Sorry everyone - the first session for the new re-launched Writing Group will be on Saturday 28th September 9.30 - 10.30 not 7th as stated in last blog (at least not if I want to avoid being ostracized by my granddaughter whose 8th birthday party falls on that day!!!). I will send confirmation texts, emails or letters over the next day or two (did you see the Press Release in this week's Advertiser by the way?). On 28th I will hand out a sheet with all forthcoming session dates on - right up till end of December when I will review it to take forward into 2014.
Have a lovely August Bank Holiday!!!
Saturday 24 August 2013
Thursday 22 August 2013
MOVING ON ...
Hi everyone. Hope you are all enjoying your summer. Here is just one more quick update then I'll be gone for a couple of weeks at least and leave you in peace. Firstly I have had some great ideas about how to develop the group and I will go into these next blog. Secondly, the first two dates for the new Saturday slot for the young writers are 9.30 - 10.30 at PMT on Saturday 7th and Saturday 28th September. I will either text, email or write to you all over the next few days just to confirm this so we can crack on. And finally, I hope you have all received your Parent Questionnaires and Summer Competition Sheet but if you haven't let me know ASAP and I will get them out to you again. There are also extra copies of the competition sheet at PMT and at Ashburton Library. That's it for now. Be happy!
Saturday 10 August 2013
UTTERLY BRILIANT NEWS .....
Hi everyone, here is the first August blog as promised. I hope you are all enjoying the spectacular summer we have been blessed with this year! Even as I sit here in my study, the window is open, the fresh air is wafting through, a helicopter buzzes overhead, kids are playing outside and even the music from the fair at the park can be heard drifting on the breeze. This is how summer is meant to be and I love it!
Okay - first some really good news! The article about the Young Writers has appeared in the September issue of Writing Magazine (on sale now at W H Smith) on Pages 60 and 61. Although the editor did not use any of the group photos I sent him, the feature still reads well - and even has a front cover lead - so I am well chuffed with it and I just hope it encourages others to set up Young Writer groups. I will bring a copy along to the next session to show any interested parties.
Secondly - some even better news! I finally got round to seeing Amanda this morning and we had a discussion about taking the group forward. She is experiencing some problems with being able to open up on a Sunday at the moment - not her fault, I hasten to add - so the one August session I was hoping to hold will not now take place. Instead, what we are going to do is re-launch the group starting in September - and we are going to try 9.30 to 10.30 on Saturday mornings! This should make it much more accessible to everyone - including any younger siblings who may now be old enough (and interested enough) to join. I am going to print off some flyers and let the local papers know and, hopefully, we will be able to regain the momentum we had a few months back. Also, I am going to confirm a date with our proposed Guest Speaker (all will be revealed in time) and see if I can arrange some other "Specials" to take the group successfully into its second year. This is a very exciting (and challenging) time for Addiscombe Young Writers - I want to breathe new life into it so that youngsters with a yen for Creative Writing can get a taste of it and enjoy it. I know things have not been what they were but I was not going to let it go without a fight and - hopefully, the new arrangement will work for most of you. We will still be holding two sessions a month and I am still accessible by blog, mobile or email so you can always get in touch with any ideas, comments or suggestions.
Finally a couple of other things. Firstly - I am going to post out the Parent Questionnaire and Competition Sheets on Monday and will extend the closing date of the competition to 30 September to give everyone a fair chance.
Secondly - I wanted to let you know that I have not yet been able to donate any of the takings from Word Magic to our chosen Good Cause for two reasons. One - husband Steve and I have not fully recovered what we paid for the book's production. I think this is partly due to the fact that some new members whose work was included, left before I was able to collect their contribution to costs. It may also be that I just miscalculated. Either way, we are coming up £60 short. And two - and this is the real posterial pain - we have not between us, been able to actually sell one single copy!!!!! So I am calling on all of you to help. If you want to buy copies to give to relations as Christmas presents, or to friends and family, or if your child's school is interested in buying any, just to show the kind of achievements the children have made, please let me know ASAP. I cannot stress how important this is. The Young Writers worked really hard. To be published at such young ages ( some were only 6 when the book was first put together) - they deserve all the recognition they get. I know we are all incredibly proud of them. It was a community project so please help me to get it out into the community - maybe the church has an autumn or Christmas fair coming up? Please let me know how you can help - and we will soon get the children's work into the Public consciousness, I know it!
I will blog again in a couple of weeks just to let you all know the date of the September re-launch, but in the meantime, enjoy the rest of the summer.
Good Writing, everyone!
Okay - first some really good news! The article about the Young Writers has appeared in the September issue of Writing Magazine (on sale now at W H Smith) on Pages 60 and 61. Although the editor did not use any of the group photos I sent him, the feature still reads well - and even has a front cover lead - so I am well chuffed with it and I just hope it encourages others to set up Young Writer groups. I will bring a copy along to the next session to show any interested parties.
Secondly - some even better news! I finally got round to seeing Amanda this morning and we had a discussion about taking the group forward. She is experiencing some problems with being able to open up on a Sunday at the moment - not her fault, I hasten to add - so the one August session I was hoping to hold will not now take place. Instead, what we are going to do is re-launch the group starting in September - and we are going to try 9.30 to 10.30 on Saturday mornings! This should make it much more accessible to everyone - including any younger siblings who may now be old enough (and interested enough) to join. I am going to print off some flyers and let the local papers know and, hopefully, we will be able to regain the momentum we had a few months back. Also, I am going to confirm a date with our proposed Guest Speaker (all will be revealed in time) and see if I can arrange some other "Specials" to take the group successfully into its second year. This is a very exciting (and challenging) time for Addiscombe Young Writers - I want to breathe new life into it so that youngsters with a yen for Creative Writing can get a taste of it and enjoy it. I know things have not been what they were but I was not going to let it go without a fight and - hopefully, the new arrangement will work for most of you. We will still be holding two sessions a month and I am still accessible by blog, mobile or email so you can always get in touch with any ideas, comments or suggestions.
Finally a couple of other things. Firstly - I am going to post out the Parent Questionnaire and Competition Sheets on Monday and will extend the closing date of the competition to 30 September to give everyone a fair chance.
Secondly - I wanted to let you know that I have not yet been able to donate any of the takings from Word Magic to our chosen Good Cause for two reasons. One - husband Steve and I have not fully recovered what we paid for the book's production. I think this is partly due to the fact that some new members whose work was included, left before I was able to collect their contribution to costs. It may also be that I just miscalculated. Either way, we are coming up £60 short. And two - and this is the real posterial pain - we have not between us, been able to actually sell one single copy!!!!! So I am calling on all of you to help. If you want to buy copies to give to relations as Christmas presents, or to friends and family, or if your child's school is interested in buying any, just to show the kind of achievements the children have made, please let me know ASAP. I cannot stress how important this is. The Young Writers worked really hard. To be published at such young ages ( some were only 6 when the book was first put together) - they deserve all the recognition they get. I know we are all incredibly proud of them. It was a community project so please help me to get it out into the community - maybe the church has an autumn or Christmas fair coming up? Please let me know how you can help - and we will soon get the children's work into the Public consciousness, I know it!
I will blog again in a couple of weeks just to let you all know the date of the September re-launch, but in the meantime, enjoy the rest of the summer.
Good Writing, everyone!
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