Maggie Cobbett

Short Story Writing Workshop in York

Photograph: Copyright D.C.Thomson

Many Yorkshire based writers have been frustrated by the fact that ‘how to’ workshops run by popular magazines are generally based hundreds of miles away from their homes. Well, Thursday 22nd October was serendipity for some of us. The People’s Friend came to York.

From 10 o’clock in the morning until half past four in the afternoon, the time just whizzed by. We were greeted by Fiction Editor Shirley Blair who spoke at length about how to write a story suitable for TPF and laid many misconceptions to rest. She explained how the magazine, while remaining family friendly, aims to reflects life as it is today, albeit with the edges rubbed off. While its stories will never be edgy or risqué, they will continue to push the boundaries. Prolific writer Kate Blackadder shared with us how she finds inspiration and structures her stories.

With its weekly magazine, fiction specials and annual, TPF accepts 600 stories a year, far more than any other magazine, and every one is carefully considered. Feedback always aims to be constructive and that has certainly been my experience.

Both ladies set us exercises and the whole room was buzzing with ideas as we scribbled furiously in our new notebooks. By the time I left, I had at least half a dozen ideas in my head for plots and could hardly wait to get back home to my computer. Thank you, Shirley and Kate, for a most stimulating day.

I can’t finish this post without saying how much I enjoyed meeting so many fellow writers, none of whom were known to me ‘in the flesh’ before. Networking is always a pleasure and I’m sure that we’ll keep in touch.

26 October, 2015 - Make the first comment on this story

Up, Up And Away!

With most of my focus lately being on my first novel, short stories have taken something of a back seat. However, this thinly disguised account of my one and only ride in a hot air balloon is in the latest Fiction Special (No. 113) issued by The People’s Friend.

11 October, 2015 - Make the first comment on this story

Guesting on Iain Pattison’s blog

It’s always an honour to appear as a guest on another writer’s blog and I was particularly pleased to accept Iain Pattison’s invitation.

Our paths first crossed when  Iain, as a highly respected competition judge, was a main speaker at the Writers’ Summer School (Swanwick). I now know him also as a prolific writer of short stories who can never resist a good (or even a bad) pun.

Iain asked me to write about my recent transition from short story writer to novelist and TO MAKE IT FUNNY. I hope that I’ve fulfilled my brief  with ‘From a hundred-metre dash to a marathon’, but you can judge for yourself by cutting and pasting  http://www.iainpattison.co.uk/give-a-warm-welcome-to-my-first-guest-blogger/#more-469

It begins with a few of Iain’s own words:

I’m off on holiday – what, I hear you cry, another one! And it’s not that I don’t trust you, but I’m wary of leaving my blog unguarded for just any passing scribbler to wander into and start posting. So good friend Maggie Cobbett has offered to keep an eye on the place and water the dogs and take the plants for a walk.Thanks Maggie – help yourself to anything in the fridge, but I’d avoid the cheese. It wasn’t that colour when we bought it!

In this guest blog she talks about the challenges of making the leap from short story writer to debut novelist and reveals how a rather bizarre teenage holiday in France provided her with loads of memorable, if slightly disturbing, material. Over to you, Maggie…

8 October, 2015 - Make the first comment on this story

OAPSchat

A website dedicated to people ‘of a certain age’ has offered me the opportunity to share the origins of my recently published novel with its members.  By cutting and pasting the address below, you will be able to read what I have written about it and see some previously unpublished photographs:

http://www.oapschat.co.uk/10-lifestyle/hobbies/714-shadows-of-the-past

In return for this opportunity, I have been more than happy to donate a signed copy of Shadows of the Past as a raffle prize and very much hope that the winner enjoys it.

6 October, 2015 - Make the first comment on this story

‘Shadows’ featured in Writing Magazine (November 2015)

Delighted to see this. I’ve been a subscriber to this invaluable magazine for many a long year.

28 September, 2015 - There are 2 comments on this story

Adjudication for Harrogate Writers’ Circle

I doubt if I’m alone in finding the role of an adjudicator demanding and sometimes quite stressful, especially when I know that some of the entrants will be familiar faces. However, I try to put that thought behind me when reading the manuscripts and aim to give as balanced a judgement as possible. It’s a real pleasure to discover from the local paper that I gave satisfaction  on this occasion.

