Investigating Crime with Margaret Murphy

The Crime Writers’ Workshop, held on Saturday 15 March in Hanley Library, was a great success. About a dozen want-to-be writers turned up (including someone from London) and were entertained by, and learned from, Margaret Murphy. Margaret is the author of several crime novels, including The Dispossed and Now You See Me – copies of these two were available for purchase. We also discovered that Margaret is due to take over the Chair of the Crime Writers Association and that she was a founder member of the Murder Squad. The workshop was very relaxed and friendly. It’s a cliché, I know, but it is difficult to imagine such a charming person behind a series of crime books.

The workshop began with a look at villains, how to make them appear more natural – more human – rather than as ciphers. The first exercise was to write a paragraph or two to introduce the villain, who showed elements of empathy, a character who was perhaps monstrous but not grotesque. A few brave souls volunteered to read out their efforts.

After lunch, Margaret gave a talk about CSIs – they used to be called SOCOs in the UK, but our American cousins influence all aspects of our culture, including crime detection. Actually, a Crime Scene Investigator makes more sense than a Scene of Crime Officer since those involved now include civilian scientists and not just policemen and women. The talk, with PowerPoint presentation, covered advances in DNA and fingerprint evidence. Fascinating.

We discussed the extended metaphor, and then the final exercise of the day was to write a piece based on the elements covered earlier in the workshop. Margaret provided two opening sentences. Unfortunately, time was running out and there was no opportunity for everyone to read out their pieces. Personally, I was surprised at how easily I found it to write in a crowded room. Of course, my piece was a tentative first draft and will require a lot of work, but it did provide an idea that I hope to use in the future.

This was a jolly good session, and more importantly, it was inspiring. To find out more about Margaret Murphy visit her website.

© Peter Coleborn

More Writing

I've come across this website -- More Writing. I don't have time to explore it at the moment, so I can't comment on its usefulness. Can anyone shed light on More Writing? Is it worth while registering with this website?
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The Write Stuff: competition winners announced

Congratulations to SToW member Jeanette Williams.

The Write Stuff was a creative competiton based on the history of Stoke-on-Trent. The winners were recently announced at a ceremony in Hanley Library -- and Jeanette took first prize. Councillor Hazel Lyth, portfolio holder for enterprise and culture at Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said: "Some of the stories have been exceptional and it was a really difficult contest to judge."

Jeanette received the first prize of £50 of book tokens. Second prize, £20 of book tokens, went to Colette Alcock; joint third prize winners were Linsay Roger-Coutes, Peter Philips and Noble V Khokhar (each received a £10 book token).

Click here for more information.

Wind in the Willows: story competition

Wind in the Willows Centenary short story prize
Stories: 4000 words max
River related story for young people
Prizes: 1st £500, 2nd £200, 3rd £50 + publication
Entry fee: £4 story,
Closing Date; 15th March 2009

Visit here for details
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Writing competitions

The Bristol Short story Prize
Stories: 3000 words max
Prizes: 1st £500, 2nd £350, 3rd £200 + publication
Entry fee: £7 story,
Closing Date; 31st March 2009

Acadamy of Children’s Writers story competition
Stories: 2000 words max – story for children up to teenage
Prizes: 1st £2000, 2nd £300, 3rd £200
Entry fee: £2.70,
Closing Date; 31st March 2009

Ware Poetry Prize + Sonnet Prize
Poems: 50 lines max or sonnet
Prizes: 1st £500, 2nd £200, 3rd £100 + £1oo for best sonnet
Entry fee: £3 poem or £10 for 4,
Closing Date; 30th April 2009

The Bridport Prize
Poems: 42 lines max
Stories: 5000 words max
Prizes: 1st £5,000, 2nd £1,000, 3rd £500
Entry fee: £7 story, £6 poem
Closing Date; 30th June 2009

Click on links for further information on each competition .