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

Monday 31 January 2011

The latest BBC writersroom newsletter

Laughing Stock 2011
--------------
BBC writersroom and BBC Comedy Commissioning have joined forces in a nationwide competition to find new comedy gold. The challenge is to write an original narrative comedy script with series potential.
Write it, send it in - and you could be in line not just for a comedy masterclass, but also an intensive week away developing your idea hand in hand with BBC comedy producers and established comedy writing talent.
For more information, and to find out how to enter, visit our opportunities page:http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/opportunity/laughing_stock_2011.shtml

Interview with Heidi Thomas
--------------
Award-winning writer Heidi Thomas (Cranford, Madame Bovary, Upstairs Downstairs) talks to writersroom about how she creates the world and characters of her adaptations.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/insight/heidi_thomas1.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

Land GirlsSeries 2: Episode 1 by Roland Moore
http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/insight/downloads/scripts/landgirls_s2_ep1.pdf
Tamara Drewe by Moira Buffini
http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/insight/downloads/scripts/tamara_drewe.pdf
AccusedEpisode 5: Kenny's Story by Esther Wilson
http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/insight/downloads/scripts/accused_episode5.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
----
Roland Moore talks about how he approached writing the second series of BBC One's Land Girls, Men Behaving Badly writer, Simon Nye, introduces Laughing Stock, and we have the latest showreel from BBC Films.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/writersroom/

Opportunities
-------------
Script Space IVDeadline: 31 January 2011Tobacco Factory Theatre's forum for the development of new writing.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/opportunity/script_space_2011.shtml

Tamasha Theatre Company: Mulberry School for Girls projectDeadline: 31 January 2011Opportunity to create a new piece of writing and develop practical workshop skills in a school environment.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/opportunity/tamasha_mulberry_2011.shtml

Small Lives Global Ties Writers GroupDeadline: 31 January 2011Tamasha is looking for ten experienced writers to join a new writers group.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/opportunity/small_lives_tamasha1.shtml

Laughing Stock 2011Deadline: 21 February 2011Nationwide competition from BBC Writersroom and BBC Comedy Commissioning to find new comedy gold.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/opportunity/laughing_stock_2011.shtml

The Sitcom Mission 2011Deadline: 14 February 2011Submit 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

PrimetimeDeadline: 14 February 2011Opportunity 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

Saturday Shorts 2: Bristol Folk HouseDeadline: 01 March 2011Submit a 15-minute script for a performance event at Bristol Folk House.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/opportunity/saturday_shorts_2.shtml

The Windsor Fringe Award for New Drama Writing 2011Deadline: 03 March 2011Have your play performed at the 2011 Windsor Fringe Festival.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/opportunity/windsor_fringe_2011.shtml

Kali Theatre Company: Writer Development ProgrammesDeadline: 10 March 2011Development opportunity for Asian women writers.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/opportunity/kali_theatre_writer_development.shtml

Soho Theatre: Verity Bargate Award 2011Deadline: 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

The Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting 2011Deadline: 06 June 2011Opportunity for new playwrights to win £16,000 and a year's attachment to the Royal Exchange.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/opportunity/bruntwood_prize_2011.shtml

Writers AvenueDeadline: 01 June 2011Platform for playwrights to develop their skills through new writing events.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/opportunity/writers_avenue_2011.shtml

January 31 issue of WritingRaw.com

The Evolution Continues with WritingRaw.com becoming a Weekly!

Writing Raw is a FREE weekly literary magazine 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. New in this issue:

FICTION:
Dog Days of Autumn by Andrew Pezzulo
Election Fraud by Robert Keith Smith
It Can Be Done, It Should Be Done by Martin Willoughby
Natural Justice by Dan Boylan
Necromancer by Andrew Vastag
No Regrets by Alexei Edwards
We Mask His Hideous Voice with More Volume by David Lawler

SERIALS:
really BAD Shakespeare: 9 - Is This a Dagger Which I See Before Me by Weeb
Toy Soldiers: Chapter 21 by Peter Neville

POETRY:
As I See It by Rosa Johnson
Bus Stop by Diana Ferguson
Desert Rush by Alicia Taylor
Fly Wings by Michael Lee Johnson
Her Fight With Time by Mike Berger
Hookers on Archer Avenue by Michael Lee Johnson
Nature's Power House by Mac McGovern
Once Upon a Beer Drinking by Juan Manuel Perez
Snake by Sandy Nutter
Ursine Dreams by Steve Brightman
(what we choose to keep, what we choose to lose) by Phoebe Kate Foster

