Breakaway Writers

Is this a twist in the tale
An end to recession
Now we hear that the new 20p
Could be worth £50
But why, you ask?
Red faces at the Royal Mint
Have revealed that thousands
Have been released into circulation
Without a date on them – oops!
Thought they seemed strange in 1982
When first released
As our only heptagon coin
Then came the larger fifty pence piece
Twelve years ago - now this new batch
(If found)
Are set to make us a mint!

Write a Poem about the News asks for rhyming couplets inspired by current affairs.

Add your poem about the day’s event at www.poetryasithappens.wordpress.com

Time on your hands and love writing? then this might be the opportunity you need to develop your skills to the highest level and the support to learn how to promote your work.
I came across a Writer Development Programme which sadly is no longer run by the Yorkshire Art Circus, following grant cuts by Wakefield MDC, which has now been taken over by a small business based in Wakefield, providing high quality development programmes for writers: Ink Thinks who meet twice a month at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park.

It is run by Yorkshire Art Circus former Projects Officer, Beccy Stirrup who has past experience helping writers develop their skills through professional development programmes. For further details ring 07749 976 168 or e mail beccy.ink@gmail.com beccy.ink@gmail.com or go to the Ink Thinks website: http://ink-thinks.blogspot.com

Having seen and studied every one of the James Bond movies, this is an open letter to Peter Morgan, the new writer of Bond 23, re the next James Bond movie, which he is presently in the process of writing with Neal Purvis and Robert Wade.

Perhaps after the pairs brilliant Quantum of Solace, this three way collaboration should move the rather gritty storyline along to produce something with a British twist, using locations like the Channel Tunnel service tunnel, a car chase passing the latest art display on Trafalgar Square's Fourth Plinth then into the London Underground system, (now routinely available as an empty set), traversing the tourist hotspots, (extras available from Jobcentres across the country), before ending, rather aptly, in Bradford, the new city of film?

The story could not only promote the British way of life but also celebrate the vast array of cultures that exist in this country, adding to the mix of Daniel Craig as the hero, perhaps they should consider the delicious Jason Statham as the new baddie with Neha Oberoi and Tupele Dorgu and the much under valued Ashley Jensen as the female heroines/villains.

Maybe the theme tune could be sung by Ruthie Henshall?

These are just my thoughts – I’m sure those of you reading this have ideas of your own?

News of a new writing group in East Yorkshire - Market Weighton Writing is a new writing group about to begin in the town, for anyone interested in writing, ran by East Riding Readers’ Advisor, Catherine Winnard.

The first meeting will be on Tuesday, 30th June 2009 between 2.00pm – 3.00pm at the newly opened East Riding Wicstun Centre - the town’s new Library and Customer Service Centre on Beverley Road. Following the initial meeting all subsequent meetings will be held regularly on the first Tuesday of every month (30th June, 4th August, 1st September, 6th October, 3rd November, 1st December)

Writing Competitions

How do you feel about your Body? - I came across another interesting writing competition that asks for stories of no more than five minutes in length as a basis for a Fringe production - if your body image is chosen, the prize are tickets to the show in Edinburgh in August. www.bodygossip.org

Free Competitions

Dip into Words Magazine where you enter their competitions to help their chosen charity Emmanuel Play Group and also find lots of tips and links plus there is the chance to order eBooks and booklets.
http://www.wordsmag.com/

On 18th July Shaun hopes to raise money for The Sickle Cell Society by planning to skydive from 10,000 feet. http://www.justgiving.com/shaunie

FREE ENTRY - Short story competitions
Closing date: June 30th 2009 - Theme "Christmas".
Closing date: September 30th 2009 - Theme "Ghost"
Closing date: December 31st 2009 - Theme: "Author's Choice'
Closing date: December 31st 2009 - Email only and no set theme
Entries to all competitions should be sent to: entries@wordsmag.com
Postal entries should be sent to:
WORDS, PO Box 13574, London W9 3FX

Creative Writing Courses

www.writersbureau.com Home study writing courses from The Writer's Bureau which can help get your work published

http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/a215/index.html if you are planning to study in the future then the OU A215 Level 2 course, presented over 32 weeks, starts in September.

Alternatively for a fee of £7.95 you can download a web-based interactive course in ten lessons through various exercises to build confidence in your writing skills http://www.writingforge.co.uk

Book Fair

Should you are in the Duxford area on June 21st then you will find a Military Book Fair at the Imperial War Museum there. Other book fairs can be found on this site www.inprint.co.uk/thebookguide/fairs/index.php

Research

Is a great part of any writers life - to see what other stories or poetry writers have written then check out their stories at http://www.storiesbyemail.com/stories-by-email.asp where you will find short descriptions of each story, as well as the ezine it originally came from.

