The Felixstowe Scribblers Experience

Alex writes....

asked Dave for some copy for the new site and he came back to me with this. Really thought it would be of interest to readers here.

Dave writes....


The Felixstowe Scribblers Experience

It seems incredible that Felixstowe Scribblers Writing Circle is one of the oldest writing groups in East Anglia having been formed well over twenty-five years ago although no record exists of the actual formation date or how the group came into existence. Meeting throughout the last quarter of a century at Felixstowe Library there have been hundreds of would be writers attending meetings, some have gone on to successful writing careers whilst others have been happy to remain as hobby or leisure writers.

There was a time during the mid 1990's when membership had dwindled away to just a handful of writers with only four or five attending meetings. The warning bells rang long and loud. If the group was to survive then new blood was urgently needed and, very gradually new faces came along, most liked what they saw, stayed and helped to rebuild the group.

During the last eighteen months membership has increased dramatically, with an average attendance jumping to twenty each meeting. These new found members form an exciting blend of published and hobby writers making every meeting a thoroughly enjoyable experience. Everyone has a platform to share their work, receive feedback and support. So why this upsurge in membership? Could it be partly from word of mouth and partly from the current Felixstowe Scribblers Weblog which brings up to date news of meetings, competitions and local interest features?

For those who are unable to attend meetings our new Online Jotters offers the facility for them to participate in writing disciplines from the comfort of their own home, a really exciting step forward into the exciting world of the Internet. Membership is open to everyone from any corner of the globe including our own Scribblers too! We have contacts and members from other parts of the UK and as far afield as Australia, Austria, France, and the United States of America. The Scribblers really have become truly international!

The recent introduction of more structured meetings with regular homework assignments has helped develop creative writing skills and opened up a whole new dimension of subjects for our writers. Perhaps this is why we can proudly mention many successes of our members who have featured prominently in local and national writing competitions. Some have been published in magazines for the first time whilst others have been interviewed on BBC Radio Suffolk by a former Scribbler, Rachel Sloane. Some have had their poems read out on air whilst one writer even featured live on television after winning an on-line short story competition. We are equally proud to have newly published novelists and historians in our midst. It really is fantastic that so many of our writers have achieved a measure of success and proved the immense value of our local writing group.

Sincere thanks go to Felixstowe Library and their staff for their ongoing support in providing a comfortable meeting place for our meetings.

Felixstowe Scribblers is a friendly, diverse group with an age span ranging from eleven to nearly eighty! Each gathering is an enjoyable experience so, if you would like to develop your writing skills, why not come along to one of our meetings at FELIXSTOWE LIBRARY or join the Online Jotters.

Dave Feakes
Secretary
28th September 2005.