You can read about Experimental Fiction and get tips for writing an Experimental novel, starting below. And while you’re over at Jacqui’s blog, take a look around. She has a great new release that I’ll be posting about later this week too…
EXPERIMENTAL FICTION
I’m honored to be here to share with you today. As I told our host, Jacqui Murray, I’m not an expert on Experimental fiction. I’m not certain anyone is, since it’s always changing. But I’m happy to illuminate some of the features of this unusual classification. I believe I’ve written an Experimental novel, and Jacqui asked if I might give you some tips on writing one. So, I’ll also share my writing process with you.
What is Experimental Fiction?
This genre is hard to define since its basic definition is it’s fictional writing that’s falls outside of current conventions and standard genres. But let’s consider some characteristics and examples to get a sense of what Experimental fiction is all about.
One feature often associated with Experimental fiction is, ‘form is as important or more important than content, and/or it has an unusual form.’ READ MORE…
I had a great time this year doing the AtoZ April Blogging Challenge! It was fun to see new faces visiting and also to connect with new people and reconnect with longtime blog friends. I felt enriched by how many of the new visitors came back again and again, and I got to know a few more bloggers that I’ll follow avidly and will undoubtedly have great conversations with in the future.
I also had a blast fulfilling my self-imposed theme’s Alliterative Story Challenge and running a contest for others to submit to the Alliterative Literature Plotted Prose & Poetry Challenge as well. I made badges for the contest winners, and realized I was so proud of creating and posting an Alliterative story for every letter AtoZ in April, that I made a badge for my own accomplishment too. What fun!!
Creating and Sharing are a couple of the best things in life. So I’m sharing links to other bloggers too… A few new favorites I discovered, and blogs I love:
At last, the day is here! It’s time to announce the Winner of The Alliterative Literature Plotted Prose & Poetry Challenge!! #AllitLitPlo ProPo You can see the rules of the challenge and the entries from the top three contenders for this year’s prize HERE.
In evaluating the top three, I realized the race was incredibly close or tied on crowd response, and each of the three fulfilled a different aspect of the challenge at a significantly higher level than the others. So I’ve decided to award those 3 aspects, as well as choose the overall Challenge Winner. An exclusive badge has been created for each and sent to each winner for their badge boasting bliss.
First is FAN FAVORITE! This author’s fantastically funny use of (coincidentally) F words ferreted out the most fruitful fanfare. Congrats to Harvey Heilbrun for “Frank’s Fiasco”
Our Alliteration Aficionados were also challenged with using as many different alliterative words as possible in their pieces. Venerating the VOCAB VIRTUOSO! This author’s B words busted the bar with boo-coo brilliant babbling. Congrats to Bill Reynolds for “Benevolent Bedlam”
While the challenge openly encouraged Prose or Poetry, the feat of rendering solid alliteration in metered verse stood out as celebratory. Prizing the PRIMO POET! This author’s S words stunned with scintillating skill and silly symmetry. Congrats to Hobbo for “Susan’s Silly Story”
Without further ado, the 2022WINNER on the multitudinous merits of flamboyant fandom, sensible silliness, wealth of words and quotient of Quinn*-quality quirk… Congrats to Harvey Heilbrun for “Frank’s Fiasco”!Harvey, you’ve won the 1st ever Alliterative Literature Plotted Prose & Poetry Challenge and all bragging rights thereby granted!! Go forth and Alliterate evermore (and ever more.)
It’s been my supreme pleasure to present the Allit Lit Plo Pro Po Challenge! Thanks to ALL who entered and who came by the blog to read, tangle their tongues, oo-and-ah, giggle and vote! Thanks also for continuing throughout the month to inspire my Alliterative AtoZ Challenge journey this April! I conquered the story-a-day A-Z, all in alliteration. Such fun… Perhaps again next year?
*Quinn, is challenge presenter, Sheri J. Kennedy’s nickname, and the surname of her pen-name for Steam Era Time Travel novels by Kennedy J. Quinn.
It’s been a couple years since I participated in the A-Z Challenge held for bloggers in April, but after issuing the Alliteration challenge I got caught up in writing a couple more stories and decided it would be fun (or intensely nutty) to try one for every letter of the alphabet. If I’m going to write them, I may as well share them with you!
Due to my love of alliteration, I’ve decided to host a writing challenge. After the rules and definitions, I’ll post my example to inspire and… well, challenge you.
DEADLINE EXTENDED TO APRIL 10, 2022!! STILL TIME TO SEND YOUR ENTRY TO: FreeValleyPublishing@gmail.com
Your entry must have a plot. If it’s poetry it must describe or emote with some development from beginning to end rather than an abstract observance. Think storytelling.
All words other than pronouns, conjunctions, prepositions or ‘to be’ verbs such as ‘was, is’ (so all but simple connectors) must be alliteration in keeping with your single chosen consonant sound.
Alliteration is defined as: Alliteration is a literary device that reflects repetition in two or more nearby words of initial consonant sounds. Alliteration does not refer to the repetition of consonant letters that begin words, but rather the repetition of the consonant sound at the beginning of words. For example, the phrase “kids’ coats” is alliterative; though the words begin with different consonant letters, they produce the same consonant sounds. Similarly, the phrase “phony people” is not alliterative; though both words begin with the same consonant, the initial consonant sounds are different. In addition, for alliteration to be effective, alliterative words should flow in quick succession. If there are too many non-alliterative words in between, then the literary device is not purposeful. (Thanks to literarydevices.net)
Bonus points if all of your alliterative words begin literally with the same letter.
