Craft Articles/Blog

PenDragon · Mar 21, 2007

There's a very good short story writer/teacher who has just started a series of craft articles on his blog that are worth reading/disscussing ...

http://alexkeegan.blogspot.com/2007/03/on-openings.html

Siddow · Mar 21, 2007

Well, I couldn't get past his "About Me" section.

Anyone who complains about getting banned from forums and then proclaiming that 95% of the writing on the internet is crap, written by wankers, is not someone that I think can teach me anything, except maybe how to run off your audience.

Jamesaritchie · Mar 21, 2007

Keegan

Whatever else he is, Keegan is an excellent writer, and one with a boatload of experience in many areas.

There are many reasons to be banned from a forum, and his are usually legitimate. His percentages may be high, but most of the writing online is weak, and much of it is crap. And there are certainly plenty of crap sites that publish almost anything, no matter how dreadful it may be.

This doesn't change because people want to deny it, or because some of us write it. But saying so can get you banned from some forums.

But right or wrong in some areas, his writing advice is usually dead on accurate.

Disagree about his percentages, if you like, but if you can't learn from him, you can't learn from anyone.

Siddow · Mar 21, 2007

James, like I said, I didn't read very far. He may have something useful to say about writing, but if someone turns me off that quickly, I tend to just turn away. :Shrug:

arrowqueen · Mar 21, 2007

Alex is a character all right. He and I used to come to blows regularly on the BBC's 'Get Writing' site, before it closed down. Happy Days!

pdr · Mar 21, 2007

He ran -still runs?-...

a darned good Boot Camp for short story writers.

It's his hair, arrowqueen. goes to his head!!!

PeeDee · Mar 21, 2007

Keegan's a good writer. Complaints aside (and if I hadn't been previously exposed to his writing, it would have turned me off) he's worth listening to.

As for the fiction on the internet, I think in a fanfiction thread we spent a little time talking about the BAD fiction available. Sites like Godawful Fanfiction, for example. There's plenty of it on the internet. Most of it eventually winds up in a slushpile...

ShapeSphere · Mar 21, 2007

Thanks for the link PenDragon. Looks like an interesting blog and some advice to listen to. Whether I'll take that advice every time, is something to think about. But he got my attention. (And he quoted from Brighton Rock and The Big Sleep - two of my favourite books!)

I'll check out his blog now and again. No harm in listening to Mr AK-47.

Kate Thornton · Mar 22, 2007

I love Alex Keegan's blog - I don't know him personally, but I like his prompts.

Jamesaritchie · Mar 22, 2007

Keegan

Siddow said:
James, like I said, I didn't read very far. He may have something useful to say about writing, but if someone turns me off that quickly, I tend to just turn away.

Matter of personality differences, I guess. Statements like he makes in his intro turn me on because I agree with them. I hate marshmallow talk, and those on the internet who see good everywhere, and are always saying, "You, too, can be a great writer."

Or, even, "Always find something good to say when doing a critique." Very often, this is like trying to find the positive side of falling in a manure pit.

Siddow · Mar 22, 2007

Jamesaritchie said:
I hate marshmallow talk, and those on the internet who see good everywhere, and are always saying, "You, too, can be a great writer."

Or, even, "Always find something good to say when doing a critique." Very often, this is like trying to find the positive side of falling in a manure pit.

Oh yeah. When I first started writing, I was in a group with (marshmallow) people I knew from a class. When I left there and joined a forum (before this one), I got my first really good critique. The critter thought he was being harsh, but I am forever grateful to have met him and we still keep in touch. When I want a no-bullhockey crit, I go to him.

PeeDee · Mar 22, 2007

Jamesaritchie said:
Or, even, "Always find something good to say when doing a critique." Very often, this is like trying to find the positive side of falling in a manure pit.

.....you will never take a shower for granted again?

arrowqueen · Mar 22, 2007

'...find the positive side of falling in a manure pit.'

At least you'll be nice and warm.

greatfish · Mar 23, 2007

I think these articles are helpful for teaching beginning writers the basics, but where are the discussions for the more advanced writers? He complains about all the mediocre writers out there, but all he does is teach people how to go from poor writers to mediocre writers. I think one of these guys really needs to put together some articles that go beyond the basics.

PenDragon · Mar 23, 2007

Greatfish, Alex's students have previously placed second in Bridport, another just won the Guardian/Virgin Trains Prize (£1,000 prize money), hell one ex student has even been Booker nominated.

In 2006 his students took 90 Prizes; 24 Firsts, 16 Second, 10 3rds, 40 Finals. That's just prizes, I think there were about 250 or so publications by his (current) students last year. From a working group of students that fluctuates between 15 to 25 in number. Hardly mediocre.

