Registration Ending For Write Now 2012

Just a few days left in which to register for the conference (or any portion thereof). Please see below.

You can book by phone 0141 548 3511 during normal business hours or book online using this linkhttp://onlineshop.strath.ac.uk/browse/extra_info.asp?compid=1&catid=19&modid=2&prodid=113&deptid=157&prodvarid=0

Check out our full programme below - we have an unmissable two days of events for creative writers!

Skills Session Day – Friday 9 March

Publish and be Damned?

09:40-10:45 (Full or Friday Pass Holders Event)

Publishing is in decline and the future is global domination by Amazon and Google.  Right?  Or Wrong?  Three publishers give their unique insights into the publishing world today looking at the impact of digital technology and social media before speculating on what the future may bring.



1st SKILLS SESSION



The Mechanics of Page Turning: Narrative Drive

11.00am – 12.30pm

Narrative drive is a vital element in getting your work published. Novelist Sara Sheridan provides key hints and tips to keep the pages turning.



Making the Pitch and not Striking Out

11:00-12:30 or 14:30-16:00

Novelist Helen FitzGerald and screenwriter Sergio Casci will look at the art of the verbal pitch.



Looking for an Agent? An Expert Guide to the Submissions Process

11:00-12:30

Now you’ve written – or are writing – your book, how will you get it accepted by an agent, publisher or editor? Nicola Morgan reveals the common traps for the unwary and offers tips for success.



www.WRITER

11.00am – 12.30pm Part 1 (requires advanced preparation by participants)

Don’t get left behind.  Writer and web designer Cat Dean will guide participants through setting up their own writer’s website-with-blog. By the end of the day, each participant will have a simple, but fully functioning website-with-blog.





LUNCH

The Marketplace

12.30am – 14.30pm FREE

Interested in the Scottish publishing scene?  If so ‘The Marketplace’ is the place to be.  This showcase will feature independent publishers and Scotland-based magazines that provide an outlet for new writers. Pick up the latest and the best new writing along with ideas on how to get started writing or where to place your work.





Strathclyde Showcase- Performance Event

13.00 – 14.15

Come along and hear some great Scottish writing in bite sized pieces. This event will feature new and upcoming writers of prose and poetry including the winners of the Keith Wright Memorial Literary Competition.



Lunch Time Skills Sessions

Book to Film, Film to Book – Adaptations

13:00-14:00

An inside look at adaptation with author Helen FitzGerald (The Devil's Staircase, Bloody Women, The Donor), screenwriter Sergio Casci (American Cousins, The Caller) and film producer Claire Mundell (Synchronicity Films – Crying with Laughter, Weekend).  Our established trio has funny anecdotes, lots of mistakes to confess, and advice to pass on.  The session will also look at new developments and opportunities for writers, such as digital publishers who are concentrating on book adaptations of films.



Is Blogging For You? – Blogging Your Way to Success

13:00-14:00

Whether it’s getting started or improving confidence in blogging newbies, experienced writer and blogger Cat Dean will provide practical tips on how to make the most of your blog.  This workshop will take you through the highs and lows encouraging you to keep going and blog your way to success.



Writing For Graphic Novels

13:00-14:00
Rodge Glass shares the secrets of writing for his award nominated graphic novel Dougie’s War, which was illustrated by Dave Turbitt. Rodge will discuss the process of writing a graphic novel, talk about the challenges of collaboration between writer and artist in joint projects, and give tips and advice on how to make your graphic novel a success. Dougie's War was commissioned by Freight Books and Veteran Scotland as part of a drive to raise awareness about PTSD in Scottish soldiers.











2nd SKILLS SESSION
Your Book Needs You

14:30-16:00

Novelist Sara Sheridan debunks the myths of book promotion and publicity and gives expert advice on how to use all the communications tools available to sell yourself effectively.



What Are Publishers Looking For?

14:30-16:00

Nicola Morgan, author of 90 books, will share her knowledge of what makes agents and publishers say yes, giving you the best chance of success.

Making the Pitch and not Striking Out

14:30-16:00

Novelist Helen FitzGerald and screenwriter Sergio Casci will look at the art of the verbal pitch.



www.WRITER

14.30am – 16.00pm Part 2 (requires advanced preparation by participants)

Second half of this web design workshop.





