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

Wednesday 22 December 2010

Merry Christmas everyone!!!!


Felixstowe Scribblers wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous New Year.
See you in 2011!
Keep Scribbling!

Monday 20 December 2010

MEETING CANCELLED

Due to the inclement weather conditions prevailing in the Felixstowe area (Lots and lots of the white stuff and very icy roads) it has been reluctantly decided that it will be asking too much of you all to struggle to the meeting. I appreciate it would have been a nice gathering but we can arrange a New Years evening instead.
I would just like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Bye for now.
Barry.

MEETING CANCELLED

Due to the inclement weather conditions an early decision has been made to cancel tomorrow's Scribbler's meeting at the Library.

In view of the state of the roads and footpaths it is the only sensible decision.

So we are sorry to say that

TOMORROW NIGHT'S MEETING HAS BEEN CANCELLED!!

Our next meeting will be on Tuesday 4th January 2011.

Sunday 19 December 2010

Approaching their target .... can you help just a little?

Charity Xmas Dip

There are some folk that are brave, others that are mad and even more who deserve our support. From dear Jane and Jack came this recent plea -

"Jack + I have madly volunteered to do a charity Xmas Day Dip in the North Sea! It's in aid of a local Hospice and we're hoping to raise at least £250. If any of you kind souls would care to donate any amount at all it would be gratefully received, and then you can feel smug at 10am on Xmas Day morning when you're opening your pressies in the warm and I've got hypothermia. Think I might start drinking quite early that day. Anyway if you're interested, visit our page http://www.justgiving.com/Jane-Bailey0 but please don't feel obliged, I know how expensive this month is for everyone."

Anyone prepared to help break the ice on Christmas morning.....?

Good luck Jane and Jack and remember....

Keep shivering!

Saturday 18 December 2010

Our final meeting of the year...

Just a little reminder that the final meeting of 2010 will be held next Tuesday, 21st December at the usual place.

It will be a 'four word' exercise for half the meeting (four words on individual pieces of paper) into the hat and we write around them for twenty minutes or so, then when we have had a little digest of the results we will digest some of the nibbles we have brought.

I hope as many as possible come on Tuesday (more nibbles to be had) but for those who cannot attend I would like to wish you all a very Happy Christmas from myself and the committee.

Have a happy holiday.

Best wishes.

Barry

Wednesday 15 December 2010

Evening Star's Felixstowe Extra 15th December 2010


Simply click on the images to enlarge.

Ruth up for yet another award.....


Simply click on image to enlarge.
This was published in the Felixstowe Extra supplement of the Evening Star Wednesday 15th December.
Keep winning, Ruth!!!!

The Evolution Continues – only on WritingRaw.com!

The December 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 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.

Use our Shout Out boxes on the site to let others know what you think of a piece of writing, or to just… well, shout out about something that you think our readers would like to know. Nothing wrong with a little self promotion!

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.

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.

NEW Column: Life Unaccustomed by Alex Wardwell
Why are we giving Alex Wardwell his own column? Because, from the writing we have seen, he is an amazing voice for his generation. He is reflective, a master of words, and slightly twisted – and you know how WE like twisted. Future columns of “Life Unaccustomed” will definitely make you sit up and notice his distinctive and original view concerning general life observations, or even him just playing around with words and how he can twist them into little vignettes of literary art. We start you off gentle… but, be prepared, Alex Wardwell will soon be taking you on one hell of a journey as he unleashes the voice of the next generation in the literary world. Welcome to... Life Unaccustomed, by Alex Wardwell

New Interviews by the following bestselling or award-winning authors:
Alan Dean Foster
Lorraine Heath
Scott Nicholson
Lynsay Sands
Elizabeth Ann Scarborough
Maureen Smith

NEW Page – Book Trailers!

NEW Book Trailer Page!

HOW TO LAND A LITERARY AGENT: "First Get a Platform" by Jeff Rivera

YOU KNOW YOUR QUERY LETTER SUCKS WHEN ... You Send CC it to Agents at the Same Time by Jeff Rivera

NEW Between the Sheets - An email book review with Ditch and Weeb: Burning Bright by Tracy Chevalier

NEW Allbooks Reviews

NEW Review from First Texas Publishers

NEW 5 Books to Read by Ditch

NEW: Rib Raw: New poems, rants and raves!

