Formed over forty years ago, our Writers Circle is based in Felixstowe, Suffolk. Meetings are held in The Room at the Top in Felixstowe Library, normally on the first and third Tuesday of each month commencing at 7.30pm and finishing by 10.00pm. Check this weblog for details of meetings.

There is an annual November to November fee of £30, April to November is £20 and June to November £15. For members preferring to pay at each meeting the charge is £5 per meeting. To contact Felixstowe Scribblers simply email scribblers.1@btinternet.com or the Secretary, catherine.stafford1@ntlworld.com

Sunday 31 October 2010

Countdown to a November novel ....

I start my sponsored marathon tonight to write a 50,000 word novel during the month of November.

I am being sponsored by staff at NHSGYWCS who have suggested characters for the fictious hospital St Jude's somewhere in Suffolk! The money raised will go to the James Paget Breast Cancer Care Unit.

Please visit the website and to our shame there is no forum registered for Suffolk. I have had to join Norfolk and Essex, but today I attended the Essex launch party and what a great bunch of people they were too!

Keep scribbling!

Geraldine

Good luck Geraldine....



November Writing competitions

Coming up!

The Mary Gornall Memorial Short Story Competition. Closing date 15 November. See the website for details at http://www.ashbywritersclub.com/

Writelink Christmas Chillers Competition. Closing date 18 November. http://www.writelink.co.uk/xmaschillers/

Aeon Award short fiction contest. Closing date 30 November. See the website at http://www.albedo1.com/html/aeon_award.html

Creative Writing For All Competition. Theme 'domestic violence'. Closing date 30 November. http://www.writing-experiment.webs.com/

Fish Prize for Short Stories. Closing date 30 November. http://www.fishpublishing.com/

Watch our weblog for news of other competitions!

Friday 29 October 2010

Debut Dagger Competition

The Crime Writers’ Association Debut Dagger Competition for 2011 will run from 30th October 2010 to 5th February 2011.

This Award is open to all writers who have not had a novel published commercially. Entrants are required to submit the first 3000 words of their crime-themed novel, plus a 500/1000 word synopsis. Since its inauguration, two dozen winners and short-listed authors have obtained publishing contracts. It’s a wonderful opportunity for would-be crime writers to jump the slush pile and get their work seen by leading editors and agents.

Further details can be found the web-site at www.thecwa.co.uk (click the ‘Debut Dagger’ link).

Liz Evans
Chair – Debut Dagger
Hi Scribes

Here's a worthy competition for you poets out there - details can be found at www.unitedpress.co.uk.

Also I hope you all are prepared for the spooky meet on Tuesday. Sharpen up the wit and let loose with the frighteners, Halloween is here.

See you Tuesday.

Barry

Thursday 28 October 2010

HELP FOR HEROES

United Press have recently launched a charity poetry competition in aid of Help for Heroes, which may be of interest to you.

If you feel passionate about the Help for Heroes campaign here’s your chance to wax poetic - and give our soldiers a boost.

Publishers United Press are running a competition to find the best Help for Heroes poem and Primark are giving £250 in vouchers to the winner.

The competition is open to all UK residents and your poem can be any length.

Entrants are asked to donate at least a pound a poem and everything will go to Help for Heroes.

For full details of the competition go to the website at www.unitedpress.co.uk

Tuesday 26 October 2010

Alma Books and Lightship Publishing....

For details of their latest book list and authors go to http://www.almabooks.com

Do you have a literary novel in you? Have you written the first chapter and a synopsis? Enter First Chapter for a chance to win the dream prize of every aspiring novelist: expert mentoring while you are writing your novel. Go to http://www.lightshippublishing.co.uk/ for details.

Imagine getting priceless feedback from an acclaimed author, a top literary agent, and a publisher as you write your novel. If you win First Chapter you will receive three professional mentoring sessions over the course of a year from prize-winning British author Tibor Fischer; Simon Trewin of United Agents; Alessandro Gallenzi of Alma Books, and support from author and Lightship editor, Simon Kerr. Your First Chapter will be published in the Lightship Anthology in 2011. If your finished novel is deemed as fabulous as your First Chapter, Simon Trewin will represent you, and Alma Books will publish it.

Lightship will be launching First Chapter on Monday 6th September 2010. The deadline for all entries will be 30th June 2011. So get writing that first chapter, and a one-page synopsis now!

