Bangor Cellar Writing Group welcomes poets, novelists, short story writers, fiction and nonfiction writers of all levels. The group has been going for three years now and has grown steadily to almost 30 members.
Bangor Cellar Writing Group welcomes poets, novelists, short story writers, fiction and nonfiction writers of all levels. The group has been going for three years now and has grown steadily to almost 30 members.
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Bangor Cellar Writing Group welcomes poets, novelists, short story writers, fiction and nonfiction writers of all levels. The group has been going for three years now and has grown steadily to almost 30 members.
Direitos autorais:
Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
Formatos disponíveis
Baixe no formato PDF, TXT ou leia online no Scribd
Poets, novelists, short story writers, fiction and nonfiction writers of all levels are welcome to our Bangor
group!
Bangor Cellar Writing Group Newsletter
AUGUST 2009 ISSUE 1
Quick Question Corner
The First Edition of Our Newsletter This edition features Mary
Ward, founder of the Cellar poet, a story writer or a budding playwright! ing competitions. Some of Writing Group. our members attend Po- The group has been going Where is your favorite place etica, also held in Blue Sky for three years now and - a poetry night which is to write? has grown steadily to al- also growing and growing! In an ideal writing situation, I would most 30 members. love to have a cabin in the garden with Our resident poets have all the requirements such as a state of The group meets every read numerous times, with the art of computer etc, in reality the third Monday in the Blue the support of the rest of laptop is perched on a small table in Sky Café - we’ve been the group sat in the audi- my living-room. meeting in the café since ence. Favorite writer? June 2009. Meetings start Feeling active? Well, in Favourite writer is determined by the at 7:00 every third Monday classic and the contemporary: for wit recent months, we’ve of the month. and perception of the human condition Debz Hobbs-wyatt, started conducting a few especially in the 'romantic form' and the cellar writing Not only this, but we have walks around Snowdonia. never losing sight of economic reality, group’s chair separate critique groups it has to be Jane Austen. She still reads That’s it for now - if you like a modern writer. for poetry, novels and The writer who most impresses me are a new member, I look short stories (see overleaf today is the Afghan writer Khaled Hi there! forward to hearing your for more details). Hosseini who has had global success work and if you are an with first 'The Kite Runner,' and then Welcome to the Cellar existing member, I hope Once you’ve joined, you’ll tops it with 'A Thousand Splendid Writing Group’s first you enjoy this first edition Suns.' be added to our mailing newsletter - if you’re new He writes with such clarity and touches list, where Mary (Cellar’s of the newsletter. the soul of the reader with his to the group, then we look founder) will email you humanity, making you believe in the forward to hearing your Keep writing plight of the characters. pages upon pages of wri- work, whether you are a Debz xx Favorite genre? I am happy to read most genres, Arvon Inspiration particularly if they are well-written; I like light and literary and if they entertain, instruct and serve to make Recently Debz enjoyed a While people retreat to their If you have works in pro- me think that is enough for me. If I am week in Lumb Bank near rooms, library, computer gress, the feedback is invalu- given a choice I would probably enjoy Hebden Bridge, Yorkshire, rooms etc, there is always able. Debz still keeps in con- reading 'cosy' and historical crime, the former home of the Poet someone around eager to talk tact with the people she met particularly Lindsey Davies and her Laureate, Ted Hughes – ideal to you about writing. Not last year, so above all it's a amusing Roman detective Falco, or for creative writing. She at- only this, but there's always great way to meet like- curl up with someone like Maeve tended her second residential time to take a walk and check minded people. Binchy or Katie Fforde. creative writing course ran by out the surrounding area. I would prefer Hardy to Dickens when The Arvon Foundation. All Challenge of the month: try it comes to 'the classics.' centres, in idyllic settings with writing something using the no TV, radio or WIFI, are vocative. That means refer to What are you working on at perfect places to retreat - the a character as YOU rather literary 'Big Brother' experi- than she or he. This doesn't the moment? ence, but without nomina- have to be in the second I am still writing short stories mainly in tions and evictions! person. You can use this an attempt to enter competitions, but I Even the cooking is a com- voice in the first person. Or have had an historical novel mulling Debz described a typical day munal experience and on one you could try writing in the around for a long time. with Arvon, “It begins with of the days you will be in the second person- a useful exer- workshops which include ‘cooking team’. In the eve- cise from Debz’s Arvon Any tips/advice? writing exercises. This is nings, there is a guest speaker course was taking some- usually until about 12.30 (publisher, agent or writer). thing she'd already written in I would recommend keeping a diary/ journal every day and wish I had done and whets the literary appetite Also tutors will read from the third person and changing mine years ago. It soon turns into a so that after lunch you have their own published work and it to the second. See how it period piece as the decades progress. free time to work on some- two evenings are dedicated changes the tone! Philip Pullman has some excellent thing of your choosing. After- for the group's own readings. advice as follows: 'set yourself a target noons are spent with tutors Be prepared for long nights www.arvonfoundation.org - if you write two double-spaced pages for one to one feedback.” and free flowing wine! a day (500 words approx.) that's a 50,000 word book in less than three months!'
