Another Nanobabe crosses the line

I've done it.








At 15.50 this afternoon I typed my 50,000 words. Oh and Di, I was wearing jeans and a tee shirt sadly, unlike Julie, I didn't dress for the occasion.

To everyone who is doing Nanorwrimo best of luck. Let us know how you get on.

Now off for a well deserved glass of wine.

Chairman's Challenge

The Chairman's Challenge for September for those who were brave enough to accept it was 'If you could invent a new Olympic sport what would it be?

Simon had the pleasure of judging this.





1st - Dean King

Dear Olympic Spirit


I fear we have lost sight of The Olympic Ideal, and I appeal to the memory of Penny Brookes and de Coubertin for guidance. We live in a world without peace, mutual understanding or real friendship, where discrimination is endemic and prophet motivates us to win at all costs. Competitors in the Game of Life need constant adjudication to ensure fair play. I would like to suggest a new sport; Random acts of kindness.
In this, you will judge on the sheer randomness of our kindly actions, choice of recipients and altruism displayed. Perhaps then we can all win, ‘With a glowing heart’.

2nd - Sue Ross


An Old Woman’s Race For A Pound Of Tea


And every grade of man
shall stand upon
Green Linden Field.
To pit raw strength
against pure iron will.
Great Lords beside the common clod,
all fellow athletes,
equal under Heaven’s skies,
and God looks down
upon
this noble contest
dignified
deserving of remembrance,
it sees all men
stand equal in the name of sport,
yet ancient Mother
hitches greying skirts above bare
ankles,
swears, and races for a pound of tea.
Victoriously
jubilant
she sits
and sips
demurely.

3rd Beverley Cherry

And the first nanobabe across the line is....

Drum roll please

Julie Phillips







who last night at 19.45 dressed for the occasion in her Tesco Scotty dog black, white and red tartan pyjamas complete the staggering total of 50,226 words in twenty three days.

Well done Julie enjoy your success and be proud of your achievement.

Floods in the North

I was devastated when I heard the news and yet all I did was watch the pictures on the television. My heart goes out to the family of Bill Barker, the brave policeman who lost his life in the floods and to the people who have lost their homes, I weep for them. I know exactly what they're going through and what they'll go through in the days and weeks to come.

When we lost our home in the floods of 2007 you hope that never again people will go through that but they do and it's happening more and more often. We haven't looked after our world very world have we?

In 2007 Mike, the then chairman set the challenge the subject was 'Water, water everywhere' This is what I wrote a month after we were flooded.

Water, water everywhere. Carpets floating, toilet overflowing mingling with the dirty  contaminated river water and rushing headlong into the kitchen, into the fridge, the freezer and those corners that never see the light of day covering everything in mud, silt and shit.

            The water came in uninvited, unwelcome, robbing and raping, stealing our home and all that was important to us and then it went. Leaving in its wake total destruction, ruined irreplaceable memories and photographs and lives that were already damaged, devastated and broken.

            Now homeless, pride and dignity all gone, we have to rebuild but how?

Please remember in your thoughts and prayers those who have suffered in the recent floods

Read all about it.

Okay so I know I'm going about it but 50,000 words in thirty days is quite something.

Would you do it?

Do you think we're mad?

Who's running a book on whether or not we complete our ridiculous task? On second thoughts no I don't want to know.

But what's it like to be involved in such a challenge? You can find out at www.nanowrimo.org  or you can go to Julie's blog at http://jlpwritersquest.blogspot.com/  or you can go to mine at http://mywritinglifeandotheranimals.blogspot.com/ which for some unknown reason is not being updated on this site but I am updating it regularly.

So come on guys tell us what you think - are we mad?

We're doing well between us.

Half way through Nanowrimo and between us Julie and I have just about completed sixty thousand words. She's done a few more than me, but hey we're going great guns.

I was thinking though what has this taught me?

Perhaps the most important thing is that I can keep my bum on the seat long enough to write and that time I've made to write I'm really enjoying. It's also taught me that when you're up against such a deadline there's no time for writers' block. I have my allocated time and I write. And also if it wasn't for Nanowrimo there is no way I'd have completed nearly 30,000 words in sixteen days.

Is it worth doing? I think so even if just to prove to me that once I make my mind up to write, I can.

And Julie, well done and thanks for being my writing buddy. Best of luck pal and loads of love.

Lest we forget

For The Fallen

With proud thanksgiving, a mother for her children,
England mourns for her dead across the sea.
Flesh of her flesh they were, spirit of her spirit,
Fallen in the cause of the free.

Solemn the drums thrill; Death august and royal
Sings sorrow up into immortal spheres,
There is music in the midst of desolation
And a glory that shines upon our tears.

They went with songs to the battle, they were young,
Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted;
They fell with their faces to the foe.

They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

They mingle not with their laughing comrades again;
They sit no more at familiar tables of home;
They have no lot in our labour of the day-time;
They sleep beyond England’s foam.

But where our desires are and our hopes profound,
Felt as a well-spring that is hidden from sight,
To the innermost heart of their own land they are known
As the stars are known to the Night;

As the stars that shall be bright when we are dust,
Moving in marches upon the heavenly plain;
As the stars that are starry in the time of our darkness,
To the end, to the end, they remain.