Augustine Nash Books

June Macbeth, who writes under the name Augustine Nash is 73 years old and disabled; She lost her dear husband two years ago and rarely gets out of the house.

She has a website at http://Augustinenashbooks.com and invites the Scribblers to take a look.

The first chapter of each book on the website is free. Her first book, ‘Shadow of The Eagle’ was entered for the Booker Prize, however, she is now unable to find a publisher for my work, but would love to receive some feedback from our group.

What is NaNoWriMo?

National Novel Writing Month is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to novel writing. Participants begin writing November 1. The goal is to write a 175-page (50,000-word) novel by midnight, November 30.

Valuing enthusiasm and perseverance over painstaking craft, NaNoWriMo is a novel-writing program for everyone who has thought fleetingly about writing a novel but has been scared away by the time and effort involved.

Because of the limited writing window, the ONLY thing that matters in NaNoWriMo is output. It's all about quantity, not quality. The kamikaze approach forces you to lower your expectations, take risks, and write on the fly.

Make no mistake: You will be writing a lot of crap. And that's a good thing. By forcing yourself to write so intensely, you are giving yourself permission to make mistakes. To forgo the endless tweaking and editing and just create. To build without tearing down.

As you spend November writing, you can draw comfort from the fact that, all around the world, other National Novel Writing Month participants are going through the same joys and sorrows of producing the Great Frantic Novel. Wrimos meet throughout the month to offer encouragement, commiseration, and—when the thing is done—the kind of raucous celebrations that tend to frighten animals and small children.

In 2009, we had over 165,000 participants. More than 30,000 of them crossed the 50K finish line by the midnight deadline, entering into the annals of NaNoWriMo superstardom forever. They started the month as auto mechanics, out-of-work actors, and middle school English teachers. They walked away novelists.

So, to recap:

What: Writing one 50,000-word novel from scratch in a month's time.

Who: You! We can't do this unless we have some other people trying it as well. Let's write laughably awful yet lengthy prose together.

Why: The reasons are endless! To actively participate in one of our era's most enchanting art forms! To write without having to obsess over quality. To be able to make obscure references to passages from our novels at parties. To be able to mock real novelists who dawdle on and on, taking far longer than 30 days to produce their work.

When: You can sign up anytime to add your name to the roster and browse the forums. Writing begins November 1. To be added to the official list of winners, you must reach the 50,000-word mark by November 30 at midnight. Once your novel has been verified by our web-based team of robotic word counters, the partying begins.

Visit the NaNoWriMo website here

Our friend Geraldine writes:

"Is anyone else doing NANOWRIMO this year? There is a Norfolk and Essex forum, but no Suffolk forum!
Visit the
website and give it a go!
I have competed two years 2004 and 2009. Remember write in November, edit in December, it is quantity not quality and no plot-no problem!
I am being sponsored and am raising money for the James Paget Hospital breast cancer unit.
Let me know if you are willing to sponsor me, or feel like having a go at this.
It is tough but fun, and you realise that it is possible to put this much time and energy into your writing, if you really want to. "

Sunday 24 October 2010

Authonomy News

October 2010

The Power of Feedback

"I will hate you till the day I die and wish you nothing but ill will in every career move you make."

So said Alain de Botton, the British author and essayist who took umbrage at the less-than-glowing review his book received from the New York Times journalist Caleb Crain. To many authors, however, thoughtful feedback and criticism can be a valuable step towards creating a polished and saleable manuscript.

Many of you have found that authonomy is a place where an early draft can be honed and worked on, often in collaboration with the community who offer advice and suggestions.

Angela Kecojevic is one such authonomist:

"I was either brave or plain daft to put something so raw and poorly punctuated onto a site of hungry critics! Yet, the comments received inspired me to work harder and to listen to suggestions and well-meant criticism."

Of course, it's not just unpublished authors who can benefit from a few words of wisdom. Once a manuscript is acquired it is subjected to intense scrutiny by an editor. The first line edit is the editor's initial response to a work and contains instructions for the changes an author must make. It can be an alarming realisation for a first-time author, but often results in a much tighter, better book.

This was the experience of Sunday Times bestselling author Miranda Dickinson, whose second novel Welcome to My World is published on November 2nd.

"I understand what my editor and the editorial team at Avon are doing when they send through suggestions to tighten up my work. But it's still difficult at times to switch off the 'proud parent' inside my head and approach it as a teacher who wants to bring out the best in her pupil."

