Resounding Rhythms from Wrekin Writers

'Yes this is Wrekin Writers,' Bryan said as a new member walked into our workshop on Saturday morning. The explanation was needed because when Drew walked in he found twenty of us with drums between our knees banging out African rhythms.

Okay so we're different but we had a lot of fun.

Getting to grips with the djembe (the drum)

Brenda had no trouble mastering the art. I pity the drum though.

To add interest other instruments were added. And the thing Angeline is holding, was dead. Mike is concentrating hard, hence the expression on his face.

 But no matter how much noise we made, we still didn't manage to wake Robin.

Saturday was a great workshop and it was interesting to use music, sound and rhythm to communicate rather than words. Our Chairman's Challenge is to write something inspired by the what we did. That should make for very intesting reading.

Chairman's Challenge

For those of you who are eagerly awaiting the results of February's Chairman's Challenge, I'm afraid you're going to have to wait another month. It has been judged but won't be announced until the meeting in April this is because of the two hour workshop we had during the March meeting.

Chairman's Challenge

Gosh December seems an age away but with the ice and snow that has covered Shropshire for most of January and February it seems like only yesterday.

However, it was some months ago and with me cancelling the meeting in January because of the weather, we didn't get to find out the results of our December's challenge until February's meeting.

As usual Wrekin Writers' excelled themselves when they tackled the subject 'it was the 24th December. During our read around, I flinched, I really didn't want the job of judging them but fortunately and bless her, my vice chair Barbara Groom offered to do the job for me.

So the results are as follows

1st - Dean King

It was the 24^th of December

The day before the birth,

The day before your saviour came

To topsy turve earth.

And every year you’ll celebrate

The ancient eastern neonate,

And in his name you’ll spread the blame

To sanctify your hate.

It was the 24^th of December

Myrrh, frankincense and gold,

The day before you heard

The greatest story ever told.

And every year you’ll cleanse your sins

With pious carols, pious hymns,

But in his cause you’ll make your wars

And justify your whims.

It was the 24^th of December

They call in Christmas Eve;

The saviour myth a monolith

That flatters to deceive.

2nd - Angeline Wheeler

Tis the 24^th December and I’m on the shelf

They’ve gone to the pub so I’m all by myself

Presents are wrapped and stacked by the door

I’m feeling half cut better sit on the floor

Now where’s that bloke that I meet once a year

He has a big belly, so fully of beer, I mean cheer.

He has a white beard, ooh how it tickles

He’s been at the pies ugh and the pickles

A great big softy who arrives with the snow

On transport he hides so they don’t see him go.

I hear the key turn and the light shines through the crack

Please be quick Nick, just hurry, they’re back

His eyes sparkle as he tips me the wink

Disappears up the chimney before I can blink.

Too much sherry I guess conjured this sight

But like a whisper is carried on the wind tonight

Happy Christmas to all

And to all a goodnight.

 

3rd - Darren Bailey

THE SACK

“It was the 24^th December. Nearly midnight!” His pleading eyes were driving little wooden screws into her heart.

“All it takes is a little creativity, Nicholas.”

“I did make you a card.”

She dropped the pathetic construction into the snow. “If you were still up to the job you would have given me a sack full of wonderful things.”

“In an hour?”

“Well, that is precisely my point.” She climbed into the sleigh and looked down on the old fool. With that silly white beard and portly belly he was totally unsuited.

“The next Father Christmas selected will need to find the impossible a little less … Challenging.”

If you'd like to read more of our Chairman's Challenges we shall very soon be launching our anthology of 2009. For more details please check out our website on www.wrekinwriters.co.uk

Chairman's report for 2009

Welcome to Wrekin Writer’s AGM, hopefully, if we’re quick we can get the formal part of the meeting over quickly as in past years. But before we look forward to a new year, I’d like to reflect briefly on 2009. What a year that was.


Simon kicked us all off to a good start with his romantic workshop in February. Falling in love with yourself as a writer and making time to spend with your writing with the same devotion you would a lover. I wonder how many of us used the diaries that he kindly handed out so that we could make dates with our writing?

March we all headed up to Attingham to suss the place out for the Book Fayre. It was a beautiful day and we all enjoyed our time there.

