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

Saturday 30 April 2011

http://www.pulsefringe.com/






‘The 5th Annual Ted Walters International Short Story, Poetry and Playwriting Competition 2011’

I am writing to you all today to inform you all about our very successful prize-winning international writing competition, in memory of one of our very own dear former writers; Mr Ted Walters, which is now thankfully in its 5th year.

Take good care of yourselves for now my writer friends and may my God bless you all and keep you safe from harm. I will be looking forward to hearing from some or maybe even all of you very soon. Our 5th Ted Walters International Writing Competition entry form and poster details are as follows below and attached with this email, and I would like to wish you all good luck in the competition, and for the future.

Tommy McBride.
Group Secretary.

The University of Liverpool
Creative Writing Society for Lifelong Learning
Associated Group Members of
The National Association of Writers’ Groups

Is to Commemorate
‘The 5th Annual Ted Walters International Short Story, Poetry and Playwriting Competition 2011’

1st Prize Short Story Category: Competition Winner will receive £200
2nd Prize Runner-Up will receive £50
3rd Prize Third Placed; a £15 Book Token

1st Prize Poetry Category: Competition Winner will receive £200
2nd Prize Runner-Up will receive £50
3rd Prize Third Placed; a £15 Book Token

1st Prize Playwriting Category: Competition Winner will receive £200
2nd Prize Runner-Up will receive £50
3rd Prize Third Placed; a £15 Book Token

There will also be a Long and a Short List of entrants in all of the three categories

Rebellions, controversy and forward-thinking are all to be celebrated throughout this year of 2011 and Liverpool:
‘The City of Radicals’
Competition Entry form and Rules
(The deadline for all categories will be 30th June 2011)

Linda Walters: Judge of Competition 2011

When the numbered A3 brown envelopes drop through my letter box on a regular basis, I know I have reached my favourite time of the year. This is the time when I have the privilege of reading and judging the entries to the Ted Walters International Writing Competition.

As it heads into its fifth year, I am inordinately proud of its achievements and of everyone associated with it. The decision, last year, to add a playwriting element to the original short story and poetry format proved to be a resounding success. We can now number playwrights among the friends we have made in the writing world because of Ted’s competition.

So, winter will turn to spring and spring into summer and your words will be with me constantly. They will accompany me on the long train journey to work; they will be my curled up on the couch companions every Sunday morning; they will line the bottom of my suitcase when I travel abroad.

I look forward to reading your work and I wish you all good luck. Thank you for entering. Thank you for making this competition a fitting tribute to a remarkable man.

To commemorate once again in 2011

Ted Walters was born in Liverpool, on the 17th April 1951. He grew up in the City, attending the Liverpool Collegiate School as a boy. Ted was always a very gifted communicator, with an impeccable sense of comic timing. He would often write long and hilarious letters to his friends and family, who persuaded him to try and share his talent with a much wider audience. His stories were always well received, and Ted’s writing was eventually published and broadcast on radio. Ted was a committed member of The University of Liverpool Creative Writing Society for Lifelong Learning. His enthusiasm for writing was only rivalled by his passion for football, and a life long love-hate relationship with Liverpool Football Club. Ted died of cancer on 15th August 2006.

Acknowledgement from the Group Secretary: Tommy McBride
As Group Secretary and Founder Member of The University of Liverpool Creative Writing Society for Lifelong Learning, I must say that the response and the quality of the writing to ‘The 4th Annual Ted Walters International Short Story and Poetry Competition 2010’ was fantastic once again. With many entries coming in from all over this big wonderful but troubled world that we all share. Over the last four years we have managed to raise a total of £2,148 for our Liverpool based creative writing group’s chosen charity; the ‘Macmillan Cancer Support’. I would like to personally thank each and every one of you writers throughout the world; to which I am delighted to say that I have made some new and good international friends; and especially to all of those writers who participated in our last four annual Ted Walters international writing competitions. Without you the money raised for the Macmillan Cancer Support to help those unfortunate cancer sufferers would never have been possible. Thank you all so very, very much, you’re wonderful submissions are really appreciated by all concerned. I shall repeat this once again because I can honestly never run out of good things to say about Ted Walters, because he was a man of great character with an infectious sense of humour and quick wit. He will always be remembered here on Merseyside as a very popular, valuable and sincere member of our successful writing group, and was respected by all. He truly was gifted with the ability to make people feel at ease in his company. We all feel extremely proud to be running this annual writing competition which is now in its fifth year; and is getting bigger and more popular every year in the very good name of Ted Walters. Tommy McBride; Group Secretary and one of Ted’s many friends.

Tommy McBride (Group Secretary)
The University of Liverpool Creative Writing Society for Lifelong Learning
50 Onslow Road,
Elm Park,
Liverpool,
Merseyside.
L6 3BB
United Kingdom.

PEN TALES




Hey there strangers,
We're aware that it's been a while since you last heard from us, but don't despair! It's not because we don't love you, but because more of the action is now on our Facebook and Twitter pages. Join us there, and count on a message or two a month from us here as well.


And now to the topic of the moment: with so much political turmoil in the world right now, we’ve been hearing a lot of your perspectives recently on the topic REVOLT.



To us, REVOLT means out with the old...in the hopes of creating something new. Hence: the new PenTales Behind the Story video series, in which co-founder Saskia Miller speaks with people in the PenTales community about life, love, revolt, and lots of other things. In our first installment, Saskia chats with Mexican writer (and PenTales Damascus organizer) Diego Gomez-Pickering about living in Syria during pretty turbulent times. Let us know what you think, and whether you know of any interesting people who we should feature on the next Behind the Story.