All alliterative words – except for main character names – must be unique within the piece, so this is also a vocabulary challenge. Feel free to frequent your dictionaries and thesauruses.
Use as many unique words as you can, (sample below has nearly 200!) but you must keep the integrity of meaning in the flow of your storytelling. In other words, it must make sense.
Submit your Alliterative Literature by email to: freevalleypublishing@gmail.com by DEADLINE EXTENDED TO APRIL 10, 2022 (Note: It will not be published in any other form than sharing on this blog. Writers keep all rights to their works.)
After all entries are shared online, a winner will be chosen on consideration of number of unique alliterative words used, plot/sense continuity, overall enjoyment by the challenger, and comment responses from readers on this blog. The winner will receive the Prestige of Plentiful Praise of their Prowess by their Peers!
And for your inspiration and challenging pleasure, I give you…
Persnickety Pursuit
Penelope, though pretty, was particularly picky and perused the proffered products at Pittsburgh’s Provincial Plaza with practiced precision to procure the perfect pair of pumps. She persisted in poking and prodding prolific piles of plastic and patent. There were paisley, pink, puce, and platinum. She was partial to the pastel purple pointy plush, but she put priority on price and pushed them to the posterior. Peeved, her pulse palpitated. “Please provide a pleasant proposition,” she pleaded to Providence. Presto! She pinpointed a perky plaid prize precariously perched on a pedestal. She was poised to pounce when a peculiar pesky patron perpetrated a perplexing play popping the pleasing platforms from their post into her pernicious paws, provoking Penelope and parting, Poof!, preventing proper pardon.
Portly Paul peered through the pane into Polly’s Posh Primping Pavilion perceiving that Penelope was profusely perturbed. He pivoted in place pounding the pavement in perpendicular patterns, patiently pacing, prepared to plod for a prolonged period.
Penelope persevered in plundering the plain and perfunctory piddle plying for the paragon of prissy polish. The purity of her pursuit produced a prime praiseworthy pick. Proud of her proficiency, Penelope pried the pittance of pence from her purse to pay the prim proprietor. “The pinnacle of palatable pretentious preference!” Polly pronounced as she presented the pristine package. Penelope preened.
Paul promptly pulled to predominant position with their Porsche and plucked his pompous paramour and her precious pearls from the public parking place. The passenger peeled her prestigious purchase from its packing and pushed in her plump professionally painted piggies. “They pinch!” she proclaimed with a perilous pang. Penelope pummeled them to a pulp and pined pathetically, “That was positively painful.”
Paul planned a prospective plane passage pronto to pamper his poor Penelope in a palatial Parisian paradise to purge the petrifying proceedings from her person. Placated, Penelope passionately purred.
I sometimes feel like my whole generation is being banned. Books that I grew up on fill ‘the naughty list.‘ Books that made me think and feel deeply, that helped me understand how different other people’s lives were than mine – and yet how much we shared in common desires, hopes and dreams.
The difficult and sometimes edgy books are the ones that take us to the precipice of what we think we know and push us to see beyond, to become something more. If we all sit safely in the middle of our culture and consciousness how will we ever grow?
Ah, I see. Oh.
Pick something and read it. Quick… Before it’s too late!
I’m so excited to read an excerpt to you from my story ‘Off the Rails’ tonight live on Zoom. Don’t miss it!! Valley Reads, The Lost Train, Zoom program is tonight. Feel free to join us 6:30 – 8pm PST, Wednesday, December 1st to hear readings by Pacific NW Authors and Chats by PNW Artists about their works that appear in this Special Co-op Anthology. Click this link to join from anywhere: https://kcls.zoom.us/j/87899556649?pwd=VHdMVFJNK2kvNnRlTW5UdGxmWlZtZz09
A doorway can be an opportunity, an escape, or a transition. No matter where it goes, something changes.
At the tail end of the year, I have a new published work in the NIWA, Northwest Independent Writers Association 2019 Anthology, Doorways. I hope you’ll check it out and consider it for purchase during your gift buying season. FIND IT HERE
I’m honored to be included in this excellent collection. My story, Hallway Light, is a short Literary Fiction piece with a somewhat twisty tale of grief and a luminous shard of hope.
Fifteen Pacific Northwest authors invite you to enter their domains and wander through their imaginations. The stories within will transport you to magical realms, unexpected futures, and surprising situations.
Including stories by:
William J. Cook
Emma Lee
Sheri J. Kennedy
Heidi Hansen
Connie J. Jasperson
Thomas Gondolfi
Liam RW Doyle
EM Prazeman
Suzanne Hagelin
L. Wade Powers
Stephen Hagelin
Jonathan Eaton
Eric Little
Sheila Deeth
Nia Jean
Norwescon here I come! I can’t wait to be there again this year. Will you be there too? Come by and see me April 18th-21st at the FVP Books table on Writer’s Row. I’d love to chat with you and perhaps sign a book or two. See you there! –Sheri J Kennedy
And here’s a sneak peek at my Towel, Some of our great Book Bundle Deals, and the Wild and Crazy Authors I’ll share a table with:
I’m so excited to have a Featured Author interview on Northwest Independent Writers Association (NIWA) home page this month! You can check it out HERE or click on the photo below to read more. Scroll down to find the article. It was fun to do the interview. Have fun reading!
Norwescon
Reality With a Twist ~ Books 