May was the Book Fayre. Two days of totally contrasting weather but it didn’t matter we all had a fabulous time. Our guest authors all sold copies of their books and our competition was well received. Thanks to Darren for his very clever crossword and of course many thanks to Dorothy for arranging the whole event

June well what can I say other than ‘don’t feed the ducks.’ Liam O’Connell, a motivational speaker came to talk to us or was it to kick ass I don’t know but he certainly had an effect on many members. His message was we impose our own barriers and how is true is that so don’t. And also the Dyson, I still view mine suspiciously but the Dyson being a metaphor for those who drain us. There are still a few of us who use that term; it can be very apt at times.

July saw an intrepid group of writers heading south to a farm yard somewhere in Hereford with an impossible half mile drive way that seriously challenged the chasses on our cars. It was the Writers’ Bash. The idea was simple writers groups got together and for one balmy Saturday afternoon we all shared our work. The setting idyllic, the food excellent and the company absolutely amazing. It was an incredible afternoon and one I hope will be repeated. It was great fun to mix with other writers and to see what they were doing.

September we were privileged to welcome to the group Mary V Williams from Market Drayton Writers. A successful horror writer in her own right, Mary shared with us some of the secrets of horror writing. One phrase that really stuck in my mind was when she said ‘write about was scares you.’ That really got me thinking and although I haven’t written about it, what really scares me is once I watched an episode of Casualty – this family were driving along a country lane, the kids were fighting, the roads were narrow and around the corner came a truck, the evitable happened. I think the mother died and the others were badly injured. Not good when you live in a part of Shropshire where a b road is your equivalent to a motorway.

October was our annual workshop held in partnership with the Wellington Literary Festival. What a crowd greeted our speaker for the day Nick Fletcher. I was stunned and delighted to see nigh on thirty people there, even Nick was impressed. We all enjoyed a morning workshop on article writing and an afternoon workshop on short story writing and we all went away feeling that we learned something. A good day all round.

November our Writers’ Retreat for which I’d like to thank Mike and Susan White for arranging. Although I didn’t go this year I did see the pictures and it was wonderful to see the traditions of the Wrekin Writer Retreat were upheld. Raucous behaviour, lots of wine and the odd lap top scattered about the place.

And finally we arrived in December when thanks to my Vice Chair Barbara we all enjoyed a wonderful Christmas lunch at the Buckatree Hotel. That rounded a pretty amazing year off nicely or rather in style.

Perhaps though on a personal level I think the thing that meant the most to me was the way that over twelve months I watched so many of you not only progress but leap along the road to being writers. Articles, short stories, letters and novels were flowing from your pens. The successes being reported were amazing so well done Wrekin Writers last year, you did good. And for me it was a pleasure and a privilege to be your Chair and thank you so much for your support.

So here’s to 2010 and I wish you all every success.

Ambiguity

Don't you just love it.

The headlines on the front of the Shropshire Star tonight

FIRE SERVICE STAFF FREEZE IN MOVE TO CUT BUDGET

I have an image of poor firemen sitting in unheated stations waiting for a fire to warm them up.

However, the first paragraph reads 'Shropshire fire chiefs have announced a recruitment freeze because of mounting pressure to make budget cuts.'

Clarity is all important in whatever you write - maybe the reporters on my local paper need to remember that.

Another blogging Wrekin Writer

Dean King has joined blog land with a blog called, I love this, Gnome on a Rock.

Welcome Dean

Check his blog out

Sick of the snow

Stuck in the house.

Looking for something to do?

Want to write but motivation not forth coming?

Oh tell me about it. Last night and today the powers that be decided to dump another six to eight inches on top of the snow we already had and have had since before Christmas. I'll tell you, not happy, not happy at all.

Oh yes, the news and the weather forecast tell you different 'Shropshire had another two inches today' not in south Shropshire they didn't, it was chucked in bucket loads and very big buckets at that. Check out Simon's blog because not only did we have inches of snow, we also had winds and drift.

Me I've totally had enough of it. I haven't been able to get my car out to go to the shops. No I'm not being precious the nearest shop to me is five miles away along untreated roads, not a good idea in a new sports car with wide tyres that my son informed me when I got it that it will skid like a bas***d.

