Coney Calling

We might only be into November a couple of days, but already it feels dull, dark and dreich most of the time. Yesterday a dull day was brightened considerably by being back at Coney. 

We caught up on each other's news - it seemed much longer than a month since we'd all been together. We talked about memorable characters, shared our 'homework' - (yes - sometimes we get homework  - and sometimes we even remember to do it!) and then completed some writing exercises thinking about our characters and how they might clash with others in our stories. The results kept us entertained.

Over seasonal apple and cinnamon muffins, biscuits and coffee, we shared some of our work and made plans. I also thought about what makes a story work. The previous evening I'd been to see 'The Vanishing Elephant' at Belfast's Grand Opera House. It was an amazing performance  - brilliant acting, music and puppetry, but at the core was good storytelling.

That's what's most important  - having a good story. So later, while I waited for inspiration to strike, the muffins were finished off as I delved into the latest issue of my writing magazine.

More books and more bookish events

Last weekend saw the inaugural Louis MacNeice festival in Carrickfergus. I managed to pop down to the festival launch on Saturday. It was good to catch up with friends there and hear the plans for this first festival. It's great that a group of people had the vision to plan this festival and I'm sure it will go from strength to strength. Also good to see some of the museum's MacNeice artefacts on display, including a selection of family letters.

During the week I managed to acquire a few more books in that same town. I'm looking forward to starting to read the short story collection by Seamus O'Kelly this week - it seems a fitting choice in this Irish Book Week.

But first I need to finish reading something in the current pile.....

A good week for writing

It's been a good week for writing. Although there have been a few rejections this week, there have been several high points, some of which have been the fruits of labours undertaken earlier this year.

On Monday evening we had great fun at our SCBWI Ireland quarterly Zoom meeting with our special guest Shirley-Anne McMillan, Children's Writing Fellow at the Seamus Heaney Centre at Queen's University, Belfast. Shirley shared her writing process with us and then set us a challenging writing exercise.

Yesterday was Bookshop Day, so I called down to my local bookshop The Secret Bookshelf to have a chat with Chris and Jo, browse what's new and of course I came away with a bag full of books. Among the purchases was a Christmas gift and one of Shirley-Anne's novels, ' The Unknowns'. I also got a lovely goodie bag filled with all sorts of writing/ reading treats.

And today I was absolutely thrilled to see in print that I'm one of The Sunday Post's short story competition finalists. 

As children staying at our grandparents' Fife house we couldn't wait to read The Broons & Oor Wullie in this paper. Almost as exciting as it was today to track down a copy of the paper and open it to read my name alongside the other finalists in black and white 😀

Just the motivation to start writing another story....

A week of writing related activities

It's been a busy week of fun writing related activities. Monday evening saw the launch of Sheena Wilkinson's new Middle Grade novel, 'First Term at Fernside' in the Crescent Arts Centre, Belfast. 

The occasion was joyous from start to finish, with Fernside school themed cakes and biscuits, sweetie goodie bags, spot prizes which included a tuck box and Sheena being interviewed by Shirley-Anne McMillan and reading from her book. It was good to catch up with local writers there, and I was thrilled at the message on my signed copy of the book.

Thursday was National Poetry Day. I was (pineapple) delighted to have my poem 'To a Pineapple ' included in a celebratory poetry upload on the Dirigible Balloon's website.

https://dirigibleballoon.org/  

This is a fantastic children's poetry resource with over 200 poems from over 100 poets participating in the National Poetry Day upload. Thanks to Jonathan Humble for all the work he puts in to planning, organising and promoting the Balloon. 

On Friday lunchtime I attended an event at Belfast's Linenhall library with local Young Adult author, Shirley-Anne McMillan in conversation with Wendy Erskine. It was great to hear about Shirley's writing journey and her plans in her new role as the new Seamus Heaney Children’s Writing Fellow. It was good to catch up with other local writers at this event too.

And yesterday I was back with my writing pals at Coney Island, catching up on news over coffee and apple and cinnamon muffins. While a wild sea crashed outside we got stuck into some fun writing exercises.

                                                

Having a 'tribe' and attending events like these with other writers encourage and support us on our writing journeys and help strengthen the local writing community. But now to get on with some writing.......

Writing inspirations and aspirations

I'm just back from a lovely break in Scotland. With visiting new places and catching up with family and friends, there wasn't much free time to write, but a holiday is supposed to be a break from the norm isn't it?

Before I left I'd been busy making some autumn plans for our writing community. This involved a quick visit (at last!) to the Seamus Heaney centre at Queen's University in Belfast. In the short time I was there, I was impressed and I'm looking forward to getting back again soon. The inspirational quotes could only encourage writers to keep going when facing writer's block.

While on my travels in Scotland, I came across a beautiful shop front that made me stop in my tracks and stare. Unfortunately the shop wasn't open the day I was there. Had it been, I would have been so excited to go in and explore. It looked like a place where magic words and stories are created and the sort of place I could only dream of writing in.

So in the absence of such an author's den and now that summer is over, I'll just have to put on my coat and go to where I like to write - in my garden.

Stretching out summer

We've been squeezing out the last few drops of summer sunshine, enjoying a spell of good weather over the weekend. The gorgeous sunny morning yesterday coincided with a trip back to Coney.

It almost felt like we were back at our writing retreat, as we caught up on news, shared some of our work as we ate blueberry muffins and coffee. We then did some writing exercises with fun prompts with the sun warming our backs. 

Later, back at home I took time to enjoy the sunshine in the garden while continuing to work on some pieces I'd developed at Coney in the morning.

But I was soon distracted, tempted by the offer of an ice-cream at the nearby seafront  with my nieces. We wanted to stretch yet more out of the day, just like the pollinators back in the garden.

A tonic of a treat

I've just returned from a tonic of a treat - time spent in good company in an amazing location with good food and good craic and with the added bonus that I also managed to write! Our annual writing retreat usually re-energises us and sets us up for writing into the winter.  This year's retreat was excellent as always. 

Top grade writing fuel is always essential and we couldn't complain about any of the food - we feasted like kings the entire weekend. Everyone contributed delicious home made delights.

Often we are blessed with fabulous weather  - this year it was a bit more changeable but that didn't stop us getting out on to the beach to relax in between focusing on working on various writing projects, reading and sharing our work and giving and receiving feedback.

Prior to the retreat I'd made a plan of what I wanted to work on and I'm pleased that most of my planned work was completed. We also started planning ahead for the coming months.

While it felt like a hurricane was making landfall when we were leaving, we came away with full stomachs, our heads buzzing from being together and energised to keep working on our various projects as we head into autumn and winter.