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As a commitment to our members this page is available, free of charge, to Writing Groups who are members of NAWG, their members and NAWG Associates, who have news of creative writing courses/workshops, or wish to post information that they feel might be of interest to others.

Other groups, individuals or associations who are not members will be charged a fee for the privilege.

Starting on the 1st January 2011, the fee for a one off submisson will be £8.00. Should you require further submissions thoughout the year, a fee of £20.00 will cover all advertisements for 12 months following payment.

All payments should be made by cheque, payable to NAWG and sent to Webmaster, 65 Riverside Mead, Peterborough, PE2 8JN: -or, you may now pay by PayPal.

Choose Advert’s timespan

Single entry£8.00 GBP One year’s entry£20.00 GBP

 

Would you like to advertise in LINK, our bi-monthly Newsletter?

Please contact our advertising agent, Wendy Kearns for full details of advertising rates in LINK magazine and for advertising/sponsorship opportunities for the NAWG annual conference.  Tel 01392 466099 email wendykearns1@gmail.com

For NAWG members Advertising in Link is free.

To view back copies of LINK  click here.

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New entry –

 

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Learn how to write poetry!

The Poetry School is a community of poets, learning how to write, read, publish and perform poetry in a friendly and supportive setting. Beginners to advanced, technical and inspirational, one day workshops to year-long courses, country-wide classroom teaching and online. All activities taught by professional published poets.

Download the programme here

 www.poetryschool.com

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5-day Residential Creative Writing Courses in Galloway

A host of golden daffodils, a flock of fuzzy llamas and two extremely experienced and enthusiastic tutors…                                  

…Spring course 25th to 29th March, 2013

Have you always wanted to write? Perhaps you have a file of unfinished stories or poems, or a complete manuscript that needs more work, only you’re not sure what to do next, or are you an experienced writer who just needs time, space and some constructive feedback?  Whether you need help to get started, or to edit and develop your work, or simply to get new ideas and inspiration, this could be the course for you. The week will consist of daily group workshops, individual sessions with an experienced tutor, plenty of writing time, and the chance to exchange ideas with the other course participants. The workshops will include work on creating characters, using the senses, how to write dialogue and narrative voice. The rural setting and ambience of Durhamhill give space and stimulus for writing, thinking and sharing ideas. The tutors will be on hand every day if you want them to read your work, and give practical advice and suggestions. Only you know what you’d like to achieve; the week is designed to enable you to make it happen.

Margaret Elphinstone,  a well-established historical novelist, is again living in Galloway where she was working as a gardener when her first novel was published in 1987. Her novels include ‘Voyageurs’, ‘Light’, ‘Hy Brasil’. ‘The Sea Road’ appears in ‘The 100 Best Scottish Books of all Time’ produced by ‘List Magazine’. Her most recent novel (published, like the others, by Canongate), is ‘The Gathering Night’, set 8000 years ago among the hunter-gatherers of Mesolithic Scotland. She has also written poetry and short stories and contributes articles to journals and other publications. Margaret is an Emeritus Professor of Strathclyde University where she was a member of the Department of English for 18 years. She was a Visiting Professor at central Michigan University in 1998 and 2001. She has extensive experience of teaching creative writing to children and adults at all levels and has been a regular tutor on international Arvon courses.

Mary Smith is a writer, poet and journalist based in Galloway. Her poems have been widely published in poetry magazines and anthologies and a full collection, “Thousands Pass Here Every Day”, was published in 2012. Her novel, “No More Mulberries”, is set in Afghanistan where she worked for several years. “Drunk Chickens and Burnt Macaroni: Real Stories of Afghan Woman” is a lively account of her time there and provides an insight into the lives of the Afghan women with whom she lived and worked. As a journalist, Mary has worked as a senior reporter on a local paper, a staff features writer with the award-winning consumer magazine ‘Dumfries & Galloway Life’. She continues to write features on a freelance basis. Mary has an MLitt in Creative Writing from Glasgow University. She has taught Creative Writing at Glasgow University and she is the organiser of the Dumfries Writers’ Group and a facilitator for a disabled writers.

Accommodation is in a comfortable eco-friendly Coach House, where everyone dines, or big rooms in the main house.  Another old coach house forms an artists’ studio, and there are inspiring outdoor spaces to work, such as the horseshoe shaped stone seating area with views to the hills, the sheltered orchard or the bench at the top of the llama field.

For a break from writing in the evening, we offer motorcycle sidecar adventures in the hills, horse-drawn carriage trips, electric bike hire and llama-feeding. We are surrounded by great walking and fishing country, and about 12 miles from the beaches and coves of the Solway coast. For non-participating partners, there are several golf courses as well as the 7-stanes mountain bike trails. The studio can convert into a mini cinema to enjoy the woodburner, wine and popcorn.

