Category: creative writing

The Story Arc

Scarborough Writers CircleLeave a comment

The Circle met on the 12th of September and we welcomed George Cromack to Newby & Scalby Library for an evening of humour and enlightenment. We learnt about the story arc and how writers need to be aware of the shape and structure of their plot, be it a short story, a novel, or something in between. Most important is the character or characters. Who are they and what is their mission? In a story of highs and lows (gains and losses) how do they achieve their goals? Or do they?

It was pen-to-paper time when we were asked to create a short narrative using the story arc George had outlined. Stories were swiftly generated: a brother lost in a tsunami, a pair of old shoes given new life, a family of friendly rodents, and inevitably, a canine in trouble.

There’s a lot more to writing than most of us envisage. However, there’s a broad range of expertise and skill at the Circle from beginners through to authors with several publications to their name. Sessions are designed to cater for this varied group and there’s a general consensus that members and visitors alike enjoy not only the focus of the evening but also the chit-chat and useful information gleaned from one another.

The next session will be on Tuesday 10th October when the winner of the Shirley Waite Poetry Competition will be revealed. We look forward to welcoming Charlotte Oliver, a prestigious local poet, who has very kindly agreed to judge the entries. In line with National Poetry Day on the 5th of October our theme this year is ‘Refuge’. Whilst poetry is generally not the main thrust of our group we welcome diversity within the written word and are not afraid to have a go.

Visitors old and new will be given a warm welcome. The library doors open for us around seven o’clock with a start time of seven-fifteen. There’s tea, coffee and putting-the-world-to-rights at half-time, and superior biscuits: not the cheap and boring kind. What more could a creative soul want?

(£1 for refreshments to the library and guest admission is £4 for the session.)

report submitted by Jill Young, SWC Member

The Nikki Barker Shield

Scarborough Writers CircleLeave a comment

Short Story Competition

On Tuesday 13th June the Scarborough Writers’ Circle gathered in the Newby & Scalby Library’s garden, making the most of the evening sunshine, only moving inside when it started to get chilly – for coffee, tea, and Sue Grogan’s delicious ginger bread which was shared out and appreciated by all!

The meeting welcomed Adrienne Silcock, last year’s winner of the competition, who had set the theme ‘All’s not what it seems’. She had asked entrants to think of the unexpected, the unimaginable – think ‘the man who mistook his wife for a hat’ (Oliver Sacks).  She said, ‘I’m not looking for stories about dementia or non-fiction, but an inspirational take on your story, something which could only have been written by YOU!’

She was looking for freshness and good writing.

Before the result was announced, the nine out of twelve competitors who were able to attend the meeting read out their stories, and a varied and interesting set of stories they were too.  Adrienne told us how much she’d enjoyed them.  

Stewart Ashton won the Nikki Barker Shield, with Going Down, in which a man wakes to find himself in a lift descending into Hell.  The Judge’s critique read, ‘This story was funny, witty, unusual and gripping for the reader. Well written indeed!’

Julie Fairweather’s Identity Crisis, written in 2nd person viewpoint, about a woman who didn’t know who she was following a dental appointment that involved a shot of morphine, came second.  The Judge commented: ‘I enjoyed this story and it was a good interpretation of the theme!  I liked the way you confuse the reader with a dark and insidious beginning through a gradual recovery to a light finish.’

Dorinda Cass was third with The Valley Out of Time: a man goes walking in Yorkshire to explore an ancient forest, where he slips back into the 12th century and is captured by the king’s soldiers.  Adrienne said she ‘loved the way the story engrossed her immediately, and the transition between time frames worked well.’

Well done to all! 

Many thanks to Adrienne for her hard work: the task of judging and critiquing is no mean feat. It will be Stewart taking this task on next year and we wish him good luck!

Report submitted by Diana Campbell, SWC Member

Photograph submitted by Stewart Ashton

Away Day at the Crown Spa

Scarborough Writers CircleLeave a comment

On Saturday 20th May, several circle members enjoyed a day in the company of bestselling author, Margaret Graham, who charmed us all with her warm and lively personality as she led us through the components of the common structural form of the short story, expanding this into novel writing and publishing.

The Plotline used for guiding writers was based on the Cinderella story and the structure of this enabled us to identify plot points within the writing we produced on the day, to aid us with future writing, and indeed to apply to any work in progress.

The day was full of fun and laughter, with a balanced mix of teaching and interaction. There were lots of tips for how to vary content within the plotline to make it effective and how to keep the reader interested.

It was a great experience writing as a group in a different setting other than our usual monthly 2-hour session at Scalby Library and it gave us a chance to get to know one another a little better.

