Writers Forum #99 January 2010

WRITING OUTLET M
aking the transition between been better spent doing cross-
writing short stories and stitch or playing golf!
with Janet Cameron
writing your first novel isn’t as
simple as you might think. Or at I have no idea of the statistics
least it wasn’t for me. I’d had a fair on unfinished novels, but I bet
First Time poetry magazine
amount of success with my short there are thousands of them,
stories and I didn’t think that languishing in desks or on
F
irst Time editor Josephine Austin writing a novel would present computers across the country.
is proud to have founded the too much of a problem. Surely it They are started in a flash of
‘consummate poetry magazine for was just a short story with more inspiration and then the author
ﬁ rst-time published poets’. First Time words, more characters and more finds they peter out at around
is an A5-size magazine, published plot, wasn’t it? 27,000 words, or perhaps worse,
biannually in spring and autumn. Each No doubt, some of you are are ﬁ nished in 27,0000 words.
issue contains around 50 poems. already sniggering at my naivety, The percentage of first novels
First Time is looking for poems that and I was naive. I made a lot that are published is also very
are exciting, doleful, magical, sensi- of mistakes before I managed small. I have heard various
tive – and occasionally even ‘awe- to write a publishable novel. figures quoted, but I won’t
some’. You don’t have to meet all Many of them were down to depress you with them. Besides,
ﬁ ve qualities in one poem, although assumptions I had made that who really knows? A great many
Josephine says it does happen some- simply weren’t true. writers don’t even send their first
times. Committed to encouraging Yes, there are similarities
unpublished and ﬁ rst-time poets, between the short story and
she ﬁ nds it heart-warming that she the novel and, yes, many of the
can offer poets the opportunity to techniques used for one can be
My ﬁ rst
express their thoughts, feelings, opinions and desires through the pages transferred successfully to the
novel is
of the magazine. other, but there are an awful lot
Josephine remembers once meeting the poet Robert Graves (1895- of differences too.
somewhere in
1985) who told her: ‘Love magic – if you don’t have that, Josephine, The object of this series is
whatever it is you are in love with, without it you cannot write poetry.’ to help you avoid some of the our loft, along
Josephine never forgot those words and the ‘love magic’ is still working mistakes I made. In part one,
well. The magazine has now been running for 27 years and has readers we’ll take a quick look at some of
with three
and contributors both in the UK and abroad. the differences and in the rest of
‘First Time was born in a pub, as most good ideas are,’ says Josephine. this series we’ll go into them in
others
‘This happened after a successful poetry reading many years ago. And more detail, which will hopefully
now I am the privileged one to enjoy and choose for each edition. We make your transition a little
have received requests for First Time from numerous libraries, univer- smoother than mine was! novels out to publishers and a
sities and embassies throughout the world. Your work may be read, great many more are told by their
studied and dissected in India, Africa, Australia, the Middle East, Europe, Length publishers that although this is
North America and Russia.’ A new feature sees one regular ﬁ rst-time This is probably the most obvious the eighth book they’ve actually
contibutor given an entire spread. difference. Not many short written, it will be marketed as
Josephine is an established poet herself, having produced fourteen stories are longer than about 5000 their debut novel.
books of poetry, her most recent collection being Blue Speak. She gives words and even a short novel, This is not intended to put you
talks to writers’ circles, schools and festivals throughout the UK. She for example a Mills & Boon, is off. Far from it. Write your novel,
was the recipient of the Dorothy Tutin Award for Services to Poetry at least ten times longer than keep an eye on the market, but
in 1986. Josephine was also responsible for founding the Hastings that. The average length for a primarily do it for the love of it.
International Poetry Festival. novel – if there is such a thing – is My first novel, incidentally,
somewhere between about 85,000 written when I was about 20,
Josephine’s tips: and 120,000 words, depending is somewhere in our loft, along
� Learn the level at which you write and are happiest, using the small on the type of novel and the with the other three novels I
magazines and presses as your planting ground. Keep on reading. You will publisher’s requirements. wrote before I managed to write
discover where your work belongs. So setting out to write one is one that was publishable!
� It can be hard to write poetry to order. Get out into the world and not a five-minute job. Unlike a
experience it. You will know when a poem is hovering in the back of short story, which can be written Planning, plotting and
your mind and demanding to be written. and edited in a few days, a novel timescale
� Good poems need not be too complicated. A single image, or a is going to take a substantial A short story plot, by its nature,
moment that’s frozen in time like a snapshot, can be used to create amount of time and work. needs to be kept fairly simple.
effective poetry. But as you begin to shape and perfect your poem, don’t Which brings me on to… There isn’t enough room for it
be afraid to experiment with metaphor and unusual-sounding words. to be complicated. Generally a
� Never use bad language gratuitously, just for the sake of shocking What type of novel short story will tend to focus on a
your reader – good poets don’t need it. Besides, it’s boring! should I write? single event or theme. But writing
� Keep, keep writing, submitting and competing, and always remember If you are going to spend a great several thousand words you will
that someone, somewhere in the world, is picking up First Time and read- deal of your precious time and
ing your work. Make it make the difference. energy on your novel – which
you will if you’re going to do it READER QUESTION
Subscriptions: UK: £7 plus £1 postage per year (two issues), US: $13 properly – then it isn’t a bad idea What’s the best thing
per year inc postage (Sterling cheque or dollars). Current issues: £3.50 to write a novel about something about writing a novel as
plus postage. Back issues available at £2 plus postage. you are passionate about. There opposed to a short story?
Submission guidelines: Poems must not exceed 30 lines, must not are two main reasons for this: And what’s the worst?
have been published elsewhere and must, of course, be all your own
work. Name and address must be printed on each sheet. Manuscripts ■ If you enjoy the writing, you In a way, these are connected.
cannot be returned unless an sae is enclosed. Poems are considered in are more likely to finish it. The best thing I’ve found about
all forms, whether rhyming, blank or free verse and on any subject. ■ If you don’t end up selling writing a novel is that I can really
Contact: First Time Magazine, The Snoring Cat, 194 Downs Road, it, then at least you will have get my teeth into it. I don’t have
Hastings, East Sussex TN34 2DZ, email josephinepoetry@btinternet. enjoyed its creation and hence to create characters that are
com or visit www.josephineaustin.co.uk won’t feel your time would have
50 Writers
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FORUM #99 If you have a question for Della, please write to toolshed@writers-forum.com and she will try to answer it in these pages
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