NEW: Books in the Store

And even more........

Tuesday 7 December 2010

Advertising "Drift"

Ally has made a trailer for her book "Drift" which she hopes will be accepted for publication soon.

To watch this intriguing piece of artistry go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSNM3zZ8IBo

All the more amazing as Ally had never used Windows Media Player. She says "It was good fun and I was so pleased with the end result I uploaded it to you tube."

Go on! Have a look!

Helping Ruth


My novel, The Woman Before Me, has just been nominated for the People's Book Award and - like the X factor - the winner is decided by public vote. I'm 50 votes away from the most popular book so could I please persuade you to vote for me? Here's the link:

http://www.peoplesbookprize.com/section.php?id=6
It doesn't take long to do, is free, and all voters have the chance of winning prizes including tickets to the live final (televised on Sky).

I'm really grateful for all support & hope you don't mind me being cheeky like this.

Thanks,

Ruth

Who is our local poet laureate?

Do you know who your local poet laureate is?

United Press has the only national listing of poet laureates accessible to the public. You can see it on our website. However, we need to ensure that this list is up to date. If you know of any poet laureate who is missing from the list we want to hear from you.

At United Press we feel that we should celebrate our poet laureates and there should be even more. What do you think?

If your area does not have a poet laureate, why not?

Similarly, if you feel that someone in your area is worthy of being your poet laureate, tell us about them. We want to know.
Many thanks,
Luke Redgrave.
Luke@unitedpress.co.uk

Welcome to the BBC writersroom newsletter.

BBC Future Talent Award
--------------
Are you a student or recent graduate of one of the BBC at MediaCityUK partner organisations in the North of England?

BBC writersroom and BBC at MediaCityUK are offering a fantastic development opportunity for emerging drama and comedy writers.

Find more information on our opportunities page:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/opportunity/future_talent_award.shtml
Rapid Response: In the Red
--------------
The winners of our Rapid Response: In the Red competition have now been announced. Read the winning scripts, along with commentary from our judges.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/writersroom/2010/11/in_the_red.shtml
Scripts
-------
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?intro
Accused
Episode 3: Helen's Story by Alice Nutter & Jimmy McGovern
http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/insight/downloads/scripts/accused_episode3.pdf
Atching Tan
Radio 4 Afternoon Play by Dan Allum
http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/insight/downloads/scripts/atching_tan.pdf
Ivan and the Dogs
Radio 4 Afternoon Play by Hattie Naylor
http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/insight/downloads/scripts/ivan_and_the_dogs.pdf
Don't forget you can browse through all of the scripts in our script archive.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/insight/script_archive.shtml

Submitting 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.shtml

Blog
----
Alice Nutter blogs about writing 'Helen's Story' with Jimmy McGovern for brand new BBC One drama, Accused; Dan Allum talks about portraying Travellers on Radio 4, and an update from Michael Jacob on creating comedy for the CBeebies audience.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/writersroom/

Opportunities
-------------
Little Pieces of Gold
Deadline: 10 December 2010
Showcase your short play at The Etcetera Theatre, London.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/opportunity/little_pieces_of_gold_2011.shtml
New Playwrights' Award 2011
Deadline: 17 December 2010
£1,500 cash bursary for emerging Scottish playwrights.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/opportunity/new_playwrights_award_2011.shtml
Theatre Trail Writers Competition
Deadline: 31 December 2010
Have your play performed at next year's Arundel Festival Theatre Trail.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/opportunity/arundel_theatre_trail1.shtml
Little Brother's Big Opportunity
Deadline: 31 December 2010
£1,000 prize to develop an original television drama idea through to treatment stage.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/opportunity/little_brothers_big_opportunity.shtml
TC Adrienne Benham Award
Deadline: 11 January 2011
£2,000 seed commission for promising playwrighting talent.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/opportunity/tc_adrienne_benham_award.shtml
Future Talent Award
Deadline: 14 January 2011
Opportunity for students in the North of England.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/opportunity/future_talent_award.shtml
The Sitcom Mission 2011
Deadline: 14 February 2011
Submit your 15-minute sitcom script for showcase in front of an industry panel.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/opportunity/the_sitcom_mission_2011.shtml
Primetime
Deadline: 14 February 2011
Opportunity for new Northern Irish writers to have their original drama broadcast at 9pm on BBC One Northern Ireland.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/opportunity/primetime1.shtml
Soho Theatre: Verity Bargate Award 2011
Deadline: 11 March 2011
£5,000 prize and a residency at Soho Theatre for a new play that stands out from the crowd.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/opportunity/verity_bargate_award_2011.shtml

Sunday 5 December 2010

TRIBUTE TO A TEXAN LEGEND

It's many years on and many years gone,
Since December six, eighty-eight,
And his final song had echoed out
Within his homeland Texas State.

