By Sophie Marlowe
“Distance might not solve anything, no matter how far you run.” -Haruki Murakami
This year’s theme for the Beyond the Walls anthology is distance. We have all experienced distance over the last two years thanks to COVID-19 distancing everyone from their loved ones and their friends, in what was then considered the norm. However, no matter how hard it is, we want to avoid talking about COVID-19 in this year’s anthology; instead, we want to see other interpretations and ideas surrounding distance.
Down below are some tips on how to get your piece started and submitted. Please note that some of these tips are aimed slightly more towards short stories, but they can still be useful to bear in mind for poetry.
1. Getting Started
When you think about distance what comes to mind first? Is distance literal or metaphorical to you? Is distance a place, a person, or a time in your life? Do you have any personal experiences you can reflect on? What emotions pop up at the thought of distance? Are you happy, sad or even angry?
2. Choose Your Form
Now it’s time to choose a form: fiction, non-fiction, or poetry.
The things to ask yourself are: which form can I best express myself in? Will my emotions be more powerful in a poem? Should I write this as a non-fiction piece due to the personal aspects? Should I distance myself -pun unintended- from this piece and make it fictional?
3. Pick Your Genre
What genre fits with your idea and form? Could you make it a fantasy, a romance, a mystery or even a horror? Think about your strengths, what genre comes more naturally to you? It’s easier to go with one you’re comfortable with, but at the end of the day, this is entirely up to you. If you want to experiment, go for it!
For poets, you should also consider the structure of your poems. Do you want to write a blank verse or rhymed poetry? Free verse or a haiku? A sonnet or an elegy? But, feel free to play around with your poem, you don’t have to stick to the conventions. Remember, this is entirely up to you!
4. Time to Start Writing
Now that you’ve got your idea, your form and your genre, it’s time to write your idea down. Taking your bullet points or miscellaneous notes from the questions, try freewriting and see where that gets you.
Remember to create a strong and gripping opening that will carry the reader through to the end.
Also, whilst it’s important to keep track of the word count (1,200 words for fiction and non-fiction, 30 lines for poetry), don’t let it hinder you too much. If you go over, you can edit it down.
5. Bringing Your Piece to a Close
With the ending, you might already have it in mind before you even start, or you might be going with the flow. Neither are bad!
There are several types of endings you could consider: resolved or unresolved, ambiguous or unexpected, or a simple tied ending that brings everything full circle.
Ask yourself whether you want to leave the reader wanting more or whether you want to give them a satisfying ending.
6. Draft, Redraft, Edit
Once you’ve got your first draft done, read through it, redraft and edit. You may need to cut some words out to bring your piece to the word count or you may decide that you don’t like one aspect of your piece.
Some ways you can do this are:
- sending it to a friend or someone you trust to read over and give you honest, constructive feedback,
- printing your piece out and going over it with a different coloured pen,
- opening a blank word page and rewriting parts you think could be improved,
- reading it out loud to yourself and/or others.
7. Submit!
Once you are happy with your final piece and can’t think of anything else to edit, submit it!
Submission Guidelines:
- Deadline: 12:00pm on Monday the 14th of March 2022.
- Please provide: your name, pen name (if applicable), programme, year of study and the title(s) of your piece(s).
- Submit pieces in .doc or .docx format or as a PDF; any other format will not be viable for submission.
- Submit to: beyondthewallseditorial@outlook.com.
It’s worth remembering that when in doubt, it’s good to ask yourself questions about your writing and the answers will hopefully lead you to a completed piece that you’re happy with.
Please check out the social media for the Beyond the Walls project!
Spotify Podcast: Going the Distance: Beyond the Walls
Instagram: @beyondysj
TikTok: @beyondthewallsysj
Twitter: @beyondysj