“My task, which I am trying to achieve is, by the power of the written word, to make you hear, to make you feel–it is, before all, to make you see.”
Joseph Conrad
All of us enjoy words of some sort: the latest blockbuster novel; the newsy articles in magazines; the sports report from the latest match; the rapid fire of social media or the quiet thoughts of a poet. Whatever the piece may be, Conrad’s words ring true – the author is trying to engage you, capture your thoughts and present new ideas, telling you a story.
So who are Writers Enjoying Words?
A diverse group from varied backgrounds with different life experiences and a desire to write, read, discuss and share the written word. Some rarely write, others are published authors – and every shade of author in between.
Where would you find us?
The group normally meets fortnightly on Monday mornings at 10am in the Monmouthshire Building Society BUT please check the calendar on this page as we do have to move at times to accommodate events in MBS and Bank Holidays!
What happens?
Members generally write or select prose or poetry in any genre and come along and read it to the group. Pieces may be short or long, an excerpt from a longer work or a new episode in a serial work. To allow everyone to read, longer pieces may be split across meetings or emailed out for discussion at the meeting.
We take it in turns to give 1-4 topics for the next meeting to give a focus but this is optional. It is surprising what a variety of tales can be generated from just one topic.
The topic ‘Green’ prompted 12 very different stories and poems. What would you write?
PLEASE NOTE: To allow sufficient time for all to read and discuss their writing within our 2 hours, we have to limit the numbers within the group.
SORRY – we are full at present and are not accepting new members at this time
“All I need is a sheet of paper and something to write with, and then I can turn the world upside down.“
Writers Enjoying Words would like to share some of their work with you on a regular basis. We do hope you enjoy the variety of pieces. This month it’s Uplands by Lorraine Gray
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At the begining of things there was only blackness and then vibration. The Shadow Fairy tells the charming story of how a kind fairy came to give colours and shadows to the waiting universe.
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A dead teenager.
A dying mother.
A missing baby.
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With her pregnant twin sister, Joy, back in Cardiff the tension isn’t all work based. Life has become more complicated.
Progress on the case is slow. Too slow. Mandy is worried. She’s lumbered with a detective from another team who has a grudge against her. His obstruction is unwelcome.
Can things get worse? Of course they can. The return of her ex fiancé, now a DCI, doesn’t help. She needs to prove she can solve this case – despite the odds.
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National U3A Short Story Competition
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The results of the 2023 competition have been announced. There were over 400 entries across the UK. The top 13 finalists are available to read at https://www.u3a.org.uk/learning/short-story-competition-2023 Noelle Bryant from Writers Enjoying Words was delighted to be placed in the shortlist.
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The Whispering Trees
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The unidentified body of a young man is found in Nant Fawr woods, Cardiff, giving DI Mandy Wilde and her team a big problem. There’s only one clue – his expensive handmade shoes. But where is he from? Why has no one come forward to identify him? Then… a local boy disappears, a rash of burglaries breaks out and the pressure is on. Yet again, DI Wilde is fighting on all fronts. Not just the criminals and her boss, but even her fly-by-night twin sister. She needs every ounce of her famous off-beat thinking to create order from the chaos.
“The Nesting Place“ by Jacqueline Harrett Published 2021 ISBN: 1838402675
My debut crime novel, ‘The Nesting Place’, was published by Diamond Crime, a new Indie publisher (a form of publishing that doesn’t rely on the Big 5 publishing houses) They have been a joy to work with and, as writers themselves, the team have been collegial and supportive in their approach. It was exciting to introduce my character, D.I. Mandy Wilde, to the world and pleasing she has been well received.
Mandy Wilde doesn’t always follow the rule book. She is guardian to her niece and unwavering in her quest to find the truth. You can find out more at harrett.co.uk.
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What Lies Between Them
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Janet Laugharne and Jacqueline Harrett have been members of the U3A Writers Enjoying Words group for many years. They write together under the pseudonym J. L. Harland, as well as separately under their own names. Both are delighted to belong to a wonderful group of talented writers, published and unpublished, and are grateful for the support and encouragement on their long and winding road to publication.
‘What Lies Between Them’, their co-authored novel, published by Dixi Books 2022 in the UK and internationally in the US, Australia, America, and Europe, is contemporary women’s fiction. It is the story of Elin Fiorelli and her struggle to come to terms with the secrets of the past while dealing with problems in the present. Their website is https://jlharland.co.uk/
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