Twist stories are wonderful little things when they work. But if you time it wrong the reader will either see the end coming from a hell of a long way off, or not “get it” at all. It’s a high wire act best attempted by writers who know what they are doing.
Diane Dickson’s Snow is such a piece. The point in which it turns away from expectation to something darker is perfectly struck.
Q: Although it is short, a lot could have gone wrong here. Was it more experience or technique that caused you to choose the perfect place to set the quiet yet effective reveal?
Q: Since you are prominently a novelist, are there situations that you chose not to use in your books but retain the spirit of to use in short fiction? (By such I mean good bits that wouldn’t work in a particular novel.)
Q: Although it is short, a lot could have gone wrong here. Was it more experience or technique that caused you to choose the perfect place to set the quiet yet effective reveal?
Thank you as always Leila for choosing one of my pieces. It’s always a thrill. This was always going to be a very short piece. There was no real time for character development except to show the villain as cold and selfish so the reveal had to come soon. I think I had said all there was to say and so ‘clumk’ there it was. As with most of this stuff I don’t remember ‘choosing’ it just ‘was’
Q: Since you are prominently a novelist, are there situations that you chose not to use in your books but retain the spirit of to use in short fiction? (By such I mean good bits that wouldn’t work in a particular novel.)
Hmm – good question. I think the honest answer has to be no. Each piece is separate and ideas that don’t work are sent back to the ether. Although the vast number of the novels feature death and destruction in some form or another, I have to wrap that in so much more, as you will know from your brilliant fantasy pieces and sometimes all I want is a short sharp occurrence. This event could be part of a novel of course, but it would be just a small part of many other happenings and I don’t think it would be big enough to carry the weight if that makes sense.
literally stories 
Thank you Diane
Excellent replies and I hope people will visit the story for a snow break in August!
Leila
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Thanks for choosing this Lelia you have put so much into these reruns over the years and it’s always an honour to be chosen. x
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Brilliant choice as always Leila!
Excellent questions to compliment the writer.
Diane – I’ve been working on next weeks post and it is brilliant to see that not only are you re-showcased (If that’s a word) today but you have story number thirty-three on Thursday.
That is a fair amount but I reckon that you are under-represented.
However, if we take into consideration the twenty-odd books that you have written, that is a helluva body of work!
Hopefully a few more shorts will start to whisper in your ear!
All the very best to my two favourite ladies!!
Hugh
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thanks Hugh – Yes, the books do take up a lot of writing time but every now and again one comes along and demands that I write it. To be honest I didn’t realise I had that many on here.
xx
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