Whether you take it with a pinch of salt, or absorb every comment, there's no doubt that the more people you share your work with, the more likely you are to produce a well-rounded, and ultimately publishable piece of work.

Until the 31st of October, CreateSpace is offering authonomy members a free editorial evaluation:

Free Editorial Evaluation

No matter where you are in the publishing process, getting feedback from a professional editor can help you take your manuscript to the next level. And, right now, CreateSpace is offering you a free editorial evaluation with the purchase of any of their Total Design Freedom solutions. This offer expires on October 31, so contact CreateSpace today to learn more.

Click on the link to request your free evaluation:

http://harpercollinsnews.co.uk/go.asp?/bCOL002/q89AQI5F/x3459J5F
- Gather Feedback Online

If you don't feel ready for a professional assessment, you may prefer to take advantage of CreateSpace's free preview tool.

Use CreateSpace's free preview tool to display and share a portion of your work so others can provide feedback, including answers to specific questions you pose. Share your Preview with select friends and family via e-mail, or post your Preview publicly to get feedback from a wider audience. You can even add a sample cover to enhance your Preview!

Click on the link to find out more:

http://harpercollinsnews.co.uk/go.asp?/bCOL002/qZ0JQI5F/x3459J5F
The authonomy team

Friday 22 October 2010

Spilling Ink Review

Just a quick reminder for those who haven't already entered. The deadline for our
Flash Fiction / Prose Poetry Competition is October 31st, 2010.

There's £150 in cash prizes plus publication and a free copy of the print anthology. Entry Fee £5. For more information: http://spillinginkreview.com/competitions/flash-fiction-prose-poetry-competition/

Amy Burns, Editor, Spilling Ink Review

Visit the Official Home of Spilling Ink Review http://spillinginkreview.com/Enter to Win Prizes & Publication: http://spillinginkreview.com/competitions/Follow us on Facebook: http://bit.ly/cN8tQp Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/spillinginkling

Wednesday 20 October 2010

Meeting report for 19th October 2010.

Those present : Peter, Beryl, Liliane, Dick, Tony, Dave, Stephen,
Trish, Gemma, Martin and Barry (chair).

Apologies from Leslie.

The Coast to Coast competition organiser, Maurice James, passed away last Friday.
Our thoughts are with his family.

This was a meeting that surprised a few of the doubters among us. Just those that doubted their ability to write a spontaneous entry from a few lines of a random book. Every piece was different and every piece showed that we all indeed, have the ability. Some were funny others very sad and others holding a sense of 'serve him right!' The line we all continued from was as follows:

'The old man had spent his entire life surrounded by unimaginable power and wealth . . . until now.'

The pieces were entitled as follows.

Peter. The missing harbour.

Beryl. Family question mark.

Liliane. Black dreams.

Dick. The island.

Tony. Undercover boss.

Dave. Over and out.

Stephen. Tale of two cultures.

Trish. The three big hoggs.

Gemma. The price of happiness.

Martin. Courage.

Barry. Downward spiral.


The next meeting is on the 2nd of November and will be the Halloween
meeting. !000 words on any scary subject you can think of and the
meeting will be held in torchlight.

Thanks to all who attended and we look forward to the next meeting.

Barry.

Tuesday 19 October 2010

In Memory

Maurice James
1944-2010

Maurice James adored poetry right from early childhood, showing a particular love for the words of Robbie Burns.

In 1985, together with a friend, he established the Ouse Valley Poetry competition. He was living in Bedford at the time. Several years later he moved to Liverpool and there decided to change the name to the 'Coast to Coast' competition.

By then he was also producing a poetry magazine called 'Isthmus'. A few years ago now, short stories were added to the writing forms for 'Coast to Coast'.

This year now twenty five years of his work to encourage poets, but very sadly, cancer of the gullet brought his extremely creative life to an end. He was a man with a wicked sense of humour and a big heart, which explains why much of his entry fees went to medical charities.

Maurice will be missed by many in the writing world.

Monday 18 October 2010

Maurice James

We are very sad to learn of the death of our good friend Maurice James at the weekend. The organiser of the Coast to Coast competitions for such a long time, Maurice will be missed by many people across the nation.

Our thoughts are with his family at this very sad time.

