Descriptive Language Workshop

17^th January 2012

Andrew Brammer’s enthusiastic explosive opening to his storytelling workshop “It’s Alive” set out to help us to develop and enrich the descriptive elements of our writing. It proved to be an exciting and entertaining experience bringing alliteration, assonance and onomatopoeia, metaphor, simile and analogies to intensify the effect of oral storytelling to his audience. These tools transferred to the written page allow us to imagine for ourselves the constructive layers that paint a landscape of the senses within the stories that we create.

An evening of humorous storytelling by Andrew Brammer on Friday 23rd and Friday 30th March 2012 at 8pm at the Forum. Tickets available from Theatre Royal Box Office 01603 630000

Wrekin Writers



Wrekin Writers have launched their own short story competition.

The competition, which closes on 11th July 2011, has a top prize of £150.00 for a short story of no more than 1,200 words.

For more information please go here.

Paeony Lewis Returns

Norwich Writer's Circle welcomed back Paeony Lewis tonight to adjudicate our In-House Competition Four.

Competition Four required Circle members to write the text for a Picture Book in no more than 500 words.

The successful children's author and tutor that she thoroughly enjoyed reading the 13 competition entries, relating them to her golden writing rules.

Paeony golden writing rules are that stories:

• feature writing that flows
• do not feature pedestrian language
• aimed at the correct audience
• must be child-friendly and centred
• include characters we care about
• have a clear story structure
• have an awareness of the illustrations
• include emotions expressed through actions
• feature clear language

The winners of the competition were:

1st
Only Joking
by Cathy Rushworth

2nd
The Big Surprise
by Mickie Dann

3rd
Rocky's Twango
by Maureen Nisbet

Commended
Listen, Can You Hear Me?
by Thelma MacFarlane

The meeting concluded, when a packed Sexton Room heard a variety of entertaining competition entries, including the winners. We were also then lucky enough to enjoy an interesting discussion with the visiting writer on the process involved in publishing a picture book.

We next meet on 17th May when we will be holding one of popular Manuscript Evenings. Please feel free to come along and join in.

Neil Storey's Ghost Stories

Following his visit to us in October last year, Neil Storey returned to Norwich Writers' Circle this evening to adjudicate our Ghost Story Competition.

The popular author and historian commended all 16 entries in the competition, citing that he was impressed with the humanity of the characters featured and some of the descriptive passages featured in the short stories.

The winners were then announced as:

1st
Going Home
by Mickie Dann

2nd
Local Hero
by Paul Taylor

3rd
The Ghostly Badger
by Barré Funnell

We then heard all 3 winning entries, plus a spooky short story selection, featuring some of the runners-up.

At our next meeting we will be welcoming back Jean Fullerton who will be giving us a workshop on Characterisation & Viewpoint. We hope to see you then.

Tales Of The Unexpected

National award-winning storyteller Andrew Brammer will be performing his latest show Stumpy Sanderson's Tales Of The Very Unexpected, in Norwich next Saturday evening.

Andrew, who visited Norwich Writers' Circle in April this year, will be giving a humorous storytelling performance featuring slightly tall tales about growing up in 1970s Dunstable, at The King Of Hearts on Saturday 27th November at 7.30pm.

A fun evening of entertainment is guaranteed for all.

Storey Teller

Tonight, Norwich Writers' Circle welcomed Neil Storey, as our 2010/11 programme continued.

During the meeting, the animated and enthusiastic author and historian informed us how he started his own writing career by first being published locally, and then in magazines. Neil then studied at the UEA, founded the living history movement and continued to write.

Amongst Neil's most popular books is A Grim Almanac Of Norfolk, which has most recently been published as a paperback. This book has proven so popular that it is now been franchised to cover every part of the country.

In an entertaining evening full of great and ghoulish stories, the visiting author launched our In-House Competition Two. This competition, which closes on 7th December, is for a Ghost Story of no more than 1,000 words.

Neil suggested that our competition entries:

• had a good sense of place - somewhere local?
• are made real, using something familar
• are set in the past or present
• feature some (gallows) humour
• are an enjoyable read

The latest NWC visiting writer hoped to inspire us with his suggestions, and told us to bare in mind that Halloween was coming up and the nights were drawing in.

Our next meeting is on 2nd November, which will be one of regular Manuscript Evenings. We hope to see you there.

Anne's Anthology

Congratulations to Norwich Writers’ Circle member Anne Olerenshaw, who is having a short story published next month.

Anne's story, which focuses on the thoughts of a dying man stranded in the desert, will be included in the Flesh And Bone anthology published by Gatehouse Press.

We look forward to reading this intriguing tale.

Sally Newton's World

Norwich Writers' Circle committee member Sally Newton has launched her own website.

Sally's website invites you to explore, experience and enjoy the world of Caradoc, a trainee druid and the youngest son of the king, growing up in Celtic Britain.

Caradoc appears in the recently published The Mouthy Prince. The book, which is the first part of a proposed trilogy, has already gone on to gain positive reviews.

To discover more, please visit sallynewtonsworld.com.

Still Getting Away With It

Norwich Writers' Circle member Stuart McCarthy is having his story story, I Always Get Away With It, published in an e-book by globalshortstories.net.

The tale, which is also available to read by going here, was a runner-up in the online company's short story competition in October 2008.

Congratulations, and we hope you enjoy the read.