Newsletter

CWG Newsletter

Tuesday 7^th August 2007

Chair: Mike Sherratt, 34 Bexfield Close, Allesley Village, Coventry CV5 9BL (telephone 02476 – 405232. E-mail: michael.sherratt1@btopenworld.com

Secretary: Christine Rutherford 23 Frances Road Harbury Warks CV33 9JG

(tel 01926 613757 e-mail krismonsen@btopenworld.com)

1. Chair’s Notes – none as such.
2. Apologies Chris Jarvis
3. Correspondence/info/notes
1. publications from Central Library including Raw Edge. – need SAE and would like submissions
2. Writers course at Coventry University: BA in professional and creative writing.
3. Free courses available - look at Coventry University and Warwick local government websites. General feedback from courses has been very positive.
4. Achievements
1. Ann: usual Dogs Monthly, feature in Rescue and Homing, Collectors’ Gazette etc.
2. Ann’s shop is up and running and includes a photographer and prints flyers and adverts – gave us all a flyer.
5. Round table
1. Where do you find a source for a story? One conversation led to Schindler’s Ark.
2. Does a hero have to follow a stereotype?
3. Writers’ Group exists to encourage new writing.
4. Pam talked of the difficulty of balancing writing and reading.
5. Philip’s presentation. http://www.coventrywriters/group.org.uk is a blog not a website. Members can put work there and others can comment on it. Mike or Phil will invite you to be an author on the site. Once you are registered, you can put writing, images and comments on the site. Phil to continue this next time as it generated a discussion on who, exactly, would be able to access it. Is open access a good thing?
6. Readings
1. Chris read 1^st chapter of Though the Sun Goes Down.
2. Geoff: My Guardian Angel – small, odd man in a café.
3. Philip: monologue from his book – a besotted girl’s impassioned plea to her man.
4. John: First Impressions of an Emerging Writer.
5. Mike: The Pain and the Ecstasy – a conman conned.
6. Chris: monologue Thoughts on Being Me – an elderly lady who is seen by others as an inspiration.
7. Mike’s prize winning essay on Silas Marner.

7. Exercise for September

Write a piece, any title, illustrating how to build suspense. Approx 500 words.

8. Exercise for October.

Find a scene from real life which could be the beginning or the end of a story.