Cleckheaton Writers Group (CWG) meeting took place last night with Kathy, Pauline, Mandy, Alice and myself in attendance, Sarah and Neil having passed on their apologies.
The minutes from the last meeting were passed.
WIP updates - Kathy has been going back over previous work and has changed some endings with a view to submitting. Mandy mentioned the Bath Flash Fiction Awards which closes this week with a 300 word limit.
Pauline has written some short stories and is in the process of planning this Friday's morning writing workshop. She has also been working on the CLF anthology. The font, picture size etc. have been decided and it was suggested that the publishing quote contain a request for French flaps for the anthology. We are still awaiting a photograph and a submission from one author and then the project can move forward.
Mandy is currently reading the excellent Helen Cadbury poetry collection and she was pleased to inform the group that Retreat West are publishing a collection of all her short stories in June. She is now hoping to write some new stories, has been long-listed in the Walter Swan short story prize where there will be an anthology by Valley Press and has placed second in a Writers Forum competition.
Alice has written some new short stories and a poem that she has been editing and hopes to send the poem to a competition. She has been accepted on a course with the Golden Egg Academy. Manchester, which she has started.
Alice also told the group about a Twitter Q&A that evening by Random/Chicken House for half an hour at 7.30pm GEAQA.
I have written some new short stories, flash fiction and poetry which I hope to enter into competitions. I also mentioned my acceptance onto the RNA new writers scheme to those members that were not at the last meeting.
We then had a discussion about competitions, paid or otherwise and putting money as well as time into our writing, plus the advantages/disadvantages of un/paid competition entry and prizes.
Competitions/Workshops/Events - The Leeds Trinity Writers Festival will be on Wednesday 14 February 10-5pm and I brought along the workshop information to show the CWG members.
The Myslexia First Novel Award 1st Prize £5k , Short Story Award 1st Prize £5K, Novella 1st Prize £1K (20-40k words) and Flash Fiction 1st Prize £500 (up to 300 words) ALL deadline 1 October.
The Flash 500 has a £300 prize and runs four times a year in March, June, September and December with a £5 entry fee.
The Northern Writers Awards are open now, deadline 1 February, with various awards including a first novel one.
Kathy has a friend who has written a short memoir and was wondering about publishing. Mandy recommended the Myslexia Independent Publishing Guide second edition £18.99 and/or the Myslexia magazine.
Feedback session - There was only time for one slot and Alice shared chapter six of her novel which was written in the POV of Melissa, her second main character. This was an intriguing piece containing background on the character and clues to where the story was going. We all agreed that we look forward to the next chapter where the link to both characters happens.
Alice then explained some of the story/plot to us and how she has been editing her chapters down as she felt they had been too long for the age range.
The next meeting is scheduled for Monday 5 February but as there is a library public consultation due to be held at the Library on that evening, we mentioned the clash to the library ladies and will wait to hear whether our room will still be available.
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