Friends of Lowestoft Library Christmas Quiz

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I know Christmas doesn't officially start until 1st December, at the earliest, but it is only a few weeks away, so we all need to start organising our calendars for all the events that will be taking place this festive season.  If you are a Lowestoftian, and have nothing to do on Friday 30th November, you should come to the Friends of Lowestoft Library Christmas Quiz, which will be taking place in Lowestoft Library (obviously) at 7pm.

If you are interested, you need to contact the library (either call them on 01502405342, or go into the library and speak to a member of staff there) to book your team.  

The library held a quiz earlier in the year, for World Book Night, and it was a lovely event.  The atmosphere is always very relaxed, and there are prizes!  Always a bonus.  

When you have your team together, let the library know, and then get planning your evening menu with your team mates, as you have to bring your own food and drink; perhaps something Christmassy, like mulled wine, cold cuts of ham and chicken, crusty bread, mince pies, a selection of nuts, a tin of Quality Street.  Just make sure you can eat everything as it is, as there are no cooking facilities (it's a library - be practical).

I look forward to seeing you there.

If you want to print out these posters to advertise the event, please feel free.

Gamlingay Writers' Group

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Welcome to my interview with Tracey Dawson from Gamlingay Writers' Group.

*****

Hi Tracey, can you tell us a bit about your writing group?

We are Gamlingay & District Writers' Group.  We meet on the first Tuesday of every month at 7pm.  We currently meet at members’ homes as this is friendlier (and cheaper!) than hiring a hall.  The meetings are not always held at the same person’s home, but the location is never far from the Gamlingay area.  I founded the group four years ago.

How many members, on average, does your group have?

Maybe 15, but the average at meetings is eight.  We also have some ‘virtual’ members – one in Scotland who moved there after coming to the group a few times and one in France who’s the friend of someone who’s a member and who has a holiday home in France.

Who are you and what is your role within the group?

Tracey Dawson (Mrs) MA APMI, Senior Pensions Policy Manager.  I founded the group nearly 4 years ago.  I am the chair, vice chair, secretary & treasurer.

How are your sessions structured?

We set ourselves monthly targets (e.g. enter a comp; write x words of a novel etc.) so I run through the targets, go through who’s entered a comp etc.  I will attach a newsletter.  Then we go through the stories.  We have a monthly theme and spend three weeks writing on the theme, then distribute by email a week before the meeting so we can come prepared with comments.  The ‘main’ bit of the meeting is commenting on each others’ stories.

What kind of support does your writing group provide for its writers?

Emotional support and encouragement; friendly critique.

What types of things do you cover in your group?

Go through stories and help each other.  I also organise speakers now and then, and we have a Christmas meal in January and a social event in summer.

What have been some of your most popular/successful activities?

Christmas meal; Teresa Benison and Sarah Harrison as speakers.

Apart from those two, have you had any other guest speakers?

As above, plus Christine Adams who wrote about her aunt bodily moving a house from London to Norfolk.  Having Midge Gillies next month.  They are depressing to organise – a lot of hard work and low attendance, but they always provide a real lift to the group, so I am persisting for the time being.

What genres do the members of your group write?

Lots of diversity.  Everything from gentle romance to futuristic to experimental.  Also some poetry.

Have you ever written collectively as a group, such as producing an anthology?

Yes, we did an anthology.  I will send you a copy for £2 plus postage!

Where do you get your ides/writing prompts from?

We set the program once a year so everyone can contribute ideas.

What is the best piece of writing advice you give?

I provide relentless encouragement & enthusiasm.

Do members of the group get a chance to run/lead a session or part of a session?

No.  I have asked and no-one wants to.

Does your group have a website/blog/Twitter/Facebook?

www.gamlingaywriters.org.uk.  I have FB on my ‘to do’ list atm, but I’m not sure if I can be bothered.

How would someone go about joining your writing group?

Email info@gamlingaywriters.org.uk or phone me (contact details are on the website).  I will then give further details.

Thank you Tracey.

NaNoWriMo OhYes!