The voice that passed away that day,
Was more than desperate and sad -
He'd never sing alive again
And that, my friends, was all so bad.

Yet in our minds, our hearts, our homes,
Melodies linger on and long,
Down the volume, he'll still be heard
So high above his mourning song.

A man whose life was full of grief,
His wife hit by a killer truck
Claudette died on her motorbike.
Then another tragedy struck.

Two sons died in the burning flames -
Gone were Tony and Roy DeWayne -
At his Hendersonville homestead.
Just how could he survive the pain?

Deathly anguish and bitter thoughts,
Replaced with professional calm
He rose again above his grief,
His loyal fans were in his palm.

Each song he sung, a masterpiece
The Texan sang so beautiful,
Etched on the world's eternal disc
Voice unquavering, powerful.

Listen to his ballad "Claudette",
His "Crying" and his "Blue Bayou".
Then "It's Too Soon to Know" and yet
If "Only the Lonely" weren't true.

"In Dreams" of his "Pretty Woman",
Was he "Running Scared" from "The Crowd"
Way down to his "Sleepy Hollow"
To write and sing, vibrant, aloud.

Record, perform, on stage his act,
Immense applause that will not end.
As the world pays great homage to
"'Roy Orbison"' - Texan legend.

© Dave Feakes

Latest Mslexia competition



To enlarge - simply click on the image

Saturday 4 December 2010

Tuesday: Our Next Meeting

Just a gentle reminder that you have had sufficient time now to find
something to write about. As you know the subject was 'anything' and you can take it however you like.

Don't forget this will be the penultimate meeting for the year; the
next will be half taken up with a short bit of creative writing and
then a general long tea break and hopefully cheery get together before
Christmas.

See you all on Tuesday.

Barry.

Charity Xmas Dip

There are some folk that are brave, others that are mad and even more who deserve our support. From dear Jane and Jack comes this plea -

Jack + I have madly volunteered to do a charity Xmas Day Dip in the North Sea! It's in aid of a local Hospice and we're hoping to raise at least £250. If any of you kind souls would care to donate any amount at all it would be gratefully received, and then you can feel smug at 10am on Xmas Day morning when you're opening your pressies in the warm and I've got hypothermia. Think I might start drinking quite early that day.

Anyway if you're interested, visit our page
http://www.justgiving.com/Jane-Bailey0 but please don't feel obliged, I know how expensive this month is for everyone.

Thanks
Jane & Jack.

I'm sure they would appreciate your help - even if it's a blanket and a bottle of brandy (for Jane) and a cup of tea for Jack...

Good Luck!

Thursday 2 December 2010

Forces stories and poems - competition.

Time is running out to enter this competition which offers prizes of £500, £200 and £150 for the top three entries respectively and also runners-up prizes of £25. The entry fee is just £3 for each story or poem submitted.

The competition closes at midnight on 17th December. For details simply go to
http://fass.kingston.ac.uk/kup/competition/

Tuesday 30 November 2010

Our next meeting

Glad to say our next meeting is not until Tuesday 7th December when we hope this snow will have gone away. The meeting subject will be .... well .... anything. That's it! Anything! Can you write up to a 1,000 words on anything? We're sure you can.

S'now good

Isn't it great all this white stuff? Means I'll have to stay at home and write. Right?

Roll on summer....

Sunday 28 November 2010

Time to come out of self enforced isolation NANOWRIMO WINNER 2010 LEAN AND MEAN

Geraldine writes:

'Yes I have completed my 50000 word novel written entirely during the month of November, 2 days early 50012 words! It is about a failing Suffolk hospital which adopts the Lean model brought in by the illegitimate Irish, Japanese daughter of a Japanese burger entrepreneur.
Could we be seeing drive by appointments and french fries with everything?'


