Meeting Report

The homework subject was Life or Living and brought forth much sombre but some light readings.


We had another poorly attended meeting last night. Not that the poor part should in any way be associated with the writing on offer. As usual the standard for this was exemplary. We are on the hunt now for some more members so if anyone knows of a suitable candidate please get them to contact me.

We shall be advertising in the local magazine and also in the Library.

We had apologies from Cathy, Carolyn, Susan Ally and Dave and standing apologies (for the present I hope) from Sandy, Sally and Angela.

Present were Tony Dick Les Liliane Suzy Beryl Martin Ray and myself.

We ended up with nine members present which was not too bad after Tony had read and run. He had a meeting of the dramatic group at Ruth's house so we excused him his departure but welcomed first his reading of the first part of a sequel to his last novel

It was a chilling tale of a body awakening in a mortuary, feeling the extreme cold then gradually wakening only to find a skeleton performing an autopsy on another table. We are informed that the wakening figure exits the room several times only to appear on the slab time and again. A chilling tale that we are assured develops into humour.

Les gave us a touching TRIBUTE to his recently departed wife Joan who he misses terribly. The loss was great but Les is finding strength from his good friends and life becomes more worth living as each day passes. Les finds it helpful to write his thoughts down and finds great solace in talking to Joan as though she is still there, as she is in his thoughts.

Dick gave us A CHANGE OF HEART The tale of a man, recently made redundant who finds life too much to bear and forces his wife to take their son and leave the home when he becomes violent. He decided to end his life by jumping from the cliffs at Beachy Head but at the spot he looks up at the blue sky and a passing bird, then decides to turn his life around.

Liliane read IN THE PEACE OF THE EVENING One of her immaculate dialogue pieces of Robbie and Kit recounting the way their house had been an 'open house' for far too many of their 69 years and how the family matters had always taken precedence. They decide to end the practice and think more of themselves. Decision made ... then the doorbell rings!

Beryl read THE CREATIVE WRITING CLASS A story concerning her mother and the class Beryl took her to many years before. At the tender age of 78 her mother was introduced to a class led by a poet and after many hours of incessant grumbling she tried to write poetry instead of prose and subsequently became so adept at the medium she was published several time and then progressed to writing children's stories. Another tribute to a wonderful woman.

Suzy, our newest recruit gave us a story LIFE AND LIVING This was about a young man in a mundane job, wishing his life would change and he could experience many more things. He goes to sit in the park with his packed lunch, lovingly prepared by his wife, and while musing has an old man sit next to him. The old man strikes up a conversation, noticing the sad demeanour of his companion and shows him how there is life in everything around us, Thomas goes back to work a changed man and the old chap quietly disappears.

Martins piece was LITTLE HEIDI. I'm sure I will get no argument from the other members present when I say that Martin's piece of very short or flash fiction was the most powerful piece of the evening. It concerned little Heidi, a young German girl and her mother, waiting for the arrival of a rapacious conquering force at the end of the 2nd World War. Heidi was told to stand at the window and watch for the soldiers but not to turn around. As the marching Russians arrived her mother loaded and shot her child before turning the gun on herself. In her eyes this was preferable to submission to horrors.

Ray gave us DESERT HEAT A story or part of a story which in turn is part of an interesting project. This concerned the searching for a Spanish galleon supposedly containing gold and treasure, which had been landlocked in a western desert of America. Walt was staked out to die in the sun but had the visions of bounty hunters and bandits searching for the same treasure. Walt is partially freed and manages to find a little money and a horse then sets out to use his gift of life.

Barry. My story was of Dick, a soldier in Afghanistan who is involved in a terrible accident after a stop in a village. The accident blows up his APC and he tragically loses his leg. His parents wait anxiously at his hospital bedside knowing that it will not only be his life that changes.

Short in numbers but long in talent. The meeting was an extremely enjoyable one. The next subject for 12th June is a story taken from a postcard, several of which have been lent to us by Liliane.

If anyone will be attending next time wants a subject then please contact me.

See you all on 12th June, and have a good weekend.

Barry.

Our Nest Meeting:

TONIGHT!!!

TV Drama Writers' Festival

Bookings are open for the 2012 TV Drama Writers' Festival.


This is the only festival for professional working TV writers.

A unique chance to mix with writers, commissioners and producers at the top of their field, the festival is a mix of masterclass, conversation and debate - led by writers for writers.