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November is nearly upon us, and there are thousands of people all over this planet who have decided to dedicate 30 days of their autumn to writing 50,000 for NaNoWriMo (that's National Novel Writing Month to those of us who don't like tongue twisters).  It's been something that I've wanted to do for a while, but always talked myself out of it.  There's no way anyone can possibly write a whole novel in a month.  And yet I managed to do a lot more than that earlier this year.  I hadn't intended to write a novel in a month, but once I started writing, I couldn't stop, and after 37 days I had 120,000 words under my belt.  So what is stopping me from doing something similar in November?  Nothing.

Over the past couple of weeks or so, people have been posting up advice on Twitter (and various other places around t'internet) on how to get through the next month, and I'd like to pass on my own pearls of wisdom.

1. Set yourself realistic targets - In order to write 50,000 words in 30 days, you need to scribble down an average of 1,667 words per day.  This might seem scary, so take baby steps.  Bite size chunks are easier to digest.  And you'll normally write more if your targets are low to start with.  If you set yourself to write 10 words, you'll find that easy and write 100 words.  So start off small, build your confidence, and work up to 1,667 words per day.  After the first few days, your targets will increase and you'll start to find reaching these targets easier.  When I was writing my first book I set myself a target of 1,000 words per day, and it got to the point where I was writing up to 4,000.
2. Clear your workspace - Wherever you write; be it a desk, the kitchen table, the bathroom floor, the boot of your car, make sure it's uncluttered.  As a writer, you will also be a procrastinator, so you don't need unnecessary distractions from, well, anything.
3. Invest in post-it notes - If you're sitting at your computer, typing a scene at the beginning of your story, you'll no doubt get ideas for things that will happen later on in the book.  If you're anything like me, you'll have to get your snippets of inspiration down on paper as soon as possible, but you won't want to lose them in your typed text.  Get all of your spur of the moment thoughts down on post-it notes, stick them around the edge of your computer screen, and throw them away once you've typed them up in the appropriate place.
4. Take breaks - Get up and move away from your computer at various points throughout your writing day.  Don't take a break by browsing facebook, or watching videos on YouTube.  Leave your computer and forget about it for a while.  Go for a walk, get the heart beating and the blood pumping, breathe in some fresh air.  You'll feel refreshed and ready to attack the keyboard again.  When I was writing, I'd always take a break at 12:30 to take my dog for a walk.  Sometimes it would be frustrating as I'd be in 'the zone' and wouldn't want to stop writing.  But I did always feel better after the walk.  I know November isn't the most pleasant of times to go walking, with the rain and wind attacking, so perhaps go to the gym or go swimming or go for a drive or do some housework.  Do anything that will give your eyes and your mind a rest.  
5. Drink water - I know this isn't advice for running a marathon, but even though you aren't giving your body a workout, you are giving your mind a workout.  Avoid coffee or generic energy drinks made from the juice found in bull's testicles.  You'll get a perk and feel like you could write forever, then you'll drop, so you'll drink some more caffeine which will perk you up, and then you'll drop, and this vicious circle will keep going until you feel absolutely shattered.  Instead, keep yourself hydrated with water or juice, and get your energy perks from snack foods, such as fruit (apples, bananas, blueberries, strawberries), raw vegetables (carrots, celery, cucumber, red peppers), and nuts (almonds, cashews, pecans).  You can chow down on these snacks while you're typing away.
6. Don't compete - I understand that this is a challenge undertaken by thousands of people, and there are forums to join on the NaNoWriMo website where you can chat to other writers and get support.  If you happen to notice someone on 2nd November saying that they've already written 10,000 words, don't let it get you down or make you feel inadequate.  We set our own targets for our own lifestyle.  Just because someone has written a lot, doesn't mean that they're better than you or that they're going to finish.  Concentrate on your own words.   
7. Sleep - This probably sounds silly, as we all need to sleep, regardless of what we're doing, but it's important to get a sufficient amount of rest to keep our minds active.  If, for whatever reason, you've been unable to reach your word count target for the day, don't sit up until 4am staring at your computer in the hope that the words will come.  When you have to get up at 7am to get the kids ready for school or to take the dog for a walk or to get yourself to work, you'll wish that you'd gone to bed earlier.  If you really don't feel like you can write any more, close it down and leave it be.  You can't force words if words won't come.  There's always tomorrow to get more words down (unless it's 30th November!).
8. Save, save, save - I have got into the habit of saving anything I write after I've typed a few words.  An easy way to do this is to hold down the control ('ctrl') key on your keyboard and then press the 's' key.  This may sound a bit extreme, but I don't ever want to lose anything, even if it is only a few words.  Normally I save my work to my hard drive first.  When I've come to the end of my writing day, I'll save my work to my memory stick, and I'll also e-mail the work to myself.  You're going to be working so hard at getting this done, you don't want to lose anything because of a freak power cut or the dreaded blue screen of death.
9. Don't give up - It may seem like you're climbing a mountain with no view of the top in which to plant your flag, but you will get there.  And the feeling of having a completed manuscript is amazing.  Holding those pages of paper is physical proof that you've written a book.  It won't be a brilliant book.  It will need a lot of editing.  But it will be a book, and you can feel  pleased that you've done it.  So even when you get to the middle of the month and you feel like giving up, don't.  Plod at it.  If you feel your story is getting boring, add a few plot twists, or bring in a crazy character.  It's your book.  You can do whatever you want with it, so whatever you do do, keep doing it, and only give up once your story is finished.
10. Enjoy yourself - Either you write as a hobby or you write professionally.  No-one is forcing you to be a writer, so you've chosen this art form because you like doing it.  Don't let it seem like work.  It's just a longer version of your writing group homework, or a writing prompt that has taken on a life of its own.  If you find that you're not enjoying it, perhaps writing isn't for you.

