Industrial Scripts newsletter

Here is the latest Industrial Scripts newsletter featuring training courses and writing software:

Industrial Scripts is a London-based script development and training organization, founded by some of the UK's leading script analysts and sponsored by major film companies, delivering a wide range of script development, information and support services to writers and filmmakers from around the world. INDUSTRIAL SCRIPTS NEWSLETTER - DECEMBER 2013 Dear Karen, That's a wrap people! 2013 is in the can, ready to be chopped into some semblance of coherence by history's editors and the ubiquitous best-of lists. So, for the final time this year, we unveil the Industrial Scripts Newsletter, sent from our new look account and mailing home (NB. please ensure you add the email address newsletter@industrialscripts.co.uk or our domain @industrialscripts.co.uk to your "safe" list to ensure deliverability moving forward).   2013 - BOX OFFICE DISASTERS AND SURPRISE HITS 3,2,6,2,2,6... not a nightmarish number sequence from LOST, or the top of an English batting card in the Ashes (wait, isn't it?) but the sequel number for this years top earning movies, as IRON MAN 3, DESPICABLE ME 2, FAST & FURIOUS 6, THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE, MONSTERS UNIVERSITY and MAN OF STEEL continue the sequel and reboot trend of global box office domination.   Even the Minions are in awe at their $918m box office... Whilst those bonanza paydays help fill the studio coffers - if IRON MAN 3 were a country, it would be 172nd in the UN's GDP table) - some noted flops have been sucking the cash cow dry. Every year sees the vultures circle earlier and earlier, with predictions of another movie exec joining the unemployment line - a touchy subject at Sony after WHITE HOUSE DOWN, ANOTHER EARTH and ELYSIUM all underperformed. Daggers were drawn in advance for production-problem (and zombie) plagued WORLD WAR Z, which, despite re-imagining its entire third act from epic snowy Russian battle to contained Welsh thriller, managed to sail past $500m and into the years top 10. Perhaps replacing a blizzard of CGI with some good ol' fashioned tension paid off with audiences - a lesson we doubt Michael Bay will learn for TRANSFORMERS 4. Many of the year's biggest flops were entirely predictable - just as last years JOHN CARTER saw a dated adventure yarn fall flat, so too did THE LONE RANGER struggle for a wide audience en route to losing $200m. HARRY POTTER and THE HUNGER GAMES benefitted from huge novel fanbases - but ENDER'S GAME couldn't leverage a cult following for a 30 year old book into a teen hit - no surprise there. The misses weren't confined to the blockbuster arena - THE FIFTH ESTATE seemingly not learning from the box office failure of most Iraq War films - if it's saturated in the news, people don't want to watch the story on the big screen. Spike Lee might have had Scorsese's success with THE DEPARTED in mind when lifting Chan-wook Park's OLDBOY to a US environment - but audiences had other ideas as the film crashed to $4m on a $30m budget.   Fittingly, in the year which saw the great anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela pass away, two of the biggest breakout hits came in examining African-American history, as Jackie Robinson biopic 42 and THE BUTLER both surprised analysts. For sheer bang-for-buck, it's difficult to argue with production company Blumhouse's year - THE PURGE taking $90m from a $3m budget and INSIDIOUS 2 parlaying a $5m spend into $160m of receipts. A solid brand built from scratch, it's great to see a smaller player cracking the worldwide box office. A quieter year compared to the glory of recent times for British cinema, with ABOUT TIME and RUSH taking top honours with solid but not spectacular performances ($75m and $90m) - though PHILOMENA provided the feel-good surprise hit. If 2014 plays similarly, will there be calls of crisis for Brit cinema's commercial ambition? When HARRY POTTER and JAMES BOND aren't out to play, the money picture looks a little different. The year's surprise films here The year's box office disappointments here   INDUSTRIAL SCRIPTS DECEMBER ARTICLES Alongside our monthly shot of film intel delivered to your inbox, Industrial Scripts are rolling out articles on our news page mixing craft insight, industry analysis and some good old fashioned top-10 lists. READ OUR LATEST ARTICLES HERE "13 Stereotypes About The British Film Industry: True or False?" Does Britain produce the best talent? Does the land of Shakespeare respect the writer? Is anything happening outside of London? Industrial Scripts assesses perceptions of the UK film industry – where do you stand on the following issues... read the full article here   "10 British Screenwriters Who Broke Into Hollywood" Brit Screenwriting talent is well known on these shores – Simon Beaufoy, Richard Curtis, David Hare, Abi Morgan, Tom Stoppard, Peter Morgan, William Nicholson… the list is impressive. But what about Brit talent working in Hollywood? Industrial Scripts looks at British Screenwriters who have made the leap across the pond to make a name for themselves in La-La Land... read the full article here "10 Films That Prove Your Script Can Beat The Odds" Every screenwriter at one time experiences the look of confusion and ridicule in the face of a friend, producer or agent when they pitch their craziest or most ambitious ideas – but fear not, even some of the greats were once in the position of having to fight their corner on unlikely projects which seemingly stood no chance of dancing their magic on the silver screen... read the full article here   SHOOTING PEOPLE INTERVIEW WITH BFI FILM FUND HEAD BEN ROBERTS The thinking of national institutions can often seem clouded in a fog of secrecy or bureaucracy, but recent years have seen a very open policy – culminating in a fantastic crowd-sourced interview with BFI Film Fund Head Ben Roberts on the Shooting People website. Above and beyond the usual soundbite style, the discussion answers questions from writers, directors and producers in commendable detail – head on over to the discussion thread for a great insight into BFI thinking.     BEST-OF THE 2013 BEST-OF LISTS Stuffed full with end of year best of lists? Industrial Scripts shares the must-reads of the year in film… Sight & Sound’s Films of The Year Empire's 50 Best Films of 2013 Collider’s Best Movie Moments of 2013 Yahoo's Worst Movie Dialogue of 2013 Variety's Notable Hollywood Deaths of 2013 Rotten Tomatoes Top 100 Fresh Films of 2013 Forbes' Worst Films of 2013   Amusing Snippet of the Month: Movie Board Games Tired of expensive high-tech gifts for the kids? Worried about their body count in Grand Theft Auto 5? Does a game of family Monopoly escalate to a visit from the local police? What you need is a wholesome, movie inspired board game! Why watch Indy's high-octane adventures in Raiders of the Lost Ark when you can re-enact the experience on the kitchen table!? From WORLD WAR Z to THE STING and even GOSFORD PARK, Total Film take an unexpected rundown through the 50 best movie-to-board-game adaptations. Of course, the track record in the opposite direction isn't so hot - ahem, BATTLESHIP. Best of both worlds? JUMANJI, naturally...   OPINION PIECE Do Screenwriters Know What They're Getting Into? This month the BFI whipped up a storm by announcing profitability statistics for UK films - including the now infamous tid-bit that only 7% of films were deemed to have entered profit. Should this number shock investors, wannabe producers, the average tax-payer and most pressingly for many of our readers - screenwriters? Many industry players - including producer Ken Marshall (FILTH, SONG FOR MARION) and the BFI's own Chief Executive Amanda Nevill and Film Fund Head Ben Roberts were quick to point out the fallacies in relying on such snappy soundbites - questions over definitions and methodology abounded. What was the timeframe on returns? Did it reveal problems in exhibition returns or conversely a problem in the recent high cost of financing? For many screenwriters, such debates are passed over as 'someone else's problem'. Ask the average aspiring scribe to break down EIS schemes, bridging loans, exhibition rights and territory advances, and you'll likely get just as confused and bewildered a face as if you suggested act breaks were optional and plot stakes were secondary to floral descriptive passages. So why are screenwriters often the least financially savvy of all the cinematic craftspeople - a incredibly puzzling trait given it's the writers who conjure the ideas before going round with the begging bowl to realise their vision? Perhaps the isolation breeds a sense of head-in-the-sand syndrome - both a vital ability for a screenwriter who'll need to plough months and years of their life into a speculative product, and also a fatal flaw which gives them a disconnect from reality. Though a quality development process will see a screenwriter thrown into a rich and dynamic creative world, it is perhaps the only area of cinema which has such a prolonged period initially away from the otherwise collaborative nature of the industry. Production realities understood by grips, script supervisors or assistant directors are often alien to the writer. It's not surprising that fledgling writer-directors, or those who act as producers on short films, are a step ahead of the game as they start the divination process for untapped funds.   