Hornsea Writers at The Summer Creative Weekend

 

Hornsea writer Shellie Horst is holding workshops for local writers who want to develop their stories at the town's creative festival.

Shellie, a creative writing tutor, will use her lived experience as an author, and freelance journalist for The Holderness Gazette, to lead a two-hour writing workshop for budding writers to shape their stories.

It’s the ideal opportunity to put a draft together. Writers can continue to work on their creations through the summer before submitting them for publication. 

Organised by The Hornsea Collective, the weekend is designed to highlight the creativity on offer through the unique independent businesses in the town.

The workshops will be part of the Summer Creative Weekend at Hornsea Village on Saturday July 12 and Sunday July 13. The Creative Weekend is suitable for the whole family. Creative writing workshops are available on both days from 1-3pm. Shellie will also be on hand to talk all things Hornsea Writers and HumberSpeculative Fiction.  

Book your place online via https://hornseavillage.com/events/creative-summer-weekend/ or pop down on the day. 

 

 

Shellie Horst is a freelance writer, author of speculative fiction, and a tutor. Find out more about her work at https://shelliehorst.com  

The Value of Community Journalism.

 

Often overlooked, hyper-local newspapers, journals, zines and radio provide a vital information source to rural communities. With the aim of providing access to local news, these often free publications boost the voice of clubs, grass root projects, art events and community groups.

They’re important to communities because they raise awareness of local issues. Many focus on good news and informative articles. With editors adhering to a code of conduct and avoiding dramatic, misleading headlines, they build trust with their listeners and readers.

Advertising within these pages allows businesses to harness this for their own benefit, too. By aligning themselves with a positive message it supports the production costs.

For authors, it is well worth sending press releases to editors of these local sources. It can reach a readership who, for whatever reason, don’t use social media. Radio stations will often have a book feature interviewing authors or discussing book club novels.

But these outlets are also another way to see publication.

Hornsea Writer Karen Wolfe provides knowledgeable monthly amusement and anecdotes for Hornsea Community News exploring everything relating to dogs. Her articles regularly lift the spirit with a smile. As well as being informative, they are topical and naturally tie in with her Dogsbody novels.

Shellie Horst writes for Just Beverley, giving voice to the fictional antics of two beavers Bev’n’Ley. These short, locally researched pieces are designed encourage reading with children. They fit nicely around her other commitments. 

REMEMBER!  Hyper-local news outlets are not to be confused with advertising booklets. These can often be thrown away without consideration, meaning it's a waste of author’s funds.

Here's a few local to Hornsea outlets for you to consider.

Hornsea Community News

Seaside FM

https://hullisthis.news/

https://holderness-gazette.co.uk

Just Beverley

Beverley FM

Shellie Horst – a writer of many talents

 

Shellie Horst is a writer whose work encompasses a huge range. Science fiction and fantasy are her particular passions, but she also writes articles, blog posts, reviews, Minecraft projects, advertising copy, interactive narratives ... the list goes on.

In an unconventional career change, Shellie swapped from running an ice-cream van to writing for local news sites. From there she stepped into speculative fiction, her first publication, Virtually Everything, coming in 2013 under the pen name of Beverley Argent.

Skilled not only in creative, but also technical writing, Shellie built and developed websites for other people before turning her talents to creating her own web presence when she started her creative writing degree course from which she graduated in 2015.

Since then she has found her creative talents to be in demand. In 2015 she received a Special Commission as part of the Humber Mouth Literature Festival, Ten Miles East Of England: The Quest for the Lost Stories.

‘I was lucky enough to work with some amazing children at Alderman Cogan CE School in Hull,’ Shellie says. ‘And together we not only developed a story but then converted it to a game for Minecraft.’

Juggling the demands of a young family and a career in the creative arts is not easy, but Shellie manages to balance the two and has seen her own work published in a variety of anthologies including, Ages of Escafeld, Explorations through the Wormhole, and Distaff, a science fiction anthology by female authors, for which Shellie created the cover art as well as contributing a story.

Learn more about Shellie on her website.

Hornsea Writers showcased at virtual event

At this time of year, several Hornsea Writers would usually be heading for Fantastic Books Publishing's FantastiCon convention. The pandemic has put paid to a physical gathering, but there will be a virtual event on 15th and 16th August where six new books will be launched.

Although no Hornsea Writer members have books launched at this event, their work will be showcased, so please call in and expect to hear from Linda Acaster, Stuart Aken, Penny Grubb, Shellie Horst and maybe more.

The virtual FantastiCon schedule is HERE.

The event will be streamed on Twtich TV HERE.

For mini reviews on each of FantastiCon 2020's launch books, click HERE.

Free Reads for #Covid-19 Isolation

How life can change in less than a month. Here at Hornsea Writers everyone is so far so good, and we hope all our readers are enjoying similar health.

Like other countries in Europe, in the UK we are getting used to life under lockdown: home-schooling, creating new routines, staying two metres apart while outside. But it still means an awful lot of time within our own four walls, and 24-hour television soon palls.