The Making of a Bestseller - Christopher Brookmyre

16:30-17:30

Award-winning crime writer and author of 14 published novels, Christopher Brookmyre has plenty of experience to share with aspiring writers and interested readers.

Conference Day – Saturday 10 March

SATURDAY 10 MARCH 2012: CONFERENCE

Running from 9:30am to 6pm, we will have a series of panels and individual presentations from writers and researchers. More details of the conference programme can be found athttp://flavors.me/writenow#72f/twitter



DAY 2 PROGRAMME OF EVENTS
9:00am – Registration
9:30am – Welcome and housekeeping
9: 40am – Panel 1
10:45am – Break for tea and coffee
11:00am – Panel 2A or 2B
3 papers (20mins each) plus 30mins at the end for Q & A discussion
12:30pm – Lunch
1:15pm – Panel 3A or 3B
3 papers (20mins each) plus 30mins at the end for Q & A discussion
2:45pm – Break for tea and coffee
3:00pm – Panel 4A or 4B
3 papers (20mins each) plus 30mins at the end for Q & A discussion
Break to relocate to Main Hall
5 pm – Keynote Address Alan Bissett, Ewan Morrison & Zoë Strachan
Close 6pm



Panel 1 - What Happens when Elephants Teach Zoology?
Lesley Glaister - St Andrews University
Elizabeth Reeder - University of Glasgow
Zoë Strachan - University of Glasgow
On Process and Teaching within a Community of Writers
Elizabeth Reeder, Zoë Strachan and Lesley Glaister will discuss their creative processes and how they influence their teaching. How does individual creative practice influence the choices we make when teaching others? Do we practice what we preach? Is there a place for the mentor in the teaching of creative writing? And what might the ideal creative writing programme look like?

Panel 2A – Poetry and The Landscape
Jen Cooper - University of Aberdeen
Creating ‘Imaginary States of Nature’: The Uses of Free Verse in Contemporary Nature Poetry
Ken Cockburn
The Road North: A Journey Through Scotland and Poetry
Shane Strachan - University of Aberdeen
Flinty Souls: Narrating the North-East

Panel 2B – Fact, Fiction and History
Gill James - University of Salford
Uncovering history: three tools, three strands and three fact-fiction relationships used in writing an historical novel.
Sally O’Reilly - Brunel University
Myth and monolith: tackling the Shakespeare legend.
Ursula Hurley - University of Salford
Writing in the dark? Carrying a torch for ancient historical fiction.

Panel 3A – Teaching and Judging Creative Writing
Raymond Soltysek - University of Strathclyde
A Little often: changing the creative writing culture in secondary classrooms.
Dr. Maeve Tynan - University of Limerick
‘Mimicry is an act of imagination’: Strategic Imitation in the Creative Writing Classroom
Mary Aherne - University of Hull
The Booker Prize: Who are the winners and losers in a cultural field dominated by the marketplace?

Panel 3B – There’s Poetry in Everything (Even Aliens)
Mary McDonough - University of Strathclyde
Curation vs Creation: understanding and interpreting autobiographical material
Dorothy Alexander – Centre for Lifelong Learning
Adventures in technique: experiments in found – using restricted vocabularies to access creativity and cross media.
Russell Jones - Edinburgh University
Edwin Morgan and Science Fiction Poetry – Edwin Morgan: Scots Makar, respected academic, alien.

Panel 4A – Does Scotland Need Creative Writers?
Alicia Stubbersfield - Liverpool John Moores University
The Writer at Work: One Answer to the Question ‘What use is a degree in Creative Writing?’
Jacqueline Smith, Ron Butlin, Gerry Loose - Scottish Writers Centre
The Future of the Scottish Writers Centre

Panel 4B – Comics, Crime and more Comics
David Manderson – University of the West of Scotland
Lost Borders: A Paradigm Shift in Crime Fiction
Gordon Robertson
From the Dark Ages to the Renaissance - The New Wave of British Comics
Siân Bevan
Why So Serious? How Comedy Can Shape a Writer.