A great resource for expanding vital intel... Screenwriters ignorant of the financial side of the film industry are sabotaging their own chances of success. One of the vital steps in screenwriters career development is stepping out from under the wage slave split-personality cycle which sees productive periods followed by stagnation as other responsibilities bite. The eagle-eyed writer, rather than trying to land the big fish of a script sale to a major player, sees the plethora of training grants, development prizes, options and tax incentives for investors on small films - and gets one finger on the rung of that ladder. But if you don't understand EIS, then you're unlikely to have written that low-budget contained thriller or highly adventurous arthouse gem which attracts backers in the niche. If you don't think like a producer, surely you're limiting your chances of production? Specialisation is key to the industry - no writer really wants the exec-producer pitching in with lines of dialogue - and there's certainly a reason why agents and producers are the champions of product, art and screenwriting talent. But rather than thinking script first, money second, consider where the money is held (public, EU, tax incentives, film markets, prizes, grants, training, newly cash-rich production companies looking to build a slate, kickstarter, loans) and ask if you're positioning yourself to earn from your craft - and just when you'll see that money if taking a deferred payment... For information on Movie Money Magazine, click here   WordsWorth Writing Store continues steady growth.. We are delighted to reveal that our sister company, WordsWorth Writing Store, which opened for business in early 2013, continues to build up steam with steady sales and customer interest.   The store stocks a comprehensive range of storytelling and physical production software, available at the most competitive prices and with brilliant FREE bonus packs, unique to us, attached. However what we're particularly pleased about is that we will be the first UK software company to provide ongoing phone support to our customers, so rather than tearing your hair out on hold to some call centre in Kenya we can call you back if something goes wrong. Our best-selling product, predictably, is Final Draft screenwriting software, and to buy the software at a competitive price, just click here: http://writingsoftware.co.uk/software/final-draft   Unheralded Scene of the Month: CHARLIE WILSON'S WAR (2007) In our "Unheralded Scene of the Month" section, our consultants nominate a classic film or TV scene, which in their view hasn't received the admiration it deserves. It might be a scene from a classic movie, which has been crowded out by other, more "showy" scenes and set-pieces. It might be a deleted scene which is outstanding in its own right but wasn't quite in-sync or critical to the final cut of the film. Warning: plot spoilers below. Unheralded Classic: CHARLIE WILSON'S WAR   The film: In what seems a match made in Hollywood heaven, satirically sharp director Mike Nichols (CATCH-22, PRIMARY COLORS) teams up with White House screenwriter in residence Aaron Sorkin (THE WEST WING) to deliver an insightful behind the scenes look at how wars are really won - even if most of the world don't know you're on the battlefield. The film looks back to the 1980s when the US secretly armed the Afghanistan mujahideen in combat against the Soviets - only to end up fighting many of the same forces twenty years later. The plot: Playboy Congressman Charlie Wilson (Tom Hanks) is knee deep in women and barely survives an investigation into alleged cocaine use. At the behest of socialite, political fundraiser and romantic interest Joanne Herring (Julia Roberts), Charlie heads to Pakistan and is moved by the plight of Afghani refugees from the Afghanistan - Soviet Union conflict. Whilst the US and the CIA are providing low level assistance, Charlie sees scope to increase covert support, and reaches out to black-sheep CIA operative Gust Avrakotos (Philip Seymour Hoffman) to find allies in Saudi Arabia, Israel and in the US houses of government. In a clandestine victory, the Afghanistan people are armed against the superior weapons of the Soviet Machine and repel the invasion... but Charlie is rebuffed when he tries to secure long term economic and educational investment in the region. The scene: Away from Charlie's main-plot, this scene introduces supporting player Gust, a live-wire and hot tempered CIA operative who has just been refused re-assignment to Helsinki - despite learning Finnish for the past three years. Gust blusters into the office of Henry Cravely, Head of European Operations (played by MAD MEN's John Slattery) to debate the job refusal. What follows is an expert lesson in hiding exposition and setting up future tensions. Gust flips through multiple strategies - citing his service, his accomplishments, his skillset, notions of loyalty, before using a personal attack and calling into question the entire leadership of the CIA. With no more avenues to explore, Gust smashes the office window before walking away with a cheeky smile to the enraptured office workers... Watch the scene here   Why it's unheralded: Perhaps because of the saturated news coverage of the war on terror in the past decade, accomplished cinematic interpretations of the conflict and the region have tended to fly under the radar - even with the A-List power in front of and behind the camera, and with a $120m global take, CHARLIE WILSON'S WAR is a rarely discussed gem. Why it's great: This scene is all exposition - and in fact the direction of the film is entirely unaffected by the action of the scene. Gust starts the scene denied his Helsinki mission, and ends the scene as such. It's rare for a scene with little plot function or character development to stick so powerfully in the memory - but this is one of the all time great character introductions. The scene clues the viewer into what actually goes down in the CIA, and how they pull the strings of international politics - forget democracy, the CIA will make sure that their man wins. By showing Gust's 'coarse' nature, the script stacks the odds against his later success in the Middle East, and raises the spectre that he might erupt at any minute. Similar to the early scares in horror films, this character excess makes for a great foreshadowing, where many scripts wait too long to push characters to the extremes of their being. Conversely, the script drops in enough proof of Gust's skillset for us to admire and empathise with his treatment by top brass. Gust acts just like the CIA acts - at first using intelligence, before eventually resorting to brute force. We're getting a crash course in the agency's ways. Whilst the argument is scintillating, the scene remembers to use small details; the eavesdropping office workers add a sense of taboo, whilst the glazer represents an intruding outside force, and the tension is broken by a sly piece of humour as Gust winks to a colleague on the way out - keying us in that there is balance and humanity to an obsessed, dedicated man. Rich in every detail.   SCREENPLAY SPEC-SPOTTER: DECEMBER 2013 Information is power in the film & TV industries, so here is our vital burst of screenwriting-related intel for your mainframes! Lionsgate does the time warp First time writer David Crabtree sells TIME TWEAKERS to Lionsgate - the high concept sci-fi is being kept under close wraps. Crabtree has found acclaim as a music video director, working with Nine Inch Nails and Florence + The Machine.   POX AMERICANA finds French helmer MESRINE director Jean-Francois Richet is set to direct Black List top-10 script POX AMERICANA by Frank John Hughes. Story looks into a covert op in 1850 to assassinate a Navajo leader in New Mexico. Fox drops aircraft carrier drama WILD BLUE - a TV drama set aboard a Navy aircraft carrier - has been dropped by Fox at the pilot stage. Originally one of two Naval shows in contention (HOUSE creators behind the competition), Fox has now dropped both - meaning a pick-up elsewhere could be on the cards, or Fox might make a third dip into Naval waters if the right spec hits the market... Tina Fey is accepting men Tina Fey and Matt Hubbard (30 ROCK) land a pilot with Fox - focusses on a women's college which accepts men for the first time. Hilarity ensues. HOW TO PICK UP GIRLS Glad we've got your attention. Classic pick-up guide will be turned into big screen outing - Virgin Produced to search for director and scribe. BROADCHURCH goes American - picks up Nick Nolte ITV water-cooler hot-topic BROADCHURCH is headed for a US remake - David Tennant to reprise his role, alongside Nick Nolte in GRACEPOINT. UK as hot landing spot for US comedy pilots? ABC'S GALAVANT pilot is headed to shoot on UK shores - with Vinnie Jones attached. Tax breaks lure US producers as runaway productions might leak into the TV world ; 24: LIVE ANOTHER DAY also shooting in London. Rashida Jones bares her CLAWS Actress exec-produces on dark comedy pilot set in Florida nail salon.   