Dear Original Writers
Welcome to 2012! Our first meeting is tomorrow evening at the BAC. Hope to see you there for our first writers group of the year.
And so to the news.
Message for the Writers who submitted work to be considered for the first OWG Collection
Just to let you know that you will soon be hearing from the committee with comments and recommendations. I hope to have these emails out by the beginning of next week, if not before.
Our 2012 Challenge: this is the year to be published!
Join us as we set the challenge to enter competitions, submit to journals, magazines etc. 2012 is the year to send that that short story, poem, or play out into the world. We want you to print off your work, fill in entry forms and put stamps on envelopes. We will be looking for the best competitions to enter and we want to hear back from you when you enter. I am grateful to Katia Gregor who has compiled a list of short story competitions to start the ball rolling. (Read Katia's blog at
scribedoll.wordpress.com)
BISCUIT ‘COMBO’ PRIZE 2012
Closing Date 31 January 2012
http://www.biscuitpublishing.com/comp/2012com
INSPIRED BY TAGORE: INTERNATIONAL WRITING COMPETITION
Closing date 31 January 2012
http://www.sampad.org.uk/learning/opportunities/competitions/
BBC INTERNATIONAL SHORT STORY COMPETITION
Closing Date: 27 February 2012 at 5 pm
http://www.booktrust.org.uk/prizes-and-awards/1
MULTI-STORY COMPETITION
Closing date 29 February 2012
http://www.multi-story.co.uk/competitionrules.html
MSLEXIA 2012 WOMEN’S SHORT STORY COMPETITION
Closing Date 19 March 2012
http://www.mslexia.co.uk/index.php
bo.html
DARK TALES - HORROR AND SPECULATIVE FICTION
Closing date 31 March 2012
http://darktales.co.uk/
BRISTOL SHORT STORY PRIZE
Closing date: 31 March 2012
http://www.bristolprize.co.uk/
BRIDPORT PRIZE 2012
Closing date: 31 May 2012
http://www.bridportprize.org.uk/
CINNAMON PRESS WRITING AWARDS (POETRY/NOVEL/SHORT STORY)
Closing date 30 June 2012
http://www.cinnamonpress.com/competitions/
IFANCA HELENE SHORT STORY COMPETITION 2012
Closing date 1 July 2012
http://ifancahelenejames.wordpress.com/competition-rules/
Here is news about a play at the BAC this January. Man in the Middle: A Wikiplay by Ron Elisha with a special price for Original Writers
Theatre503 are in the BAC this January with a new play about Julian Assange. Called 'Man in the Middle: A Wikiplay' and written by Ron Elisha: "If we can only live once, then let it be a daring adventure that draws on all our powers." Julian Assange.
How is it possible that a self-educated aussie 'Hactivist' who never finished high school could change our perception of the world and initiate a global chess game which had the greatest leaders of our time lawyering up?
Man in the Middle is a Wikiplay, sourced from the public domain, refracted and redacted by playwright, Ron Elisha. It reveals a man who sought to out the truth at any cost. The many faces and fallouts of 'the most dangerous man in the world'.
We are delighted to be able to offer you and the original writer's group a discount on group bookings of a reduced rate of £8 per ticket (normally priced £14) . We feel this production will be of special interest to you due to its current relevance and the ongoing debate surrounding Julian Assange. We have had a lot of press interest and channel4 news coverage: http://bcove.me/e1k4gf6n.
To take advantage of this offer, please call us on 020 7978 7040 or email Lucy at lucy@theatre503.com. More information on our website: www.theatre503.com
And finally, an interesting email from the Writers Store in LA: Don't Break The Chain
Here is an excellent idea to help you keep writing. Read on....
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Most people resolve to lose weight, dreaming of the day they can hold up their "fat jeans," as if in a weight-loss commercial. We want to hold up a few freshly printed scripts and know we've created something tangible.
Others might hope to finish their first triathlon this year. We hope to finish a screenplay, a one-hour pilot, and a half-hour comedy spec.