Sunday 17 October 2010

Creative Writing Evening

Just a reminder that there is no homework this week. We are doing the
writing exercise from a random book in the library. so just bring
along pen/pencil and paper and an open mind.
See you on Tuesday.

Barry

Scaring the BOO out of you

WritingRaw.com is going to scare the BOO out of you with this issue!

All of us here at WritingRaw.com would like to thank the generous support we received when we put out the call for submissions for our Halloween issue. Who knew that there were so many of you out there with a dark side lurking under that calm, sweet exterior? Because so many of you let out your bad side, we received such a large quantity of submissions that we had to break our Halloween issue into two parts. So, if you submitted a piece for the Halloween issue and it is not here… please have a little faith, your submission will be appearing in the November 1 issue. Thank you for your understanding and support.

The Editors

WritingRaw.com
Join the Literary Evolution – only on WritingRaw.com!

WritingRaw continues to evolve and grow - allowing more of everything to be on the site… more writing in all our categories, more book and publishing news (updated daily), more art (with daily updated cartoons), more interactive features (the Wall), and other informative and entertaining bits and pieces. Over the next few days and weeks we will be adding some other NEW features (including an interactive section that will allow all of us to create the longest running poem in history, a never-ending short story and a section where you - the reader - can post Shout-Outs about upcoming releases or other information you would like to share) to the site to make it more creative. So, sit back and open your mind… WritingRaw is stepping into the future of literature like no other site on the web!

The October 15 issue of WritingRaw.com is NOW online: Writing Raw is a FREE literary ezine dedicated to new and emerging writers. Our goal at Writing Raw is simple - to serve the literary community with the opportunity to have their work online and out in the world. In this world of disappearing literary magazines, Writing Raw is providing the blank pages for writers to fill.

WritingRaw also support other sites that help writers: www.WritingRaw.com believes in reaching out to other sites, writing groups, forums, and organizations. Contact us on how you can place a FREE banner, announcement or link on our site!

Or, use the Writing Raw Book Store to promote your novel or poetry collection: If you have a novel or collection that you would like to place in our store, we would be more than happy to do so – for FREE. Just send us a copy of the cover of the book, a brief synopsis, and a link as to where the material can be purchased.

News Feeds – stop in and check out some live news feeds ranging from topics concerning writing and the publishing world to outlandish worldwide new to inspire your imagination.

The WALL – just like it sounds… come place some graffiti on the wall and let us know what you are thinking; or, find out what WritingRaw is talking about on other social media sites such as FaceBook, MySpace, Twitter, etc.; or, check out your horoscope or get a free tarot readings or even ask the Magic 8 Ball something you are in need of knowing. It’s all fun…

Shout Outs – this is where you can go and promote yourself or a project. Just give a shout out on this live wall to get your name out there. Just help yourself…. It’s FREE.

Art – the name says it all! This new page is dedicated to the artists out there who would like to submit their work so that us writers can use it for inspiration. The art work can be in any medium… just take a picture of it and send it to us, with a short bio, and any site or selling information you want. It’s that easy.

Cartoons – everyone needs a good laugh… besides having daily live feeds of cartoons, we hope to have submissions soon.

And all of the old pages, but pumped up and evolved to the next level…

Also, be sure to check out the NEW announcements on WritingRaw.com’s Home page from writer’s group and organizations worldwide. Discover meeting places, organizations offering fellowships, contests, and a variety of other useful websites all dedicated to writers of every level.

All this and more at WritingRaw.com

Thursday 14 October 2010

MISION CUMPLIDA CHILE

What tremendous news!

After 69 days trapped over 600 metres underground in the San Jose mine, Copiapo, the first of the 33 miners triumphantly emerged from the escape capsule to cheers and jubilation of a large crowd. Within the following 22 hours the monumental task to rescue every miner was complete. A tribute to their belief that they would be re-united with their families and to the undying efforts of everyone involved in their resue.

MISION CUMPLIDA CHILE.

PAPWORTH CONSULTANCY

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MARKETING INCLUDING GARDENERS, NEILSEN, WATERSTONES, ONLINE DISTRIBUTION,

INTERNET MARKETING, EMAIL CAMPAIGNS, MEDIA , MARKETING STATIONARY DESIGNED TO PROMOTE YOUR BOOK – FLYERS, LETTERHEADS, POSTCARDS, BOOKMARKS, BUSINESS CARDS.


