Christopher Fielden

An Introduction to the Christopher Fielden Website

I launched this website in 2011. Originally, it was a simple author website, which is why I used "Christopher Fielden" as the brand.

Over time, the website has become much more than an author site.

I offer writing services, run my own successful short story competition, publish thousands of authors via the flash fiction writing challenges in support of literary charities, offer writing courses and much more.

How to get a Short Story Published

Here is some starter advice. You will find much, much more in the Advice section of the website.

Being a new writer...

...and facing rejection can sometimes leave inspiration cremated like a forgotten sausage on a barbecue. But then the observation of any event can inspire a story, creating a positive way forward.

If you’re like me, when inspiration strikes, you’ll find yourself staring at a computer screen at 3am, trying to work out how a demon and a legless soldier might interact convincingly.

Books are difficult to sell if you’re an unknown writer. Agents are hard to come by. Gaining the attention of reputable publishers is also a challenge. So, you might ask...

How can one become a successful writer?

Short stories are a good place to start.

In a despondent moment, after an attempt to write a 300-word synopsis that was turning out to be harder to finish than an 80,000-word novel, I found myself wondering what I could offer the world of creative writing that might be a little different. I’m not famous. Outside of friends and family, few people know who Christopher Fielden is. How might I stand out?

Short stories are a lot easier to complete than full-length books. Once finished, unlike novels, there are many opportunities for publishing short fiction and you don’t have to write a synopsis. Bonus.

There are many respected short story competitions out there, which can gain a winning writer kudos and credibility. Roald Dahl, Terry Pratchett, Stephen King, Philip K Dick and many other successful authors started out writing short stories.

So, I started writing lots of short stories. Since then, that's the only type of fiction I've written. Short stories have become my favourite form of creative writing.

Through writing short fiction, I’ve experienced rejection and learnt how to deal with it in a positive way. I've developed a style that works. I achieved my first competition win early in 2011.

How could I utilise this achievement to further my writing career?

Currently, the internet offers many ways of gaining exposure and readers. The tricky bit is standing out and offering something unique. There are so many good writing resources already out there, and lots of excellent self-published authors to compete with. Being noticed is difficult, but not impossible.

I worked for many years in digital marketing and learnt a lot about websites. Offering useful, interesting content is the best way of engaging with communities, gaining credibility and giving yourself the opportunity of being noticed.

So, that’s what I decided to do.

Rather than having a website that simply showcased my work, I thought I’d use my published stories as case studies to provide other writers with useful writing advice and tips about how to get their own work published.

What this website offers today

Today, the Christopher Fielden website offers writing advice, case studies, writing resources, writing services, writing competitions, publishing opportunities, writing newsletters, short story writing courses and much more.

All of the short stories featured on the Christopher Fielden website have been published or been shortlisted or won prizes in short story competitions. By sharing my experiences, and asking other authors to share theirs, I help writers achieve publishing success.

I also provide information on the pros and cons of the various writing competitions I’ve entered. Where I’ve been given permission to use their words, you’ll find comments from editors and short story competition judges, explaining why the stories were chosen and published.

I hope you find the website helpful. Comments are welcomed - you can share your thoughts and ask questions below.

Christopher Fielden