Time flies, hmm? I have chaired meetings of Riverside Writers for the last nine years; and much fun it has been, too. We're a lively, friendly and informal group who meet in West Kirby Library, Wirral - usually on the last Monday of each month unless a Bank Holiday coincides with this, in which case we meet one week earlier. Meetings start at 7.30pm, and after a catch-up of each others' news we share our efforts for that month's group project.
We started running optional group writing projects a few years ago when we felt the need to focus the group on actual writing, rather than just talking about writing. So each month we set ourselves the task of creating a poem or short story using a set theme, location, an interesting photo or an opening sentence, for example. It's ok if a person diverts from the original idea, as the purpose is simply to offer a starting point. The results have been both interesting and fun, and people who have regularly participated in the project have found that they written pieces which they otherwise may not have thought of and, more importantly, their skills with the craft of writing have steadily improved.
Riverside Writers have played host numerous speakers over the years, including Marc Gee (Al's Lads), Jon Mayhew (Mortlock), Colin P Davies (Tall Tales of the Iron Horse, The Bookmole) and Anthony Peake (Cheating the Ferryman). We have also held public readings, sometimes as part of Wirral Bookfest but also independently. Several members have also participated in Wirral's festival of SF/F/H, called Parallel Dimensions, which has attracted writers from across the UK.
The blurb reads: "Romance, heart-ache, treachery and death! Eighteen stories and poems inspired by the sea, from a group of imaginative writers who live surrounded by water on the Wirral peninsula in England."
The contributors are: Tim Hulme; Andy Siddle; Adele Cosgrove-Bray; Peter Caton; Nikki Bennett; Ruth Ann Titley.
Seaside Stories (ISBN 9781301150069) is available as a FREE download from Smashwords, where it is offered in a variety of formats.
A second group anthology is already being planned for 2013. This, too, will be produced as an ebook.
If you are looking for a Wirral-based creative writing group, do feel free to come along to any of our meetings. Whether you're a published author or totally new to writing, new faces are always made very welcome at Riverside Writers.