EVENTS PROMOTION, ORGANISE BOOK SIGNING EVENTS, SOCIAL MEDIA SETUP,
WE WILL PROVIDE: A BLOG, FACEBOOK PROFILE, MYSPACE, FLICKR, GOOGLE ACCOUNT, SHELFARI, GOODREADS, A LIBRARY THING AND TWITTER + BOOK DISTRIBUTOR FOR SELF - PUBLISHED AUTHORS .

PUBLICITY AND PROMOTIONS SOLUTIONS
THAT WORK FOR YOUR BOOK.


Papworth Consultancy will offer you a one to one service with all the support you will need.

We will work with you in a professional marketing consultation meeting to select the best plans for your goals. Papworth Consultancy has established a great options package for you to choose from when deciding on the best promotional mix for you and your newly published book.

We will work with external public relations agencies to write a press release for your new book and will continue to publicise with Newspapers, Magazines, Radio and Television .

The company ethos is to be flexible, reliable, and proactive as we possibly can in our relationship with our client.

Please contact us to see which package of service we can tailor to your needs.

Papworth Consultancy, 2, Ford Villas, Commonside, Westbourne, Emsworth, Hampshire, PO10 8TD. Phone 07711994185 email makealap123@tiscali.co.uk




Friday 8 October 2010

MASTER CLASSES FOR CREATIVE WRITING

Friday, 8 October 2010MASTER CLASSES FOR CREATIVE WRITING
JAN FARMERY’S
WORDSMITHING ADVENTURES

MASTER CLASSES FOR CREATIVE WRITING

come on a Wordsmithing Adventure to open up fresh and inspiring ways to spark your imagination and capture your experiences and impressions.

have your confidence nurtured so you may write with
energy, skill and pleasure

THURSDAY NOVEMBER 11TH 10.00AM – 4.00PM

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 27TH 10.00AM – 4.00PM

blyth cottage studio, walpole, suffolk IP19 AS

ALL WELCOME

COST £70 INCLUDING MATERIALS, TASTY LUNCH AND REFRESHMENTS

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION AND TO BOOK A PLACE

telephone 01986 784433 email jan.farmery@virgin.net
OR VISIT

www.janfarmery.com FOR MORE DETAILS AOUT WORDSMITHING ADVENTURES

PLACES ARE LIMITED SO PLEASE BOOK EARLY

Jan Farmery is a performer, theatre director and writer.
She has spent fifteen years working free-lance at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden as team drama director for the Met Course run in conjunction with the Metropolitan Opera House, New York. She has lead many drama, scriptwriting and creative writing workshops for professional and amateur participants. She is currently working on a collection of childhood recollections TALES OF A TREACLE TART that will form the basis of a performed reading tour late in 2010.

Thursday 7 October 2010

The Woman Before Me



Watch and listen to Ruth talking about her book here

Halloween at WEEB

we are currently looking for Halloween related material for our October 15 issue of WritingRaw.com. So, let the dark side in you take over… send us your Halloween related submissions – short stories, poetry, essays, etc – to weeb@writingraw.com. Let’s make this the scariest issue ever!

Online Now:

Season 2, Episode 4: Hell is Empty

NEW episodes on the 8th and 22nd of each month!

really BAD Shakespeare is a new adventure in storytelling. Based on the concept of the penny dreadfuls from the nineteenth century, really BAD Shakespeare is a black comedy based on the "end of days" in the fictional town of Potter's Field, Illinois. Published bi-monthly and containing less than 1,500 words per episode, this experiment in creative writing will allow writers to expand their storytelling skills while pushing the plot further.

Click here to read the complete Season One of "really BAD Shakespeare"

Click here to watch the YouTube trailer for "really BAD Shakespeare"

Read Shame: A Novelette, by R. E. Heinrich: http://writingraw.com/shame%20Novelette.pdf


The New Writer Prose and Poetry competitions

Just under two months to closing date ...

Prose and Poetry Prizes 2010 from The New Writer magazine.
Closing date 30 November
Established in 1997, one of the major annual international competitions for short stories, novellas, single poems, poetry collections, essays and articles; offers cash prizes as well as publication for the prize-winning writers in The New Writer magazine.

Back copies of previous annual "Collections" are available at the TNW website:
http://www.thenewwriter.com/subscribe.htm

Further information including guidelines and entry fees at: http://www.thenewwriter.com/prizes.htm
Writers can enter online at our secure credit card server at: http://www.thenewwriter.com/entryform.htm
Or, the entry form can also be downloaded from that page on the website and sent in the post with your entry.