Similar sites are www.fictionontheweb.co.uk/ and another belonging to Eileen Thornton who is presently working on another novel, ‘Divorcees.com’ http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/eileenmaud/

Should you be further along and have written a Book then Writing.co.uk might be able to help with your mss ready to send to publishers and literary agents as they claim to have strong links with independent publishers who are continually on the lookout for talented new writers. http://www.writing.co.uk/

Other favourite writing sites you might like to investigate

http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/
http://www.christianwriters.org.uk/
http://www.earlyworkspress.co.uk/
http://www.featureworld.co.uk/
http://www.ideas4writers.co.uk/
http://www.mslexia.co.uk/
http://www.parkpublications.co.uk/
http://www.stridemagazine.co.uk/
http://www.thenewwriter.com/
http://www.ukauthors.com/

For those of you who like taking part in Writing competitions

June 2009

The Bridport Prize Winning this one could well lead onto further successes as previous winners have proved. Closing Date 30th June 2009 Entry Poems £6 Short Stories £7.Asks for poems no more than 42 lines or short story of less than 5,000 words. Prizes (in each category): £5,000, £1,000, and £500. Ten runners-up prizes of £50 plus a special prize (first awarded in 2007) entirely for Dorset writers. Check online for competition Rules http://www.bridportprize.org.uk/

UK Songwriting Contest Closing Date 30th June 2009 Pop, Christian/Faith, Rock/Indie, Urban and Dance, Adult Contemporary, Lyrics Only Jazz/Blues, Instrumental, Folk/Country, Open Category The chance to win one of the ten categories and hear your work on CD! Entry £15 http://www.songwritingcontest.co.uk/

National Poetry Anthology Closing Date 30th June 2009 Free to enter – Prize £1,000! Requires poem of no more than 20 lines and 160 words.
All anthology contributors receive a free copy of the book www.unitedpress.co.uk

Poetry Rivals 2009 Competition Closing Date 30th June 2009 Free to enter One entry per person This competition gives you the chance to help charity as selected poems will be published - Cancer Research UK receive a donation of £1 for every copy sold. Upload your poem on their site http://www.onlineleaversbooks.co.uk/poetryrivals/

Leaf Books Postcard Writing Competition Closing Date 30th June 2009 Entry £2.50 each or £10 for five £100 First Prize Runners up - Set of Leaf Books. Asks for 150 words on any subject written to anyone, using one side of a postcard only. http://www.leafbooks.co.uk/New/For%20Writers/CurrentCompetitions.html#PC

Meridian Writing Inaugural Quarterly Short Story Writing Competition
Closing Date 30th June 2009 Entry £5 for each story Asks for stories of up to 3,000 words Prizes are: £100, £50 and £25 for first, second and third places Meridian Writing Hillside, Woodford, Williton, Taunton Somerset TA4 4HR
http://www.meridian-writing.co.uk/competiton_2.html

Writers’ Bureau Poetry and Short Story Competition Closing Date 30th June 2009 Entry fee £5.00 Poems of up to 40 lines and stories of up to 2,000 words Prize for stories and poetry alike - £1,000, £400, £200, £100 and 6 x £50 My former tutor Iain Pattison is acting as Judge - Alison Chisholm for the poems. The top story and poem will be published in Freelance Market News. http://www.writersbureau.com/competition/

Trowell and District Writers Trust Open Story and Poetry Competition Closing Date 30th June 2009 Entry £4 for the first, £3 thereafter. Juniors free. Asks for short stories, poems, articles, stories for children, and poetry for children. Stories can be up to 2,000 words, articles 1,500 words and poems 40 lines. Details/Entry Form - The Competition Secretary, Trowell and District Writers’ Trust, 26 Derbyshire Avenue, Trowell, Notts, NG9 3QD

Arthritis Care Creative Writing Competition Closing Date 30th June 2009 Free to enter If you are unfortunate to suffer from arthritis then here is a chance to express your creative writing about the condition, poem, short story, play, etc Theme: Holiday From Pain. 750-word limit Winner receives a five-day residential writing course with the Arvon Foundation Send entries creative@arthritiscare.org.uk or to Creative writing competition, Publications Department, Arthritis Care, 18 Stephenson Way, London, NW1 2HD. http://www.arthritiscare.org.uk/GetInvolved/Onlinecommunity/Creativewriting

