On Tuesday 16th April, Tricia Frances joined us on Zoom to set the Colin Sutton Cup for Humour.
Results of the Cooper Prize 2024
The results for the Cooper Prize 2024 have been announced.
See you in 2024!
As it is the Christmas period, there are no more meetings until after the New Year. We hope everyone has a festive time, and we look forward to seeing you in 2024.
Past Search Prize for Non-Fiction 2023
On Tuesday 17th October, Georgia set the brief for the Past Search Prize for Non-Fiction.
Results of the Olga Sinclair 2023
The wait is over. The results are in! Find out the final results of the Olga Sinclair 2023!
Olga Sinclair Prize Finalists 2023
The finalists of the 2023 Olga Sinclair Prize have been announced. Full results will be given at the prize gala.
23/24 Season Has Started!
It's official! The 23/24 season has started! Tuesday 5th September was our first meeting of the new season.
Realistic Dialogue
Dialogue is an essential part of a story. It can be used to get across exposition as well as build characterisation. But what does it mean to have 'realistic' dialogue in prose or a screen play? And how do you achieve it? That's just what we delved into in this workshop.
Mastering Exposition
Photo by Cytonn Photography on Pexels.com On Saturday 5th August, we ran the online workshop 'How to Write Exposition' - a workshop designed to help you master the art of exposition. Exposition is necessary to a story - it helps gives readers context to what is happening, but if not done right, it can bring… Continue reading Mastering Exposition
Getting the hang of a blurb
On Saturday the 22nd July we ran the first Summer Workshop for 2023. In it, we learned how to write the perfect blurb that would make readers want to buy your book.
Summer Workshops 2023
The Summer Workshops are a series of online workshops we run over the summer.
Summer Social 2023
On Saturday 24th June, the group met up in the beer garden of the Gibraltar Garden, marking the end of the main programme of the 22/23 season.
Results of the Colin Sutton Cup for Humour 2023
Molly Naylor returned to give the results of the Colin Sutton Cup for Humour. Overall, Molly was impressed with the poems. The results are.... drum roll please... 1st Place: The Grateful Cyclist by Michael Giddings 2nd Place: The Bard's Lament by Iain Andrews 3rd Place: Chazzy D’s Disquisition Upon the Survival of the Fittest Natural Scientists, Relative… Continue reading Results of the Colin Sutton Cup for Humour 2023
Ready, set, write!
On Tuesday 4th of April we gathered together at Chantry Hall for our last in-person critique evening of the season. The turn out was amazing, and we all gathered in small groups to critique 2000 words. There will be other critique sessions online. If you're interested, you can check the Online Programme for details of… Continue reading Ready, set, write!
Results of the Past Search for Non-Fiction 2023
The results are in for the Past Search Prize for Non-Fiction: 1st Place: Snowhunting by Jude Clay 2nd Place: Apple Sauce: The First Supper by Helen Murray 3rd Place: An Idiot's guide to Christmas Dinner by Iain Andrews Congratulations to our winners!
Getting the hang of Tropes
On Tuesday 17th January, we held an online workshop on tropes. Kathy Joy of Fine Tune Your Fiction, a professional editing service, talked us through what tropes were, and how to utilise them. Kathy explained that tropes are often falsely equated with clichés. Some tropes can be clichés, but it boils down to their execution,… Continue reading Getting the hang of Tropes
Results of the Olga Sinclair 2022
We're pleased to announce the results of the Olga Sinclair 2022:
URGENT: Olga Sinclair Gala
The Olga Sinclair Gala which was set to be held this evening at Chantry Hall is now being held online due to a double booking at the venue. We have sent members and finalists an email with all the relevant links. If you have not received a link and would like to attend, please email… Continue reading URGENT: Olga Sinclair Gala
Results of the Ivy Ferrari 2023
On Tuesday 1st November, Judi Daykin returned to give her verdict on the winner of the Ivy Ferrari short story competition.
Final Critique Evening of the Season
Photo by Lisa Fotios on Pexels.com On Tuesday 9th June, we held our last in-person critique session of the season. Working in small groups, attendees received feedback and advice on their work, all while enjoying a hot drink and chocolate biscuits. With the season coming to a close, this was out last in-person critique session.… Continue reading Final Critique Evening of the Season
Colin Sutton Cup for Humour 2022 Results
Award winning children's illustrator Matt Robertson returned to give his final adjudication for the Colin Sutton Cup for Humour. And now, to announce the winners of the competition: 1st Place: Iain Andrews: Wuffle Wants a Tail 2nd Place: Maureen Nisbet: Charlies's Castle 3rd Place: Noelia Fernandez Lens: Zoe, Left, Right and the Mystery of the… Continue reading Colin Sutton Cup for Humour 2022 Results
Getting Social
On Tuesday the 19th April, we held our last in-person workshop of the season - Social Media for Writers.
Summer Programme 2022
We're delighted to confirmed the workshops for the Summer Programme.
