I’ve got something a bit different for you today. Not only an interview but – drum roll – a giveaway. The interview is with Steve Moran, the powerhouse behind the excellent Willesden Herald New Short Stories Competition. The giveaway? Well, you’ll need to read to the end of the interview to find out. But trust me, it will be worth it. Anyway, without further ado, here’s Steve.
Can you tell me a bit about how the Willesden Herald New Short Stories Competition came into being?
It was towards the end of 2005. I had been involved in two or three online writers’ workshop sites, part of the now defunct MSN “communities” and the setting of writing challenges was a regular occurrence. I thought it would be fun to run a little short story competition on the Willesden Herald blog, which had been going since 2003. So I announced a competition, closing just before Christmas to allow judging in the holiday break, prize a Willesden Herald mug. It was a stroke of luck to get a well known local writer as the judge and the competition took off from there.
Zadie Smith, right? Looking at the impressive list of people who have appeared in the shortlist over the years, it would be fair to say that for a “little short story competition”, you’ve consistently punched above your weight. Why do you think this is?
I tried to make the competition as writer-friendly as I could in several important ways. Entry was free and there was no word limit or minimum, no set theme, no nationality restriction, and there would be no second or third place, only short-listed and winner. Some of the terms have changed since then. Another one back then was you didn’t have to have your short-listed story published, it could retain its unpublished status. There was no guarantee that a winner would be chosen and judging was anonymous. I tried and still try to make it fun and appeal specifically to short story enthusiasts, being myself a fanatic, which probably is evident and adds to the favourable ethos of the competition. That said, it was likely as much or more to do with having such an acclaimed author as the judge. To be selected as a winner by someone like Zadie Smith is worth a lot to an ambitious writer.
As a failed entrant on more than one occasion, that makes perfect sense to me. The other thing you didn’t mention is that you seem to take an interest in the post-WH careers of your alumni in a way that few other competitions (with the notable exception of the Bristol Short Story Prize) do. Can you say a little bit about the process of selecting your shortlist? Or is that shrouded in secrecy?
I read entries as they come in, which is usually only about ten or less per day until the last week when there are more and I can’t keep up. Ten per day is ideal for me, though I can get to twenty if I’m not tired from work but after that my brain refuses the next fence.
With many of the stories it’s clear before the end that they cannot be put in front of the final judge but I don’t stop reading just because of typos or minor flaws, I only stop before the end if the accumulation of problems rules the entry out. The game for entrants is to keep me reading, of course, I’m sure it’s the same with all other writing contests. When entries are poor it doesn’t take long to file them under “No”. I used to create folders for different sorts of flaws but now I only have No, Hell No, Maybe and Yes.
It’s quite hard to get straight into the Yes folder, which becomes the short list, but even so by the end of the submissions window there have typically been about fifteen needing reduction to ten. Last time with Maggie Gee we extended the short list to twelve. Some of the judges have wanted a long list of about fifteen in order to choose the short list themselves. For the others I chose the short list, a couple of times with help from other readers. I have to re-read the Maybe’s and Yeses to finalise the list. That tends to happen over the Christmas break.
So would I be right in inferring that it’s more a case of entries being eliminated on the basis of an accumulation of flaws than being accepted because of a high overall score on a grid?
Yes, it’s mainly a process of elimination. There’s no grid it’s just a case of do I want to read it to the end and is it a yes or a maybe? I am a slow reader so it’s a big time investment. I remember it took me two hours to read Wena Poon’s winning story the first time. I had already finished for the night and I thought I wouldn’t start another one but then I started reading The Architects and it wouldn’t let me go. I don’t abandon a story lightly, always try to give each one every possible chance. Thinking about it, I read nearly all the Noes all the way to the end or near the end, it’s mostly only the Hell Noes that are quickly decided. If a story is generally well written I will read all the way to the end.
I should at this point recommend very strongly Steve’s list of common faults in short stories, which gives a pretty good indication of what is likely to get your story eliminated. One final question, then. This year’s judge is none other than Roddy Doyle – how on earth did you manage to get him on board?
I just sent a very polite message, asking if there might be a chance. I was thinking of closing the competition at the time. I thought better go out on a high after the superb results event with Liars’ League et al, thought it would be hard to follow that. Thanks to Roddy Doyle for being a sport, thanks to everyone who works at the stories instead of looting Footlocker and thank you for having me as a guest.
Amen to that, and many thanks for dropping in.
Now for the giveaway. Steve has very kindly donated a copy of New Short Stories 5, the excellent anthology from the 2011 competition, featuring stories by Mary O’Shea, Y.J.Zhu, Alex Barr and other top writers. All you have to do to get your sticky hands on it is to leave a comment below and I will put your name into the draw, with the winner to be announced at the beginning of September. Which, incidentally, is when the competition opens for entries.