The 2012 festival is chaired by Peter Bowker and created by Stephen Butchard, Danny Brocklehurst, Toby Whithouse, Emma Frost, Ashley Pharoah and Jack Thorne. Contributing alongside them will be Paula Milne, Sally Wainwright, Tony Marchant, James Wood, Lucy Gannon, Nicola Shindler, Julie Gearey, Sophie Gardiner, Ben Stephenson, John Yorke, Kate Harwood, Faith Penhale, Christopher Aird, Christine Langan, Laura Mackie - and more TBC.

When: Wednesday 11th and Thursday 12th July 2012

Where: Leeds College of Music, Leeds

Price: £45.00 for both days

How to apply: See our website for full details and to download the application form.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/opportunities/tv-drama-writers-festival-2012

Our Next Meeting: Tuesday 29th May.

Our next meeting is tomorrow, 29th May and will be, rather unusually the third one this month. Start time is 7.30pm in The Room at the Top in Felixstowe Library.

The homework theme is for up to 1,000 words on LIFE or LIVING.

As a reminder, our June meetings will be out of the usual sequence and will take place on 12th and 26th June before returning to the usual sequence of the first and third Tuesdays of the month in July.

The Scribe

And from Barry...

"I hope the brilliant weather has not stopped you writing as well as 'living' your lives to the full and have a masterpiece as usual for our subject if 'Life or Living'.


See you there."

The People's Book Prize

CHARITY EVENT : BROOKES WISH TO WALK APPEAL

Monday June 25th 2012 Time 7.30pm

EVENING OF CLAIRVOYANCE
With Medium
MAORI JOHNS

Location: Loco Club Ipswich
Tickets Only Event cost £5

A raffle will be held for many Prizes

For Tickets or more info
call Stacy 07540801466

All Proceeds are to go to
BROOKES WISH TO WALK APPEAL
An amazing little girl who is in need of £40,000 in order to have a life changing operation.

Unbound Press Competition News & Results

Please join in congratulating the winners of the Unbound Press Short Story Award


1st Place
Anneliese Mackintosh
If You Drank Coffee

2nd Place
Rodge Glass
Intervention

3rd Place
Samuel Wright
Happiness

Shortlist:
Stephen Morris – Roley Poley
Mairi Murphy – The Auld Bitch
Melanie Whipman – After the Flood

Honorable Mention:
Rupan Malakin – Crossing Over
Pedro Ponce – The Discovery of Dr James Osborne Beckett
Greta Ross – The Stable
Geraldine Stoneham – Burning Man

The winning and shortlisted entries will appear in our annual print anthology due for publication November/December, 2012. Honorable Mentions will appear in an issue of Spilling Ink Review (pending author agreement).

What's Next Competition-wise for Unbound Press?


Unbound Press Flash Fiction Award
Guest Judge: Zoe Strachan
£875 in Prizes plus Publication / Closing Date: 30 June

Unbound Press Nonfiction Award
Guest Judge: Iain Bamforth
£875 in Prizes plus Publication / Closing Date: 31 August

Unbound Press Poetry Award
Guest Judge: Michael Schmidt
£875 in Prizes plus Publication / Closing Date: 31 October

Unbound Press Best Novel Award
£1750 in Prizes / All Manuscripts considered for Publication
Closing Date: 30 November

Don't miss your chance to win one of our cash prizes and appear in our annual print anthology. All winning and shortlisted entries will be included in the anthology. All Honorable Mentions will be offered publication in our online magazine: Spilling Ink Review.

Here's your next chance to win!

Closing Date Soon!!
31 May 2012

Spilling Ink Short Story Prize
Guest Judge:
Richard Beard
£875 in Prizes
Publication
Free Anthology
1,500 word max
All genres / styles welcome

Enter Online or Postal
Visit our website for more information: http://spillinginkreview.com/competitions/

Other Spilling Ink Prizes:

Spilling Ink Speculative Fiction Prize
Guest Judge:
Doug Johnstone
Closing Date: 31 July

Spilling Ink Queer Fiction Prize
Guest Judge:
Gregory Woods
Closing Date: 30 September



2012 Short Story Competition

2012 Short Story Competition

Judge: Booker shortlisted author Clare Morrall

1st prize £500 (approx 805 US$; €609)
2nd prize £150 (approx 241 US$; €182)
3rd prize £50  (approx 80 US$; €60)

Closing date 31st October 2012.

