Recent Successes January 2012

Lyn Fountain was featured in the press having won a competition run by FOND (Friends of Norfolk Dialect) with her story “Things that go Bump in the Night”.

Neil Walker was Highly Commended for his entry in the Dormeasan Story Competition 2011 in association with Your Healthy Living magazine with his story “The Richest Man in the World” The competition drew over 1,000 entries.

Anne Funnell has produced a book of short stories suitable for people staying in hospital (Watch this space for more details.)

Rate My Story

A new website has been launched giving authors and writers the opportunity to gain quick easy feedback on their work.

Check out ratemystory.net for more information.

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.

The Reckoning

Congratulations to Norwich Writers' Circle committee member Victoria Bartlett, who has recently finished drafting her latest novel, The Elchilda's Reckoning.

Victoria's latest is a science fiction novel is a sequel to The Return Of A Dark Lord, which we have been lucky enough to hear extracts from in our regular Manuscript Evenings.

We look forward to hearing more extracts in the coming months.

Review News

Congratulations to NWC member Sally Newton, whose debut novel The Mouthy Prince is gaining positive reviews online.

Since its publication last year, the adventure story which is available to buy in Jarrolds, as well as on Amazon, has proved to be very popular.

To read an excerpt of The Mouthy Prince please go here.

Sally's story is a Norwich Writers' Circle recommended read.

Stumpy Sanderson's Scrapbook

Friend of Norwich Writers' Circle Andrew Brammer is performing in the city on Friday 11th March.

Andrew's new show, Stumpy Sanderson's Scrapbook - The New Wave Years, is a humorous collection of slightly tall tales about growing up in the 1970s. The evening promises to be a fun-filled and relaxing one, full of cheer, chuckles and chortles - and definitely some surprises!

The local and national award-winning storyteller's latest show will be performed at The Assembly House, 11th March at 8.00pm.

For further information, and box office details, please visit speakingwords.co.uk.

People's Friend

Congratulations to NWC committee member Lyn Fountain who had a short story published in The People's Friend towards the end of last year.

Lyn's story, entitled A Footballer In The Family, was featured in the issue dated 6th November 2010. We hope to listen to the story at one of our forthcoming meetings.

Night River

Sally Newton’s recently launched website now gives you the opportunity to download and read her Norwich Writers' Circle competition winning short story, Night River.

This fast-paced children’s adventure story won The Cooper Prize earlier this year, and is well worth checking out.

For more, please visit sallynewtonsworld.com.

A Big Adventure With Benjamin Scott

This evening Benjamin Scott returned to Norwich Writers' Circle for our Children's Adventure Story Competition adjudication.

The freelance writer commented on the competition entries in a variety of ways, these included that the stories:

• Focused on a boy, as per his original recommendations
• Had an adventure element that made your heart race
• Had a strong, logical, emotional and narrative flow
• Featured an interesting central character
• Were appropriate as short stories, and not as longer prose
• Did not use the word 'that' needlessly
• Had been proof read, with any mistakes corrected

After hearing Ben's valued feeback, we then heard a selection of the winning entries. As with our previous competition, 3 winners were selected along with 2 commendations.

The winners were:

1st - The Cooper Prize
Night River
by Sally Newton

2nd
Earthworks
by Doreen Rosser

3rd
The Big Weekend
by Mickie Dann

Commendation
Tibor Finds A Halo
by Anne Funnell

Commendation
The Blue Lady
by Victoria Bartlett

The next NWC meeting is after Easter on 6th April.

Our 6th April meeting is a talk by Andrew Brammer on Writing Humour Based On Personal Experiences. This meeting will also include the popular author performing some of his tall tales.