Also, not sure how you arrived at the (very wrong) assumtion that 'all he does is teach people how to go from poor writers to mediocre writers'

As for the discussion I think that's the point of putting the articles on the blog, to open up discussion. If people post comments, ask questions, open up discussion Ak will respond, but if no one posts...

Alex also has articles that go beyond the basics, links to them can be found here ...

http://alexkeegan.blogspot.com/2005/12/creative-writing-articles-_113567382267922363.html

There is also this blog with entries by BC members ...

http://thebootcampkeegandiaries.blogspot.com/

... which is more about the BC process/membership if anyone is curious. Which reminds me must think of something for my entry.

PenDragon · Mar 28, 2007

An updated list of the articles (which are really worth a read) and examples of AK's published fiction...

http://thebootcampkeegandiaries.blogspot.com/

Jamesaritchie · Mar 28, 2007

greatfish said:
I think these articles are helpful for teaching beginning writers the basics, but where are the discussions for the more advanced writers? He complains about all the mediocre writers out there, but all he does is teach people how to go from poor writers to mediocre writers. I think one of these guys really needs to put together some articles that go beyond the basics.

I don't know where you get that from? I'm certainly an experienced writer, and I find most of his articles very helpful. And he certainly takes many writers beyond the level of mediocrity.

Besides, the basics are where most writers, even experienced ones, fail.

Jamesaritchie · Mar 28, 2007

Showers

PeeDee said:
.....you will never take a shower for granted again?

You're assuming I take showers at all.

PeeDee · Mar 28, 2007

Yes you do. Because you're married. I know exactly how long the 'not showering' bit lasts in a married household.

Jamesaritchie · Mar 28, 2007

Shower

PeeDee said:
Yes you do. Because you're married. I know exactly how long the 'not showering' bit lasts in a married household.

Yeah, about twenty-four hours, if you're really lucky. Or until two hours before the wife gets home from her week long stay with relatives.

PeeDee · Mar 28, 2007

Or for however long as you want to go without showering, so long as you don't expect to be let into the bedroom/sit on the couch/in speaking range of your wife/etc.

(the same goes for wearing pants.)

We're wandering rather far afield, I suppose.

euclid · Jan 31, 2009

Alex Keegan's Boot Camp

What is this Boot Camp? I went into it but could find no information or FAQ. I tried various threads but couldn't access anything without logging on / registering. Took a look at the blog site. The latest entry is dated August 2008. Doesn't seem too active.

Anybody have experience of this Boot Camp?

PenDragon · Feb 2, 2009

euclid said:
What is this Boot Camp? I went into it but could find no information or FAQ. I tried various threads but couldn't access anything without logging on / registering. Took a look at the blog site. The latest entry is dated August 2008. Doesn't seem too active.

Anybody have experience of this Boot Camp?

Sorry just spotted this. This thread is from March '07!

The out of date blog is the Boot Camp Diaries. The main Boot Camp blog is here . . .

http://alexkeegan.blogspot.com/

Last updated Jan 27th '09 however, it's mostly prompts for flash fiction. No articles for awhile but Alex's articles can be found here . . .

http://www.writerswrite.com/cgi-bin/articles.pl

If you want details on Alex Keegan he's just had Short story collection released by Salt Publishing. There's a bio, details of his publication, etc.

http://www.saltpublishing.com/books/smf/9781844714773.htm

The information part of the Boot Camp forum can be found here . . .

http://bootcampkeegan.yuku.com/forums/220

but yes I think you do need a global Yuku boards, or local Boot Camp account to post (not entirely sure not a tech-head).

As for what Boot Camp is: it's a hard working critique group for literary short fiction.

The basic philosophy is that you learn from writing critiques of other peoples' work, rather than learning from reading crits of your own work. Alex believes in improving the writer not individual stories so there's no workshoping stories. Stories are posted anon and examined without any personal baggage or bias. The learning takes place through examining and critting individual elements of each story . . .

http://www.eclectica.org/v8n1/keegan_dish.html

. . . and the discussions that follow the critiques.

Currently Boot Camp is at it's lowest membership level. Only ten active members. Membership has three levels: Free, Standard, and Pro. However, all members are expected to . . .

Write one short story (min 1,800) for each two-week deadline.
Crit the stories.
Start and maintain one thread on 'craft'.
Keep up a two post a day average in the forums.

We're expected to work hard, to write, write, write, and sub, sub, sub. At the moment AK is doing his nut at us because we only managed to submit twenty stories between us in Jan.

Anyone who want's more information can post in the vistors section of the forum . . .

http://bootcampkeegan.yuku.com/forums/63

euclid · Feb 2, 2009

Free, standard and pro. Does that mean there's a fee for standard and pro?

PenDragon · Feb 2, 2009

euclid said:
Free, standard and pro. Does that mean there's a fee for standard and pro?

Well there'd be no point in 'Free' otherwise.

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