Anyway that's about all from us for another month, but just scroll down for details of our script development services and upcoming training courses, not to mention our exclusive Insider Interviews series. The Industrial Scripts Team Industrial Scripts, Europe's #1 Ranked Screenplay Consultancy Script Development - Training - Talent Connector - WordsWorth Store 3rd Floor, 33 Newman Street, London, W1T 1PY Contact Us http://www.industrialscripts.co.uk http://www.twitter.com/Indust_Scripts http://www.facebook.com/pages/screenwritingUK https://plus.google.com/+IndustrialscriptsCoUkScreenwriting/posts   TRAINING COURSES At Industrial Scripts we run premium, high-quality training courses which deliver serious value to participants. Our courses are tailored to suit the requirements of the industry, and are led by professionals with proven track records of success in their own individual area of the business. For 4 years we've been running training courses in script reading, low-budget filmmaking and screenwriting. We currently run 3 courses: HOW TO WRITE A SCRIPT - SCREENWRITING FOR BEGINNERS is our first screenwriting course and has been designed for creative individuals who possess great ideas for films or TV shows, but don’t know where to begin. It delivers a huge amount of information, condensed into one intense day, to participants new to screenwriting, new to writing, or both. Focussing on both the writing process, and the industry writers find work in, the course aims to heavily de-mystify the process by which people become professional screenwriters, and help new writers navigate the sometimes precarious early years of the screenwriter. *Next course date: Saturday 25th January 2014* Our EFFECTIVE SCRIPT READING 1-day training seminar continues to go from strength to strength, winning consistently stellar feedback from participants...:   The course includes comprehensive contacts documents detailing all the paid script reading outlets in film and TV in the UK, and also offers attendees indefinite, ongoing email and phone support once the course is over. We can't turn you into a great script analyst overnight, but we can speed you up and save you a lot of time and effort in the process. Click here to book. Next course date: Friday 31st January 2014 EVERYTHING AMERICA is our new course dedicated exclusively to the business of working in the world's largest film and TV industry. The course covers agents, managers, attorneys, VISAs, where to stay, where not to stay, the structure of the TV industry, the spec script market, and much much more. It's perfect for UK Producers, Writers and Directors with one eye firmly on America. Click here to book. Next course date: Sunday 26th January 2014   SCRIPT DEVELOPMENT SERVICES We formed Industrial Scripts to provide writers and filmmakers in the independent TV and film sector with high-quality, industry-standard script development services not usually available to them. Our consultants all have considerable experience working for and with the very best companies, and are currently very active in development (we don't believe in trading on past glories). We offer 15 different types of script development service, some are listed below, but you can visit our website to view them all...   Project Selection Service - £39.99 "Should I spend 6...12...18...months of my life developing this project?" is a question that haunts many writers, who invariably have more ideas than man-hours. Here writers submit 10 loglines (without synopses), and Industrial Scripts will put them in order of excellence, encouraging writers to channel their efforts into promising ideas rather than, as above, wasting time and energy writing themselves to a dead end. This service also includes an overview (up to 250 words) on why particular projects merit more attention than others. Coverage Report - £124.99 * eligible for TALENT CONNECTOR This report on feature-length scripts consists of 4+ pages of notes and feedback to help the writer move on to his or her next draft. This is most suited to writers either in the early stages of development (at 1st draft stage, for example) or right at the very end of the development process, when notes to help "tweak" the script are required, rather than offering substantial changes. Detailed Development Notes - £269.99 * eligible for TALENT CONNECTOR Our Detailed Development Notes service delivers an extremely detailed analysis of your feature script, together with lengthy suggestions on how to move forward to the next draft. These reports run to 12+ pages, and offer a truly forensic analysis of the script, which will leave you in absolutely no doubt of how to improve the project and move it forward. Script Doctoring - Fees Vary * eligible for TALENT CONNECTOR Through our resident Script Doctors we offer writers, producers and directors the opportunity to have their project re-written, doctored, polished, re-structured and significantly improved according to their requirements. Fees are by negotiation, to book any of our doctors to work on your project or to request a quote please contact us with as much detail as possible about your script, and your requirements.     FROM THE BLAST FURNACE: "THE INSIDER INTERVIEWS" Industrial Scripts brings you The Insider Interviews - exclusive FREE content from leading industry professionals that you can't access, anywhere else. Click here to access these free interviews and either download them to your iPod, or read them online: STORY Guru Robert Mckee "Charlie Kaufman...what an as*...he's Mr. Theory! He's not an anti-theorist!" Download the podcast... Screenwriter Kevin Lehane (GRABBERS) "I think the horror-comedy is a really tough genre...I wanted to write a monster movie, like TREMORS, or GREMLINS". Download the podcast... Head of Development Sophie Meyer (Ealing Studios) "If I had to boil it down to one thing it would be "does it make you care?" Download the podcast... Writer-Director Ben Wheatley (KILL LIST, DOWN TERRACE) "Short films are a waste of time...I thought if I was going to put in that much effort, I may as well try and make something I can sell..." Download the podcast... Screenwriter Jack Thorne (THE FADES, THIS IS ENGLAND '86, THIS IS ENGLAND '88, THE SCOUTING BOOK FOR BOYS) "I wrote 12 plays before I had anything produced..." Download the podcast... Producer Richard Holmes (RESISTANCE, EDEN LAKE, WAKING NED, SHOOTING FISH) “I thought to myself "this is filmmaking: doing something you don't want to do and for which you will probably be punished by God!”” Read more... Film Journalist Nev Pierce (Editor-at-Large, Empire magazine) "Interviewing directors is my favourite thing...it can be thrilling if you're meeting someone you admire...to sit down for 2 hours with David Fincher...I feel incredibly blessed to have that kind of opportunity". Download the podcast... Producer Gareth Unwin (THE KING'S SPEECH, EXAM) "I'd done something a bit daft just through eagerness and I said to someone within The Weinstein Co. - "I hear I'm not in Harvey's good books anymore" and she said "Harvey doesn't have good books, there's just people he hates less that week!" Download the podcast...   Actor Tom Hiddleston (THE AVENGERS, THOR, WAR HORSE, ARCHIPELAGO) "(when the THOR call) came in I was just about ready to sing and dance...it was the longest audition process I've ever been through...". Download the podcast... Literary agent Rob Kraitt (Casarotto Ramsay) 'I once sold a book to Tom Cruise - it was before he and Michael Mann made COLLATERAL. It was a big six-figure deal and doesn't happen very often.' [at the time of recording Rob Kraitt worked for AP Watt] Download the podcast... Literary agent Nick Marston (Curtis Brown Group) 'There are these moments in agencies when one generation wants to leave and the other generation has to somehow find the money to take over... and in our case that came from the 'honey pot' of the Winnie the Pooh estate.' Download the podcast... Studio Executive Alexei Boltho (Paramount Pictures) 'A typical working day for me? Smoking cigars, that's about it really!' Read more... Screenwriter Stuart Hazeldine (EXAM, THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL, KNOWING) 'I had to keep the faith, and finally the phone rang and it was a big agent from ICM in LA saying he had read my two scripts and wanted to take me on...' Read more... Screenwriter David Scinto (44 INCH CHEST, SEXY BEAST) 'GANGSTER NO.1 is one of the best scripts we ever wrote, sadly in other hands it was ruined. Bastardised. Mutated. Amateur.' Read more...

