the writer is a lonely hunter

writing by Gail Aldwin and other authors

Sep 12

Dorset County Show, 2013

by gailaldwin

The County Show has been celebrating the countryside and all things Dorset since 1841. These days there’s a focus on family entertainment, showcasing agriculture and shopping but the old traditions of a county show remain, including the competitions. There are 1,000 competitions to enter and although we didn’t spend much time looking at the livestock, the homecraft and horticultural tents are endlessly fascinating.

With the rise in popularity of television shows such as The Great British Bake Off, the competition for the best of baking is considerable.  Criteria for entry is strict sometimes identifying the required size, shape and ingredients, others offering the chance to use your own recipe.  One category I continue to find perplexing is:

  • Six sweet scones (men only please)

I wonder what Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood would make of that!

Unfortunately, for all the delights of Victoria Sandwiches, Swiss rolls and flapjacks, they were displayed inside plastic bags and not the best circumstances to photograph, so I can’t show you any of the entries.  However, I can share with you the following:

THREE CARROTS, stump rooted, tops trimmed to approx 76mm

THREE CARROTS, stump rooted, tops trimmed to approx 76mm

PAIR OF MARROWS (any size)

PAIR OF MARROWS (any size)

 

These had my husband anticipating an entry for 2014.

Some of the other categories, however, had me in stitches. For example, THE LONGEST RUNNER BEAN of reasonable quality. I’m not sure that would be worth eating. And then there were the monster entries, the largest pumpkin and the heaviest marrow:

heaviest marrowlargest pumpkin

After all the excitement there was one last treasure. An opportunity to stroke the loveliest of rabbits and meet the proud new owner.

rabbit

 

During a long journey yesterday I listened to ‘When God was a Rabbit’ by Sarah Winman.  The family saga was brilliantly read by Emilia Fox but the story was predictable in places. Rabbits at the show and one in a novel – that must be enough rabbits for one week.

competitions Dorset events visits

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Jul 16

Guess which restaurant we ate in at the weekend

by gailaldwin

J at Waggamamma

Here is my son seated in a popular restaurant chain recently opened in Dorchester’s Brewery Square. So, where did we eat last weekend?  Look at the decor, look at the furniture. There are chairs where usually there are benches! There are cushions! There is no need to eat at a communal table. For me, something of the Wagamama experience is lost in this Dorset-ised version of the restaurant. Instead, next time we eat out, we may try another chain.

The days of hankering for a decent pizza are over with the arrival of:

Pizza Express

Front door Zizzi

If neither of those suit, you could always try:

Carluccio

Or when all else fails, there’s always:

Nando

I hardly know what to do with all this choice! Any one fancy fish and chips?

Dorset visits

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Jul 10

How many pens does a writer need?

by gailaldwin

No wonder my handbag was feeling a little heavier than usual. When I turfed out the contents I found the following lurking at the bottom:

Pens

Bearing in mind that I can only use one pen at a time, there surely is no need to lug around FIFTEEN! And what a motley assortment of biros! I may have to purchase a rather more distinguished writing implement once my redundancy pay comes through. Any suggestions for a posh brand?

In the meantime, I have a task to complete for 21 July when I will be returning to the Bridport Arts Centre for the second part of a two-day writing course delivered by Paul Dodgson. The first session included the following:

  • a warm up exercise: write about an incident that happened within the last year. Take turns to give your name and the first line of your writing. Does the writing contain a hook that makes others want to know more?
  • discussion about what a short story should include
  • writing task: tear a sheet of paper into four rectangles. Write a first name, a family name, an incident and a lie on each piece. Redistribute the papers and use your collection to create a character and the first part of a story.
  • This story forms the basis for a longer piece of writing that will provide material for the next workshop
  • Short stories shared included: A painful case, James Joyce (Dubliners); Birds of America, Lorrie Moore; The Turning, Tim Winton; Fat, Raymond Carver

I very much look forward to the next workshop and thank Paul for a wonderful day of literary stimulation, lots of laughter, fun and sharing.

authors Dorset Reading Recommendations writing

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Jul 2

A walk through the fields

by gailaldwin

Anyone who has visited me in Dorchester, is likely to be familiar with this walk. It’s one that we take regularly owing to the proximity to our house. Only a little way down the hill lies the River Frome, the starting point for a circular walk.

