Network News – Your Network Group as a Social Network

Some members of the North-West Network met recently and discussed lots of exciting ideas for our events in the forthcoming year. I thought two in particular were worth a mention here and I would welcome your views and ideas for extending this even further: The Member Social and the New Member Evening.

Member Social 

We have a thriving professional series now and a regular monthly critique group but occasionally it’s also good to meet up and just exchange some ideas.

Writers are often isolated. Professional, full-time writers don’t have all that much contact with other writers. Those of us juggling a day job or looking after a family with our writing really have very little time to be sociable. We’re in effect doing two jobs. That of course, is one reason why Words and Pictures is such a godsend. But actual human company is something we may miss.

Both full-time and part-time writers miss the mail room / water-cooler from the office. There is nowhere to 'take five' and bump into colleagues. Online forums work to some extent but face-to-face, if only now and then, is extremely motivating.

We were inspired by London’s Goal-Setting Brunches. We welcomed a chance to celebrate the small successes and share concerns and fears. Ground rules, around 'sharing the time' are a good idea to give everyone an opportunity benefit. for this so that there is focus and benefit for everyone. The venue is also important but see my notes below.

New Member Evening 

All aspiring writers for children need SCBWI. Well I think so. And joining your local network has distinct advantages. There are possibly quite a few readers of this blogzine who are not yet members or who are members of SCBWI but who have not yet become involved with their local network.
It would be good to invite those folk along to an evening with a good number of members present. Perhaps we could then offer a short talk about:

• General benefits of being a SCBWI member – Undiscovered Voices, the conference, the Professional Series etc.
• Your own network’s activities 
• What other networks do 

We could invite suggests and questions also. Then there should be plenty of time for mingling and exchanging contact details. Possibly a good time for this would be early evening and it’s important to find a pleasant venue.

Some thoughts on venues 

Quite a few pubs and cafes that have function rooms are happy to let you use the room for free at slacker times – e.g. 6.30 Monday evening - if everyone purchases a drink. Thus, SCBWI doesn’t acquire a charge and the delegates only pay the small amount they would have probably spent anyway. Do let me know your thoughts.

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Gill James writes for children and young adults. She lectures in English and Creative Writing at the University of Salford. She recently attended a very inspiring planning meeting with the North West Network.

Network News: North West Writers Chasing the Publication Dream

 Report by George Kirk

The North West Professional series 2013 events began on 16th March when Manchester City Library was full of the joys of spring. And why wouldn’t it be? Okay the sky was greying and the temperatures were dropping to Siberian levels. But the brilliant Lil Chase was preparing her presentation ‘Books that Sell and Sell Well’, and our publication hopes were rising like the daffodils outside.


If you really want a professional who knows their commercial onions then you can’t go to anyone better than Lil. With A career that has taken her from Mills and Boon, through Cornerstones Literary Consultancy and finally to the massively successful book packager Working Partners as commissioning editor, she really can claim to know exactly what it is that makes a book sell. And Lil was not just there to give us the theory because she has applied all that she has learned to launch her own writing career. She is currently working on her third early teen novel. Her first two, ‘Boys for Beginners’ and ‘Secrets, Lies and Locker 62’ both currently have 5 star ratings on Amazon.

There were technical issues on the day of course; the laptop and projector did not want to talk to each other. So while turns were taken to mediate between them, the rest of us compared notebooks. After all everyone knows a great story has to begin in a fabulous notebook doesn’t it? Or maybe not, because with all techno differences smoothed over Lil never gave them a mention in her talk, even though she admits to having a big collection herself. 

What Lil did treat us to was a presentation that was like, ‘How to Write for Children and Get Published’ BUT with a lot more laughs. She cleared our path through the maze of concept, positioning, structure, protagonists and hooks to name but a few, before taking us out the other side with the covering letter.

It was a lot of fun. She taught us always to bait our hook with a really good but, while we dazzled her with our brilliantly inventive concepts. And who could ever forget the dilemma of Terry and Susan’s new bed sheets?

The afternoon flew by and we were so absorbed most of us forgot to eat or drink. We all left with a really clear idea of what it is we are aiming for if we want to make our work commercially attractive. So if you listen carefully, that tap tappity tap you can hear coming from the North West is the sound of the next best sellers beginning to bloom. It’s just as well the next North West event is all about the agents, we’re going to need them.

Speed Dating for Writers will be held on the 13th July at Manchester City Library. A panel of professionals including Zoe King and Elizabeth Bonsor from the Blair Partnership, agent Catherine Pellegrino and Philippa Donovan of Smart Quill Editorial will be delivering a range of talks. And there will also be the chance for a one to one for those who have pre-booked.

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George Kirk
@GeorgeKirk2

George wrote as soon as she could hold a pencil but never anything factual.  She teaches at a primary school in East Lancashire and finds the relationships and diversity within the White British, Bengali and Pakistani community it serves, truly inspirational. George has been published in A Pocketful of Moondust and in 2011, her picture book text 'Once Upon a Princess...' went on to win a national award. She is now developing two series - a respectable snot fantasy for 7-9 year olds and a culturally diverse fantasy for 9-11.

London Professional Series - Making a Living as a Writer

@SPoyton 

This the first of our SCBWI event write ups for Making a Living as a Writer  that took place on March 21st 2013. It will give you a flavour of SCBWI events rather than a blow by blow account because we feel that wouldn’t be fair to those who have paid to come along. 



We do hope you’ll see what a friendly bunch we are, decide to join SCBWI and sign up for other similar events, either in London, the North or other venues around our networks. Here’s Sally Poyton , the event organiser.

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Making a Living as a Writer doesn’t happen by chance. Adding it to the time we have to take to actually write, it’s really a job in itself. So it was really helpful to listen to two industry professionals who kindly shared with us their experiences.  

This was the second Professional Series Event at the new venue in St. James, Piccadilly. The event itself was a great success and very interesting. The panellists Lorna Fergusson and Jane Clarke were very knowledgeable, funny and inspiring, and yet still painted a realistic picture.

Some of the topics covered were – Where do you find work? How do you fit in your writing with your other jobs? How long did it take you to start making enough money to support yourself? How do you deal with school visits, general events and talks?

They were also very generous. Jane in particular shared a breakdown of her earnings from 2012 which was very helpful, and demonstrated exactly how imperative it is to diversify.

 how imperative it is to diversify.

Hot water flasks were available in the room and people were able to make themselves a cuppa and stay behind for a nice relaxing chat afterwards. 

There was also something new, a social/write-in from 4pm at the big Costa's next door. About half-a-dozen of us, plus the two speakers  had a good chin wag and managed to grab some supper before things got underway at seven.

We thank both Jane and Lorna, for their fascinating and very generous insight into their writing lives and for their honest responses. It was very helpful and gave us much to think about!

The next London Professional Series Event is an Undiscovered Voices panel on Tuesday April 23rd.

I hope to see you there. 

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If you'd like to know more about this or any other of our events why not leave us a question in the comments.