You can now read the Get Writing 2012 Competition Cup winning stories at the National Short Story Week website.
Our thanks to marvellous folk at National Short Story Week and especially Ian Skillicorn.
Hop over to my blog if you fancy reading an interview with the awesome Mr Dave Weaver. It’s very interesting, you know.
There is something which, with the swift passing of time, gets more and more on my proverbial lady-mounds. And it’s this: There is a large section of society that yearns for their talent to be discovered, yet they have neither produced anything worth discovering, nor have they put themselves in a place where they are likely to be found. This is the age of reality TV and talent(less) shows, of blogs(!) and social networking, of uneducated heroes and WAGs. But, for me, there is hope. There are those who still believe that if something is worth doing it is worth doing well, and that if something is done well it will eventually get the recognition it deserves.
I’ll be honest. I am not the most prolific of writers. My word count rises slowly, like a pensioner might walk towards the post office. And lethargy and I are good friends. I’ve also been known to associate with boredom, self-pity, arrogance, and every now and then I can be found with envy as my companion.
But I have realised that to be discovered or appreciated or successful or whatever it is that we writers see as the tunnel’s end to darkness, you have to work hard. You need to get the wonderful you that you believe in – and have probably told other people about – to come out and play, rather than sit sulking because no-one calls. Continue reading
Jenny Barden, novelist
It’s a big year for Verulam Writers’ Circle member Jenny Barden. 2012 sees the publication of her first novel, Mistress of the Seas. The path to success has been long and Jenny has worked hard to get her writing noticed. I asked her about the two journeys – the one in her epic adventure story, and her own path from first draft to publication.
When did you start/finish writing the book?
I started researching Mistress of the Sea five years ago and actually writing it about a year later, though the story in its early genesis was very different from the one now being published. The book took me a year to write, but was then substantially revised in response to feedback after it was first presented to editors. I finished the changes, and the book was resubmitted to Ebury Press, Random House, in September last year.
What is the novel about? Continue reading
Well, it’s now just a week away – Get Writing 2012 will be happening next Saturday, the 11th February!
We’re all very excited and can’t wait to welcome all our guests. It’s shaping up to be a really interesting day with lots of opportunities to learn, network and just enjoy the company of other writers.
But what about those who couldn’t join us this time? The recession has taken its toll on many of us and with the growth of facebook and twitter there are writers around the globe that have heard about us and want to get involved. Well, now they can!
Today, we are launching the very first Get Writing Get Tweeting competition.
The concept is simple, you just need to tell a story within the confines of a tweet. That’s 140 characters of tale telling glory!
There are no rules on genre, just do not be offensive – to anyone.
Fancy giving it a go?
Email your entry to competition@vwc.org.uk with the heading ‘Get Writing Get Tweeting 2012’ and give your name, your twitter name (if you have one!) and your entry. The deadline is Thursday 9th February 2012, 5pm GMT.
All entries will be judged by Ian Skillicorn from National Short Story Week and the winning story will be published on their website. In the follow up to Get Writing we will post all the entries right here on If Shakespeare… and we’ll tweet some of the best too – that’s @getwriting2012 if you aren’t already following us.
There’s no other prize but then it’s free to enter, for everybody, just join in with us and celebrate writing in its most concise sense.
Philippa Pride, aka The Book Doctor writes:
I have the seeds of several ideas but I don’t know which to develop as a book?
I hear it’s a tough market – is there any point in trying to get published?
How do I know when my book is finished?
I have had a couple of rejections from agents and I don’t have the energy to write to any more. Can you help?
I don’t know whether to write the whole book first, or to do the research as I go along?
Is it better to send to just one literary agent or a selection?
I have two toddlers and a full time job as a journalist and I just can’t find the time to write?
Should I publish it myself as an eBook?
I’ve written half and I’m ‘stuck’…how can I move forward?
These are just some of the questions I have answered in my role as The Book Doctor (R) where I offer all sorts of remedies for your books’ ailments!
Treatments to help you relax and approach your book revitalised include:
At the Writers’ Spa:
Hot stone treatments to iron out the plot
A jacuzzi for 2 so you can get to know and develop your lead character
Luxurious massage with organic oils to remind you about the joy in the process of writing
Reflexology to make sure the end of your book is as shipshape as the start
At the Surgery there is everything from laser treatment for legal issues, through booklifts to the occasional gastric band for those whose books need to lose at least 10,000 words
At The Book Doctor’s gym I offer special daily yogic writing exercises for flexing the mind, getting into flow, getting over block +writing pilates classes for strengthening the inner core, the main story, of your book
Alternative remedies include acupuncture for pinpointing the perfect agent and publisher for you.
I am lucky enough to have worked with wonderfully talented writers over the years, in my role as publisher for a major publishing house, writing coach, trainer and agent -
‘I have worked with Phil Pride for upwards of twenty years and I know of no-one in the writing and publishing business who is better equipped to talk about and teach the art and craft of writing’ – Stephen King, No. 1 Bestselling Writer.
I ran the first THE BOOK DOCTOR holistic writing course in 2006, entitled HOW TO GET PUBLISHED, FREE YOUR CREATIVITY, EVEN WRITE A BESTSELLER, combining my insider information about the publishing industry with my new skills as an NLP Coach. The course would combine a nuts and bolts approach to getting published with some inspirational coaching exercises for getting into flow. And the setting was Turkey’s Torquoise coast.