Behind the Story: Damascus, Syria
REVOLT CONTEST WINNERS
Also announcing our REVOLT contest winner: Andres Torres-Scott’s story “Bazizi, the Fruit Seller." (Special thanks to New York Times best-selling author Dan Rasmussen for judging and reviewing all of the amazing submissions!). In the short story, Torres-Scott’s fruit seller gives up hope after experiencing a final indignity at the hands of the police. In his desperation, the man does something extreme: he lights himself on fire. Sound like a familiar story? That's because it's not unlike the real-life event that ignited the Tunisian revolution. Congrats to Andrew Torres-Scott and all the other great writers who submitted their REVOLT stories!



FIRST PRIZE: "BAZIZI, THE FRUIT SELLER" BY ANDRES TORRES-SCOTT “I’m taking some apples and a melon.” “That’s a lot, Madame police!” She took two plastic bags, filled them with some apples and pulled a melon. “Keep moving! Do you want another fine?” Bazizi spoke at her eyes: “Why are you doing this?....READ ON



SECOND PRIZE: "THE FIRST STONE" BY DEE TURBON "I took an oath. My hand on the book and I said I would not go. Swore to her I would not. Trust me, I said. I am an honest man and though my pockets are empty, I am my father’s son and I speak truth always. I meant what I said..."READ ON



THIRD PRIZE: "MY PAPA'S EYES" BY DAVID FRASER "I see my papa’s eyes weighted with two round stones, smoothed by river water. My mother’s tears drip upon my neck..." READ ON



Created in New York City by two childhood friends who loved to swap tales, PenTales empowers people to share stories (in photography, illustration, and writing) on the topics that unite us all. We aim to create nothing short of a PenTales Encyclopedia of Stories – a true catalogue of the human experience, one perspective at a time.

©2011 PenTales New York NY

Thursday 28 April 2011

Crow Publishing



If your writing group is looking to publish a collection, or any of your members are thinking about self-publishing a book, Crow Publishing is a new business that will be able to help.


Crow offer a personalised and bespoke publishing service for short and medium run book printing. It might be a novel, a poetry collection or a non-fiction book, we can take you every step of the way from your content to printed books at an affordable price.


Crow work personally with each customer to make sure they get what they want. We have the experience to offer advice and help in all areas.


Right from the beginning, we make sure your content is prepared properly to go to print and set up to look its best on the page. We ensure your cover artwork is correctly set out so that it wraps around the book perfectly. If you require help with cover design, we can assist there - even sourcing artwork for you. Should you require an ISBN, that can be provided. When we have delivered your book, you can opt use our market place page to sell your work to a worldwide audience. Throughout the whole process, Crow will focus on the customer to make sure that the end product is something you can be proud of.


If you are interested, all our details can be found on our website at: http://www.crowpublishing.co.uk/

Tuesday 26 April 2011

NEW Material Every Monday – to start your week off right.

Writing Raw is a FREE weekly literary magazine dedicated to new and emerging writers. The 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. New in this issue:

FICTION:
Deadly Mistake by Debra Elliott
Hair Die by Vicki Sala
In and Out by Jerry Guarino
Jessica by Andrew Vastag
Last Of The Singing Cowboys by Richard Lutman
My New High by Patrick Trotti
The U Turn by Chukwudum Okudarue
The Very Singular Kind of Love by Chukwudum Okudarue
The Woman [Whom They Paid to Go Away] by Christine Northern

SERIAL:
Anywhere But There: Chapter 3 by Marcella Simmons
Panes of Blue: Segment 1 by Jason P. Henry
really BAD Shakespeare Season 2, Episodes 3 and 4

POETRY:
Cellophane Blinders by Tonn Pastore
Frost's Forest by James Dye
God Bless Hysteria by George I. Anderson
In Praise Of France by Rosa Johnson
I Finished One Book by G David Schwartz
It by James Dye
Journey by Carolee Bertisch
Mirrors of Maxims by Mark John Henderson-Flood
Philadelphia High School by Kelsey Threatte
Resurrection by Una Clarke

ASSORTED:
A Grey State of Survival (Preview of upcoming novel) by Kila Tristesse
Gaijin Skin: Chapter 3 (Novel Excerpt 5) by Allen Davies
Meditations on the Road to a Post-Modern Age by Christopher Nagle
Silence with the Storm, 8 - A Life's History by Rattan Mann

INTERVIEWS:
Jael McHenry
Brenna Yovanoff

ART:
Patricia Nelson

REVIEWS:
Allbooks Review
Between the Sheets: The Memory Palace by Mira Bartok
FLASH REVIEW by Ditch - Walden by Henry David Thoreau
Rib Reads


Now, some announcements:

· NEW Column - Panes of Blue by Jason P. Henry. What better way to introduce this creative column... allowing the author to introduce it for us:

An Introduction to Panes of Blue
by Jason P. Henry

Not long ago I came across an older woman who, though I had encountered her on a few occasions, knew nothing of me. She spoke three words that completely silenced me... 'you're a writer'. I was flattered, however, I had never been published so I was dying to know what brought her to this conclusion.

'I watch you observe everything... people, conversations. You take it all in and I see your wheels turning... you are a writer.' she said.