ASSORTED:
A Stone Wall by Moonjean
Four Short Stories in a Morning by Eric L. Marsh
Rome is Burning by Adam Schirling
Semi-Colonic Irritation by Fabian Acker

INTERVIEWS:
Matt Haig
Bradford Morrow
Lynn Schnurnberger

ART:
Paul Adams

REVIEWS:
5 Books to Read by Weeb
Allbooks Review
Between the Sheets: Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
Rib Reads

Sunday 30 January 2011

Grace Dieu Writers Circle Writing Competition

A final reminder that there is only a month to go before the close of the 2011 Grace Dieu Writers Circle Writing Competition, but still enough time to enter! You'll have up until the 28th February to send us your entry. Details below:

Grace Dieu Writers' Circle 2011 Short Story and Poetry Competition

Poetry Competition: 1st Prize: £400; 2nd Prize: £200; 3rd Prize: £75; 4th Prize: £50; 5th Prize: £25

Entry Fees: £4 for one poem or £12 for 4, £2 for each additional entry over four

Maximum: 40 lines on any subject

Short Story Competition: 1st Prize: £400; 2nd Prize: £200; 3rd Prize: £75; 4th Prize: £50; 5th Prize: £25

Entry Fees: £5 for first and £3 for additional stories

Maximum: 2,000 words on any subject

Closing date: 28th February, 2011.

Full details and entry forms can be found on our website at http://www.gracedieuwriterscircle.co.uk/

Alternatively, to receive a competition leaflet, please send a SAE to:

The Competition Organiser, 23 Henson Way, Sharnford, Leicestershire, LE10 3PN

Good luck!

Saturday 29 January 2011

A message from Amy Burns at Spilling Ink Review.

I just wanted to let you and your fellow Felixstowe Scribblers know that I will be assuming responsibilities at the small publishing house Unbound Press. I will be sending out a more detailed newsletter soon but I wanted to pass along the upcoming Unbound Press Competitions. Info pasted below.

http://bit.ly/idj0Tm
2011 Unbound Press Short Story Award
Closing Date: March 1, 2011
Winning and short-listed entries notified no later than March 31, 2011
1st Prize – £250, publication, 1 free copy of annual print anthology
2nd Prize – £125, publication, 1 free copy of annual print anthology
3rd Prize – £50, publication, 1 free copy of annual print anthology
Shortlisted Entries – publication, 1 free copy of annual print anthology
Entry fee £5
Guest Judge: Zoƫ Strachan

http://bit.ly/fLk8TP
2011 Unbound Press Short Fiction Award
Closing Date: May 1, 2011
Winning and short-listed entries notified no later than May 31, 2011
1st Prize – £250, publication, 1 free copy of annual print anthology
2nd Prize – £125, publication, 1 free copy of annual print anthology
3rd Prize – £50, publication, 1 free copy of annual print anthology
Shortlisted Entries* – publication, 1 free copy of annual print anthology
Entry fee £5
Guest Judge: Elizabeth Reeder

http://bit.ly/h0Mh0p
2011 Unbound Press Flash Fiction Award
Closing Date: August 1, 2011
Winning and short-listed entries notified no later than August 31, 2011
1st Prize – £250, publication, 1 free copy of annual print anthology
2nd Prize – £125, publication, 1 free copy of annual print anthology
3rd Prize – £50, publication, 1 free copy of annual print anthology
Shortlisted Entries* – publication, 1 free copy of annual print anthology
Entry fee £5
Guest Judge: Laura Marney

http://bit.ly/ihGdfl
2011 Unbound Press Best Novel Award
Closing Date: September 1, 2011
Winning and Honorable Mention entries notified no later than December 31, 2011
1st Prize – £500 and Publication
2nd Prize – £250 and Publication
Honorable Mentions – Free, detailed critique of the novel
Entry fee £20

http://unboundpress.com/

Our next meeting

Hi Scribblers

Just a gentle nudge about the meeting next Tuesday. 1st Feb.

The subject of one thousand words is 'Dreams'.

Bye for now,

Barry.

Thursday 27 January 2011

Open Call for Submissions



Announcing A PenTales Short Story Contest.

PenTales and Dan Rasmussen, New York Times best-selling author of American Uprising: The Untold Story of America’s Largest Slave Revolt, are looking for inspiring stories from around the world on the theme Revolt.