Handbag.com women's fiction writing competition

Thanks to my fellow blogger Displacement Activity for the following competition information:  

Are you the next big women's fiction writer? Enter our book comp

Nov 26th 2013, 14:20  | By Mango Saul  |  5 comments

Have you got a book in you? We've teamed up with Simon & Schuster UK to find, and publish, a debut women's fiction writer

Recommend 181

Tweet 136

Tweet

2

In handbag.com's most exciting competition yet, we've teamed up with booksandthecity.co.uk and powerhouse publishers Simon & Schuster UK to find, and publish, a debut women's fiction writer.

Simon & Schuster UK is the company behind the careers of authors including Jackie Collins, Philippa Gregory, Jessie J, Sam Faiers, Lynda La Plante, Milly Johnson and Santa Montefiore (which is why we've joined forces with them!) to find a writer who we believe is going to be the next big thing in women's fiction.

The plotline can be anything; the only requirement is that it must fall within the women's fiction genre.

So whether you've been itching to write a book for years and just need that final push, are a huge fan of women's fiction and think you could write one too, or just fancy the ultimate challenge for Christmas, read on to find out how you could be in with a chance of winning.

The prize:

The winning author will receive an advice session with Literary Agent Lizzy Kremer, Director of David Higham Associates, an author mentoring session with Sunday Times bestselling author Milly Johnson, will receive an eBook contract from Simon & Schuster UK to include 25% author royalty and have their debut short story published in eBook format. No cash alternative will be available and the prize is non-transferable.

The judges:

The entries will be judged by an expert panel that will be looking for a story which excites intrigues and surprises them. The panel includes:
• Sunday Times bestselling author Milly Johnson
• Editor of handbag.com Mango Saul
• Clare Hey, Senior Commissioning Editor at Simon & Schuster UK
• Sara-Jade Virtue, Project Manager booksandthecity.co.uk

The deadline:

All entries must be in by 5.30pm 31 January 2014. The deadline will not be extended under any circumstances.

How to enter

To enter The Great British Write Off you will need to complete 2,500 words of your original short story.

 

Full details here: available at the competition website

Yorkshire Writers' newsletter

Thought my followers may be interested in seeing the latest Yorkshire Writers' newsletter:

Yorkshire Writers' Newsletter



Welcome to our latest issue packed with new opportunities.
As we get closer to the end of the year we hope it's been a good one for you, it's been a year of big changes for us here but all good and we're heading into the New Year with even more exciting plans to develop on your behalf.
Enjoy your holidays and good luck with your writing in 2014 - Happy New Year to you all from Writing Yorkshire!

We welcome your details of events, writing groups, courses, workshops, open mics, in fact anything to do with creative writing. If you have anything that you would like us to publicise then please send the details to us at this address: info@writingyorkshire.org - we'll be happy to pass the details on via the newsletter or our website. If you know of anyone that you think may be interested in the newsletter then please do forward a copy on to them.