Course fee £400,  £50 discount for couples, £100 discount for non-participating partner, £100 surcharge for single room (max 2 people in shared rooms). Maximum number of participants is 12 to allow time for individual sessions. Fees include accommodation for 4/5 nights in the 4-star Coach House, or large rooms in the main house, and meals. Guests are welcome to arrive on the evening of Sunday, 24th March, ready for the course to start the following morning.

For further information on courses / bookings contact Juliet on 01556 509021 or email mail@durhamhill.co.uk. Websites         www.durhamhill.co.uk      www.margaretelphinstone.co.uk     www.marysmith.co.uk

 

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A Message from Associate Member Eileen Thornton

I was wondering whether you would be interested in taking part in this blog hop to help promote your books.  Take a look at Oliver Eade’s blog and you’ll see the questions you have to answer on your own blog.  www.olivereade.blogspot.com   Anyway let me know asap as I am already working on my answers.  If you are interested in taking part (being tigged by me at the end of my questions/answered, then you’ll need to give me a couple of sentences about your writing and your blog/website address.

Now Available on Kindle – Divorcees.Biz – A novel of fun and romance.
Vote for Divorcees.Biz in the Turning the Page Book of the Year Comp www.divorcees.biz
www.eileenthornton.co.uk
www.lifeshard-winehelps.blogspot.com
www.eileenmaud2@twitter.com

More about Eileen’s book on our new ‘Members Published’  page – click here 

 

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 Professional Audio Books by Kyle Jones

 

Audio books are more popular than ever at the moment and maybe worth exploring as an aspiring or experienced writer. Not only do they have the power to circumvent the restrictions of traditional publishers and allow anyone to either market or share their creative words, plots, ideas, adventures, and life journeys but enable a writer to explore the different and dramatic dimension of the voice. Recordings of your best stories can be uploaded to websites, made into CDs, podcasts, put on memory sticks and shared amongst family, friends, local bookshops, libraries, bus and train companies or anywhere around the globe. Amazon and its counterpart Audible also enable writers to market their work online.

I am a recent member and big fan of recording, editing, and mixing digital sound using either a studio, phone line, or best 32 bit portable digital recorder. I produce a weekly radio show at Radio Cherwell Oxford called The Stethoscope and make various feature programmes on a range of subjects from the history of anaesthetics to pigeon racing, growing watercress, shipping racehorses by air, traditional thatching and more.

I would like to offer my services to writers for a (hopefully) reasonable fee and support writers to share their good works in audio formats. Either you could read your own story or I could arrange it to be read by a professional voice. I could either come to you, you to me, or down the phone line at the studio. Or I could share with you the ins and outs of making your own audio recording if you so desire. Obviously it is important to know thar 1,000 words normally reads in approximately 10 minutes so pick your favorite short story to begin with. I am also interested to broadcast a series of stories within the Oxford hospitals and explore a national rail scheme that helps promote downloadable podcasts for those commuting. I also would consider hosting a storefront website that could distribute, share, sell, and market your stories. If you are intrigued please get in touch. I also am a skilled photographer and can assist with any CD artwork you might require. Kyle Jones 07962 207988 or info@timeandcompany.com Thank you.

 

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Scrivener For Dummies by Gwen Hernandez

 

Make complicated writing projects simple and take your writing skills to the next level with Scrivener Scrivener is the first and only word processing program designed specifically for the messy, non-linear way writers really work. Scrivener For Dummies is the easiest way to master this powerful writing software. Written by veteran Scrivener trainer and novelist Gwen Hernandez, you’ll learn to set up a new project, organize your research, track scene elements, create custom layouts, and more with this friendly Scrivener guide. • Say “hello” to Scrivener — quickly learn your way around the Scrivener workspace and all its basic functions, features, buttons, parts, and pieces • The perfect form — create custom project templates tailored to your needs and style, and store them to use for future projects • Bid adieu to pushpins, index cards, and lost ideas — keep your writing, research, character sketches, synopses, outlines, drafts and images all in one dedicated project file • Unlimited formatting freedom — instantly export your work into many formats and document combinations, without affecting the original manuscript • Bring your story to life — view multiple scenes at once, storyboard with index cards, or view your work in outline form • Goodbye to paper clutter and paper cuts — track multiple versions of a manuscript with Revision mode and keep notes ready-to-hand with Quick Reference panels

Exclusively for National Association of Writers Members, visit www.wiley.com/buy/978-1-1183-1247-6 and get 25% off (+ free P&P) by entering discount code: VBB19

Pick up your copy today!

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The Talliston Writers’ Circle

Great Dunmow, Essex

• Officially registering with the National Association of Writers’ Groups (NAWG), the Talliston Writers’ Circle is headed by award-winning author, John Trevillian, to act as a challenging and supportive social group for all writers of fiction and non-fiction.

