Hello, and thank you for visiting my site. I hope that you'll return often and always find something of interest about my world and what inspires me to pick up a pen. (This is a figure of speech, unfortunately. My handwriting is terrible!) Here's what I've been up to recently...
Promoting Yorkshire Authors next event
Tomorrow evening will see us in the De Grey Rooms, next to York Theatre Royal.
Writing a book is only the first step on what can be a long and rocky road.
We don’t pretend to have all the answers and hope to pick up a few pointers ourselves from the other writers we welcome to this session.
19 March, 2017 - Make the first comment on this story
A Double Whammy!
The March 2017 issues of these popular Yorkshire magazines feature two very different contributions from the Cobbett household.
The Dalesman has a ‘filler’ in its ‘Signs and Wonders’ column, a rather unsavoury gem captured by my husband last autumn when he dropped me off in Malton for the Ryedale Book Festival. Has he been reading my Easy Money For Writers And Wannabes, I wonder?
Down Your Way, which specialises in nostalgia, has my article about family mementos. We probably have far more than our fair share of those!
26 February, 2017 - Make the first comment on this story
Thanks, Edwin!
I’m indebted to fellow member Edwin Rydberg for this great image, which has already appeared on www.promotingyorkshireauthors.com
6 February, 2017 - Make the first comment on this story
News Flash!
Following advice from several writer friends, I’ve decided to set up a Facebook page for my novel ‘Shadows of the Past’. I’ll be posting notes on the background to the story and the items featured on the cover, regular updates on promotional events and even the odd competition. You’ll find it all at https://www.facebook.com/maggiecobbettnovelist/
6 February, 2017 - Make the first comment on this story
A Tale of Two Poems
I’ve never considered poetry to be my strong point, although I’ve had a few successes over the years. My first blissful week at the Writers’ Summer School in Swanwick, for example, came about when I was awarded the first prize – a free place – in the poetry competition that year with a quirky sonnet about friendship. To My Writing Partner can be viewed on the Stories and Poems page of this website.
However, I’ve recently learnt a valuable lesson about writing poetry for the commercial market. The example above has just appeared in print and is a heavily adapted version of a much longer poem written in free verse some years ago. I was delighted when an adjudicator at that time, a highly respected local poet, awarded the latter second place. The magazine that liked the theme but not the form requested a version that rhymed and had a conventional metre. For the free verse poem I received kudos; for the adapted version I received cash. Go figure! Up to you to decide which you prefer, of course. The former is available to read on my Stories and Poems page, should you so wish.
6 January, 2017 - Make the first comment on this story
Happy New Year to One and All!
December 2016 saw the publication of my ski holiday story in TPF but was otherwise a month full of distractions – OK, maybe some of them were excuses – to keep me away from my normal writing routine. Now that we’re into a more sober January, I aim to do much better. However, here are a few memories of the month that has just gone.
On the bright side were the York Writers’, Strictly Salsa and Ripon Activity Project’s Christmas parties, as well as socialising over meals with friends and family.
Unfortunately, December also saw the deaths of a dear friend from Ripon Writers’ Group and a much loved cousin. The latter was my hero as we were growing up and I’m still struggling to come to terms with the fact that he’s gone. Oddly enough, a poem to be published in the 4th January 2017 TPF Special was inspired by Joe’s appropriation of his mother’s washboard for use in a skiffle group!
I didn’t do any filming during December, but I did take my younger son to The Emmerdale Experience at the old studios in Burley Road and enjoyed it far more than I expected to. For me, of course, it was something of a busman’s holiday, but the photo of us both behind the bar at the Woolpack is certainly one for the family album. It’s a rare example of yours truly beaming directly into the camera, something which we humble ‘extras’ are generally forbidden to do.
Whatever 2017 has in store, I’m sure that there will be plenty of ups and downs and I can only hope for all our sakes that the former will outweigh the latter.
1 January, 2017 - Make the first comment on this story
Promoting Yorkshire Authors
Our fledgling group, formed earlier this year, dipped its first toe into the water last night at the Christmas Fair in Poppleton near York and took it in turns to man our well stocked stall. (Wrapping all those items for the lucky dip reminded me very much of ‘pass the parcel’ at birthday parties in years gone by.)
The atmosphere was very festive, although the lighting made it difficult to take decent shots with my phone.
There was certainly plenty of choice for all ages and in several different genres.
Other members of the group had worked very hard on the promotional materials. We hope to welcome other writers in the New Year. Please click on the link to the right for more details if you might be interested.
Whoever is responsible for the decor is certainly to be congratulated. What is a sports hall by day can be transformed by clever use of draped fabric into something that looks just like a marquee for special events. (Our stall, one of many, is just visible back left.)
19 November, 2016 - Make the first comment on this story
Autumn ramblings
Where have the last couple of months gone? It seems only last week that I was having tea on the lawn with my Swanwick friends and visiting York Maze before the maize was harvested. Now we’re in mid-October.There’s a lot to be said for this time of year, especially when living in a glorious part of the world like North Yorkshire. I consider myself particularly fortunate to have Fountains Abbey/Studley Royal on the doorstep. When Antonia Hodgson was researching her novel A Death At Fountains Abbey, she had to rent a cottage. I live a four mile drive away – less if I choose to walk and cut through the fields – and have my favourite bench. There is nowhere better to sit, pen in hand, when wrestling with a tricky piece of writing.
