First, thanks to Rob for last week’s blog.  I told you it would make you want to get straight on the next flight (or Eurostar) to Paris!

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It’s been an odd week to say the least!  I was going to a meeting in London on Monday and caught the 11.00am train from Manchester – not an unreasonable time for a 2.00pm meeting.  Unfortunately, the overhead electric wires went down and we sat at Leighton Buzzard for hours, then moved slowly on to Tring and sat there for what seemed like days and finally arrived in London at 4.30.  My meeting had already finished and there was nothing for it but to get straight back on the train to Manchester (yes, you’ve guessed it – also delayed).  I’m usually pretty appreciative of Virgin Trains – but they’ll have to come up with some pretty good compensation to make up for this one.

We’ve now moved on to our second 21^st Birthday competition – which gives you the chance to win our Complete Copywriter Course.  All you need to do is come up with a headline for our Comprehensive Creative Writing Course.  If the winning entry is good enough we’ll use the headline in our advertising.  So, not only do you win a great course but you might also get to see your work in newspapers and magazines around the world – certainly something to boost your career if you  have ambitions to earn your living as a copywriter.

Next week I’m handing over to one of our tutors, Esther Newton, as I won’t be here.  I’m off to Marrakesh for a long weekend of luxury and sightseeing. But knowing my track record, I just hope there won’t be any hitches or delays!

And before I go, I’d like to suggest that you check out Words with JAM – an extremely professional writers’ newsletter.  It’s beautifully presented, and has lots of interesting and well-written articles. It’s free and I just hope that the team will be able to maintain such high quality without charging.

So, what do you think of the ‘school photo’?  You’ll have to excuse the boots and jeans – we don’t normally look so scruffy but we were still sliding around the icy pavements of Manchester to get to work.  Still, it was good to look back and think how we’ve changed over the past 21 years and how many writers we’ve helped into print.

If you’re interested in seeing what offers and competitions we’ve got on throughout the year as part of the celebrations, visit our website and sign up.  You don’t need to be a student to join in – our celebration is open to all!  And incidentally, don’t forget that our January competition – write a poem in 21 words – will close on 31 January, so there’s still time to enter.

Are you a Roddy Doyle fan?  (The Commitments, The Van, Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha…)  I can’t say I was particularly keen until I picked up Paula Spencer recently … and couldn’t put it down until I’d read it from cover to cover.  It’s the sequel to The Woman Who Walked into Doors and continues the story of battered wife Paula, gamely battling her alcoholism and trying to re-build links to her four children.  I know it doesn’t sound like a bundle of laughs but there is dark humour there – and an astonishing insight into the character.  I was left feeling amazed that a male writer could have such an accurate insight into a woman’s mind.  If you don’t mind a bit of squalor and plenty of bad language it’s certainly worth reading.  Let me know what you think!

Finally, I’m having a break next week.  I’m handing over to one of our tutors, Simon Whaley, so that you get a bit of variety. See you in a fortnight!

I’m not going to say anything further about the weather – I’m bored with the cold and disruption.  But a colleague was showing me his photos of the Caribbean cruise he went on over Christmas and the New Year.  It made me long for some warm sun on my skin and the feel of sand between my toes.

Talking of cruises, Heritage Magazine are currently offering a luxury Hebridian Islands cruise to the winner of their travel writing competition.  They want your story of an unforgettable historic holiday you’ve enjoyed in Britain – in just 500 words.  Visit the website for more details – I guarantee it will whet your appetite.

Still on the subject of competitions, don’t you find the Orange Prize for Fiction rather condescending?  Why should there be a competition for women only?  It’s almost as though they feel that we can’t compete on a level playing field.  And you can imagine the uproar if they had a ‘men only’ prize!  (Incidentally, if I’m showing my ignorance here and there is such a literary prize, please let me know.)  If you’ve got talent it shouldn’t matter what gender you are – to the victor go the spoils.

Grouch over – and on to more cheerful things.  This year it’s the Writers Bureau’s 21^st birthday.  We like to think we’re a friendly bunch and quite a few staff have been with us since we started back in 1989.  So tomorrow we’re celebrating.  A chilled glass of champagne and a few candles won’t come amiss in these gloomy times.  So…Cheers!

Well, did you take my advice about how to have an argument-free Christmas Day?  I suspect that if you did, you’re family probably aren’t speaking to you at the moment.  Depending on how you feel about that, it could be either a blessing or a curse.

Joking apart, I do enjoy the Christmas/New Year break – but sometimes it just gets a bit too much and I feel the need to escape.  This year it was a bracing coastal walk in Anglesey and a night’s accommodation within sound of the sea.  Great for re-charging the batteries!

So, what’s on offer for 2010?  There’s eNovella, a new social networking site for writers and poets.  You can share your work and get constructive feedback from the community or just read what’s on offer if you’re not already a writer.

There’s also the Crime Writers’ Association’s Debut Dagger competition for new writers sponsored by Orion Publishing.  The shortlisted entries are circulated to leading editors and agents; so it’s an excellent way to avoid the slush-pile.  Entry is open to anyone who hasn’t already had a novel published and the closing date is 6 February 2010.  More details and an entry form are available at The CWA

And don’t forget our very own E-zee Writer.  Each month it’s full of useful information for writers – and it’s free whether you’re a student of the Writers Bureau or not.

Finally, before we leave Christmas behind for another year, did any of you read Carol Ann Duffy’s poem, The Twelve days of Christmas? If you did, I’d be interested to know what you thought.  For me, some parts worked – others definitely didn’t.

So, all that remains is for me to caution you in true government fashion against imbibing too many units of alcohol tonight – and to wish you a productive and prosperous New Year.