I think it’s fantastic when competition organisers give insight into their selection process. Your interview makes me want to enter the competition because I feel like my story will get a proper read. Although I’m sure that in the past (on more than one occasion) I’ve sent stuff out to early that would land, with a thump, in Steve’s pile of ‘accumulated flaws’… Thanks for this, Jon.
You’re welcome 🙂 That is a pretty formidable list, isn’t it?
Good interview. I’m encouraged to have another go at this competition. I’ve entered some crappy stories in the past and decided I didn’t get shortlisted because Stephen doesn’t like me. That’s rubbish of course. I didn’t get through because I’ve been sending in crappy stories. The fact that Stephen and I had a difference of opinion some years ago has nothing to do with the price of fish.
His list of tips for the competition is very useful, but wouldn’t be worth the aforementioned bucket of fish were it not for the fact that the man can write. I bought ‘The London Silence’ a while back. Must read it again. It’s been too long.
Good Lord, I didn’t know: http://www.amazon.co.uk/London-Silence-Stephen-Moran/dp/0974726141
Thanks for that, Cathy!
terrific interview. made me want to read, write, dance, and buy a puppy.
i’ll start at the beginning and put my name in the drawing.
Fascinating interview. Thanks, Jon. Another comp that’s a real labour of love. I’ve had that list of faults bookmarked for a while now and passed it on to quite a few others.
Fran
A great interview. I know very little about Willdesden apart from various train journeys via Willesden Junction and a random hunt one time for the shrine of “Our Lady of Willesden”. However, I think that if every local paper (sadly now under pressure to cut editorial left, right and centre) did what the Willesden Herald is doing to support creative writing, the world would be a richer place.
Thanks for dropping in, Maureen, Fran and Kate! Consider yourselves added to the draw 🙂
Enjoyed reading that Jon. Thanks to you and to Steve.
Thanks for dropping in, Francis!
Interesting stuff. I’ve never entered this competition but have been aware of it for the last couple of years. If I’m honest, I’m always slightly put off by the fact there’s only a prize for the overall winner. I can see the logic, but it would be weird at next year’s Olympics if there was just one medal given out at the end of each event. I like what Steve’s trying to do though, so maybe I’ll give it a shot this time around.
Oh, and one ticket for the tombola, please, Mister P.
Love the WNS ethos and those common faults – practically a short story master class. Please put me in the draw so that I can read the faultless stuff!
AliB
OK, Dan and Alison, you’re in!
Thanks for this excellent interview, Jon. Steve’s direct but scrupulously thorough and fair approach does make you feel that a submission will get a fair reading in the WH comp. I think I’ll have another go this year. So, like Maureen above, Steve – care of your excellent blog – has indeed made me want to read and write, though I think I’ll leave the dancing bit just now. After my recent NYC Midnight FF Challenge effort I’m too tired. Y’know, in all the euphoria I too was tempted by the puppy option. But I was voted down by four indignant cats.
8) scar
Surely four cats would take down a puppy, though, Oscar? Thanks for dropping in anyway. Another one added to the draw.
“I only have No, Hell No, Maybe and Yes” — brilliant! Great interview, thanks for sharing, M.
p.s. RODDY DOYLE!!
Roddy Doyle indeed 🙂
Great insight into the running of a short story competition. I’ll have to enter!
Good man.
The interview made me feel guilty for not having ever entered the comp. Guilt usually forces me to act, so well done JP.
Job done then 🙂
I really loved reading this interview. I really do try at a lot of competitions of poetry or short stories, with not much luck. So thank you Jonathan and Steve I found a lot of advice in your piece on here. Perhaps I will succeed in my quest to improve and please the Judges in the future. with regards Eileen
Thanks for dropping in Eileen! And keep at it 🙂
Great interview.I didn’t know much about this competition before reading but will be following it to see the results this year. I may have to prod a certain person into entering too.
Good stuff! Thanks for dropping in, Sharon 🙂
Great interview, thanks Jon and Steven. Don’t put me in the draw though cos I was lucky enough to be a ‘yes’ last year. I feel even luckier reading about Steven’s process, I have to say.
Dan – I’m pretty sure there are 3 cash prizes, one for 1st, 2nd and 3rd placed stories.
Thanks, Teresa – I’m sure luck had absolutely nothing to do with it 🙂 And you are absolutely right about the prizes:
“The prizes for 2012 are:
1st place: £300 plus a one-off Willesden Herald mug inscribed “The Willesden Short Story Prize 2012″
2nd: 2 x £150 (two runners-up)”
OK, the draw is now closed and the winner will be announced later on today!