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!
Tuesday, 30 July 2013
Session In The Park - Feedback
It was a lovely summer's afternoon when the Young Writers met at Ashburton Park in Lower Addiscombe Road. Numbers were down as I expected them to be, but I am sure that those who were able to make it got something out of it. I suggested they sit and listen for a few moments and then write a list of all the sounds around them. Then I asked them to look at all the colours and list those. This is an excellent exercise to carry out in the outdoors because our own perceptions are much higher, not only because we are outside, but also because we are not inside where our perceptions are blocked to a degree by the walls and ceilings surrounding us. It is a great tool if you want to write poetry about nature, or summer holidays because outside there is no limit to our imaginations, no ceilings or walls to hold us back. It really does make a difference.
Once the lists were done I asked the Young Writers to use at least some of the words from their lists in a short poem or story. I am quite happy for them to work on this all through the summer holidays since I did not set a specific assignment due to the peak holiday season. I will hold one session at some point in August and I will let you know when next time I write a post for this blog.
After 45 minutes of diligent work - which could not have been easy given the lure of the swings and roundabouts - the youngsters went off to exert some energy and the grown-ups squeezed onto Lisa's picnic blanket for half an hour or so just to chat. I gave out copies of the Parent Questionnaire and also information about the Big Short Story Competition which is open until 1st September. I will be dropping copies of the competition sheets at PMT and also at local libraries over the course of the next week or so, and posting out the questionnaires as I really need some feedback from yourselves in order to take the group forward. This is imperative if I am to continually improve the group so please please do your best to fill them out and either drop them at PMT or post them back to me; I'd really appreciate it.
All that remains to be said now is have a great summer, enjoy your holidays and day trips - and we will see you in September.
Good writing!
Once the lists were done I asked the Young Writers to use at least some of the words from their lists in a short poem or story. I am quite happy for them to work on this all through the summer holidays since I did not set a specific assignment due to the peak holiday season. I will hold one session at some point in August and I will let you know when next time I write a post for this blog.
After 45 minutes of diligent work - which could not have been easy given the lure of the swings and roundabouts - the youngsters went off to exert some energy and the grown-ups squeezed onto Lisa's picnic blanket for half an hour or so just to chat. I gave out copies of the Parent Questionnaire and also information about the Big Short Story Competition which is open until 1st September. I will be dropping copies of the competition sheets at PMT and also at local libraries over the course of the next week or so, and posting out the questionnaires as I really need some feedback from yourselves in order to take the group forward. This is imperative if I am to continually improve the group so please please do your best to fill them out and either drop them at PMT or post them back to me; I'd really appreciate it.
All that remains to be said now is have a great summer, enjoy your holidays and day trips - and we will see you in September.
Good writing!
Tuesday, 16 July 2013
See You In The Park ...
Well - it looks as if the good weather is going to continue so I thought I'd remind everyone that this Sunday - 21st July - will see the Young Writers' session take place at Ashburton Park, Lower Addiscombe Road, between 3 and 4. There is a play area to the rear of the park and I thought we could meet there to start with. Don't forget that your children can bring any completed assignments with them to hand in. It would also be a good idea to bring along any drinks, hats, sunscreen - and maybe some snacky bits like crisps or crackers to keep them going. The idea behind this is not only to socialise (as with the Polka Theatre trip), but also to look, listen, sniff and write about what we are hearing, seeing and feeling out in the open air. Please drop me a text if you can't make it but hopefully at least some of you can.
I will bring along all the work I seem to have accumulated over the past couple of months to give back - and also some certificates still waiting to be awarded - and the prizes for the Mother's Day Poetry Competition. I shall also bring a short Parent Questionnaire and details of the AYW Short Story Competition.
As I said in the last Post, there will be only one other session this summer - around mid-August (tbc) and then - hopefully, in September, we can get back on a more regular footing, with regular sessions once again in place to help your Talented Scribes further develop their Creative Writing skills.