URGENT UPDATE: Past Search Prize For Fiction Results format change
On Tuesday 1st February between 7:30pm - 9:30pm we were due to have Zena Leech-Calton return to reveal the winners of the Past Search Prize for Non-Fiction. This was due to be in Chantry Hall but due to many members self isolation or shielding, we have had to make a change at the last minute.… Continue reading URGENT UPDATE: Past Search Prize For Fiction Results format change
IMPORTANT: Meeting change – The Great Thorpe Railway Disaster
Our first meeting of 2022 sees us welcome former chair and award winning biographer Phyllida Scrivens, to talk about her latest book: The Great Thorpe Railway Disaster 1874: Heroes, Victims, Survivors (Pen and Sword Books, September 2021). However, due to increasing Covid cases in the area, we have opted to hold this meeting online via… Continue reading IMPORTANT: Meeting change – The Great Thorpe Railway Disaster
Results of the Olga Sinclair 2021
Winners of the 2021 Olga Sinclair Ptize
Horror Book Recommendations For Halloween 2021
Are you looking for something spooky to read this Halloween? We’ve put together a list of recommendations for Halloween reading that covers a variety of different tastes. The Classics If you’re the sort who enjoys classic horror tales, here are some titles we recommend. The Woman in Black by Susan Hill If you love a… Continue reading Horror Book Recommendations For Halloween 2021
Starting Your Family History
Gill Blanchard leads the first workshop of the season.
We’re back in person!
We had the pleasure of meeting Timothy Holden, author of Spirals of Fate, and adjudicator for our first in-house competition of the year - The Cooper Prize.
Getting to Know Our Villains
On Saturday we ran the last workshop of the summer.
Spine Tingling Workshop
We held our third workshop of the summer: Introduction to Writing Horror.
Writing Challenges!
To help encourage everyone to get writing this summer, we're putting together a collection of prompts and writing challenges to help get those creative juices flowing.
Guest Post: Are Adverbs Really The Enemy?
Kathy of Fine Tune Your Fiction, a professional critique and developmental editing service, has kindly given us permission to feature her article on adverbs. We hope you enjoy. One of the most common pieces of writing advice I see is that you should never use adverbs. They make your writing weak. They’re lazy. They’re telling… Continue reading Guest Post: Are Adverbs Really The Enemy?
A Whole New World
On Saturday 24th July, we held our second summer workshop: worldbuilding, and it proved to be the most popular summer workshop yet. Attendees learned the fundamentals of worldbuilding. "Ultimately," Kathy, the workshop leader and owner of Fine Tune Your Fiction advised. "Worldbuilding is about asking the right questions." When creating your world, you need to… Continue reading A Whole New World
The first summer workshop is a hit!
Our first summer workshop went off without a hitch!
Summer Workshops Confirmed!
We're delighted to confirm our workshops for the summer.
Cancelled: The Importance of Cover Design
There has been a last minute change to our programme.
Online Summer Workshops
Following the massive success of our Online Membership option which we released earlier this year, we have decided to launch a summer programme of online workshops.
Sneak Peek of the Olga Sinclair 2021
A sneak peek of the Olga Sinclair Short Story Competition 2021.
Workshop: How to Boost Your Chances of Writing a Winning Short Story
Bring your short stories and we will work together as a group to find the weaknesses and try to fix it. The workshop is free to NWC members (both online and full), and £5 to non members.
Gifts for Writers in 2020
Do you have a writer friend and you don't know what to buy them, or are you a writer looking for something to treat yourself to? Then, boy, do we have the list for you! #writingcommunity #christmas #giftideas
Results of the Olga Sinclair Prize 2020
Olga Sinclair 2020 Results 1st Making the News by Clare Marsh2nd Doorstepping by Fiona Ritchie Walker3rd There’s Always a Story by Veronica SwinburneShortlisted (in no particular order) Made Up by Sherry HostlerUnder Offer by Phyllida ScrivensA Reasonable Person by Lucy PorterThe Storm by Helen MurrayRepeat Offence by Christie DaviesThe One That Got Away by Cathy… Continue reading Results of the Olga Sinclair Prize 2020
Science Fiction Workshop
On Tuesday 20th October we're hosting an online workshop on writing science fiction. The workshop will be led by Ian Nettleton - award winning novelist and creative writing tutor for UEA and the National Centre for Writing. The workshop will be between 19:30 - 22:00. The meeting will be held via Zoom. If you are… Continue reading Science Fiction Workshop
Writing Party
We've decided to throw a party... a Writing Party!
Ivy Ferrari Cup 2020
Sarah Passingham joined us and officially set the Ivy Ferarri competition, and also offered help and advice on what she is looking for in a winning entry.
COVID-19 Update
Due to recent government guidelines, we are not able to meet at The Chantry as previously planned. However, this doesn't mean we are cancelling our meetings. Instead, they will be held online via Zoom. Full details of our first meeting can be found on our Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/647992212789368 This meeting, where Sarah Passingham sets… Continue reading COVID-19 Update
Upcoming Online Workshop
To help you tune up any work you've managed to get done over the summer, we're hosting a self-editing workshop. The workshop will be free and will be held via Zoom. Kathy of Fine Tune Your Fiction - a critique and editing service - will be leading the workshop and using her years of experience… Continue reading Upcoming Online Workshop
Writing for Children Online Workshop
Yesterday evening we ran a free online workshop on writing for children. Over 140 people registered their interest to attend this event. #writingcommunity #writingworkshop #writinggroup
Olga Sinclair Virtual Launch
Normally, we would host our launch gala in Chantry Hall, serving drinks and nibbles, however, due to COVID-19, we were unable to do so. Most of our meetings for the season had to be cancelled, but we still wanted to run the gala. So, we got creative and ran a virtual launch instead. For those… Continue reading Olga Sinclair Virtual Launch