There are probably hundreds of other pieces of advice that could be given with regards to writing a novel, so I won't pretend that this is an exhaustive list.  I just hope it gives you a little bit of light at the end of a long tunnel.

LLBG October

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This month we have been reading The Picture of Dorian Grey by Oscar Wilde.  Although this is a book that everyone 'should' have read, it was one of the many books on my 'to read' list, and I've finally read it.  Before I delve into the opinions of myself and the book group, I just want to point out some notable quotations that stood out for me.  I know there are hundreds of books already in print which contain lists of Wilde's famous words, but they are the quotations that other people deem important.  The following lines are the ones that I deem important.

*****

The Preface 

The artist is the creator of beautiful things.
To reveal art and conceal the artist is art's aim.
The critic is he who can translate into another manner or a new material his impression of beautiful things.
The highest, as the lowest, form of criticism is a mode of autobiography.
Those who find ugly meanings in beautiful things are corrupt without being charming.  This is a fault.
Those who find beautiful meanings in beautiful things are cultivated.  For these there is hope.
They are the elect to whom beautiful things mean only beauty.
There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book.  Books are well written, or badly written.  That is all.
The nineteenth century dislike of Realism is the rage of Caliban seeing his own face in a glass.
The nineteenth century dislike of Romanticism is the rage of Caliban not seeing his own face in a glass.  The moral life of man forms part of the subject-matter of the artist, but the morality of art consists in the perfect use of an imperfect medium.  No artist desires to prove anything.  Even things that are true can be proved.
No artist has ethical sympathies.  An ethical sympathy in an artist is an unpardonable mannerism of style.
No artist is ever morbid.  The artist can express everything.
Thought and language are to the artist instruments of an art.
Vice and virtue are to the artist materials for an art.
From the point of view of form, the type of all the arts is the art of the musician.  From the point of view of feeling, the actor's craft is the type.
All art is at once surface and symbol.
Those who go beneath the surface do so at their peril.
Those who read the symbol do so at their peril.
It is the spectator, and not life, that art really mirrors.
Diversity of opinion about a work of art shows that the work is new, complex, and vital.
When critics disagree, the artist is in accord with himself.
We can forgive a man for making a useful thing as long as he does not admire it.  The only excuse for making a useless thing is that one admires it intensely.
All art is quite useless.

