Hello Peeps
How you all? Here's a quick update of my Writing in 2015!
Have started a zombie short story for SFX magazine Walking Dead 2 competition.
Also last night was at a meeting at Cleckheaton library with fellow CWG members and friends of Cleckheaton member Kay and friends of West End member Martin to discuss getting the ball rolling on a possible Cleckheaton Literary Festival!
The proposed date is Friday 8th May to Sunday 10th May.
Although not yet set in stone but will keep updated soon.
So any authors reading this that may be interested get in touch for a chat.
Thanks
See you soon.
Neil
Friday, 23 January 2015
Chance to meet an agent fellow authors
Meet the Agent with Shelley Instone from the Shelley Instone Literary Agency
Date & Time
11/02/2015 @ 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Location
Ticket Price
£5.00
This is an event for
Shelley Instone
Calling Northern writers! We are offering you a fantastic opportunity to meet a literary agent right here in Leeds. Shelley Instone is a very experienced editor and has recently set up The Shelley Instone Literary Agency.Although London-based, she is originally from Leeds and would like to meet the writing community here in her home town. Shelley says, ” I’m very aware that the North is still rather neglected in the publishing world. I’m keen to put that right and tap into this rich talent pool.”
Shelley will be introduced by one of her début authors, Leeds writer June Taylor. She will then talk about the business of editing and getting your work published. There will be an opportunity to ask questions and then do some mingling in the bar afterwards.
Shelley is open to submissions and is actively searching for new writing talent specifically for literary and commercial fiction. This includes children’s and adult fiction alongside non– fiction (memoir, biography and cookery). She does not represent poetry, plays or picture books.
Find out more about the Shelley Instone Literary Agency here but better still come along and hear what she has to say.
Tickets are £5.00 + Eventbrite booking fee. We anticipate that this event will be very popular so please book your place in advance here.
Tuesday, 6 January 2015
Cleckheaton Writing Group meeting - Mon 5 Jan
Hi guys
Just a quick post to mention had an excellent first meeting of CWG which may lead to other things in way of a Cleckheaton Literary Festival and a CWG Story/poem Anthology.
Myself, Karen, Andy, Pauline, Mandy and new member Pippa were in attendance and firstly we all went through any WIP - only Mandy had done any writing over the holiday as she was in a cabin in the woods with no phone or Internet - no distractions. Something I might try for a day or two. She will share her work at the next meet.
We went through some up coming writing competitions whereby I mentioned the Writing Dead 2 short Story comp with a deadline of 3rd February 2015. Karen mentioned a few including a Mumsnet Novel writing competition - deadline 30th January.
Karen then mentioned us all organizing a Cleckheaton Literary Festival which we all agreed was good and would band together to sort - it's early days yet but a potential date in our minds is May so it doesn't clash with other local Literary Festivals.
We still have a lot to arrange including a local venue, sponsors, authors, publishers.
So watch this space for more details!
Also I mentioned an idea I've had a year or more after seeing quite few Writing groups publish them and advertise in Writing Magazine - this is a CWG Anthology.
Each member would submit a story or stories or even poems up to 5k words - which would be appropriate and their favourite work or new stories which had a connected running theme throughout them all.
But again this is in the early stages but would be good if we could have it published for the literary festival.
Here's to the next meeting Monday 19th January - will keep you all updated on the Anthology and Festival.
Neil
Just a quick post to mention had an excellent first meeting of CWG which may lead to other things in way of a Cleckheaton Literary Festival and a CWG Story/poem Anthology.
Myself, Karen, Andy, Pauline, Mandy and new member Pippa were in attendance and firstly we all went through any WIP - only Mandy had done any writing over the holiday as she was in a cabin in the woods with no phone or Internet - no distractions. Something I might try for a day or two. She will share her work at the next meet.
We went through some up coming writing competitions whereby I mentioned the Writing Dead 2 short Story comp with a deadline of 3rd February 2015. Karen mentioned a few including a Mumsnet Novel writing competition - deadline 30th January.
Karen then mentioned us all organizing a Cleckheaton Literary Festival which we all agreed was good and would band together to sort - it's early days yet but a potential date in our minds is May so it doesn't clash with other local Literary Festivals.
We still have a lot to arrange including a local venue, sponsors, authors, publishers.
So watch this space for more details!
Also I mentioned an idea I've had a year or more after seeing quite few Writing groups publish them and advertise in Writing Magazine - this is a CWG Anthology.
Each member would submit a story or stories or even poems up to 5k words - which would be appropriate and their favourite work or new stories which had a connected running theme throughout them all.
But again this is in the early stages but would be good if we could have it published for the literary festival.
Here's to the next meeting Monday 19th January - will keep you all updated on the Anthology and Festival.
Neil
Sunday, 4 January 2015
The Hobbit - Battle of Five Armies - Film Review
Hi
Went to see the third and final Hobbit movie yesterday with my friend Chris which I had been looking forward to since the second film a year ago. I was worried as I hadn't seen the second one for over a year but as soon as it opened with Smaug the dragon burning Lake town I remembered the characters straight away from the Dwarves to Bard the Bowman.
The opening pre-credits scenes were amazing with Smaug destroying the town and being defeated by Bard (spoilers).
Then it switches to Gandalf being rescued then to the Dwarves in the Lonely Mountain looking for the Arkenstone for Thorin the leader of the Dwarves to become King of Dwarves.
There's a lot of plot threads going on leading to the epic battle of the title although I'm sure there were actually only four armies involved?
As much as I enjoyed the film which I made sure I did considering Vue cinema charged over ten pounds for the privilege I couldn't help feeling I had seen it all before in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. The battle wasn't as good as the one at the end of Return of the King and too similar plus they were fighting for the Lonely Mountain which felt like the Battle for Helms Deep in The Two Towers and looked like they had used the same sets and made slight changes.
Although all performances were fantastic especially Martin Freeman as Bilbo, Ian McKellen as Gandalf, Richard Armitage as Thorin, Luke Evans as Bard the Bowman. One of the best scenes had 92 year old Christopher Lee as Saruman kicking ass.
The film neatly ended with connections to The Lord of the Rings and was enjoyable and a little gory. As with all prequels though there's the problem that you know the main characters aren't in real danger as they are in future films.
Overall Rating - A good end to the Hobbit Trilogy even though seemed too similar to the first Trilogy 7/10
Belated Happy New Year - 2015
Hi Peeps
Hope you've all had a great Xmas and New Year - over eating and drinking too much. I certainly have and unfortunately this hasn't given me much time to write and read!
New Years Resolutions?
Well don't normally have many as never stick to them and it's the usual everyone has - lose weight, get fit, cut down on drinking etc.
So going to try stick with the ones I make this year that's one of my resolutions - to honour my resolutions - the rest are as follows -
Hope you've all had a great Xmas and New Year - over eating and drinking too much. I certainly have and unfortunately this hasn't given me much time to write and read!
New Years Resolutions?
Well don't normally have many as never stick to them and it's the usual everyone has - lose weight, get fit, cut down on drinking etc.
So going to try stick with the ones I make this year that's one of my resolutions - to honour my resolutions - the rest are as follows -
- Keep fit - gym, walk more, healthier eating.
- Read more - finish Wizards First Rule - then read a lot of the books I've got.
- Write, write, write - write more short stories, finish first draft of my crime novel Blood Shore.
- Send off more stories to competitions.
- Go to more writing and author events.
- Increase my income any means possible.
- Go holiday abroad - Crete/ Greek Islands.
- Blog more.
Well that's all for now - more than I thought lol.
Will keep you updated throughout the year.
Hope you all have fun keeping your resolutions.
See ya
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