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

Tuesday 31 December 2013

Sunday 22 December 2013

From the Scribe

And a very Happy and profitable New Year to all our Scribblers and visitors to our weblog.

Wednesday 18 December 2013

The Final 2013 meeting

FELIXSTOWE SCRIBBLERS MEETING: TUESDAY 17th DECEMBER 2013

Apologies were received from Clive, Caz, Cathy. Dick, Susan F, and Suzi G.  

Those present for the evening were: Martin, Barry M, Tony, Liliane, Carolyn, Beryl, Susie H, Jane and Dave

It was nice to see Martin again but, he tells us, his attendances will be fewer as he is studying for a new job and that takes up so much time. Much as we will miss him, we must say what a tremendous writer he is with such a fine staccato type delivery to his words. He promises to attend whenever he can.

The report takes a slightly different look to its usual format.

We began by reading out some messages received recently and they are reproduced here:

“Hi Everyone,
Hope everyone at Scribblers has a great Christmas and all the best for the new year.
 'The Winter's Tale' theme made me smile as the title of the book I am working on is called 'Midwinter' - that is the character's name.
Talking of books I am about to sign a contract with Endeavour Press  who are going to re-publish two Jack Giles books - 'Rebel Run' and 'The Fourth Horseman' for Kindle and other e-readers.
There is a curious tale attached to this. My first book was published in 1983 (thirty years ago). Here we are in 2013 and two of my books are about to become available again. I am now living 200 yards away from the house where we were living in 1983.
All the best,
Ray”

“Hi Dave
Just to offer my apologies for next meeting, and to wish all the Scribblers a Happy Xmas. Hope to see everyone in the New Year, and attend a little more frequently!
Cathy”

“Hi Dave,
Thanks for the email to keep me up to date.  Sounds as if things are mixed good and bad/sad for the group.  Please say hello to everyone for me and wish them the seasons best wishes.  Seem to working too many Tuesdays at the moment and am rostered for the next one as well 
Hope to get to see you all in the New Year.
Kind regards - Susan French”
“Dave. We have just had a Speakers of Felixstowe meeting and the committee were keen to offer our speaker services to read out stories for your competitions for the Bill Budner trophy. Would this be of interest? If so what are the dates? 
All the best and season’s greetings
Debs”

“Dear Dave,      
Please could you give my apologies for tonight.  Just returned from a few days with a very demanding 90 year lady and I'm now in recovery.

Could you wish everyone A VERY HAPPY CHRISTMAS from me!   (That should have been a question mark, but an exclamation mark seemed more suitable ......)  

Have a wonderful Christmas, Dave.     

love,suzy”

Clive apologised for his absence from the meeting but sent a Merry Christmas to all Scribblers message.

Since the meeting I have received two further messages, from Barry D who has forwarded the one from Les. It is possible you will already have received these direct from Barry but if not they are reproduced here.


“Sorry I haven't been with you for a while. You are all in my thoughts for a Happy Christmas.
I received this from our Uncle Les today. As you see he is having a great time in all that horrible heat.
See you soon.
Barry.”

“Hi Barry, Smith here suffering in 36 degrees while you lucky buggers have all that lovely cool weather.

I am doing my best to enjoy it by lazing on the beach, bloody barbies’ and all that Ozzy stuff, but you
must know I would be there with you.  Seriously, I am having a great time; at my sister’s currently,
in a little town named Corowa, in NSW; it was 35c today with 40c forecast.  It is a lovely place with plenty  of character, friendly natives and delish’ food and drink; of which I am doing my best to  see off as much  as I can.  Sister Joan is easily as mad as me so our days are one big laughing comp’. 

I am heading back to my son Steve’s place in another small place, Wattle Glen, near Melbourne, there I shall meet up with all the other Nieces, Nephews and assorted relatives; plus neighbours and friends who are queuing up to meet the mad guy from the UK, my reputation seems to have gone before me so I must act up to the part.

Been watching the Ashes on TV and crying along with Joan and my friend Pepi, her dog, with whom I have become a good friend, he follows me around for a game and lays on my lap for the evening, AAAH.