Submission Guidelines: Write us a short story (500 words or less) on the theme of Revolt. This contest is open to anyone, from published writers to budding storytellers. All submissions must be original, unpublished work. If your short story is in a different language, please provide a valid English translation. Writers are invited to send in only one submission to this contest. Please note that we will not consider stories longer than 500 words and stories that clearly do not relate to the topic.

Deadline: March 7, 2011

Judging Criteria: Winning stories will showcase unique voices, perspectives, and original ways of thinking about the theme of Revolt. We are looking for:

Stories that capture the bravery and idealism of men and women who fight against oppression and injustice.
Stories that disinter the wild spirit of man in rebellion.
Stories that remind us of the wild dreams and tremendous risks of complete and total revolt.
While literary qualities (i.e. narrative structure, diction, syntax) will be considered, the main questions our judge will ask are:

Which of these submissions present the most creative and compelling stories?
Which of these stories must be shared with the world?
Prizes: The first prize winner's story will be reviewed by New York Times best-selling author Daniel Rasmussen. The first prize winner will also receive a signed copy of American Uprising: The Untold Story of America’s Largest Slave Revolt.
First, second, and third-prize winners will be interviewed for PenTales and their stories will be shared with the global PenTales community through our website, newsletter, and social media platforms.
How to Submit:

Send your submission to writepentales@gmail.com. Include in the subject line of your e-mail your name and location. Please copy and paste your short story in the body of the e-mail. No attachments will be opened.

Behind the Story: Dan Rasmussen

Rasmussen: My father early on developed a clever scheme for me and my siblings. My sister would play ice hockey, my older brother and I would figure skate. By entering small niches, we could excel and hopefully stand out among a sea of more standard overachievers. Yet while my older brother and sister trained relentlessly, I used to sneak away into obscure parts of the ice rink and read the Redwall books. My figure skating career ended with a fizzle – as my literary interests and less-than-svelte figure proved insufficient to help me land the daunting and necessary triple salchow. READ ON

Daniel Rasmussen is the New York Times best-selling author of American Uprising: The Untold Story of America’s Largest Slave Revolt, which the Financial Times wrote had “a breadth and sweep reminiscent of The Black Jacobins.” Rasmussen has been described as a “crisp, confident writer” (Wall Street Journal), a “superb stylist” (Kansas City Star), and as “extraordinarily precocious” (Cleveland Plain Dealer). A 2009 graduate of Harvard University, Rasmussen won several prizes for his senior thesis on the 1811 Revolt, including the Thomas Temple Hoopes Prize, Harvard’s top undergraduate academic honor. He grew up in Washington, DC and currently lives in Boston, MA.

At PenTales, we believe that there is no better way for people to get to know one another than through the exchange of stories. Stories inspire our curiosity, our imagination, and our awareness of shared values that reach beyond languages and borders. Indeed, stories – in all forms – have the power to connect people from different backgrounds and create meaningful global dialogues. Our aim is to foster this dialogue by providing creative and inspiring ways for people to contribute and discover original stories on universal themes.

Landguard Fort ... what next?

There are many tales and witness reports of a number of hauntings at Languard Fort. Scribbler Dick Bradshaw, the original 'Man in Black' on ghost tours at Landguard, wrote the illuminating published history of these hauntings and is now embarking on quite a new venture ... writing a play based on the Portugese woman who is said to still roam the Fort.

Don't know about the Portugese woman ?.... There are ways of finding out !!!!

Dick is no stranger to script writing as he was one of the team who wrote "The Lost Sock".

Pen Tales

Read all about Pen Tales here.

January 24 issue of WritingRaw.com

The Evolution Continues with WritingRaw.com becoming a Weekly!

