On 10th January, Dorinda Cass led a lively session on Endings, Titles and Blurbs (Sue Grogan). Members shared the last paragraph of a short story of their choice and discussed how the story may be affected if the last sentence were removed, how appropriate it was to the content of the story and the genre, and whether it was better or worse, or made no difference at all, by being omitted.
The evening continued with discussing why the writer chose that particular title for their story and whether they thought it was the right one to draw readers in.
Members also looked at various book blurb requirements and examples (after all we were in a library so there were plenty to choose from!) and note the general pattern of these.
All went away from this buzzy meeting with some fresh insights into the whys and wherefores of book blurbs, short story endings and titles in general and were asked to look at their own writing to repeat the exercises and discover what they learn from doing it/thinking about it.
The next meeting, which will be led by Jill Boyes, will be held at 7.15 pm on Tuesday 14th February at Newby & Scalby Library, 450 Scalby Road, Scarborough, YO12 6EE.
Please bring along a small object to set on a table. It can be old, new, useful, decorative, organic, man-made, metal, wood, fabric, paper, ceramic, stone, etc. The possibilities are endless. We will use the objects as inspiration for writing individual micro-stories – which could be about where it came from, who owned it, what it was used for, what journey it took, what drama surrounded it or anything else you want it to be. To be shared on the night.
We look forward to welcoming members and non-members alike. Our fees have not risen for several years and remain at £36 per year for full membership and £4 each month for guests, with an additional £1 to the library for refreshments if required. Membership is currently open.
For info on future sessions please go to our Diary page and keep checking in for further info that may be added as each session approaches.
Submitted by Julie Fairweather, SWC Member
Scarborough Writers' Circle 