July 2009

Doris Gooderson Short Story Competition Closing Date 13th July 2009 £3 each entry or £5 for two Asks for short stories of 1200 words or less Prizes £80, £40, £20. Entry form send a stamped addressed envelope to The Competition Secretary 29 Christine Avenue Wellington Telford TF1 2DX http://sites.google.com/site/wrekinwriters/Home/2009-Doris-Gooderson-Short-Story-Competition

Sentinel Literary Quarterly Poetry Competition Closing date 7th July 2009 Entry £3.00 per poem or £12.00 for 5 poems Poems up to 40 lines on any subject in English First Prize: £100.00 Second Prize: £60.00 Third Prize: £40.00 The top three poems will each receive first publication in the July issue (Vol.2 No.4) of Sentinel Literary Quarterly (SLQ). For more information about online entries: http://www.sentinelpoetry.org.uk/slq2.3/poetry_competition.htm

Essex Open Poetry Competition Closing date 30th July 2009 Entry £3 each or £10 for five. Poems of no more than 40 lines. Prizes £500, £200, £100. Runners-up - £10 in book tokens. To be awarded in October at the Essex Poetry Festival Essex Poetry Festival Competition 15 Seeleys,
Old Harlow, Essex CM17 0AD http://www.essex-poetry-festival.co.uk/compb.html

Highlands and Islands Short Story Association Competition Closing date 31st July 2009 Entry £4 each, £10 for three Asks for stories up to 2,500 words on any theme, the more unusual the better! Prizes £400, £50, £50 Postal entries only HISSAC, 20 Lochslin, Balintore, Scotland IV20 1UP http://www.hissac.co.uk/2005_competition.html

Hay on Wye Short Story Contest Closing date 31st July 2009 Entry £6. Requires a story of up to 2,000 words on the theme of Lost. Another contest that benefits charity - all proceeds go to Hay and District Community Support Prizes £400, £200, £100. Winners to be announced at the Hay Winter Festival in November. http://www.hayshortstory.com/Hay-Short-Story-Home.html

Wells Festival International Poetry and Short Story Competition Closing date 31st July 2009 Entry £4. Includes helpful tips on entries - Poems of up to 40 lines, stories between 1,800 and 2,000 words. Prizes £500, £200, £100 plus Wyvern Prize for local writer winners http://www.wlitf.co.uk/

Early Works Press Flash Fiction Competition Closing date 31st July 2009 Entry £3 each, £12 for six Asks for exactly 100 words which includes the title Prizes £50, £25 x 2. Earlyworks Press, Creative Media Centre, 45 Robertson Street, Hastings Sussex TN34 1HL http://www.earlyworkspress.co.uk/flashentrydetails.htm

August 2009

Manchester Fiction Prize 2009 Closing date 7th August 2009 Entry £15. This competition from The Writing School at Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) asks for stories of up to 5,000 words Prize £10,000 plus additional bursary to study at MMU for any entrant aged between 18 and 25.
http://www.manchesterwritingcompetition.co.uk/fiction/index.php

HappenStance Short Story Competition Closing date 9th August 2009 Entry £5 per story, £6 online Stories in English or Scots, maximum length 2500 words Prizes: 1st £150, 2nd £75, 3rd £50 plus publication in the 2009 HappenStance short story anthology. Send SAE to Story Competition Administrator, 2 Parkes Road, Torrington EX38 7NW http://www.happenstancepress.com/Story_%20rules.htm

Charnwood Arts miniWORDS 2009 Closing date Monday 10th August 2009.Free competition with one category - a narrative in prose or verse in 50 words or less. The one prize of £250 but second and third place,commended and highly commended will be awarded without prizes. Details and the online
submission form: http://miniwords2009.sharedspace.org/

Aesthetica Annual Creative Works Competition Closing date 31st August 2009 Entry £10 Artwork & Photography, Fiction and Poetry – Five photographic images, Stories of up to 2,000 words, poetry of up to 40 lines as well as artwork/photography Prizes: £500 in each category plus publication in the Aesthetica Annual. http://www.aestheticamagazine.com/submission_guide.htm

Wellington Town Council Short Story Competition Closing date 31st August 2009 Entry £3 Stories on any theme up to 4,500 words. Another contest that benefits charity - all proceeds go to the Mayor’s Charity Appeal. Prizes: £150, £100, £75 Wellington Town Council Town Clerk Civic Offices Larkin Way Tan Bank Wellington Telford TF1 1LX http://www.wellington-shropshire.gov.uk/Short+Story+2008.htm