You will have to wait and see when I have completed and edited it!


Meanwhile any of you who have sponsored me it is time to cough up! (But please catch it and bin it)

Geraldine.

Saturday 27 November 2010

Prole issue 3

Prole issue three is now available from our website: a fantastic collection of fiction, non-fiction and poetry from established and new writers.

We are open to submissions for issue four and our poetry competition has four weeks to run.

Phil
Co-editor,
Prole
Website: www.prolebooks.co.ukFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Prole/236155444300?v=wallNews blog at: http://prolebooks.blogspot.com/Reader/writer blog: http://readwriteblog.prolebooks.co.uk/

Thursday 25 November 2010

Creative Writing Courses

Just to let you know that we have added new online creative writing courses to our schedule at www.creativewriting.ie
We have also set up a dedicated website for UK residents, www.creativewritingink.co.uk which offers online courses, editing & critique services, along with news on writing competitons & events in the UK.

We also run monthly writing competitions which are free to enter on both websites; a discussion forum; a members blog; a writing resources page; and an email newsletter with a monthly update on writing competitions and which publishers are accepting submissions.

As Christmas is just a month away, you can now purchase gift vouchers for aspiring writers at either website. Or please feel free to email us at info@creativewriting.ie or info@creativewritingink.co.uk for more information.

Our new schedule of online courses includes;

1. Beginners Creative Writing with Adam Wyeth (6 weeks)

2. Intermediate Creative Writing with Adam Wyeth (8 weeks)

3. Advanced Creative Writing with Geraldine Mills (6 weeks)

4. Novel Writing with Emer Martin (8 weeks)

5. How To Get Published with Sarah Franklin (4 weeks)

6. Writing for Children with Oisin McGann (6 weeks)

7. Poetry with Leanne O'Sullivan (6 weeks)

8. Screenwriting with Anne Barrett (6 weeks)

Sunday 21 November 2010

The Evolution Continues – 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 November 15 issue (ok, it’s a little late – but we offer an explanation on the home page) 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 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.

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.

And there's much much more....

Friday 19 November 2010

STUNNING START TO...

...THE HEROES POEM IDEA

When publishers United Press asked people to get poetic about the Help for Heroes campaign, they were stunned by the response.

“The appeal raised £791 within days of starting,” said United Press managing director Peter Quinn. “That’s more than we expected to raise in the entire year that the competition will run, so we were absolutely bowled over by the public’s reaction.”

United Press is asking entrants to the competition to submit a poem of any length on the theme of Help for Heroes. The winner will receive £250 in shopping vouchers donated by Primark and have their poem published by United Press in a general collection of modern poetry and will receive a free copy of the book.

“The strength of the response to the competition - even though it has just started - shows how much the British public feel about this extremely worthy cause,” said ex-serviceman Arthur Roe when he received the £791 in cheques on the behalf of Help for Heroes, for which he is an active campaigner.

“This competition gives the public the opportunity to express their feelings about the campaign,” said Sergeant Tam Miller who represented the Army at the presentation. “It also gives them the opportunity to make a significant contribution to the good work that the campaign does.”

“United Press is asking all entrants to the competition to donate at least £1 in the form of a cheque made out to Help for Heroes. The fact that some people have donated as much as £50 for entering one poem shows how much they care,” added Arthur.

Entries are only accepted by post, accompanied by a cheque made out to Help for Heroes. Post your entries to United Press, Admail 3735, London, EC1B 1JB, (telephone 0844 800 9178) by the closing date of November 11th 2011. You don’t need an entry form but make sure you put Help For Heroes at the top of each entry. See
www.unitedpress.co.uk for more details.

“Cheques must be made out to Help for Heroes and you can donate as much as you like and enter as many poems as you like,” said Peter Quinn, who will judge the competition. “We’re looking for poems related to Help for Heroes. It could be a poem about an individual or it could be a poem with a message.”

Thursday 18 November 2010

Beryl's accolade

From the columns of Felixstowe Extra in the Evening Star on November 17th a report on her success. Not only is it a success but this was the first story Beryl had written for the Scribblers. Well done and keep up the good work, Beryl.




















