We will be meeting as normal in the White Hart Hotel. We'll be there from 7.30 p.m onwards. As per usual look for us in the quietest corner of the bar we can find, or sometimes upstairs with the skeleton.

Usual format: manuscript review, drinks and general catchup.

We will aim to start reading out before 8 p.m and finish by 10 p.m.

Hope to see you there

We will be meeting as normal in the White Hart Hotel. We'll be there from 7.30 p.m onwards. As per usual look for us in the quietest/warmest corner of the bar we can find, or sometimes upstairs with the skeleton.

Usual format: manuscript review, drinks and general catchup.

We will aim to start reading out before 8 p.m and finish by 10 p.m.

Hope to see you there

We will be meeting as normal in the White Hart Hotel. We'll be there from 7.30 p.m onwards. As per usual look for us in the quietest/warmest corner of the bar we can find, or sometimes upstairs with the skeleton.

Usual format: manuscript review, drinks and general catchup.

We will aim to start reading out before 8 p.m and finish by 10 p.m.

Hope to see you there

The Telegraph newspaper is currently running a crime novel competition that runs through to the end of November.

Entrants need to include 5000 words of their novel and a synopsis.
On the plus side you do not need to have finished your novel so you still have chance to start now.

It does cost to enter (£5).

Full details here.

Best of Luck!

Words with Jam have their annual short story competition open. It does cost to enter (£6 per entry) and there are a number of categories to aim at.

Short Story Category - for stories up to 2500 words
Shorter Story Category - for stories up to 1000 words
Shortest Story Category - for stories up to 250 words


The closing date is 31st October so still several weeks to polish that piece of short fiction.

Details are here or navigate form the home page above.

Best Of Luck!

We will be meeting as normal in the White Hart Hotel. We'll be there from 7.30 p.m onwards. As per usual look for us in the quietest/coolest corner of the bar we can find, or sometimes upstairs with the skeleton.

You may even find us outside in the beer garden if the weather is suitably balmy and by all accounts it will be a scorcher.
 (Note if the restaurant is full walk round the outside as the pub gets snippy about us walking through the diners.)

Usual format: manuscript review, drinks and general catchup.

We will aim to start reading out before 8 p.m and finish by 10 p.m.

Hope to see you there

I recently read a really useful article that made me question the fantasy/alternate reality novel I am writing and some of the plot devices in it.  You can check it out here http://fantasy-faction.com/2012/ten-fantasy-cliches and it has some useful pointers about what to avoid or at least things to think about and challenge in your work.

In contrast I also found another post on Jason Sanford's blog that advocates not tying yourself up in knots trying to follow the wealth of writing advice that is out there on the web. This is more general (as in not aimed at people writing speculative fiction) and definitely worth a read.
Check it out on his blog here:
http://www.jasonsanford.com/jason/2013/09/cliche-yourself-into-a-hack.html

 If you believe in avoiding or following writing clichés both are worth checking out.

Enjoy!