Tag: writing

Bridport Story Slam III

Bridport Story Slam III

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What an honour it was to be at last night’s Bridport Story Slam, attending as a judge – my first time in this role as a writer.

Part of the Bridport Open Book, the event was held at the Beach & Barnicott, a wonderful, intimate grade II listed bar and restaurant in the centre of Bridport, Dorset. Supported by The Dorset Writers Network, the slam was organised by the lovely Frances Colville, and compared by Declan Duffy, a charming and humorous MC who ensured the proceedings were seamless.

Twelve brave souls entered the fray, and when their name was pulled from the hat, they stepped onto the stage and entertained us with stories no longer than five minutes each.

From the foreboding tale of Hide and Seek, to a plum fedora, and ending with the death of Cock Robin as told by the sparrow, I was delighted with the diversity of the new writers.

Kate Kelly, Penny Deacon & Laura E James
Kate Kelly, Penny Deacon & Laura James

With my two colleagues, Kate Kelly and Penny Deacon, I retired to the Judges Chambers to consider the verdict.

The winning story was A French Tale, a glorious, witty, well-observed account of a seven-nearly-eight-year-old girl’s burgeoning curiosity about the world around her. It was written and read by Wendy Breckon.

Writing for a slam is a different art form to that of writing for a mail-in competition. There has to be a performance at a slam. The reader has to put the physical energy and life into his or her words, get up in front of a room of waiting listeners, and entertain them. There’s something very traditional about that. Something familial. As if we’re snuggled around the fire in the warmest room in the house, holding our breath as our grandparents, mothers, or fathers tell us their greatest tales.

Wendy achieved this. Her descriptions put me right in the middle of her scenes and I could visualise the story from start to finish, and her delivery was divine. But had I received her tale to read for myself, it would still have worked – proof she had written a great story.

Book Table

Many thanks to the organisers, performers, my able assistant, my daughter, who handled book sales, the venue and my fellow judges. It was an excellent evening and I hope a positive experience for everyone who took part.

I’m already looking forward to next year.

Take care.

Laura x

 

 

 

An Off The Cuff Moment

An Off The Cuff Moment.

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Off The Cuff is my local, friendly, supportive writing group. We meet once a week and write off the cuff. Sometimes we’re given a title, sometimes we’re presented with specific words to include within our piece, and sometimes we’re prompted by a hash tag on a text …

It’s a great way to flex the writing muscle.

I have a number of notebooks filled with short stories, flash fictions, poems and possible beginnings to new novels, all written at Off The Cuff. I was looking through my most recent one and thought I’d share my cowboy short with you.

 

Gunfight at the Not OK Corral.

Swaggering down the street, gun in hand, Gabe’s eyes flicked left to right as he scanned the path ahead. Five minutes had passed since his tussle with Jed behind the old church and neither gunslinger was about to leave town. This was a fight to the death.
Turning the corner, Gabe squinted. The low summer sun was reflecting off the rear window of a large, black four-by-four, blinding him to what lay ahead. Right now, he was vulnerable. Right now, Jed could shoot him down.

Gabe stopped and listened. A scuffing and shuffling of boots carried on the breeze and drew his attention to the front of the vehicle. He raised a hand to his brow, and searched the dusty road for signs of life. There. A brim of a hat. A shadow.

Exposed and with nowhere to hide, Gabe checked his gun for ammo – one more shot. He had to make it count.

‘Jed,’ he called. ‘I know you’re there. Show yourself.’ He tucked his gun into the front pocket of his jeans, thrust his thumbs into his waistband, and waited.

With a hand secured to his hip, Jed emerged from in front of the car. ‘What’s it to be, Gabe?’ he said, his fingers hovering over his holster. ‘One on one?’

Gabe nodded. ‘Yep. Just you and me. We end it. Now.’ He indicated for Jed to turn around, stood with his back to his, and started a count to ten as both cowboys strode in opposite directions.

‘Turn and draw?’ Jed asked at step eight.

‘Yep.’ Gabe’s nerves rolled like tumble weed around his gut. He could take Jed. He just needed to keep his focus. ‘Nine. Ten.’ He wheeled round, lifted his gun and squeezed the trigger. ‘Prepare to get wet, Jed!’ he yelled, laughing as the water spurted from his pistol.

 

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I’m thrilled to have been asked to be a judge at Bridport’s Story Slam on Tuesday 14th October 2015. If you’re in the area, please do come along and listen to the local talent.

I will have copies of Follow Me Follow You available for purchase on the day.

Take care.

Laura x

And We Have Lift-Off! Follow Me, Follow You is Launched.

And We Have Lift-Off! Follow Me, Follow You is Launched.