Legend Writing Awards 2009 Closing date 31st August 2009 Entry Short Story - £7 for the first, £5 thereafter. Flash Fiction - £3. Asks for short stories of up to 2,000 words and flash fiction of 100 words exactly (excluding the title). Stories may be any genre except children’s. Another contest that benefits charity - all proceeds go to Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity Prizes: Short Stories - £500, £250, £100, £50 x 3. Flash Fiction - £50, £30, £20, £10 x 3. http://www.legendwritingaward.com/

September 2009

Nottingham Open Poetry Competition Closing date 7th September 2009 Entry £3 each, £10 for four. Poems of up to 40 lines on any subject Prizes £300, £150, £75. Entries should be addressed to: The Competition Secretary, 38 Harrow Road, West Bridgford, Nottingham NG2 7DUhttp://nottinghampoetrysociety.wordpress.com/competitions/___##10##___
The Inaugural Basil Bunting Poetry Award 2009 Closing date 30th September 2009 Entry £7 for first, any further poems £3 each. Poems must be in English and not exceed 42 lines in length Prizes £1,000, £500 and £250 plus three commendations of £75.00 each Basil Bunting Award PO Box 214 Hexham NE46 9EL http://www.basilbuntingaward.co.uk/pages/conditions-of-entry.php

Again my thanks to everyone that contributed to this posting

Other Writing Markets

Ways With Words – Job Opportunity came across this site that not only offers the chance to explore your own writing but also offers the 3 days a week during August – April - full-time, May – July job of Box Office Manager working in Devon administering accommodation and package bookings Salary £11,000 – £13,000 Letters of application plus CV by email to stephen@wayswithwords.co.uk
Closing date 12th June 2009

Ways With Words at Dartington Hall in Devon 10 - 19 July 2009
Painting and writing holidays in September in France and Italy.
Ways With Words at Southwold, Suffolk 12 - 16 November 2009
Words by the Water at Keswick in Cumbria 5 - 14 March 2010
http://www.wayswithwords.co.uk/

Prima magazine require 500 words stories of real life experiences - an amazing act of friendship, an inspiring career change, a 'triumph over tragedy' story, a 'Shirley Valentine' story, a memorable romance or something else. It should be either inspiring, moving or funny. Email your entries to jane.gillow@natmags.co.uk or post them to Jane Gillow, Features Writer, Prima, National Magazine Company, 72 Broadwick Street, London, W1F 9EP.

Theakstons Old Peculiar Crime Writing Festival If you should be in Harrogate on 23rd July then visit the Crown Hotel. Check out http://www.harrogate-festival.org.uk/crime/ for more details

Academi Formerly operated by the Arts Council of Wales this website offers Welsh Services for Writers http://www.academi.org/services-for-writers/

Book downloads - If you fancy the chance of hearing your work online then there is one radio station who is asking for actual recordings from writers Visit their website which features more than 8,000 of the best audio book downloads.
http://www.audiobookradio.net/audio_books.html

Now that the Lincoln Book Festival has passed, people living in the county have until October 22nd – 25th to wait for Wolds Words - Louth's festival of reading, writing and performance I’m hopeful of obtaining more details when these become available

HarperCollins online community site
www.authonomy.com - HarperCollins have created this online community site basically to discover new literature – its well worth a look – to connect with others and create a profile online then all you need are to send them a few chapters for others to read and comment upon. They do have their success stories as their Blog http://blog.authonomy.com/ confirms where you can read more about Miranda Dickenson rise to fame.

BBC opportunities for writers
Dip into http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/ for opportunities for writers across the country

How can I, that girl standing there … WB Yeats
If you are a WB Yeats fan then Hawk's Well Theatre in Sligo has launched a new poetry competition with a Euro Prize to mark the 70th anniversary of his death with two themes Politics and Love. Poems can be entered online Closing date 12th June 2009. http://www.hawkswell.com/competition/

New Theatre
Should you prefer live theatre then one of the newest theatres in the country must be Hull Truck Theatre on Ferensway which opened on 23 April – Shakespeare's birthday Following on from his success in the previous theatre in Spring Street John Godber continues to delight his audience – his current production is entitled Funny Turns http://www.hulltruck.co.uk/

New Poetry
For those of you that remember the ten year reign of 'The Scaffold' then Roger McGough's talent as Poet will not have gone unnoticed – incredibly his autobiography Said and Done was published four years ago – we don’t have that long now to wait for his latest hardback collection of adult poetry as the delightfully entitled That Awkward Age is due to be published on 25th June 2009

