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This month Lesley Cryer gives a realistic account of a writer's lot, Ten Top Tips covers how to present the perfect manuscript, plus student success stories, useful websites, a fantastic competition and inspiration for articles.

END NOTE and a little inspiration

Inspiration

Could you write an article about ...

1st February 1790	US Supreme court attempts to convene for the first time.
2nd February	Imbolc – a celebration of hearth, home and the lengthening of the days by the Gaelic and Celtic cultures.
3rd February 1959	According to some this day is the day music died as three successful American singers die - Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and JP Richardson.
4th February 1703	Edo (now Tokyo) witnesses forty six of the forty seven Ronin committing seppuku or ritual suicide as recompense for avenging their master’s death.
5th February 2008	Fifty nine people die in the Southern United States following an outbreak of tornados.
6th February 1962	William Bruce Rose Jr., otherwise known as Axl Rose of Guns ‘n’ Roses fame, is born in Lafayette, Indiana, USA.
7th February 1882	Mississippi City, Mississippi is the venue for the last bare-knuckle heavyweight boxing championship fight.
8th February	The annual Buddhist festival of Nirvana takes place.
9th February 1991	Lithuania becomes independent following a public vote.
10th February	IBM’s supercomputer, Deep Blue, beats chess world champion Garry Kasparov for the first time.
11th February 1938	BBC Television adapts a section of Karel Capeks play R.U.R making it the world’s first science fiction television programme broadcast. It also coined the phrase ‘robot’.
12th February 2007	A gunman kills five people in the Trolley Square Mall shooting, Salt Lake City.
13th February 1990	An agreement is reached on a two-stage plan to reunite Germany.
14th February	Valentines day – a day for lovers in memory of St Valentine.
15th February 1852	The first patient is admitted to the Great Ormand Street Hospital for sick children, London.
16th February 1985	The Shi’a Islamist paramilitary group Hezbollah, literally ‘party of God’ is founded in Lebanon.
17th February 2003	London introduces the congestion charge.
18th February 1979	Snow fell for the first and, to date, only time in the Sahara desert.
19th February 1952	Amy Tan of ‘The Joy Luck Club’ fame is born in Oakland, California.
20th February 1995	The FA Premier League is formed.
21st February 1952	Winston Churchill abolishes identity cards in the UK to ‘set the people free’.
22nd February 2006	The biggest robbery in UK history is staged by at least six men who steal £53 million from a security depot in Tonbridge, Kent.
23rd February 1999	The Austrian village of Galtur is destroyed by an avalanche which also kills 31 people.
24th February 1981	Buckingham Palace announces the engagement of The Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer.
25th February 1723	Sir Christopher Wren dies in London following a visit to his ‘greatest work’, St Paul’s Cathedral.
26th February 1919	Most of The Grand Canyon is declared a National Park by a US Act of Congress.
27th February 1900	The British Labour party is founded.
28th February 1986	The Prime Minister of Sweden, Olof Palme, is assassinated in Stockholme.

I thought I’d mention this competition which will be of interest to many of you I’m sure – it is to become a Writer in Residence for InterAct Reading Service. The charity provides readings by professional actors to stroke patients in hospitals and clubs around England. The competition has a prize of £2000, plus you’ll become their Writer in Residence for one year. During that time you will be expected to produce five further short stories, so it’s a bit more of a commitment than is usually expected when you enter a competition. The entry fee is £10.00 and the closing date is not until December this year so, there’s loads of time for you to get your entries in order. If you think you’d like to enter this competition – and just think what it could do to your profile as a writer if you won – but if your short story skills are dubious enrol on our Novel and Short Story Writing course and learn how to construct the perfect piece. You could also enrol on our Writing for Competitions course to ensure you give yourself the best chance of bagging that Writer in Residence role.

Below is Brenda’s Tanabata poem. Once again, thanks for sending it in:

Tanabata

By Brenda Gath

In summer of every year
There is a Tanabata, you may hear
The rustling of coloured streamers
Disturbing the breezes
But wait, that isn’t all
The wishes of the fishermen call
Pinned to their ceilings written small
Coloured papers around them all.
That’s not all that matters
Let’s talk about the Tanabatas
They’re small and bright, a wish within
A tea light candle in a square tin
A raft for it to float upon
A lightshade of sorts and all of it shone
Bobbing on the water it floats upon.
It takes the message to their God
Written by people of all walks
From fishermen on the sea to toilers on the sod
Their wishes are only simple you see
For all workers to have prosperity.

Here’s a little something to relax the grey matter - Roly Poly Cannon. It’s fun and not too difficult either.

And finally, if you found something of use to you in this issue please pass the word on to all your writer friends – and even those who don’t! You never know, you might inspire them to take it up. They can sign up here www.writersbureau.com/resources/ezewriter.htm

See you next month.

Shelley x

P.S. If there are any of our overseas readers who would like me to promote literary events in their country, please let me know and I will do my best to mention them.

As usual, if you've any suggestions or would like to comment on anything you have read then please contact me at: ezeewriter@writersbureau.com

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