The Write Idea

flirtybee · Posted: Tue May 29, 2012 6:03 pm Post subject: Whittaker 2012 Opening chat

I'd be most grateful if you can spread word of the comp out there, folks!

If you use the following link it should be viewable by all and sundry (though when the comp kicks off the remainder of the comp will be closed to a 'members only' view)

http://www.helenwhittaker.net/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=9848

Lets get ready to rumble!
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sometimes impossibility is only a state of mind, and yes, dammit, I do mind! -DP Smile

The increase of disorder or entropy is what distinguishes the past from the future, giving a direction to time - Stephen Hawking

Rhonda · Joined: 06 Mar 2010 Posts: 13

Yay! I'd been concerned we wouldn't have a Whittakers this year, so when Effie told me that it was a go I became ridiculously excited despite the fact June is going to be freaking crazy for me.

Yay!

flirtybee · Posted: Wed May 30, 2012 12:40 am Post subject:

be great to have you with us, Rhonda Smile

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sometimes impossibility is only a state of mind, and yes, dammit, I do mind! -DP Smile

The increase of disorder or entropy is what distinguishes the past from the future, giving a direction to time - Stephen Hawking

Effie · Posted: Wed May 30, 2012 7:56 am Post subject:

I'm trying to put the word out there and promoting on Facebook and Twitter and any other place I can think of where writers may hang out.

I'm in for Fiction. Too much on to try to do both.
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http://effiemerryl.blogspot.com/

delph_ambi · Posted: Wed May 30, 2012 8:04 am Post subject:

Doug, the rules state: 'Whittaker Prize judges ... are NOT permitted to enter this competition.' Is this all judges (past and present) or just the present ones?
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sandranorval · Joined: 06 Mar 2010 Posts: 82

I'm in! I'll stick with fiction, my inner poet is still pretty much inner!

I did have to give up last time, I found the judges comments just too harsh and my confidence just faded away. I'm in a different place now and I'm interested in this year's judges, maybe I won't take it quite so hard this time.

I'll have one main aim, to make an attempt for every round, but I will also be trying to push my boundaries and challenge my own perspectives on my writing.

I'm scared but in a good kind of way Shocked

Thanks to Effie for inviting me to the facebook event, I will share the link too!
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Who is Libertine? She's my hero.

Mandy Pannett · Posted: Thu May 31, 2012 5:44 pm Post subject:

Just wanted to say that I'm delighted to be judging the poetry side of this. Really looking forward to it. Once all the nitty gritty details have been sorted out I intend to keep off the Whittaker thread until the final results are announced, as I'd rather not know who is taking part, who wrote particular poems or how anyone is feeling about them.

Lots of luck and enjoyment to all writers taking part. Smile

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Frangipani · Joined: 21 Feb 2009 Posts: 369

I've just paid my entry fee and I'm so excited. After spending last year studying I couldn't enter as many comps as I wanted and I didn't produce many new stories.

Now I have deadlines! Yippee!

And I loved Geoff's comments when he judged before - he really made me work harder with my fiction and I hope I'm a better writer than way back then...

I also hope there is not so much sniping and whining about judging and scores this time...although us writers are a sensitive bunch. It's fine to have a dummy spit in private, and believe me I do often, but on a forum I always think it's wise to choose your words carefully.

Now I'll stop sounding like a school teacher/mother I'll just say good luck to all the competitors and hope that we get out of the competition what we all want: six stories of reasonable standard ready for improving and subbing elsewhere.

Good luck!

Effie · Posted: Fri Jun 01, 2012 8:13 am Post subject:

I agree, Frangipani.

I don't think I write quite in style Geoff prefers but I learned from his judging and I valued his comments. I hope I'm a better writer today. I've gone on to place five of the stories from 2009 when Geoff last judged.

It promises to be a great competition and the standard will be high.
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http://effiemerryl.blogspot.com/

flirtybee · Posted: Fri Jun 01, 2012 2:26 pm Post subject:

delph_ambi · Posted: Fri Jun 01, 2012 2:53 pm Post subject:

Thanks for the clarification, Doug. Smile

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Valkyrie · Posted: Fri Jun 01, 2012 6:47 pm Post subject:

Thanks so much to Doug and to the judges for making another Whittaker possible. I had to drop out of the last one because I was snowed under with work. It won't be all plain sailing this time but I'm going to do my best to enter every round, and I'll go again for both poetry and fiction, because I think it's good for me to try.

Without the Whittaker and Stirred I doubt if I'd have written anything at all in the last three years, despite all my good intentions. That's how important TWI is to me. I know I don't contribute regularly aside from these two comps, but I do my best with juggling time and various other obstacles, and it's nice to be welcomed back here every time I manage to make an appearance.

Good luck to everyone with this year's Whittaker!

Gill

MitchellNoel · Posted: Sat Jun 02, 2012 8:17 am Post subject:

Oh count me in.

Im currently working full time and studying 2 courses (Migration Law and Mandarin)...but what doesn't kill you makes you...a better writer??

Will get around to paying ASAP!

bluel39 · Joined: 23 Nov 2010 Posts: 26 Location: Bath, UK

Thanks to Doug for sorting the competition out this year.

I must admit I felt a bit battered and bruised by the last few competitions of this kind I have entered and have lost confidence.

But I when I saw Doug's email about this years Whittaker's I felt really excited and so here we go again.

Good luck everyone.

flirtybee · Posted: Sat Jun 02, 2012 10:58 pm Post subject:

It'll be great to see you all in there.