Entries can be on any subject but must not be longer than 3000 words. Entries can be posted or emailed to us. Please see our website for more details on entry fee and how to enter.

2012 Book Award

Thank you to everyone who entered our book award. The judges are currently going through the entries! We will email once the results are released.

http://www.ruberybookaward.com/

Bill Budner evening.

Firstly I must give Ruth, our resident successful author and thespian, an enormous vote of thanks for reading our nine stories. Mostly they were, as usual, each different in their own way and each worthy of a mention in despatches, but last night was all about the Bill Budner Trophy and our praise goes this week to Liliane, with her story;

'We have to be very good'.

The story of two girls and Moriarty the cat plus their mother who likes things to be in their place and last but not least the eldest girls narrative tells of her father, who, she discovers, is a murderer and had spent 14 years in prison for killing someone. He, and the family, have been given a new identity and the young girl then fantasises about becoming a detective to search out her father's true name and another set of grandparents.

Equal second place was awarded to Tony for his 'Tale of many parts', one thousand words of whimsy in Tony's inimitable style telling of part man part creature with odd arms and a huge right foot. The words were, in true Tony style and gave everyone a huge laugh as it was read by by Ruth, who did a sterling job as she struggled to keep a straight face.

The story that tied with Tony's was Dick's tale of 'Forget form TT109' This gave us a tale of a man, recently deceased, who arrives at the pearly gates to find it a strange place with people dressed from different eras mixing with his contemporaries. The reason for this was the 150 year time zone each deceased person was allowed to visit, even allowing for the language barrier with special pills.

As I said each story was worth a mention but the evening belonged to Liliane and as I've said before,
'you had to be there'.

Others stories were;
The best man's speech by Martin
The killer by Les
The 294th by Ray
Weekend away by Beryl
Party time by Barry
The morning after by Dave.

Thanks again to Ruth for her excellent reading and thanks to all who attended.

PLEASE NOTE: The next meeting is on 29th May when the homework subject will be 'Life or living".

See you then.
Barry.

Book Publishers Accepting Submission

Your writers group will undoubtedly be aware of the costs involved when purchasing Writer’s Yearbooks for submitting work to publishers.

I own a website which contains an unrivalled database of book publishers who are currently accepting submissions from authors. It isn’t just a general publishers list. Each link leads directly to the submissions page. I have around 1000 publishers worldwide covering all genres.

The site is completely free. It doesn’t contain any self-publishing links or vanity companies. It’s a genuinely open resource. Perhaps you would consider offering this information to your members?

This could either be in the form of a link on your site (which I would reciprocate if you wish), or by simply forwarding my URL in a newsletter or at a meeting. As a published author myself I know I would have appreciated a resource like this when I was looking for my first book deal.

Please have a look at my site, you can then either get back to me here or there.

Brian Grove

And the winner is...

Liliane came out on top of a thoroughly entertaining meeting that encompassed so many excellent stories. Any one of them could have won but Liliane was a step clear of the chasing pack. So well done, Liliane, her second victory in the Bill Budner Trophy competition.

Special thanks to our renowned author Ruth Dugdall who read all the stories out. Having them delivered by the same reader really improved the quality of the meeting.

Best wishes for a speedy recovery go to Giles and Jacky who are still under the weather and were unable to attend.

Good news too from Ally who, after having a section of her book declined as a short story entry, was invited to send the full story to a publisher for consideration. Fingers crossed for a positive result!

THE BILL BUDNER TROPHY

It's tonight! 7.30pm, Room at the Top, Felixstowe Library. Anonymous competition for attending writers only.

The Scribe

News flash... sorry to hear that Giles and Jacky are unwell and unlikely to be with us tonight.

AESTHETICA CREATIVE WRITING COMPETITION: NOW OPEN FOR ENTRIES!

The Aesthetica Creative Writing prize offers existing and aspiring writers the chance to showcase their work to a wider, international audience. We’re really keen to see more writers from across the UK involved in the competition and are looking for work across a wide range of themes, styles and subjects. Please find more information below, and for up-to-the-minute updates, join us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/aestheticamag

The Aesthetica Creative Writing Competition is now open for entries! The competition celebrates and champions creative writing, nurturing talent and bringing work to international attention. Aesthetica is inviting all writers and poets to submit to the Aesthetica Creative Writing Competition 2012. There are two categories for entry, Poetry and Short Fiction, and a selection of fantastic prizes including:

£500 prize money – Poetry winner
£500 prize money – Short Fiction winner
Publication in the Aesthetica Creative Writing Annual
Complimentary copy of the Aesthetica Creative Writing Annual
A selection of books from our competition partners
For more information and to enter please visit: http://www.aestheticamagazine.com/submission_guide.htm

Submissions previously published elsewhere are accepted.