Keep Scribbling!

Wednesday 17 November 2010

Meeting report for 16th November 2010.

Those attending: Dave, Dick,Liliane, Beryl,Tony, Lauren, Peter, Martin, Les, Barry.

Apologies from Gemma, Trish and Jane.

Congratulations to Beryl once more for being shortlisted in the Spilling Ink Review.
We had a pleasant diversion before the meeting commenced when Alex, a photographer from the Evening Star composed our happy little group for a photo. This will hopefully combined with a short article on The Scribblers.

I had a conversation with a Star reporter, Katie, regarding the group and it has been said that it will appear in the paper in the near future. She is doing a series of articles about the different clubs that exist around our town.

Before the meeting proper Dick read out a moving poem he had written regarding Armistice Day with the intention of entering a competition so good luck to him.

Now for the meeting: The subject was Treasure and we had, as usual, a varied selection of stories beginning with a poem from

Les. aptly entitled. 'Treasure'. A typically well crafted set of prose with values we should all aspire to hold dear inspired by the Armistice Day parade on Felixstowe sea front .

Martin's contribution was On The Bus. Taking us back to the treatment of coloured Americans in the deep south.

Peter gave us Whose treasure is it? Supposed treasure found when digging in a garden.

Lauren told us of 'A little more of a sentimental treasure', which left us with a tear in the eye, being a true story of a family member. During the break she expressed a desire to sometimes hear all of the stories (she currently hears only half) so please Dad, can she stay a bit later one day?

Beryl took us back to the early 1900's childbirth and bossy hospital matrons with 'Little treasure'.

Tony gave us a surprisingly sane rendition of a chapter near the end of his novel called 'The sword of the kings.'

Liliane's 'Open for treasure' was once more back into her family and the children finding an old ring.

Dick gave us 'Into the ravine,' a trip to El Paso and the discovery of seven sets of bleached bones and cases of bullion.

Dave's 'Its in the box' recounted a fruitless search for robbery proceeds and the discovery of a box containing out of issue white five pound notes.

The meeting was brought to an end with my own contribution 'Closing the shutters', a tale of a family living in the four corners of the world yet held close by photographs.

Another successful meeting so my thanks to all who attended and it seems we have carte blanch on the next meetings subject of 'anything'. Take it how you will.

Bye for now and see at the next meeting on 7th December which is the penultimate for 2010. The last one will be a short writing exercise then a social gathering, suitably demure of course.

Barry.

Tuesday 16 November 2010

Digging up the treasure...

Another very productive evening at Scribblers with some very interesting creativity, both true and fiction, with many unusual twists in the tales... and a press photographer came along too.

Three weeks to the next meeting.......

Keep Scribbling!

Sunday 14 November 2010

Treasure

What treasure will you reveal at this weeks Scribblers meeting? Treasure trove, treasured possession, treasured memory, treasured love.....?

Looking forward to sharing your treasure on Tuesday. Meeting starts 7.30pm.

Keep scribbling!

We will remember them....


They shall grow not old,
As we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them,
Nor the years condemn,
At the going down of the sun
And in the morning
We will remember them.

Laurence Binyon (1869-1943)

Thursday 11 November 2010

Cobblers!

Why not support those who support the Scribblers?

Our talented friend Scott was once a regular attendee at our meetings with some really amusing stories that often had us laughing our socks off and was a contributor in our two anthologies. Then along came dancing, martial arts and marriage but not neccesarily in that order!

Scott has always been very helpful and regularly engraves the names of the winners on our revered Bill Budner Trophy free of charge.

Along with trophies, he also provides mugs, amongst other items, and one or two of us have our own "Felixstowe Scribblers" emblems emblazoned on them. Visit his website for details of all the services he provides

We all hope that circumstances will one day allow him to return but in the meantime he's the man to visit for all your shoe repairs.



01394 273118 or 07903 114 823
22 Orwell Road, Felixstowe, Suffolk IP11 7DB
enquiries@mrcobblerandmrlocks.co.uk

Wednesday 10 November 2010

I will incorporate a reminder of the subject of 'Treasure' for next weeks homework with a resounding well done to Beryl. I have attached the notification she received for her story of 'The Bowler Hat'.

