Today, Wrekin Writers held a Meet the Author day at Wellington Library, as part of the Wellington Festival. We had a fab time, and we even sold some books!
Bryan ready to sell copies of ‘Taken’ and ‘Getting Out’
Jane Seabourne gave us an excellent poetry workshop today, proving that even those of us who are not natural poets, can still produce something magical and … poetical.
Jane encouraging us to get drawing … yes, drawing!
Wrekin Writers creating poetry
I don’t know what it is at the moment but I have the urge to go out, meet other writers and learn from other writers and so I have been looking out for opportunities to do this. One of these opportunities was the Writing West Midlands networking event, which I had heard about on the Wrekin Writers’ Facebook Page, which I attended in Shrewsbury on Saturday.
I think my interest was sparked because writing can be a lonely occupation and as the event was actually in Shropshire and not Birmingham I felt it would be a good idea to attend it. The more of these events we as writers support the more likely these events, and others, are to be held locally.
I recently had the opportunity to attend three events at the Oswestry LitFest. Armed with the tickets I had won, courtesy of the Shropshire Star, and the company of fellow Wrekin Writer Angeline Wheeler off we went. We weren’t entirely sure of directions but we just left caution to the wind and like a couple of explorers we headed for Oswestry and hoped for the best.
I have been to literary festivals before, the Hay being the big one, but although I had thought about going to Oswestry, I hadn’t yet had the chance, so it was a completely new thing for me. I also did not know any of the speakers we there to see. I didn’t know what the authors had written, the kind of clients the literary agent was after or who the editor edited for. Did my lack of knowledge matter? Not one bit.
For our 2015 retreat we didn’t travel far. In fact, we only just crossed the border into Wales and the beautiful Tanant Valley.
All good retreats involve midnight walks
For our 2014 retreat we retreated back to Plas Colwyn, in the relative civilisation of Beddgelert and all of its amenities (we mean procrastination opportunities).
Proof, if ever any were needed, that Wrekin Writers do write from time to time …
In February, Simon tried showing how using photographs and images can help us add more creativity to our text, add more descriptive detail, and also generate new ideas.
Julie’ Quest – For people who have an interest in reading and writing -or anyone else who just happens to pop by and fancies a chat!
Article Antics – A blog for those of you who write articles or who want to write them
Congratulations go to Mike White, Julie Phillips and Bryan Vaughan who successfully achieved their 50,000 words written during the month of November. (For more information about NaNoWriMo visit the official NaNoWriMo website).
Mike, Julie and Bryan with their medals!
In 2011, prolific writer Lynne Hackles ran two workshops for us. Lynne writes short stories, articles (many for the writing magazines) books, and has done a little bit of ghostwriting, as we found out!
Darren introduces our guest speaker – Lynne!
For our August meeting, we went travelling again, this time to Shrewsbury, to the venue of the Shropshire Wildlife Trust, which was adjacent to Shrewsbury Abbey, where our one-time President, Edith Pargeter, set her Brother Cadfael novels.
Shrewsbury Abbey, Shrewsbury, Shropshire
After having so much fun with a drumming workshop back in 2006, we decided it was time to bang those bongos one more time!
Beverley
In Herefordshire (down south!) there was a writers’ bash – a gathering of several writers’ groups – and a posse of Wrekin Writers travelled down to represent us.
Nicola, Barbara, Mollie and Chris
In 2009, those of us with books joined up with other local authors to take part in a book fair at Attingham Park. It was a great opportunity to show the world what we do as a group!
Charles and Diana with all the ‘dead’ Shropshire authors.
In 2009 we held out meeting in the National Trust’s Attingham Park, near Shrewsbury, and in the afternoon had a guided tour of this large country house, with its fascinating history.
Meeting in progress!
In May 2008, we were fortunate to be visited by two authors, Judith Allnat and Sue Moorcroft, who read from their new novels and answered questions on the writing process.
Judith, Keith Large and Sue
Our House – Plas Colwyn
The 2010 retreat took place in Gwynedd, when, a bit reminiscent of last year, there’d been a lot of rain …
In 2008 we returned to the Welsh coast, just north of Tywyn, to a large house called Llanfendigaid, which we would return to in the future!
A little residence for the weekend.