…for there is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about.

You know more than you think you know, just as you know less than you want to know. 

He played with the idea, and grew wilful; tossed it into the air and transformed it; let it escape and recaptured it; made it iridescent with fancy, and winged it with paradox.

I’m too fond of reading books to care to write them, Mr. Erskine.  I should like to write a novel certainly; a novel that would be as lovely as a Persian carpet, and as unreal.  But there is no literary public in England for anything except newspapers, primers, and encyclopædias.  Of all people in the world the English have the least sense of the beauty of literature. 

She was a curious woman, whose dresses always looked as if they had been designed in a rage and put on in a tempest.

The only artists I have ever known who are personally delightful are bad artists.  Good artists exist simply in what they make, and consequently are perfectly uninteresting in what they are.  A great poet, a really great poet, is the most unpoetical of all creatures.  But inferior poets are absolutely fascinating.  The worse their rhymes are, the more picturesque they look.  The mere fact of having published a book of second-rate sonnets makes a man quite irresistible.  He lives the poetry that he cannot write.  The others write the poetry that they dare not realise.

But then the only things that one can use in fiction are the things that one has ceased to use in fact.

I love acting.  It is so much more real than life.

Love is a more wonderful thing than Art.
They are both simply forms of imitation. 

There are only two kinds of people who are really fascinating - people who know absolutely everything, and people who know absolutely nothing.

And, certainly, to him, Life itself was the first, the greatest of the arts, and for it all the other arts seemed to be but a preparation.

One's days were too brief to take the burden of another's errors on one's shoulders.  Each man lived his own life and paid his own price for living it.  The only pity was one had to pay so often for a single fault.  One had to pay over and over again, indeed.  In her dealings with man, Destiny closed her accounts.

*****

Most people enjoyed the book, but found it very wordy.  Wilde does have a fantastic way with language, and his vocabulary is superb, but sometimes he does go on and on and on and on with his description and it can get quite boring.  I almost feel a bit bad about saying negative things about Oscar Wilde, because he is one of the greats, but this book didn't meet my expectations.  I've read two of his plays; Salomé and The Importance of Being Earnest, which were strange and funny, and I had hoped for the same from this book.

One member of the group made an interesting comment.  She said that a lot of the original story had been omitted from the published version as it was too risqué for the time.  Apparently, Wilde had written about homosexuality and opium dens in much more detail, and more frequently, than was actually published, as well as other example of debauchery.  This makes sense, as the story did feel disjointed in parts, and there were hints towards the terrible things that Dorian had done during his life, but no actual details. 

This book was Wilde's only novel, and many people at the group said that it probably would have scanned better had it been a play.  I don't know if I agree or disagree with this, but I do feel that it was lacking a lot of the story.  Although this is a well known story, I won't give away the ending.  All I will say is that the ending was a surprise, but it was too sudden considering the wordiness of the book.

I'm not going to tell you that you shouldn't read this book.  However, I will tell you not to expect too much from it.  And don't let it put you off reading Wilde's plays.  They're brilliant.

Next month we will be discussing The Wandering Falcon by Jamil Ahmad.

Writer - Tracey Dawson

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I'd like to welcome you to my interview with writer, Tracey Dawson.  Enjoy.

Tracey Dawson

Hello Tracey.  Can you introduce yourself?

I'm Tracey Dawson from South Cambs.

How long have you been writing?

I finished my first 'novel' at the age of five.

What first got you interested in writing?

Always have been.

Do you attend a writing group?

Letchworth writers’ group from the age of 15 to 36/7.  I was the secretary for quite a few years.  We moved about 15 miles away and I started my own group 4 years ago.

Why do you attend a writing group?

To get the support and encouragement of other writers, and to feel that I’m not alone in what I’m doing.

What's the most valuable thing you've taken away from your writing group?

Not to give up! 

What genre(s) do you write?  What drew you to this/these genre(s)?

I’ve done fantasy and romance, but mostly write black humour.  I like weird + humour... it’s just how my brain works.

That's how my brain works too!  Are there any genres that you don't enjoy writing?

