Gibraltar Writers at Sir John Mackintosh Hall

So the date is set: Tuesday 3rd December at 7.10pm.

The next Gibraltar Writer's meeting next Tuesday is an important date.  Last one of the year, so maybe a good time for people there to recap on what they've achieved in the past twelve months.  And if you haven't been published, we'll all want to know what you are working on, how far you've got and so on. Last before Christmas so maybe a good time to meet up with everyone, get to know those you haven't met before, exchange news and views and go for a bit of a bevy afterwards.  Last before the New Year, so a good time to get to know what's in the offing for 2014 so plans and resolutions can be made.

What could be in the offing for Gibraltar Writers this coming year?  Well, I'm only going to put in my ideas here, and other members will have more to add (and maybe bits to take away), but for what it's worth, here's my wish list for the spirit of christmas (whatever that is) to work on:

1. Regular, productive get-togethers with other writers that keeps me motivated, enthused and helps me over all those boundaries that writers tend to create for themselves (writers' block / no time / more important things to do / can't quite get the words right.....)
2. Arranging a series of workshops so we can practise some of those tricky little skills that we can then use in our writing (I once attended a one - hour workshop on using the sense of hearing in writing: it was surprisingly helpful and very entertaining).  We can run them in-house and also get outside speakers in.
3. Getting into the schools at competition time to mentor young writers 
4. Reach out into community groups to get all sections of the community telling their tales - the elderly, young mums, the sick, people with disabilities, young people: those who might need a little bit of extra support to write or tell those stories that need telling.
5. An anthology of Gibraltar Writers' work at the end of the year.  We'll need sponsors.  Anyone out there love local literature?
6. A role in the Literary Festival - an evening of readings by the Gibraltar Writers, a story telling afternoon, morning coffee over poems, a poetry jam in one of the local pubs (good poetry and ale seem to have been brewed for each other).  Oh, and perhaps we could run a workshop for beginner writers.
7. An online support group for submitting and critiquing work in between meetings.

That should get us going!

So if you've read this and you're wondering if......don't.  Don't wonder.  Just do it.  Find our Facebook page and join the Facebook group.  https://www.facebook.com/groups/274341619367603/?bookmark_t=group

And come over on Tuesday.