• The benefits of joining include: - Increased motivation and inspiration to keep writing - A way of interacting socially with other writers - Focusing activities around writing, including access to competitions and writing festivals - Mixing new writers with already published authors to share stories and experiences - Regular meetings in an inspirational environment

• Quotes: “Talliston is all about creating the extraordinary from the ordinary, which in essence is what any writer sets out to do. It is that passion that drives people to pick up a pen, or sit in front of a computer screen, and tell such astonishing stories.”

“The Talliston Writers’ Circle is just one more way we are reaching out local creative people to create a challenging and supportive social group of like-minded individuals.”

• Talliston is an on-going interior design/art installation project in Great Dunmow, Essex, UK. Set to be completed in Autumn 2015, the project takes an ordinary three-bedroomed semi-detached, ex-council house and transforms it into thirteen unique locations, each set in its own time and space. Once completed, it will also be a creative hub for a variety of events and happenings.

 

 

• John Trevillian is an award-winning British author of the dystopian science fiction trilogy, The A-Men (The A-Men, The Amen Return, Forever A-Men).

Fascinated by the crossover points of technology, religion and myth, Trevillian’s work is as much informed by the roles of magazine editor, technology writer and IT journalist as his training in the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids and Native American Shamanism (Lakota Sioux).

He is the founder of the Talliston interior design and art project, plus Shadowmagick, a collection of poetry, songs, travel journals, short stories and other miscellaneous writing.

Websites www.trevillian.com | www.talliston.com

Contact: jetx@aol.com

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      The Berforts and Information Press Group is a long established book printing group in three locations
within the UK. Our Group’s resources provide professional book printing, self publishing, creative design,
marketing, fulfillment, storage and distribution services.
 
      If you require paperback or hardback books in any quantity or size, please do give one of our
friendly and helpful team a telephone call on 01438 312777 or email us at dburgess@berforts.com

Books           Journals                 Brochures               Catalogues             Magazines               Newsletters

Normally €11.95, the anthology is now available through June at special launch prices from www.LabelloPress.com.

“Gem Street” is an eclectic mix of 11 glittering new stories by award-winning and new authors from Ireland, the UK, the USA, New Zealand, Canada, France, and Spain.

Publishing with a personal approach, the Press holds its International Short Story Competition each year in conjunction with the Leonard A. Koval Memorial Prize. This year’s competition will open on 1st July. Please check the Labello site for submission guidelines. Each story selected for inclusion in “Gem Street” is awarded one of the prizes.

For more information about how to purchase a copy of “Gem Street”, please visit www.LabelloPress.com

Information about this year’s competition can be found at: www.LabelloPress.com/submission-guidelines.html

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Roz Southey’s new blog:

The Write Place, which gives advice and tips for writers of all standards and experience.  The blog has exercises to improve writing skills, reviews of writing books, information on courses, general news items, discussion pieces and much more.  The site can be accessed from www.rozsouthey.co.uk via the link in the left column.

Roz Southey is the author of the Charles Patterson mysteries, a series of historical detective novels set in Newcastle upon Tyne and published by Crème de la Crime (now an imprint of Severn House).  Her short stories have appeared in a number of publications, including the Mammoth Book of Best British Crime.  She lectures at Newcastle University and has also published non-fiction books and articles, including local and family history, and academic papers.  She has also been a judge of a numerous of short story competitions including a competition run by NAWG.

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The message below from Terri Elders is taken from a thread on our Facebook page, 10th  March 2012.

I thought that it might be of interest to our members, and also to remind members that we do have a
Facebook page, ‘The National Association of Writers’ Groups’, and would appreciate it if you regularly visited it – it is there for you.

We also have a Twitter account @NAWGnews.

Publishing Syndicate is looking for your stories for a new anthology series, Not Your Mother’s Book. Please check out the guidelines and consider submitting. I’m “cocreating” the books on Travel, Sharing Secrets and My First Time. I’d love to see your true tales. They can be previously published so long as you hold the copyright, between 500 and 2500 words. http://www.facebook.com/l/bAQFTSQqbAQHMPbVT7ggFz9jVQaDuOxyAtDIZBsV3ZGgSww/publishingsyndicate.com/publishing_syndicate/submissions/nymb_submit_guidelines.html

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New for 2012 – NAWG Musers

NAWG Musers is a new email-based resource for NAWG members who would welcome the opportunity to improve their writing by having a one-to-one contact to review, discuss work, help with editing, proof-reading or whatever is most useful to you.

Some members already have this sort of direct contact but for those of us who don’t it is hoped NAWG Musers will fill the gap. Full details available in the forthcoming newsletter and April Link.

Jo Sadler

 

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“A brand new writing school and retreat opens this spring in the Loire Valley and is offering a special discount to Writer’s Group members.

Just quote NAWGcc12 when you contact Ian or Natalie Moore on info@leschampscreatifs.com and check out their exciting courses on leschampscreatifs.com”

 

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NAWG Member Keith Large, a member of  the affiliated writing group, Turning the Page, introduces his film, Summer Ice.