Though the writer part remains to be seen, the rest of her words were true. I have always been a watcher. I have index cards filled with ideas that have been born of things I experience in everyday life; People, thoughts, conversations and much more.

If you are at all like me, you have spent hours online reading the how-to and advice pages in abundance. You have probably encountered this phrase time and again... 'writers write'. While this is true, I feel there is a less encountered phrase that holds as much bearing... 'writer's live'.

I see people who walk with their heads down and, for all intents and purposes, with their eyes and ears closed. If asked, they likely could not describe the back of their own hand let alone a sunrise or a thunderstorm. Writers are a different breed, they watch, learn... absorb. We take everyday, random things and develop plots, scenes and characters. We allow ourselves to become those characters in order to puppeteer their actions, commandeer their thoughts and guide them through our stories. Inspiration comes in many forms and writers search for it eagerly, more importantly, they allow themselves to be susceptible to it... they live.

In this column, I hope to use that theory and my own observations to bring you the story of Blue... a man with a 'front row seat' for his eye on the world. Allow me to show you how things I've seen, excuse me, how things Blue has seen can turn from simple into, well, look through the Panes Of Blue and see for yourself... .

(Remember... write and live... everyday.)

© 2011 by Jason P. Henry

· Calling for all artists – If you would like your artwork showcased on WritingRaw.com – please send 5 pictures, along with a short bio (hot links and other information accepted) to Weeb at weeb@writingraw.com

· Click HERE to visit our NEW WritingRaw Conferences Page: Listing upcoming conferences and workshops from all over the world. If you would like to have your conference or workshop listed, please contact Weeb at weeb@writingraw.com

· NEW books in the bookstore - 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 (jpeg, bmp, etc. – please don’t send pdf), a brief synopsis, and a link as to where the material can be purchased.

· really BAD Shakespeare starts with repeats this week - starting with Season 1. Two expanded episodes will appear in each issue for 12 weeks... building to the start of Season 3.

WritingRaw also supports 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, perhaps you would like to partner in some way with WritingRaw (column, monthly essay, writing tips, etc.). We are open to ideas…

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 (jpeg, bmp, etc. – please don’t send pdf), a brief synopsis, and a link as to where the material can be purchased.

We are also looking for people to write weekly columns, such as – book and publishing news, exercise and tips, or… well, we are always open to suggestions to help make the site one of the most informative and innovative out there. Let us know if you would like to help in this aspect. All columns will have your byline, your bio information (with hot links to your site), and you will retain all copyright.

The archive has been somewhat purged (after 2 years of material, we needed to clean up some) but, if your material was on WritingRaw.com before the purge and is no longer listed in the archive, we will be more than happy to place it back. Just contact me at weeb@writingraw.com and let me know.

So, what are you waiting for? Stop in and discover a new and emerging voice today.

Thank you.


Weeb
WritingRaw.com


CLICK HERE to Order
Shame: A Novelette by R. E. Heinrich
For the Kindle

Sunday 24 April 2011

Unbound Press Short Fiction Award





Closing Soon: 1st May 2011


Unbound Press Short Fiction Award
All winning & Shortlisted entries will be published and receive a free copy of the anthology
1st Place - £250 / 2nd Place - £125 / 3rd Place - £50

Entry fee £5




Guest Judge: Elizabeth Reeder




Friday 22 April 2011

Meeting report for Tuesday 19th April

Apologies from; Les, Ray and Trish.

Members present were; Dave, Tony, Dick, Liliane, Jane, Jack, Sandy, Kathy, Sally, Beryl, Martin, Stephen Gemma and Barry.

It was a strong attendance on the night for our first ‘picture’ evening exercise.

The picture, in fact, turned out to be a stretched canvas depicting three wolves in a snowy forest setting. The canvas was stretched onto a slight cane frame with dreamcatchers and other native Indian artifacts. Thank you, Gemma, for our ‘canis lupus’ evening.

Even with fourteen Scribblers present the contributions were varied to the extreme with stories ranging from the frontier of North America to the imaginings of inhabitants of Suffolk. We had wolves proper in Alaska and Canada, members of the criminal fraternity and the stuff of nightmares, the werewolf.

All these were produced in thirty five minutes of concentrated writing, the content of which was in no way diminished by the time scale imposed. Another impressive meeting.

I would like to take a second to say welcome to our newest member, Sandy’s daughter Sally, who overcame what is a common hang up for all of us at some time, i.e. throat nerves when reading out our work. ‘Unaccustomed as I am to public speaking’ and all that.

Well, folks, have a wonderful holiday and I will be in attendance for the Bill Budner meeting on the 17th of May. I’m off to the sunny Isle of Wight for a week so Dick will be in the hot seat at our next meeting on
Tuesday 3rd May when the 1,000 word assignment is on 'Money'.

Enjoy the sunshine and keep scribbling.

Barry.

The National Poetry Anthology 2012

Can Felixstowe Scribblers help in the United Press bid to find a winning poet for each town in the UK?

It’s now the UK’s biggest free-to-enter annual poetry competition and winners get a free copy of the book - The National Poetry Anthology - with their poem in it.

The anthology is published every year to promote poetry and spotlight talented poets. From thousands of entries we pick over 250 winners and THEY vote for one overall UK Champion who receives £1,000 and an impressive trophy to keep forever. One Felixstowe Scribblers member could be that UK Champion next year.

Most of the regional winners have been interviewed by the media.

