The Fiction Shelf

Submission Advice

Welcome, writers.

So what we have here are a couple of tips, or rather some of the things that we ourselves bear in mind when we’re writing. You’ll quickly find it’s a list full of contradictions and subjective suppositions. We wouldn’t want to claim that we have the definitive checklist of things to cover if you want to write a best‐selling novel or collection of poetry, but we reckon if you follow these points, or at least bear them in mind, you can get a pretty good idea of what we are looking for on The Fiction Shelf.

The biggest thing that a story can be is enjoyable – this is sometimes inexplicable, and often stories that do not follow a single one of the rules are the most successful, if you find a great formula, follow it and never look back…

To make this a little easier to read we’ll break it down into categories, click on one of the headings to jump to that section:

Writing, Readability, Ability, The Art and Poetry

Writing

One of the things we look at is the written style, and to what extent the choice of the words and the tone of the piece are relevant, interesting and enjoyable. We try look at how the choice of words shows that the work has been edited carefully and reviewed with a critical, self‐appraising eye. Writing is re‐writing; no‐one’s first draft is ever ready for publication.

We try and see if the written style shows whether someone has really understood their own characters and what they want them and the story to say. We also try to see whether it is a natural tone that comes from somebody who genuinely loves the thing they are writing about and the creative process itself. If you write how you think poems or stories should be written it shows pretty quickly and the piece becomes a cliché of its own.

And finally, we see if linguistic devices – metaphor, allegory, similes, etc – add to the enjoyment and understanding of the piece. When these things are used well, meaning and interest can be greatly enhanced, when they are misused, the whole work suffers.

Readability

Here we start off by ignoring everything we just said about accurate writing and decide whether the work is enjoyable and readable on its own merit. A short story that ignores grammar and phrasing may find, for example, a natural rhythm so real and engaging that it would suffer under the strictures of normal prose.

Characters in a story carry the plot and are, ultimately, what a reader relates to and feels empathy for. It is important, then, that these are appropriately developed, and that their story follows the plot in such a way as to keep our interest and sympathy. This also applies to their actions and the choices they make. The context in which a character makes a choice should be clear to a reader, or if it isn’t, it needs to be clear why it isn’t.

Historically, stories have a character undergoing great change due to things they have experienced along the way. A character that remains unchanged may appear unrealistic or cold. If the reader changes opinions, often a character should too. This change, and even the things they decide to do along the way, should fit in with the patterns of behaviour ascribed to them, swift changes in sensibility are often confusing and hinder the progress of a story.

The greatest thing a character can be is engaging. They should strike up some emotion that the reader wants to read about, and this, even in the most esoteric sci‐fi, needs to be believable. What distinguishes an average writer from a great writer is often their ability to make the unbelievable seem more than believable, they make the believable real.

Ability

Writing is a skill, it’s something that needs to be learned and practiced to a greater or lesser degree depending on the person. Here, we try to assess how well the practices of writing are represented in the story.

Firstly, the idea of showing the reader, rather than telling them about important details in the text is important. For example, it may appear more effective to say not that “Matthew was angry”, but “Matthew twitched his reddening-face and clenched his fist.”

A list of things around a room would quickly get boring, but a character’s exploration of these things keeps it relevant and interesting. “Matthew cast an eye over the dusty book shelves and, taking a leather‐bound copy, strode over the thread‐bare carpet to the cluster of wooden chairs in the far corner.”

Language in itself is an incredibly important and interesting thing, a piece that does not have much of a storyline but revels in the written word could still be entertaining to read, therefore we look at how well developed the language is, and especially how relevant it is to the details of the plot.

Any story needs a definitive narrative arc, it should be complete, and end naturally and without being contrived. The incidents of the whole should be realised in the conclusion, that is to say it should be prompted negatively or positively by what the reader has already seen happen. An unsatisfactory ending can damage severely even the most competent work. Similarly, the length of the piece is important, a complex story may need developing so as to be understood and enjoyed properly, but a shorter piece drawn out unnecessarily will almost certainly fail to be enjoyable.

Speech is an excellent tool for conveying character as well driving forward the plot. It is important that it is believable and assigned appropriately to individual characters. Also important is the distinction between dramatic voices and that the differences are such that each character is unique.