Members came away feeling they had learned something valuable from Margaret and enjoyed her company to boot!

It would be good to repeat this practice, perhaps in a different venue, and we will look at the possibility of that at the AGM in November, depending on available funds.

Submitted by Julie Fairweather, Member

Photos courtesy of Ros Jones, Member

Margaret asked that her fee be donated to Motor Neurone Disease

ADDED BONUS

……………………………………………………………………….

An Evening of Romance

Scarborough Writers CircleLeave a comment

At the monthly Writers’ Circle meeting on 9th May 2023, Dorinda Cass talked about writing romance in both genre and general fiction. She illustrated it with examples of novels written in different eras, from the 19th Century to the latest publications. This led to a lively discussion which included a regard to sub-genres within the romantic fiction publication market. It was emphasised that romantic fiction is a multi-million pounds industry and worth a writer’s time in researching which sub-genre their work fits into – if they are interested in writing it. Enhancing the mood of the evening, member Nola York played the keyboard and sang a selection of romantic songs.

The next meeting of the Writers’ Circle will be on Tuesday 13th June at Newby/Scalby Library, Scalby Road, Scarborough (7 pm for 7.15 start) when Adrienne Silcock will announce the result of the Nikki Barker short story competition and members will share their stories with the group.

Non-members (over 18 years) are very welcome to attend as a guest for £4 (plus £1 to the library for refreshments if required).

Report submitted by Dorinda Cass

Whose point of view is it, anyway?

Scarborough Writers CircleLeave a comment

On 11th April, sixteen writers attended the circle’s writing craft session led by author Kate Evans. Her most recently published books are A Wake of Crows and Drowning Not Waving, the first two crime novels in what will be a series of three. The third, No Justice, is due to be published in hardback in June 2023.

Members were informed that ‘the point of view in writing is the perspective from which the story is being told’ and that ‘having a compelling point of view hooks the reader and keeps them coming back for more’.

Kate set three short writing exercises as an opener. Members were invited to write the same paragraph in 1st person (I), then 3rd person (she/he/them) and, finally, 2nd person (you). An interesting discussion ensued regarding the different effects these had on the writing, the writer and the reader.

Further guidance was offered in choosing povs for particular types of writing, depending on what the writer wanted the reader to experience. The pros and cons of each pov were elaborated on by Kate and she suggested experimenting with different povs when approaching a piece of writing.  For example, if a writer usually uses 1st person, she suggested trying it in 3rd person to gauge the best fit for the effect the writer was trying to achieve. A lively discussion ensued around this.

After the break, Kate answered numerous questions from the group about using pov and writing in general until the meeting closed with her reiterating that, in short, the choices for pov perspective are single character viewpoint; multiple viewpoint; second person singular and omniscient. She distributed a handout to remind us of the evening’s content.  

It was a buzzing session enjoyed by all.

The next session will be held on Tuesday 9th May, 7.15 pm (to approx. 9.30pm) at Scalby Library, 450 Scalby Road Scarborough, YO126EE. Dorinda Cass will take the lead on ‘Romance’. Do come along to learn more about this interesting theme. If you think you don’t write romance, you’re in for a surprise. There’s a lot more to the genre than you think!

Report submitted by Julie Fairweather, SWC Member

Scarborough Writers’ Circle 14th March 2023

Scarborough Writers CircleLeave a comment

The Arthur Hastings Short Story Competition

The evening was introduced by member Julie Fairweather, last year’s winner, who set and judged the idiomatic-themed competition ‘A Word in Season’. The twelve short story entries were divided into four groups for members to read out within each group and offer author feedback, after which the circle gathered together for general commentary, the results announcement and the reading of the winning stories by the authors.

Result of the Competition with Judge’s Comment

The winner of the Arthur Hastings Trophy was Dorinda Cass for ‘Red Mist’. The provocative language and use of senses to portray emotion were especially beautiful, the gut-punching twist at the end dynamic. This was a good example of how to utilise the required elements that make up the short story form. Perfect.

In second place was Jill Boyes for ‘To Everything, there is a Season’. A dramatic portrayal of a whole life in a short space, which is unusual for a short story. The character evoked such emotion without feeling sorry for himself that listeners couldn’t help but have great empathy for his regretful realization of a wasted life. It was difficult to know whether to laugh or cry at the last line. Wow!

Third place went to Stewart Ashton for his story ‘Cold Reflection’. The many images, words and phrases used added a superb level of suspense to this unnerving atmospheric story with its mysterious happenings. There was full engagement with the character’s emotions, which were enhanced by using a teddy bear as his protector. An unexpected shift at the end knocked us off guard. A creepy story well told.

