And so the list went on.
We will take note and cover these points. Two are already featured in
this issue: an assignment on point of view and a review of a first class
book on writing for television.
Listening to what your readers want is not new but few publications
seem to bother today. When the Daily Mirror was a great
newspaper, selling more than five million each day the letters page and
incoming letters had a whole department sifting and monitoring their
content. Today the Mirror cannot sell two million each day and is a
pale shadow of its former self.
When The Times was a paper of record The Editor would occasionally
invite a member of the good and great to send in a letter on a given
subject. And to have a letter published in The Times gave you a
certain status. Sadly both papers have declined in influence. So once again,
thank you subscribers who took the trouble to write in.
Some years ago I wrote a book for the CBI on corporate charity. The aim
of the book was to ensure "best practice" for companies and to ensure that
they received recognition for their efforts.
Researching the subject – an £18billion business in the U.K. – proved a
fascinating task. I came across the phrase donor fatigue for the first time
and saw the impact which the national lottery had on people’s giving habits.
Well there was not much donor fatigue about when the call went out for
help to the Tsunami victims. British people proved again that they are
generous to worthwhile causes.
I learned that giving reaches its two peaks at Christmas and Easter.
Writers are to the forefront in charities, not only as donors, but in
providing publicity.
* * *
IT’S STRANGE the experiences which prompt us to write books. Mike Wilson,
chairman of the National Association of Writers’ Groups ten years ago
appeared in the Bridlington Town play, Come Hell or High Water.
Since then Mike has portrayed the principal character, Kit Brown, on many
occasions, written articles on his life and now has created a work of
fiction – Full Fathom Five – around the real life characters
of that era. Brown played a heroic part in the lifeboat disaster of 1898
which led to his death.
Mike has found a rich seam to mine for there are more wrecks on the
north-east coast than any other part of the British Isles, including Land’s
End and the Lizard.
For readers hooked on sea stories this is a gripping tale and well worth
the £5.99 from Biscuit Publishing (0191 431 1263). It’s also a fine
example of somebody who did not take any notice of people who said he would
never be a writer. Mike pays generous tribute to the people who helped
him to realise his ambition, including Bridlington Writers’ Group.
* * *
YOU would imagine that a man who had written many award winning scripts
for TV, film treatments and radio and stage plays including the world-famous
Dangerfield would have no trouble placing a novel.
Not so. It’s a different craft. Don Shaw was modest enough to accept that
view and has ended up spending £10,000 on self-publishing his book The
Hike.
In three weeks he sold 2,500 copies at one bookstore, has recouped his
outlay and also gained a deal with Random House.
He is now working on a sequel but claims that his daughter, who works in
Foyles, will do better than her father. "She is brilliant at the killer
phrase," he says.
* * *
SO FAR we have never included the usual magazine rule in our competitions
that members of the staff and their families are not eligible to enter
competitions. All that will now have to change.
For nine-year-old Murphy Cook, granddaughter of massive blue eyes, blonde
curls and in no need of self-assertiveness classes rang up to say she had
been learning to write an acrostic poem at school and could she enter our
young writers’ competition. She is already not the kind of girl you would
refuse.
There was a succinct two line covering letter with three kisses and the
poem. No photograph and no biography, as granddad knows what I look like
and knows who I am.
Now you all know what an acrostic poem is, don’t you? After all, any
reasonably intelligent nine-year-old can write one. Here it is:
Snow – acrostic poem
Snow. Snow. I love snow, it settles on my nose.
No-one could not like snow because it is cold.
Oh! How I love the snow flakes falling on my nose,
Wow! Look how thick the snow is settling.
Murphy Cook, aged 9. So now you know what an acrostic poem is. And so do
I.