The article about the group looks likely to appear in the September issue of Writing Magazine (available mid-August), so I will keep a look out for that and let you know for sure.
Finally I would like to wish you all a very long, hot, sunny and pleasurable summer.
I will bring along all the work I seem to have accumulated over the past couple of months to give back - and also some certificates still waiting to be awarded - and the prizes for the Mother's Day Poetry Competition. I shall also bring a short Parent Questionnaire and details of the AYW Short Story Competition.
As I said in the last Post, there will be only one other session this summer - around mid-August (tbc) and then - hopefully, in September, we can get back on a more regular footing, with regular sessions once again in place to help your Talented Scribes further develop their Creative Writing skills.
The article about the group looks likely to appear in the September issue of Writing Magazine (available mid-August), so I will keep a look out for that and let you know for sure.
Finally I would like to wish you all a very long, hot, sunny and pleasurable summer.
Monday, 8 July 2013
Session In The Park ... (or Not)
Hi everyone. Here I am - back from two lovely weeks in lovely Ireland. I feel well rested and refreshed and I have a lot of Young Writers admin to do so I will be busy over the next few nights. The first - and most important - thing to do is update the blog, so I am seated at my desk, in my study, window open to allow access to any passing evening breezes, and raring to go.
First thing I need to do is let you know that a little birdie has told me that the Norwood Festival finale takes place this weekend on Woodside Green and finishes on Sunday. Because of this I have moved the Session In The Park to Sunday 21st July rather than this Sunday so that there is more chance of getting a bigger group. If it rains on 21st, we will be at PMT as usual 3 - 4. Please let me know if your young writer can make it as that will be the last main session before the summer break. As I said before, there is likely to be one session in August - just to keep our toes in the door - and then in September, once the new school year has begun, we will get back to the more regular get-togethers. And I am still hoping to get back to one weekly and one Sunday session per month so that everyone has a fair chance of getting along.
At the 21st July session, I will have the parent's questionnaire ready, as well as entry forms for the Big Young Writers Group story writing competition I mentioned a couple of blogs ago, so please please drop me a text if you can make it on that Sunday. I also still have a number of prizes to give out for the poetry competition held back in March and it is very important I present these as the young winners earned them.
I know things have been a bit bumpy this year but I am still sure we can make this group work - and the exciting things is that the article I wrote about it looks most likely to appear in the September issue of Writing Magazine which is available mid-August time and I think that will also raise our profile a bit, so fingers crossed.
In the meantime, the invitation is still open for anyone to get in touch with me with any thoughts, ideas, comments or suggestions - but above all, I would really appreciate it if you could let me know about 21st.
Good writing!
First thing I need to do is let you know that a little birdie has told me that the Norwood Festival finale takes place this weekend on Woodside Green and finishes on Sunday. Because of this I have moved the Session In The Park to Sunday 21st July rather than this Sunday so that there is more chance of getting a bigger group. If it rains on 21st, we will be at PMT as usual 3 - 4. Please let me know if your young writer can make it as that will be the last main session before the summer break. As I said before, there is likely to be one session in August - just to keep our toes in the door - and then in September, once the new school year has begun, we will get back to the more regular get-togethers. And I am still hoping to get back to one weekly and one Sunday session per month so that everyone has a fair chance of getting along.
At the 21st July session, I will have the parent's questionnaire ready, as well as entry forms for the Big Young Writers Group story writing competition I mentioned a couple of blogs ago, so please please drop me a text if you can make it on that Sunday. I also still have a number of prizes to give out for the poetry competition held back in March and it is very important I present these as the young winners earned them.
I know things have been a bit bumpy this year but I am still sure we can make this group work - and the exciting things is that the article I wrote about it looks most likely to appear in the September issue of Writing Magazine which is available mid-August time and I think that will also raise our profile a bit, so fingers crossed.