---

NEWS

Northern Writers’ Awards
Northern Writers’ Awards are welcoming submissions - Deadline: Friday 17 January 2014
£40,000 of prizes and support available to talented writers in the north of England. The awards support writers of prose, poetry, creative non-fiction and children’s fiction.
For new writers, winning a Northern Writers’ Award helps to get them noticed by agents and publishers and lifts them onto the first rung of the ladder towards publication. For more established writers, awards can buy precious time to undertake a new project or to support work in progress that has not yet been commissioned. The support that winning writers receive includes cash awards alongside mentoring, editorial feedback and support and help with professional development within the writing industry.
For more information and to enter, go to www.northernwritersawards.com

And............

New Writing North announces Cuckoo Young Writers Awards
New Writing North is delighted to announce the Cuckoo Young Writers Awards. These two new awards are aimed at talented young writers who are under 18 and live in the north of England. They will run alongside New Writing North's prestigious Northern Writers' Awards.
Expanding on the ground-breaking work New Writing North does through the Cuckoo Young Writers programme, the Cuckoo Young Writers Award offers a prize worth £500 to a promising young writer (aged between 14-18) who is writing poetry, prose or creative non fiction and is based in the North East, North West or Yorkshire. The award will be judged by Observer journalist and novelist Elizabeth Day.

The Mathew Hale Award
The Matthew Hale Award is specifically aimed at those young people who show talent but who have little opportunity to pursue their interest in writing in any genre or form. Open to 12-18 year-olds, the award is worth £500 and consists of a bespoke package of support created by New Writing North. Nominations for recipients of this award are requested from parents, teachers or other adults who know a young person who shows great promise, but who lack the opportunities to pursue their talent. This award is funded by the family of Matthew Hale, a young person who loved reading and writing.
Please note that the deadline for both awards is Friday 17th January. To find out more go to www.northernwritersawards.com

Writing Yorkshire and Experience Barnsley present...
Open to All Creative Writing Sessions - Barnsley
A series of writing sessions which are Open to All - no experience required, no need to book, just turn up! Or, for more information, phone: 07903 241947
When: Saturday mornings, 11.00 am – 1.00 pm
Where: Experience Barnsley Museum & Discovery Centre, Town Hall, Church Street, Barnsley, S70 2TA
Workshop details:
25th Jan' 2014 | With writer Charlotte Ansell: Drawing inspiration from the main Exhibition: objects, photographs, histories and stories.
15th Feb' 2014 | With writer Ray Hearne: What’s in the archive and where can I find it?
22nd Mar' 2014 | With writer Charlotte Ansell: Women Against Pit Closures Exhibition: What will your story be?
Download the flyer here: www.facebook.com%2fphoto.php%3ffbid%3d10152038156879831%26set%3da.310611999830.147188.807249830%26type%3d1%26theater
www.writingyorkshire.org | www.experience-barnsley.com

Major New International Writing Competition Launch
Sampad South Asian arts, in partnership with British Council India, has announced the launch of a major new international writing competition called ‘Inspired By My Museum’.
‘Inspired By My Museum’ was officially launched at the Museums Association Conference and Exhibition 2013 in Liverpool and is calling for budding writers to record and share their personal reactions, connections or experiences inspired by a visit to a museum.
Entries can be in the form of a poem, short story or reportage and people can take their inspiration from the museum space, architecture, design, a specific object or objects within the museum, or even the museum/exhibition curator.
Further to the overwhelming response to the launch of the competition,  the age limit has been extended so that any writer from anywhere in the world from the age of 16 upwards can take part.
The last date for entries to Inspired By My Museum is Monday 10 February 2014. The winning entries will be published in a special commemorative book next year.
More information and entry forms here: www.britishcouncil.in/inspired-my-museum

Yorkshire Literary Festivals & Book Fair Trail
If you've ever fancied setting out on a trail from coast to coast or perhaps even more ambitious, John O'Groats to Lands End, then been put off because, well, it's a long way to go, or it's winter and cold, or the shoe leather is just getting thin, then here's a fun alternative which is much closer to home - The Yorkshire Literary Festival & Book Fair Trail! The trail which criss crosses the county of Yorkshire and includes tiny "dash to catch them" festivals through to the major festival feasts lasting a month or more.
One of the major advantages of the trail is that it's totally flexible and can be shaped to fit in with your diary, pocket, or appetite for literature get togethers, and there's always an event to start off from no matter what month it is. To get you started, have a look here: http://theleedsbigbookend.wordpress.com/yorkshire-literary-festivals/ It's the most comprehensive list of Literary Festivals and Book Fairs taking place in Yorkshire over the year, fifty two festival and book fairs happening in Yorkshire, there's no need to step over the border, it's all happening here on our doorstep! All that you have to do next is open your new 2014 diary at page one and take the first step by deciding which one you fancy, after that it's very easy - one every month? Two? It's up to you but there'll always be something happening and if you're not there, well, treats will be missed and you will be too.
Oh, and when you've finished looking through the list why not look here: www.bigbookend.co.uk/  the official LEEDS BIG BOOKEND website - "A Rock Festival For Words In Leeds" - so much happening in Leeds over one weekend. You've just missed the 2013 event but, if you keep your eye on the Festival and Book Fair list you'll be well prepared for the next one.

Before Now Project - Sheffield
Funding from Children in Need is enabling Art in the Park to launch a new project in the Lowedges, Batemoor and Jordanthorpe areas of Sheffield, working with  local children, 16-18yr old volunteers and older people they want to share experiences of the area in the past, through a wide range of creative activities. The workshops will use visual arts, poetry, film and photography to encourage children and young people to explore their sense of identity, space and place via day-to-day routines, local stories, heroes and modern folklore; comparing this with the last century, when the housing in the area was built. The project will end in a local, site-specific celebration where one of the housing areas will be transformed through installation of the art works, sounds and films created during the project, giving a sense of stepping back into the past.
Art in the Park are looking for schools, youth groups and local older people to take part in this free project, working with professional artists to create a really exciting outcome for the area.
Contact cassie@artinthepark.org.uk or call 0114 268 6813 if you’re interested or would like more information
Web: www.artinthepark.org.uk

---

WRITING GROUP UPDATES

South Yorkshire - Young Writers - New members welcome for for 2014
Aged 14 to 19? Want to write creatively outside of school or college?
Our Sheffield, Rotherham, Doncaster and Barnsley Young Writers Groups are now recruiting for new members.
You don’t have to think you’re a great writer to join, you just need an interest in writing and a willingness try something new!
Our groups provide opportunities to:
•     Write, share and talk with other young writers [refreshments provided]
•     Explore a range of creative writing including: stories, poems, scripts, spoken word, lyrics, blogging and journalism
•     Meet fortnightly during term time in a central meeting place [usually 5pm to 7pm on Mon, Wed and Thurs evenings [depending on the group]
•     Access further writing opportunities such as: meeting professional writers, attending writing events and Open Mics, and information on competitions and publishing
To look into joining a groups, contact us via: vicky@writingyorkshire.org (Sheffield & Rotherham)  sueshaw@btinternet.com (Barnsley & Doncaster)
Access and forward our flyer here: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151822830109831&l=fb8db5fad8
You can find out about opportunities for young writers in the Yorkshire region at: www.facebook.com/groups/southyorkshireyoungwriters