Keynote Address: Alan Bissett, Zoë Strachan and Ewan Morrison

17:00-18:00

In the conference round-up, three of Scotland’s hottest talents will give their unique take on the writing process and business.
Can anyone be an author and should universities be in the business of teaching creative writing?  Should writers?  What skills does a writer need in 2012 and how do you go about acquiring them?  Is Scotland a vibrant creative culture or a provincial backwater for writers?  Is the book dead and if not what does the future hold for books and their authors?  Answers to these questions plus an opportunity to ask your own.

Writing For Graphic Novels

A guest post from Jacob McLean (a spectacularly driven 3rd year undergraduate - just check out the PROSE, people!) about Rodge Glass' graphic novel, which highlights some of the challenges of writing a graphic novel that works.

Rodge Glass: Writing For Graphic Novels

13:00-14:00 £15/£12

In between his acclaimed biography of national treasure Alasdair Gray, Alasdair Gray: A Secretary’s Biography, and his highly anticipated forthcoming novel, Bring Me the Head of Ryan Giggs, Rodge Glass somehow found time to collaborate with London-based artist Dave Turbitt to release a critically-acclaimed graphic novel. Dougie’s War focusses on Dougie Campbell, a Scottish soldier recently returned from Afghanistan suffering from post-traumatic-stress-disorder - what Rodge likes to call “the war after the war”. The novel was (and continues to be) a success, fulfilling its commissioned goal to raise awareness of PTSD, and earning a significant collection of critical praise, including a nomination for Graphic Novel of the Year at the Scottish Independent Comic Book Awards. As Rodge’s first and (so far) only graphic novel, Dougie’s War was a project for which Rodge had to adapt. Graphic novels call for fast-paced, concise prose, Rodge told the Edinburgh League of Comics. He also had to, for the first time in his literary career, learn how to collaborate. Having been through the pains and pleasures of the process, Rodge is in a perfect position to now pass along tips and advice for writing your own graphic novel. Follow this link to learn more about Rodge.  http://edinburghleagueofcomics.wordpress.com/2011/08/12/war-comics-an-interview-with-rodge-glass/#

There are still places available on Rodge's 'Writing For Graphic Novels' workshop at Write Now; these can be booked via the Aye, Write! website, by phoning 0141 548 3511 during normal business hours, or via this link: http://onlineshop.strath.ac.uk/browse/extra_info.asp?compid=1&catid=19&modid=2&prodid=113&deptid=157&prodvarid=0

You can follow Rodge Glass on Twitter: 

@rodgeglass

Write Now: Day 1 Summary Listings

Please see below for further information re: speakers, pricing. 

Friday 9 March

The Mechanics of Page Turning: Narrative Drive 

11.00am – 12.30pm

Narrative drive is a vital element in getting your work published. Novelist Sara Sheridan provides key hints and tips to keep the pages turning.

Making the Pitch and not Striking Out

11:00-12:30 or 14:30-16:00

Novelist Helen FitzGerald and screenwriter Sergio Casci will look at the art of the verbal pitch.

Looking for an Agent? An Expert Guide to the Submissions Process

11:00-12:30

Now you’ve written – or are writing – your book, how will you get it accepted by an agent, publisher or editor? Nicola Morgan reveals the common traps for the unwary and offers tips for success.

www.WRITER 

11.00am – 12.30pm Part 1 (requires advanced preparation by participants)

Don’t get left behind.  Writer and web designer Cat Dean will guide participants through setting up their own writer’s website-with-blog. By the end of the day, each participant will have a simple, but fully functioning website-with-blog.

The Marketplace

12.30am – 14.30pm FREE

Interested in the Scottish publishing scene?  If so ‘The Marketplace’ is the place to be.  This showcase will feature independent publishers and Scotland-based magazines that provide an outlet for new writers.  Pick up the latest and the best new writing along with ideas on how to get started writing or where to place your work.

Book to Film, Film to Book – Adaptations 

13:00-14:00 

An inside look at adaptation with author Helen FitzGerald, screenwriter Sergio Casci and film producer Claire Mundell. The session will also look at new developments and opportunities for writers.