Reading has always been The Great Escape, and Hornsea Writers has some great free reads they want to share. Many people subscribe to Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited and here are a few offerings. Links go to the author’s Amazon page unless stated:

CRIME

Penny Grubb, winner of a Crime Writers’ Association Dagger, offers two sometimes overlapping series: the DS Martyn Webber Mysteries and the Annie Raymond PI Mysteries, both set firmly in the realities of modern UK policing. The first three Annie Raymond books are available as a trilogy under the title Falling Into Crime.

April Taylor writes Cosy Crime with a touch of acerbic wit in her Georgia Pattison Mysteries. Georgia is an early-music singer, so giving recitals in cathedrals and the mansions of the aristocracy are her bread and butter. Alas, there always seems to be a body involved. For music lovers all the Georgia Pattison books have links to the music mentioned. She has written a somewhat darker, psychic Crime, The Angel Killer, with a lead character who does not embrace his “gift”, plus a Sherlock Holmes pastiche and a collection of short fiction.

ROMANCE

Madeleine McDonald writes long and short fiction. Her Enchantment In Morocco is a heart-warming story of East meets West and the constraints and acceptance of traditions and modernity. Enjoy life in a sun-baked village where lemon trees overhang white-washed walls and olive groves offer shade to working donkeys.

Linda Acaster writes mythic fantasy and chillers, but also has two historical romances in Kindle Unlimited. There is the ‘sweet’ Mediaeval Hostage of the Heart set in 1066 on the English-Welsh borderlands, full of intrigue and derring-do, and the ‘sensual’ Native American Beneath The Shining Mountains set in a time when European encroachment was mere rumour.

SCIENCE FICTION

Shellie Horst was one of the principal movers behind Distaff, an anthology of eclectic stories from women writers. It has been very well received, not least for the cover art which Shellie created. Anthologies and collections are always good for readers short of time, enabling them to dip in and out. Be sure to read My Little Mecha which Shellie wrote, especially if you are currently home-schooling.

The SMASHWORDS Authors Give Back Scheme

It isn't just on Amazon where free reads are available. Smashwords is hosting a collaboration with many of its authors to help readers cope with the Covid-19 isolation.

Stuart Aken has all six of his titles listed on the site downloadable for free until 19th April. Scroll down his Profile page for direct links. There’s a choice of erotic romance, heart-warming romance, speculative fiction, humour, dark crime, and for those with a family member suffering from ME/Chronic Fatigue, his own ten-year experiences complete with helpful information.


All authors have other titles available, on Amazon and other retail sites, for prices as low as 99p/99c, not listed here. Check the links to individual authorpages below the header.

We wish our readers many hours of immersive reading as a much needed diversion from the  sombre reality of current day-to-day life.

Stay safe. Keep your distance from others, and wash your hands. It’s the least we can do to alleviate the pressure on our health services, no matter where in the world we live.

A Conference for the Indie Author

While there are plenty of events for authors published by traditional methods, finding a conference outside of London that focuses entirely on the needs of an indie author is difficult.

May 30^th sees the first Indie Fire arrive at the Kirkgate Centre in Shipley. This is a writer’s conference aimed at all things indie...and speculative. Included in the ticket price are a day’s worth or writing workshops, discussion panels and a book market. 

Hornsea Writer Shellie Horst will be running a workshop on how to get the most from your book cover artist, as well as appearing on a panel about Author Mindsets.

There’s also the chance to catch a live broadcast of The Great Western Woods Podcast to inspire your world building and wordcount!

The schedule is already live and tickets are currently only £20.00. So if you’re considering going down the self publishing route with your Fantasy YA, that hard Science Fiction, or a splendid Steampunk novel, this is an ideal chance for you to come and learn from those who have been making it work for them. You can see more on their website: https://www.subscribepage.com/indiefire

Shellie Horst is the author of several science fiction and fantasy short stories and also reviews for SFFWorld & The Future Fire. Her story, My Little Mecha has been nominated for a BSFA Award as has her cover art for Distaff. You can follow her on Twitter @millymollymo and find out more on her website www.millymollymo.com  

Distaff The All Female Science Fiction Anthology

While some of the Hornsea Writer’s Group were making the most of Fantasticon over in Cleethorpes, I’d caught the ferry to the World Science Fiction Convention in Dublin to celebrate the publication of Distaff: A Science Fiction Anthology by Female Authors.  

Much of Science Fiction is written by women. Yet, despite advances in recent years, the market is still male dominated. Rosie Oliver, the award nominated editor of Distaff, brought together all new tales for Distaff. As well as featuring only female authors, the collection has been edited and designed by women.

The title of the anthology is taken from the name given to the staff used to wind wool about for spinning before the invention of the spinning wheel. The word then became associated with general women's work. My contribution, My Little Mecha, is one of the nine short stories to feature in the anthology. I also designed the cover. You can read more about that here.

Distaff is already receiving excellent reviews. You can read more about Distaff, the Belfast launch (including Holly Blue of Dorset’s outstanding book launch nibbles) and the reviews here.

Shellie Horst writes science fiction and fantasy. You can follow her on Twitter @millymollymo and find out more on her website www.millymollymo.com  

Writer's Growth

It's National Writing Day on 26th June. A day of inspiring events across the country, and plenty of support via social media for new writers.

