazed that anybody who isn't in my head ever connects to anything I've written. And doubly amazed when they see things I didn't know were in there. Having readers is a miraculous thing, I think.

6) Is there anything you'd like to ask someone who has read your collection, anything at all?

These tiny fictions were written with no thought of a collection, of a book. Do they work together, are they somehow in conversation with each other, despite that?

7) How does it feel knowing that people are buying your books?

The second time around, it is a different feeling. The first book was elation mixed with terrified trepidation. This time it's more pride, that I've actually managed a second book, that I kept on going and someone had enough faith in me to publish another one. I will never take it for granted - the publications or the fact that people spend money to buy my books. I would like to give them away (sorry, Richard) but am learning to deal with the fact that I do need people to actually purchase them. I am very grateful for anyone who does that, and I really love the idea of my book being on someone's shelf, in their house, in different countries. It feels like a little piece of me is in all these places.

8) What are you working on now?

Right now, an idea for a biomedically-inspired screenplay, as well as a science-inspired radio play. I am also co-editor of a new textbook on writing short stories, forthcoming in 2014 from the Arvon Foundation, so about to start work on that with my wonderful co-editor, Courttia Newland. I am also toying with the idea of a collection of science-inspired fictions, a collection that I conceive of as a book from the outset. I have a number of stories written, but I am also wondering about the future of publishing and what a collection means for a short story writer, what will it mean in a few years? Not sure. I'm always writing pieces which might be called flash fiction or might be prose poems, who knows?

9) What are the last three short story collections you read?

The Weight of a Human Heart, by Ryan O'Neill, his third collection - I just met him at a conference and am loving this new book! Revenge of the Lawn, by Richard Brautigan, a collection of 62 ultra-short stories first published in 1972 and which make me so happy I've taken to carrying the book around with me. And This Cake is for the Party, by Sarah Selecky, which was recommended to me by Ali Smith and which I greatly enjoyed and reviewed for The Short Review.

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Tania is teaching the flash fiction workshop at this year's Cork Short Story Festival. Go here for details and to book.