Sad News

Writing Buddies, the group for writers, is closing down.

We have been meeting since 2009 when Penny Legg and Pam Whittington started the group. Since then, we have gone from strength to strength, weathering venue changes and the aging demographic of our members.

The group has been meeting at the Old Southampton Bowling Green for most of 2016 and it is a popular venue. Meetings have been lively and fun. Guests have included crime author Peter Lovesey and Hampshire Poet Isabel Rogers. Writing Buddies continue to make great gains in their writing, with members signing new book deals, self-publishing, signing with agents and giving talks about their work all over the country. Writing Buddies as a group is thriving and popular.

However, running the group is not a one person job. Penny appealed in vain for help within the group and it was not forthcoming. The current treasurer has done sterling work for the last eighteen months but now needs to move on and with no one willing to take her place, or to become secretary of the group, there was no alternative but to close down.

The Writing Buddies Facebook Group will continue to operate but this blog will now no longer be updated.

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to the group over the years. It's been a ball!

Peter Lovesey at Writing Buddies

We are looking forward to welcoming crime writer Peter Lovesey at our meeting on Friday 7th October, 2016 at 2pm. Peter is an old friend and it will be good to catch up with him. http://peterlovesey.com/

Writing Buddies' News

Things have been busy for the Writing Buddies recently, hence the lack of posts on this blog. Now it is time to catch up.

We were very sorry to lose a long-standing Writing Buddy, Pauline Cahill in August. It was only March when Pauline joined the Writing Buddies at the London Book Fair and since then she was tireless, publishing a book and launching a new blog. It was a great shock to hear of her death. Penny Legg and Jacqueline Pye represented Writing Buddies at her funeral. Our deepest sympathy goes to her family.

We made the move to the Southampton Old Bowling Green (www.sobg.co.uk) and now use their clubhouse for our meetings. This has proved to be a really good decision as we are totally spoilt each month! We have the place to ourselves, have two lovely ladies to serve tea and (jolly good) cake and it is very convenient for parking, so we are all happy.

After nearly eight years existence, we have taken the plunge and joined NAWG - the National Association of Writing Groups. It is early days yet but we are already enjoying the benefits in terms of the information and advice sent out to us. We have always been an informal group but we know now that we should have a Constitution and accordingly are taking steps to put one together. This will lead to an AGM to accept it, make up a committee and then we can go on from there. Watch this space for more of this.

Lisa Scullard has given two talks on social media and using it to market our work recently. Lisa has her finger on the pulse and her advice has proved invaluable. (https://uk.linkedin.com/in/lisa-scullard-45660721)

Josephine Shaw facilitated discussions on how to succeed in the market with a new book idea; how to use photographs to enhance a book and how to create suspense in a short story.

The role of the literary agent and ideas on how to find one have been discussed at length, with opinion divided about the need for one. Several Writing Buddies have agents and several more are currently looking for representation, with the main reason for seeking one being the superior connections an agent has. It was pointed out that most of the major publishing houses will not look at a manuscript unless it is presented by an agent. This was felt to be the cause of the rise in self-publishing and several Writing Buddies have made the decision to self-publish because they did not wish to go through the long-drawn-out process of battling through the slush pile.

The next meeting of Writing Buddies is on Friday 7 October at 2pm, when multi-award-winning crime writer Peter Lovesey will join us. He will be speaking about thirties crime writer James Cobbett. Everyone is welcome.

Another Move!

After two meetings at the Frog and Parrot pub, the Writing Buddies are on the move again.  This time, we hope the move will be permanent.
   The next meeting, on Friday 3 June at 2pm will be at the Southampton Old Bowling Green clubhouse. 
   We will welcome Lisa Scullard talking about laying out a paperback for publication.  This follows on from her talk about e-book publishing at the last meeting.
   If you are a writer, you are welcome to join us.  The first meeting is free.  

New Venue!

After a year at the Central Library in Southampton, it is sad to go but go we must! Thank you to all the staff at the Central Library for having us.  You have been wonderful!

We have moved to the Frog and Parrot pub, Above Bar, Southampton.  Meetings are back to our preferred starting time of 2pm on the first Friday of each month.  See you there!

Writing Buddies February Meeting

Writing Buddies will meet for the opening of the 2016 season at 2.30pm at the Central Library, Southampton on Friday 5th February. Everyone welcome.

New Year, New Leader

A new year and a new beginning for Writing Buddies as founder Penny Legg takes a short sabbatical and Christine Donovan takes on the mantle of leader until June 2016. Christine is a long-time member of Writing Buddies and is looking forward to the challenge of leading the group.

The Scribblers' Script - Autumn 2015

The Scribblers' Script May 2015

Writing Buddies at SO:To Speak, Southampton's Festival of Words: Masterclass!

Barbara Dynes, Writers' Forum columnist and Writing Buddy, will be giving a Masterclass as part of SO:To Speak, Southampton's Festival of Words (www.facebook.com/SOToSpeaksoton @sofospeak15), on Sunday 1 November.  Learn how to write engaging dialogue and create compelling characters with Barbara, one of the country's top creative writing tutors. 

Writing Buddies at SO:To Speak, Southampton's Festival of Words: Writers' Day

The Writers' Day on Friday 30 October is a must for anyone who writes or aspires to do so and is part of SO:To Speak, Southampton's Festival of Words ( @sofospeak15  www.facebook.com/SOToSpeaksoton). 