1. Starting point We walk along the path, with the river on one side and water meadow on the other. Currently the farmer is busy making hay (probably silage is a better description).2. Cutting hay

Further along we come to the Blue Bridge, a landmark that can be seen from our bedroom window, and suitably assigned a plaque. Over on the river bank, children fish for tiddlers.

3. Blue bridge plaque4. over the blue bridge5. by the water

Walking through the fields we meet the animals: cows taking to the shade and sheep freshly sheared.

6. cows in the field7. Shawn

Where the path turns we head back towards the town and make a little detour.

8. back towards town10.Into a shop

We browse the old and the refurbished. We’re not quite sure what to make of this chair. I think it might be a rocket to reach outer space but in disguise.

11. Iz takes a break

Then there’s a strange looking duck swimming back towards our house. (At least this one has not found a home in our pond).

13. Strange looking duck

We walk by the allotments and admire the produce.

12 By the allotments

15 Back to our house

Only a little way further and we’re back at home.

Anyone fancy a walk through the fields?

Dorset views visits

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Jun 18

Pen Pals, a reminiscence project in Purbeck

by gailaldwin

A new project titled Pen Pals will be offered in Purbeck by members of the Dorset Writers’ Network. The project has received funding from Dorset Community Foundation and will be delivered in three care settings for older people. The aim of the project is to offer creative and enjoyable learning experiences for older people by drawing upon memories. Volunteers will be trained to work with older people and will help in recording personal stories. Session facilitators Helen Pizzey and Pat Yonwin are experienced in delivering reminiscence projects and understand the health benefits of encouraging older people to becoming involved with creative arts. A range of prompts and artifacts will be used to engage and interest participants in sharing stories from their personal history.

I am pleased to be involved with this project as a volunteer and look forward to the first of six sessions that will be delivered at Gainsborough Care Home in Swanage. Sessions will be delivered fortnightly from the end of July to October. If you would like further information or are interested in joining the project as a volunteer, you can find further information here. (Scroll down to find the information on Pen Pals.)

Have you been involved with any creative initiatives that support vulnerable groups?

Dorset writing

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May 21

Things are looking brighter…

by gailaldwin

University of South WalesI received an email this week confirming that I’ve been accepted onto the Masters in Creative Writing at the University of South Wales. This is a part-time, distance learning, research degree which includes a creative writing project. Although my proposal still has to be passed by the Research Panel, I’m cracking on with ideas for the novel that will accompany the research. I’ll be investigating the child’s voice in adult fiction and putting together a manuscript written from a child’s viewpoint about the abduction of a sibling. I have to say a massive thank you to Carol McGrath who has offered considerable advice and support that has kept me focused and positive throughout the application process.

I am really excited about returning to study. The university only accepts eight students onto the course each year so I am fortunate to be one of them. Previous students include Emma Darwin (click here for Emma’s blog which is well worth a read) and Maria McCann.

Other good news is that I was successful in getting through the interview with an educational charity which will offer me the chance to work with schools on a part-time basis during 2013-14. I’m also building up my contacts with schools to deliver consultancy work and I’ve had some interest in a project that I wish to seek funding from the Arts Council to deliver.  All this activity means I’ve been incredibly busy and writing has taken something of a backseat. Now that I have a little free time, I will work on a piece of flash fiction to submit to the Bridport prize at the end of the month.  Other opportunities you might like to consider include:

What keeps you busy at the minute?

authors competitions Dorset events Feedback flash fiction writing

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May 14

What makes you happy?

by gailaldwin

When my daughter was back from university, she was imagining what her future would look like and it included a big house and a flash car. My husband told her that those things won’t make her happy. He asked her to reflect on what made her happy as a child, things like a balloon or an ice-cream. He said that when you’ve worked hard for that house and that car you realise it’s the packet of seeds for the allotment or sunshine on your back that brings happiness.  In middle-age, like childhood, it’s the little things that count.

