Thursday, August 16, 2012

Guest Post: Madeleine Sara

Please welcome guest poster, Madeleine Sara:

I‘ve always enjoyed writing as a means of expressing myself. I made books and stories from the moment I could write, but then I stopped for many years, As writing is in my blood I couldn’t stay away from it forever.

With 16 non-fiction articles published in National/ International magazines; my own magazine Cloth Figure Quarterly and a How-to Book ‘Fiddly Little Fingers and Tricky Little Toes’ under my belt, I started a nine month Creative Writing Course. That was an almighty shock to realise that, in fiction writing terms, this was only just the beginning! So I read more books & writing magazines and learned that these days having a blog is important for an aspiring writer.

In August 2010, I started my writing blog, Scribble and Edit blog and loved it.
I love the creative design elements in presenting the blog posts and the look / content of the blog. I love the writing challenges that inspire and test my writing skill and I love the supportive, blogging community who have helped make my writing mature exponentially. Two other great supports have been 1: Write1Sub1 monthly, which has shown me that the more you write and send out the more experience and success you achieve. So thank you Milo, Simon and Stephen you have been a fantastic boost to my oftentimes wavering morale. 2: Romantic Friday Writers my thanks to Denise, Donna and Francine for the great challenges, feedback and awards that have allowed me to flex my writing muscles.

I have been delighted to have other short pieces of flash fiction, stories and haiku accepted by magazines, eZines and charity compilations, which has bolstered by confidence.

I happened upon the idea for Ultimate Sacrifice in a magazine I was reading at the hairdressers. Usually the stories in those magazines seem quite depressing and tawdry, so you can imagine this one left quite an impression. From one relatively incidental element in the account I had a light bulb moment that got me thinking in that What If? way that writing craft books encourage. Without providing spoilers, I can only say that I realised that I could create my own characters, who suffer a similar tragedy for a novella/ short story and explore this element as the twist in my tale. It’s therefore not quite romance, more realistic fiction with romantic elements. This story was a great vehicle for exploring what happens when the going gets tough. The subject is also very topical and full of that all-important conflict, which modern stories demand.


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31 comments:

Denise Covey said...

Thanks for hosting Maddy, Lynda. Lovely to learn more about you and your book, Madeleine. Also, thanks for the shout out for RFW. It's a great way to improve your writing, isn't it? D

Anonymous said...

Thanks for hosting me Lynda. :O)

You are welcome Denise. Thanks for dropping by and commenting. :O)

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Inspired by a haircut! Now that' a unique story.
Good luck, Madeleine!

Heather Murphy said...

Nice post Madeleine. I would love to know what article you read that inspired Ultimate Sacrifice. Do you remember? Have you kept it?

shelly said...

Nice guest poster! I would love to understand how to make my blog face pretty.

Hugs and chocolate,
Shelly

Suze said...

'the more you write and send out the more experience and success you achieve'

A beautiful bit of common sense which always bears repeating!

DEZMOND said...

greetings to Madeleine.

Old Kitty said...

It's so wonderful to learn more about Madeleine!! What a star! Thank you for sharing your amazing writerly journey here! Thank you Lynda too! Take care
x

Carol Kilgore said...

I love learning the story behind the story, Madeleine.

Waving to Lynda :)

Rek Sesh said...

Nice to see Madeleine here. Thanks Lynda for a peek into her writing journey.

Kittie Howard said...

It's uplifting how the routine can stir the imagination. Good luck, Madeleine!

M Pax said...

I love those light bulb moments that spur the great what-ifs. All success to you, Madeleine.

Unknown said...

Hi, Lynda & Madeleine,
Hope the tour is going well for Madeleine. Like you, I started out writing non-fiction when I decided I wanted to write.

Nick Wilford said...

Love those light bulb moments! You seem like a highly creative person. Great post.

Golden Eagle said...

It's fascinating what can set off a writer's inspiration! That must have been a good magazine story.

Trisha said...

Madeleine is one of the bloggers who first started popping by my blog. She's a great lady!

DWei said...

Interesting to see what can spark ideas in people.

I haven't done any proper writing in ages though, besides the blog which doesn't really count.

Callie Leuck said...

"That was an almighty shock to realise that, in fiction writing terms, this was only just the beginning!"

That line made me laugh. I've had several "almighty shock" moments and I love the way you described it, Madeleine.

Victoria Lindstrom said...

Lynda - Thanks for hosting Madeleine; her insights are great, and her book sounds wonderful!

Rachna Chhabria said...

I like the title Ultimate Sacrifice. Its sounds great. I am a huge fan of Madeleine's haikus, just adore them.

Good luck Madeleine.

Notes Along the Way with Mary Montague Sikes said...

Fascinating to read how you found inspiration for your story.

Your article is inspiring.

Thanks, Madeleine and Lynda

Missed Periods said...

I think that stories that come from a "What if?" moment are the ones that need to be written. Congratulations.

Neurotic Workaholic said...

I like the idea of using "What if?" as a writing prompt. You can come up with a lot of interesting scenarios (and stories) that way. That's also impressive to start your own magazine, because that must have been a lot of work.

michelle said...

I also dabbled in some non-fiction before trying my hand at flash fic.
I'm always amazed at what inspires a story... and it differs from one writer to the next.
Nice to learn more about Madeleine.

Anonymous said...

Nice to meet you Madeleine and great to find out more about you:)

Anonymous said...

It was fantastic learning more about Madeleine, her journey and process.

Have a great weekend.

Anonymous said...

What a gorgeous woman!
Thank you for introducing me to Madeleine

Anonymous said...

Alex- LOL! Yes I hadn’t thought of it like that.
Heather- It was a long time ago, the magazine has long gone since I read the article.
Suze - Thanks yes it is a great motivating piece of advice.
Golden Eagle - yes it was a gripping tale.

Old Kitty & Carol, MPax, Nick, Joy, Trisha, Michelle- Bless you! Thanks for your lovely comments. Callie – Yes I did feel rather naïve, that kinda pride goes before a fall moment when you realise you’re a beginner not the best.
Rachna, Medeia – Bless you thanks for your lovely comments, maybe I’ll launch a haiku book next. ;O)
Dwei - I hope we’ve inspired you to get back into writing.
Shelly, Dezmond Rek, Kittie, Victoria, Monti Missed P - thanks for your lovely comments
Neurotic Workaholic- that’s lovely of you to say so. It was hard work, but I enjoy writing and designing my magazines.
Michelle -good luck with your flash & other fiction
TFwalsh thanks for stopping by and commenting.
Thanks again Lynda for hosting me & doing me proud.

Arlee Bird said...

Madeleine, you are one busy lady and an inspiration to all writers. Keep it going.


Lee
Tossing It Out

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Thanks again to Madeleine for this wonderful post.

I lost internet connection for a few days, do I'm a tad behind catching up with everyone. Eek!

Anonymous said...

Lee, thanks so much you're a darling!

Lynda I know how frustrating losing your internet can be, but sometimes it gives one space for other things which is a bonus LOL! Thanks again for this wonderful interview. You're a gem.