When we joined the ‘Fiction Foundations’ course in November 2024, it was for numerous reasons. We knew that we had potential as writers, but we needed some sort of affirmation.
‘Aye … there’s the rub,’ Will Shakespeare said when he wrote Hamlet.
Writing is a difficult process as it is, without giving what’s in your head and heart away to anyone, never mind a professional. Taking deep breaths, we gave it a go. Allowing your writing to be fed back to you in critique is terrifying to say the least. Mind-blowing in the beginning, becoming less so – and, in fact, welcome, when feedback inevitably has positive outcomes, enabling critical and creative thinking.
We had that in spades from our tutor, Mike Hollows. And as we bonded with his tutorship, we bonded together as a cohort of students. As week followed week, we became accustomed to having – and giving – peer feedback.
Discovering that quite a few of us live in and around Newcastle and North Tyneside, we took it upon ourselves to meet up in person once the course ended and we’d turned a corner into ‘Alumni’ of New Writing North.
We were keen to form a writing group, to discuss ideas, themes, forthcoming writing competitions, provide a regular critiquing service and encouragement for one another. Instilling confidence was a major aim.
At our first meeting, in Café Amsterdam, Whitley Bay, we gelled, swapping biographies, favourite authors and the like. We picked up an extra member along the way, unconnected to NWN, but connected to Andy, the Café’s proprietor (and our sounding board!) He’s a retired English teacher, a valuable member of the writing group, preferring to cheer us on from the sidelines.
As to the other members, we’ll introduce ourselves individually, below. But first, this is what we’ve achieved so far:
We set up a WhatsApp group. It’s invaluable in keeping everyone apprised of the others’ writing and submitting.
One of our WhatsApp team (via NWN), Frank Duncan, is an American aeroplane pilot, living in Maine, USA. He contributes with ideas and critiques when he can, but with seven hours or more time difference, it ain’t easy!
We exchanged emails, forming a contact group to enable the submission of our writing and critiquing.
A committee of chairperson, secretary, treasurer and ‘scout’ were chosen. The name of the group chopped and changed until, finally, ‘Northern Wordsmiths’ was settled upon.
It was decided among us also to use the name ‘Northern Wordsmiths’ for our forthcoming blog. We now have a site developing that will be launched at the end of May. There are also individual writing projects arising and continuing; endeavours that we intend to promote and share on the blog.
‘Sit and Write’ sessions are vital to us, budding authors. Tapping the keyboards, putting pen to paper in local cafes, has already been successful in getting away from it all. Writing. Exchanging ideas. Bonding. Critiquing. We expect to do much more of that, now and in the future.
To date, a couple of members have chosen to sit on the sidelines – to do their own thing. One, Amy, is working on a novel; the other, Lucy, is already a productive children’s book author, locally. We wish them every success.
Watch this space for the Northern Wordsmiths blog!
Our committee and members:
About:
Ellen Wiltshire (Chairperson)
Ellen loves to explore the hills of Northumberland, get between the pages of a good book, and follow the paths of the past and the folklore of yore. Writing primarily historical fiction, her stories are often imbued with a touch of the supernatural. She lives in North Tyneside with her partner.
Chelsea Hall (Secretary)
Chelsea spends her time surrounded by animals, be that with her dog-walking business; her happy spaniel – Oscar; her amazing horse – Roo. She’s a reader and writer of all things fantasy and horror. She spends her free time walking in the countryside with Oscar.
Liam Telford (Treasurer)
Liam is a carer and writer. A lifelong sci-fi and fantasy reader inspired by the craft of ‘worldbuilding’, he explores as many of the myriad worlds of fiction as he can lay his mitts on. He currently resides in Newcastle, daydreaming wild and vivid dreams of making something cool and fantastic in fictional writing and having people read it. He fully hopes to be a published author by the time he reaches thirty.
Sheila Newton (Competition-finder General + Scout)
Sheila is a retired nurse and further education teacher. She devotes much time to her garden; writes avidly and reads anything she can get her hands on. She enjoys wandering Northumberland, taking in sights, sounds and scents of countryside and coast. She lives in North Shields with her husband and two beautiful but incorrigible cats; one black, one white.
Frank Duncan (member, aforementioned)
Stuart Hickson (member, aforementioned)
Amy Golding (member, dormant)
Lucy Wraight (member, dormant)
