The Story Arc

October 2, 2023October 17, 2023 Scarborough Writers CircleLeave a comment

The Circle met on the 12^th 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 10^th 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 5^th 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

An Evening of Romance

May 14, 2023May 14, 2023 Scarborough Writers CircleLeave a comment

At the monthly Writers’ Circle meeting on 9^th 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 19^th 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 13^th 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?

April 13, 2023 Scarborough Writers CircleLeave a comment

On 11^th 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 3^rd person (she/he/them) and, finally, 2^nd 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 1^st person, she suggested trying it in 3^rd 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 9^th 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

FIRE!

November 10, 2022 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 13^th 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)

Beginnings and Omens at the Scarborough Writers’ Circle

September 19, 2022January 7, 2023 Scarborough Writers CircleLeave a comment

At 19:13, on the 13^th of September, 13 members of the Scarborough Writers’ Circle met and discussed the importance of opening paragraphs and the power of omens. Members shared the beginning of their own work, along with examples from established writers, to demonstrate the variety of ways in which writers can arouse the interest of today’s readers. The meeting concluded on the hour, but disappointingly, the clocks failed to strike thirteen – perhaps leaving that omen for a night about endings.

The next meeting is on Tuesday, the 11^th October 22, at Newby and Scalby Library. The evening will be a read-through of the entries to the Shirley Waite Poetry Competition, in celebration of National Poetry Day, followed by an announcement of the winner. The evening will conclude with an examination of rhythm and what fiction can learn from poetry.

Attendance is £4.00 for non-members, but membership is open so please browse the website for further information at http://www.scarboroughwriterscircle.com/

Report submitted by Stewart Ashton.

A personal reflection of the August session led by Felix Hodcroft entitled ‘Environment’ can be found on Julie’s Personal Website here.

July at the Circle

July 13, 2022 Scarborough Writers CircleLeave a comment

The July meeting of the Scarborough Writers’ Circle focused on writing craft, specifically dialogue. It was a lively discussion covering how dialogue adds pace, how it can be used to add depth to characters and how ellipses and the ‘Em dash’ can be used to increase drama and tension in a story. We concluded the evening with a demonstration of a story plotting plan and how it had been used in planning a novel.

Our next meeting will be at Newby and Scalby Library and Information Centre on 9^th August at 7:15. It will be a poetry workshop facilitated by local poet, Felix Hodcroft. The Shirley Waite Poetry Competition will be opened and guidelines for submissions announced.

June’s Circle Session

June 23, 2022 Scarborough Writers CircleLeave a comment

The June meeting of the Scarborough Writers’ Circle celebrated the awarding of the Nikki Barker Prize. The trophy was won by local poet Adrienne Silcock for her evocative short story ‘The Girl in the Lemon Dress’. Adrienne delighted the attendees with a reading of her story. The quality of competition submissions was, as usual, to a high standard and judging was challenging but the well-attended group agreed that Adrienne was a worthy winner. After the reading, the group discussed their current works in progress. The Scarborough Writers’ Circle is a lovely mix of both published and beginner writers and the sharing of story ideas and ‘how to beat procrastination’ proved to be a lively and enjoyable discussion.

Our next meeting will be at Newby and Scalby Library and Information Centre on 12^th July at 7:15 where the group will be discussing writing craft, plotting, dialogue and publishing requirements.

£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 Diary.

Report submitted by Lel Meleyal – Chair SWC

Scarborough Writers' Circle

Sharing practical writing experience…

Category: Reports