Plenty to Report
Southampton Writing Buddies met again at The Art House, Southampton on Friday July 6th, the first meeting on our new monthly schedule of first Fridays. Here's what members reported about their writing-related news since last time.
Mo has been filmed in Notting Hill Gate, speaking about the 1959 Notting Hill riots. Her novel, A Blues for Shindig, is set in London in that decade - she wasn't part of the riots herself! She is also shortly to have one of her short plays filmed by a team who have won a Toronto film prize. The Oldie magazine has produced an annual-type book to celebrate their twentieth anniversary, and included in it is one of Mo's articles printed in the magazine previously. She showed us a copy, and told us about the forthcoming celebration dinner to which she's been invited.
Jacqueline has registered with Ether Books (mobile quick reads); her first submitted short story is now on the site, and she has also sent two biographies. One of her stories is about to appear in the ebook Tortured Hearts Vol 3, and she has just heard that her WAAF memoirs piece was in The People's Friend last September! She has had a letter in the Daily Echo, and has started pitching her WW1 diary article to military magazines.
Catherine has completed her novel rewrite following suggestions by the Romantic Novelists Association New Writers Scheme. She has had a 75-word piece published on paragraph planet and has entered a short story competition. She and her fellow NWS writers have a blog, The Romaniacs, and they are featured in current writing magazines.
Josephine has received, from the Society of Women Writers & Journalists' (SWWJ) a novel for review for their magazine The Woman Writer. Her list of likes and hates is building nicely and she hopes to publish them as a small gift book next year. Her book about managing meetings should be completed by the end of this month, and she is considering some articles related to it. She is also planning her next book, which will be on staff management. Park Radio, with whom Josephine is associated, is only online now, but they are looking for contributions and local reporters in the New Forest.
Patricia went to the Writers' Conference at Winchester. An agent was very impressed by her book, but wanted an elevator pitch for which she was not ready. She has now sent her book to the agent with a pitch and has found two other possible agents. She has been writing and submitting flash fiction.
Jimmy has read and returned the proofs of Not a Guide to Southampton. He has just started writing a 1950s childhood book in collaboration with Penny. His preschool book had language which needed adjusting so he is now working it for the 3-5 age group and hopes to publish in August. He is considering a follow-up to his book Growing Up in Wartime Southampton, and is working on two of his other novels.
Karen feels that her novel in progress needs to be more detailed, and she plans to start songwriting again.
John is keeping up his Friday blog posting. He has been attending the poetry group Moving Voices at The Art House, too. He mentioned that the Gumtree site is looking for real life stories.
Penny has been very busy promoting and selling her book, Under the Queen's Colours, locally, in London, and to people from abroad. The launch at Netley went well. There has been much interest at Australia House in London; she has enough further material to consider an Australia/New Zealand book on the same topic, and there is interest from a publisher for this. She may also consider a book of women's experiences in the forces.
In the discussions, it was mentioned that Amberley Press is planning a series of photo/picture-based books comparing past with present, and is thinking of Eastleigh as a suitable topic area. The History Press continues to look for new writers, and they have just set up a historic fiction section. Penny suggested invited one of their staff back to talk with us, and the group thought this a good idea. We also discussed why and how tags should be used, blogging generally, and internet hacking problems.
Writing Buddies will meet next on Friday August 3rd, 2pm at The Art House, Above Bar, Southampton - and as ever, anyone with an interest in writing will be very welcome.
Blog notes by Jacqueline Pye.