Please would you pass some of this to fellow scrib’s if you can.  I wish you all an extremely pleasant Christmas and an all write new year.  See you next year, Nunky Les. 
PS I saw Ruth on TV, small world innit!”


Tony re-iterated the details for both Felixstowe Radio who will play us 'live' on 107.5 fm at 2100hrs on Wednesday, (tonight) first broadcast 18/12/2013. You have to catch it live either by radio or internet. There is no later feed.but ICR will play us 'live' on 105.7 fm at 1530 on Tuesdays; first broadcast was this afternoon 17/12/2013. There is a later feed available via the ICR website, (just Google ICR). Tony was advised that due to their planning it takes about 36hrs before the feed is active.


News of Jane’s Jack is that he is heading back to the UK and should be here on Saturday. He has had two jobs in Budapest, one in the hostel where he was staying and a second leading groups out on pub crawls... He’s got it made! With orders forwarded for traditional roast meals it seems as if he will return to Budapest early in January and will not be able to attend a Scribblers meeting which is a shame for us.

Thanks were passed to Barry M for creating the Scribblers Face Book page and what a good job he is doing with it.

Dave handed out a number of Scribblers business cards in the hope that they can be used to attract new membership. Fingers crossed!


Now for the magic and mayhem of the creative writing exercise. With Dick absent through illness, Dave brought along his hat for the words to be drawn from. There is something about these four word exercises that bring so much creativity from each writer. Under pressure to write something in fifteen minutes seems quite a task but those present proved beyond doubt that, not only can they include their words in their text. but they can come up with completed stories too. Carolyn noted that Liliane had neatly written two pages without making an error!

Beryl: Wonder, Demented, Crackers and Xenophobic.
Susie: Zombie, Lingerie, Woods and Catheter
Jane: Glittering, Reindeer, Snowflakes and Penguin.
Dave: Aftertaste, Harassed, Murder and Gold.
Martin: Bunji-jumping, Hospital, Presents and God.
Barry M: Aftershock, Aftermath, Afterlife and Colours.
Tony: Baby, Stable, Murder and Stardust.
Liliane: Starlight, Exaltation, Santa and Vomit.
Carolyn: Smile, Trees, Yacht and Watchtower.

After this exercise came the opening of the goodies and much food was enjoyed by all except for poor Tony who was fasting prior to a hospital procedure the next morning but at least he took home a doggy bag full of treats for later.

Now it rests for me to remind everyone that our next meeting is on Tuesday 7th January 2014 when we will hold our AGM when perhaps we can discuss meeting formats, attracting more members and ensuring that we have enough in our reserves to cover the cost of The Room at the Top.

Between now and then, we wish you a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year

We hope to see you all there with us in 2014.

Keep Scribbling!!!

Dave.

Tuesday 17 December 2013

Farewell 2013

Our final meeting of the year provided another eclectic evening of creativity. It was interesting to discover how much can be written under pressure of time. With four words drawn from a hat the writing brains were put into gear and some remarkable work was produced.

All to the good, but the evening ended with our own Christmas party which was enjoyed by all - except poor Tony who is nil by mouth due to a hospital procedure in the morning.

So there it is... the end of a somewhat challenging year with plenty of talent appearing. Our aim in 2014 is to grow our attending membership and ensure that we have sufficient funds to meet our room rental fees. Let's hope our AGM will provide some answers!

Good luck to all, have a Merry Christmas and a Very Happy and hopefully profitable New Year.

Tonight...

Don't forget that our meeting tonight is the last one of 2013. Just a short writing exercise followed by a party and then... roll on Christmas! The meeting starts at 7.30pm in the usual place.

Monday 16 December 2013

Felixstowe Radio and ICR

We have lift-off.

Felixstowe Radio - will play us 'live' on 107.5 fm at 2100hrs on Wednesday, first broadcast 18/12/2013.
You have to catch it live either by radio or internet. There is no later feed.

ICR - will play us 'live' on 105.7 fm at 1530 on Tuesday, first broadcast 17/12/2013.
You can catch it live by radio or internet, but there is a later feed available via the ICR website,
(just Google ICR). Am advised that due to their planning it takes about 36hrs before the feed
is active. But it might be quicker for us because we are a recorded show.