"Dear Beryl,
Congratulations! "The Bowler Hat" has been shortlisted in the Spilling Ink Review October 2010 Flash Fiction / Prose Poetry Competition. This means that you have won publication in our annual print anthology and one free copy of the anthology (tentative publication date: March, 2011)."

If you haven't read it or heard it then I urge you to visit the site and do so. You will find it here: http://spillinginkreview.com/competitions/flash-fiction-prose-poetry-competition/
As I said to Beryl, it shows that it is worth entering these competitions. Once again, well done Beryl.

Keep scribbling and bring your 'treasures' next Tuesday.

Barry

Hats off to Beryl!

Congratulations to our Beryl! Her story "The Bowler Hat" has been shortlisted in the Spilling Ink Review October 2010 Flash Fiction / Prose Poetry Competition. Beryl has won publication in their annual print anthology and one free copy of the anthology (tentative publication date: March, 2011). Announcement here
Yet another Scribblers success!

Once upon a time... Short Story & Poetry Competition

A Modern Fairytale
A Winter Poem
All shortlisted entries will be available to read at the Chapel Gallery during the TypeScript exhibition.

Take part in FREE Short Story and Poetry
Deadline for entries: Saturday 8 January 2011
Two writing options and two age categories per option:

Short Story: A Modern Fairytale. Maximum words: 2000. Submission fee: £5.00. Junior Category entries free.
Poem: A Winter Poem. Maximum lines: 45. Submission fee: £5.00. Junior Category entries free.
Adult Category: Over 16. Junior Category: Under 16.

For details visit the Chapel Gallery website at http://www.chapelgallery.org.uk/

Thursday 4 November 2010

Romantica Press seeking new writers

We are launching a new website dedicated to bring together writers of romance with their online readers and are actively looking for talented new authors to publish on line a wide variety of the best romance and women’s fiction whatever the genre.

If you or anyone you know in your field is interested in writing romantic fiction, or has written a romantic novel. Romanticapress.com would like to hear from them.

Romantica Press is an electronic publisher specialising in ROMANCE. We publish all lines of romance from sci-fi to suspense, to more traditional romantic stories.

Please note the following Submission Requirements for the company:

We publish stories between a man and a woman - (we do not, at this time, take submissions with homosexual romance). Although we do accept stories containing explicit sex, it must occur between consenting adults.

Please note - we will not review or publish stories with any of the following elements.

-No depraved or illegal acts
-No bestiality
-No degradation of women (rape)
-No pedophilia (no sex involving underage characters)

When submitting a manuscript please send by email to submission@romanticapress.com in word format

- In the subject line, include the title of your manuscript and you name. For example Summer Love – Amanda Holt

- In the body of the email, give your personal information: name, email, contact information

- Include a synopsis in the body of the email. This can be as long or as short as you choose as long as it gives us complete information. We must know the story is a romance and get an overall idea of the entire story.

- Include details of the word count.
For more information please contact Amanda Holt

The Jura Short Story Competition

Jura Challenges Writers to Compose Short Story in 1984 Minutes

Jura malt whisky is reviving the Jura Lodge as a writer’s retreat for one weekend only with a riveting offer for the UK’s creative writing community.

Jura is offering one budding author the chance to stay at the island’s exclusive Jura Lodge and compose a short story based on the island. There is one catch! Writers will only have 1984 minutes to compose their story, in keeping with the name of the George Orwell masterpiece which was penned on the island more than 60 years ago.

To win the competition, writers are being asked to submit the first 300 words of their proposed short story. There are only two criteria. First, the narrative of the short story must take place on the island itself. Second, the story should have a link to one of the many myths and legends about Jura.

For thousands of years, good fortune and mystery has enriched this tiny island, from the creation of its dominating scenery to the rumours of witches, prophecies and the graves of the Knights Templar. The rich bank of stories can be found here

One lucky winner will have a chance to soak up the sounds, sights and flavour of Jura before setting to work in the Jura Lodge. The winner will then have 1984 minutes in which to complete a short story. The finished product will be published on Jura’s website as part of a compendium of short stories, essays and poetry as a follow-up to the Spirit of Jura.