Is Blogging For You? – Blogging Your Way to Success 

13:00-14:00

Whether it’s getting started or improving confidence in blogging newbies, experienced writer and blogger Cat Dean will provide practical tips on how to make the most of your blog.  

Writing For Graphic Novels 

13:00-14:00

Rodge Glass discusses the process of writing a graphic novel: the challenges of collaboration between writer and artist, and gives tips and advice on making your graphic novel a success. 

Your Book Needs You 

14:30-16:00

Novelist Sara Sheridan debunks the myths of book promotion and publicity and gives expert advice on how to use all the communications tools available to sell yourself effectively.

What Are Publishers Looking For? 

14:30-16:00

Nicola Morgan, author of 90 books, will share her knowledge of what makes agents and publishers say yes, giving you the best chance of success. 

www.WRITER 

14.30am – 16.00pm Part 2 (requires advanced preparation by participants)

Second half of this web design workshop.

The Making of a Bestseller - Christopher Brookmyre

16:30-17:30 £15/£12

Award-winning crime writer and author of 14 published novels, Christopher Brookmyre has plenty of experience to share with aspiring writers and interested readers.

Rodge Glass To Talk About Graphic Novels: Write Now 2012

Our very own Rodge Glass has a new short story, 'Do All Things With Love,' in the latest Edinburgh Review. You can access the story http://edinburgh-review.com/. Rodge will be leading a workshop on graphic novels at the  Write Now 2012 conference.  He plans to "discuss the process of writing a graphic novel: the challenges of collaboration between writer and artist," and he'll give you "tips and advice on making your graphic novel a success". The cost of the workshop is £15/£12, and it runs from 13:00-14:00 at the Mitchell Library on 9/3/12 as part of the Aye, Write! Festival. Please see his graphic novel, 'Dougie's War,' the story of a soldier who returns from Afghanistan suffering from PTSD. Dave Turbitt provided the stunning illustrations (see cover shot here). Please see http://www.dougieswar.com/ for further information and to order the novel.

                             (cover artwork by Dave Turbitt, courtesy of www.dougieswar.com)

The cost of the workshop is £15/£12, and it runs from 13:00-14:00 at the Mitchell Library on 9/3/12 as part of the Aye, Write! Festival. To book an 'early bird discount' place at the conference, please go to: http://onlineshop.strath.ac.uk/ .Just select "Humanities and Social Sciences Faculty' from the 'Conferences and Events' list,  then look for Write Now under the heading Research and Knowledge Exchange.

Rodge's next novel, 'Bring Me The Head of Ryan Giggs,' will be published by Tindall Press on 7/4/12. If we are very lucky, ask nicely, and ply him with cookies, we may even get a bit of a preview.

At Last, Finally, and Etcetera: Write Now Sound Bytes!

Hello, everyone. I know it has been a bit longer than anticipated, but here's the link to listen to readings from the CCA post-Write Now evening on 3rd of June. You can hear:

--Valve Journal contributors Lynsey Cameron, Katrina Patrick, Gabriella Bennett, and Craig Lamont. Valve Literary Journal is now available from Waterstone's on Sauchiehall Street (Glasgow);

-- Rodge Glass reading from his as-yet-unpublished Bring Me the Head of Ryan Giggs (which has now become slightly more topical than Rodge intended it to be);

Jamie Jauncey, reading from Room 121, co-authored by John Simmons (26 founder, can often be found at http://www.thewriter.com/)

--David Kinloch, reading from Finger of A Frenchman and other works;

--Alexander (but really Sandy) Hutchison, reading and singing The Herring's Song;

-- J L Williams, reading from Condition of Fire;

--Sam Best (another of the Valvians);

and Helen FitzGerald, reading from her imminent arrival, The Donor.


http://soundcloud.com/writenow/sets

I had a fantastic time, and enjoyed The Herring Song just as much the second time around (Tristan has refused to let anyone see a picture or video of the dance he has choreographed to go with it).

We are now starting to plan for next year; any ideas and offers of help welcome.