Watch this trailer:-http://www.youtube.com/user/gazdakin1

For more details contact Keith:-Keith Large <keith.large2@btinternet.com>

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Don’t let poor spelling and grammar distract your reader – have your writing professionally proofread by purely proofreading and give it the best chance of getting noticed for all the right reasons!
www.purely-proofreading.co.uk
purelyproofreading@gmail.com

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 Could you help with a Channel 4 TV series?
Are you changing your life for love?
Are you leaving your home, family, or friends to be with your partner?

The BAFTA award-winning team at The Garden Productions is making a new documentary series for Channel 4 about love and relationships.

We are looking to talk to people who are about to make a big change in their lives.  Perhaps you are moving to an entirely new city to be with your partner?  Maybe you’re changing your lifestyle or giving up something important?

Whatever your story we would like to hear from you.

Please email anna.dangoor@thegardenproductions.tv or call Anna on 020 7645 3324  to find out more.

Calling does not oblige you to take part in the series.

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WRITE BY THE SEA

Iron Press and Northumbria School of English present a new venue for residential Creative Writing Weekends in Whitley Bay on the North East Coast of England. Join us and be inspired by the sea and landscape. Experienced tutors, own room, all meals provided and plenty of space to write.

The first Write by the Sea residential writing weekend takes place from:

6pm Friday evening, September 30th to 2pm Sunday afternoon, 2nd October 2011.

The title of this workshop is Fiction Foundations and it is aimed at those just starting out on the fiction-writing highway. Participants will be invited to send, in advance, up to 3000 words and a brief synopsis of a piece of fiction, which will be read by the tutors. They will give one-to-one feedback on the work during the weekend.

The tutors running this first course are two well-published, experienced writers: Carol Clewlow and Kitty Fitzgerald and on Saturday evening, after dinner, the founder and editor of IRON Press, Peter Mortimer will talk to the participants and answer questions about the publishing industry and independent presses in particular. Christine Goodwin, owner and principal of Northumbria School of English, which is located on the seafront in Whitley Bay, will host the writing weekends, The following writers have been booked for future weekends:

Oct 28th -30th: Wendy Robertson & Avril Joy on Writing a Novel Nov 25th -27th: Michael Chaplin & Karen Laws, Scriptwriting David Almond, (Fiction) & Pete Scott, (Song Writing) are in line for 2012 and we are in discussion with others.

For more information or to book a place please contact Write by the Sea.

Cost: £275 including full-board accommodation.

You can download a brochure:-

WritebytheSea brochure

For further information please contact: E:writebythesea@btconnect.com

T: Peter Mortimer – IRON Press 0191 253 1901

T: Christine Goodwin – Northumbria School of English 0191 252 5265

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London Writers’ Cafe meets twice a month to give creative writers the opportunity to share their work and get supportive and constructive feedback from other writers. Despite our popularity, our meetings are informal, friendly and social events and with good contacts to the publishing industry (please see our sponsor list) we host an array of workshops, author talks and special events for writers too. LWC is free to join and is inclusive of all writers; from novelists, playwrights, poets, essayists and short story writers. So if you are looking for a lively community, feedback group or just an excuse to socialise with other writers please take a look at our website:  http://www.meetup.com/londonwriterscafe or email us or like us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/londonwriterscafe

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Latest News:- The new term at the Poetry School is now booking.

Courses, workshops, classes, tutorials for all levels of poet, beginners to advanced, all round the country and online. Taught by poets, taught to poets. More details at www.poetryschool.com

Discover the pleasures of poetry with the T S Eliot Prize reading groups

Poetry was recently described by the Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy as ‘a necessary and nourishing part of our lives’. The Poetry Book Society wholeheartedly agrees and we’d like to offer you the chance to engage with the best in contemporary poetry through the T S Eliot Prize reading groups. The scheme is based on the shortlist for the 2011 T S Eliot Prize for Poetry. We hope to encourage fiction reading groups to try poetry, using the work of the poets shortlisted for the Prize.

The judges, Chair Gillian Clarke, Stephen Knight and Dennis O’Driscoll, will meet in mid October to decide on the ten-book shortlist, which will be announced on Thursday 20 October. From that day, reading groups will be able to download a biography and photo of each poet and three poems from their book, together with reading group notes on the poems, from www.poetrybooks.co.uk/projects/13. The PBS website will offer readers the opportunity to vote for their favourite poet online, the result of which will be announced at the award ceremony.

Generous reading group discounts will also be available. Readers can also sign up for a weekly email which will cover the ten poets in turn and keep them up-to-date with news on the Prize.

There will also be a prize draw for tickets for the celebratory T S Eliot Prize Readings in the Royal Festival Hall on London’s Southbank on Sunday 15 January 2012. The 2010 Readings were a great success, attracting one of the biggest audiences for a single poetry event of recent times.

