Welcome to Writers Talkback. If you are a new user, your account will have to be approved manually to prevent spam. Please bear with us in the meantime

Success at Winchester Writers' Conference

edited July 2011 in - Writing Tales
I came first in the Echo Poetry competition and win £120 and a trophy. ( Can get a Kindle now!)
Phil Carradice the judge said he hadn't read such a powerful piece of writing for ages! I'm well chuffed.
Also came second in children's books age 8-11 and won £15 book voucher.

Comments

  • That is wonderful,wonderful news
    well done you.
    I hope this sucess continues,
  • Very well done indeed.
  • Congratulations kateyanne! It was a great day yesterday.
  • How wonderful, Kateyanne. Any chance we can read it?
  • It was nice to meet you, paperbackwriter, wish there had been more chance to chat but it's always such a full on day.
    Shame you weren't on first dinner.
    Claudia the poem will be published in their book best of Winchester 2011.
  • Congratulations!
  • Fantastic news, well done.
  • Congratulations, Kateyanne
  • Well done Kateyanne, you were brill! I had a feeling you would win!

    It was a great day, really enjoyable. I got a full manuscript request (once I've done a lot of editing) and got two highly commendeds in the competitions, one for writing for children 4-7 years and one for 7-11 years.

    And my friend won the Greenhouse Literary Agents competition - she is thrilled!
  • That's wonderful news all round. Kateyanne congratulations, and Lou well done too.
  • Excellent news!
  • [quote=kateyanne]Shame you weren't on first dinner.[/quote]
    Next year I'll plan and book earlier.
  • Congratulations and well done, Kateyanne, Lou and Lou's friend. The Greenhouse agency are such a good agency!
  • excellent going. Well done!
  • Congratulations! You're right to be chuffed about praise like that. Can you post up the poem or a link to it?
  • The poem will be in their book PM so not sure I should publish it on here.
  • Brilliant news! Well done!
  • I've already read it (looks smug) and it really is excellent. KA is brilliant on imagery.
    Well done KA! And a decent prize, bout bloomin' time too.
    And well done for the children's writing prize too
  • And Well done Lou and Lou's friend as well
    Sounds like Winchester was a good one all round
  • [quote=Tracy]The Greenhouse agency are such a good agency![/quote]

    You're right there, Tracy. I've read all the way through Sarah Davies's blog and it shows the beating heart, as it were, of hard working literary agents. Sarah Churchill is in there too, with oodles of experience. She'll help you loads, I'm sure, Lou, in her editing.

    Congratulations, Kateyanne and Lou.
  • Congratulations, Kateyanne and Lou. Glad I didn't go now because I have the feeling I got nowhere in the two competitions I entered....and one was for the Greenhouse Agency! I won't divulge the name I used, and will just wait for the critiques to come through, BUT I was hoping the Greenhouse entry would help me decide which of two books to persue. Never won at Winchester, but did get a second once, and quite a number of Highly Commends, so know the euphoria and the depression when your name is not in the short list. Seriously though, I think 2011 will decide if I continue to try and write books or just concentrate on short story comps and articles, which do not need so many hours of blood sweat and tears.
    After all, I have achieved an ambition to be a published children's writer (not self-published), and although I hardly made any money it's been fun with workshops for schools, book signings, and several local radio interviews.........but it would be great for just one more book to be taken on!
  • Wow, well done Kateyanne and Lou and friend!
  • edited July 2011
    Toothlight I don't go to the conference for the competitions, though that was great. I go for the one-to-one with agents as I want to get a children's book published one day, also the work shops and to meet fellow writers.
    The one-to-ones are really useful and last year I saw Sarah Mussi and she recommended writing a short prologue to my book and I did and it then was shortlisted in Earlyworks comp and I think it's a lot better after her advice.
    If you can afford it why not send that book to Cornerstones or another agency like that for a critique?
  • [quote=Dwight]She'll help you loads, I'm sure, Lou, in her editing.[/quote]

    Not me, my friend. And it's Julia Churchill, not Sarah! But thanks anyway!
  • Kateyanne and Lou, congratulations! What a brilliant result for you both - and for Lou's friend!
    It's good to know that someone who moves in our circles wins something - makes it all seem that little bit more possible, somehow - so you are giving hope to many when you win for your own hard work! (No pressure, then...)
  • Well done Katyanne and Lou you are so clever both of you.
  • Well done, both of you! And your friend, Lou :)
  • Kateyanne, It's ironic you should mention Cornerstones because... 'The Footprints of Gouron' (8-11 years) was entered for Winchester, and was Highly Commended, a couple of years ago. Fast forward to a Cornerstones day course in London a year later, and I used it as my submission for discussion. About fifteen there, and all liked the opening, except the tutor, herself an author. She wanted it changed to show the protagonist being chased by the bully, so I went home did that, and sent her a copy of the new version. So this year, I dug it out and-yes- it wasn't even short listed, so who was right? I am becoming demented with all this 'subjectivity,' so have decided today to pack it all in for some months, and just do my monthly column for a magazine, and perhaps try the odd short story. It sadly shows that you can pay (a helluva lot) good money to critique agencies like Cornerstones, but what they like might not be what an agent or publisher likes, so you are still out in the cold. Do I sound cynical? Maybe, but maybe you should also listen to your gut instinct about your work.
  • I have blogged on the conference here.

    http://loutreleaven.wordpress.com/2011/07/05/winchester-writers-conference-2011-2/

    More notes to come!
  • [quote=Tracy]Congratulations and well done, Kateyanne, Lou and Lou's friend.[/quote]

    I'll second that because I hadn't congratulated all of you. I read your post, Lou. Very well done!

    I had a terrific one to one with my writing tutor and some marvellous ideas came out of it. He was so helpful.
  • Congratulations, Kateyanne!
  • [quote=paperbackwriter] had a terrific one to one with my writing tutor and some marvellous ideas came out of it. He was so helpful.[/quote]

    Brilliant - well done, pbw!
  • Well done, Lou and your friend!
  • results are on the web site

    http://www.writersconference.co.uk/competition.htm
  • Only just seen this thread - congratulations to Kateyanne and Lou!

    Toothlight, I think you're right about using your gut instinct (alongside any critiques you get).
  • Yes Toothlight, never go with something that instinctively you know feels wrong. Sometimes they are right, but not always and you have to decide which bits are right for you and which bits are wrong.
Sign In or Register to comment.