Category Archives: Christine

We can manage this…

12 Sunday Jun 2016

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I came across the following quote from the poet, novelist and critic Randall Jarrell:

…a novel is a prose narrative of some length that has something wrong with it…

(From The Unread Book, which I can’t find a link to anywhere.)

I found this strangely encouraging.   I suppose the trick is to make sure it has exactly the right thing wrong with it…

West Kent Mind competition

03 Sunday Jan 2016

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Don’t think we’ve mentioned this one. 50 words on ‘The Elephant in the Room’ – mental health.  Deadline is 14th February 2016.

 

We would like to invite you to think about mental wellbeing and our local mental health charity whilst also helping your own mental wellbeing. You can do this by entering our 50~word saga competition, “The Elephant in the Room”.The Elephant in the Room

This artwork is called The Elephant in the Room and has been created collaboratively by our art groups. The artists involved have or are recovering from mental health problems. Art is known to be therapeutic, and the team work that goes into each unique canvas enables social contact and friendship and is also good for mental wellbeing.

At West Kent Mind we also run a creative writing group. As with our art groups, this group enables expression on paper and again as a regular friendly group session is good for mental wellbeing.

We called the piece “The Elephant in the Room” to reflect how mental health has become the elephant in the room in our society. What do you see when you look at it? It doesn’t have to be elephants. What story do you see? Write it in exactly 50 words (excluding your title which can be different to ours) and submit it online or by post together with the entry fee of £10 for adults and £5 for children.

Details at westkentmind.org

Next year, we will not be millionaires…

20 Monday Apr 2015

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According to this BBC article, authors’ income at ‘breaking point’:

Almost half of the money made by professional authors is earned by just 5% of writers, according to a study of authors’ earnings in the UK.
The top 5% of authors earned 42% of all income received by professional writers in 2013, according to The Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society.
Meanwhile, the bottom half of professional writers accounted for just 7% of all authors’ earnings overall.
The society said last year that writers earned 29% less in 2013 than 2005.
“The creative industries are thriving, generating £76bn per annum, yet professional writers have seen a near 30% reduction in earnings in recent years,” the society’s head of rights Richard Combes said.
“Consequently many are no longer able to sustain a career. The one truly irreplaceable link in the value chain is being stretched to breaking point.”

I wonder if the writers who create the actual words for celebrity ‘authors’, can live off those earnings?

Rejection…rejection…rejection…

26 Thursday Mar 2015

Posted by in Christine, Publishing, Uncategorized

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Maggie reminded me today of this excerpt from Black Blooks, where Bernard Black (played by Dylan Moran) replies to a publisher’s rejection.

I’m sure we’ve all wished for the lack of inhibition to write a reply like this, instead of sitting in a Ninevoice’s living room reading out our rejection letter in a brave voice, and describing the changes we’re about to make as a result. But with less smoking and red wine and more crisps…

Female Life Writer – stories wanted.

09 Friday Aug 2013

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I came across this ‘job’ in the Guardian job site – it’s looking for stories for an anthology.

This is a position for any woman who has a story to share about a landmark in her life and describe the ways in which it affected her. The stories will be collected in an anthology and sold to charity. The 25 successful entrants will receive a free copy of the printed anthology.

RED INK is a grassroots non-profit which aims to empower and encourage women through life writing. The stories of women from all over the world are to be published in an anthology in 2014. The first volume, ‘Rites of Passage; Rights of Womanhood’ is themed on those landmarks and milestones that many of us have to go through in life. Submissions are wanted from women who have a story to share about a life experience–whether it be a positive story or harrowing tale–and get it published in the anthology. All profit will be given to Hopeforjustice.org, the UK’s leading charity for the prevention of human trafficking.

There is no age limit for the anthology; we are accepting submissions from any woman–young or old. There are also no geographical restrictions: whether from the UK, the US, or beyond, your story is important.

There is a limit of 25 stories for the anthology, however the stories that do not get published will be circulated on the RED INK website so that the important voices behind the project will still be able to reach and help others.

If you would like to submit, please send an email with a brief outline of your story and why the subject is important to you. For more information about the project and the terms and conditions, please visit the website: redinkforum.wordpress.com

Stories should be no longer than 3, 000 words.
The deadline for submissions is 10th January 2014″

 

Link:

  • http://jobs.theguardian.com/job/4683508/female-life-writer/