Here We Go, Here We Go, Here We Go ...

Hello everyone.  Okay want some really good news?  I have finally got some dates for AYW sessions!  Join me in a cheer and tell all your friends!  The group will be relaunched with its first session on Saturday 8th March, 9.30 - 10.30 at the Ashburton Library in Shirley Road (next to the Oasis Academy).  The following sessions are planned for 22nd March, 5th April, 12th April and 26th April, all Saturdays, all 9.30 - 10.30 and all at the library.  The library team and I will then review it and, all being well,  put some more dates together.  The sessions will still be free.  Parents are allowed to leave their children with us if they are aged 8 and over, but the library team has stressed that the parents of children aged 7 and under  - although not necessarily sitting with us, are required to stay on the premises and are most welcome to use the facilities there.  The other thing is that I will be starting the Certificate Trail again , right from scratch, because I am confident we will get a new flock of budding writers in, but all those talented scribblers from the original group will fly though them.  And at least that way I can keep better tabs on who has got where.

I seriously considered starting the group again in February, but after some thought decided it would be better to start it in March because it gives us all time to get The Word Out - and this means posters, flyers, letters to all previous members, texts and emails - and hopefully some local newspaper coverage.  So there you are. Keep and eye out for your letters and, if you know any other youngsters who might be interested, let me know and I will send letters to them as well.  And please spread the word at your child's school and Sunday school.

I am so delighted to finally have some good news for everyone and cannot wait to see you all again in the not too distant future!

AT LONG LAST!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hello everyone!  I am SO excited.  Oh - Happy New Year by the way!  I have finally heard from my contact at Ashburton Library.  I got an email on Friday to confirm I can re-launch the Young Writers!  I am going for a meeting next Saturday (11th January) to confirm dates and my plan is to do a new flyer, a new email, new texts and get some newspaper coverage to let everyone know when the first session of 2014 will be.  See?  I said I wouldn't give up on it - or on you - or on the Young Writers - and I didn't.  Anyone who was a member before is very welcome to come back.  And if younger siblings want to give it a try this time, then why not fetch them along?  Boy - I have missed you all.  My writing life came to a complete standstill without you.  Watch this space.  Back with dates very soon.  Promise.

Hello ... !!

Hello to everyone out there in Addiscombe Young Writers land.  Just thought I would let you know I haven't forgotten you.  I am still waiting for the forms from the library and unfortunately they will not let the sessions resume until these have been completed.  I emailed and asked the other day and was told they are still waiting for them. They are  very excited about the group re-starting and I am going to try and work towards a January relaunch, so keep one eye on this blog.  In the meantime, please keep your young scribes scribbling - and if anyone needs any help or advice, drop me a line.
Good Writing.

Looking Good ...

Looking good for the Young Writer sessions, at the moment, everyone.  Have had an email from the Ashburton Library in Shirley Road and they have said they are happy for the sessions to start up again there. There is just a couple of forms for me to fill out and as soon as they are in place, I will let you know when the first session will be.  This is really exciting because I think being in the library, surrounded by books, will give a new lease of life to the group and it would be much easier, I would think, to then get Guest Speakers in. 

Plus I think the Young Writers themselves will be very inspired.  I know I will be.  So keep an eye on the blog for further news but when I get the dates, I will email, text or write to as many of you as I can, anyway.

One other quick thing to mention.  I am still holding on to prizes for the winners of the Mothers Day competition winners and I would like to ensure the children receive these.  I also have an awful lot of their work - assignment sheets and session sheets - which I would very much like to return to them.  Once we know the session dates, perhaps you could come along and collect all this, even if your children do not want to be regular members anymore...

Finally, please let me know dates of autumn or Christmas Fairs coming up so I can sell copies of Word Magic.  And if you would like to buy copies to give as Christmas Presents, let me know ASAP so I can get them out to you in plenty of time.  Once Steve and I have recouped our final £60.00, we can start donating to charity just as we originally planned, but I do need your help with this so any response would be very gratefully received.

Good Writing!

Light at the End of the Tunnel

Hi everyone.  What a pity we have lost our lovely venue at PMT.  I feel terrible for Amanda and Clark because they put so much into that place.  It must have felt like a real kick in the teeth to just have to let it go, although I know it was stressing Amanda out quite a bit in the end.  But fear not oh mighty carriers of the pen!  Several mums texted me and suggested we approach the library next to Oasis School in Shirley Road and I did this earlier today.  I spoke to the head librarian there and told her of our dilemma and she does not think it will be a problem to switch the sessions to there.  All I have to do is send her an email which she will pass on to "the people upstairs" and I should find out fairly soon whether or not we can go ahead, and if so, when we can start.  I will do that this weekend and get back to you all.

In the meantime, please give the Young Writers my love and tell them that, all being well, we should be able to pick it all up again sooner rather than later.

Watch this space ....

See You Saturday ...

Hello everyone.  Looking forward to seeing you this Saturday (29th September) between 9.30 and 10.30 at PMT.  Be interesting to see if Saturdays work out better than Sundays.  I hope so because I so do not want to see the group fold!  Fingers crossed.

I hope the Young Writers are settling back into their school routine again.  It is always hard for the first week or so isn't it?  I have got a lot of new ideas for the group to take us into 2014 - a newsletter, a competition or two and some fresh Creative Writing areas to try and I hope they will enjoy it.  Perhaps those of you coming on Saturday could bring your Parent Questionnaires in because your feedback is so valuable.  Addiscombe Young Writers isn't my group.  It is their group - the Young Writers themselves.  And if ever I needed your support to keep it going, I need it now.

Please would you also consider purchasing some copies of Word Magic to give as Christmas gifts.  I am sure there must be some family and friends tucked away who would really appreciate a  copy. And please do let me know if there are any autumn or Christmas fairs coming up where we can sell copies from a stall.  It is really important the book is seen.  The children worked so hard on all the contributions that it would be a terrible shame for the book to go unread!

Don't forget to bring along any younger siblings on Saturday.  It would be amazing to give them the same opportunities the older children have had since the group began.

Anyway - won't give too much away now, but please do pop along - and you can enjoy one of Amanda's delicious cup cakes as the Young Writers pick up their pens again.

Good writing.  Can't wait to see you!

Onwards And Upwards

Hi everyone.  Have just spent an hour or so, texting, emailing or writing to all you mums and dads regarding the relaunch date for AYW so, just to confirm, the first session is on Saturday 28th September from 9.30 at PMT.   I know it still isn't perfect, but, hopefully, it will suit more of you than the Sunday sessions did - and don't forget, any younger siblings who might be interested that were too young last year, would be very welcome.

I have had a few ideas on how to take the group forward and one of these is to launch a bi-monthly newsletter featuring the children's work.  In the first place, I will launch a competition for the members to decide what they would like their Newsletter to be called, so hopefully, that will get us off to a good start.  I also thought it might be an idea to look at play writing, and also non-fiction, as they are both areas we haven't really touched on yet.  Plus making greetings cards.  I will be producing new Inspirational Sheets from time to time as well, where I will set some tasks for the Young Writers to tackle - nothing too strenuous - just things that will kick their Creativity into touch - something I have found that works very well with the young boy I have been privately coaching for the last six weeks or so.

If you can make it on 28th, please remember to bring your questionnaires in so I can make even more improvements.  And there is still time for the Young Writers to enter the Short Story Competition if they would like to as the closing date is not until 30th September.

I hope you have all had a great summer.  See you on 28th.
Good Writing!