The first three programs are completed: they contain Chapter 1 - Sword of the Kings
A play called The Candles Getting Shorter - in which Ruth Takes a major part.
and 3 short stories:

We're all going on a...
Up in Smoke
Fly by Day

All material was written by myself except for up in smoke - by Barry Martin.

Would like more material from scribblers, as it gives us more options, and opportunity for more
writers work to be heard.


Message from Tony.

Saturday 14 December 2013

Here's something that might be of interest - but why oh why do they send out these advices so close to the submission dates? 
The Scribe.
 
----- Forwarded Message -----
From: "deadlines@wildsoundfestival.com"

Subject: Writing Festival Holiday SPECIAL Submit by Dec. 15th and SAVE $10 OFF Regular Submissions

Submit by Dec. 15th and SAVE $10 OFF Regular Submissions
http://www.wildsound.ca

Writing Festival Holiday Deadline SPECIAL - FULL FEEDBACK on all entries. Submit your screenplay or story: Feature, Short, TV Pilot or Spec, Novel, Short Story, Poems, Essay etc..

Watch WINNING Screenplay Readings - Watch videos of past winners performed by professional actors
http://www.wildsoundfestival.com/winning_screenplays.html

READ 100s of testimonials for past submitters -
http://www.wildsound.ca/wildsound_festival_review.html

Hope to see you submit. Most of our winners receive a solid agent after getting their script showcased. And/or they receive a lot of interest from producers.

Our next meeting and a little bit of news...

Well the time is very nearly upon us when we have to say farewell to our 2013 programme. Yes it will be our last meeting of the year on Tuesday next, 17th December, usual time 7.30 in The Room at the Top. We'll be having a short creative writing exercise which won't be an onerous task but another enjoyable one! Please bring along four words each on a small separate piece of paper and then we can let the creativity begin.

After this we will have our little Christmas party - please feel free to bring along some 'goodies'  but the rule of thumb is to bring along no more than the amount that you would be able to eat. Otherwise we end up with loads of food and bulging waistlines even before Christmas!

A little news has filtered through from Sandy who says:

Hope the meetings are going well, sorry I haven't been able to make it lately but work and my own creative writing class has taken up a lot of time.
My small group of writers have worked really hard and we have now produced an Anthology. It is available on Amazon in paperback and kindle. I have really enjoyed teaching the art of creative writing and looking forward to another class (maybe two) starting in the new year.
Will be at the next meeting all being well.
Sandy

We have also heard from our friend Debbie who emailed a few days ago:

We have just had a Speakers of Felixstowe meeting and the committee were keen to offer our speaker services to read out stories for your competitions for the Bill Budner trophy.

What a lovely gesture! I have replied that we would, of course, be interested in their services and have sent along the dates and now await a reply.

Keep Scribbling!!!

Sandy has missed a number of recent meetings largely because she has been running her own creative writing course in Ipswich. She says:

"My small group of writers have worked really hard and we have now produced an Anthology. It is available on Amazon in paperback and kindle. I have really enjoyed teaching the art of creative writing and looking forward to another class (maybe two) starting in the new year.

Saturday 7 December 2013

Felixstowe TV and the tidal surge

Here's another look at Felixstowe during the critical period and clean up...

http://www.felixstowetv.co.uk/videos/crisis-what-crisis-the-felixstowe-floods-2013/

Friday 6 December 2013

Coaching with Jane

                 Simply click on image to enlarge.

Report of our meeting

FELIXSTOWE SCRIBBLERS MEETING: TUESDAY 3rd DECEMBER 2013

Apologies were received from Katy, Barry D, Martin, Carolyn, Beryl, Les and Caz.

Those present for the evening were: Clive, Suzi, Jane, Dick, Liliane, Barry M, Tony and Dave.

The lack of numbers at tonight’s meeting was understandable: with Les now probably jet lagged in Australia, Caz helping care for her brother in Wiltshire after his accident and operation, Beryl unwell, Katy, busy and still suffering anxiety attacks, Carolyn just back from the USA and also jet lagged and Martin caught up with work.