Writing Raw is a FREE weekly literary magazine 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. New in this issue:

FICTION:
Avarice by Lorraine Voss
From A Distance by Raphael Henaut
Inner Sanctum by Andrew Vastag
My Pain Is Your Pain by Kirsty Ferguson
Purple Shroud by Diane Nelson
Seize the Day! by Dan Boylan

SERIALS:
really BAD Shakespeare: 8 - The Serpent's Egg by Weeb
Toy Soldiers: Chapter 20 by Peter Neville

POETRY:
Are You An American Citizen? by Juan Manuel Perez
Daydreaming by Mac McGovern
Dead Poets by Mike Berger
Dirty Deed by Mike Berger
Exhales Deeply by Diana Ferguson
I Am From by Ros Black
One by Sandy Nutter
Post Master Blues by Diana Ferguson
Screwed by Mike Berger
Smokescreen by Ron Bulla
The Road to No Where by Tyler W. Stinson
The Small Miracle by Rosa Johnson

ASSORTED:
Ill-Treatment by Alex K
Nature on Planet Earth by Gina Iafrate
Rome is Burning by Adam Schirling
The 'Perfect Fit' Wedding! by Shawn Inmon

INTERVIEWS:
Bradford Morrow
Lynn Schnurnberger

ART:
Jamison Smith, CatskillPainter.com

REVIEWS:
5 Books to Read by Weeb
Allbooks Review
Between the Sheets: World's End by T.C. Boyle
Rib Reads

and much, much more!

Sunday 23 January 2011

Bristol Short Story Competition




Simply click on images to enlarge.

Cardiff International Poetry Competition




Simply click on the images to enlarge

Spotted in Aspire




Simply click on the image to enlarge.

Friday 21 January 2011

Report of meeting

Meeting report for 18th January 2010

Those attending: Dave, Dick, Tony, Liliane, Beryl, Ally, Angela, Martin, Barry.

Apologies from: Ruth, Gemma, Trish and Les.

This being a Bill Budner Trophy meeting we all contributed one thousand words in an anonymous attempt to secure the four monthly award. This weeks winner was Angela with her story of The Cherry Pickers. More of that later.

The stories were:
In first place The Cherry Pickers by Angela (read by Martin)
In second place Dancer girl by Martin (read by Liliane)
In third place Game for a laugh by Dick (read by Angela)

Although these three were the first choices it was generally agreed that the standard was as exceptional and diverse as they always are.

The other stories were:

Consequences by Dave (read by Beryl)
Sheila by Tony (read by Ally)
The Torch by Barry (read by Tony)
Herod was not happy by Liliane (read by Dick)
Snakes by Ally (read by Dave)

Angela’s winning story was a poignant tale prompted by memories of a year ago while the family was picking wild cherries in Felixstowe.

A young girl was torn between loyalty to her dead boyfriend and his best friend who she now desperately wanted to love for the right reasons. Her recently deceased boyfriend had been killed in Afghanistan and the best friend had been asked to comfort her if the unthinkable happened. She had tried, but eventually failed to hold to the mantra that
‘Soldier's girls don’t cry’ when she realised that she was allowed to love another.

These ideas for a story came to Angela as she and her family picked cherries in the summer sunshine, while other families were suffering untold misery as the casualties mounted in the war zone.

Every entry for this weeks trophy meeting was worthy of mention but space does not allow.

Thanks to all who attended.

The next meeting will be on Tuesday 1st February and the homework subject of one thousand words will be . . . DREAMS.

Hope to see you there.

Barry

Create Space.com

Hi Scribes,

I have be asked to impart a small piece of knowledge to all who are writing a novel and wish to self publish an e book. I have just tried the process with the subsidiary of Amazon called Create Space.com If you type into your search engine 'Create space Amazon', it will take you to the site.

It has taken me about three weeks (that is slow) to bring the process to a proof approval, when the book goes on sale on the net. In the past I have had one book published through a vanity publisher which cost me dearly and have had just a few sales on the internet.

If your one wish is to see your creation in print and have it 'out there' Create space is the best, the cheapest (about 47$) and the easiest route to follow, (in my opinion).

The finished article is as good as you set it out and the process is quite painless. Anyone interested should visit the site and if you has a question regarding the process itself I will be glad to help out.

I would stress that this is the route if you are just interested in seeing your work in print and do not wish to go through the hoops required for getting a regular publisher to first of all read, and then be interested enough to take it further.

I hope this is of interest.

Barry

The title of Barry's new work is "Springfield 30 06"

Wednesday 19 January 2011

The latest winner of the Bill Budner Trophy


Well done Angela for winning the coveted cup for a second time! It took a tie-break situation before the winner could be presented with the trophy, such was the highest standard of writing we have had.
Well done Angela on your deserved win. Only the second person to win the trophy more than once!

Tuesday 18 January 2011

Write a story for children competition 2011

The Academy of Children's Writers has launched their 26th Write a Story for Children Competition.