Some areas were not represented in the latest book, so we want to include EVERY town for the new anthology. If any members of Felixstowe Scribblers want to put their poetry talents on show, and don't mind a little publicity, ask them to send us up to three poems of no more than 25 lines and 160 words each by the closing date of
June 30th 2011
to United Press Ltd, Admail 3735, London, EC1B 1JB.

Yours in poetry, Peter Quinn, Editor of the NPA.

Wednesday 20 April 2011

Creative Writing Assignment


At our Tuesday meeting, Gemma kindly brought along this poster which provided the inspiration for the evenings thirty minute creative writing exercise.

A really excellent idea and one that worked extremely well with another array of diverse etchings.

Yet another fantastic evening to be added into the annals of Felixstowe Scribblers.

Deadwood Dick.....
































Simply click on the images to enlarge.

JACK WILKINSON MEMORIAL WALK

Felixstowe, Suffolk
Time: Sunday, 25 September 2011 09:30

Please come along and support us. We'll never forget our very special son Jack but as we walk and remember, we can raise money for Cancer Research UK. You can either walk 1.5 miles, 5 miles or 9 miles (which is what we usually manage) around some of the less familiar areas in Felixstowe. We are usually blessed with sunshine on the day. Do come along to support this worthy cause, it would be great to see you there. I will publish more details nearer the time thank you.

Caz Wilkinson

Monday 18 April 2011

Springfield 30.06


Want a good read?


You do?


Then you ought to get a copy of Barry Darnell's second novel - it's called Springfield 30.06 and can be found on Amazon here


Midsommer Murders has nothing on this......!!!!

::::TOMORROW::::

Don't forget, tomorrow - that is, Tuesday 19th April - you will only need writing materials for the meeting at the Room at the Top (start 7.30pm) , except for GEMMA, who will be bringing the subject matter. Be prepared to do some scribbling Scribblers!!!! See you there!

The Evolution Continues with WritingRaw.com

The 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. New in this issue: FICTION: 5 Flash Fiction Pieces by Joseph Grant Avatar by Thea Read Brushstroke by Audrey T. Carroll Donkey by J. Kaval Fly Away by Jason P. Henry Long Time Coming by Gale Massey Senex by Brigid Burke The Lost Encounter by J. Kaval The Obelisk by Andrew Vastag SERIAL: Anywhere But There: Chapter 2 by Marcella Simmons really BAD Shakespeare Season 2, Episodes 1 and 2 Toy Soldiers: Chapter 28 - FINAL CHAPTER by Peter Neville POETRY: A Number Without A Name by George I. Anderson Apathetic by Kelsey Threatte Great Men Of History by David Clarke The Illuminati by James Dye In Perspective by Vincent Davis Inscription in Clonmacnois by David Clarke Kentucky Blue by Michael Lee Johnson My Façade by Cassidy Geborkoff Out To Dinner by Carolee Bertisch Worship by Dr. Ram Sharma ASSORTED: Gaijin Skin: Chapter 3 (Novel Excerpt) by Allen Davies Silence with the Storm, 7 - A Life's History by Rattan Mann Studies from a Writing Workshop by Christopher Nagle The Circle by Margaret Deadmon INTERVIEWS: Robert Jackson Bennett Jonathan L. Howard ART: Weeb REVIEWS: Allbooks Review Between the Sheets: The Memory Palace by Mira Bartok FLASH REVIEW by Weeb - Charles Manson Now by Marlin Marynick Rib Reads Now, some announcements: · Click HERE to visit our NEW WritingRaw Conferences Page: Listing upcoming conferences and workshops from all over the world. If you would like to have your conference or workshop listed, please contact Weeb at weeb@writingraw.com · NEW books in the bookstore - 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 (jpeg, bmp, etc. – please don’t send pdf), a brief synopsis, and a link as to where the material can be purchased. · really BAD Shakespeare starts with repeats this week - starting with Season 1. Two expanded episodes will appear in each issue for 12 weeks... building to the start of Season 3. WritingRaw also supports 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, perhaps you would like to partner in some way with WritingRaw (column, monthly essay, writing tips, etc.). We are open to ideas… 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 (jpeg, bmp, etc. – please don’t send pdf), a brief synopsis, and a link as to where the material can be purchased. We are also looking for people to write weekly columns, such as – book and publishing news, exercise and tips, or… well, we are always open to suggestions to help make the site one of the most informative and innovative out there. Let us know if you would like to help in this aspect. All columns will have your byline, your bio information (with hot links to your site), and you will retain all copyright. The archive has been somewhat purged (after 2 years of material, we needed to clean up some) but, if your material was on WritingRaw.com before the purge and is no longer listed in the archive, we will be more than happy to place it back. Just contact me at weeb@writingraw.com and let me know. So, what are you waiting for? Stop in and discover a new and emerging voice today. Weeb www.WritingRaw.com

Congratulations to the Winners!


Congratulations to Our Winners! Greetings All! It's been a very busy month for Spilling Ink Review and Unbound Press. Keep reading to find out who won the 2011 Spilling Ink Flash Fiction Prize! There were so many excellent entries that we created a 4th Place prize and included many distinguished stories in the Shortlist and Honorable Mentions.


You may have noticed that our competitions offer publication and a free copy of the anthology to winners and shortlisted entrants. If you're interested in seeing exactly what we mean by 'print anthology', now's your chance.Spilling Ink: Volume 1 is available for purchase. See below for more information about the upcoming launch party!