The winners of the 2009 Prose & Poetry Prizes are announced on this webpage:
http://www.thenewwriter.com/prizewinners.htm

************

The New Writer magazine - bigger, better.

TNW will be moving to quarterly publication from the next issue (TNW 104, Autumn 2010), which will go out to subscribers around 8th October. The pagination has been increased to 68 sides but the cover price stays the same, while the length of a
6-issue subscription moves from 12 months to 18 months allowing for more time to read each copy. Also, we are introducing new features in this issue and over subsequent issues: Micro-fiction submissions; Book Reviews (Non-fiction) - and up
to 300 words on your favourite book; Reader's Circle recommendations; Writers' Workshop exercises; while retaining our Readers' Challenge (fiction), Writer's Rants and other regulars.

In addition our improved comprehensive monthly eNews bulletin will continue to keep writers up to date on what's going on out there.

The price of a subscription has not been increased - still £27 for the next 6 issues in the UK, plus the next 18 issues of the eNews included free of charge in the subscription package, with reduced offers for longer subs. You can subscribe either by visiting our website - secure WorldPay server
http://www.thenewwriter.com/subscribe.htm - or
contact us by phone or send us your details by letter or email.

TNW - available by subscription only * over 100 issues * over 1,000 contributors * full listing at:
http://www.thenewwriter.com/RollOfHonour.htm

From the office of The New Writer, PO Box 60, CRANBROOK. TN17 2RE
tel 01580 212626
admin@thenewwriter.com
www.thenewwriter.com

Introduction to an assessment service

I don’t know if you already offer your own services in your group, but if appropriate, I wonder would you be so kind as to bring my assessment service to the attention of your writers?

My website is listed below, together with my blog featuring writing tips.

My credentials and success stories can be found on the website. In brief, I have 18 historical romance novels behind me with Harlequin Mills and Boon, a mainstream dual time mystery which made the Booker list in 2005, and I have just landed a major contract with a Penguin imprint in the US for my new historical crime series set in Georgian England.

If you feel I may be able to be of service to any of your writers, it would be immensely helpful if you could pass the information along.

With many thanks

Sincerely

Elizabeth Bailey

Get help at

http://lizbaileywritingtips.blogspot.com/

www.helpingwritersgetitright.co.uk

Follow me on Twitter http://twitter.com/lizbwrites

Wednesday 6 October 2010

Meeting Report

For those who did not attend and for those that did attend but were lulled into a deep stupor, here is a hopefully concise report of our meeting last night.

Those attending.
Dave,Les, Liliane, Dick, Martin, Tony, Gemma, Lauren, Barry and Peter (late arrival)

Apologies from Ruth,Beryl,Trish and Steven.

Dick gave us the news that an article about his grandmother had been published in the magazine The Best of British. Well done to him.

The subject for the homework had been 'Advertising'

Lauren opened proceeding with a piece entitled 'Compulsive habits' An amusing account of how a girl was influenced by her parents behaviour during her childhood but developed her own sense of what she would and would not do in later life.

Next we had Gemma with her contribution called 'Inappropriate Reactions' recounting a girl kidnapped and having completely the wrong thoughts about her predicament also finding another victim in the old van who is reacting in a more normal but irritating way. This persists until she is finally brought into the real world when dragged from the vehicle.

Then we had Tony, our own member who resides on his own planet. His piece was entitled 'Ohme is where the earth is' and was from Chapter 18 of his soon to be completed novel. To translate what went on would be a disservice to Tony. It needs to be read to be enjoyed.

New member Martin gave us his piece entitled 'David Beckham's fish fingers'. An amusing account of a meal time conversation at the Beckham mansion where he extolls his supposed love of fish fingers and Posh's reaction, then going through the many, many products that David endorses and thoughts on whether he really enjoys any of them.

Dick gave us an entertaining driving lesson in his piece entitled 'What an advert'. This recounted the demise of a poor driver who crashes through the supports of an advertising hoarding and while the vehicle is being recovered an opportunistic photographer snaps the situation and convinces the Driving school advertising on the hoarding, that it should take the opportunity to show the folly of not learning to drive with them by using the photographs on another advert.

Liliane gave us her rendering of thoughts we all have some days of what effect ads on TV do or do not have on our lives. Especially those ads that are so hard to understand we just push them to the back of our minds. This contribution was called quite appropriately 'Advertising is big business.'

