Cleckheaton Writers Group Meeting 18/3/2013

Another good meeting last night where D, P, D, L and I were in attendance (despite my bad back trying to thwart my good intentions).  We discussed the Leeds Trinity Writers Festival that D, P and I went to and the Joanne Harris author talk that D and I went to on Saturday night.  P and D discussed writing pitfalls and how easy it is for we writers to be parted from our cash via nefarious means.  We decided that if anyone wishes us to pay to publish our work, it should set off warning alarms and we should run away rapidly in the opposite direction.  P also recommended a writing blog that has an excellent Excel timeline programme  www.wendyswritingnow.blogspot.co.uk

P shared some of her poetry and D shared a play she has sent off for a competition (she promised to let us know how it fares).  We gave feedback and then discussed what we were working on at the moment.  D updated us on TSC which has now been reworked for what she hopes will be the final time.  L shared some of her new ideas that she may work on now that she has come to an impasse with the novel she is working on.  We agreed that they were great ideas and that she should definitely explore them - if it is good enough for Joanne Harris to work this way, it is more than okay for us to copy her fine example.

It was agreed that D would send a sample of her manuscript to the members and I agreed to send some of my work to D and inform her of the details of an autobiography/memoir competition I had come across.* 

As the next meeting falls on Easter Monday and the Library will be closed it, was agreed that we would meet next on 15 April 2013 at the Library (though an in between meeting may be arranged in the pub on Easter Monday if enough members wish to do so) and that D would set a writing challenge for the 15th should members wish to rise to the challenge.

Looking forward to hearing the various pieces crafted at the next meeting.


*

Crocus Memoir/Autobiographical Writing Competition 2013

The search is on to find the best budding memoir or autobiography writer in the north of England. Organisers Commonword are looking for the best opening three chapters from a previously unpublished memoir or autobiography. The winner will get £150 and their own writing mentor to help them get their autobiography/memoir to publishable standard. Six other promising writers identified through the competition will be provided with significant assistance with their writing. Deadline for submissions: 30 June. For more information, see www.cultureword.org.uk/commonword-memoir-writing-competition.