Twenty three Writing Buddies came to this meeting, which was tinged with sadness as we said farewell to Karl, who has been taking notes for us for the last eighteen months. We wish him well as he moves on to pastures new.
Good
News
James Williams' new play, Who
Killed Hercule Poirot? will be produced by The Dalian Players in July.
James Marsh has
completed his first gangster book, and is on to the fourth chapter of his second
book. He has been accepted by the Society of Authors.
Bill has had a
piece selected by a magazine for the blind. The piece was called Tea Break
Brother, which he read out.
Janet Turner has
her first novella entitled Legacy Of Guilt out on Kindle.
Lisa mentioned a
publishing opportunity through Headline, for writers who are not published,
or self published. Click the submissions link.
Jacqueline
mentioned ALCS
(Authors' Licensing and Collecting Society), which looks after the rights of
writers and ensures fair distribution of payments from the various uses of
writers' work. It costs £36 PA, or free if you are a member of the Society of
Authors.
Forthcoming
Events
SO:To Speak,
Southampton's Festival of Words, (Twitter@SOToSpeak15) runs from 23rd October
to 1st November 2015, with a day for writers on 30th October.
Scribbers'
Script Update
Advertising: £3
for 50 words.
Deadline: 10 April
2015
Exercise: Write a
Covering Letter
Write a cover
letter to an agent or publisher:
•
Remember
it would be opened first, so it is to introduce yourself.
•
Do your
research by finding out who you are sending it to, and address it personally to
them, i.e. Dear Mrs. Robinson, not just the editor.
•
Give your
name, and authority to write on the subject, outlining your professional
qualifications and experience in the field.
•
Focus on
any good previous material you have produced, articles in trade journals,
published material.
•
Really
sell yourself, think why would they WANT to read my material, talk about target
audience, why it could be commercially viable.
•
Remember
to conclude courteously.
Guest
Speaker - Ann Victoria Roberts: My Life As A Writer
•
Best selling author of Louisa Elliott and Liam's
Story.
•
Ann was traditionally published, but now self publishes.
•
She writes up to 14 hours a day when she is coming to a deadline.
In 1995, and
overcoming her fear of being hacked, she bought her first laptop, and soon realised
how much easier it was than using a typewriter, and how she could do research
at the click of a button. All she needed now was inspiration.
By chance, whilst
cleaning out an attic she came upon a battered old box with a skull and
crossbones on the front. Inside was a collection of old photographs and a World
War 1 novel. They were some of her mother's mementos. Along with that was a
manilla envelope containing the diary of a soldier. Inside, in tiny,
scribbly writing, was mention of the Battle of the Somme in 1916. She realised
what a precious item this diary was. The soldier was killed in 1917, but the
diary survived. Research on the writer led to her first book, Louisa
Elliott, set in the 1890s. This book, and its sequel, Liam's Story were
the subject of a six figure bidding war, which was won by Farago Press.
For a housewife
from a council house in the West Riding of Yorkshire, the whole experience was
surreal. She appeared in The Sun, page three, next to a topless model,
with the caption 'Mum makes millions from first book.' She disputes the
sum mentioned. She was interviewed on the radio by Derek Jamieson, and the
irony was that the term, 'like winning the lottery' was used - actually writing
the books was, in itself, a gamble. Family responsibilities keep her feet
firmly on the ground.
Ann's writing
tips:
• Be Aware - writing is hard work, particularly when deadlines are looming.
•
Authors have to do a lot themselves, so there are positives and
negatives to consider when weighing up whether to stay with a traditional
publisher or to self publish.
•
Observe, use your eyes to look carefully before you are creative,
and research facts.
•
Successful writing is usually lifted from life, because it contains
essential truth.
• Be prepared to learn something
new.
•
History is about people, so nothing is new, but the facts can be interpreted in a new, different way. So we can take a fresh look at something,
by viewing it from a different angle.
• Be passionate about what you write, it's
often not what the readers expect.