Then came one of our senior members, Les. A tale called 'Wanted' about a young man who aspired to be rich and handsome and have all the trappings needed to attract a new girl friend. He spends time inventing a fictitious persona and puts it out into the ether then waits for a response. He waits for a while and just when getting despondent he gets a reply from a gorgeous girl from a south sea island, not thinking for a minute she could be doing the same to him. They eventually meet and after passing and dismissing him, returns and they have an amusing session of revelations.

Next was Dave. His contribution called (excuse the language) 'That bloody advert' described a chap feeling out of sorts with a bad back and having seen an dubious advert for back massage by a gorgeous girl decides to secretly visit the establishment and avail himself. He is subsequently found out by his wife as he leaves the premises while she rides past on the bus.

Due to his other commitments Peter was a trifle late but amused us all with his rendition of of farmyard talk amongst Suffolk Punch horses that were being used in advertisements. It was entitled 'Haughty Henry' and brought many a smile as he read in his own dry fashion.

The final contribution was my own, entitled 'Poetic justice' a short tale of a young estate agent seeing his overbearing female boss suffer some indignity after stealing his thunder on a new development.

The meeting concluded roughly on time and there was a short discussion on whether to move the Halloween meeting on until the 2nd November. This was agreed, so the next meeting on the 19th October will be a writing exercise where a book is randomly picked from the library shelves and the first paragraph is read. For those not familiar, we then write, for twenty or thirty minutes, our own continuation of that opening paragraph.

For those who think that spontaneous writing is not for them I would encourage all to attempt it. In all the time we have been having different writing exercises there have been no resulting pieces that were anything less than excellent.

Thanks to all those attending for a really good meeting and we hope to see those who were unable to come along next time.

Regards from your secretary.

Barry

Tuesday 5 October 2010

PROGRAMME CHANGE

At this evening's meeting it was proposed and agreed to alter our programme slightly. This means that our next meeting will be a CREATIVE WRITING evening at The Room at the Top - usual start time 7.30pm.

Our annual Torchlight Halloween meeting will now be held on Tuesday 2nd November.

It is time to start planning the meetings for 2011 - yes time really is passing swiftly by - so please let Barry, Dick, Peter or Dave know what you would like included next year. More, or less, creative writing evenings? More genre type homework? Historical stories? The choices are endless so please let your committee know.

Scribblers Social

Just to remind everyone, there are still a few places for the Scribblers dinner at the Castle Lodge on October 14th.
Here are the options for main course:

Roast beef & Yorkshire pudding
Grilled Seabass with herb crust
Spinach & Ricotta canneloni

Choice of starter & dessert - can be decided on night. £15 per head; partners & friends welcome. Should be a fun evening!

To book please call the hotel on 01394 282149.

See you then,

Ruth

Writing Weekend

Places are still available on the writing workshops on 16th & 17th October at the Castle Lodge Hotel in Felixstowe.
If anyone is interested please contact Maureen Blundell
(Writing as Roz Colyer)
Liberato Writing Courses and Editing Service
01376 551379
mobile: 07718 339636
www.liberato.co.uk
liberato@talktalk.net

SEARCH FOR YOUNG POETS

The search for young poets is on again.

Poetry publishers United Press discovered many talented young poets with their book Poets of the Year 2010. The search is now on again to find young poets for their forthcoming book, Young Poets of 2011.

“Anyone under 16 can submit a collection of up to ten of their poems,” said Peter Quinn, editor of the forthcoming book.

“It’s free to enter and the poets we choose - around 20 - will be featured in the book along with a profile of themselves, their photograph and a collection of their work. Each successful poet will receive 5 copies of the book.

“The aim of the book is to encourage young people to get more involved in poetry. We had some wonderful entries last year and we hope for even more this year.”

If you want to submit something all you have to do is send your collection of poetry along with a head and shoulders photograph plus a 100 word profile of yourself to: Young Poets of 2011, United Press, Admail 3735, London, EC1B 1JB by the closing date of 31st January 2011.