The PBS is keen to encourage fiction groups to give poetry a go, so, to help you on your way, the poems will be available to download from the site so that you can incorporate them into your reading plans. You can also order books from the PBS if you wish to explore any of the poets in more depth. In addition, we’ll be providing helpful advice on how to set up and run a poetry reading group.

The winner of the 2011 T S Eliot Prize will be announced at the award ceremony on Monday 16 January 2012, when Mrs Valerie Eliot will present the winner with a cheque for £15,000.  The shortlisted poets will each receive £1,000.

The four Poetry Book Society Choices from 2011 are automatically shortlisted for the Prize. This means we already know that Night  by David Harsent (Faber), November by Sean O’Brien (Picador), Profit and Loss by Leontia Flynn (Jonathan Cape) and Armour  by John Kinsella (Picador) will be on the shortlist.

The T S Eliot Prize was inaugurated in 1993 to celebrate the Poetry Book Society’s 40th birthday, and to honour its founding poet. Now in its nineteenth year, the T S Eliot Prize is the ‘world’s top poetry award’ (Louise Jury, The Irish Independent). The Prize is awarded annually to the writer of the best new poetry collection published in the UK or Ireland. It is unique as it is always judged by a panel of established poets and it has been described by Sir Andrew Motion as ‘the Prize most poets want to win’. Last year’s winner was Derek Walcott, for his collection White Egrets (Faber).

Founded by T S Eliot and friends in 1953, the Poetry Book Society is a unique poetry organisation which provides its members with its Poet Selectors’ choice of the best new poetry books. The PBS has two websites; an online bookshop (www.poetrybookshoponline.com) offering 90,000 poetry books and CDs, including the Poetry Archive recordings, together with a wide range of poetry news, articles, reviews, information and events listings, and the PBS website, www.poetrybooks.co.uk, which has a special members’ section and houses the PBS’s projects, including the T S Eliot Prize and its Shadowing and reading group schemes.

For further information please go to www.poetrybooks.co.uk/projects
or contact: Hilary Davidson or Chris Holifield at the Poetry Book Society
tel 020 7831 7468 emails hilary@poetrybooks.co.uk and chris@poetrybooks.co.uk

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The Kati Nicholl Editorial Agency

http://www.knicholl.co.uk/

Specialists in: Appraisal. Abridging. Editing. Proofreading. Scanning

Our prize-winning team – a BAFTA nomination for The Magician of Samarkand, starring Sir Ben Kingsley and 41 major audiobook abridging awards – know what makes a book work and how to present it.

Over 30 years of editing, buying, abridging and reviewing for major publishers and agents, national magazines and newspapers

Whether you are a brand-new writer wanting constructive criticism or editorial help, or an established author whose publisher is demanding more finish, we offer a full and wide-ranging service, either electronically or physically, with guaranteed delivery dates.

Contact us via our website or by phone:
020 8361 6241

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I am a PhD research student (aged 76!) in Creative Writing at Loughborough University and need to contact as many writers as possible to help with my research. Rather than explain in detail here, I shall give you my web site address where everything will be made clear: www.writersofloveafter65.com

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NAWG website enquiry: internship
Message from: “mitra harding” mitraharding@hotmail.com

This is something that might be of interest to some of our groups: -
I have MA in comparative literature, I am multilingual and would like to do some voluntary work with a writer’s group. Thank you.

If you would like to contact Mitra, please feel free to do so.

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The School Creative Centre

Press Release 17.03.2011

BAFTA Winner launches new writers’ hub

A new writers’ hub is set to launch later this month, offering writers in Kent and East Sussex an opportunity to network, share ideas and explore development opportunities. Co-ordinated by BAFTA-winning writer Roy Apps, the Rye Hub of New Writing South, a creative writing organisation, will provide emerging and professional writers from all media with a focal point from which to organise networking and creative opportunities and discuss project ideas.

Following the successful launch of a similar initiative in Portsmouth, the Rye Hub will be launched at The School Creative Centre in Rye on Tuesday 29 March and will feature guest speaker Carole Hayman, a writer, producer and film-maker whose most recent novel, political satire Hard Choices, was shortlisted for the Silver Booker Prize.

The Rye Hub will go on to meet for lunch on the last Tuesday of each month. Each session will feature a guest speaker plus plenty of discussion on a range of issues affecting creative writers and their industry. Forthcoming topics include e-publishing, copyright and writing for soundscape.

Co-ordinator Roy Apps is the author of 58 children’s books, and has written dozens of TV scripts. He is one of only four writers to have received a personal BAFTA Children’s Film & Television Writers’ Award.

Inaugural guest speaker Carole Hayman was born in Kent, which features in her trilogy of novels, The Warfleet Chronicles. Carole’s work has featured on radio and television, for which she co-wrote the BBC Radio 4 and ITV series Ladies of Letters.

The first Rye Hub session is free, and will be held on Tuesday 29 March from 12noon to 2pm. Subsequent Hub meetings will be free to New Writing South members, and £5.00 to visitors.

