Coffs Harbour Writers' Group Inc.

The new year has started with a resurgence of the wretched virus, but we hope to begin our meetings in February, and inspire, enrich and renew enthusiasm and writing creativity.

Venue and times are being settled as I write this. Will post information as soon as it is set in concrete.

Surprise, surprise; the blog/website has been revamped. Just to get rid of the dust. Give us a new fresh image. Ideas and suggestions are probably welcome, but the limits of creativity available are limited. Or is it just my WordPress skills? Advice is welcome, as long as advisors are prepared to show their creative genius.

I hope you each have had a safe, happy and restorative holiday season. I wish for us all to have Good Health, Happiness and Covid free 2021.

Watch this space for new meeting times and venue.

Meanwhile, keep writing.

Rosalie

A winning poem from the Coffs Harbour Heat of the National Poetry Slam by one of Coffs Harbour Writer’s Group members.

Death By Information
by Xanthe Levi Littlemore

They don’t make pain like they used to
Eighty thousand mobile phones
And twenty-seven TV stations
Radiating through my bones

Now it’s death by information, catch it from the news
Toxic saturation, I only went to buy some shoes!
Mass manipulation, caught you in the ‘net
You might run you might hide
But you will not forget

They don’t make confusion like the old days
When what you had to watch for were thieves
And who might come to the village
And who was going to leave

Now it’s death by information, frantic facile ads
Toxic saturation, designed to drive you mad
Mass manipulation buys this kind of dress
And take this pill if you get ill
And you can’t take the stress

They don’t make pain like they used to
Now they put you on hold
And make you listen to Greensleeves
We’re bankrupt if silence is gold

Now it’s death by information, chewing up your time
Toxic saturation, just like junk mail in my mind
Mass manipulation, we’re all like Stepford Wives
We might think so, but we don’t know
Who’s got hold of our lives?

Due to social distancing our meetings are postponed.

Meanwhile, members can keep in touch via email and Facebook.

Also, Membership fees will not be due till we resume regular meetings.

Our annual AGM will be held once normal meetings resume.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions our monthly meetings have been put on hold for the time being. Watch this space for future development.

Room 2, 22 Earl Street, Coffs Harbour (behind Coles opposite the skate park). (to be announced) at 10am to 12noon. Followed by lunch after the meeting in the Chill N Chat Cafe’

Social gatherings are held on the third Thursday of the month at 10am to 12noon at Shearwater Restaurant, Harbour Drive, Coffs Harbour.

Due to COVID 19 meetings are postponed till social distancing regulations allow us to meet again.

Our end of year Christmas Lunch event at Park Beach Surf Club was another delightful day.

Coffs Harbour Writers’ Group is delighted to have at our 2nd September meeting, special guest speaker the acclaimed author Annie Seaton. http://www.annieseaton.net

Annie Seaton lives near the beach on the mid-north coast of New South Wales. Her career and studies have spanned the education sector for most of her working life, including completing a Masters Degree in Education, and working as an academic research librarian, a high school principal and a university tutor until she took early retirement and fulfilled a lifelong dream of a full time writing career.

Each winter, Annie and her husband leave the beach to roam the remote areas of Australia for story ideas and research.

Some of Annie’s book achievements include:

Number 1 bestselling author in Amazon Romance series.

Winner: Whitsunday Dawn Book of the Year 2018 AUSROM
Winner …Best Established Author of the Year 2017 AUSROM
Long listed for the Sisters in Crime Davitt Awards 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
Finalist in Book of the Year, Long Romance, RWA Ruby awards 2016
Winner …Best Established Author of the Year 2015 AUSROM
Winner …Author of the Year 2014 AUSROM

Where: CeX, Vernon Street, Coffs Harbour

Time: 11am to 11.30am

The 2019 Grassroots Writers’ Weekend hosted by the Coffs Harbour Writers’ Group was held from the 17 to 19 May 2019 and attracted more than 90 participants from far and wide. All were inspired, excited and enhanced their writing skills with more than 20 workshops to choose from over two and a half days. Numbers were limited to ensure that class sizes provided a practical,  hands-on experience.