Jura distillery manager Willie Cochrane said:

“Jura has a long established literary tradition, so we thought it was about time to revive that tradition. This competition will offer one amateur author the chance to soak up the atmosphere of this great island before applying their inspiration to a short story. There’s no shortage of material for our lucky winner on an island which is rich with myths and legends and steeped in history.”

The short story competition follows in the footsteps of the Jura distillery’s partnership with the Scottish Book Trust. In 2006, the two partners established the Jura Malt Whisky Writers’ Retreat programme, offering writers space, peace and time in a truly inspirational setting, amid the luxury of the Distillery Lodge. Several leading authors, essayists and poets participated in the programme, including Will Self, Liz Lochhead, Kathleen Jamie, Romesh Gunesekara, John Burnside, Philip Gourevitch and Swetha Prakash. The resulting works were published in a book, the Spirit of Jura, which went on sale last year.

Entry details

Budding authors should send their entries to info@isleofjura.com by Friday 31 December 2010. Entrants must register as a Diurach at www.isleofjura.com to enter the competition and submit their Diurach number along with their entry for the purposes of verification.

Meeting, 2nd November. Report

In Attendance:
Dick, Beryl, Liliane, Tony, Lauren, Jane, Gemma, Martin, Ally, Les, Trish, Dave and Barry (chair)
Apologies:
Peter

We had a notification for our members that there is a pub quiz at the end of November and that if we wanted to form a team then at least six should express their interest. Anyone with an interest could contact me in the first instance.

Now for the business of the day.

Whew!!!

What a meeting that was! From thirteen stories we had at least twelve competition winners. The imagination and talent of our members never ceases to amaze me. The members present and their contributions for our torchlight Halloween meeting were as follows.

DAVE. with 'Seductive eyes'. A man who strays and ends up as a human sacrifice.

DICK. with 'Umbrella' An Umbrella lent to a young girl appears on her grave the next day.

BERYL. with 'Lost'. a tale of two lost sisters, finding each other at the police station. The sisters were puppies.

LILIANE. with 'Trying to get rid of the ghost'. Tale of her young relations trying to exorcise a ghost in their bedroom.

TONY. with 'Food'. Another part of his long running saga of strange creatures and places.

LAUREN. with 'Trapped'. Our youngest member with a tale of young drivers and a burial while still alive?

JANE. with a contribution bearing no name but much fright. A Children of the Damned type story.

GEMMA. with 'Creature'. A new and gruesome variation of Neighbourhood Watch.

MARTIN and ALLY gave us two stories remarkably similar about Red Riding Hood, the Wolf and the Woodcutter. Needless to say there was much blood and ghastly behaviour.

LES. won't mind being classed as one of our older members, gave us a Halloween poem of sheer brilliance.

TRISH. with 'Storms'. as the title infers her eerie story blew through the meeting with chilling menace.

BARRY. with 'Continental Trucking'. A little anecdote with ten seconds of chill at the end. You had to be there!


As I said, this meeting was a great success and Gemma's biscuits were a welcome addition to our coffee break. Happy birthday to her for the 3rd of November and to Ally who is celebrating her birthday this weekend with a romantic break for two at Centre Parcs Firework weekend.

The next meeting dear Scribes will be on Tuesday the 16th November where the homework subject will be 'Treasure'.

Thanks to all who attended on Tuesday and to all who couldn't be there, you missed a good one. If my recollections of any of the stories stray from the original, please accept an old man's apologies, I was shaking with fear for most of the darkened meeting.

Bye for now.

Barry

For all your research and information don't forget to visit your local Felixstowe Library and the Suffolk Record Office.

Wednesday 3 November 2010

Felixstowe Scribblers with novels in progress

It seems quite amazing that so many of our very talented writers who either attend our regular meetings or maintain contact through the internet, all have one aim in common, to have a novel published.

Writers like Ruth will have her third novel on the market very soon,
Morag has had a huge disappointment with her publisher that has not been rectified so is considering seeking a fresh one. She has another book in progress too.
Judy, another who is looking for a publisher for her second book, this one on Burma.
Barry, has neared completion of his second novel.
Ally, one of our younger writers has completed a novel and which is currently being sent to a publisher for consideration.
Jane too has a work in progress as has Angela
Belinda in Australia is penning her travel memoirs.
Chris also in Australia, has his second book completed.
Tony has been building an epic fantasy that is very near completion. Based purely on Scribbler's homework themes this is one not to be missed when published.
Dave is amid a personal railway history
Geraldine and Ally are both taking part in the 50,000 word write a novel in November...
Rochelle, in Ireland, is a reknowned author who always seems to have a book on the go.