For more details, please contact Roy Apps on ryehub@newwritingsouth.com or visit www.theschoolcreativecentre.co.uk

Notes to editors: The School Creative Centre is a creative and cultural hub and studio facility for professional artists and makers of outdoor work, offering a varied performance and live music programme and dynamic visual and performing arts workshops for children, young people and adults in Kent and East Sussex.

www.theschoolcreativecentre.co.uk

New Writing South works with all kinds of creative writers and new writing in the south east region: authors, playwrights, poets, screen writers, radio writers, journalists and more. They offer writers’ development, encouragement, resources and opportunities to make new contacts. They also programme numerous events that aim to enhance skills, stretch creativity and broker partnerships with those who produce and publish work. Membership is open to everyone involved in creative writing in the south.

http://www.newwritingsouth.com/development/ryehub.php

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How to win a short story competition

 Mslexia’s Women’s Short Story Competition 2011 is open for entries, with a first prize of £2,000.(see Open Competition page)

To help you craft a winning story, here’s some guidance from previous judges.

1. Choose intriguing subject matter.
   One of the easiest way to make your story unique is to set it somewhere exotic, or write about a topic (ornithology, millinery, billiards) that has its own wonderful language.
   ‘I longed to read about something extraordinary’, Tracy Chevalier.
   ‘Consider writing about science, history, philosophy, politics, travel… Subject matter that will set your story apart’, Sara Maitland.
2. Make something happen.
   A short story should chronicle a transformation or change; so steer clear of static scenarios and internal monologues. And make the change concrete if possible.
   ‘I like a story with movement rather than a snapshot in time’, Val McDermid.
   ‘I prefer a tale driven by events, by conflict between characters’, Kate Mosse.
3. Don’t use an extract from your novel.
   Novel extracts make unsatisfying short stories. The pace of a novel is different, because the characters are on a longer journey. The novel walks, where the story needs to run.
   ‘A short story must go somewhere, and actually arrive in the span of its short life’, Maggie Gee.
   ‘Some stories ruled themselves out by dint of their sheer formlessless’, Helen Simpson.
4. Purge those clichés.
   Raise your description to another level by spending some quality time with every adjective and adverb. Could you find better ones? Could you leave any out? Could you replace that simile with a metaphor?
   ‘I think metaphor is far stronger than simile’, Stella Duffy.
   ‘I prefer writing that is brilliant but flawed to something less ambitious that’s almost perfect’, Patience Agbabi.
5. Focus on an unusual character.
   If you decide to write about something you have experienced, try transposing it into the life of someone wilder, uglier, madder, badder than you are – and see what happens.
   ‘You don’t need to have great thoughts, just great characters’, Deborah Moggach.
   ‘Step away from yourself and look out into the world. You’re not as interesting as you think!’, Tracy Chevalier.
6. Write in first person.
   A surefire way to hook a reader and get them involved is to slip inside your main character’s skin and look at the world through their eyes.
   ‘It’s no coincidence that the top prizewinning stories were all written in the first person’. Jill Dawson.
   ‘Try rewriting your story in first person; it will come alive’. Deborah Moggach.

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‘Turning your Knowledge into Income’
by Chris Day Filament Publishing – £10

 Chris Day is a prolific and successful writer, author, business journalist and publisher whose passion revolves around the effective use of words. His latest offering, Turning your Knowledge into Income, is an infinitely useful and highly inspiring 188-page soft-back book. This cleverly constructed compendium could well provide just the push you need to develop and take control of a lucrative new income source – or even an ingeniously ‘recycled’ or parallel career.

This is achievable, says Chris, simply by converting your Knowledge into a far-reaching scenario that can add value to others’ lives. The format of the book itself succinctly and effectively epitomises exactly what Chris is advising his readers to do themselves. He has neatly pulled on his huge accumulated wealth of Knowledge to create a powerful, all-embracing ‘layman’s’ guide, all presented in a single volume.

Aimed primarily at aspiring writers but also entirely relevant to anyone finding themselves at an unexpected crossroads in their career or life journey, Chris’s book contains a vast amount of invaluable information and packages it into easily accessible, bite-sized chunks, which together create a highly achievable route to personal and financial success.

From cover to cover, Chris himself looms large as a personable, inspiring, expert, and successful entrepreneur, providing entirely relevant, positive, and realistic advice and guidance on a subject that arises from his lifelong passion for words and their manifold uses.

Throughout his own career he has used them to great effect, working on stage and behind the scenes in theatre, acting on film and on television, as a voiceover artist on radio… setting up a number of successful businesses… as a trainer and public speaker – and now enjoying a varied and fulfilling life as a multi-media publisher.

