writing tips

‘Those Killer First Chapters’ London, Feb 6

/ Paul McVeigh Writer / Leave a comment

I’m teaching a new class. Here’s the details. I hope to see some of you there.

Those Killer First Chapters – Getting the attention of agents and editors

Waterstones Piccadilly, Saturday, 6 February 2016 from 10:00 to 17:00.

Focus:

How to launch your novel

What a first chapter tells us

Writing fiction with emotional impact

How to show AND tell

Talking to your reader

Using Dialogue

Getting the attention of agents & editors

About Paul

Paul McVeigh’s debut novel ‘The Good Son’ was shortlisted for The Guardian’s ‘Not the Booker Prize’. It was a Gransnet Christmas read, Wales Arts Review Pick of the Year and one of ELLE Magazine’s Books of 2015 alongside Anne Enright and Ali Smith. This debut novel is on its second print, the audio book is about to be released and rights have been sold to France and Germany.

Paul’s short fiction has been published in journals and anthologies and been commissioned by BBC Radio 4 and read on Radio 5. He is co-founder of London Short Story Festival and Associate Director at Word Factory, the UK’s leading short story literary salon. He is also been a reader and judge for national and international writing competitions. Currently, he’s judging The Penny Dreadful Novella Prize alongside Guardian First Book Award-winner Colin Barrett and Costa shortlisted Sara Baume,

Reviews:

“Heartbreaking, gripping” The Guardian – “Excellent” The Independent – “Funny, moving, poignant. Brilliant.” Metro

“Darkly hilarious. One of the most charming and edearing characters I’ve come across in a long while.” ELLE Magazine

“Funny, shot through with streaks of aching sadness.” Patrick Gale

“A work of genius from a splendid writer.” Pulizter Prize-winning short story writer Robert Olen Butler.

“Absolutely loved it. The voice of that story so arresting.” Jackie Kay

“Beautiful and very moving.” Booker shortlisted Alison Moore

“(one of) Ireland’s most exciting and talented writers.  Incredibly moving; poignant but utterly real, funny and beautifully observant.” BBC Radio

You can read more here.

Paul’s ‘That Killer First Page’ class on submitting short stories to journals and competitions has sold out in Bath, Belfast, Brighton, Cork, London and Melbourne.

Comments on Paul’s classes:

“Practical, insightful application of knowledge to writing.”
“Fantastic! Practical, targeted advice like this is wonderful!”
“This was my fav course yet! Informative, entertaining, and engaging. Hard to beat!”

Places are limited. Book here.

*For concessions please contact Paul paulmcveighwriter@live.co.uk

Paul McVeigh, author

17 August 2014, London

 

 

George Saunders on Story & My Interview

/ Paul McVeigh Writer / Leave a comment

George Saunders Explains How to Tell a Good Story. Click to hear the short story master sharing his unique insights into creating a great story for The Atlantic. It’s fantastic. And if you’ve never read his work I urge to you give it a go.

 

George Saunders

George Saunders (c) Paul McVeigh

 

 

I was lucky enough to interview George, in London, on the day he won The Folio Prize. You can read that interview here – he is rather fantastic.

A little snippet…

 

P: You described your job in Sumatra as – you drilled deep down then put in dynamite and exploded it. Isn’t that a little like the writing process?
G: Well it is actually! I never thought… You’re kind of looking to see where the energy goes, that’s the same thing – you put some energy in and see how it sorts itself out.

Missed My Sold Out Class in Bath? Try Brighton Oct 10.

/ Paul McVeigh Writer / Leave a comment

‘That Killer First Page’, my class on the short story, has now sold out in Bath on Oct 17. It’s been quite a run… sold out in Belfast, Cork, Waterstones Piccadilly and Writers Victoria, Melbourne, where it broke records by selling out in 20 minutes!

If you missed your chance in Bath you could always try Brighton. I’ll be teaching the class for New Writing South writer development agency on October 10. Click here to find out more.

PaulMcVeigh short story

Don’t forget I’m judging the Penny Dreadful Novella Prize alongside Sarah Baume and Colin Barrett and am the sole judge of the Bare Fiction Short Story Prize.

Cate Kennedy Interview

/ Paul McVeigh Writer / Leave a comment
us

Cate Kennedy and me at the International Conference on the Short Story in Vienna.

I interviewed the wonderful Australian author Cate Kennedy in Australia. Here’s Just one of the amazing things she had to say about writing…   “My problem with having any kind of creative life was that I was a hoarder. I was a hoarder with my own assets. A miserly little person who had this wallet of ideas and I would count them every morning and dole out one for this thing or that. I was a miser. And that is nothing but grief, down that path. The amazing thing that happens when you spend it all, when you put everything you’ve got into that next story, everything you’re hanging on to, make it the best thing you can do, don’t worry that you’ve got nothing else to save, because tomorrow, when you wake up, like a well, it’s rising from beneath. Better ideas. Better currencies. Better things than you’ve been hoarding in that little purse of yours. Don’t be a miser. Be profligate. Spend it all. That was a gigantic turning point for me. That made me realise I really wanted to do this. and I wanted to do it even if it meant self-publishing and getting a blanket on the ground and giving it away.”   Read the full interview here…