This newsletter also contains more information about our upcoming Spilling Ink Prizes and Unbound Press Awards.


Spilling Ink Flash Fiction Prize Results


Please join in congratulating the winners!

1st Place Alex Cox.. Word♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦2nd Place Joanne Fox.. Watchful and the Fiddler♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦3rd Place Ursula Mallows.. The Sandwich♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦4th Place P.W. Bridgman.. The Mars Hotel


Other information including shortlisted work and also details of five competitions are available on the website.

Friday 15 April 2011

Our weblog

Since our weblog went live in May last year, the number of views has grown significantly. Last month we surpassed the 5,000 mark and are now approaching 5,400. For a small (ish) writers' group, the Scribblers have a regular following from not only the UK but also from the USA, Australia, Germany, the Netherlands and even Russia and Japan. Of course we are pleased for the interest, especially that from overseas and wish you all happy and continuous viewing of our little weblog in the future!

THE SACRIFICAL MAN - BOOK LAUNCH


25 June at 18:30 at Waterstones, Ipswich -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Book Launch Ruth Dugdall ...The Sacrificial Man... WATERSTONE'S IPSWICH Saturday, 25 June 2011, 6:30PM Tickets £3, available in store and redeemable against purchase of the book on the night


Local author and winner of the CWA Debut Dagger Award, Ruth Dugdall, will be in store to launch her new novel ‘The Sacrificial Man’ - a gripping tale that explores the very fine line between murder and euthanasia Further details: 01473 289044

Thursday 14 April 2011

Novel Writing and Selling Courses in London

Just emailing to let you know there are still places available on the London courses How to Write a Novel (3rd May) and How to Sell a Novel (21st May) with bestselling novelist and well known creative writing tutor Sarah Duncan. I hope you can forward the details to members of your writing group, and any other writers you know who may be interested. The basic details are as follows: How to Write a Novel -The workshop will concentrate on the central aspects of story telling, plot and character, together with some crafty techniques for writing page-turning prose.London 3rd May 10.00am - 4.00pm. £50.(Also Birmingham 7th May, Exeter 21st May, Bath 12th June) How to Sell a Novel -The workshop will show you how to put together a package that will get you picked off the slush pile concentrating on the covering letter, the first page and synopsis.London 24th May 10.00 - 4.00pm. £50.(Also Exeter 4th June, Bath 2nd July) About the tutor -Currently the Royal Literary Fund Fellow at the University of Bristol, I'm an experienced creative writing tutor as well as being a best selling novelist. I write about writing craft techniques on my blog www.sarahduncansblog.blogspot.com. Previous students of mine have gone on to have book deals with publishers such as Orion and Harper Collins. For any further information about the courses, then please contact me at sionhillcourses@hotmail.com. Details are also up on my website http://www.sarahduncan.co.uk/ Sarah Duncan Kissing Mr Wrong Shortlisted for the RNA Novel of the Year 2011www.sarahduncan.co.uk.....www.sarahduncansblog.blogspot.com@sarahduncan1

Prole Books Success

Due to writing groups sharing information with their members, we have started to make Prole a success and showcase writers from around the world. You may be interested to know that Prole, issue four, a fantastic collection of poetry and prose, is now available from our website. http://www.prolebooks.co.uk/index.html We are open to submissions for issue 5. Details of the submissions process are also available on our website. Brett and Phil ((Editors)

Wednesday 13 April 2011

WREKIN WRITERS – DORIS GOODERSON SHORT STORY COMPETITION 2011

Rules of Entry: 1. Entries must not exceed 1200 words, be in the form of a short story and written in English. 2. Prizes: 1st = £150, 2nd = £70 and 3rd = £40. Further prizes may be awarded at the discretion of the judge. 3. An entry fee of £3 is required, or £5 for 2 entries. (1 entry = £3, 2 entries = £5, 3 entries = £8 (£3+£5), 4 entries = £10, and so on.) 4. Postal entries from overseas can only be accepted with an entry fee in sterling. 5. This entry form can be photocopied if required. 6. Each story must be accompanied by an entry form. 7. The Closing Date is 11th July 2011. 8. Entries should not have the author’s name or any other identifying marks on their typescript but each page should contain the story title in the footer or header. 9. All entries must be on white A4 paper (or foreign equivalent), and be double-spaced, typed, and on one side of paper only. 10. No entries should be submitted into any other competition, whilst this competition is running, but may be entered elsewhere after 30th September 2011. No entries should have been published elsewhere (including on the Internet, where it has been involved in an editorial process.) 11. Entries failing to meet all of these rules will be disqualified. Fees from disqualified entries will not be returned. 12. Copyright remains with the author, although winning entries will be published in the Wrekin Writers 2011 Anthology and may also be published on the Wrekin Writer website. 13. The judge’s decision is final. No correspondence will be entered into. 14. Winners will be notified by 30th September 2011. 15. This competition is open to any one, of any age, from anywhere in the world. 16. No postal entries will be returned unless a stamped addressed envelope is enclosed. 17. No postal entries will be acknowledged unless a stamped addressed post card is enclosed. 18. Entries with insufficient postage will NOT be collected from the Post Office, but returned to sender. 19. Entry indicates an acceptance of these rules. Electronic Submissions For the 2011 Doris Gooderson Short Story competition, we are able to accept electronic submissions, subject to the following: 20. All the rules above apply. 21. Entries are submitted by email to dorisgooderson@gmail.com by 11.59pm BST on 11th July 2011. 22. Send your entry as an attachment to the email. All submissions must be accompanied by a completed entry form, which must be attached in the same email. 23. Entry fees should be made by PayPal to wrekinwriters@gmail.com. The same fee applies for electronic entries as postal entries. 24. Fees from disqualified electronic entries will not be refunded. 25. There is no need to sign an entry form for electronic submission, however, entering this competition electronically means that you accept and abide by all rules of the competition. 26. Do not send payment by PayPal and then post your submission. Only pay by PayPal if you are going to submit an email entry.