Open to everyone over 18 and unpublished, it is the most prestigious competition for unpublished authors of Children's books in the UK. Last year it attracted over 2,000 entries. With a first prize of £2,000, and £300 and £200 for second and third places, it is a 'must' competition.

Details can be found on the website at http://www.childrens-writers.co.uk/index.htm. Closing date is 31st March.

Monday 17 January 2011

Rubery Book Award

The Rubery Book Award, open to all genres, has secured five high profile judges (including a Booker shortlisted author). There are 3 prizes and the winning book is guaranteed to be read by a top London literary agent.

The Book Award is for quality books published by independent publishers and for self published books. Publishers of these types often have very limited budgets. We do have an entry fee as we do have costs to cover, but this is more reasonable compared to a lot of prizes that request a substantial amount of money if a book is shortlisted. Self-published authors are also often excluded from awards. This is why we created the Rubery Book Award. There are some very good books being self published or published by independent presses and we want to reward these books.

If you would like more information please do not hesitate to contact me or look at our website: http://www.ruberybookaward.com/

Thanks

Heather

January 17 issue of WritingRaw.com

Writing Raw is a FREE weekly literary magazine 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.
New in this issue:

FICTION
A Question of Tolerance by Frank Joussen
Cheap by Mahalia Solages
Gold Muse Sugar by Kristopher Miller
Mobile by Frank Joussen
The Faith Healer by Andrew Vastag
The Tightrope by Jerry Guarino
Trading Candy by Rachel Kolman

And much much more.

http://WritingRaw.com

Saturday 15 January 2011

Waiting news from Queensland


It hopefully sounds that some of the flood water is receding in Brisbane and other areas in Queensland. Belinda, pictured here in her Scribblers days, was obviously very concerned as Caboolture was due to be evacuated and that was the next suburb away from her own home. With Geoff stuck at Amberley Air Base it must be very frightening for Belinda. Our thoughts are with them and all other friends in Queensland.

Meeting reminder

Hi Folks

Just a gentle reminder that next Tuesday's meeting (the 18th) will be the Bill Budner anonymous trophy evening. 1000 word on a subject of your choice on plain paper (no names please). These are picked from a pile in the room and read by another member. I'm sure you all know the procedure by now but if not these are displayed on this weblog.

See you on Tuesday.

Barry

Please give Ruth your support

From our colleague and author, Ruth, comes the following message.

"Dear Scribbler friends,

I just wanted to say a big `thank you` to those of you who have already voted for my novel "The Woman Before Me" to win the People's Book Prize. This is the ONLY literary award to be judged entirely by public vote.
I'm pleased to say I'm currently in the lead, but not by much so if any of you haven't yet voted, I'd really appreciate your help.

Just click this link:

http://www.peoplesbookprize.com/

Then `register as a voter`. A password is sent to your e-mail, and to vote you just give your password and type the encripted message then click my cover.

Every month voters have the chance to win book prizes and tickets to the televised grand final!

In return, if I can be of any help to any of you please let me know. I'm not saying I've `made it` - far from it. But anything I have picked up along the way I'm always happy to share.

Best wishes,

Ruth
x"

So if you haven't already voted for Ruth then it would be fantastic if you do. What an honour it would be for her to claim this prestigious literary award.

Thursday 13 January 2011

More from Pen Tales

You can see more from Pen Tales here

Tuesday 11 January 2011

Thinking of our friends in Queensland

The terrible flooding in Queensland has caused so many losses, of life, of property, of homes.

Like so many other people we have friends in Queensland, Belinda and Geoff in Morayfield close to Caboolture and their relatives in Toowoomba. Personal friends, Ross and Steve (many years ago a Toowoomba speedway rider), and further north, hopefully away from the dreadful floods, our friends Chris and Rebecca.

Praying for their safety.

The Anonymous Competition for the Bill Budner Trophy


A reminder that our next meeting takes place on Tuesday 18th January at 7.30 pm in the Room at the Top at Felixstowe Library. It will be another special meeting - the Anonymous competition for attending writers only.
The prestigious Bill Budner Trophy will be awarded to the winner and held for four months until the next staging.

This is an open themed competition with a maximum of 1,000 words on any subject you choose! Your entry should be typed if possible but must not contain your name or any clue to your identity. On arrival please place your work face down on the table provided. A little later all attendees will be asked to select a story, have a few minutes to acquaint themselves with the content before being asked to read it out.