West Yorkshire - Young Writers
Ilkley Lit Fest Young Writers Group
Do you enjoy writing poems, stories, songs – anything? Are you even secretly writing a novel? Would you like to be able to meet other teenagers who enjoy writing or take part in special workshops with writers away from school? If so we’d like to hear from you.
Ilkley Literature Festival runs the weekly group for young writers aged 13 to 17, on Mondays during term-time. The group is based in Ilkley and any young writers from the Bradford, Skipton, Ilkley, Wharfe Valley and Leeds areas are welcome to come along.
The sessions run from 6.30pm to 8pm and cost £1 per session. You’ll be expected to come to all sessions in a term (unless of course you are ill or on a school visit) and there will be a mixture of short story writing, script writing, writing poetry and learning how to read your work effectively.
Ilkley Young Writers is run by Ilkley Literature Festival and led by Michelle Scalley Clarke, author, playwright, performer, creative writing and performance facilitator and Becky Cherriman writer, performer and creative writing facilitator.
More info -  info@ilkleyliteraturefestival.org.uk

---

EVENTS, WORKSHOPS & COURSES

Bornin84 
What: - Born in ‘84 is to be a celebration of the legacy of the of the 1984/5 UK miners’ strike. On March 8, 2014 it will be 30 years since the strike began.
In Chesterfield, Derbyshire, we’re bringing together music, film, drama, poetry and photography to highlight the strike and its impact on generations past and present.
For many in our coalmining communities, after the two world wars, this dispute was the single most significant event of the last century. In just 12 months, lives were lost, blighted for ever, liberated and begun.
Talented artists and performers from across the UK are already pledging their support for this volunteer led venture. The event so far includes:-
•    Internationally acclaimed Scottish folk singer/ songwriter Dick Gaughan
•    Punk poet, musician and songwriter, Attila the Stockbroker
•    BBC Radio 2 folk awards winner, Lucy Ward
Film screenings and Q&A sessions with:-
•    Turner Prize winning Jeremy Deller, ‘The Battle for Orgreave’ and
•    International award winning film maker Ken Loach ‘Which side are you on?’
•    Local and regional musicians, performers and poets
•    The Ireland Colliery Band
•    Newly commissioned performances from young people born since the strike  working with Junction Arts
•    Display/ exhibitions of creative workshops run in the community based on the changing landscapes. There will also  be workshops on the day
•    Young song writers and poetry competition, cash prizes and the chance to perform at the evening concert.
•    Exhibition featuring iconic strike images from acclaimed photographer Martin Jenkinson
•    A strike ‘soup kitchen’ with mouth-watering meals from donated food
Where:  The Winding Wheel, Chesterfield – March 8, 2014, 11am-10.30pm
More info: www.bornin84.co.uk

Starting to Write Poetry - WEA course starting in January - Sheffield
Details: The aim of this WEA (Workers Educational Association) course is to offer students the opportunity to develop their understanding of poetry as a craft and generally improve their reading and writing skills. The course is suitable for starters as well as those more experienced in the writing of poetry. It will introduce a wide range of creative techniques that will help students to initiate, revise, edit and perfom their work. The course is suitable for starters and re-starters in the writing of poetry.
When: Weekly course starts Thursday 16th January, 7.00 pm - 9.00 pm 
Where: Highfield Library, London Road, Sheffield, S2 4NF
Cost: £65.00 for ten sessions (concessions available)
More info: Tel - 0114 2423609 (regional office) / email - yorkshumber@wea.org.uk

Writing a Novel - WEA Course starting in January - Sheffield
Explore and develop fiction writing skills in this supportive, practical course. We will incorporate techniques and exercises to get you started, consider how great writing works, and share our fiction as it develops through weekly workshops.
The course is suitable for new writers as well as those more experienced in fiction writing.
When: Weekley course starts Thursday 16 January 2014 from 7.00 - 9.00 pm for 11 sessions at Victoria Hall Methodist Church, Norfolk Street, Sheffield S1 2JB
More info: Enrol on line at www.wea.org.uk/ or telephone 0114 242 3609

'Igniting the Spark' - Creative Writing Course - Halifax
What: 'Igniting the spark': weekly creative writing workshops with Gaia Holmes. The workshops will discuss craft and technique and include lots of stimulating and inspiring writing exercises to generate poetry or prose.
Venue:  Room D32, D Mill, Dean Clough, Halifax, HX3 5WA.
Cost: £5 (£3.50 consc)
When: Usually held on Tuesday evenings, weekly - Contact Gaia for more details:
More info: gaiaholmes@hotmail.co.uk

Working Words - Creative Writing Course - Leeds
What: Over six weeks we will explore The Tetley as a place of the past, of hidden histories waiting to be uncovered. We will respond to The Tetley as a place where imaginations are woven into its walls, furniture and artefacts, and as an exhibition space that raises questions about our present and our past. Using the exhibitions as a stimulus, we will incorporate the vocabulary of machines, of work and of visual art in a range of written forms from poetry to short stories and autobiographical prose.
Suitable for adult beginners and more experienced writers.
When: 23rd January 2014, 6:30pm - 8:30pm every week on Thursdays until Thu 27 February 2014
Venue: The Tetley, Hunslet Road, Leeds, LS10 1JQ
Cost: £60.00 for the six week course -
Advance booking required - details here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/working-words-6-week-creative-writing-workshop-with-writer-becky-cherriman-tickets-9475622843

Learning from Writing Within the Hospice Setting - Workshop - Scarborough
Through a number of facilitated exercises and discussion we will explore the nature of creative and expressive writing in Hospices. Sue will share her experiences of running poetry groups for patients, staff and volunteers within a number of Hospices. Using a reflective approach we will have the opportunity to explore how creative/expressive writing can enhance the provision of palliative care and the skills and knowledge needed to work effectively with a range of people. We will also discuss the type of support systems that can be accessed to enable writers to look after themselves when working in emotionally challenging environments. Open to writers and practitioners alike, no experience necessary just a willingness to be open to exploration and discovery.
When: Saturday 1st February, 10.00am - 4.00pm
Where: At The Friends' Meeting House, Quaker Close, Scarborough, YO12 5QZ
Facilitated by Sue Spencer
Cost:  Lapidus Members: £10. Cost to Non Members: £25 (£15 for low income).
Link to Lapidus: www.lapidus.org.uk/
More info: Cheques for the writing workshop should be made out to “Lapidus, Humber-Ouse-Tweed”. Please send in advance to: Jane Poulton, 22 Grove Road, Filey, North Yorkshire YO14 9LX. For more information please contact : Sue Spencer  sa_spencer@tiscali.co.uk
To book a place contact Kate Evans :- 07748163838 / kateevans@tinyonline.co.uk

