Meeting report

Minutes of Scribblers meeting held on Tuesday 20 June 2017

Present:  Liliane, Mairead, Kay, Bridget, Gerry, Tony, Jim, Anne,Cathy

Apologies:  Dick, Dave, Di, Beryl, Steve

Business:

Anthology – this has gone to print – looking forward to receiving copies in time for the FBF

Thanks as ever to Mairead for bringing delicious treats for us to enjoy during coffee time. Thanks also to Kay for working out how to use the air conditioning – what a relief to have it on during the intense heat of this exceptional weather!

FBF – Cathy reminded everyone that ticket sales are still slow for the flash fiction workshop – any encouragement to friends and family to attend would be good.

Group sent best wishes to Dave’s wife, wishing her a speedy recovery from her recent op.

Flash fiction session: all of us had brought at least one postcard along. We put them face down on the table – shuffled them around – then each chose one (not our own) to use as stimulus/inspiration for thirty minutes of writing. As always with these sessions, there were lots of deep sighs and one or two groans once we’d made our selections – and it has to be confessed that more than one of us rejected our first choices and threw them back! However, thirty minutes later nine short stories had been written, and the results were read out and enjoyed.

It’s always a pleasant surprise to find that we can all create something worthwhile from the most unpromising beginnings – well done everyone.

Next meeting: This will be on Tuesday 4 July, when the 1000 word homework theme is ‘The third house along …”

Photographic flash fiction evening

Time seems to have flown by since our last gathering so, in some ways, it has been a bonus not to have any homework assignments to complete before our next meeting.

It will take place next Tuesday 20 June when we will hold our Photographic Flash Fiction evening. All this requires is for you to bring along a photo or a postcard than can be shuffled around then one will be drawn (not your own!) and used as a prompt to create a short story in a limited time. After that we will all share our written words to find out what little gems we have created! It really can be fun!

Hope to see you at the meeting which starts, as usual, at 7.30pm.

Keep Scribbling!!!

Delayed meeting report.

My apologies for these minutes being so late - I own up - I forgot to do them! It's thanks to a gentle and timely reminder from Dave that you now have them.

Minutes of Scribblers meeting held on Tuesday 6 June 2017

Present:  Dave, Steve, Beryl, Liliane, Mairead, Kay, Bridget, Gerry, Di, Cathy

Apologies:  Jim, Dick, Anne and Tony

Business: 

New members Kay and Bridget briefly introduced themselves to Di.

Dave updated everyone on the progress of the anthology. We have accepted a quote to print all in black and white, instead of part colour as in previous anthologies.

Reading and critiquing longer piece of work

Mairead read ‘The Bedroom Mirror’, a piece of just over 2000 words – a complete story in itself, but one which she used to develop potential ideas for the novel she has in mind.

The work was totally absorbing, and the resulting discussion and feedback raised numerous points regarding style of writing, how to manage ‘show not tell’, plus how to make sure characters stay in the reader’s mind as the story progresses. Ideas and plot were much praised – and to add to our interest, Mairead had brought along a scrying mirror and other artefacts for us to examine. Her passion for magic in all its forms was clear for us all to see!

By the time this element of the meeting was over, and we’d enjoyed a coffee break with doughnuts etc kindly brought in by Mairead, it was 8.45, so nobody else read longer pieces out – instead, we heard readings of the 1000 word homework based on ‘unrequited love’.

Di: Mum and me

Bridget: Unrequited love

Beryl: A new take on an old tale

Kay: part of ‘Return ticket’

Liliane: The scent of all the roses

Steve: Great expectations

Dave: Running late

As ever, the theme had inspired a great variety of stories – proving once again what imaginations we all have.

Next meeting: Tuesday 20 June, when we have the photographic exercise, i.e. flash fiction with a different stimulus than the four words last time. For anyone not used to this, the idea is that we each bring in a photograph or postcard, which we put face down on the table. These are then shuffled around, and each member takes one (not their own), and we all spend about half an hour writing something inspired by our selected picture. Stories are then read out. This is always fun, once we’ve all got to grips with our selection!

The Felixstowe Book Festival

Rapidly approaching is this year’s Felixstowe Book Festival which takes place over the weekend of 1^st and 2^nd of July. There is an excellent programme on offer at the Orwell Hotel and at Felixstowe Library. There is something for both young and old alike.

