UK Online writing competition (low value prizes)

Hey,

I'm in Hove - just by the beach as it happens. Will give it a go.

Well, local knowledge will perhaps be an advantage as the stories are set in the new Brighton library. I work for the libraries department(in Hove actually!), but I'm leaving at the end of May.

I've just read the adult story and sadly I hated everything about it. But don't let that put anyone off.

Hove Library on Church Street? If so I'm round the corner on Hove St.

That's the one. I'm the manager (supposedley), but I have had enough of the council bullshit.

Christ! Who wrote that ghost story?

Err him-

I actually found it quite painful to read. I'm not really selling this competition am I?

[%sig%]

Full stops instead of commas after speech...

Wasn't the full stops, I just found it dull and uninspiring.

So, I guess the challenge is to make the next section so much better. How hard can that be?

Will give it a go at work today, but my writing muscle is at a low ebb at the mo' - seem to go through times when I lose all confidence.

'felt a chill wreath their shoulders'

erkk...

and this guy is the 'writer in residence', WTF that is I don't know, of the new state of the art Brighton library.

you have to be kidding

I so really wish I was. My colleague at work who has to deal with him, described him to me in less than flattering terms and now I know why.

It really is very bad, isn't it?

cripplingly so

Gosh - I would love to be a writer in residence somewhere. What a very very lucky bugger, all things considered.

Well, Fergal, if you can write something like the competition story, you never know. (Oh and move close to somewhere when they plan to open a new library)

I don't know if I could write something *that* good. Oh well, back to drawing board...

No, but perhaps it's something to aim for...

We must all have our pipe dreams...

I live in Brighton so may give this one a go. Haven't read the story yet though..... If it's really so bad maybe the key is to write the WORST story you possibly can and they will think it's brilliant!

damn, that was my idea also!!

Like imitating the house style?

Ok I read it now. Wow. At that rate I could be writer in residence. Also, don't you think that this is going to put people off going to the new Library?

Hey KJHeritage it's nice to know you are my neighbour in Hove, actually, as you are somone on this site whos comments I always agree with and respect highly!

Yes, I'd respectfully suggest that this competition might work better if you ditched the tedious intro from Mr Guttridge and just let people write 1500 words on the general theme.

I'm assuming that this stuff is a deliberate exercise in the sort of inoffensive banality that you inevitable get with these competition starters rather than an example of the writer's best work.

Even the reality of working in a library is more interesting than this.

Hi Eleanor,

yep, I live in god olde Hove - on Hove st 'actually' - on the corner with Kingsway - sadly work in Portslade though :(

Ooh that's far. I'm a student at Brighton uni and I live in Fiveways as a live in nanny. What do you do?

I play with the Internet, as a webmanager for the local college.

Oooh, ooh- I live up by Fiveways and I am kinda a nanny, in that I have a 5 year old son, who I look after.

Hurrah for Brighton (and Hove, s'pose)!!

Yeah Hurrah for Brighton! Hove can take care of themselves. Sniff.

That's so cool that you live by me!!!!! I have 3 children (that I look after) and they are all girls aged 8, 10 and 12.

No kids for me but I am a big baby...do we have the beginnings of yet another brighton writer's group (makes sign of cross)?

I'd be up for that. Just no human sacrifices please... I just don't want to go back to prison. :-D

No human sacrifices! What sort of writing group is that gonna be? Maybe we could just sacrifice seagulls instead.

As long as we meet somewhere near the sea and drink plenty of wine, we could put off all that boring 'writer's talk' for ages.

Perhaps forever...

But seriously, if anyone fancies an ABC splinter writing group in Brighton, than why not? There are plenty of ABCers in the city (including our glorified leader, Herr Cook). If anyone is interested, e-mail me and if we get enough people interested, maybe we can sort something out.

Interested.

Go on then

Actually for 'interested' read: 'very very interested, sounds like a fun and worthwhile thing to do, I'll buy the first round and maybe even bring a packet of chocolate hobnobs!'

Cool, maybe I'll start a separtate thread, in case anyone has missed this, all the way down here.

Good idea

I liked this