Older poets can still enter United Press’s other two big competitions. The Local Poem Competition, which carries a £1,000 first prize, requires you to write a poem of up to 25 lines and up to 160 words on a local theme. Previous winners have been about a river, towers, a country walk and local history. This competition closes every year on 31st December, and you can send up to three poems (marked “Local Poem”) either by post to the address above, email to info@unitedpress.co.uk, or online at www.unitedpress.co.uk. You can also enter the company’s other main poetry competition, the National Poetry Anthology. The length limit is the same as for the Local Poem competition but your poem can be on any subject. This competition closes on 30th June every year and you must mark your entries “NPA”, and you can enter via the same routes as the Local Poem competition.

To find out more about United Press and their free poetry competitions phone 0844 800 9177, visit www.unitedpress.co.uk or write to United Press, Admail 3735, London, EC1B 1JB.

Friday 1 October 2010

Scribbler's social

Don't forget the Scribbler's social on Saturday 16th October, there are still a few places left so book now direct with the Castle Lodge Hotel.

Barry

ADVERTISING the next meeting

Just a reminder that the subject of the next meeting on Tuesday the
5th October is 'Advertising'. It took me a while to get inspiration
but I managed it with difficulty. Must be getting old. Good luck and
see you all on Tuesday.

Barry

Join the Literary Evolution -

– only on WritingRaw.com!

WritingRaw continues to evolve and grow - allowing more of everything to be on the site… more writing in all our categories, more book and publishing news (updated daily), more art (with daily updated cartoons), more interactive features (the Wall), and other informative and entertaining bits and pieces. Over the next few days and weeks we will be adding some other NEW features (including an interactive section that will allow all of us to create the longest running poem in history, a never-ending short story and a section where you - the reader - can post Shout-Outs about upcoming releases or other information you would like to share) to the site to make it more creative. So, sit back and open your mind… WritingRaw is stepping into the future of literature like no other site on the web!

The October 1 issue of WritingRaw.com is NOW online: Writing Raw is a FREE literary ezine dedicated to new and emerging writers. Our goal at Writing Raw is simple - to serve the literary community with the opportunity to have their work online and out in the world. In this world of disappearing literary magazines, Writing Raw is providing the blank pages for writers to fill.

We also support other sites that help writers: www.WritingRaw.com believes in reaching out to other sites, writing groups, forums, and organizations. Contact us on how you can place a FREE banner, announcement or link on our site!

Or, use the Writing Raw Book Store to promote your novel or poetry collection: If you have a novel or collection that you would like to place in our store, we would be more than happy to do so – for FREE. Just send us a copy of the cover of the book, a brief synopsis, and a link as to where the material can be purchased.

NEW PAGES:

News Feeds – stop in and check out some live news feeds ranging from topics concerning writing and the publishing world to outlandish worldwide new to inspire your imagination.

The WALL – just like it sounds… come place some graffiti on the wall and let us know what you are thinking; or, find out what WritingRaw is talking about on other social media sites such as FaceBook, MySpace, Twitter, etc.; or, check out your horoscope or get a free tarot readings or even ask the Magic 8 Ball something you are in need of knowing. It’s all fun…

Shout Outs – this is where you can go and promote yourself or a project. Just give a shout out on this live wall to get your name out there. Just help yourself…. It’s FREE.

Art – the name says it all! This new page is dedicated to the artists out there who would like to submit their work so that us writers can use it for inspiration. The art work can be in any medium… just take a picture of it and send it to us, with a short bio, and any site or selling information you want. It’s that easy.

Cartoons – everyone needs a good laugh… besides having daily live feeds of cartoons, we hope to have submissions soon.

And all of the old pages, but pumped up and evolved to the next level…

Also, be sure to check out the NEW announcements on WritingRaw.com’s Home page from writer’s group and organizations worldwide. Discover meeting places, organizations offering fellowships, contests, and a variety of other useful websites all dedicated to writers of every level.

Also, we are now accepting Art, Cartoons, and Book Reviews

NEW this month

The site has been overhauled and updated with more NEWS, ART, CARTOONS, something we like to call – THE WALL and various other pages and features that we are sure you will find both entertaining and informative.

FICTION AND NONFICTION BOOK REVIEWS: By Rib and www.allbookreviews.com

RIB RAW: Who knows what will come out of her head next! This page changes constantly, at the drop of a noun… so check back often!

BETWEEN THE SHEETS - AN EMAIL BOOK CHAT/REVIEW WITH DITCH AND WEEB: Great Expectations by Charles Dickens – Part 2

5 SUGGESTED BOOKS TO READ FOR THE MONTH BY DITCH....

And lots more