Throughout the book and in his inimitable style, Chris also calls upon a raft of highly respected, high achieving friends and colleagues, all of whom are proven experts in their particular fields. From them he has managed to extract invaluable contributions and reference guides to a host of crucial subjects from Goal Mapping (Brian Mayne), and Mind Mapping (Phil Chambers) to Working successfully from Home (Rachael Ross), Social Networking (David White) and Entrepreneurial, Marketing and Business Consulting (Jonathan Jay) – as well as including items from a number of published authors (David Barber, Colin Bennett, Ron G Holland and John Rushton) and a professional photographer (Frazer Ashford).

Turning your Knowledge into Income is divided into three parts, with Part One entitled ‘Know What You Know’, Part Two ‘Grow What You Know’ and Part Three, ‘Share What You Know’.

Each section is bursting with words of experience from Chris and his contributors, and designed to help you identify the assets you already possess – which, if properly packaged, others will willingly pay for – and through which you can take the necessary steps to create a thriving business.

“Most people spend a lifetime making regular deposits into their personal Bank of Knowledge and build up considerable assets” says Chris. “Very often they completely overlook what could be the most valuable things they own – their Knowledge, experience and the many insights they have gained over the years. By ignoring them, they are, in effect, letting the account at their Bank of Knowledge lie dormant!

My inspiration for this book is to bring all those assets together to create an up-to-the-moment ‘current account’ – designed to invigorate and enthuse my readers into transforming all that Knowledge into a very welcome income source, which could transform their lives forever!”

About the Author

Chris Day is an author and business journalist, whose current editorial assignments include a monthly column in Making Money Magazine. Along with co-author Phil Chambers, he compiled and wrote the first Yearbook and the Arbiters Handbook for the Mind Sport of Competitive Memory and is also the General Secretary for the World Memory Sports Council, organisers of the World Memory Championships.

In 2000 he founded Filament Publishing Ltd to help aspiring authors to find an easier route to market their words, and to take advantage of the new opportunities that the digital age and social media have now made possible to repurpose words in a variety of ever-expanding new formats.

Available for Interview

Chris is also available to provide or contribute to any press or broadcast features you may be considering, on the subjects of finding new or additional career paths, or setting up in business for yourself. He would also be prepared to put together a regular slot in your publication or for your website, or provide expert advice on any associated matter.

For more information about Chris visit www.AskChrisDay.com

“Turning your Knowledge into Income” by Chris Day Published by Filament Publishing and distributed by Gardner’s. ISBN 978-1-905493-40-1 (RRP £10) is available from major bookshops throughout the UK and online retailers such as Amazon– or you can order direct at:-www.filamentpublishing.com

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Call Out for Flash Fictions from NW writers

Flax will be accepting submissions of flash fictions in December/January for its forthcoming anthology, Flax026
All details and submission guidelines are here: http://www.litfest.org/submissions/ If you have any questions, contact Sarah Hymas You can read previous Flax anthologies on the Litfest website

Posted by: Sarah Hymas
Publishing Development Manager
Flax, Litfest Tel: +44 (0)1524 621 66
Web: www.litfest.org Post: Litfest, The Storey, Meeting House Lane, Lancaster LA1 1TH

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100 Words
An on-line project calling for submissions

I’m a visual artist living in Ireland and I am writing to invite you and your members to take part in an on-line project I recently started called 100 WORDS.
It examines and celebrates loss, love, life and the passing of time and asks people to describe the life they have experienced using 100 words or less.
I came across you on-line and after reading about your organisation and work wondered if you would like to take part.

You can see the project so far at www.lifein100wordsorless.wordpress.com or on facebook 100 words. So far I’ve received submissions from the USA, Canada, Finland, Italy and the UK. I’m hoping that there will be a publication and short film to accompany the project but this will be determined by the amount and type of submissions received.

Posted by Rowena Keaveny paintpolitik@live.ie

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The Biography Club A new online biography writing club. Our biography club is a newly-launched venture for book lovers and budding writers. We specialise in biographies. The website features new book releases, news reports from the world of biographies, interviews, a chat-room, online seminars, advice pieces from authors, and more. Email:[info@thebiographyclub.com] for further information. Posted by Jennie Jones
The Biography Club
www.thebiographyclub.com

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Are you interested in a Poetry Group that meets in Nottinghamshire? On my AA map Blidworth is underneath the word ‘Sherwood’, as in Sherwood Forest. This group would love to see some of you at their meetings.

Bards at Blidworth meets every third Saturday of the month at Blidworth Library.
Telephone: 01623 794068:
email: – blidworth.library@nottscc.gov.uk We meet from 10.00am. – 12.00pm.

We are a small, friendly group of poets (and sometimes listeners!). At meetings we have readarounds so that round the circle we can hear each other read one of their poems and invite feedback if they want it. Those that would like feedback are advised to bring copies of the poem they would like feedback on.