Entry is £10 and allows for the entry of two works into any one category.
Deadline: 31 August 2012

http://www.aestheticamagazine.com/

Our next meeting

Coming this Tuesday, The Bill Budner Trophy.

This is a special evening and a regular feature of the Scribblers' programme. For those unaware, it is an anonymous competition for attending writers only. Open to any subject there is a strict word limit of 1,000 words.

All work should be completed and handed in on arrival. There must be no indication of the author.

For this evening we will have independant readers, Jacky and Giles Meehan who will deliver each work very professionally.

It makes for an interesting evening that culminates in the presentation of the trophy to the winner.

Full details of the competition can be found on the links at the top of this weblog.

Good luck and see you there!

Just wanted to let you know that this week Rushmere Players (which includes Scribblers members Tony & Ruth) are performing:

THE CANTERBURY TALES
AT ST JOHNS THEATRE, GATACRE ROAD, IPSWICH
WED 9TH - SAT 12TH MAY
7.45PM
Tickets are just £9 (students £7)
Box Office 10-2pm weekdays 01473 211498 or www.easternagles.co.uk

The production is bawdy, funny and fast-paced. It is suitable for older children as well as adults, and everyone is welcome!

Hope to see some of you there.
 
Ruth

Valuable asset to our coastline

A kite surfer was rescued Saturday evening after losing contact with his kite and began an exhausting attempt to swim ashore. Calls from the concerned public were made to the Thames Coastguard who deployed emergeny craft for a successful rescue.

Just shows how a life could so easily have been lost without the volunteer service.

The New Writer magazine / Prose & Poetry Prizes 2012

Prose and Poetry Prizes 2012 from The New Writer magazine

Closing date 30 November 2012

Now in its 16th year, one of the major annual international competitions for short stories, micro-fiction, single poems, poetry collections, essays and articles; offers cash prizes as well as publication for the prize-winning writers in The Collection, special edition of The New Writer magazine each July.

Back copies of The Collection over the last few years are available at the TNW website: http://www.thenewwriter.com/subscribe.htm


scroll down to Single Copy options

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 be downloaded from that page on the website and sent in the post with your entry.

Also, we can supply this year's printed entry forms on request to writers' groups and organizations and individuals in the UK – just let us know, no SAE required.

The 2011 Prose & Poetry Prizes winners were announced on this webpage last month:
http://www.thenewwriter.com/prizewinners.htm

SUBSCRIBE to The New Writer magazine


6 issues of TNW over an 18 month period, plus, as part of the subscription package, and at no extra cost, we include current information for writers in a focussed monthly eNews bulletin.
http://www.thenewwriter.com/subscribe.htm

No change in the price of a sub in last six years - in spite of the current massive hike in postage. So we are still trying to be the best value around!

TNW 110 (Spring 2012) In this issue, Highly Commended in our Prose & Poetry Prizes, short stories from MARGORIE FISHER, ROBERT ARNOTT, JOANNA CAMPBELL and poetry by DAVE LEWIS, HJ ELLIOTT, ELEANOR J VALE; poetry editor ABEGAIL MORLEY'S selection of poems for this issue includes EMER GILLESPIE, ROGER ALLEN, JAMES KILNER, KIRAN MILLWOOD HARGRAVE, LINDA NATHANIEL, REBECCA GETHIN, JANE FREIMILLER ... ; SALLY JENKINS outlines how to project the right image when dealing with editors; To contract or not to contract with MELANIE FAITH; find out from SALLY QUILFORD what happened When Mary Sue met Marty Stu; SIMON WHALEY stokes up the Writers' Cirle Debate then calms down a bit; plus quite a bit more in fact of the usual good stuff, outspoken views, book reviews and market news - single copies and regular subscriptions available for purchase online at http://www.thenewwriter.com/prizes.htm


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Summary of meeting.

It was a sparsely populated Room at the Top last night. Just six regular members.

