the writer is a lonely hunter

writing by Gail Aldwin and other authors

Jul 3

Flash Fiction Festival, Bath

by gailaldwin

I enjoyed an absolutely excellent time at the first Flash Fiction Festival held in Bath over the weekend 24-25 June. The programme included two workshops each day and I was lucky enough to attend sessions offered by Kit De Waal, David Gaffney and Tania Hershman. Another session was led by Jude Higgins and Meg Pokrass with two winners from the Bath Novella-in-Flash competition. This proved to be a very interesting session which has started me thinking about a new project. For a Novella-in-Flash, each chapter is contained in a piece of flash fiction. This must be shaped in such a way that it can be read as a stand alone piece while at the same time supporting the story arc of the novella. Sounds complicated? It is! Thank you to Charmaine Wilkerson and Ingrid Jendrzejewski for their helpful tips and advice on how this can be achieved.

Saturday evening provided the opportunity to launch the National Flash Fiction Day 2017 anthology titled Sleep is a Beautiful Colour which is packed with amazing flash fiction stories. I’m looking forward to delving further into my copy having heard some wonderful flashes as part of the launch. I particularly like Stephanie Hutton‘s Geology of a Girl, a superb micro-ficton.

Bathwick_Hill,_Bath,_Somerset,_UK_-_Diliff

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Jun 29

Digital Story Project

by gailaldwin

 

Reading on Screen Group, Bournemouth

You may remember a recent post about a three-day workshop offered at Bournemouth University. Attendance enabled me to create a digital story about my reading journey. It was a fun experience where I learnt a great deal about editing audio and video. To read more about the workshop, click here. The end product, a two-minute digital story titled Journey is now available. Although there are plenty of things I would like to change if I got to work on this digital story again, you can have a look at the story by clicking here.

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Jun 13

Poetry and Prose Performance Workshop

by gailaldwin
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Rob Casey

On Saturday 10 June, I joined sixteen other writers attending Rob Casey’s workshop at The White Room, in the Chapel in the Garden, Bridport. The building is set back from East Street and provides a delightful oasis on a busy market morning. We had such fun trying out ways of how-not-to perform and of course, there were plenty of tips and advice to get the delivery right. Rob had us working in small groups to share ideas and generate writing for development. It was great to hear other people’s work and learn from an experienced performance poet.

Rob is one of the founders of the Apothecary Open Mic, poetry and spoken word event that is held regularly at the Beach and Barnicott in Bridport. For more information see the Apothecary Facebook page.

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Jun 6

Interview on UK Talk Radio

by gailaldwin

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I was invited by Jonathan Hines to join him for an interview on UK Talk Radio to share  my experiences as a writer. The office and recording studio are located in Poole and following a drive through the rain, I arrived. Jonathan is very personable and soon put me at ease. I chatted with him before the recording began and then he started on the questions. It was a lot of fun – and a great opportunity to talk about my writing.

The interview is scheduled to be aired again on Sunday 11 June 2017. If you’d like to listen, click here and tune in around noon.

Jonathan is looking to work with more authors so if you would like to take part in this series of interviews, please email jonathan.hines@uktalkradio.org to express your interest.

 

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Jun 4

Reading on Screen

by gailaldwin

IMG_1085Last week I attended a three-day workshop at Bournemouth University to create a story told by means of digital video. The first day focused on using images and anecdotes to generate stories with a focus on the experience of reading, especially using kindles. However, as I don’t have a kindle the ‘Reading on Screen’ workshop allowed me to tell the story of my reading history, from a non-reading child to an adult reader with a passion for writing.

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Using iMovie to develop my digital story titled ‘Journey’.

Much of the following two days were spent in the computer suite, recording audio and video footage to develop and shape the material into a story. Using iMovie, I was able to intersect shots of still and moving images with speech and sound effects. The final product is far from perfect, but I learnt and enormous amount by being involved with the process. I have to thank the organisers for the professional support they offered in  bringing my story to the screen. When ‘Journey’ goes online, I’ll post a link to YouTube so that you can see the end result.

Further workshops will be held later in the year in Sheffield and Brighton. I look forward to attending the final dissemination of learning which will take place in Brighton in December. For further information about the project see the Reading on Screen Facebook group or the Reading on Screen project website.

 

 

 

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May 31

Chudleigh Literary Festival 2017

by gailaldwin
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Photo by Chris Denny

 

Chudleigh is a small town in Devon situated between Newton Abbot and Exeter. Each year the Chudleigh Writers Circle organise a programme for the literary festival. This year the festival takes place on Wednesday 5 July. In the morning, there is a workshop titled Metaphor and Similes which will be led by Jackie Juno (author, poet and Grand Bard of Exeter). Lunch is available in the marquee but must be booked in advance. In the afternoon, South West Writers Networking takes place and involves two panel talks:

  • The Art of Writing with Georgia Hill and others
  • The Craft of Publishing with Debbie Young (ALLi) and Margaret James

There is also an evening event with Teresa Discoll (author, journalist and TV presenter) and Hilary Bonner (crime novelist best know for her psychological thrillers).

I will be attending the morning session, so if anyone who wants a lift from Dorchester, please let me know. Full details of the programme can be found on this link.

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May 18

Paisley Shirt

by gailaldwin

Paisley shirt

Examples of my short fiction have appeared in The Best of CaféLit 2012 and The Best of CaféLit 3. Now the publisher, Chapeltown Books, has agreed to publish a collection of my flash fiction. Paisley Shirt takes its title from a flash fiction story about a surprise relationship in middle age.  The Paisley Shirt collection will appear alongside other  flash fiction collections published by Chapeltown Books including January Stones 2013 by Gill James and From Dark to Light and Back Again by Allison Symes.

I will keep you updated as the work progresses.

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May 4

Mother’s Milk Books

by gailaldwin

I am delighted that my poem ‘After’ has been commended in the 2016 Mother’s Milk Writing Prize. In an email from the publisher, Dr Teika Bellamy, the following feedback from the  judge, Becky Cherriman, was shared:

After: a short poem that centres around one unexpected image of a new mother sucking her thumb. I like the ambiguity conjured by the poem’s title and the question in the penultimate line.

I’ve pasted the poem below. Do you agree with the judge?

After

Rolling on my side, the mattress gives.

With my chin against my knees,

I knot my ankles:

try holding myself together.

A trolley rattling with cups echoes

through air thick with disinfectant.

Unclenching my jaw, my parted lips

ache: they’re a target for my thumb.

With the pad, I trace the roof-ridges

of my mouth, make a vacuum

with my tongue and wonder:

where is the babe?

who is the mum?

Feedback poetry

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May 1

Performance Prose and Poetry workshop with Rob Casey

by gailaldwin

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For more information and to book see Dorset Writers’ Network

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Apr 30

Women are funny creatures too

by gailaldwin

I attended a comedy writing workshop with Juno Theatre last month which was a really informative and enjoyable day. By working collaboratively,  Sarah Scally, Maria Pruden and I produced a 10-minute comedy. This has been accepted for presentation so I’m    delighted to announce that our script ‘Killer Ladybugs’ will appear as part of a Scratch Night at the Marine Theatre in Lyme Regis on Wednesday 17 May 2017. The programme comprises eight scripts written by women which will be  performed by local actors. Book your seat now at the Marine Theatre. The show starts at 7:30pm and tickets cost £6 (£5 for concessions).  I hope to see you there!

JUNO THEATRE POSTER

 

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