2016 in the Forth Valley

It's hard to believe that Forth Valley Writers only began in May this year! So much has happened since then.

The most significant thing is, of course, that thanks to Laura Fyfe, the Forth Valley Writers Collective happened at all. For the first time that I can remember, people who had been writing away in isolation found themselves in a room with performance poets, events organisers, teachers of creative writing, leaders of writers groups throughout the region, and made contact with the library services, and people from the Creative Writing and Publishing departments of Stirling University. Suddenly there was a network of contacts, and a chance to pool expertise and experience to make things happen.

The biggest issue seemed to be that the long-established Stirling Writers group had lost its venue in the Tolbooth and wasn't able to meet. Thanks to the good offices of Stirling's Makar Clive Wright a new venue was found at the Burgh Coffee House, and Stirling Writers re-emerged with its new website at Stirling Writers Group

The next need was for a dedicated writing group for people with rather more experience who were focusing on publication and needed detailed feedback. The FK8 group was formed, and now meets regularly.

We have done the boring structural bit, and we now have a committee which does the planning and communicating with members. There is a facebook group, which you can join, and this blog, with some useful links to resources for writers. As ForthValleyScribe is a poet, this list is still top-heavy with poetry resources, but links will be added as we become aware of them.

And on the other hand, there is the regular fun-filled Forth Friday meetup, mostly in Stirling so far, but we do hope to visit Alloa and Falkirk and Callender too. Forth Friday is a chance to network, meet other writers in your genre - and maybe in genres you've never thought of! - swap tips and share opportunities, but we are adding extra features as we go. We've had a Hallowe'en night, and an introduction to the fabulous resource that is the Federation of Writer (Scotland). The next event on 27th January is going to be The Write Angle's Very Peculiar Burns Supper (more about this in the next post) and there will be a panel on being published (date to be confirmed) and a talk about novel-writing in March.

Not bad for a fledgling organisation! But special thanks should go to Laura Fyfe, Ian Maxtone, Janet Crawford and Frances Ainslie for the work they have all put in to make it all happen.

A very Happy Christmas and holiday break to all our readers. We look forward to seeing you with your freshly sharpened pencils on 2017!

November Forth Friday

We are at the Curly Coo in Barnton Street Stirling at 7:00pm this Friday (25th November).
There's no need for writers to feel like we're out on a limb in Scotland these days. Current Makar of the Federation of Writers (Scotland), Elizabeth Rimmer, will be leading discussions on writing organisations around Scotland and what they can do to help writers branch out, particularly the work of the Federation and the Scottish Writers Centre.
All this as well as the usual opportunities to socialise, make new contacts with other writers in your genre - and maybe try out kinds of writing you've never thought of - share news, find out about writers groups throughout the Forth Valley, hear about new writing opportunities and listen to up-and-coming writing from aroundabout, of course.
See you there!

[Untitled] Falkirk - a guest post

[Untitled] produce a bi-annual high quality gloss magazine that aims to promote the writing and visual art of people based in and around Falkirk. Twice a year [Untitled] has an open call for submissions in which anyone can submit their work for consideration. I'm pleased to say that issue 7 went to the printers today. To date [Untitled] has published numerous emerging writers and artists from Falkirk as well as some established names from the area such as Gordon Legge, Adam Stafford and Alan Bissett.

As well as producing a bi-annual magazine, [Untitled] also host frequent events including the open mic event Wooer With Words which takes place on the first Saturday of month. Each month we have an open call for writers from across Scotland to come to Falkirk to perform their writing for the first time or to a new audience. WWW will return in the new year. In addition to Wooer With Words [Untitled] has hosted several large events which aim to provide emerging writers from Falkirk to share a platform with some of the country's most well known writers, to date writers from Falkirk have shared a stage with the likes of Janice Galloway, and Liz Lochhead. Earlier this year saw [Untitled] host it's first show in Stirling as part of the Shindig Festival, the line up included a wealth of talented writers from Scotland such as Rachel McCrum, Loki and Katie Ailes. We were extremely pleased to bring Salford poet Mike Garry back to Central Scotland. If you would like to find out more about [Untitled] please visit www.untitledfalkirk.co.uk. 

You can follow [Untitled] at http://untitledfalkirk.blogspot.co.uk/
or on twitter at @untitledlitmag

This was a guest post written by Craig Allan. If there are other local writers' organisations who would like to feature on this site, please contact us a forthvalleywriters@gmail.com

Forth Friday 25th November

The next Forth Friday event will be on the 25th November at 7:00 at the Curly Coo, Barnton Street in Stirling.

• There will be a relaxed period for meeting other local writers, networking and exchanging the news, a chance to hear about upcoming events, local writers groups, calls for submission and members' successes
• a discussion  on the topic of Resources for Writers. Elizabeth Rimmer (current Makar for the Federation) will talk about the work of the Federation of Writers (Scotland) and poet and novelist Charlie Gracie will outline developments at the Scottish Writers Centre
• readings from members - prose, poetry or spoken word.

Come along - writers at all levels of development,working in any genre - come and find out what's happening in the Forth Valley! 

This Friday is our Halloween Forth Friday! If you'd like to perform a piece, we welcome short spooky pieces for 5min slots. We'll have some writing prompts, discussion of storytelling, and news of our various achievements and events. Some of us will be dressing up for the occasion Feel free to join us in costume.
7.30 at the Curly Coo, Barnton Street, Stirling
Oh, and please do bring some empty plastic milk cartons (and pumpkins of course).
Happy writing all, looking forward to seeing you at what promises to be our scariest, spookiest, eeriest night yet!

Stirling Writers’ Group back in Action

Many people have been asking what happened to Stirling Writers, so it is with great pleasure that we can announce its return!

Charlie Gracie will be tutoring at the newly reformed Stirling Writers’ Group for the next couple of weeks, starting on Tuesday, 18 October. The group, still organised by Robert Ritchie, will be meeting in its new home: the Burgh Coffee House in the city centre from 7pm.
Charlie writes:
It is through Stirling Writers’ Group that I developed confidence in my writing. This was mainly under the tutorship of Magi Gibson and, latterly, Chris Powici. Many people of note have passed through the group. I hope that this new start is a sign that the energy that made it the best group in the country (in many people’s view) is now reinfected.
Come along. Be part of Stirling Writers’ Group.

The last Forth Friday was jam packed - involving an inspiring discussion of performance poetry and poetry for the page, as well as chat about writing processes. We shared random funny anecdotes about eavesdropping "I tipped him!", and wrote and shared some prose and poetry too!

 The next Forth Friday will take place on the 28th of October at 7pm in the Curly Coo in Stirling. We'll be inviting performances with a horror theme: short story-telling pieces, as well as poetry. Feel free to bring news and questions to share. We'll also discuss storytelling tips. We'll also be writing on the night using Halloween-themed prompts. Prizes on offer for the ones we love the most.

Costumes, of course, not optional.

Forth Friday

Forth Valley Writers invite you to their regular Forth Friday meetup
The Curly Coo, Barnton Street Stirling
23rd September
7-9pm
Meet, drink and be merry. Share some writing and news. Muse and amuse. Connect and reflect.
As ever, everyone's welcome. Feel free to invite forth and non-forth writerly folkies.