So here are the things that make me happy on a Saturday morning:

Chocolate brownie, Cups and Cakes, Dorchester

Cups and Cakes, Dorchester

Roll on next weekend!

What makes you happy?

Dorset Reading visits

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Apr 30

NEW Dorset Flash Fiction Competition

by gailaldwin

The Dorset Writers’ Network is running a flash fiction competition to raise funds to support the valuable work they offer in helping isolated writers throughout the county. The first three winners will receive a book or writing related prize.  The best stories will be recorded as a podcast and put on the website. I have been asked to judge the competition, so I’m absolutely thrilled. You can find further details below:

Flash Fiction Competition

New competition from Dorset Writers’ Network, write a story in 300 words. You must include the words: hesitant, string, relative, hand. You can use the words anywhere in the story or in the title. Please make sure that the words make sense in the context of the story. In order to do this, you may wish to add letters to the words, but you can’t take away any of the letters. For example, you can change relative to relatively but not to relation because the ‘v’ and the ‘e’ are missing from the original word. You can check that you’ve included all the words correctly before submission by using the ‘find’ facility. Gail Aldwin will judge the shortlisted entries.

  • Email or post your entry (Sue Ashby, Corner Cottage, Bridge Street, Dorset SP8 5BA; sue@dorsetwritersnetwork.co.uk). Include your name and contact details (address, telephone, email) – but not on your entry. Entries are judged anonymously, so your name and details must be on a separate document.
  • There’s a charge of £5 for entry and you must live or work in Dorset. Make cheques out to Dorset Writers’ Network.
  • You can make more than one entry (£8 for 2 stories, £10 for 3) – there is no limit.
  • A winner and two runners up will be selected.
  • Your work must not have been previously published on-line or in print.
  • The entry must be written by you.
  • Copyright remains with the writer.
  • Maximum length is 300 words.
  • The title is in addition to the 300 words.
  • Your story must not have won or been placed in another competition.
  • Deadline for entries is Friday May 31st 2013. The results will be announced on the DWN website  where the winners will be published.

If you’re a Dorset-based writer, will you have a go at entering this competition?

competitions Dorset flash fiction writing

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Apr 23

Some good news…

by gailaldwin

This is exactly what I’ve been waiting for, a piece of good news. There’s nothing like a little publishing success to get me refocused and positive. An article on the workshop I delivered at the National Association for Writers in Education (NAWE) conference appears in the current issue of Writing in Education, spring 2013. My name even features on the cover, although the print is probably too small for you to read it here. Also included in the journal is an interesting article on coaching for writers by Elizabeth Forbes and ‘Imaging the Story’ where Paul Houghton considers the role of the visual.

mag59

And, more positive news comes from Helen Pizzey at PURBECK! magazine who has included a review of Four Buses for the May/June issue of the magazine.

What keeps you on the tracks for writing?

Dorset flash fiction review

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Mar 19

Spring in Dorset

by gailaldwin

Spring in Dorset has so far meant biting wind, patches of frost and snow. When the sun does appear, it’s absolutely glorious but all too soon it slinks behind the clouds. In spite of the weather, other activity confirms the changing of the seasons. Last year I wrote a piece of flash fiction titled ‘Fish Pond’ which is based upon the annual activity in our garden. You can read about it here.

The ducks have been lurking again, finding the right moment to splash into the pond and feed on the frogs’ spawn.  This year, however, David has decided to protect the wildlife by creating fortress fish pond.

spring 003 (2)

It’s not a pretty sight and the ducks have abandoned the garden now in favour of the stream along the road. Not even the neighbours’ cat has ventured anywhere near our place now that the days of scooping out the spawn with his paw are over. The wire is so effective that I’m slightly worried we’ll be inundated with frogs and toads later in the year. I hope I don’t find a frog swimming in the downstairs loo again!

Do you have any quirks to share?

Dorset events flash fiction

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