In the meantime, the invitation is still open for anyone to get in touch with me with any thoughts, ideas, comments or suggestions - but above all, I would really appreciate it if you could let me know about 21st.
Good writing!
Monday, 17 June 2013
Session 22 - Feedback
Yes - I know we didn't have a Session 22 exactly! But here's a quick update anyway. I was going to be collecting assignments about dads to tie in with father's day, so if your talented scribblers haven't had time to finish, they have got an extension to 14th July to get it done - that is a poem or story about dad, granddad or uncle. What I was going to start looking at was short poems like haiku and tanka. I thought it would be good to steer them away from fiction writing for a while, and most of them seem to enjoy writing poems. Won't go into the rudiments of such poetry forms just yet; I will wait until I see everyone, but to get them in the mood, I think the next assignment should be to write a nature poem, either about the seasons, wildlife, flowers, clouds, animals, birds - whatever they like as long as the central theme is nature. Here's a couple of mine from my book "Nature's Magic" which was published a few years back:
SITTING ON THE FIELD
So many shades of green,
dark - almost brown,
bright - almost glowing.
Leaf by leaf.
Tree by tree.
Grass by grass.
Hedge by hedge.
In the distance,
the hills look
almost turquoise.
So many shades of green!
(c) J P Henderson-Long - 2004
PUDDY MUDDLE!
I'm so excited,
I have to go,
the garden outside
is full of snow.
I run and play
then rush for a cuddle
after slipping into
a puddy muddle.
"A puddy muddle!" says my mum.
"A muddy puddle's
much more fun!"
(c) J P Henderson-Long - 2004
Please feel free to share these with the Young Writers so they get an idea of what I am looking for.
The next session will be from 3 - 4 on Sunday 14th July and it will be the Session in the Park (weather permitting). Ashburton Park is only ten minutes down Lower Addiscombe Road (towards Elmers End) and there is loads of space to spread out and write and a good park to play in afterwards. Bring along some snacks and drinks (and sun cream if it is really nice) to make something of an occasion of it, and maybe a picnic rug to sit on. Naturally if it is raining we will meet at PMT as usual. Should be good if we can have it in the park, though, so fingers crossed.
Think that is it for now. I am off to Ireland on Saturday so will be gone for a couple of weeks - but you can still email or text me if you have to, I will have my beloved Nokia with me.
Once again, sorry about yesterday's session - but I am sure with their writing and enthusiasm, the members will soon make up for it.
Good writing everyone!
SITTING ON THE FIELD
So many shades of green,
dark - almost brown,
bright - almost glowing.
Leaf by leaf.
Tree by tree.
Grass by grass.
Hedge by hedge.
In the distance,
the hills look
almost turquoise.
So many shades of green!
(c) J P Henderson-Long - 2004
PUDDY MUDDLE!
I'm so excited,
I have to go,
the garden outside
is full of snow.
I run and play
then rush for a cuddle
after slipping into
a puddy muddle.
"A puddy muddle!" says my mum.
"A muddy puddle's
much more fun!"
(c) J P Henderson-Long - 2004
Please feel free to share these with the Young Writers so they get an idea of what I am looking for.
The next session will be from 3 - 4 on Sunday 14th July and it will be the Session in the Park (weather permitting). Ashburton Park is only ten minutes down Lower Addiscombe Road (towards Elmers End) and there is loads of space to spread out and write and a good park to play in afterwards. Bring along some snacks and drinks (and sun cream if it is really nice) to make something of an occasion of it, and maybe a picnic rug to sit on. Naturally if it is raining we will meet at PMT as usual. Should be good if we can have it in the park, though, so fingers crossed.
Think that is it for now. I am off to Ireland on Saturday so will be gone for a couple of weeks - but you can still email or text me if you have to, I will have my beloved Nokia with me.
Once again, sorry about yesterday's session - but I am sure with their writing and enthusiasm, the members will soon make up for it.
Good writing everyone!
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