Overall, if speech does not aid understanding and enjoyment, it should be revised.

Also important, although not as important in a submission than considerations of enjoyment, are technical matters like spelling, punctuation and grammar. If the misuse of this is such that reading is made difficult, enjoyment is very quickly compromised.

The Art

And now it gets even more subjective, or does it?

All work needs to stand up to its context, and be judged by the events of the time within which it is written and read. The way a writer responds to what they see around them is key, and one of the things that can best ingratiate them to a reader. It’s difficult to define, but broadly speaking, these are the things we Editors think about:

Originality, contrary to evidence, some things are original. If something surprises or re‐imagines, it will hold interest much more strongly than a work in a standard form. Obviously, this is difficult, and a traditional story excellently told will hold great appeal. This is as true for story and ploy as it is for the language used, the phrasing and even the layout.

The message, be it hidden behind allegory or told obliquely and simply is also something that can be pleasingly original, even if the nature of the narrative is more traditional. In fact, setting innovative ideas within ordinary contexts is one way to highlight the extraordinary.

Place is important, as important as a notion of context. If the setting is special, the story becomes special. A story about a boy‐band in London would have much less bite, for example, than the story of a boy‐band in Tehran.

An awareness of the world, both literary and cultural is one of the strongest tools a writer has, if this is conveyed in a work, a reader will feel it relevant and interesting, and will willingly take a part in its progress. Further to this, the best works often subvert a reader’s expectations and recount passages of plot in ways that would not occur in ordinary social contexts. If this can be harnessed in a readable way, the effect can be great.

Poetry

All of the above applies to poetry to some degree, but there are a number of extras things to consider, the use of them is the root of the special enjoyment of reading and writing poetry.

Somebody once defined poetry as the best words in the best order. We’re reasonably happy with that as a guide, so bearing that in mind, these are the ways we make our poetry fit that billing (in no particular order):

Meter: it needs to fit the meaning and intended rhythm of the poem, a meter chosen well can really help the flow and enjoyment of a poem, the choice to write without meter is just the same. Similar to meter is the choice of form. The type of poem often defines what can be done with it, this needs to be chosen sympathetically.

This relates to, but does not define, rhythm. Rhythm can be created in a number of ways, with rhyme with word choice, with punctuation, whatever it is though, it needs to compliment the poem, and itself be an enjoyable thing.

Linking both of these things is syllabic stress. It is important (generally) that words are placed in the correct way so that they fit the meter. An Iamb, for example is a short syllable followed by a longer syllable, if this is mixed up, it may negatively effect the poem, it certainly will compromise the meter, for better or worse.

Perhaps more so than prose writing, the idea of writing how you think poetry should be written is one that needs avoiding. Adding ‘poetic’ words, re-ordering words to sound ‘poetic’ and general pretension is something that absolutely destroys poetry and should be avoided at all costs.

Similarly, each word that is included in a poem needs to be able to justify its inclusion. Re‐read a work critically, if you think your poem still keeps its meaning with a word or two taken out, it probably means they are unnecessary. This relates also to the choice of words, they need to be accurate and interesting, with the musicality of the work in general borne in mind – spurious use of words can distort the poems function, if this is not what you’re after, buy a dictionary.

Increasingly, people look on rhyme in poetry with disdain. However, It is something that, when used well, can really enhance the rhythm and musicality of a piece. Writers should be wary, however against half‐rhymes, words that do not really rhyme with their corresponding words, and also words that only rhyme when spoken in a certain accent, unless you intend it only to be performed by you.

Also of incredible importance is resisting the urge to re‐order words unnaturally so as to accommodate a rhyme, this has the potential to ruin a poem.

Finally, poetry is a kind of music. If a piece is absolute non‐sense but has a rhythm and timbre that is enjoyable, it is still a successful poem. The art making your poem sing is one that is difficult to master, but when it happens, often comes beautifully naturally.

That’s what we think to writing. We know there is a great deal more to it, and that you may disagree with some of the things we have said, but all of the things we have listed here, we think are present in one way or another in every bit of writing that is enjoyable to read.

If you want to discuss this either e‐mail me, simon@thefictionshelf.com, or get on to the forum, it’s a debate that will rage for as long as people put pen to paper or fingertip to keyboard.

Now go, write,
    – Simon Messenger, TFS Editor