I’m the newest member of Hornsea Writers (and I suspect the youngest but shhh, don’t tell the others.) They know the ‘ropes’ of this gig, and we all agree that writing is a never-ending learning curve. Writing is peppered with ambitions, dreams and plenty of naysayers to frustrate you along the way. Knowing where you are, where you’re going and what you’re trying to achieve is important if you’re goal orientated. It’s fair to say there’s a goal for any writer: The End.

Re-attending the biannual Newcastle Writing Conference this year reinforced just how much I had grown since I started out on this path. The last time I attended was 2013, I was working on a manuscript and 3 years into a 6 year degree. Bah-ha shiny hopeful me, looking for opportunities, eager to learn and thought I had it all in the bag.

Stop laughing.

Six years after my first visit to Newcastle Writing Conference, the manuscript is complete and another in the final stages. I’ve several stories out in the world. I know there’ll be more. I’m still eager (does that ever go away?) but I’m wiser. I’m aware that I’ll never know it all, yet I’m more confident in my abilities and my strengths.

The Writing Conference had changed too. Gone were the studious tones of Newcastle University. In their place was the professional, creative warmth of hope and positivity. Inspiration mixed with empowerment all day.

Tony Walsh really kicked things off with a passionate performance of poetry that inspired everyone in the room. Other writers discovered how to deal with promotion, or the importance of small presses. I was reminded of things I knew but had lost in the mass of things to do. Some gained their first positive comments or full requests and I shared their stunned joy.

These events can be overwhelming for some people. Social anxiety gets the best of us. That little demon that screeches outrage ‘How dare you believe in yourself.’ gets in the way a lot too. Finding the time, finding the money, finding someone to look after the commitments you have the ‘audacity’ to abandon while you indulge in this little dream. Yes. I’m very good at finding excuses too.

Excuses don’t write anything.

What struck me most was how I could see how I’d developed as an author. I knew why I was there and why I love running the Welcome Event at Edge-Lit as well as the irregular Humber SFF meets: To enable others.

So...are we there yet? No. Yes. Maybe. What do you mean by ‘there’? My ‘there’ was to gain knowledge – so yes.

What did I come away with this time? Clarity, a plan. One that started with my week at a grant funded Arvon retreat, but needed more thought. I didn’t go with impossible expectations. I know where I want to be. The conference gave me the connections, tools and more importantly for me right now the thinking space to figure it out. Hornsea Writers Group plays a part in that thinking space too. It was one of the pieces I needed to achieve a goal. Now it’s all about doing the work. More on that soon…

My advice for anyone on this journey?

Know the place you want to reach. Tailor your time to help you get there. Research and reach out. There will always be rejections to spoil things, so make time for fun too.

Get involved with National Writing Day on the 26th June. Go to a local event. Oh. Don’t forget to write. It doesn’t work without words.

Shellie


Shellie Horst writes science fiction and fantasy. You can follow her on Twitter @millymollymo and find out more on her website www.millymollymo.com

Building A Believable World

Writers spend a great deal of time developing their characters to make them feel real to the reader. Interviewing and mapping out their life choices to define them. With all that effort the environment these characters live in in is an afterthought.

But we all live in that world, right? We all know a car from a bus. We all know what we mean when we say “I’m going out for a coffee.”  But we’ll turn the channel or put the book aside because what we know to be real isn’t how the writer has shown it.

Placing your reader is vital. The story won’t work if you confuse them. It’s more imperative when you’re dealing with the fantastical, the dystopian and technological. You’re dealing with things your reader hasn’t encountered. So how do you get them to visualise what’s in your head?

Writing a long-winded description isn't the key. Tolkien may well be regarded as the start of Western Fantasy but readers don’t have the patience for paragraphs of exposition and information anymore, they want action, plot, intrigue. Don’t put them to sleep at the cost of your story.

Decide what is important about a story’s world.

Readers are amazingly clever people, they’re really good at filling in blanks. If the planet has two moons but much of the rest looks like Malta you have a starting point.  

Ask questions.

Like you’d interrogate your character, interrogate your towns and cities. Why is there a world on the back of this turtle? (Warning. Some questions lead you in circles.) What happens if there’s no fuel, what are the implications?

Research.

I’ve never been off planet but that didn’t stop me writing about another world in When The Skies Open. I’ve not been inside a mountain, but when I wrote The Blacksmith’s Arms I found articles and books that would give me the information I needed to imagine how it might be.

Beware.

Just as too much worldbuilding can kill your pace not enough will cause confusion. Because readers paste over the gaps of description and add their own they will be lost if your worldbuilding has flaws.

Ed McDonald, author of Fantasy Series The Raven’s Mark, summed up the delicate balance of worldbuilding in a recent Tweet.

All the effort helps you too. The more time you spend exploring your world the more real it will become and the easier it is to imagine.

 

# # #

For writers wanting to go deeper into worldbuilding join Shellie Horst at East Riding Theatre in Beverley on 2^nd Feb 2019. Tickets and more information on her Sci-fi and Fantasy Worldbuilding Day School is available here.