England 1 USA 1

When it comes to writing short fiction, there are two narrative voices in my head.

One is British and varies in tone and class; the other is American, either East Coat or West Coast. It's a combination of past history and the fiction that seems to grab me.

Several times, I'll just hear a voice and an opening line. Then I turn detective and identify its source and what the room is like. Sometimes I see faces but not always. The voice, though, is key because it reveals character and influences behaviour.

Not so long ago, I read a Raymond Carver anthology and his voices leapt off the page. They reverberated inside my head until, once I'd finished the book, I could still hear echoes.

One of those echoes became Saturday Night and is featured in the latest edition of Molotov Cocktail magazine:

http://themolotovcocktail.com/past-issues/vol-1-issue-7/saturday/

4 comments:

  1. Very enjoyable writing, Derek.

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  2. Thanks Brian. Even now I can see the guy's face clearly!

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  3. As long as you don't hear Elmo's voice.

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  4. I'm sure I'd be tickled if I did.

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