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The long and short of it

31/7/2014

Two photos today. Both secured from a free photo site and on the first page of my search for images of 'creative writing'. I thought they were both rather lovely, but ever so slightly not anything to do with creative writing.
Unless you want to be metaphorical...
In which case, the small image is, in my mind, the flash competition entries. Have you written yours yet? Only 250 words and a whole month before the closing date. Go HERE

The beautiful and burgeoning cloud below is how my mind is currently feeling about The Exeter Story Prize competition. It's for a story of up to ten thousand words. I have yet to put the details up on the site - soon, promise! The closing date won't be until next April so there's a while to go. By then, the winner of the 2014 Exeter Novel Prize will already have been announced. Could it be you? Go HERE

If you want to give yourself the best chance with any competition, whether it's one of ours or not, then do your homework. So many times during judging do we come across great ideas and talent but the story can't win because of poor execution or a major error resulting of just not knowing! Read the previous winners. Go to a writing class or group. Read a creative writing text book (oh, how can I not give The Creative Writing Student's Handbook a plug here?), or at the very least, get someone else to read your story, if possible someone who writes too or knows more than your nearest and dearest.

If you're reasonably local you might like Friday Writers. Go HERE for more info about the course.

Happy writing and don't forget - you can't win if you don't enter!

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Competition time

24/1/2014

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In the last week I haven't won two competitions. This isn't surprising since one I didn't enter and the other had a great many entries. What have I learnt from this experience? Anything?
I discovered this week that a writer I admire, Tracy Fells, had a competition success rate in 2013 of merely 33%. I was amazed at that because her name appeared in so many lists. But what I hadn't known was that she had entered eighty-seven competitions. Gasp!
Note to self - write faster!
I am a firm believer in competitions. They are a godsend for the aspiring writer. Not only do others notice (illustrious others as well as friends and family) but a placing in any list provides massive self-validation. The lonesome writer needs lots.
That's the main reason that CreativeWritingMatters is launching another competition. We're calling it WoW! because it's for a short story of one thousand words (best to say it out loud), although we'll allow fifty either way. The closing date will be 31st May and I'll be posting a page with more information under the competition tab on February 1st.
Tracy won second place in the H.E.Bates competition. Congratulations! And to Anne Corlett for winning. You can read both their stories HERE. I'm thinking of getting a dog (see pic).
Closer to home, I'm going to sing the praises of an Exeter Writer, Dan Knibb who has been short listed for the Harry Bowling Novel and Flash prize. When he's famous I shall tell anecdotes about his first term in my class.
Edit: I've since discovered that a 20% success rate is considered good! Keep sending 'em out, folks.

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Opening the bubbly

20/8/2013

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Happy Days

Time to crack open the first round of bubbly, I think, for I can now share some very excellent news I've known about for a little while. In the Spring of next year, the Romantic Novelists' Association is to publish an anthology and one of my stories is to be included in the digital edition.
I am so proud! I shall be rubbing page shoulders with so many illustrious names that I could end up as fizzy as the glass on the left. I sent off the story over a year ago now. It's quite long - nearly five thousand words but I remember writing it at some speed. Then there was the many months of waiting to hear and all the time trying not to think about it.
When I heard I'd been successful, I re-read it and couldn't help feeling deliciously pleased with myself.
I'll let you know when it is published. There may be pictures, even a new frock - what?Another new frock? We'll see. It's a bit tricky to have a book signing for an ebook, but I'll think of something. In the meantime...cheers!

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Launching The Exeter Novel Prize

29/6/2013

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Margaret, Sophie et moi.

Do we look rather pleased with ourselves? I think so. We were at Thursday evening's launch of The Exeter Novel Prize and very successful it was too. Lots of people came, turning out in nasty weather more like October's than June. Thank you!

It's quite a while since I posted my first competition entry. I sent my story to the Woman and Home competition in 2005. My mother had given me the magazine. 'You do a bit of writing,' she said. The theme of the competition was Presents. I read the magazine and thought about all the presents I'd ever been given. The lamp in this photo is probably the oddest. It also inspired the story and I shall never part with it.

'I saw it and thought of you,' she said.

The story reached the finals and my name and a little postage stamp picture was published in the magazine. I was so happy I cried. Since then, I've had a lot of success. Competitions abound for the short story writer.
But for the novelist, opportunities are few. Most novel competitions have restrictions of one sort or another. A particular genre perhaps, unpublished writers only, age and/or sex of the entrant are some.
Margaret, Sophie and I want The Exeter Novel Prize to be an opportunity for as many novelists as possible, whether it be a first step on the ladder or a step back on the ladder having fallen off in the past. The thrill of being placed, that recognition of worth after those hours spent tapping away is better than any shot in the arm.

The very best of luck to all who enter.

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An Earthless Melting Pot

5/6/2013

2 Comments

Surreal title + surreal image = Brilliant!

Old news now but hey! I still want to crow about it. Last Saturday evening I was drinking pink fizz in the Charing Cross branch of Foyles celebrating the launch of The Earthless Melting Pot. It's the prizewinners anthology of the 2012 Words with Jam competition. I'm very proud that my story The Scent of Lemons was second in the long short - as opposed to the short or short short - category.
My fellow winners below: left to right
Barbara Leahy; Me; Ken Elkes (winner of the Fish Flash Fiction prize - wow!); Ruby Cowling;
Diane Jackman; Vikky Gemmell; Bo Crowder; Vanessa Savage. Thanks to Margaret James for being an ace photographer.

It felt very whizzy to be in Soho on a Saturday evening. I used to buy my piano music from Foyles when I was a teenager although the shop didn't stay open until 9pm then. Afterwards Margaret and I really went to town and had another glass of fizz and an ice cream in Carluccio's. That was in addition to the excellent nosh provided by Words with Jam and Triskele Books. Thanks to them and in particular Jane Dixon-Smith. Good luck with Tristan and Iseult.

We're all winners!

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RNA summer party

22/5/2013

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Party girls - Margaret, Sophie and Cathie

The team has been out partying again. Meeting up with old friends and yes, we did have a glass or two and quite a few canapés. The main focus of the evening was to applaud those shortlisted for the Romantic Novel of the Year and Joan Hessayon Award and to congratulate the winners Jenny Colgan and Leisel Schwarz. It was a very happy occasion. More information about the evening can be found HERE. There are more photos HERE.

Of course, the RNA summer party was also a great place for us to spread the word about The Exeter Novel Prize and everyone we spoke to was very enthusiastic. Our esteemed judge, Broo Doherty was also there and she is as keen as we are to discover new talent. The local launch of the prize is at the Writing Competitions: How to be a Winner event at Exeter Central Library on June 27th at 7pm. We're hoping for a big audience (to eat the cakes).

Later...

An RNA party has to have some mention of shoes but instead of the usual photos of stilettos, platforms and sparkly bone-crushers, here's what happens a little later in the evening.
Phew! I can still hear the collective sigh of relief.

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The long and short of it

Competition time

Opening the bubbly

Launching The Exeter Novel Prize

An Earthless Melting Pot

RNA summer party

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