The trees had just started to turn when another solitary soul and I took up temporary residence by the Moon Pond in the Water Gardens. By now the autumn foliage will be glorious and I plan to return very soon.
Different aspects of my life came together when I was asked to speak to the Rotary Club of Ripon Rowels about what makes working as a television/film extra an ideal job for a writer. The answer to that question is twofold; the inspiration I get from all the interesting people I meet and plenty of time to write during the long hours waiting to be called onto the set.
In common with many writers known to me, I find promoting my books harder work than writing them in the first place. However, last Sunday I was doing just that at the Ryedale Book Festival in Malton.
Another aspect of a writer’s life can – and maybe should – be passing on expertise to others. I’ve run workshops for adults before but this creative writing session for visiting French pupils was the first time for many years that I’ve taken on a group of teenagers. I’m very happy to report that they were a great bunch of young people and everything went swimmingly! With Halloween not far away, I took as my theme the ghostly Roman soldiers in the Treasurer’s House.
The workshop came about following a request to York Writers and fellow member David Dale, whose novel Night Witch was published this year, ran a parallel group. David chose to focus on Guy Fawkes, arguably York’s most famous – or notorious, depending on your point of view – former resident.
The feedback from both groups was very positive and David and I wish the youngsters every success with their own writing.
13 October, 2016 - Make the first comment on this story
Happy New Year!
“Now is the accepted time to make your regular annual good resolutions. Next week you can begin paving hell with them as usual.” Mark Twain
All right, so we’re already halfway through January, but last month’s accident (see below) has slowed me down considerably. Still not able to get back to dancing for the foreseeable future, I’m nevertheless determined to regain my mojo and keep to my own new year’s resolution. What is it? Whenever something particularly unpleasant needs to be done, do it straight away. The day will immediately feel much better!
Sales of my novel Shadows of the Past continue to go well and I was delighted to give a talk about the inspiration behind it to Ripon U3A Book Group on Thursday. One lady made a very valid point about the blurb on the back, which I shall certainly bear in mind for the next edition. Otherwise, all the comments were favourable and I left the session in a happy glow.
Pride comes before a fall, though, and my first short story submission of 2016 was rejected in the shortest space of time ever. Bloody but unbowed, I must admit that the fiction editor’s criticism that too large chunks were told not shown was justified, although I didn’t agree with all her other comments. However, she is the keeper of the door through which so many of us compete to pass, so I shall take them on the chin as usual and try again. Past acceptances have proved that I CAN reach the standard she requires.
Back to the drawing board now. Another story is brewing!
17 January, 2016 - There are 2 comments on this story
The best laid schemes o’ mice an’ men gang aft agley…
Never was a truer word written. The run up to Christmas was going well for me, if we discount the heavy cold and touch of sinusitis that kept me in bed for a whole weekend.
Last Tuesday evening saw Ripon Writers’ Group’s Christmas event at The Old Deanery, which was as much fun as ever, especially when the pudding spoon turned out to be too large to fit into the glass of chocolate gunk and then got stuck. Despite feeling a little blurry, I managed to take my turn at reading out a limerick composed for the occasion. OK, so it would make Robert Burns cringe, but here you are:
It’s the month Santa’s reindeer all dread,
Being hitched up to that great heavy sled.
“Take a break,” they all whine,
“And use snail mail this time,
Then we can spend Christmas in bed.”
There were many better contributions to the evening’s entertainment, including an ‘easy peasy quiz’ that turned out to be anything but. Link to RWG’s website on the right if you’d like to know more about it all.
An equally cheery gathering two days later at the same venue introduced me to members of the U3A Book Group, whose choice for January 2016 is my novel ‘Shadows of the Past’. This is the second year that they and the Spanish group, who meet on the same day of the week, have got together for Christmas lunch and long may it continue!
Nemesis caught up with me on Friday. Insanely happy to have thrown off the cold, although still feeling that someone may have karate chopped the bridge of my nose, I set off for York. My main aim was to have lunch with a fellow member of York Writers, but I thought I could also knock a few items off my Christmas shopping list. All went well until I was strolling down Goodramgate – not hastening, STROLLING – when my left foot twisted on the wet road surface and I crashed to the ground. Shopping went one way, handbag another, both to be rescued by a kind couple who picked me up and stayed with me until assured that no bones were broken. I made it to King’s Square to meet my lunch companion and eventually home, although it was definitely a case of mind over matter as the foot I’d twisted was very painful. The reason for this was revealed later on when I took off my boot to inspect the comprehensive bruising, which was mirrored by that all up the side onto which I fell.Another weekend in bed followed and I’m only just beginning to get back to something resembling normal. One big regret is having to miss the annual Ripon Activity Project party on Saturday, but at least it seems to have gone very well without my input!
14 December, 2015 - Make the first comment on this story
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