This meant making the most of the stories and poems presented to us, and, indeed, they were all excellent and very enjoyable but made for a quick-ish meeting. Except a spur of the moment short 4 word creative writing exercise extended the meeting and provided some more dramatic writing. With just fifteen minutes writing the results were amazing. Proof of the value of such sessions.

Les wished everyone all the best for the forthcoming festive season and wishes you a Happy New year when he will be returning home again. We have also had a note from Susan (French) who wishes everyone season’s greetings and hopes, work schedules permitting, to see us all in the New Year.

Clive has offered to proof read anyone’s work, something he enjoys doing. It is always good to have an independent eye cast over our work, so his kind offer is there and if you want something proof read, then Clive is your man.

Tony informs us that selected stories from the Scribblers have been recorded and we await details of when these will go out live on Felixstowe and Ipswich Radio stations. Watch this space!

Jane’s Jack is currently in Budapest and has a job in a hostel to earn a little cash. We hear he will be home on 21st of the month but intends returning later on.

Focus Life Coaching is run by our own Jane who offers coaching for corporate and individual clients to help advance business or personal projects through coaching sessions. Maybe this is what some of us hopeful authors need...!

Now for the homework which was ‘A Winter’s Tale’.

Suzi: Snow: Blank verse:
A very short verse bringing to life the snow falling down through the air, hard blown by the wind, drifting in wonder, cocooning the earth, such delicate fragments asking the question if each snowflake is new-born afresh? Few words, yet so much description of the falling snow and whether or not it is true that no two snowflakes are alike.

Jane: Sense of Place:
2nd half of chapter 7 of Jane’s book. Karen glanced at baby William before putting her foot on the bottom stair and looked up to the landing. She didn’t want to go up but there was no turning back. Inside the bedroom she could not sit on the bed but went to the built in wardrobes, his and hers. She slid the door back and saw them, his suits, almost as if Richard was standing there himself. Could she smell him? There was no doubt as she pulled on his dark pinstripe jacket. Why hadn’t he told her of all the debts? She swiped the shoes from the wardrobe, stepped inside, slid the door closed and sat in the dark at one end. She could hear crying. Closed her eyes and waited to see if Richard would come to her as he had some nights. The crying got louder, wailing, inside and outside her head. Then she remembered William.

Dick: Three poems:
Snow Joke: A light hearted poem in Dick’s joyful style. The country in disarray because it snowed overnight. Land blanketed white, cars doing the ‘Skaters Waltz’; jack-knifing lorries, schools closed and the PM hoping the bloody stuff would melt!
The Sea Front in Winter: A real sense of place with tourists gone, dank beach huts, locals watching the ocean’s anger. Grandma taking the children to the beach, treasure hunters seeking Roman coins. Desolate prom; soon to banish the dreary winter time.
The Silent Invaders: At first the flakes are small and dry, pirouetting in the gusting wind. Invading town and country alike as the landscape changes appearance. Shop assistants ponder their journeys home. Puff balls of white triggered by the wind as briefly the silent invaders have captured this town.

Liliane: The Snow Remembered:
Liliane’s much acclaimed family recalling the winter of ’46, when Uncle Jan took them to play in the snow in Nightingale Park. It was so beautiful draped with snow and seemed like a fairytale place to the children just like the land of the Snow Queen. Such a lovely time to remember and all was well until the end of the day as it began to get dark when little Paula got snow in her boots. Pa cheered them up by getting them all to sing but then he sang one about the war with the Spanish which wasn’t very nice. A Spanish attack and siege evoked visions of the weary battle scarred men, something they didn’t need reminding about so soon after the end of the Second World War.

Barry M: Miles:
July 11th moved from Essex to Norfolk. The cottage is called ‘Miles’. Beautiful views across fields and river. So happy with George my Jack Russell. October 9th the autumn shades are gorgeous. 5am a muntjac deer is in the garden. November 11th Need the heating on. The muntjacs ignore George. Love this place. December 12th. It snowed last night. Swept my drive clear. A tractor comes along pushing the snow into my garden and drive, blocking me in. Farmer did the same daily and by the 17th I’m exhausted from all the shovelling. December 22nd, more snow, frozen pipes, aching back. December 24th not enjoying this place so much. December 29th. Stranded for a week. Car buried under snow. January 1st Happy New bloody Year. January 14th finally got car out, drove to Wroxham. Icy roads. Swerved to avoid deer. Hit two trees. February 14th took car to garage, got bus home. Took hours! Not sure about this place now. February 20th got car back; cost twice as much as it was worth. February 28th, moved back to Essex.