A full day of speakers offering advice on all aspects of the writing craft, book signings and a trade show will combine to offer delegates a useful, action-packed day aimed squarely at those who write.

Carole Blake, literary agent with Blake Friedmann and Nicola Solomon, Chief Executive of the Society of Authors (SoA) will be just two of the speakers.  Writing Buddies taking part include: Penny Legg (@PennyLegg), who organised the day and who will open proceedings; non-fiction author Robin Dynes; Writers' Forum columnist Barbara Dynes; Catherine Miller, Southampton's Writer in Residence at Central Library and novelist Lisa Scullard.

Trade Show organisations taking part include the National Union of Journalists (NUJ), the Society of Women Writers and Journalists (SWWJ); The Romantic Novelists' Association (RNA) and many more. 

The full programme can be read here.

Writing Buddies at SO:to Speak, Southampton's Festival of Words: 'My Southampton' Competition Awards

Writing Buddies are running the 'My Southampton' writing competition in partnership with So:To Speak, Southampton's Festival of Words.  The awards ceremony will be held at The Stage Door, Southampton on Wednesday 28 October. Admission is free and everyone is welcome.

Writing Buddies at SO:To Speak, Southampton's Festival of Words: Haunted Southampton

Writing Buddy Penny Legg will be telling ghost stories on Tuesday 27 October as part of SO:To Speak, Southampton's Festival of Words.  The author of Haunted Southampton and Folklore of Hampshire will be at the haunted Red Lion Pub, High Street, between 7 and 8.30pm.

Writing Buddies at SO:To Speak, Southampton's Festival of Words: Mo Foster at the Art House

Writing Buddy Mo Foster will be at the Art House Café on Tuesday 27 October between 3pm and 4.30pm, reading from and talking about her novel, A Blues for Shindig. 

Writing Buddies at SO:To Speak, Southampton's Festival of Words: Authors on the Water

Authors will be on the water as they join Red Funnel Ferries' ships as they cross between Southampton and the Isle of Wight on Monday 26 October.  Writing Buddies Jacqueline Pye, James Marsh, Eileen Long, Christine Donovan, Richard Hardie and Geoff Parkes will join authors Carole Burns, Ann Victoria Roberts and Tracy Gorman on selected crossings.  Passengers will be able to join the authors as they read from their work, answer questions and sign copies of their books during the crossings.  A fun event!

Writing Buddies at SO:To Speak, Southampton's Festival of Words: Book Launch

On Sunday 25 October, Writing Buddy Penny Legg (@PennyLegg) will be hosting the official launch of her new book, Military Wives From The First World War to Afghanistan as part of SO:To Speak, Southampton's Festival of Words.  This book raises funds for SSAFA, the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association. The launch will take place at the Royal Southampton Yacht Club, at 6pm.

Writing Buddies at SO:To Speak, Southampton's Festival of Words: CSI Southampton

On Saturday 24 October, Writing Buddy Penny Legg (@PennyLegg) will be chairing a panel discussion at the CSI Southampton Event, part of SO:To Speak, Southampton's Festival of Words, at the Civic Centre.  Later, after a talk from Dagger Award winning author Peter Lovesey, who will be talking about how a decent, law-abiding man can think up more than 200 ways to murder people (!), Penny will chair a second event as part of Crime Day, a discussion with crime novelists Jessie Keane and Sue Wilkins. 

Writing Buddies at SO:To Speak, Southampton's Festival of Words: Southampton Sight

On Friday 23 October, the first day of SO:To Speak, Southampton's Festival of Words, Southampton Sight's Writing Salon, run by Writing Buddy Margot Tilbury, (@MargotTilbury) will be open between 10am and noon. 

Catching Up!

Life at Writing Buddies has been a bit busy recently, and consequently, we are a little late in updating this blog.  So, what has been going on? 

We welcomed Brittany Poulin from IPR License to our May meeting.  Brittany gave an enlightening talk about the many and varied rights authors have and how they can be sold for best advantage to the author.  Needless to say, this was a popular talk!

In June, Claire Fuller came to visit us.  Claire's first novel, Our Endless Numbered Days, won the 2015 Desmond Elliot Prize.  She told us about her writing journey and answered questions about her life and work.

July saw the Writing Buddies meeting crime novelist Tracy Gorman.  Tracy also told us about her writing journey, first as a child author, then an adult journalist and finally as a novelist. 

In August, Janine Pulford came to Writing Buddies and talked about the two magazines she edits and her inspiration as a novelist.

September saw publisher, Ian Bayley, of Sabrestorm Publishing come to give a different perspective on the writing world.  In an eye-opening talk, he described how he got into publishing and the rewards and pitfalls of the business. 

Discussion around the table has centred on the new Southampton literary festival: SO:To Speak, Southampton's Festival of Words, which takes place 23 October - 1 November at a number of venues across the city.  Writing Buddies and SO:To Speak have partnered to run the first writing competition and WB members are braced for a hoped-for rush of competition entries.  The awards ceremony will be on Wednesday 28 October at which we are looking forward to hearing some of the work of the writing talent in the SO postcode region. 

Various Writing Buddies are involved in SO:To Speak and there is much excitement building as we inch nearer to the date.  See later posts for more details.

Our next meeting will be on Friday 2 October at the Central Library at 2.30.  Barbara and Robin Dynes will be running a short workshop on plotting the short story at this meeting.  Everyone is welcome.

The Scribblers' Script

Read the first edition of The Scribblers' Script on ISSUU.