24 September, 2015 - Make the first comment on this story

A royal approach to book signing

I went along to a talk by Princess Michael of Kent without much idea of what to expect. Her account of life in early 15th century France, as described in her Anjou trilogy, was fascinating and I was very impressed with the graceful way in which she handled problems with her laptop and the sound system.

HRH’s approach to taking questions from the audience was an interesting one, though. At the end of her talk, even when prompted by one of the organisers, she declined to answer any there and then but said that they’d be welcome from individuals as she signed their books!

I suspect that non-royal authors might have met with a dusty response to that.

23 September, 2015 - There are 2 comments on this story

The York launch of ‘Shadows of the Past’.

The venue this time was my elder son’s house for an afternoon ‘do’.  The original plan had been to lay out the refreshments picnic style in the garden (hence the blue plastic plates etc.), but dark clouds were looming over York as we arrived with a carload, so we thought discretion the better part of valour. The Cobbett men, having done their bit earlier on, found time for some displacement activity whilst I added the finishing touches.

Among the guests were fellow writers and salsa dancers, some devotees of both activities. On a different occasion, we might have pushed back the furniture and practised a few moves. Well, Susan does have tango numbers in her repertoire!

However, literature was the thing that afternoon. I read a couple of extracts from the novel and explained the background to those who hadn’t heard all about it before.

It was good to welcome people who hadn’t seen each other for a while and to make some introductions.

The rain held off and allowed the party to spill out into the garden.

For more photographs of the afternoon’s proceedings, please click on the images below. The quality is variable with some images being stills taken from the video.

30 August, 2015 - There are 2 comments on this story

‘Shadows of the Past’ is officially launched in Ripon

There must be something special about an author’s first book launch. Although Shadows of the Past isn’t my first published work, it’s my first novel and has been a real labour of love.

The sun was still shining when I was ‘setting out my stall’ and, although the heavens opened later and some guests had to battle through a ferocious storm to get home again, nothing could dampen my mood. Many people have asked me about the inspiration for the story, parts of which are more or less autobiographical, and the selection of photographs in the centre of the table was there for them to browse through.

By an amazing stroke of luck, I met Susan again at Swanwick a couple of weeks ago and invited her along, upon which she offered to bring her accordion and play some French bal de musette numbers to enhance the atmosphere. As a better wordsmith than I am a cook, I’m also indebted to my good friends Cathy and Sue for providing most of the wonderful food.

People from many different threads of my life came together and some were astounded to discover that they had me as a mutual friend. The quality of the photographs below is variable – my roving photographer was also host, barman and general factotum and didn’t manage to capture everyone – but they will give you some idea of the proceedings. Some of them are stills taken from the video he was trying to make at the same time. To guests who dropped in for a while and left before he picked up his camera or arrived after exhaustion set in, I can only apologise.

23 August, 2015 - Make the first comment on this story

The excitement mounts…and the fear!

Knowing that my first book launch is only three days away (Saturday, 22nd August from 5 p.m.) reminds me of the panic that always set in when my flatmates and I in Manchester were about to throw a party during our student days. Would no one turn up and we’d be left to languish alone amongst the refreshments we’d lashed out on? Would everyone we knew turn up and there wouldn’t be enough to go round or even room to stand comfortably? (Well, we did once have 200 people in our flat!)

The weather wasn’t a factor in those days, but now it is. Our garden is quite a picture at the moment and I’m hoping to see a crowd of people enjoying it on Saturday. I’ve even arranged to borrow extra outdoor furniture from the neighbours. However, as natives of our ‘green and pleasant land’ know only too well, we pay a price for all that greenness. I once took part in an ‘erotic drama’* called Natasha, filmed a few miles away from here, and have never forgotten its Indian director ranting and raving every time we were rained off. It was August, for heaven’s sake, wasn’t it! Yes, but this was North Yorkshire, not Bombay.

Anyway, Que sera, sera as the song goes. There will be refreshments, there will be music and there will be a hopeful author with a pile of books to sign. Please come along and join me!

*In case you’re wondering, ‘my’ scenes were neither erotic nor particularly dramatic. I was part of the church congregation of ‘Little Haven’ (actually Birstwith) and had a badly sprained ankle at the time, which made it difficult to run for cover each time the heavens opened during the church picnic scene. Richard Lintern, who played the vicar, was very kind and almost carried me at times. If you’d like to know more about this ghastly film, which went straight to video – I have a copy somewhere – you can see the trailer on You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJkv67-vRY4

19 August, 2015 - Make the first comment on this story