Laurence Binyon

Congratulations Phyllis

Seventy eight years young and our much loved Wrekin Writer Phyllis Blakemore's first book is being launched today. Gentlemen of the River: The Last Coraclemen of the Severn Gorge is available on Amazon.co.uk at a very reasonable £7.99.

Phyllis has spent her entire life in and around the Severn Gorge and over the years has known many of the characters who have lived, worked and survived in the Gorge in the days when Ironbridge wasn't a tourist attraction but a town that depended on it's own industry.

Phyllis herself is a lovely, gracious lady who is not only a brilliant writer but a fantastic story teller, she writes about what she knows and she writes from the heart. I've no doubt that this book will not only entertain but through the author's words you will be taken back to a world that no longer exists but is a vital part of the Gorge's history. And you too, will be able to say you knew those people.

This book really is a must buy for Christmas and Phyllis - well done.

Nanowrimo

Well it's day 3 and Julie and I are still hanging in there. If you want to know how it's going for both of us check out our blogs and share the journey with us.

God we're mad.

Julie's blog is at http://jlpwritersquest.blogspot.com/

and my nano blog is at http://mywritinglifeandotheranimals.blogspot.com/

Chairman's Challenge

The challenge for August was 'Home is Telford.' This proved to be quite interesting because although most of our members live in Telford not everyone likes Telford.

As a modern town which was created in the sixties and seventies Telford has over the years come in for much stick from many people. Wrekin Writers proved to be no exception.

I judged this one and as I've said before, it's wasn't an easy task but I felt that Darren Bailey's interpretation of the subject matter was simply brilliant and well carried out, hence the reason I gave him first place.

1st - Darren Bailey

THE PROPOSAL

Father Howard gripped the Scotsman’s shoulder.”Did I see you with the Mayor, Thomas?” The surveyor wanted to pull away, but instead he stared into the priest’s eyes searching for sanity.

“He asked me to change the route of the canal.” Tom jabbed his finger down on the map. “So it runs by his butter market.”

The priest smiled “Having the canal in Wellington would help trade, Thomas.”

“Hah!”

The smile vanished. “You’ll not consider our proposan then, Mr Telford?”

“Let me put it this way, father. I don’t think you’ll be re-naming your wee town in my honour any day soon.”

2nd - Mollie Bolt

Telford is home? Do me a favour!

Telford has neither taste nor flavour,

Telford's the town that isn't there

It has no heart and doesn't care.

Under each road and roundabout

Somebody's memories have been stamped out

And years of history gone down

To make an artificial town.

Home is Telford! Don't make me laugh.

Slough is more beautiful by half.

And if it wasn't for the trees

there wouldn't be a thing to please.

Why don't they take the town away

And let the forest have its way?

3rd Beverley Cherry

Hope

Of a new beginning

Many came

Escaping the crowded city.

Ironbridge and rural

Shropshire beckoned

Telford new town

Employment for all

Lots of new housing

Family friendly with many

Open spaces. And of course the famous

Roundabouts.

Don't knock it.

Two weeks ago and they're still talking about it.

Twenty nine have booked and that’s not including anyone who turns up on the day. That’s what Simon said in this email a few days before Wrekin Writers’ annual workshop, which is held in conjunction with the Wellington Literary Festival.

As Chair, panic gripped me. How on earth were we going to cater for that number? But as the old saying goes, ‘the show must go on’ and after only one minor mishap, I flooded the kitchen, the show did indeed go on.

We had an amazing day under the leadership of our guest speaker, writer, author, journalist, novelist and all round nice guy Nick Fletcher.

Doors opened at nine as people began arriving from not only from all over Shropshire but we had visitors from Staffordshire and Leicestershire too. After many introductions and much hand shaking everyone settled down to begin the morning session which was on article writing.

Over the years Nick has had in excessive of thirty thousand articles published, so he what he doesn’t know about writing articles isn’t worth knowing. His message though was simple, have an alert mind and keep your eyes open at all times. Read, read and read more and then write about what you know. We were given an insight into the kind of material that various publications like to print and how to get ideas for various markets. Nick then went on to tell us how to present our ideas and our work but said never be afraid to approach an editor with an idea, however he did stress the importance of being professional in our approach.

All too soon it was time for lunch but not before attendees were given the chance for a lively question and answer session, something everyone enjoyed.

For our afternoon session Nick spoke about the short story market and he defined exactly what a short story is and is not. It is not an encapsulation of a novel but it is one situation that needs a resolution and that resolution is found at the end of the story.

Another series of questions and answers followed but sadly all too soon it was time to thank Nick for the wonderful day we’d all had and to pack up and go home.

So my initial panic was unfounded and everyone at the workshop as well as thoroughly enjoying themselves left with copious notes which I have not doubt they’ll find very useful.

My thanks to Nick for his leadership and also to Wrekin Writers Julie Phillips and Nicola Vincent who kept us going with tea, coffee and biscuits and to Simon for not only taking the bookings but for getting there early and laying room out.

Thanks guys without you it wouldn’t have been such a success.

For further information on Nick Fletcher check out his website on www.nickfletcher.co.uk he really is an excellent speaker.