I can only write stuff that interests me, so could never write e.g. commercial, mainstream chicklit.  It would bore me rigid.

What types of things do you write?

I’ve written four novels and am currently working concurrently on five and six which are completely different.  I’ve written quite a few short stories.

Have you ever had anything published?

Lots of short stories have won comps and been published in anthologies.  All four novels are available on Amazon as paper copes and on Kindle.  I would like to become more successful but am not sure how to go about it. 

I think you just have to take your own advice, and not give up!  Have you sent your writing to agents/publishers?  Have you received any rejections?

Yes, loads.  Yes, loads!  Although for each of my first three novels, an agent wanted to see the rest.

Who/what influences your writing?  Where do you get your inspiration from?

I just bang ideas together til something sparks.  The old people puppets from the Winga advert inspired novel number five.  I looked at them and suddenly thought, they’re retired superheroes.  And started a novel about them the next day.

How do you come up with your characters' names and personalities?

Novel number six – I know Max and Chris inside out as they’ve been in lots of short stories.  Novel number five – I wrote down names and characteristics i.e. basic likes and dislikes.  Then I write about them, and they take on their own characteristics. 

Do you have a writing routine?

I write at lunchtimes, and I have learned to switch it on and off.  I can switch on when I get some spare time.

That's impressive.  I wish I had that ability.  Do you start out with a complete idea for your stories, or do you just start writing and hope for the best?

I’ve done both.  I prefer to plan short stories.  Novels – I have a vague idea where I’m going, and just get on with it.

Do you have an editing process?

I tried reading aloud to see if I wanted to do it at the pub thing next week and felt very stupid.  I skim through what I wrote the day before and correct any errors, which gets me into the mindset for continuing.

Have you ever entered any writing competitions?  Have you ever won?

Yes, loads.  Yes, loads.  Latest win was ‘first chapter’ comp in August 2012 for writers’ billboard comp.  One Summer is currently on their website. 

Have you ever attended an open mic event for spoken word performers?

No, but I’m going to one next week to publicise the group.

How important is it for you to share your writing?

Varies.  I want to earn some money and sometimes I want approval, but sometimes I know myself if something is any good.  I found that sharing with the L’worth group was actually demotivating as they were all so wet. 

What do you enjoy the most/least about writing?

Most – intellectually satisfying.  Least – hard work, no idea if I’m ever going to be successful, sometimes feel that everything I write is rubbish.

We are our own worst critic.  What's the best piece of writing advice you've ever been given?

It’s just words on paper. If it isn’t fun, then don’t do it.

Don’t give up. 

What advice could you give to a new writer?

Go to a writing group and keep writing.

Apart from writing, what are your other hobbies/interests?

Showjumping, dressage, piano, drums, martial arts.

What types of things do you read?  Do you think your writing reflects your book tastes?

 My writing is different from anything I’ve ever read.  I usually read whatever’s on the kindle charts, although I have faves like Ladies No 1 detective agency that I always get asap.

If you could have written anything, what do you wish that could have been?

Terry Pratchett’s discworld stuff.

What are you working on at the moment?

Two novels and a plain English diploma assignment.

Do you have a website/blog/Twitter/Facebook dedicated to your writing?

www.gamlingaywriters.org.uk (I am catembi on there...i.e. the only one who ever posts anything) and www.traceydawson.Weebly.com. 

Would you be able to provide a short piece of your work?

Taken from the first chapter of One Summer.

One way or another, it turned out to be a pretty awesome summer. I’m not really sure, even now, if it was the best summer of my whole life or the worst one, but it wasn’t the kind of summer that you ever forget. Life- changing doesn’t even come into it. I mean, everything’s potentially life changing, if you think about it. If you rush off in the morning in too much of a hurry and leave the milk out, then come home at the end of the day to find you can’t have the cup of tea you’ve been craving because your milk smells like something you’d rather not smell, that could be life changing because you could never ever leave your milk out again for the rest of your life. Unless you’re me, of course, in which case you’re always in such a scramble to catch up with yourself that things a lot more important than a quarter bottle of milk get continually ignored.