---

TOO GOOD TO BE FORGOTTEN

Inkposts – A Space for Enjoying Writing
inkposts is a site dedicated to digestible pieces of writing ranging from poetry, fiction, reviews, music and discussions about the craft. We try to keep all of our pieces delectably short and entertaining.
You can find us at: http://inkposts.com/
we also accept submissions: http://inkposts.com/submissions/

Arts Derbyshire Newsletter
www.artsderbyshire.org.uk is a quick and easy way to find out about Derbyshire’s vibrant arts scene. You can subscribe to the What’s On and Artists’ newsletters; enter details of events and workshops in the events diary or register details about your group or events or other news. To sign up to the newsletter just send a request email: alison.betteridge@derbyshire.gov.uk

Support  for would-be self published authors
Self publishing no longer necessarily means ''vanity' publishing and to help budding authors, the Writers & Artists Yearbook has launched a new section on its website aimed at helping writers become self published and achieving their literary dreams.
Aspiring authors can find all the information they need, there's a range of articles covering a wide range of topics:
More info: https://www.writersandartists.co.uk/self-publishing

Yak Tale – A site for authors to publish short stories
YakTale is an "open access" site on which authors will be able to publish their short stories . Readers are be able to access the stories for free.
Writers can submit work through the website: http://yaktale.com/#/  or by emailing: hello@yaktale.com

Writing Yorkshire  Website Goes Live!
The new Writing Yorkshire website is now up and running so, if you'd like to find out more about the full range of new services that we'll be offering as Writing Yorkshire, including mentoring, writers advice sessions, and membership details then the best thing to do is to have a look at the site: www.writingyorkshire.org
If you need any further details on aspects of our work or how we can help you as a writer then just email us at: info@writingyorkshire.org or use the contact form on the site.

---

MAGAZINES

Pennine Platform Poetry - Leeds
Pennine Platform publishes new poetry and reviews twice a year. The magazine is independent, though currently supported by the Leeds Philosophical and Literary Society. It is one of the longest surviving little magazines in the UK, having started in 1973.
further information...
Subscriptions are £8.50 for two issues including p&p within the UK, £10 within Europe and £12 for the rest of the world; payable only in Sterling to Pennine Platform. Subscription and submissions are accepted by snail-mail only, with hard-copy to accompany any disks sent.
This web-site provides a taster for the magazine, with three poems each from issues Nos. 53 and 54. Space is provided for readers to comment on and discuss each poem, since we learn from and refine our thinking in discussion with each other.
More info: www.pennineplatform.co.uk/

Cuckoo Quarterley - Online
Cuckoo Quarterly is an online literary magazine for and by young people and www.cuckooreview.com is an arts and culture magazine written by and for 15-23 year-olds. New Writing North has only recently expanded its remit to include the Yorkshire and the North West, and would be delighted to have more young people from the area submitting to Cuckoo.
For more information about New Writing North's work with young people, see www.newwritingnorth.com or follow @cuckoowriters

Bare Fiction Magazine
Bare Fiction Magazine will be independently published three times a year, with issues in March, July & November, plus the special first issue launched in December 2013.
We want our readers to discover genre-defying boldness from exciting writers in poetry, fiction and plays, literary review, interviews and  commentary. To that end, we need prose, poetry and play texts that instantly grab our minds and take us on extraordinary literary journeys. If your work is competently written but doesn’t have the kind of depth that makes the readers work just that little bit harder, then it’s probably not for us. We want you to make peoples eyes open wider and their minds race with excitement as they feast on your words, if you think that your writing can do this the please visit the website for more details.
More info: www.barefictionmagazine.co.uk/submissions/

---

LOCAL PUBLICATIONS

John Barron’s debut pamphlet, The Nail Forge, has recently been published by Tall Lighthouse Press. The pamphlet is a wide-ranging exploration of how our senses, intuition and language allow us to understand ourselves and the ties that bind us. It is about deafness, quietness, silence and listening, about what happens when we become more attentive to our experience.
It is available from The Tall Lighthouse Press website (www.thelighthousepress.com), independent bookshops The Last Chapter (www.thelastchapter.co.uk) and Rare and Racy (www.rareandracy.co.uk) and at readings.
John will be reading with the Penistone Poets on 16th January at The Art House Cafe, Penistone, and on 23rd January at The Red Deer, Sheffield, with other Tall Lighthouse poets to be confirmed.

---

COMPETITIONS

Song and Poetry Competition
The Miners’ Strike of 1984/5, inspired many new songs and poems. 30 years on, we are looking for new songs and poems to inspire people struggling in today’s world. We are looking for original work about unemployment, human rights, discrimination, inequality, war, the environment, hunger and social justice.
Guidelines:
1.    To enter you must have been born after December 31st, 1983.
2.    Songs must take no longer than 5 minutes to perform. Musical performances must be unplugged or simple electric combos.
3.    Poems are limited to a maximum of 40 lines.
4.    Entries must be recorded as mp3s and emailed to bornineightyfour@yahoo.co.uk; all entries will be acknowledged.
5.    The judges will not know your identity; their decision will be final.
6.    There is a prize of £50 for the winning song and £50 for the winning poem. Winners will be invited to perform at the Winding Wheel Concert on March 8th, 2014.
7.    The closing date for entries is midnight on Friday, January 31st, 2014.
8.    We hope to have judged the entries and informed everyone of the result by Friday, February 7th, 2014
9.    With the permission of the authors, the best songs and poems will be published on our website: http://bornin84.co.uk/index.html
10.    Application forms can be downloaded from our website: http://bornin84.co.uk/index.html

TRAINING, JOBS AND OPPORTUNITIES

The Columnist @ Ideas Tap - Closing date 31st January 2014
Ideas Tap are giving one brilliant writer the chance to become IdeasMag¹s weekly Columnist for six months. They should be ready to explore arts and pop-culture, and they'll be paid £100 per 500-word column. Second place will win a month's paid internship at IdeasTap (£300 per week). Finally, eight runners up will receive three mentoring sessions with a professional journalist.
Judges include Tony Cross (Conde Nast Digital), Alice Jones (The Independent) and Nancy Groves (Guardian Culture Professionals).
Apply by 31 January
More details: http://bit.ly/19GiAiX