This year, I'm gonna write more. It's a popular resolution amongst our crowd. It's a great goal, but it's vague.
Then again, maybe some of us promised to write every day. That's even better.
But just like hitting a plateau at the gym, we sometimes lose the steam that once powered a new and exciting story idea. We take one day off, which turns into two days off; eventually, we find ourselves opening up a document only to realize it hasn't been touched in two weeks - or more.
Let's say you do write most of the time, but you take one or two days off each week for any number of reasons. That's still a lot of writing. But consider this: at the end of the year, that's roughly 10 weeks, or 2.5 months' worth of days that you didn't write anything.
That's where Jerry Seinfeld's productivity tip "Don't Break the Chain" comes in.
Years ago, when software developer Brad Isaac was performing stand-up at open mic nights, he received his best advice ever from the already-famous comedian.
Seinfeld explained his method for success: each January, he hangs a large
year-at-a-glance calendar on his wall and, for every day he wrote new material, he had the exquisite pleasure that can only come from drawing a big red "X" over that day.
Drawing those Xs got to be pretty fun and rewarding, so he kept doing it. Eventually, he began to create a chain of red Xs.
The idea was to never break that chain.
Not only does this approach program the body and mind to sit down and write daily - it also motivates you to continue that beautiful string of big, red Xs. If you don't write one day, you don't get to draw the X.
It doesn't particularly matter what you write. Blogs, articles, scripts, your memoir. It can be anything, as long as you're actively and routinely pushing yourself.
But let's say you're a screenwriter, and you take it a step further. You might decide that you only get an X for the days you work on your screenplays.
If you made progress on your scripts every single day for an entire year, how many could you finish? Two? Four? More? Now, imagine that you've finally gotten the ear of an agent, producer or director. If you don't break the chain for two or three years, chances are you'll end up with a script to please just about any buyer.
Learning from the pros is imperative in this business, but if you don't put their lessons into practice, it won't take you far. And while professional writers offer a wide range of ideas, they will all agree that discipline and determination must come first.
That means writing all the time. It means not believing in writer's block. It means turning off the television, silencing your phone, and finding some Shangri La that somehow does not yet have wireless internet.
First and foremost, it means making writing a major part of your life. To do that, you have to make writing a habit, just like going to the gym, eating healthy foods, or flossing...but harder.
There are countless excuses, most of them completely acceptable, which hold us back from writing. More often than not, it's our never-ending To-do lists that take precedence over our passion.
With Don't Break the Chain, writing, too, becomes a daily task that we have to cross off that To-do list. This method is a constant reminder that, if we want to succeed as writers, we must acknowledge our craft and respect the process.
Because the reality is, if you do work at your craft obsessively, you will find success. And if you do become a professional writer, you will need to write every day. Not only that, you'll be expected to prove that you can constantly produce worthwhile material, and the only way any of us can achieve that is to push ourselves tenaciously.
Who else is going to push you? For many, it's going to come down to self-determination. Your partner or parents or kids can encourage you, too. Let them know about the calendar. After you prove you can keep the chain connected for a couple of weeks, they too will motivate you not to miss a single day.
Find all the motivation you need to get started, because by teaching yourself to incorporate writing into your daily routine, you'll transform yourself into a professional.
Think of it this way: Your first day at a new job can be stressful. You might feel like you don't know where to park, when to show up, or how to answer your phone. Cut to a few months later. You've gotten into a routine. It's no longer intimidating. It is, simply, what you do.
The same idea applies to writing.
It's no wonder we tell ourselves we have writer's block some days, especially after leaving a story cold and dead for a whole month or more. Think of those big red Xs covering an entire calendar year as a fire stoking your creativity - and your writing career.
Of course, it's up to you whether you want to jump-start your career now rather than a few years down the line. If you want to do it now (a wise choice), Don't Break the Chain will get you moving right away - as in, immediately! TODAY!
