Results of Poetry Competition - 14 April 2014

On Monday 14 April we heard the results of our second competition of the year, poetry. Our guest judge was prize-winning local poet, Kim Lasky.
     Kim was very complimentary about our efforts, and gave comprehensive feedback to everyone who had entered.  She told us she was looking for the use of a poetry form which complemented and supported the subject matter, as well as the use of language and the rhythm of the poems.
     The eventual winners were: in joint fourth place, 'The Slip', Diana Lock, and 'On the Hill, Marcia Woolf'.  Roz Balp was in third place with 'Overkill', Sara Young was second with 'Jack', and the deserved winner was Jill Fricker with the moving 'Out of Niger'.

Manuscript Evening - 31 March 2014

The group met on Monday 31 March for one of our regular Manuscript evenings, where members present extracts from their work in progress for discussion and constructive feedback. The meeting was chaired by Kate O'Hearn, fresh back from a trip to Hawaii, where she was doing research for her latest 'Pegasus' novel.

     Four brave members presented their work: Paul Johnson with football inspired fantasy, Anne Spiring with a prospective Mills and Boon bodice-ripper, new member Corinne Graehame with chilling crime, and Lee Owen with science fiction. Needless to say, we found grappling with all the different genres quite challenging!

     However, all the presenters appeared to find our feedback useful.

Poetry Entries - 17 March 2014

On 17 March entries had to be submitted for our Poetry Competition. This year, with a number of new members taking part, we had a record number of entries for the competition. This is pleasing, as poetry has traditionally been a minority interest for HWG members.
     Entrants read out their poems and presented a short 'back story' about what had inspired the piece.

Results of Short Story Competition - 3 March 2014

On Monday 3 March a large group of members gathered to hear the results of our first competition for 2014 - producing a short story from a given first paragraph. The competition had also attracted a record number of entries, despite many members saying they found the task difficult.

     Our judge was up-and-coming thriller writer James Carol, who had also set the paragraph we had to work from. He had been impressed with the quality of the entries, and interested to see that some had used the paragraph to write a 'big' story, about cataclysm and disaster, and others to produce a 'small' more domestic drama.

The eventual winners were, in joint fourth place, Stephanie Gaunt with 'The Choice', and Jill Fricker with 'Falling to Earth'. New member Linda Blackhall was third with 'We are the People', second was Mike Walsh with the 'Wasteland', and our winner was Roz Balp with the mesmerising 'The New Order'.

     We were also pleased to welcome two prospective members at the meeting.

Workshop on Point of View - Monday 17 February 2014

It was challenging for all of us on Monday 17 February when we took part in a workshop on 'Point of View'. The session was led by one of our favourite outside experts, former English Literature lecturer Dr. Elizabeth Allen.

     The issue of 'point of view' is one of the most difficult areas for any writer - whether to choose the first person 'I' (or sometimes 'we), the second person 'you', or the third person 'his', 'her' or 'they'. Then, once chosen - how to stick with it and use it effectively.

     As ever, the meeting was very well attended.

     We were pleased to hear from Kate O'Hearn that she has now signed a contract to produce further books in her best-selling 'Pegasus' series. 

Manuscript Evening - 3 February 2014

On Monday 3 February we held one of our regular Manuscript Evenings, where members are invited to present sections of their work in progress to the rest of the group for constructive critique.

     Facilitated by Kate O'Hearn, the session gave rise to lively discussion. Three people occupied the 'Hot seat', Emma Boyde, with a chapter from her novel about young surfers in Cornwall, Bill Petsing, with an extract from his memoirs about life in the 1930s, and Mike Rayner, with a disquieting but enthralling short story/novella which was part fantasy, and part fairy tale.

     Although Manuscript Evenings may be nerve-wracking, people who submit work find them very valuable, as do those who discuss the pieces.

     We were also pleased to welcome one new member and two prospective members.

Dialogue Workshop - 14 January 2014

The Group hit the ground running at our first meeting of 2014 on Monday 6 January. Our resident star author Kate O'Hearn led a challenging - and entertaining - workshop on dialogue and the use of accents. The session was very well attended, and everyone had plenty of opportunity to join with practical writing exercises.
     Just a reminder of the news from our end-of-year Presentation Evening in December. Our premier writing prize, the Catherine Cookson cup for an outstanding short story, was won by Mike Walsh, with Carol Pullen, Lee Owen and Marcia Woolf in second, third and fourth places. The 'Writer of the Year' award for the best performance in competitions throughout the year was won by Stephanie Gaunt.