...And never give up!
Being Critical Sometimes, we do not have time to critique everyone’s work at Cellar meetings and as a result, three critique groups have formed and are valued by members who want an depth critique of their work. The novel critique group is a group for the serious novel writers amongst the group that have reached a fairly developed stage with their novels, usually second draft at least, although this isn't obligatory. They all started at the same time with their novels and have developed together, becoming very famil- iar with one another's styles and able to offer constructive and useful comment. At the current time The Paperwings Book there are only three members (Jean Lyon, Carol Croxton and Debz) and they share a couple of chap- Group meet in the 1815 café in Bangor. They ters with one another in advance of the meeting. Debz said, “The difference with a novel group com- meet on every second pared to short stories is that we also have to consider the chapters in the context of the whole novel Monday of the month, and if the story follows the right arc etc. We tend to vary times and places we meet, but it works well 6:45 for 7:00, £1 per and as we have come to trust one another's judgement and we all find it stimulating and rewarding.” person. Meanwhile, the poets of the group send a collection of their works beforehand, ready for comment. The group are currently Lee Duggan, a member of the group and hostess to the meetings said, “It’s great to have some good reading 'Rough Music' by solid feedback, rather than just nods and smiles. Sometimes you just need someone else to help you Patrick Gale. reword a line or restructure a stanza.” In September, they shall The short story critique group meets once a month on a Wednesday night also at Lee's house. The be discussing 'The Book group circulates any stories they have completed or are working on to the other members of the group, Thief' by Marcus Zusak. by email ahead of the meeting, and either send an immediate critique if it is urgent, or wait and dis- Fan of Classics? cuss it on the night of the meeting. Mary, a member of the group said, “We aim to be constructive and honest with any criticism and make suggestions where appropriate if we think that it would be They have also founded a suitable for a market or competition”. new group for reading 'Classics' which meets bi- monthly and meets on a Cellar Successes Tuesday night at same time and venue. The The third Bridge House Pub- our manuscript readings and it current choice is 'Martin was very moving. lishing book launch took place Chuzzlewit' by Charles this summer, with Cellar’s Debz Dickens to be discussed Jean Lyon has had her story Contact us and Phil on Tuesday, 8th accepted by publisher “Honno” September. featuring Cellar Writing Group for their “Fashion Anthology”. in the OUT JAN UARY 2010 If you’d like more In November they shall latest an- thology, information about the discuss 'The Return of Carol Croxton has had her story Cellar Writing Group, the Native' by Thomas ‘In the “The Sands Run Out” accepted please contact: Hardy. Shadow by Bridge House for the Adult Success with the of the Ghost Story Anthology. Debz Hobbs-Wyatt Red queen Red OUT OCTOBER 2009 Queen’. debznlee@googlemail.com Brian Beard has had a review The inten- accepted by “Movie Memories” http://cellarwriting.blogspot.com/ tion of the film magazine of the 1954 book was that there is one story prison drama “Riot in Cell Book Club Why do writers for each day of your holiday, Block 11”. If you’d like more including the day you leave and write? Because it the day you get back. Alan Dawson has written a re- information about the Book Club, please isn't there. view on Amazon on a book contact: Thomas Berger Joy Mawby has a book coming called “Tarana under Two out and there will be a “drop-in” Flags” which involved his great Mary Ward Book Launch on Sunday 23rd uncle during WWII. August at the Victoria Hotel, mary@mary30.wanadoo.co.uk Menai Bridge between 3.00 Well done to all! pm-5.00. pm
The book is based on the mem-
oirs of a Polish lady during WWII. During the July meeting, Joy read us an excerpt during