Writers Forum #99 January 2010

JUST FOR FUN
1 neck
2 hea
S
d
t

retch
3 nec
r
k
e

traction
4 Sho
To increase the stretch, use the e
u
x
l
t
d
e
e
n
r
S
l
i
i
o
f
n
t

op
R
p
e
o
s
s
p
it
e
e
c

t
h
e
a
d
n
p
d
h
t
y
o
s

i
p
ot
r
h
e
e
ss
r

a
g
p
e
i
n
st
t

ly
and author ■■ Lift an
ag
S
a
ir
S
in

i
R
r
st
o
R

b
o
yo
i
b
n
i
u

n
r
M
a
h
c
d
e
K
v
a
e
o
d
n
c
.
z
a
i
t
e
e

s
re
t
c
h
o
is
m
e
m
xe
e
r
n
c
d
is
s
e
t

d
h
a
i
s

s

t
a
e

nse both shoulders
to
f

o
h
l
e
lo
lp
w

-
n
o
e
n
c

k
fr

o
p
m
ai

n
th
:
e head retraction. ■■ Ho
ld for 10 seconds, then drop and r
elax
Sponsored by CHAPTERHOUSE www.chapterhousepublishing.co.uk
■■ Sit up straight and
■■ Whilst sitting, look
■■ Hold your head in the
■■ Repeat 3 times
drop your right
straight ahead
retracted position
shoulder
■■ Tuck your chin down
■■ Lift your chin up and tilt
■■ Looking straight
and in
your head back as far as
ahead, try to touch you can, looking u
your le
■
p
f
■
t
S

l
s
o
h
w
o
l
u
y
l

d
p
e
u
r
ll your
at
with you
h
t
r
e
h

a
e
le
d

f

c
t
b
e
e
a
il
a
c
in
r
k
g
wards
as far as you can
■■ In this position, move
■■ Hold for 5 seconds your head 2cm to
■
t
■ Hold for a few
he
■■ Repeat on each
s
l
e
e
c
f
o
t.
n
H
d
o
s,
l

d
th
f
e
o
n
r

r
a
e
m
lax
oment
side up to 5 times ■■ Return to starting
■

■ Repeat up to 5 times
position, and repeat
on right side
5 Shoulder
rotation
■■ Sit upright and
Writers
6 arm Stretch
rotate
F
you
o
r left
r

u m autho
r
■■ Stretch both arms out in front o
f you
at shoulder height, palms upright
shoulder, first ■■ Bend forear
ms back and
forwards and then
backwards
■■ Repeat with right
shoulder
deS
kerc
ises
touch your shoulders with
your fingertips
■■ Repeat up to
5 times
■■ Alternate 2 or
3 times
Take just a few minutes
out of each writing hou
r to stay fit and active
Oh dear, it looks like Thomas Harris was having
a bad writing day. Can you spot the 20 errors in
7 hand Stretch
8 Back arch
9 leg clench
■■ Clench your fists tightly for
10 leg Stretch
11
■

■ Sit upright and place
foot lift
To
5
p

r
s
o
e
m
c
ot this ‘ﬁ rst draft’ of The Silence of the Lambs?
o
e b
n
lo
d
od
s
flow and improve tone. To improve circulation and tone the calf,
This works
t

h
th
e
e c

a
b
lf
a
a
c
nd
k
t
s
h

ig
of your t
h
h

ig
m
h
u
a
sc
n
l
d
e

s
t

u
a
m
nd
■
m

■ Clench your calf
y muscles. gets the blood fl
owing.
■■ Stretch your fingers out, hands on y
our
th
a
e
n
n
d

