Wednesday 24 April 2013

Inspiring Short Stories - Once, in Golders Green... Rohan Kriwaczek.

Introductions can be difficult for people. When I begin a creative writing course with new learners I ask them to give their name and a few details about what they're reading. This keeps the introduction session brief but informative and doesn't leave anyone feeling exposed. It also gives me an idea of who reads and who doesn't. Most of the people I come into contact with are reading at least one book; some have a stack by their bed. Any non readers get an instant book recommendation list, and sometimes generous group members loan or give books.

I don't believe good and regular writing can happen without good and regular reading and I'm ready for anyone who laments that they don't have time. Time is precious. This is where the short story comes in. An anthology should have a variety of styles and perspectives, possibly around one subject. A single author collection might have a range of stuff from one marvelous mind. And a short story can be read in a lunch break, on public transport, in a coffee shop...

My reading is done in bed. I'm usually tired and nodding and it's not unusual to wake up with my face squashed into a book but the point is that a short story is a manageable chunk of reading. Do as I do and go to the library and try a few collections. On line you can get hold of three story collections by established and brand new writers. Pocket novels give you a good read with less commitment than a novel.

My latest bed-buster collection was Once, in Golders Green... short stories by Rohan Kriwaczek. A series of stories, some linked, that give an insight into the lives of modern Jewish individuals. Funny, insightful, informative...just a few words to be going on with. It did what books do and let me into a world I have no connection with and people I wouldn't have otherwise met. I stayed awake for all of them!

Do you know of any other collections of stories set in one area?

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