Everyone present will select their top three choices and nominated members will count the marks and declare the winner. The cup will be awarded and then engraved by Scott at Mr Cobbler .

It should be another great evening's entertainment.

Until Tuesday,

Keep Scribbling!

The Evolution Continues with WritingRaw.com becoming a Weekly!

The January 10 issue of WritingRaw.com marks a major turning point for us and our readers/contributors. Once again we have reformatted the site, making it more streamlined with a cleaner look – which allows for readers to print each page if they so desire. Also, we are now a weekly online magazine. Every Monday there will be a new issue, with new material. Over the next couple of issues we will be tweaking the site, so check back often!

For everyone who hated getting these updates… well, after this one, we will not be sending out announcements unless requested to do so. If you would like to get a weekly update, just drop a note to weeb@writingraw.com and I will make sure you get an announcement email every Monday alerting you of the new material on the site.

We will end this email with some of our basics…

Writing Raw is a FREE literary magazine 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: 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 Wall now contains one Shout-Out box so you can self-promote your material or whatever you would like others to know about, cartoons, and various fun applications ranging from daily horoscopes to playing with a Magic 8 Ball!

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.

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.

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

Thank you.

Weeb
http://www.writingraw.com/

Join us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/WritingRaw
Join us on MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/writingraw

****

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

Monday 10 January 2011

Write Now competition

A representative of the Bury writers group, Write Now, was on local radio talking about the group and their latest competition. You'll find details on their website here

Spilling Ink Review Newsletter

Read it here

Sunday 9 January 2011

Felixstowe Scribblers Annual General Meeting Report

Held at the Room at the top, at Felixstowe Library, on 4th January 2011.

Apologies from Dave, Ruth and Deborah.
Those attending: Tony,Dick,Liliane,Rhani,Peter,Gemma,Angela P,Beryl,Jane,Jack and Barry.
The secretary’s report is posted on the weblog.

The Committee members will be Dave,Dick and Barry as from 2010 with the addition of Beryl who has agreed to take over as Treasurer and Liliane who will be working as Social Secretary alongside Ruth. The first event to be organised will be a meal at the Brook Hotel around the 22nd February. Dave will continue as our esteemed Web Scribe.

The list of meeting dates and a provisional schedule of meeting agenda is available on the weblog.

Following the meeting we had a short Creative writing exercise using our four word format. Twenty minutes of writing produced the usual brilliant short pieces incorporating the four words we had each picked out of the hat.

Jane’s words; Pilch???Toe-rag,magpie and subsequent.
Jack; Cheese,rainbow,bathroom and perfidy.
Rhani; Posh,vulture,inebriated and lunar.
Liliane; Captive, cosh,redemption and food.
Dick; Fishing,silver,monitor and Jerusalem.
Peter; Fatality,mandible,equable and problem.
Tony; Aviator,intoxicated,stars and strangled.
Barry; Alchemy,distribution,legless and outrage.
Martin; Baby,blonde,starling and Avocado.
Les; Impregnable,splutter, bohemian and pis-ed.
Beryl; Rollmop,unholy,detective and kindling.
Gemma; Perfume,crow,hope and masticate.
Angela; Personal,mulch,forever and assize.

As I said, the results of twenty minutes writing involving these words and forming a cohesive short piece was nothing short of amazing. You had to be there!!!

So ended our first meeting of 2011 and a warm thank you to all for coming and an even warmer thank you to Beryl for taking the reins of Treasurer and Liliane as Social Secretary.

Regards
Barry, Your Secretary.

Eileen Keane on radio

Here is a message that came from Eileen via our friend Geraldine:

"Heres a link to the radio show I did with Niamh Bagnall for Liffey sound. Its her blog with info etc. The show is available as a podcast after that. Fingers crossed that it will sound ok. I had plenty of time to prepare but when it came down to it I just said the first thing that came in to my head.... and i SO wanted to sound profound!!!
http://variouscushions.blogspot.com/2010/12/eileen-keane-on-radio.htm

I hope that 2011 is filled with inspiritaton and joy for all of you. I have a feeling its going to be a really good one. Eileen"

Changes afoot at Scribblers

The recent AGM was over and done with by tea time.

Beryl has offered to take over as Treasurer and Liliane has will help as Social Secretary.

Our members want to organise a meal at the Brook Hotel on Feb 22 or thereabouts and Les will enquire about the carvery for that day.

