Hellooooooooo

Hi everyone

I am back from far sunnier climes, and I hope that you are all back too, in mind body and spirit.

I have a good feeling about this year, especially the writing bits, and I hope you do too!

Stacy, when are we starting again (I hope we are!!!)

Looking forward to seeing some writing up here everyone, lots to write about from the past month or so.

take care and see you all soon

Marion

next year

Hi everyone

thanks stacy for a(nother) good session, making us think and most importantly keep putting pen to paper.

I am flying far away on friday, so i wish you all a happy and productive last meeting next week, see you all in january next. I am looking forward to a very productive spring, i hope you all are too!

Please, please those who were at class yesterday, post your ‘Cinderalla’ pieces, we can really get something going I think. Mine is to follow!

Take care and be good (don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!)

Marion

A Story

I sent this story, ‘Molten’, by Ann Packer, to a student because it has useful lessons to teach us about form and structure. Then it came up again last week when Mark mentioned he was trying to incorporate song lyrics into a story. Here it is for everyone.

I suggest you read it twice: once for story and again for structure. Note how she weaves the story of what happened into the story of what’s happening now. Can you identify the techniques she’s using to navigate the reader smoothly between the two threads of narrative?

http://www.narrativemagazine.com/issues/fall-2009/molten

mrc birthday

Hi everyone again.

Thanks for the comments on my last post, waiting for someone to take the story on it’s journey …

Hope you all enjoyed the evening, I thought i was really interesting, and so did Kevin. Here are some thoughts on the evening. (I wish the spacing was different  here!)

Kevin came for dinner.

He arrived just after Ken Livingstone, about 8-ish.

By the time he got there, all the others had arrived, including the bus driver.

The refugees did not have enough points to get in.

The cyclists made a sweaty detour and arrived in time for coffee.

They navigated the intersection of the seven roads without the help of our immigration lawyers.

The newly laid pavement got a bit scuffed, but no ink was shed and the copies of the poetry manuscripts were none the worse for wear.

Matters of migration were discussed in loud voices in 200 languages, not all of them European.

The cat stayed at home.

Halfway through the starter I saw him looking in through the kitchen window with demanding eyes.

Poetry flowed, as did the champagne. And Ken’s words.

Nothing ebbed.

Many people clapped and more poetry flowed.

The inspiration complemented the canapés and the Iranian traditional dance admirably.

There was one small attack of nerves, but the staples held.

I put out a scrap of poetry for the cat. He licked it once and walked away.

The bus driver managed a smile.

It was worth every moment.

I won’t be in class today, but see you next week …! 

 

South African Writing Contest

Marion posted this in a comment–I am reposting here for wider viewing.

 

Sarah
There is a competition which you should think about (South African) I hope it copies here!
See you next week
Marion

South African Writers’ Circle
Annual Short Story Competition
THEME: Open
GENRE: Short Story (fiction only)
CLOSING DATE: 31 December 2009
FEE: The entry fee is R30 for members and R40 for non-members. If you would like to receive a critique of your entry an additional R10 is payable. You may submit more than one entry, each with the prescribed fee/s.
REQUIREMENTS:
1. All competition submissions must be in English.
2. Entries may not exceed 2 500 words.
3. Entries must not have been previously published nor been placed in any competitions.
4. The judge’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entertained.
5. Entries will be judged on literary merit, use of imagination and ability to enthral.
6. Entries must be typed in double spacing on one side of each sheet of A4 paper. Number the pages and keep a copy, as we cannot return entries unless a SASE has been supplied.
7. Provide a cover page for your entry. This must contain the title of the work, your pseudonym, and the number of words. The author’s actual name or address must not appear on the cover page or anywhere in the submitted work. Your name should only appear on the entry form (see below).
8. Attach an entry form and a cover page to the front of each entry.
9. For posted entries, please enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope for return of your critique. Critiques will not be sent to entrants, even if they have paid the extra fee, unless a SASE with sufficient postage is provided. Qualifying e-mail entries will receive an e-mailed critique.
10. Entries may be posted to SAWC Annual Short Story Competition, Competitions Manager, South African Writers Circle, Suite 522, Private Bag X4, Kloof, 3640; or emailed to bsimpson@pbhs.co.za. Each entry must be accompanied by an entry form.
11. EFT payments and direct deposits must include a reference (minimum of the first three letters of your surname plus your first initial and AC (for Annual Competition), for example, SimpsB-AC). Cheques must be made payable to the ‘South African Writers’ Circle’. If payment has been made by direct deposit, please include a photocopy of the deposit slip with your entry.
Banking details are as follows: SA Writers’ Circle, Standard Bank, Current account, Hillcrest branch: 045726, Account number: 250780119.
12. Check the website: http://www.sawc.sos.co.za to make sure your entry has been received.
13. Winners will be announced on the website and in the SAWC Newsletter. Prize winners will receive their prizes at the 2010 SAWC Annual Awards Luncheon.
PRIZES
1ST PRIZE — R1 000, a SAWC pen and your story published in the SAWC Newsletter Write Now!
2ND PRIZE — R500 and a SAWC pen.
3RD PRIZE — R250 and a SAWC pen.
5 HIGHLY COMMENDED ENTRIES — each win a SAWC pen.