But never mind all the stuff about the weather. We've got long, cold winter evenings to fill and there's only so much television you can watch. So for the fiction writers amongst you who don't want their precious typing fingers to seize up check out competitions. Most of them only cost pennies to enter and who knows. So for information on UK + writing competitions check out .prizemagic.co.uk/html/writing_comps.htm and cheer up your long winter evenings.

Good luck

Just for a laugh

Imp to angel in one easy step

My beautiful niece Emily.

Do we always need to state the obvious?

It's winter!

And yes outside temperature on my car is reading -11c on Thursday evening at 10.22. What is went down to after that I have no idea - I went to bed.

More snow but isn't it beautiful?

When I moved to Clunbury I discovered Ida Gandy. Ida was the village doctor's wife at the end of the 1930s and she writes about life in and around the village. When I read her book, the thrill I got when I read her description of the orchard in the village, the very same orchard that is at the bottom of my garden. It's a magical place because from my kitchen window I've seen a woodpecker hammering away, I've watched a lamb being nurtured to its feet by its mother. I've seen rabbits and children playing, watched kestrels, pheasants and all sorts of other joys, many whilst washing up.

And once again my wonderful orchard has confirmed what an incredible place it is. The snow and frost have claimed it. Mother Nature has painted every branch, every blade of grass showing another facet of its incredible beauty. This sounds smug I know but aren't I lucky?

Writing Magazine and Writers' News

If you haven't had your copy don't wait for the snow to go, get the skis out and head to the Newsagents quickly.

Why?

Well let's say Wrekin Writers are very well represented in the February edition. Simon Whaley has written an article  'Find the time to write,' and in the article he has used three successful writers within the group. Di Perry, Janet Johnstone and Julie Phillips speak about how they find the time to write but better than that they give their top tips.

Not that I'm biased but it's well worth a read.

Also in Writing Magazine and Writers' News Fiona Smith, who is also a member has letters in both magazines.

A promising start not only for the group but more importantly for the individual members.

What's the chances of that?

Today is Darren Bailey's birthday (Publicity officer) and Bryan Vaughan's birthday (Treasurer). I hope you both have a great day.

Eyes and no eyes

I have met one of the most amazing women I think I shall ever meet in my life. Her name is Veronica Thackeray and she lives just down the road from me in Hopton Castle. I first met her in the summer when she employed my youngest, non gardening son to be one of gardeners. She asked if he could tell the difference between a flower and a weed. He replied 'can I ask?' Which was obviously the right answer because she hired him. Little did I know at the time just how much of influence this woman was going to have on my life.

How do I describe her? Physically, she's tiny, always immaculately made up, quite stunning to look at it in many ways with her smooth skin and delicate complexion, yet she's ninety years old. She's the sole carer for her disabled ninety eight year old husband as well as being a writer, a painter, a campaigner to list but a few.

She has lived a long and full life. During WW11 she was a member of the S.O.E. Yes we have a former spy living down the road in the Clun Valley. I've heard her talk about the early days of the war, when she got married to a fighter pilot and within nine months he was declared missing, presumed dead. She didn't have his death legally confirmed until after the war. She married again this time to a busy doctor and raised a family and now when most would be more than ready to retire, she's got a new book coming out at Easter.

At the moment I'm reading one of her books that she kindly lent me. Wondering in Wales and the Borderland is sadly out of print now, which I really think is a damn shame because it's one of those books that takes you by the hand and leads you gently through the countryside, leaving images although unseen by your eyes or more than visible in your mind's eye.

Last night I was reading about Bishops Castle and Cefn Einion both places I thought I knew quite well that was until Veronica took me around them. Not only does she bring the places to life she spices it up with conversations she's had with people who were happy to share their memories. Suddenly what is quite a pretty market town became to me, alive and vibrant as I saw it through someone else's eyes.

However at the end of the chapter she recalls a book she had as a child called Eyes and No Eyes. Two characters going around the same place one sees nothing and the other sees everything and revels in it. I suppose we'd say nowadays open your eyes and see.

Veronica is a writer who has her eyes and mind wide open and is able to use all her senses in her writing. I wonder what kind of writer you are - I hope you're eyes and not no eyes and that for 2010 you'll keep them both wide open.

Have a wonderful, happy, busy and prosperous New Year.