March 2021

Member’s Musings | Tips | Short Stories | Next Meeting

Member’s Musings

A Light Exists in Spring’

Poem by Emily Dickinson,
Published in 1896

A light exists in Spring
Not present on the year
At any other period –
When March is scarcely here

A colour stands abroad
On solitary fields
That science cannot overtake
But human nature feels

From Lesley Hart

I’ve been finding it incredibly difficult to find time for my own writing alongside work, I wondered if other writers feel the same? Recently I went to a Zoom retreat, which was hosted on the basis of social time at the beginning where authors might ask for brainstorming help to overcome a hurdle and which was followed by a series of writing sprints. At the end of each sprint, writers would come back together and share a little of their writing, or something they were particularly pleased with, or to ask for support with something that was proving tricky. The entire event was immensely helpful and supportive.

I am proposing to host a similar event on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month, from 10^thMarch from 7pm to 9pm. Let me know by email if you’d like to join and I will send out a Zoom link on Sunday 7^th March. This is a free, drop-in, session and I will set it up as a recurring Zoom meeting, so authors can keep the same Zoom details and come along when it’s convenient. Email me at: authorspen@outlook.com to confirm your attendance, or to ask any questions about this recurring event.

Happy writing,

Author’s Pen

From Lesley Hart

Happy writing,

Lesley

From Joan Horne

Joan here. My daughter Eileen belongs to the Sussex Archaeological Society and when she saw that Elly Griffiths, the author, was giving a. lecture about her career as a crime novelist she booked us a place on Zoom. Last night we settled down to what was a fascinating talk about her novels. Her first series ‘The Ruth Galloway ‘Novels’ are centred in Norfolk. Dr. Ruth is a forensic archaeologist working for the police. ‘The Night Hawks’ is Elly Griffiths’ first book. She has also written ‘The Brighton Mysteries’ centred around the area.

Elly, who lives in Sussex, also gave very useful help to those wishing to be published. Her first efforts were rejected until she was given this advice. Send samples of your work to six publishers at the same time, also telling them what you are doing. Publishers don’t like to think that a budding new author would go to someone else. Result! She had three offers. When meeting those three she chose the one that she liked and would get on well with. I hope everyone is keeping well.

Cheerio Joan

For further information see below.

Member’s Musings | Tips | Short Stories | Next Meeting

Writer’s Tips

I recently completed a small online course (recommended by Lesley), called Novel Gazing by Julie Cohen who’s an accomplished fiction writer. The course is all about ‘post-its’ and how they can help you plan and edit your writing. It’s an interesting concept using post-its – different colours for characters within your writing, or plot lines, and then plotting the notes on a board and you can see the ‘highs and lows’ of your story, or if the sub-plots are taking over from the main plot or however you want to use them! Julie actually edited a 120k novel by going through the text and sticking the post-it notes in a book for each chapter. It took her a weekend to achieve this!!

The course was fun and interesting and there was 20% off the cost – always a good incentive!!! Maybe not everyone’s way of working but I have invested in a notice board and post-its and intend to try and use it for my short-story writing! Watch this space!

Sandra Gordon

Build Yourself a Bank of Useful Description.
Judy Clark

Member’s Musings | Tips | Short Stories | Next Meeting

A couple of short short stories – from Martin Brown

The Sorry Tale of Crommarty Forth.

You see it in people’s eyes first. ‘Cromarty? Like the shipping forecast?’

‘Yes.’ I say, trying to end the conversation. They don’t know the half of it.

My dad, born in the forties, was a bit of a fan, and my mum was a very patient woman. I swear he only married her because she was called Shannon. I only realised how strange it was when I brought a university friend home with me one Christmas.

The house is Portland, not very imaginative but he’d wasted all the best ones on previous dogs; Fisher, Bailey and Viking. Oh and a Rottweiler called German Bight.

My sister, Biscay was the lucky one. Then me, but my poor little brother ended up with Lundy. Lundy!

Every year, we visited a different region for holiday. I liked Dover and Wight best but Dad liked Hebrides best for some unknown reason.

His internet was Fastnet, only fish he ate was sole and always and he’d be unbearable at Monopoly if he didn’t get Trafalgar Square.

I’m just grateful he didn’t call me Dogger.

Donald’s Thoughts

So they said, ‘Hey Trump, you’re free. Will you do thought for the day on Radio 4?’

I said, ‘Sure.’ So here I am. I’ve got loads of thoughts. Best thoughts in the world. I’m the best person I know at thinking.

I thought I’d win the election and I was right. Cheaters! I thought of intravenous bleach which is a very good idea – who needs Obamacare? Almost as good my Tango moisturiser idea. So many thoughts.

Me? Yeah, I’m very religious. I read the ah … bibble at least once every… every, I’ve read it at least once, probably. Full of useful stuff, like the saying about the guy with two birds, and a hand in the bush or something. Sounds like my kinda guy. Yeah I met the short Chinese guy in orange too, what’s his name, the Dalai Alpaca or something. Nice guy, beat him at golf, I think.

What do you mean word limit? I know all the words. Can I buy some more? I’ll give you a thousand dollars and a round at Mar Y Lago for a hundred more words. No? Okay, I’ll pay off the next guy. It’s a woman? No problem, I’ll just wander in there and grab her by the pronouns. Like taking Candy from a baby. I like Candy, she’s a nice girl, gave her a couple of words myself ‘Gagging order’.

Anyway, I gotta go, losers, these golf balls don’t kick themselves outta the rough. See ya later.

Member’s Musings | Tips | Short Stories | Next Meeting

OUR NEXT HWC MEETING (18^th MARCH)

Agenda

Arrangements for next month’s AGM.

As mentioned at the previous meeting in February, the HWC Committee elections take place, with an AGM, at our April Meeting (15^th April). I suggest that we have a brief discussion of what is required in each of Committee’s posts .

For information: At the AGM there is usually a Treasurer’s Report and a Secretary’s report. There are also elections for the next year’s (April to March) for the Committee.

There are four (or five) posts that form this Committee:

Chairman
Treasurer
Secretary
and Competitions Secretary

It is usual for anyone who wishes to hold one of these posts to be nominated and then, if more than one person has been nominated for a particular post then, during the meeting, a vote is taken.

This year the Chair has been held by Bryan, the Treasurer has been Clive and the Competitions Secretary has been Lesley.

Our use of our Forum (horshamwriters.freeforms.net)

The Eric Williams Short Story Competition (final date for entry 31^st March)

SHORT FORM GROUP

Reminders: The suggested topics for this month :

Not Quite the End.
The Challenge
A piece of descriptive writing which involves using all of the senses.… or, as always, a piece you’ve been working on