<p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;">Wanting to be a writer and sitting down with paper, pencil, computer, typewriter, slate or whatever is to hand, are life-changing steps apart. It's too easy to doodle; to make beginnings; and to be content with the odd published letter or mini-opinion piece. We need the proverbial kick ...</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;">The greatest stimulus to my writing has been the Edinburgh Writers' Club (EWC). I'm currently the President. That makes me wildly biased but read on.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: small;">Not everyone is clubable. Many folk simply don't take to the idea of joining with others no matter how devoted they are to their favourite pastime. Yet writing is a lonely business. We've all had the experience of trying to share our enthusiasm with family and friends but seeing their eyes glaze over. Not so in a writers' club. Sure, there are some who just want to talk about their own peerless prose or unmatched poems, but they soon get over it and sharing becomes two-way.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: small;">I joined EWC after meeting the husband of its then secretary at a drinks party. I'd just naughtily told him I was going to write for Mills &amp; Boon (twenty-six years and so many rejections later, I am bloody but unbowed) when he replied, 'My wife does that.' Well, actually she doesn't although she is a well-published short story and non-fiction writer. She sent me the syllabus and I began to realise throw-away remarks at parties were not what writing success would be made of.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: small;">Over the years, sometimes on the committee, sometimes not, I've met many wonderful and inspirational people through EWC. People who have had the gumption to tell me calmly that I'm not a this writer or a that writer, I'm a playwright. I've&nbsp;done the same&nbsp;for others and there are some folk out there who have success in certain fields because I saw what they could do. A two-way thing.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: small;">In the internet age when we can have a lot of socialising on-line, there's still a lot to be gained from going out in the rain and wind to a meeting and socialising in person. It came home to me again last night when the club held its Reading Night. It always takes a wee while to tease the contributions out but on the night, an additional six folk brought stuff to share. Five minutes max per person&nbsp;and we heard lots of exciting, fresh work. In addition, we had a short discussion about where the ideas had come from and whether they were personal or universal.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: small;">Writing clubs do it in so many ways. EWC has competitions and the presence of a deadline with the knowledge your work will be read by at least the judge, works wonders. I hope there's an EWC equivalent in your area. check them out. They'll have something to offer you and you'll have lots to offer them.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: small;">The annual dinner and prize-giving is the highlight of the writers' club's year. At least it is on paper because occasionally something innocuous on the syllabus jumps up and surprises us all. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">Last night EWC had a lovely meal and we said our goodbyes until the autumn. For about 13 years the historical novelist, Alanna Knight, has been our Honourary President and she came to the event and presented the prizes.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">No one should underestimate the sense of pride folk feel in winning that book token. It may cost them considerably more to attend, but they do and they quite often bring their other half to take photos. Quite right too: they've worked for recognition.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">We had two jumping up surprises on our syllabus this year. Firstly we ran a Flash Fiction competition which attracted the highest entry I've known in&nbsp; over twenty years of membership. I was describing how you go about it to my dinner companion and realised something: it's very like the precis we did in school all those years ago. Of course you have to write your own unabridged piece and then shorten it.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">Secondly we had an illuminating talk by Adele Hartley on the horror genre. An unexplored field as far as I was concerned but as she talked about how less is more, I realised I had at least one incident at the back of my mind that would work up. So much of horror is in the unexplained and not blood and guts throughout.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">Lots to do over the three months we don't meet. Getting published is one aim - not to mention finishing that novel, writing that play and keeping this blog more up-to-date.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">Note from the Christian Aid folk this morning. So far the sale has raised over &pound;108,000. How's zat for a church full of second (or thirty-second) hand books? </span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: small;">Widows and mistresses had the most fun in the Regency, but gosh is the late husband in my WIP causing me problems. This is the WIP I set aside to enter M&amp;B's first chapter competition.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">The chapter went up and one or two of you were kind enough to drop by - thank you. Sadly, it didn't catch the selectors' eyes but I enjoyed the characters and the premise of Beloved Bluestocking (still on the M&amp;B site <em>romanceisnotdead</em>&nbsp;for anyone interested). I think it will be my next project if I can finally get through the character problems I'm having in the current one.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">EWC held a character workshop last night ably led by <strong>Louise Ironside</strong> who many tv fans may recognise as a prolific writer for River City and now Waterloo Road. I came away with good ideas about character creation but, unsurprisingly, none about how to de-construct a muddle already in existence.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">You'll all have been there and I know many folk would say if a character is taking over to kill him off. As mine is already dead that option isn't available. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">So, having done the ironing, some domestic admin and let off steam to you long sufferring readers, I'll get on with it.</span></p>