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Happy New Year!

2/1/2014

A slightly belated Happy New Year! My pre-New Year blog didn't happen because the computer decided it was also having a seasonal break. Sigh. I was away from home so couldn't use my back up - left safely behind - or nip along to my local Apple shop.
In spite of that, there's lots of good news here at CreativeWritingMatters.
If you don't already know, go HERE to see which talented writers have made it to the long list of The Exeter Novel Prize. We are very excited about the competition and are already looking forward to finding out who will be on the short list. It will be posted on 7th February.
Also new on the site is Chapter Twelve of The Creative Writing Student's Handbook. We're coming to the end of the book now, I can't believe the time has gone by so fast. Margaret and I are contemplating the next step. We have been very encouraged by the comments received so far and will consider them very carefully. Please do leave a comment, even if it's not directly concerned with the current chapter but is in some way relevant to the book.
I'm in the middle of redrafting my latest novel and I'm already making notes for the next one. I've reached the point where I'd feel rather twitchy if I didn't have a novel on the go.
Finally, I must post this verse from a student of mine from long ago. It made me laugh out loud. He sent it to me this morning.

Did you once write short stories and now want to start again?
Then sign up for a course with young Cathie Hartigan!
She'll bring out your confidence and crush all your fears,
And if worse comes to worst, you can steal her ideas!

She's had stories published and even whole books,
(She's pleasant to look at but this isn't about looks),
You'll meet similar people and your work will be seen,
So why wait? Join up in 2014!

I don't know about young - I'm old enough to be his mother! Not sure about the whole books either but hey...Chris is a journalist and writes a very good blog. Take a look HERE

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RNA conference 2013 - Sheffield

15/7/2013

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I'm back from the conference and my bag was bulging with goodies: great books, chocs, soap, pens for England and all manner of bookmarks, postcards and badges to let me know about amazing books by members of the Romantic Novelists' Association.
Of course, a bag wasn't all I came back with. The conference brings the author and the publishing industry together. How we are dealing with the fast moving changes brought about by ebooks, Amazon and all the social media platforms was at the heart of this year's programme. I learnt a fantastic amount and feel very encouraged. Yes, the scales are tipping in favour of ebooks, but there is still a huge market for print books as well. The excellent news is that people are reading more than ever and that's what really matters.
For me personally, and for others in my position, trying to break into the industry, it's somewhat dispiriting to hear that a mainstream publisher may only publish two or three debut novels a year. What is encouraging is that they are throwing their weight behind digital imprints, using their expertise to maintain the quality expected of a traditionally published print book.
Apart from the lectures, workshops and delicious social side of a conference, it is also possible to make appointments with the editors and/or agents in order to pitch your book. I will be sending in my book as a result of mine. Who knows what might come of it? Maybe nothing, but the echo of the words 'you're really talented' is still here in my ear. I thought I should write it down, in case I forget.

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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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Writing Competitions

7/5/2013

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Exeter Writers

Writing groups are brilliant. Exeter Writers has generously supported writers for over 60 years and this year they are sponsoring The Exeter Novel Prize. The group has successfully run a short story competition for the last five years, encouraging all those who were listed to further their careers. Later this year Exeter Writers will be publishing an anthology that will include the winners.
Competition placing is a great way to build a CV and something to say when it comes to writing those important letters to agents and commissioning editors. They take notice.
There are many competitions for short story writers and for those who take brevity to the limit in flash fiction writing but for the novelist there are few, and those there are, often have restrictions.
The Exeter Novel Prize is for both unpublished and published writers for a novel not currently under contract with a commercial publisher. Any genre is acceptable except children’s (under 12).
I wish I could enter!

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Happy New Year!

RNA conference 2013 - Sheffield

Launching The Exeter Novel Prize

An Earthless Melting Pot

RNA summer party

Writing Competitions

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