With details of competitions and more:
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Hi, it's Gaynor, here with your monthly
writing newsletter.
Firstly, thank you to the readers who reached out in solidarity
after my last newsletter where I shared my novel-writing woes. I
have picked myself up and am cracking on (I can't promise that will
be the last Easter pun today).
By the time this newsletter reaches you I will be fully immersed in
the school holidays with very little time to sit and write, so
instead, I'll be doing that classic writer's strategy - having some
'thinking time'. I love making mood boards, playlists, seeking out
advice books, watching TV shows that have a similar vibe to the
book I want to write. It all seeps in and I do feel it helps me to
have these more immersive times where I'm soaking creativity in,
rather than sitting at my laptop trying to meet a daily word
count.
Right now, thanks to a horrible bout of coronavirus, I'm not too
much further along with my novel, I swing from 'this is a terrible
idea' to 'I can make this into a good book' but who knows
where it will land in the end?
Whatever you're working on, I wish you all the best with it
Gaynor x
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Flash
Fiction: This month I have chosen Extremities by KM Elkes. I
cannot resist that first line! It's describing something awful and
gruesome but in such a detached, matter-of-fact way and it's
perhaps not what we might of think of as typical flash this days,
which tends to be more lyrical and experimental. It's certainly an
odd story but it's full of character, and a lingering final image
that has stayed with me since it won first prize in Bath Flash
Fiction way back in 2018.
Short
Story: This month I have chosen Malibu Barbie by Paul McVeigh - a
Christmas story in April, why not? I like to share this story
because, similar to the one above, it has such a strong voice
and sense of character. There's loads of dialogue and it's sweet
and funny and poignant. It's so hard to pull off this kind of
conversational writing - I think it's harder to do than a more
'literary' style but McVeigh does it so well. His novel, The Good
Son, is also well worth seeking out if you haven't already.
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Write a story that features the feel of crab claws
Write a story that takes place in a stately home
Write a story that features the sound of sirens
Write a story about someone who lives off-grid
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If you subscribe
to our newsletter, belong to our community, or follow us on social
media, and have some writing news to share, then please let me know
on gaynor@retreatwest.co.uk and
I'll try to include it
Diana Powell has won third prize in the Bedford Short Story competition,
judged by Patrick McGuinness.
Polis Louizou has his folk-horror novella, A Good Year, published by
Fairlight Books
Finnian Burnett has had a flash published at Free Flash Fiction
Kate Simblet has had a flash published at Pigeon Review
(Both of the above grew out of Friday Flashing prompt sessions so
we're super proud of them!)
Rachel Canwell has had a story published in Virtual Zine
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Monthly Micro shortlisted stories
are live
There are 10 brilliant nonsense-themed stories on
the website that need your vote for the winner of the People's
Prize.
Voting closes at 23.59 (UK time) on 25th April and winners will
be announced on 26th April.
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2022
Themed Flash Competitions
All the new themes, deadlines and judges are now online for the
whole year. Winners get online publication, cash, and a
professional recording of their story. Plus they are eligible for
our new annual Retreat West Awards.
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JOIN OUR COMMUNITY
Our monthly webinar schedule is now in place for most of the year
and between now and the summer we're really looking forward to
these great events:
see all our membership packages here
- they start at just £25 for the year!
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