Tony: Trousers:
Strange that I, Sir Walter de Flowers am standing in my younger brother Digby’s bedroom at our stately home Rehar End at 5 minutes past midnight holding a pair of trousers. My brother was unable to play the adolescent game of sundials. Best played on a summer’s day in the centre of a croquet lawn. Strip naked, lie on your back and think about Brigitte Bardot or someone like that then wait until passers-by tell you the time. Rolling back the clock five years to 1st December we went off for a duck shoot complete with our dogs Smith and Wesson. Disguised with a hat the shape of a mallard Digby sat camouflaged in the boat. Whilst I supped a bottle or two, Digby had a secret assignation with Isabel but was discovered by her husband. Pushing off in the boat again wearing that hat, I awoke from my drunken slumber saw the mallard and fired. I had his trousers as a keepsake but on this particular day for the last five years Digby has haunted us looking for those trousers of his.


Dave: Walking Home:
A compulsion on a cold and frosty evening to walk the three odd miles towards the family home, an old palatial Victorian house. His father was a conman who lost his begotten gains in the ’83 stock market crash. His mother died in the house soon afterwards. Nearing the house he stopped, it felt as if someone was right behind him but there was nobody. A wisp of breath appeared in the cold air beside him and he felt himself propelled forward to the gate when he suddenly saw a face in the window, the face of his deceased mother. Drawn into the darkened building the door slammed behind him. Using a mobile as a light he saw the body at the foot of the stairs...


Then followed the short four word creative writing exercise. Here are the words everyone drew; maybe you could do a fifteen minute exercise to include each word. It is a challenge!

Clive: Stuck, Submarine, Engineer, Newspapers.
Suzi: Ghost, Abominable, Still, Choices.
Dick: Solstice, Toilets, Robins, Tremble.
Liliane: Coach, Tangential, Bonnet, Incongruity.
Tony: Pudding, Races, Life, Haggis.
Dave: Celestial, Trombone, Hell, Asteroid.
Jane: Sleep, Bells, Leaves, Filmstar.

And so to the end of the penultimate meeting of the year. It is hardly conceivable that we have just the one meeting left in 2013. That will be held in our usual place, The Room at the Top on Tuesday 17th December at 7.30 pm. There will be no homework as this will be a short four word writing exercise followed by a little Christmas Party. It would be nice if you could bring along some ‘goodies’ – not too much, perhaps just enough for a snack – and help to bring down the curtain on another Felixstowe Scribblers Year.


Since the meeting there were the storm tides which created havoc in so many places along the East Coast and in our own county. Felixstowe was better protected than in those dreadful 1953 floods so no lives were lost here. I noticed the following link from Felixstowe News TV which is pasted for you to see...

Until the next time when we hope to see you all there with us...

Keep Scribbling!!!
                                                               

After the storm tide...

Hopefully most people came through last night's high tides without too much damage. See a summary by Felixstowenews tv here:

http://www.felixstowenews.tv/videos/mediaitem/321-felixstowe-after-the-flood-6th-december-2013

Thursday 5 December 2013

Keep safe

Thoughts are with everyone in the affected areas tonight... just keep safe... we'll be thinking of you all...

Tuesday 3 December 2013

Quiet night...

For various reasons our attendance tonight was quite limited. It did not stop the quality of the homework of a Winters Tale and some excellent stories were forthcoming. We even had time for a spur of the moment creative writing exercise which, for fifteen minutes scribing, produced some excellent results. Maybe that's the answer to writing... put yourself on the spot for a limited time and see what gems you can produce!

Our next meeting, the last of 2013, will be a short four word creative writing exercise - simply bring along four words each on a separate small slip of paper - something to write with and paper to write on. After this it will be time for our little Christmas party to bring our year to an end. Please feel free to bring along some snacks or goodies - but not too much! - and make our year complete.

We hope you will be able to join us but until then,

Keep Scribbling!