Stewart Ashton (3rd), Dorinda Cass (1st) and Jill Boyes (2nd)

As is always the case with these in-house competitions, it’s a difficult process sifting through each story’s world to find a winner. All stories submitted were a worthy read and Julie urged those who hadn’t been placed to take note of any worthwhile feedback offered by others and endeavour to find a home for their hard work.

The next meeting will be held at 7pm on Tuesday 11th April at Newby & Scalby Library, 450 Scalby Road, Scarborough, YO12 6EE. Published local author, Kate Evans, will be leading us in a session on writing craft, namely ‘point of view’.

We look forward to welcoming members and non-members alike. Our fees have not risen for several years and remain at £36 per year membership and £4 each month for guests, with an additional £1 to the library for refreshments if required.

Please see our diary page on this website for future sessions.

Report submitted by Julie Fairweather, SWC Member

Nibbles and Drabbles

Scarborough Writers CircleLeave a comment

The Scarborough Writers’ Circle December meeting involved a lot of nibbles and cake and the reading out of festive ‘drabbles’ – that is, complete stories told in 100 words. We also congratulated Anne Morley on becoming a Circle Lifetime Member in recognition of her many years of active support for the group. Writing hopes and plans for the forthcoming year were shared and a festive time was had by all.

The Writers’ Circle meets again on Tuesday 10th January at 7:15 at the Newby and Scalby Library.

Our exciting 2023 timetable is available to view here and includes sessions on writing craft, writing content, guest workshop facilitators and competitions.

Guests £4:00 but membership is open and we very much welcome new members.

FIRE!

Scarborough Writers CircleLeave a comment

The November meeting of the Scarborough Writers’ Circle focused on writing craft. Members were invited to bring short pieces to read out and accept feedback on pace, energy, interest and story arcs.  The theme for the evening was ‘Fire!’ and what a wonderful assortment of writing we heard.  There were stories of dragons eggs, of school pranks, feisty witches and the gunpowder plot. We had poignancy of a mother coping with autism and lots of crackle, woodsmoke and flame. Discussion was lively with lots of helpful feedback given and generously received.

Our next meeting will be at Newby and Scalby Library and Information Centre on 13th December at 7:15. Members are invited to bring a festive 100 word story to share.  There will be nibbles!

Attendance is £4.00 for non-members – but membership is open and we very much look forward to welcoming new members and non-members alike. For more information and our year timetable see our website pages (https://scarboroughwriterscircle.com/)

(submitted by lelmeleyal@hotmail.com – Lel Meleyal – Chair SWC)

The Shirley Waite Poetry Award

Scarborough Writers CircleLeave a comment

The Award’s second airing was the nucleus of the 11th October meeting. The trophy was introduced into the circle’s program last year to honour the memory of our dear friend and fellow writer Shirley, whose sudden death in November 2018 stunned all who knew her.

Her absence from the writing scene in Scarborough is tangible and she is still missed by many who knew and loved her as their treasured memories live on.

The Award is part of the circle’s contribution to National Poetry Day’s annual celebration of poetry. The remaining part of that celebration is – reading poetry. Namely, poetry written by members for the competition.

This year’s theme was Environment and was judged by guest speaker Jane Sudworth.

Jane is highly regarded for her shrewd judgement of poetry and she has assisted in several poem-sifting processes for local competitions. She is an exceptional poet herself and her work has been featured online as well as published in various anthologies. She is part of a trio of performing poets known as Poetry on Fire and is also a member of the Scarborough Poetry Workshop.

Jane gave a brief commentary on the process of how she approached the competition in order to make her final choice, before reading out a poem by Shirley entitled Pink Frog and announcing the winners as follows:

1st Place to Jill Boyes for Starless.

2nd Place to Lel Meleyal for Zakynthos.

3rd Place to Katie Wilkinson for Wild Orchid.

Jill receives the trophy from Julie Fairweather (last year’s winner)

The reading of all entries and Jane’s feedback comments encouraged lively discussions and the final part of the evening informed what we, as writers, can learn from poetry to enhance our prose.

It was an engaging evening and a fitting tribute to Shirley’s memory.

The next meeting is on Tuesday 8th November, 7.15 p.m. – 9.30 p.m. at Newby and Scalby Library, 450 Scalby Road, Scarborough YO12 6EE.  All are welcome to attend (18 years plus). Guests £4, Members Free. The theme is FIRE. See the DIARY page of the website for further details.

Submitted by Julie Fairweather

Shirley Waite, 19.4.1953 – 09.11.1918