I heard news today of the Sentinel Literary Quarterly Poetry Competition which has been introduced to encourage and reward quality poetry writing. (Closing date 7th July 2009) for poems up to 40 lines on any subject in English, typed but without the author’s name and address – this must be on a separate sheet with the titles of your entries in a sealed envelope to:
Sentinel Poetry Movement
Unit 136
113 – 115 George Lane
London
E18 1AB
Entry Fees: £3.00 per poem or £12.00 for 5 poems
First Prize: £100.00 Second Prize: £60.00 Third Prize: £40.00
The top three poems will each receive first publication in the July issue (Vol.2 No.4) of Sentinel Literary Quarterly (SLQ).
For more information about online entries: http://www.sentinelpoetry.org.uk/slq2.3/poetry_competition.htm

It doesn't seem that many weeks ago we were thinking where to go for Easter, choosing the newly opened Yorkshire Wildlife Park near Branton in South Yorkshire and fortunately weren't disappointed.

Now we have another Bank Holiday almost upon us and with the weather looking fair, have the same quandary of where to go? but know we now have to face two long weekends this month, so are trying to be more economical.

Many people are visiting museums as these are free, hopefully other family attractions will follow the example of the Northcote Heavy Horse Centre in Spilsby,Lincolnshire who have done the same, knowing how we are all trying to cut back in this continued time of recession but still need time away from the 'norm'.

We would be interested to see how you managed to pass the Bank holiday frugally.

Five years ago I found my love.

In a way it all came about by accident, having seen an advert online whilst babysitting my niece.

Kirsty had insisted we play at the computer and having clicked on a few sites, I found myself transfixed by the photo and profile. It was she that pushed the button and frighteningly contact was made. What had I done I thought as the first words between us were exchanged online?

To be fair I had just had to face a rather harrowing split with my previous love, another accident waiting to happen but I like a fool, choose not to take notice of what those around me had said. That was until it happened late one night.

No amount of pleading or sweet-talking was going to make the situation any better, it was hopeless, we were over. I had to face up to the prospect of walking home alone, with tears streaking down my face, knowing now there was no way back, I couldn’t fix the situation. Things were way beyond that.

Badly shaken I found it difficult to move on but this one night with Kirsty changed my views entirely. That one picture alone made me want to ask questions and the more I found out, persuaded me that the next step was to actually meet. After all things couldn’t have been as bad as the last time – that certainly was terminal but here there was hope for a brighter future, the chance to redress the amends of the past.

The morning of the meeting I found myself suspiciously nervous. I told myself not to be so stupid? What harm was there to actually meet – surely making that one step would prove if we had a future together or not.

What was there to lose? It wasn’t like we would be unsupervised as ever the sensible one, my sister had agreed to drive me to the set meeting place.

‘You’ll want a second opinion’ had been her argument.

Having her beside me had given me the confidence to climb into her car. She would soon sort out if the match were a good one; she had an eye for these things. I read the map and managed to find the place easily, looking anxiously from the window, eager for the first sighting.

A man in overalls was standing in the doorway.

‘Well go on then’ my sister insisted, opening the car door so I had no choice but to leave.

Seeing us arrive, the man stepped forward, holding out his somewhat oily hand as a greeting.

‘You found us then?’ He nodded towards my sister then smiling, looked back at me ‘Not every day the Internet brings you in contact with two such pretty women’

I swallowed nervously. Just what had I got myself into I wondered?

Noticing my anticipation, he went onto say

‘Well come on as you’ve come all this way’

An excitement mounted again in my stomach as I nodded quietly and followed him through the large double doors, feeling progressively more apprehensive.

A flash of grey greeted me, those well known hooded eyes I’d seen in the photos coupled with familiar sleek lines – it was a while since I had been so enthralled.

My sister had got out of her car and was now standing beside me. I resented the intrusion - in a way it was like she had broken into a private moment but I suppose her presence there was necessary. Maybe she could see that it was love at first sight for me, if indeed there is such a thing?

‘You said it was a classic - it is!’

The man was smiling again as I carefully settled in the familiar leather interior and felt for the leather strap that opened and closed the door. I had come home. Somewhere in the haze I could hear his words.

‘This Morris Minor has been my project but I need the space and it’ll best if she goes to someone that appreciates her’

He leaned in and turned the key, that familiar roar.

I was smitten – no argument she had to be mine.

Thanks to Kirsty I had found again what I was looking for.

And who better to come with me on next week’s classic vehicle run than her? 725 words

Anstey 04.09

I heard today that after only a few issues, The Measure is closing to all but Rod Riesco’s own work - I sympathise and feel it was because he sadly failed to have feedback for his other contributors.

The website will continue at www.freewebs.com/measuremag where he plans to continue posting his personal pieces there.