Being low in numbers it gave us time to have a convivial evening in which we read our pieces on '1st May' and also had time to welcome a new member Suzy, a recent migrant from St Ives in Cornwall, and time for a chat with our Antipodean watcher from Cairns in Australia. Chris has paid us a visit together with his good lady Rebecca

The stories were varied as usual with an unusual poem from Suzy.

Apologies were mentioned from Carolyn, Martin, Lyndsay, Susan and Beryl.

Those present were Dave, Dick, Les, Liliane, Ray, Barry, Suzy and our guests Chris and Rebecca.

Les gave us a poem entitled may 1st telling of one Mavis Hobbs, being unwilling or unable to speak on a first date but progressing to a person with no will to stop talking after a while.

Liliane gave us an historical piece with many interesting details of May 1st festivals in Belgium's towns and villages.

Suzy our new recruit gave us a cleverly concocted piece of modern poetry extolling the virtues and vices of the most common of our elements. Water.

Ray read part of one of his Western novels. The extract concerned 11 Confederate soldiers in the American Civil War (why did they call a war civil?) who were trying to get to safety when they came across a large force of Union soldiers.

Chris, our visitor, gave us a piece telling of the pain and suffering caused by himself to his wife during a heart episode, the tragic death of his mother, here in England and the eventual trip from Cairns to Felixstowe and some of his visits around the country.

My contribution was another piece based on historical fact about a family from Wales caught up in a mine disaster in the 1800's then deciding to emigrate to America only to be similarly, and with the loss of two brothers, involved in another mine disaster.

Dave gave us a thought provoking piece concerning the dangers of social websites and the ease with which identities can be disguised.

Dick was the final reader with Waking Mickleford. A town council's plans to wake a sleepy town with all sorts of entertainment on May 1st.

The next meeting is a Bill Budner evening. One where we bring along an anonymous piece of 1000 words which is then read by another member. On this occasion however, we shall have the company of our volunteer readers Jacky and Giles Meehan who have been to a BB meeting once before.

Hopefully we shall have members returned from sick leave and holidays so we can have a good turnout for this meeting.

Many thanks to Chris and Rebecca for their visit and welcome to Suzy, hopefully not put off by the low numbers.

Giles and Jacky who will read entries for the Bill Budner Competition on 15th May.

Barry.

The Bridport Prize

Bridport Prize for poems, shortstories and flash fiction

Just 4 weeks to go!

If you haven't already entered your winning story, poem or flash fiction don't forget to submit by our new closing date of 31st May 2012

Gwyneth Lewis will be judging the poetry and Patrick Gale the short stories and flash fiction

The Bridport Prize is one of the most prestigious open writing competitions in the English language - with £5000 first prize for a short story and £5000 first prize for a poem, plus £1000 first prize for flash fiction, up for grabs.

Anyone can enter ˆ so long as the work is previously unpublished. It costs £8 per story, £7 per poem or £6 per flash fiction and the closing date is 31st May 2012. Entries can be sent by post or online at: http://www.bridportprize.org.uk/

Postal entry forms are available online or by sending an SAE to: The Bridport Prize, PO Box 6910, Dorset DT6 9BQ, UK or email frances@bridportprize.org.uk for a pdf copy.

We are delighted to announce that Gwyneth Lewis and Patrick Gale will be giving a talk and reading from their work at the Bridport Open Book Festival on 13th October 2012. Check out the website for full festival listings nearer the time http://www.bridport-arts.com/.

The Anthology of the 33 winning stories and poems of 2011, plus judges reports, is now available online or from the above address for £12 (inc UK post, or £15 inc overseas post, or pdf version at £5)

For up to date news, follow us:
www.facebook.com/bridportprize.
https://twitter.com/#!/BridportPrize.

Surprise...

On the debit side, there was a poor attendance at the meeting, but on the credit side, Suzy came along for her first meeting. Already a published author, she read out a really good poem based on water.

Surprise of the evening was the attendance of Chris and wife Rebecca who have flown over from Cairns following the sad death of his mother who was 103 years old. It is only the second time Chris has attended a meeting, after all, in his words, 'it's a long old bike ride...'

Good to see them both, and hopefully, it will be good to see some of the 'missing' members back next time...

Next time will be 15th May when we stage the Bill Budner Competition once more and will have the services of our good friends Jacky and Giles to read the stories out.

The Scribe