It was more than life changing, and it had affected a lot more people than just the three of us by the time it was all over. It changed me more than I could possibly ever have imagined, in a way that went far beyond the mental and physical scars that I picked up along the way, but I’m getting ahead of myself. 

It all started when the new guy arrived in the office on that bright Monday morning. It wasn’t that bright a morning from my point of view because obviously it was a Monday- another five whole days to go till the weekend- but the day was clear and already hot. Hot enough that if I hadn’t been stuck in the office, I’d have spent the day reading in the garden. 

© Tracey Dawson 

Thank you Tracey.

Redwell Writers

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I'd like to welcome you to my interview with David Viner, from Redwell Writers.

*****

Hello David.  Can you tell us a bit about your writing group?

Redwell Writers, meets fortnightly at member's houses. It was established in 2006 by a local author though it is now run by its members. The name comes from the fact that the original meeting place was just off Redwell Street in Norwich.

How many members, on average, does your group have?

Usually around 8 to 10 – we wouldn't expand much on this as that size gives everyone a chance for input.

Who are you and what is your role within the group?

My name is David Viner.  I took over the running of the group (and also built the web site) once the original person who started the group had to stop running it.

How are your sessions structured?

Sometimes they are themed but mostly they are general discussion plus read and review. We do the occasional writing exercise.

What types of things do you cover in your group?

All aspects of writing: themes, genres, styles, plotting, POV, narrative, characterisation, opportunities for getting published etc. – basically, anything to do with writing!

What have been some of your most popular/successful activities?

The regular read and review sessions are the most popular as it gives us the opportunity to hear what each other is doing and help each other where we spot problems.

What genres do the members of your group write?

Anything goes – we've had romantic, horror, crime, Sci-Fi, slipstream, autobiography, script writing, observational, comedy, general journalistic articles etc.

Have you ever written collectively as a group, such as producing an anthology?

It is something we are currently looking into.

What kind of support does your writing group provide for its writers?

The regular read and review sessions encourage the development of individual writers.

Do you have guest speakers at your group?

Yes, we've had published authors and also had along someone who writes critiques, whose advice was taken on board. 

Do members of the group get a chance to run/lead a session or part of a session?

Yes, anyone can run a session – we've used this in the past for themed meetings. Each person would investigate a particular theme such as plotting, characterisation, editing etc and present information about it. Usually the rest of the group would bring along a short piece to read out that illustrated that theme. 

What's the best piece of writing advice you've been given?

Writers write!  i.e. don't talk about writing unless you are writing yourself, write something every day - no, I don't tend to manage this personally! 

What is the best piece of writing advice you give?

As above!

Does your writing group have a website/blog/Twitter/Facebook?

www.redwellwriters.org

How would someone go about joining your writing group?

Contact us via the website.

Thank you David.

Writer - David Viner

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Welcome to my interview with writer, David Viner.  Enjoy.

David Viner

Hello David.  Can you introduce yourself?

I'm David Viner from Norwich.

How long have you been writing?

Dabbled in the 1970/80s.  Became more serious in the past 10 years. 

What first got you interested in writing?

Reading and thinking "I could do this."

Positive thinking!  Do you attend a writing group?

Redwell Writers.  One of the original members in 2006.

Why do you attend a writing group?

Mutual encouragement.  Get feedback on my own writing.  Interesting to hear what others are writing and how they are progressing. 

What is the most valuable thing you've taken away from your writing group?

Encouragement. 

What genre(s) do you write?  What drew you to this/these genre(s)?

Sci-Fi, slipstream, anything that takes my fancy!  Have always read Sci-Fi since childhood.

Are there any genres that you don't enjoy writing?

No, I won't preclude any style or genre for which I get an idea.

What types of things do you write?

Short stories mainly though there are a couple of novels under the proverbial bed! (aren't there always?)

Indeed there are.  Have you ever had anything published?