r
t
e
h
l
i
a
g
x
h
■■ Stretch your
■■ Sit wit
t
h
h
y
e
o
h
u
a
r
nds lower back
muscles
legs out
feet in line with
■■ Repeat up to 5 times ■■ Arch your
back a few ■■ Point your your knees
by pushing your times toes up
■■ Raise both Dr Frederick chilton, ﬁ fty-eight, administrater of the
hips forward
■■ Hold for feet and hold
and pulling
1 minute for 1 minute
your shoulders
and repeat Baltimore State Hospital for the Criminally Insane, has a long wide
back
■■ Repeat
■■ Hold for 10
seconds and
desk upon which their are no hard or sharp objects. Some of the
repeat up to
3 times
staff call it ‘the moat’. Other staff member’s don’t know what the
word moat means. Dr Chilton remained seated behind his desk
write, these are professional remembered my old school was
when Clarice Starling came into his ofﬁ ce.
people and they know their stuff. like. I used the same technique “We’ve had a lot of detectives here, but I can’t remember one
I’m enjoying sending short for a sequel and the third book
so atractive,” Chilton said without getting up.
ﬁ ction stories to magazines, I’m writing now is based on a
which I never dreamt of doing girl I used to know at secondary
Starling knew without thinking about it that the shine on his
before. My creativity can be school. Thanks, Michael. I’m extended hand was lanolin from patting his hair. She let go before
put to good use from now on, pleased I’m not the only one.
he did.
whilst updating my skills. Each Julie Day, Forest Hill,
day my conﬁ dence grows. Thanks, London
“It is Miss Sterling isn’t it?”
Writers’ Forum, for an interesting,
“It’s Starling, Doctor, with am a. Thank you for your time.
informative magazine and another
“So the FBI is going to the girls like everything else, ha, ha.”
opportunity to put pen to paper.
BE A JUGGLER
Sheila Hannah, Among the many ideas for how
He added the tobacco smile he uses to seperate his sentences.
Suffolk to become a successful writer,
“The Bureau’s improving, Dr Chilton. It certainly is.”
the best one is to maintain an
“Will you be in Baltimore for several days. You know, you can
HEALTHY MIND
Inspiration Book, jotting down
have just as good a time here as you can in Washinton or New
ideas to be used in future. But
I recently received my ﬁ rst with hundreds of ideas churning
York, if you know the town.”
issue of Writers’ Forum and it fell out of the little grey cells, She looked away to spare herself his smile and knew at once
open smack-dab, dead-centre organising them can be daunting.
that he had registered his distaste. “I’m sure its a great town,
to the Author Deskercises I have found that prioritising
(#95 September). Perfect! I was my ideas is important. I deal with
but my instructions are to see Dr Lecter and report back this
recovering from a pulmonary time-sensitive articles ﬁ rst, such afternoon.”
embolism, which had probably as coverage of a recent event, a
“Is there someplace I could call you in Washington for a
originated after sitting hour after feature on a current subject or an
hour writing at my desk. interview with a personality.
follow-up, later on?”
Here was my dilemma. I loved Next, I tackle articles on “Of course. It’s kind of you to think of it. Special Agent Jack
writing but I also needed to look fashion, then articles on health,
Crawford’s in charge of this project and, you can always reach me
after myself. I’d learned that in women and men’s topics,
order to placate an inventive parenting etc. Finally, short stories,
threw him.”
mind one must nurture the body. poems or stories for children can
“I see,” Chilton said His cheeks, motled with pink, clashed
But how could I accomplish this? be written.
with the improbable red-brown of his coif. “Give me your
Thankfully, the Deskercises are To organise the ideas I mark
the answer. They are humorous sections in my Inspiration Book,
identiﬁ cation, please.” He let her remain standing through his
and playful yet informative and keeping the ﬁ rst few pages for
lesurely examination of her ID card. Then he handed it back and
serious. So thanks, Wendy Green. time-sensitive articles, the next
rose. “This wont take much time. Come along.”
My pull-out poster is front and few for fashion articles and so on,
centre on my bulletin board. ending with the story category.
Sent in by John Drake, of Torbay, who wins £25
Lin Johns, Calgary, Canada Lastly, I always juggle two
or three articles at a time –
. o) p y t ( e k a t t ’ n wo 0 2 . ) g in l el p s ( e t a r a p e o s t 0 1 . ) k r a m
. ) g in l el p s ( n o i t a n i m a x y e l e r u s i le 9 1 h c e e p s g n i s s i m ( ” . e m i r t u o r y o f 9
OLD SCHOOL
preferably of different genres so
that wires do not get crossed
. ) g in l el p s ( k n i h p t i d w e l t t mo 18 . o) p y t ( a n h a t i w 8 . ) ng i s s mi
I was interested to read the and ideas mixed up. If you hit
. ) p o t l s l u g f n i s s i m ( . d i a n s o t l i h C 7 1 a m m o c ( ? t i t ’ n s i , g n i l ter S 7 . ) g in l el p s (
‘Research Secrets’ (#97 writer’s block in the middle of the
. ) d r o g w n o r w ( m i h h g u ro h t 16 ve i t c a r t t o a e s n o 6 . ) d e d e e t n o n
November) about children’s ﬁ rst write-up and you still have
. ) e c a l g p n o r n w a i m m o c ( e h p o r t s o p a ( rs e b m e f m f a t s 5
author Michael Alexander, who more free time (and we all know
u o y d n a , t c e j ro p 5 1 . ) e h p o r st o p a . ) d r o g w n o r w ( d r a o h e n r a re e h t 4
said he bases his characters’ how precious that particular
g n i s s i m ( n w o t t a e r s a g ’ it 14 . ) a m m o g c n i s s i m ( k s e e d d i w , g lon 3
lessons and teachers on his commodity is), then you can
. ) d r o g w n o r w ( e t s a t s i d r he 13 . ) g in l el p s ( r o t a r t s ni mi d a 2 . tal) i p a c
own schooldays rather than switch to the second article. But a
. ) g in l el p s ( n o t g n i h s Wa 12 g n i s s i m ( n o t hil C k c i r e d e r r F D 1
researching modern schools. word of caution: until you are an
. ) n o i t s e u (q ? s y a l d a r e v e r s o f 11 ons i t c e r r Co
It resembles how I’ve been expert juggler, it’s best not to try
writing my children’s books. more than two articles at a time.
My ﬁ rst book Rosie and the Smita Shenoy, £25
Could you ruin a passage from a famous novel? Send your
error-ridden First Draft (around 300 words), and the
Sick School was based on what I Chennai, India solution, to ﬁ rstdraft@writers-forum.com Please note that entries
are accepted via email only. We pay £25 for the best published.
Writers
’
FORUM #99 11
WF99JAN10.indd 2 24/11/2009 23:54:57
Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3 | Page 4 | Page 5 | Page 6 | Page 7 | Page 8 | Page 9 | Page 10 | Page 11 | Page 12 | Page 13 | Page 14 | Page 15 | Page 16 | Page 17 | Page 18 | Page 19 | Page 20 | Page 21 | Page 22 | Page 23 | Page 24 | Page 25 | Page 26 | Page 27 | Page 28 | Page 29 | Page 30 | Page 31 | Page 32 | Page 33 | Page 34 | Page 35 | Page 36 | Page 37 | Page 38 | Page 39 | Page 40 | Page 41 | Page 42 | Page 43 | Page 44 | Page 45 | Page 46 | Page 47 | Page 48 | Page 49 | Page 50 | Page 51 | Page 52 | Page 53 | Page 54 | Page 55 | Page 56 | Page 57 | Page 58 | Page 59 | Page 60 | Page 61 | Page 62 | Page 63 | Page 64 | Page 65 | Page 66 | Page 67 | Page 68