BBC writersroom newsletter

Writers' Festival--------------We're very excited to announce that TV Drama: The Writers' Festival will be held this year on 6th and 7th July at Leeds College of Music. Full details of the schedule and guest speakers will be published on our website soon, and tickets will be available from next week to writers with a television broadcast credit or commission.http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/writersroom/2011/03/tv_drama_-_the_writers_festiva.shtmlWriters Academy--------------Applications for the 2011 BBC Drama Writers Academy are now open. The course is specifically designed to train writers to write for Casualty, Holby City, EastEnders and Doctors. Read more about the scheme and find out how to apply on our opportunities page.http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/opportunity/writers_academy_2011.shtmlScripts-------Our scripts are in PDF format - if you can't read them, download Adobe Reader from http://www.bbc.co.uk/webwise/categories/plug/acrobat/acrobat.shtml?introWaking the DeadHarbinger Parts 1 and 2, Series 9, by Ed Whitmore http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/insight/downloads/scripts/wakingthedead_s9_harbinger.pdfMirandaThe New Me, Series 2, Episode 1 by Miranda Hart http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/insight/downloads/scripts/mirandas2ep1.pdf32 Brinkburn StreetEpisode 1 by Karen Lawshttp://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/insight/downloads/scripts/brinkburnstreetep1.pdfHattieBy Stephen Russellhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/insight/downloads/scripts/hattie.pdfDon't forget you can browse through all of the scripts in our script archive.http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/insight/script_archive.shtmlSubmitting your script to BBC writersroom-----------------------------------------Want to write for the BBC? Find out what to send us on our script submissions page.http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/writing/submissions_writersroom.shtmlBlog----Karen Laws blogs about writing BBC One daytime drama, 32 Brinkburn Street - an idea which she originally pitched at a BBC writersroom session, Ceri Meyrick answers questions about the Writers Academy scheme, and it's goodbye from Micheal Jacob at the College of Comedy.http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/writersroom/Opportunities-------------Script ThisDeadline: 22 April 2011Platform for new writers to have their plays performed at the Broadway Theatre, Barking.http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/opportunity/script_this_2011.shtmlFilm London: MicrowaveDeadline: 03 May 2011Micro-budget feature film-making scheme aimed at the next generation of film-making talent.http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/opportunity/film_london_microwave_2011.shtmlBBC Drama Writers Academy 2011Deadline: 05 May 2011Apply now for the 2011 BBC Drama Writers Academy scheme.http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/opportunity/writers_academy_2011.shtmlThe Royal Court Young Writers Festival 2012Deadline: 31 May 2011Opportunity for playwrights under 26 to have their plays produced by the Royal Court Theatre.http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/opportunity/royal_court_2012.shtmlWriters AvenueDeadline: 01 June 2011Platform for playwrights to develop their skills through new writing events.http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/opportunity/writers_avenue_2011.shtmlOff Cut FestivalDeadline: 01 June 2011Submit a short play for performance at the Off Cut festival in autumn.http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/opportunity/off_cut_2011.shtmlSheffield Theatres: New Writing EventDeadline: 03 June 2011Sheffield Theatres are looking for submissions of original new plays.http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/opportunity/sheffield_theatres_2011.shtmlThe Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting 2011Deadline: 06 June 2011http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/opportunity/bruntwood_prize_2011.shtml

Tuesday 12 April 2011

THE OVATION AWARDS - a celebration of new writing for theatre

After the success of our 2010 event, held last November in Whitby, North Yorkshire, we are now preparing the 2011 event. This year to be held in Halifax, West Yorkshire. This event is designed to bring new writing talent for theatre to the forefront. There is a lot of exciting new talent around which struggles to find a forum in which to be presented. These awards hope to provide a platform for writers to showcase their work and a great opportunity to receive feedback from industry professionals and theatre goers. The event invites writers to submit a 7-minute stage play, the deadline for entries is Friday 26th August 2011. 12 finalists will be chosen by a selection panel and all finalists will be notified on Friday 30th September 2011. The finalists will be invited to stage their 7-minute play at The Ovation Awards on Saturday 12th November 2011. This will take place at the Square Chapel Centre for the Arts in Halifax, West Yorkshire. 3 awards will be presented on the night - BEST WRITING, BEST ACTOR, BEST PRODUCTION. Two will be selected by a judging panel, one by the audience. This competition is free to enter. Tickets, to be in the audience at this event, will be on sale at the theatre box office. For more details please see the website: www.ovationtheatreawards.webs.com We are also on Facebook and Twitter listed under The Ovation Awards Entries to be sent to: ovationtheatre@hotmail.co.uk With kind regards from The Ovation Team

Monday 11 April 2011

NEW Material to start your week off right.