Writing Squad Assistant Writers  (West Midlands)  -  Closing date: 1st February 2014
Writing West Midlands are looking for expressions of interest from individuals looking to work as Assistant Writers at our Write On! Writing Squads across the region.
These voluntary roles (we are able to cover travel expenses) will involve working alongside the Lead Writers at some of our Writing Squads. The Assistants provide additional support; help with mentoring and providing advice and creative writing exercises for the children and young people taking part. They also shadow the Lead Writers to learn new skills with the opportunity for career development. Writing Squad Assistants work closely with the Lead Writers under the management of Writing West Midlands staff Joanne Penn and Jonathan Davidson. We are looking for people who are interested in developing the skills and creativity of children and young people.
More details  and how to apply here: www.writingwestmidlands.org/writing-squad-assistant-writer-opportunities/

Coaching Course for Writers – (in partnership with Arvon and RD1st) - April 18th 2014 application deadline
Many writers who have also been tutors and facilitators in their working lives are looking to extend their range of opportunities for earning a living. The field of coaching on a one to one basis is ideal for experienced writers who enjoy working with other colleagues in the field and enabling their writing careers to flourish.
This course, in partnership with The Arvon Foundation, is being run again due to popular demand. NAWE is offering an accredited training opportunity to its members who wish to develop their coaching skills. It will also be suitable for those working in further or higher educational settings to enhance work with students on an individual basis. Performance Coach Training is recognised by the Association of Coaching and will accredit the course.
Dates: Two three day blocks of training: 27th, 28th, 29th June 2014 and 22nd 23rd 24th July
Venue: Radisson Hotel, York. Cost: £595 (excluding accommodation). An application process will take place. The closing date for applications will be Friday 18th April 2014.
If you wish to book a place or find out more about applying, please contact  Anne Caldwell: a.caldwell@nawe.co.uk / Tel. 07818 052108

New Years resolutions 2014

It is that time of year again where we all look to setting goals for our writing and the year to come.  Having looked back at the resolutions I set myself at the beginning of 2013, I am feeling pretty good about my achievements for last year.  Here are the resolutions I set for 2013:

1)  Get my final edit for Thorde: The Keeper of the Trysk done for 1 February 2013
2)  Get Quantum Worlds to first draft by April 2013
3)  Enter more writing competitions and try to get an agent (involves getting more brave)
4)  Write more (sound familiar anyone?)
5)  Lose weight (involves joining my friend on a diet, exercising more and cutting down on drink)
6)  Do more walking (I love it when I do it, the weather conspires against me)
7)  Go to the theatre, movies and read more
8)  Organise more family treats (like camping, trips to London etc.)

There was only one resolution that I did not achieve and I think this is because I gave myself too much of a mountain to climb and that was to get QW to first draft.  I did get my final edit (three in total, though it is resting at the moment and out with a couple of beta readers before a final tweak and then I am biting the bullet and sending it off to some agents, gulp) of Thorde completed though which is a real achievement.  I entered more writing competitions (nine in total) but did not take steps to get an agent (my bravery has not appeared yet, but I am working on it).  I did write more, 112,704 new words in total, which includes eleven new pieces and an almost finished first draft of a new novella (currently at 40,790 thanks to NaNoWriMo).  I did lose the weight using my plan, though I suspect some of it may have crept back on over Christmas (I will be back to my regime once the mountain of chocolate and cheese has been devoured).  I got into a wonderful regime of walking for an hour two or three times a week and this will be reintroduced as I enjoyed it (fingers crossed for better weather) and was excellent for working through plots in my head.  I did go to the movies, theatre, read more and organised more family treats which we all enjoyed together, so this resolution will also be staying.

I also had a few successes in that I had some lovely feedback on my writing from competitions that I did not win, I got a couple of new clients for my writing and social networking skills and have been thrilled by how many followers I have for my blog now.  I am getting regular hits every day from over ten countries and feedback from comments I receive on my blog and on LinkedIn, Google+, Facebook and Twitter.  I attended various writers festivals (Harrogate, Huddersfield, Leeds, Morley, Brighouse to name but a few) and quite a few writing workshops and author events (these are very good for making contacts).  I have also made more writer friendships both on and off-line and gained new members for Cleckheaton Writers Group.  All in all a very good year.

So in the spirit of now knowing that last year my resolutions really worked for me (with a couple of bravery issues aside), I hereby commit to my resolutions for 2014:

1)  Send Thorde off to agents
2)  Get at least one more WIP to first draft by the end of the year
3)  Keep up the good work with entering competitions regularly
4)  Aim to write more than 115k words for 2014
5)  Get back into the walking/healthy eating regime
6)  Continue to book in trips to the theatre and movies
7)  Read more, including genres I wouldn't normally try
8)  Keep organising more family treats

I would love to hear about any resolutions that my followers have made/kept to and I wish you all a happy, healthy and productive 2014.

Bradford International Film Festival 27 March to 6 April 2014

 

BRADFORD INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

in partnership with

CELEBRATES 20 GLORIOUS YEARS

27 March to 6 April 2014

Festival Passes on sale from 7 January 2014

Tickets on sale from 26 February 2014

www.bradfordfilmfestival.org.uk

As 2013 comes to a close, the team at BIFF have already begun working on putting together next year's festival. We're excited to announce that, from January 7th, our festival website will be live with festival passes and early tickets available for some of the most exciting cinema events of 2014. 


Whilst we're keeping the full line-up under our hats until 26th February, confirmed highlights for 2014 include:



* Sally Potter Retrospective – BIFF will screen the complete filmography of one of the UK’s most fascinating and influential directors and Sally will be in Bradford to receive the Festival’s Fellowship Award on 30^th March.

* The Dodge Brothers and Neil Brand – Festival favourites are back after the last two years’ performances to present the World Premiere of a new score for the little seen 1916 silent western Hell’s Hinges on 3rd April.

* Uncharted States Celebrates James Benning – Recognised as a seminal figure of the American avant-garde since the late 1970s, James Benning has been consistently championed by festival co-director Neil Young. This tribute will feature: the World Premiere of his new feature, BNSF (which Benning will introduce) and the UK Premiere of the Venice Film Festival prize winner, Double Play directed by Gabe Klinger, which focuses on the close relationship between Benning and fellow filmmaker Richard Linklater (Before Midnight, School of Rock, Dazed and Confused).

* Widescreen Weekend – (10-13 April) will pay homage to the 60^th anniversary of the VistaVision process. Other highlights of WSW include: West Side Story (70mm with special sound mix); Big Trouble in Little China (70mm), and European Premieres for new digitally restored versions of the Cinerama classics Seven Wonders of the World and Search for Paradise.



Hope to see you next year. Until then, the team at BIFF would like to wish you all a very merry Christmas and a happy new year!