Harrogate Writers Circle

Our meeting of 9th October 2024 was a manuscript evening.

The meeting started with Peter relating an unusual coincidence in the programme 'Ludwig' with the solution of the Radio Times Trackwork puzzle - something he thought he might work into a story.

Joan talked about a comparison between the programmes 'Red Eye' and 'Nightsleeper'.

Peter then compared 'Ludwig' with 'Professor T'.First to read was Peter who read an unfinished story with a theme of 'Weather' for Writing Magazine.

This told of a society which had been driven underground by climate change and the authorities which filter the information about the state of the planet from the population.

The members had comments on how the story should end and a restructuring of the communication between the Professor and one of his students.

Next to read was Denise who told a story 'To The Core' which told of Daniel who is reliving a terrible accident involving his sister with a tractor and the ghost of her screams echoing in his head and the blue lights of the emergency services imprinted on his brain.

And he remembers the apple core that she had discarded.

Pat then read a short piece, 'Through the Looking Glass', written when she was doing a writing course.

It is a self-reflective description of the author herself as seen in a mirror and an explanation of how she felt.

Then Joan read 'On Our Street' about new neighbours moving in.

They seemed so ordinary until the authorities requested access to a room in the narrator's house for monitoring of their neighbours.

It turned out that the neighbours were Soviet spies and the narrator explained how they felt about losing people who they regarded as friends and an important part of the local community.

Pat then talked about the new biography she is writing.

There was then a general discussion about writing characters.

Our next meeting on 23rd October is the adjudication of the short story competition by Helen Walters.

Details of our programme can be found online at https://harrogatewriterscircle.weebly.com. If you want to improve your writing then why don't you pop into the next meeting.