FICTION: Burning Barbie by Susan S. Calfee Chemistryby Megan Willoughby Elysium: Road To Paradise by Alice Baburek Life and Death at the Rejuv Club by William H. Libaw Puerto Rican Superhero Day by David Lawler Sirius IV by Andrew Vastag Suicide by Alexei Edwards The Cable Box Gremlin by Molly Templar The Definition of Reality by Patrick Somervell SERIAL: Anywhere But There: Chapter 1 by Marcella Simmons really BAD Shakespeare Season 1, Episodes 11 and 12 Toy Soldiers: Chapter 27 by Peter Neville POETRY: English by Rick Wilmot I'm More Understanding Than Many by David Clarke It Was So Amazing by G David Schwartz Life After by George I. Anderson Lost In Translation by Racquel Charlemagne Love by Una Clarke Smells by Unique Carper Southern Strand of Time by Aurlie Asseo Symbols Manifest by Kelsey Threatte Where Are You? by Brian D. Roth ASSORTED: Gaijin Skin: Chapter 2 (Novel Excerpt) by Allen Davies Romeo and Juliet Revisited by Christopher Eastman-Nagle Silence with the Storm, 6 - A Life's History by Rattan Mann The Glorious Game Of Golf by Gina Iafrate INTERVIEWS: Bradford Morrow Lynsay Sands ART: Sean J. Lee REVIEWS: Allbooks Review Between the Sheets: World of Wonders by Robertson Davies FLASH REVIEW by Ditch - Ape House by Sara Gruen Rib Reads Now, some announcements: · NEW Serialized Novel - Anywhere But There: Chapter 1 by Marcella Simmons · Click HERE to visit our NEW WritingRaw Conferences Page: Listing upcoming conferences and workshops from all over the world. If you would like to have your conference or workshop listed, please contact Weeb at weeb@writingraw.com · NEW books in the bookstore - 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 (jpeg, bmp, etc. – please don’t send pdf), a brief synopsis, and a link as to where the material can be purchased. · really BAD Shakespeare starts with repeats this week - starting with Season 1. Two expanded episodes will appear in each issue for 12 weeks... building to the start of Season 3. WritingRaw also supports other sites that help writers: http://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, perhaps you would like to partner in some way with WritingRaw (column, monthly essay, writing tips, etc.). We are open to ideas… 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 (jpeg, bmp, etc. – please don’t send pdf), a brief synopsis, and a link as to where the material can be purchased. We are also looking for people to write weekly columns, such as – book and publishing news, exercise and tips, or… well, we are always open to suggestions to help make the site one of the most informative and innovative out there. Let us know if you would like to help in this aspect. All columns will have your byline, your bio information (with hot links to your site), and you will retain all copyright. The archive has been somewhat purged (after 2 years of material, we needed to clean up some) but, if your material was on WritingRaw.com before the purge and is no longer listed in the archive, we will be more than happy to place it back. Just contact me at weeb@writingraw.com and let me know. So, what are you waiting for? Stop in and discover a new and emerging voice today. Thank you. Weeb http://www.writingraw.com/

Wednesday 6 April 2011


Meeting Report for 5th April 2011


To enlarge simply click on the image.

Monday 4 April 2011

ANNOUNCING THE AESTHETICA CREATIVE WORKS COMPETITION


We had a great response from UK writers last year and it would be brilliant to see them well-represented in the competition again this year! It's a fantastic opportunity for both established and aspiring writers to develop their reputations on an international scale. I've included the full details about the competition below and it would be great if you were able to pass this on to your mailing lists or post it on your website, many thanks! If you would prefer to download a poster to display then you can do so by clicking here. Alternatively, we do have flyers available so if you would be happy to take a handful of these for your members please do let me know how many it would be appropriate to send through. Thanks! CALL FOR ENTRIES: AESTHETICA CREATIVE WORKS COMPETITION The 2011 Aesthetica Creative Works Competition is now open for entries! Aesthetica Magazine is inviting all artists, photographers, writers and poets to submit their work into the Creative Works Competition, Now in its fourth year, the competition is dedicated to celebrating and championing creative talent across the disciplines and welcomes entries from writers working in short fiction and poetry. The Competition has three categories, Artwork & Photography, Poetry and Fiction. Winners and finalists are published in the Aesthetica Creative Works Annual. Winners of each category receive £500 prize money plus other prizes. Entry to the Creative Works Competition is £10. The entry fee allows the submission of 2 images, 2 poems or 2 short stories. The deadline for submissions is the 31st August 2011. More guidelines on how to submit can be found online at http://www.aestheticamagazine.com/submission_guide.htm Many thanks for your time and I do hope that your writers will be interested in the opportunity. Very best regards! Bryony Byrne Marketing Officer Aesthetica Magazine PO Box 371York YO23 1WL 01904 479168 bryony@aestheticamagazine.com http://www.aestheticamagazine.com/

