Creative Writing Glasgow

Creative Writing short courses at the Centre for Lifelong Learning, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow

We have a winner!

February 22, 2017

Hi folks

I’m extremely chuffed to announce that the winner of the Scottish Book Trust’s prestigious Next Chapter Award 2017 is Julie Rea, who some of you will know from last term’s Creative Writing for Beginners course. She’s also a veteran of the Centre for Lifelong Learning’s Blaze online courses.

I had a chat with Julie last week about her win. She said she worked on her entry piece right up to the last minute, emailing it in with moments to spare, so clearly nothing focuses the mind quite like a deadline. Julie has let me read the full piece and the hard work definitely paid off. It’s superb.

I also picked up three other things from her approach which are well worth noting:

1. Read, read, read.

2. Don’t be afraid of tackling dark themes – don’t censor yourself because you’re worried about what other people might think.

3. Rewrite, rewrite, rewrite – and do what’s best for the story, not for yourself.

To that I’d like to add a fourth: enter competitions

You can read about Julie’s win here: http://scottishbooktrust.com/writing/scottish-book-trust-training-awards/next-chapter-award/2017-julie-rea?utm_source=Scottish+Book+Trust+eUpdates&utm_campaign=437e49b2f7-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_02_14&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_4566345a8c-437e49b2f7-56807189

Next Chapter Award 2017

scottishbooktrust.com

Find out more about Julie Rea, the recipient of the Next Chapter Award 2017

As part of the prize she is being advised by a mentor as she completes a collection of linked short stories – I’m sure these will be in print before long and I’ll let you know when they are.

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6 responses to “We have a winner!”

Margaret Daly

February 22, 2017

Fabulous news David. Congratulations Julie. It shows that hard work and determination pay off….and reading….and rewriting…. 😁
Helen Ranford

February 23, 2017

Well done Julie.
Hurry up and get in touch. I don’t want to wait until next year to read it. I promise to buy a copy when you are published as long as you promise to sign it. Good luck with the writing.
Love Helen x
Elizabeth Burns

February 23, 2017

Hello David,

Congratulations to Julie. Outstanding.

I realise that there are those who are writers and those who want to be writers 🤔 My discomfort suggests that I am in the latter . Only that self discovery from the completion of a pieces keeps me from totalling sliding into the ‘wannabe’

Manna is daily encouraging me with mentoring my ‘page a day ‘ efforts and I am now a member of the Kelvingrove Writers Group

With the news of Julie, I now feel exposed as the wee fatty being introduced to the slim cousin 😲

If you wish to lose weight – eat less and move more

If you wish to be s writer Read Write and Run with it.

Trust that you are well

Best wishes,

Elizabeth Burns

Sent from my iPhone

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Marilyn Hazlett

February 27, 2017

oh my, was thinking of forwarding this to you Elizabeth and here you are way ahead of me! thank you for mentioning me feel famous now! x
Marilyn Hazlett

February 27, 2017

that is so good to hear of success in this time of not being able get through the plethora of what to do or where to start and all credit to you David as an inspiration to us all, at Kelvingrove Writers’ there are so many little references to you that honestly feel you should come along some day just to be there of a Sunday afternoon and get the praise! have several irons in the fire at present – meant to let you know that was past the million word mark with my seven fifty words exercise that gave me a feeling of accomplishment! will plod on and all the best to you in your Spring term. cheers Mana 🙂
David Pettigrew

February 27, 2017

Great to hear the Kelvingrove group is still going strong Manna – and well done with your millionth word. Here’s to the next million!