More especially, our own group of writers, The Felixstowe Scribblers, will host a Microfiction Workshop in The Furneaux Suite in the Orwell Hotel on Sunday 2^nd July. Commencing at 10.45 until noon, it will provide an opportunity to experience the craft of writing flash fiction.

Flash fiction is an exciting genre, one that helps boost creativity and is a joy and challenge to master.

Facilitating this relaxed and fun session will be Felixstowe Scribblers Chairman Dave Feakes. You will be able to create a short story written in a limited period of time and, if you wish, share your work with others.

This event costs £8 (£7 for concessions) or there is a special £35 ticket for all of Sunday’s events in the Furneaux Suite. Tickets and events are available from www.felixstowebookfestival.co.uk

Come and support this excellent event – and of course, the Felixstowe Scribblers! 

Tonight's meeting

The news is that the anthology 'manuscript' has been delivered to our printers, Gipping Press, quotations have been received and one has been accepted whilst the cover design will be confirmed too. Suffice to say there are twenty-five different authors, both current and former regulars who, between them, have provided some forty short stories and poems.  Likely to go on sale at a meagre fiver a time we hope it will be a sell out!

This will be available just prior to the Felixstowe Book Festival and also be on sale at Stillwater Books. Make sure you get your copy/copies!

Bookings for the Microfiction Workshop - which is a flash fiction event - are struggling at present so we ask that, if you are interested in this form of fun writing, you book your tickets for the event which takes place on Sunday 2nd July in the Furneaux Suite at the Orwell Hotel, Felixstowe. The workshop will be facilitated by Dave Feakes, Chairman of the Scribblers. The event starts at 10.45 and runs until 12 noon.

We hear  that the next Ipswich  Writers' Cafe takes place at La Tour Cycle Cafe on Monday 19th June with a 7.30pm start 

Tonight's meeting at Scribblers provided Mairead with a platform for her ongoing work towards her novel. It was discussed at length and hopefully the feedback she received will help her towards the finished work.

There were several other stories on the homework theme, 'Unrequited Love' and all excelled in their characterisation and plot lines. Another fantastic evening!

Our next meeting will be on Tuesday 20th June in the Room at the Top. This will be a flash fiction event based on a photograph or postcard - so please bring one along to get shuffled into the hat before one, other than your own, can be selected as a prompt for a short story. Always good fun!

Our next meeting.

Where has the time gone? Despite an extra week's 'rest' our next meeting is fast approaching. It is this coming Tuesday 6th June when Mairead will present a sample of her novel for feedback. For everyone else the homework assignment is to write up to 1,000 words on 'Unrequited Love.' If the subject doesn't appeal then you may bring in something more to your taste as long as it maintains the word limit. The meeting will start at 7.30.

Our anthology will be delivered to the printers tomorrow (Monday) so hopefully everything will be fine. It will be slightly larger than intended with 90 pages including stories and poems from twenty-five current and former scribblers with some really good work included. I will be taking advice from Gipping Press on the cover design so the final format has yet to be agreed. Hopefully I'll have the answer tomorrow!

It has been a long haul getting to this point and thanks go to Beryl for helping with checking the stories over for any glaring errors...

Hope to see you all at Scribblers on Tuesday, so, until then...

Keep Scribbling!

Dave

Suffolk Reading Festival

Tune in to ICR on 105.7fm or via the internet, tune app, and various others on Friday 2nd June at 12.30-1300. for
The Suffolk Reading Festival.
On the show Friday:-

The Sword of the Kings by ADW Shearman.
(Chapter - Nilbog Central pt3
Richard Bradshaw reads the book.
Ryan Guilder the Brackets
Debbie Coveney is Deepli Konserned
Sheila Martin is Eimer Deville
Andy Sindle is Jumping Blogger
Ryan Guilder is Eanie
Phoebe Martin is Meanie
Lewis Martin is Mienie

Oh Whistle and i'll come to you my lad by M R James
Debbie Coveney is Narrator
Brian England is Parkins
Su Stedman is the Maid

You by Beryl Sabel
read by Beryl Sabel
.
Hope you enjoy them.
And if you miss it. Catch the repeat at 13.30 Saturday 3rd June..

Tony