Our Next Meeting - TOMORROW 5th April

Your 'chimneys' should have been smoking for a couple of weeks. Time to damp down the fire and get ready for next Tuesday. I've attached a reminder of our projected itinerary for the rest of the year in case some of you do not have one. See you Tuesday. Barry . January 4 AGM and short four word exercise. 18 Bill Budner anonymous evening for attending members only. February 1 Homework 15 Our first change to the year. Two members will be reading a short part of a serious piece to be critiqued by the rest of the meeting. The second of these will be in July. March 1 Homework. Set the period for the next meeting. 15 A period in history theme, maximum 1000 words. 3 WEEKS APART April 5 Homework. The member picked for bringing the picture for the next meeting. 19 The picture evening. One member brings along a picture and in twenty minutes the meeting weaves a short tale around the picture. May 3 Homework 17 Bill Budner Trophy 3 WEEKS APART June 7 Homework and setting a subject location for the next meeting. 21 Geographical writing pieces, maximum 1000 words. July 5 Homework 19 The second evening of critique for two more members. August 2 Homework 16 Our four word evening. 3 WEEKS APART September 6 Homework 20 Bill Budner Trophy October 4 Homework and set the period for the next meeting. 18 The second of our historical period themes. November 1 Homework and setting the subject location for the next meeting. 15 Another geographical evening, maximum 1000 words. 3 WEEKS APART December 6 Homework 20 Writing exercise followed by Christmas get together

Paragraphing

There seems to be a technical hitch with posting on the weblog at the moment - paragraphs just disappear when making the text look both cumbersome and the Scribblers Scribe a bit illiterate! We are sorry about this unprofessional look but hope the problem will soon be resolved.

April 4 issue of WritingRaw.com is now online

New in this issue: FICTION: 9 Flash Fiction Pieces by Eric L. Marsh Bridesmaid by Hayley Lawson-Smith Plastic Echinacea by C.G. Morelli Strangers by Patricia Kinney The Almost Kept Woman by Mahalia Solages The Favor by Allison Leigh Flynn The Game by Ryan Kauffman The Opposite Maze by Andrew Vastag The Sentencing of Madrigal Orpic by Tom Sheehan The Zen of Ironing by Sylvia B. Barber SERIAL: really BAD Shakespeare - Season 1, Episodes 9 and 10 Toy Soldiers: Chapter 26 by Peter Neville POETRY: Beyond The Veil by Una Clarke Down Here by Kelsey Threatte Harvest by Juliet Mullett Lament Of An Aging Whore On Saint Valentine's Day by Rosa Johnson Life In The Old Town Yet by Peter Yates Scatter by Robin Jeffery Schuylkill River Run by Kelsey Threatte The Meaning Of Life by David Clarke Truth by Alexander Wardwell ASSORTED: Close Call by Thomas Sullivan Gaijin Skin: Chapter 1 (Novel Excerpt) by Allen Davies Marching, Stomping, Sliding by Unique Carper Silence with the Storm, 5 - A Life's History by Rattan Mann Missionaries: A Screenplay by George I. Anderson INTERVIEWS: Jessica Brody Beth Revis ART: Jim Nasium REVIEWS: Allbooks Review Between the Sheets: World of Wonders by Robertson Davies FLASH REVIEW by Weeb: Peyton Place by Grace Metalious Rib Reads Now, some announcements: · A First on WritingRaw: We are proud to have our first screenplay on the site - Missionaries: A Screenplay by George I. Anderson · Click HERE to visit our NEW WritingRaw Conferences Page: Listing upcoming conferences and workshops from all over the world. If you would like to have your conference or workshop listed, please contact Weeb at weeb@writingraw.com · Preview of the upcoming novel - Gaijin Skin: Chapter 1 by Allen Davies · NEW books in the bookstore - 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 (jpeg, bmp, etc. – please don’t send pdf), a brief synopsis, and a link as to where the material can be purchased. · really BAD Shakespeare starts with repeats this week - starting with Season 1. Two expanded episodes will appear in each issue for 12 weeks... building to the start of Season 3. WritingRaw also supports 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, perhaps you would like to partner in some way with WritingRaw (column, monthly essay, writing tips, etc.). We are open to ideas… 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 (jpeg, bmp, etc. – please don’t send pdf), a brief synopsis, and a link as to where the material can be purchased. We are also looking for people to write weekly columns, such as – book and publishing news, exercise and tips, or… well, we are always open to suggestions to help make the site one of the most informative and innovative out there. Let us know if you would like to help in this aspect. All columns will have your byline, your bio information (with hot links to your site), and you will retain all copyright. The archive has been somewhat purged (after 2 years of material, we needed to clean up some) but, if your material was on WritingRaw.com before the purge and is no longer listed in the archive, we will be more than happy to place it back. Just contact me at weeb@writingraw.com and let me know. So, what are you waiting for? Stop in and discover a new and emerging voice today. Thank you. Weeb www.WritingRaw.com

The Prole Laureate

We have announced our winners today and these can be viewed at http://www.prolebooks.co.uk/page6.html We would be very grateful if you would share the following with your members: Today we are launching our Prolitzer Prize. A prose competition where we are looking for writing that exemplifies the editorial ambition of Prole: to make writing accessible to all while not sacrificing quality - writing that engages, entertains and challenges. Any genre of prose writing within fiction and creative nonfiction is welcome. Full details are on the website at http://www.prolebooks.co.uk/page8.html

To those who entered the Forces Stories and Poems competition

Thank you for entering the Forces Stories & Poems creative writing competition, which attracted many entries of a very high standard. The range of writing was extremely broad and represented all kinds of experience and engagement. Judging is now in the final stages and we are currently notifying the winners. Results will be posted on our website http://fass.kingston.ac.uk/kup. Attached is a form that we require you to complete. This seeks your permission to include your work in related projects that we are considering – please complete and return the form overleaf by sending the answers by email to KUPWritingComp@hotmail.co.uk Thank you once again for your contribution to the Forces Stories and Poems initiative. Kind Regards, KUP Editorial