Alan Beard's site

NEWS:

13/10/09 on a streak! My story 'The Ditch' has been accepted by Tonto Books for an anthology coming out sometime. Entry was by competition - the winners are listed here: http://www.tontobooks.co.uk/blog/even-more-tonto-short-stories-the-results/  and here's the cover:

 

 

Also today I saw that my stories are out on East of the Web (see entry on 14/9/09 below). I have my own page.

18/9/09: Following the acceptance of two stories for East of the Web (see entry below) I was asked if I'd like to enter a story for the Wordia site which sometimes runs interactive flash fiction, based around words that link to other stories. I had one that almost fitted the bill, I had to add a couple of sentences to make an exact fit, and found out today it was up and running already! (I only entered last week). I think this link will get you to it, or at least to some of the other stories in the cycle.. http://www.eastoftheweb.com/interactive/index.php?p=ht_wordia/part/wound/13

14/9/09: Two of my stories 'Background Noise' and 'The Heebie-Jeebies' have been accepted for publication on the 'East of the Web' site. I'm pleased because i know the site gets a lot of hits (half a million a month) and there are always a lot of comments on each story. Also the site gives each individual author their own page with biog and contact details (eg a link to this site so may pick up more hits) and other stories. Happy days are here again. Link to the site:  http://www.eastoftheweb.com/short-stories/fictionindex.html

They both have illustrations to go with the stories (links underneath pictures):

                                                        

http://www.eastoftheweb.com/short-stories/UBooks/Heeb753.shtml    http://www.eastoftheweb.com/short-stories/UBooks/BackNois754.shtml

12/6/09: Another acceptance of a 'flash fiction' (this one's 300 odd words long). Called 'The Man Who Stole Everything' it will appear in the next issue of 'Falling Star', a magazine based in Los Angeles. The editor Matt McGee said:

Alan,       Thank you for allowing us some extra time in considering your work for Falling Star Magazine. After much debate, we're pleased to inform you that your work "The Man Who Stole Everything" will appear in the coming issue of Falling Star....

http://www.fallingstarmagazine.com/home

Apparently I will be paid for it too.

10/2/09: A hit, a palpable hit! My story 'The North Room', turned down on many occasions will finally be published. I sent it, along with other 'flash' pieces to the Buffalocarp competition and got this email today:

Hello Alan, I am writing to inform you that your story, "The North Room", has been named an Honorable Mention in the Buffalo Carp Flash Fiction Contest and will be published Vol. 6, due out March 20, 2009.

Funny I only sent it as a make-weight to the main piece, I had given up on it...

19/1/09:Received a copy of The New Writer with my story 'Backing Up' published therein (see entry below on 10/3/08). First time in a while since my work has actually been in print (rather than online) - the last one was 'The Party' in the 'Tell Tales 3' anthology. I'm also rich - a cheque for twenty quid came with it.

29/7/08: Normally this page is about my good news but want to direct any visitors to news about Gaynor Arnold, fellow group member, who has made it on to the Booker longlist. You'll find more here. 

12/6/08: My second collection has been accepted for publication by Tindal Street Press. I am very happy. TSP are an excellent publisher - their books are always well done in terms of quality, with intriguing covers, nice size fonts etc and they have been building a great reputation with the titles that have reached the Booker short and long list, Orange prize winners, Betty Trask awards etc, and have shown a commitment to the short story that is lacking elswhere. I'm proud to (re)join the roster which includes fab writers such as Clare Morral, Catherine O'Flynn, Anthony Cartwright, Jackie Gay, Gul Davis, Mick Scully, Gaynor Arnold, EA Markham etc etc.

It won't hit the shops until April 2011, as they are full next year. I submitted a mixed bag of long and short short (flash) pieces, but the latter didn't make a good fit with the longer ones and I agreed to take them out. I think I'll try for a third collection of shorter pieces, as they hang together better on their own (I think). Anyway pleased isn't the word for it, maybe ecstatic is.

I've known for a few weeks but wasn't supposed to tell anyone until the contract was signed - and now it is.

More news on the book's progress will be posted here for those interested. (I have updated this entry on July 8th 2009).

10/3/2008: Hooray again! My story 'Backing Up' was placed in the top ten of the 'New Writer' 2007 Short Story competition. Unfortunately not in the top three (which would have meant proper money) but a nice crit:

 There's some fantastic writing going on in this story, in an almost stream-of-consciousness form; and I love the title which works on many levels. A great sense of humour offsets any darker aspects of the subject matter. The material could have perhaps been better organised and more zealously edited, but I have to applaud the boldness of expression.

Thanks. And the story will be published in a future issue of 'The New Writer' so I'm happy again (see below) - what's great about this and the story below being accepted is that people will actually read it (apart from TSFG and my wife).

Also this week the newsletter from the great Short Review arrived in my inbox. This website reviews 10 or so short story collections (either single author or anthologies) once a quarter and this one includes two I already know and love, Tim Winton's The Turning (an exquisite set of stories, great writing and very affecting - try Aquifer as an example) and from the 80s Jayne Ann Phillips's brilliant Black Tickets, but also gave me three or four titles that are going straight on my amazon wish list. Also on Short Review is a wonderful blog about the experience of reading short stories and the hunt for the beautiful, the stunning, the intriguing or the quietly moving. Someone else who lives in short story world.

While we're on the subject of great websites try Laura Hird's, this has hundreds of stories, reviews, summaries of lit mags etc etc. - a huge roster of writers to explore and enjoy. Warning - it's difficult to leave once you're in.

Anyway it's been a great week - wish every one was like it. 

5/3/2008: Hooray!! An acceptance for a 6000 word story that has been doing the rounds since 2003. 'Mustard' will feature on the newly revived Sunk Island Review site, edited by Michael Blackburn. I had two stories in the print version which was around in the 90s. First story to be accepted (apart from the flashshots below) for two years.I'm happy. Link to follow. 

Here it is:  http://sunkislandreview.blogspot.com/2008/03/mustard-short-story-by-alan-beard.html   

21/12/2007:  Found a link to another story of mine: 'The Lookout'. It was first published in 1999 in frieze magazine (Issue 47, June-August 1999) - a commission to write a story to accompany artwork by David Thorpe (for an example see stories page - near bottom) - but it has just now come online at this link.

1/10/2007: Yet another Flashshot taken - 'Yesterday', which will come out on 28th January 2008, but also one turned down from 'Flash-Me'. Thinking of doing an almost-blog of rejections... maybe...have done here

19/9/07: Another Flashshot story 'Honey' taken. It will appear on 13th February 2008. 

27/3/07: Yet another story (my third and last as only three allowed per session) 'The Badness' has been taken by Flashshot, and will be published on September 4th, 2007. See below for details of Flashshot.

15/3/07: Have had another story - 'Televison Girl' - accepted by Flashshot. Date - September 15th, 2007. See next item for details of Flashshot.

9/2/07: just had a story - 'Please Affix' - accepted by Flashshot. They do stories under 100 words emailed every day (free) to subscribers. You can subscribe here. It will be coming out on August 3rd 2007.