South African Writers’ Circle
Annual Short Story Competition
Entry Form
Full name:
Pseudonym:
Address:

 Work: ( )
 Home: ( )
 Cellular:
Email address:
Title of Work:
No of Words:
I declare that my entry is my own original work and has not been previously published nor won nor has achieved a prize winning place in any competitions.
Signed:
Date:
I enclose a SASE for my critique YES  NO 
ENTRY FEES:
members: R30 non-members: R40 critique: + R10
DELETE WHICHEVER IS NOT APPLICABLE
 I enclose a cheque for R .
 I enclose a photocopy of my direct deposit of R .
 My electronic payment of R was made on / /2009.

okay, let’s keep this going

Hi everyone.

I am posting a litle bit of writing now, and I’d really like some feedback.

What I’m trying to do is to write as precisely and tightly as I can, to cut down and out, and create an atmosphere that a reader (you!) can clearly see in the mind’s eye. So I want to know how successful you think this is please.

They are a rowdy group on a day out. All chunky hairy knees, heavy bellies, thick throats, hard outdoor voices. A manly gathering; jeans, thick socks, backpacks, caps.

They gather around the pole in the middle of the carriage, strutting like bulldogs on a leash, laughing into each other’s faces. Gusts of boisterous noise; five syllable jokes, a gruff chunk of song, a spurt of laughter. A shoe scuffs the pole. The flat sound of a hand on a shoulder.

A cap is pulled lower over thick eyebrows, a belt tightened.

The girl gets on at Manor House. Snappy stiletto stride, sleek swinging hair, fresh morning lips.

The chuntering around the pole falters, and fades into a slow collective catching of breath. Six pairs of riveted eyes sweep her, head to toe.

A sweaty palm slides slowly up the pole and down again.

One eyebrow rises in answer to another.

’Orrrrrrr,’ a soft, low growl.

‘Like honey,’ answers another.

’Mmmmwah,’ one mouths silently, a leer creeps around his jowls.

She flips a scarf around a shoulder, slides into her seat, bites her lower lip. Licks a fingertip, traces an eyebrow. Doesn’t look up for a second, snaps open her magazine.

‘Nice little i-pod that,’ a snort of laughter from the scrum around the pole.

I am not sure how to construct some of the sentences and the punctuation is annoying me. Sugggestions?

Then, why doesn’t someone add something to it, maybe we can get a little story going!

Hope you are all well and happy

Peace

Marion (spoken like a true hippy)

Book Reviews & Author Interviews

A short list, feel free to add others in the comments–

• Ready Steady Book
• Bookslut
• Maud Newton
• Powell’s Books Blog (Essays & Author Interviews)
• Paris Review Interviews (Amazing)

Poets & Writers

Another interesting link/resource for you: Poets & Writers. P&W is a print magazine in the States that has a an online presence. There are articles about graduate programmes and getting published, as well as interviews with agents and publishers and authors, a directory of writing contests and grants available (with deadlines), and links an information about literary magazines. You should also check out the Speakeasy, P&W’s online community forum. It’s been active for several years and contains threads on just about anything related to the profession and study of writing that you’d care to know. You’ll have to register to use it, but it’s free.

Something Good To Read

Narrative Magazine is a fantastic online  literary magazine. They have contests that award substantial prize money, every week they  post a “story of the week” and a “poem of the week”. The quality of the writing  is stellar–several Pulitzer Prize winners are represented, as well as various less well-known but equally wonderful writers. I encourage you to check it out–there are archives with classic and contemporary stories. Try A Wedding Story, by Debra Spark, or  Blind Love, by V.S. Pritchett. You’ll have to register to access them, but it shouldn’t cost you anything. There’s plenty of fabulous free reading on the site. If you see anything that lights you up, let me know and we can print it out and discuss it in class. If you read something you love there, please post a comment and let us know about it.

Vocabulary (a la Carlo)

Hi everyone, I am putting an e-mail address here below for the site that will send you a word a day to increase your ‘word power’. If you write to them they will put you onto the mailing list and you will get one every day in your inbox, it’s great. I also e-mailed as many of you as I have addresses for (Stacy can you please forward it on to everyone who wasn’t included) and you can subscribe via that too. I highly recommend it (beats the … out of a dictionary Pierangelo!)

wsmith@wordsmith.org