After the Conference-y bit of Write Now is Over, There's More

Tah-Dah!
The evening lineup, ladies and gentlemen (and Rodge, Helen, who are seriously misbehaving on Twitter today...tsk tsk. We want this CLASSY, people!).

Kicking off will be Rodge Glass and his quartet of Valve-ians:
Lynsey Cameron
Gabriella Bennett
Katrina Patrick
Craig Lamont

We will have a short break, with a musical interlude courtesy of Jamie Jauncey, who'll be bringing the Birnam Quartet CD (he's the keyboard man) of the music of Burns. It is utterly gorgeous and heart-breaking, and will lead nicely into the poetry bit of the evening.
 The poets:
David Kinloch
JL Williams
Sandy Hutchison
(and, hopefully, Nick e Melville, if I can keep everyone to time...)

Another short break/trip down to the bar/more music, and then we'll have:

Jamie Jauncey
Samuel Best
and
Helen Fitzgerald.

I can't wait. See you at the CCA at 7, up in the club room.

Write Now: Evening Event at CCA

On the 3rd of June, following the conference, we are having an evening of readings at the CCA in the Club Room. The event is free and unticketed, and the more people we can squeeze in the happier we'll be. J L Williams and, hopefully, Jamie Jauncey will also be reading. Craig Lamont of Valve Literary Journal has designed the poster and logo for us-- thanks, Craig!

Here's a map to the CCA; it is approximately 15 minutes' walk from Central Station, and is also an easy bus or Underground ride from the centre of Glasgow:

(Map courtesy of the CCA website, http://www.cca-glasgow.com/home ) 

Another Rallying Call: deadline for abstracts 8/4/11

‘Write Now!’
1 Day Post Graduate Creative Writing Conference
Strathclyde University, Glasgow
Friday 3rd June 2011

Critical papers and practice based presentations (a reading balanced by a critical element) are invited for the one day creative writing conference to be held in the heart of Glasgow.  Topics for presentations may include, but are not limited to:
• Language: found, reinvented or rediscovered
• Dialects: historical or modern
• Genre Fiction
• Emerging trends in fiction, poetry, drama and journalism

Creative Writing, Journalism and English postgraduates and scholars are invited to explore creative writing in the broadest possible terms considering genre, technique, language, historical development, impact and performance.  This conference aims to allow postgraduates and scholars to share their research and creative output but also to foster a community of writers and researchers interested in the many facets of creative writing.

               © Steve Lindridge
Keynote speaker Louise Welsh is the award winning author of The Cutting Room (2002) and most recently Naming the Bones (2010). She is also a successful playwright and is currently writer in residence for The University of Glasgow & Glasgow School of Art.

Readings may consist of a number of poems or 1-2 short works of fiction / literary journalism and may be on any topic and in any style.

Confirmed readers include:  Poet, linguist and Reader in English Studies David Kinloch who will read from his forthcoming collection Finger of a Frenchman (April 2011).  Somerset Maugham Award winning novelist and Creative Writing lecturer Rodge Glass will perform new work.  Award winning investigative journalist and Director of the Strathclyde University Innocence Project Eamonn O’Neill will give us an exclusive sneak peek into his forthcoming novel The Last Court of Appeal. Helen Fitzgerald (Aussie now living as a Weegie, novelist, ex-Social Worker, and many other things besides) will read from The Donor (July 2011), her latest novel.

Presentations 20 minutes
Readings 10 minutes (maximum)

Send proposal abstracts of not more than 300 words and creative pieces accompanied by a brief bio to: bryony.stocker@strath.ac.uk

Closing Date for Submissions: Friday 8th April 2011

Applications can be made via our online shop at http://onlineshop.strath.ac.uk click on the Humanities and Social Sciences link under Conferences and Events.  You will find our conference here with an online application.  Alternatively, please complete the application form available on our website http://www.strath.ac.uk/humanities/conferences and return with the fee of £10 per delegate.
The closing date for applications to attend is the 20th of May.

Organiser: Bryony Stocker, University of Strathclyde - bryony.stocker@strath.ac.uk
Promoter: Mary McDonough, University of Strathclyde - maryfmcdonough@me.com
Find us on the web at - http://flavors.me/writenow and follow us on Twitter