Held at the centrally-located Coffs Harbour Community Village where workshop rooms surround a peaceful, grassed courtyard (complete with two Tawny Frogmouths perched in the shady Poinciana tree), it provided a comfortable environment for mingling, networking and just contemplation over a cup of tea and the morning and afternoon teas cooked by the Coffs Harbour Writers’ Group helpers (and creative cooks from the Nambucca Valley Writers’ Group). An opening barbecue was held on the Friday night generously provided by the Bonville Sawtell Lions Club. The candle-lit formal dinner on Saturday night (complete with numerous raffle prizes) was held at the Park Beach Surf Club with a full moon dramatically illuminating the sea.

There were sessions on memoir and life writing; writing for children and young adults; murder mystery and historical fiction; flash fiction, short stories, blogs and competitions; writing craft such as perfecting your dialogue, structure and setting; using humour and imagery; making your characters and their relationships real; and techniques for effectively starting and finishing your manuscript (plans of actions and review).

Presenters included Roby Aiken, Wendy Haynes, Desley Polmear, Greg Barron, Graeme Gibson, Penelope Pratley, Gill Goater, Rosalie Skinner, Carrolline Rhodes, Laurel Cohn, Michael Burlace, Leonie Harrison, Wendy Laharnar, Elizabeth Bond, Yvonne Kachel, Leonie Henschke, Lisa Milner, and Fiona McDonald. Links to the bios.

Interesting conversation groups on everything from writing about sex to defamation and travel writing were moderated by Kim Hodges, Lorraine Penn, Yvonne Kachel and Rosalie Skinner.

We will be passing on information gathered from our appraisal sheets. Thank you to all for the positive feedback. We look forward to seeing you all next year. With suggestions for workshops and ideas shared with 2020 host, Port Macquarie.

Coffs Harbour Writers’ Group would like to acknowledge the fantastic work of our organising committee project managed by Lorraine Penn with Juliana Garaty, Roger Harris, Rosalie Skinner, Leonie Henschke, Yvonne Kachel, Julie Trachtenberg, Suzanne Tainsh, Rhonda Rand and Danielle Babb. Help was also greatly appreciated at the venue given by John Skinner, Michael Trachtenberg, Darrell Garaty and Michael Burlace.

We also thank our generous sponsors:

Port Macquarie Writers Inc. have very generously taken on the mantle to host the 2020 Grassroots Writers’ Weekend so follow us on Facebook sites…..

And check  this website for details.

A few shots from the weekend.

We would like to invite you to the 2019 Grassroots Writers’ Weekend hosted by Coffs Harbour Writers’ Group at the Coffs Harbour Community Village from the 17 to 19 May 2019. It is a fabulous weekend of hands-on, practical workshops held each year in our region. Starting on Friday afternoon and finishing on Sunday afternoon, the ‘doing’ sessions and conversations are available to everyone from school students to seniors, everyone who loves storytelling. Places are limited so please make your bookings early.

The aim of this weekend is to provide affordable, practical workshops for the beginning, the aspiring, and the published writer. It’s only $25 for the whole weekend with a barbecue and dinner optional paid extras.

Coffs Harbour Writer’s Group (CHWG) has a proud 32-year history of nurturing the writing skills of its members. On​ Monday 5th November 2018, we had the pleasure of presenting a tribute to those who laid the foundation stones of this valued community service.

Members and guests had the pleasure of meeting some of our honored members from yesteryear; like our Life Members: Rosemary Nisted, Carrolline Rhodes, and Lorraine Penn.

Both Rosemary and Carrolline took us on a journey of early days of CHWG and the benefits of belonging to an ​aspiring writers​ ​group.

Lorraine​ spoke about the group’s achievements over the past several years, including the highly successful Grassroots Writers Weekend Event held in 2015 and to be hosted again by Coffs Harbour Writers Group 17 to 19 May 2019.

Tom Strickland
President