Yes, 3 short stories: 

• Eight Excerpts from a Secret Inter-dimensional War  - published in The Hub magazine (now defunct) 2007 – a science fiction story told in eight unconnected flash fiction sections. 
• Home For Christmas – a story of one man's struggle to return to the city of his birth after the onset of a new ice age. Published in "Angles, an anthology of Speculative Fiction featuring authors/stories based in East Anglia, edited by Ian J C Millsted" 
• No Accident – a tongue in cheek murder mystery set in the 1960s - published in First Edition magazine (also now defunct). 

Have you sent your writing to agents/publishers?  Have you received any rejections?

Yes and yes!

Would you consider self-publishing/e-publishing?

Yes, the anthology that we are considering doing for the writing group would be self published. It is no longer looked down upon – the "vanity publishing" aspect has almost disappeared now. Personally I prefer the feel of a proper paper–made book in my hand.

I agree about the paper made books; that's what makes it a book and not a computer screen!  Who/what influences your writing?  Where do you get your inspiration from?

Inspiration can come from anything: a chance comment, an article in a magazine, an idea seemingly from out of nowhere. I often start writing with no idea of what I am writing about – the Eight Excerpts story started like that as did the story I read out at the writing group a couple of evenings ago. 

How do you come up with your characters' names and personalities?

It depends on the setting of the story – Zartok Krackskull is obviously not the sort of name I'd use for a story with a modern day domestic setting whilst Elsie Thompson wouldn't sound right for an evil Galactic Overlord! J The personalities tend to grow with the writing.

Unless Elsie was Zartok in disguise, to lead his/her enemies into a false sense of security...  Do you start out with a complete idea for your stories, or do you just start writing and hope for the best?

Either will do. 

Do you have a writing routine?

No routine whatsoever!

Do you have an editing process?

The read and review sessions at the writing group are good for identifying problems that I haven't spotted.

Have you ever entered any writing competitions?  Have you ever won?

Yes and no.

Have you ever attended an open mic event for spoken word performers?

Yes, though I didn't get the chance to read anything and wouldn't have wanted to at the time as it was first (and only) time there.

How important is it for you to share your writing?

Quite important as it gives the feedback I need to improve.

What do you enjoy the most/least about writing?

A feeling of achievement when it goes right.  Getting started can often be hard.

What is the best piece of writing advice you've ever been given?

Writers write.

What advice could you give to a new writer?

As above but also to believe in yourself – usually, it can only get better! 

Apart from writing, what are your other hobbies/interests?

Music (I play guitar in a folk/ceilidh band).  Computers (I build web sites for a living).

What types of things do you read?  Do you think your writing reflects your book tastes?

Sci-Fi, comedy, technical, scientific.  Yes!

Do you have any favourite lines from novels/plays/poetry/songs, or any favourite literary quotations?

"It's the same old story.  Boy finds girl, boy loses girl, girl finds boy, boy forgets girl, boy remembers girl, girl dies in a tragic blimp accident over the Orange Bowl on New Year's Day."  Actually, that's from a film – but it shows up my wacky sense of humour.  Google it – it's not hard to find. 

If you could have written anything, what do you wish that could have been?

Day of the Triffids – my favourite book. 

Do you have a website/blog/Twitter/Facebook dedicated to your writing?

I have my own website though it is used for much more than my writing – www.davidviner.com

Would you be able to provide a short piece of your work?

This is from the 7^th excerpt of Eight Excerpts and is a soldier's view of the start of an encounter with the "other dimension": 

The view screen in front of him is blank and white, a wall awaiting a door. He gulps, swallowing the excess saliva. It’s not real, he tells himself. 

And, indeed, it isn’t. The screen is not a window; it is a camera projecting an image into his cubicle as similar cameras are projecting similar images onto the screens of those in the cubicles around him. The white wall is miles away and he is safe in the bunker. 

“Ten seconds,” says a dispassionate voice through his headpiece. He swallows again. 

The ten seconds is gone in five and the wall starts to dissipate, to melt from white to Between grey and finally to streaked yellow. 

He looks into another world. 

He has seen the images before but, then, they had just been recordings and there had been other men and women at the controls. His turn now. 

© David Viner

Thank you David.