I am always struck by the way many writers are drawn to the very toughest of times in people’s lives and it is a theme to which I return after an entry into the October Global Short Story Competition over the weekend.
Brilliantly told from a first person point of view, it went into the head of a person whose thoughts were so disturbing that they made the skin crawl. And if the reader is so engaged it’s a powerful read, uncomfortable or not.
Story after story entered into our competitions focuses on tense moments, difficult encounters and powerful emotions and draws you into the drama so that you can feel the tension, experience the pain and empathise with those in the story (or recoil at their mindset).
I am always heartened when I read writing like that. Sometimes, you read a story and think, good set up, decent writing and yet something is missing. Something essential.
For me, if you are going to tackle a tough subject - serious illness, death, betrayal, separation - the best writing is the writing in which the author plunges him or herself deep into the action and drags the reader with them whether the reader wants to go or not.
And after that cheery message, a reminder that there is plenty of time to enter our October Global Short Story Competition at www.inscribemedia.co.uk
John Dean
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