On alternate meetings we have workshops with the aim of producing a poem or draft of a poem at the time followed by a readaround. We look to having the occasional visiting speakers.
We have so far run one national poetry competition and will do so again.
We are starting to collect poems for a publication ‘Bards at Blidworth and Beyond.’
Sent by Chris http://www.christinemichael.org 

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Suspense Magazine Suspence magazine is reaching out to all your members to offer them a very special offer. We are giving away 4 Free Electronic issues of our magazine, to increase readership and awareness, so readers and authors know they have an outlet to help feature their work. We are dedicated at helping authors with their work and bring the world of suspense/thriller together. All your members have to do is email me: – editor@suspensemagazine.com and they will have the magazine sent to them ASAP.

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The Really Big Dream Company,
based at Les Cerisiers, an 18th century farmhouse set in the beautiful hills of Southern Burgundy,

 ……offers the ideal location for people who wish to fuse their pursuit of a leisure interest with having a marvellous holiday. Whether attending one of our tutored events or hiring the house for your own group activity, you can be sure that the tranquillity, surroundings and atmosphere will blend to make this an amazing experience. Writing events currently on offer include Kick-start your writing with Jessica Duchen, Discover your voice through expressive writing with Tony Watts, Feel the Fear and Write it anyway with Sonia Duggan and, soon to be announced,

From Memoir to fiction with Miriam Halahmy. In addition to your chosen pass-time, why not take the opportunity to sample the excellent wines and culinary treats that the region has to offer, try your hand at archery at our on site range, wander the footpaths that meander through the surrounding hills and valleys. With horse riding, boating, golf and historic sites near by, there is truly something for everyone. Please visit www.thereallybigdreamcompany.com for more details

Other attractions? 10 metre flood-lit swimming pool ∞ archery ∞ walks in the beautiful Charollais hills ∞ bread-baking using the traditional wood-burning bread-oven ∞ visits to local historic towns and castles, master chocolatiers, honey and bread producers, and working farms.

For more details of to make a reservation please visit www.thereallybigdreamcompany.com

Les Cerisiers provides an idyllic location for creative pursuits, looking out across meadows of grazing cattle and the wooded slopes of Mont St Cyr. There is a real sense of space and tranquillity yet we are only a short distance from castles, vineyards and the historic town of Cluny. Take time to discover some of the many other joys of the locality: walking, wine tasting, site seeing or just relaxing in the gardens. Non writing partners are welcome.

For more details of to make a reservation please visit www.thereallybigdreamcompany.com

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Poetry over Coffee With Anita McNamee

www.anitamcnamee.com , is a site dedicated to all people who enjoy a creative kind of life. Anita McNamee began writing poetry as a teenager. Her poems have been published within several anthologies. In 2008 she produced her first collection of poetry entitled “Buffy & Beyond – the therapy years”.>

Her current book, “Honesty is the Best Policy” self-published in 2010 is now on sale – www.anitamcnamee.com

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Norfolk Poets and Writers

Wendy Webb

I would like to tell members, I am blogging at; http://www.norfolkpoets.blogspot.com  http://davidianmagi.blogspot.com http://tipschristmas.blogspot.com

The 2nd is for Poetry Forms New for Old (including my new poetry forms), the 3rd will always include seasonal material (all year). There is also a free ezine eTIPS directly from me at: tips4writers@yahoo.co.uk And readers/writers may be interested in a new website for free uploads (and free downloads) of books – I have included some of my work, and: 20 Tips to Keep Editors Happy Revisited (WW) 20 Tips to Keep Poets Happy Revisited (WW) 20 tips to Keep Inspiration Alive (edited WW, author: Margaret Munro Gibson, poet, RIP) http://www.obooko.com
Wendy Webb
Norfolk Poets and Writers

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How to Sell and Market Your Book
by Darin Jewell

ISBN: 9781907756399

Published 25th November 2010
Price: £9.99

Covers new media opportunities and targeted at both self-published and traditionally-published authors. All authors want to sell as many copies of their books as possible. They also want to raise their literary profile as high as possible. There are more new routes to publication and also for sales and marketing than ever before. But where does the author start in such a competitive market?

This book sets out clearly the promotional tools available and advises which paths are likely to sell the highest number of copies and which will help to establish the writer’s name as a published author. It takes careful planning and know-how, but there is nobody better to promote a book than its author. The opportunities are out there and this guide will provide the information required for an author to maximise their chance of success.

About the author:

Darin Jewell is the Managing Director of The Inspira Group Literary Agency. Previously, he was CEO of a Internet site based on biographies and lead marketing and PR consultant to the Chairman of a major international trading group. Born in the USA, Darin settled in the UK in the early 1990s. He has a Master’s Degree in Philosophy, and undertook his doctoral research at Queens’ College, Cambridge before teaching Philosophy and Religion as a Senior Fellow at the Centre for the Study of World Religions at Harvard University.

For all media enquiries please contact Lucy on 0207 448 5137
or email lucyboguslawski@legend-paperbooks.co.uk For all buying enquiries please contact Tom on 0207 448 5162
or email tomchalmers@legend-paperbooks.co.uk

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