We had a discussion on what members would like to change or have added to the meeting structures and Barry is working on a schedule incorporating all of the suggestions.

Everyone agreed they would like at least two sessions where two people with long or serious or parts of novels would read to the group, one in each half and in that period have all present critique the work. There were two members who said the lack of such evenings was a reason they were doubtful about staying with the group.

So then there were the suggestions of an historical homework meeting, a geographical meeting and perhaps a picture evening where someone brings a postcard or a picture and we have a session of writing about the picture, then of course the four words. A four word exercise was completed in the second half of the meeting and everyone thought it was both hilarious and brilliant.

Barry

Secretary's Report

First of all I would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year and hope that you all had a good holiday break.

We finished 2010 on a low note due to the weather. Our last meeting had to cancelled and therefore we did not get to have our little Christmas gathering. We will have to make up for that in the New Year.

Our membership and meeting attendance fluctuated during the year with some of our members having work commitments and others having achieved success (Ruth being one) in their writing and having to devote more time to the cause.

We have had several new members join the group and stay with us but we would look forward this year to encouraging a few more of our local budding writers to attend a meeting and hopefully be encouraged to join us.

The committee will be shrinking by one and a half (the half being Ruth, who has said if no-one wishes to take on the job of Social Secretary, she would gladly work with someone).

So there it is, Peter, our Treasurer will be unable to say exactly when he will attend our meetings so will be stepping down.

We now have the task of filling that role and that of Social Secretary. This report will be going onto the Weblog, together with any names that might have been put forward at the meeting.

Dave, our Web-Scribe, is unfortunately unable to be here tonight due to ill health, so we wish him well soon. He will be carrying on the good work for 2011.

Barry

Rural Arts Directory

A new Rural Arts Directory is planned for 2011 and aims to provide a comprehensive register of artists, arts organisations, venues and networks across the region.

The directory will be available free of charge to pick up from TICs and Tourist Information Points; it is also sent to libraries and schools in the District. Previous editions produced by Suffolk Coastal and Mid Suffolk contained over 250 entries and we anticipate even more applicants will place entries in 2011.

Entries into the Directory are free to arts and heritage organisations throughout the District and beyond (if your organisation has an influence on the arts and heritage within Suffolk).

The Guide will also be available as a pdf download from the Rural Arts Suffolk website which is currently in development and we also hope to develop an arts database on the website, making it possible to update on-line entries in between print runs.

Pen Tales

Visit the following website for Pen Tales

http://mim.io/292c8?fe=1&pact=2590150135

Wednesday 5 January 2011

Poetry Competition

Details of the Thynks Publications Poetry Competition 2011, are available at:-
http://www.christinemichael.org/thynkspublicationslimited

Saturday 1 January 2011

Shivering Santas....




Well Jack and I actually did it - we went into the North Sea on one of the coldest Xmas Days ever - it was like walking into ice and needless to say we didn't stay in long.
Thanks so much to everyone who sponsored me. For those of you who asked to be reminded at the end of the month, the website is still open for donations and any amount at all will be gratefully received by the hospice.I don't think I'd do it again - but maybe next year I'll go and watch, wearing my thermals of course.Happy New Year and thanks again.
Jane x
How brilliant that they surpassed their target figure for the charity of their choice. It's not too late to donate if you wish to. Go to http://www.justgiving.com/Jane-Bailey0
Another Christmas Day reveller from Scribblers was Debbie. Well done to her and to all those who took part in the charity swim.
Quote from the Scribe - "stayed at home with my cognac - for medicinal purposes only of course!"

Our Next Meeting

Here's wishing everyone a Happy New year.

The next meeting is due on Tuesday coming, the 4th of January in the new year of 2011. Goodness, how time flies. Well folks, the meeting will comprise the AGM, in which all attending will be able to put suggestions forward and also to try to enlist a new Treasurer. Peter, our current incumbent wishes to be excused as his other commitments will preclude him from being at most meetings. Sad to see him away from the group but we shall see him again, that's for sure. Therefore, its is left to me to encourage someone to fill the post. or at least enquire about it.

As for the rest of the meeting, if we have time we shall have a short writing exercise using our four little (or large) words, being brought in by all those attending. These words, as you know, should each be on an individual pice of paper and, as long as Dick brings his hat, we shall have them mixed up and picked out by one and all.I hope you all had a good Christmas and are fit and able to embark on a new years Scribbling.

Best wishes to all.

Barry.