A talented lot these Scribblers. Here's to their success!
As we say in Felixstowe -
Keep on Scribbling!!!!

A Competition for a Worthy Cause




Simply click on an image to enlarge.

Tuesday 2 November 2010

Quiz Night for Cancer Research UK

Saturday 27th November
7.30pm
St Mary's Church Hall,
Walton.
Teams of 6.
Tickets cost £6.00 per person and include refreshments.
(Bring your own drinks)
Further information from:
Wendy 01394 275751 or
Joan 01394 270093

Sleep well tonight Scribblers - if you dare.....

If you missed tonight's torchlight Halloween meeting, then you missed one of the best collections of supernatural stories ever produced by the Scribblers. Some of us are still trembling with fear.....

And to think we have to wait a further year for another haunting experience!

The torchlight meeting is upon us....








It's TONIGHT ...

Your Halloween meeting by torchlight....

Monday 1 November 2010

Writing Raw

WritingRaw.com is going to scare the BOO out of you a second time! Even Scribbler's Dave Feakes is included this time round.....

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 November 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.

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.

And there's much much more......

BBC writersroom newsletter

BBC writersroom on Twitter
--------------
We've finally joined Twitter! Follow @bbcwritersroom to stay up do date with the latest new writing opportunities, and for a glimpse into the daily life of the BBC writersroom team.
http://www.twitter.com/bbcwritersroom
Rapid Response: In the Red
--------------
Our latest Rapid Response competition - which asked for scripts responding to the government spending review, closed last week. We've had a great response - look out for the winning scripts which will be posted on our website this week.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/writersroom/2010/10/rapid_response_in_the_red.shtml
Scripts
-------
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?intro
EastEnders: E20
Series 2 Episode 1 by Emer Kenny
http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/insight/downloads/scripts/eastenders_e20_s02e01.pdf
The Cut
Series 3 Episode 1 by Al Smith
http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/insight/downloads/scripts/thecut_s3e01.pdf
Don't forget you can browse through all of the scripts in our script archive.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/insight/script_archive.shtml
Submitting 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.shtml
Blog
----
Deborah Sathe talks about finding new writing talent for EastEnders: E20, Joy Wilkinson gives an insight into writing for Doctors, and Al Smith tells us about the unique role the audience plays in shaping the storylines on The Cut.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/writersroom/Opportunities
-------------
Capital: A Festival of New Writing Competition
Deadline: 12 November 2010
Write a play about "Big Society" and have it performed at this brand new festival.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/opportunity/capital_a_festival_of_new_writing_comp.shtml
International Student Playscript Competition
Deadline: 30 November 2010
£1,000 cash prize and a rehearsed reading at the National Student Drama Festival for new play written by a student.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/opportunity/international_student_playscript_competition.shtml
Writers' Projects
Deadline: 30 November 2010
Grants of up to £3,250 for writers from or living in Scotland to help their writing development.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/opportunity/writers_projects.shtml
TC Brian Way Award 2011
Deadline: 01 December 2010
£6,000 prize for a play which stimulates the imagination of young audiences.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/opportunity/tc_brian_way_award_2011.shtml
Theatre Trail Writers Competition
Deadline: 31 December 2010
Have your play performed at next year's Arundel Festival Theatre Trail.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/opportunity/arundel_theatre_trail1.shtml
Little Brother's Big Opportunity
Deadline: 31 December 2010
£1,000 prize to develop an original television drama idea through to treatment stage.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/opportunity/little_brothers_big_opportunity.shtml
Future Talent Award
Deadline: 14 January 2011
Opportunity for students in the North of England.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/opportunity/future_talent_award.shtml
Soho Theatre: Verity Bargate Award 2011
Deadline: 11 March 2011
£5,000 prize and a residency at Soho Theatre for a new play that stands out from the crowd.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/opportunity/verity_bargate_award_2011.shtml

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

WEB DESIGN

PURPOSE BUILT WEBSITE FOR YOUR BOOK AND WEB HOSTING

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