I arrived at Dalaman airport but my case did not…in it were all my notes, reference books, clothes, flipchart paper and pens. If ever there were a time for drawing on my coaching resources this was it so I asked participants to write the story of the case from the case’s point of view. OMG – the case had such wonderful adventures: one case had an amazing romance, one set off with an exciting celebrity designer bag, another had a raft of ‘backworld’ experiences. And the writers were off…
Since that course, I have worked with some wonderfully talented writers at every stage in the process – from those with just germs of ideas to those working on their second books, and I have even agented a wonderful book about dogs.
My advice to all writers is to write the book you want to read. Create characters we care about, story which hooks us and keeps us turning the pages, and use all the senses to capture the reader’s full attention. Combine the best of your creative self with the best of your professional skills. Get tough, get going and have FUN along the way (and start reading all sorts of books for pleasure.)
If you have any questions like the above, The Book Doctor (R) has some wonderful advice. Your prescription: Come to An Appointment with The Book Doctor at Noon on February 11 at Get Writing 2012
‘Philippa has a true talent for unlocking the hidden writer within you. Her unique approach means that you are sure to leave feeling truly inspired’ – Sabiha, former participant
Copy (c) Philippa Pride, 2012
STOP PRESS: Michael Rowley, newly appointed editorial director for SF and fantasy at Ebury Press, Random House, is the latest addition to the exciting programme for Get Writing! Writers take note: as the former SF and fantasy specialist buyer at Waterstone’s head office for 7 years, and now with a brief to shape ‘an exciting, innovative and profitable list,’ Michael is an expert in the genre and actively on the look out for new talent. Come to Get Writing and get on the path to publication!
Surely they must be mistaken: an e-book priced higher than both the hardback and paperback versions?
What’s a festive season for children without lots of good food and unusual treats? Well, come to think of it, what’s any special occasion – birthdays, outings, school trips, holidays – without the tingle and tangle of new foods?
It’s just the same with books.
My wise old mentor, Kaye Webb, used to urge her authors – folks like Mary Norton, Nina Bawden and Philippa Pearce – tell the readers what the characters are eating! Of course she didn’t need to tell Roald Dahl, who was as fascinated by food as any nine year old on this, or any other, planet. It’s certainly true too of the classics – the feasts in Narnia, Enid Blyton’s teas, the food at Hogwarts, are all part of what makes the excitement real to children. In my experience, however bizarre or unusual the setting, children want to know what and when the characters are going to eat.
This echoes, of course, the two perennial questions of childhood: ‘are we nearly there?’ and ‘what’s for tea?’ But they’re just as important in fiction too. Children see themselves resolving these issues in books. Part of the sense of realism that allows them to travel in time, or become six inches tall, are the practicalities of imagination – so as in fairy stories, the promise and peril of food is vitally significant. It’s also a fun and very tangible sort of pleasure. So perhaps heaps of sandwiches and gallons of ginger beer are of more importance than at first glance; I believe it’s certainly part of real success in children’s books.
But who knows what other special secrets will be shared during my sessions at Writing 2012 (can’t wait!) – just don’t forget the biscuits …
Barry Cunningham is certainly best known as the man who ‘discovered’ J K Rowling, but is perhaps now even more noted for being the man behind the brilliantly successful Chicken House – home of new writers like Cornelia Funke, Rachel Ward, Lucy Christopher, Janet Foxley and the Tunnels series by Roderick Gordon and Brian Williams. Chicken House also run the highly regarded Times/Chicken House Children’s Fiction Competition for unpublished writers www.doublecluck.com/submissions. Barry was awarded the OBE in 2010 for his contribution to the world of children’s publishing.
Get inspired – Get Writing!
Get Writing 2012 is brought to you by Verulam Writers’ Circle in association with University of Hertfordshire. The event will be held on Saturday 11 February 2012 at the De Havilland Campus in Hatfield, Hertfordshire. For full details, visit the website.
Get Writing draws ever closer and those of us who’ve attended before know what a buzz there’ll be. Writing can be a quiet, solitary experience but Get Writing can be LOUD with laughter, learning and, above all, mutual support. If I had to describe Get Writing in just two words, my choices would be inspiring and encouraging. Just thinking about it puts a smile on my face, even though it’ll mean some hard work for me.
Why? Well, firstly there’s the Get Writing Conference Cup competition which I help to judge. Here are three reasons why you should enter:
You have the chance to win a trophy (a tasteful little cup chosen by yours truly) and fifty quid (the drinks will be on you).
Even if you don’t win the trophy you might make the shortlist and that gives you something to mention in your pitch letters to agents and publishers. It’s all very well having your partner, mum or best mate telling you your work is brilliant but what you need is objective validation by people who might actually know what they’re talking about. That’s we judges in case you’re wondering.
Last year’s winner, Geoffrey Guiver went on to get an agent so the cup brings good luck too. Well, OK, maybe Geoffrey’s talent had something to do with that but I’m sure the cup rubbed a little magic onto him.
So what are you waiting for? The clue is in the name of the conference – Get Writing your competition entry now!
What else? Oh yes, I’m running a workshop called The long and the short of it.
Eh?
Description, m’dears. When does it add richness to our writing? When does it send readers to sleep? Find out by joining me in February.
Lesley Eames has sold 70 short stories and been successful in a competition or two. She is also a creative writing tutor.
Get inspired – Get Writing!
Get Writing 2012 is brought to you by Verulam Writers’ Circle in association with University of Hertfordshire. The event will be held on Saturday 11 February 2012 at the De Havilland Campus in Hatfield, Hertfordshire. For full details, visit the website.