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Click on the photo to visit the Amazon link

My second novel for Choc Lit, Follow Me Follow You, today released as a paperback, had a wonderful launch on Saturday.

The Dorset Wildlife Trust Chesil Beach Centre was the setting, the weather was gorgeous and the afternoon went without a hitch.

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Thank you to my fab publisher, Choc Lit, the Chesil Beach Centre, friends, family, writers and readers in real life and online, who supported the event . I am touched and humbled by how much you put yourselves out to get behind the day. I am one lucky and very grateful writer.

The loom bands giveaways.
The loom bands giveaways.

Follow Me, Follow You is on tour for the next week, and I’ll be Tweeting and putting the links on Facebook for those who would like to #follow, and there is a free giveaway through the Brook Cottage Books tour.

Thank you to all the reviewers and bloggers who have invited me to their site, including my Romaniac chums, two of whom paid a visit to Dorset on Saturday.

Sue, Laura and Catherine
Sue, Laura and Catherine

I hope you enjoy the variety of posts and the extracts from the book.

One last thing before I go … My debut novel, Truth or Dare? is available as a free download today and tomorrow in celebration of the release of FMFY.

Have a great week.

Laura x

Follow Me, Follow You Teasers: Day 7. Tout Quarry.

Follow Me, Follow You Teasers: Day 7. Tout Quarry.

Another wonderful place to visit on Portland is Tout Quarry.

In Follow Me, Follow You, a quarry is situated not far from Victoria’s cottage. It provides neutral ground – somewhere Victoria and Chris can go to talk, having never been there together.

In the real Tout Quarry, there are incredible sculptures, carved from the pale grey Portland stone.

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There are plenty of British landmark properties built from Portland stone, notably Buckingham Palace and St Paul’s Cathedral.

And Chris Frampton’s castle.

Laura x

Follow Me, Follow You Teasers: Day 6. The Best View in Portland

Follow Me, Follow You Teasers: Day 6. The Best View in Portland.

Both Victoria Noble and Chris Frampton return home after years of living away. And why wouldn’t they, when just up the road from them is this incredible view of Chesil?

This recent photo is taken from a glorious viewing point on Portland. I’ve been here many times, even before I lived in Dorset as an adult.

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Like the hero and heroine, I came back.

Laura x

Follow Me, Follow You Teasers: Day 3. The Real Images Behind the Trailer

Follow Me, Follow You Teasers: Day 3. The Real Images Behind the Trailer.

In yesterday’s teaser, I showed you a photograph of my son standing on Chesil Beach. He was aged four at the time of the photograph.

When I was searching for images to use in the book trailer, Gajitman remembered he had this photo, and when he showed me, I knew it was a perfect representation of Seth Noble, Victoria’s four-year-old lad in Follow Me, Follow You.

Perfect apart from the lack of curly hair.

After a little technical ‘hair’ wizardry, and use of the wonderful Waterlogue app, I converted the photo into what Gajitman and I think is a beautiful image. But then, we are programmed to be biased.

Seth, aged 4, on Chesil Beach
Seth, aged 4, on Chesil Beach
My son, at the age of four, on Chesil - the same age as Seth in Follow Me, Follow You.
Our son, at the age of four, on Chesil.

 

Laura x

 

Follow Me, Follow You Teasers: Day 2. Chesil Beach.

Follow Me, Follow You Teasers: Day 2. Chesil Beach.

I hope you enjoyed yesterday’s teaser – the Follow Me, Follow You trailer – kick-starting my run up to the launch of the paperback.

The book is set mainly in Weymouth and Portland, Dorset, with Chesil Beach a character within its own right.

I’ve always wondered if the Martha and the Muffins song, Echo Beach was about Chesil.

In the days when I was the singer in a band called Strangely B’Zar, Echo Beach was the first song we performed live. It was at the Herts Arms, Watford.

My son, at the age of four, on Chesil - the same age as Seth in 'Follow Me, Follow You'.
My son, when he was four, on Chesil – the same age as Seth in Follow Me, Follow You.
Me at nineteen, on Chesil Beach, the same age Chris Frampton is when he first gets together with Victoria.
Me at nineteen, on Chesil Beach, the same age Chris Frampton is when he first gets together with Victoria.

It seems

Chesil is in my blood.

Laura x

 

 

Follow Me Follow You: The Arrival of The Box

Follow Me Follow You: The Arrival of The Box

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It was one of those Red Letter Days over the weekend. Having very kindly sent me an advance copy of my first-ever paperback, my lovely publisher, Choc Lit, then sent The Box to my house.

This is what was inside.

IMG_7457What an incredible moment. I took out the first copy and passed it to Gajitman, with the next two copies going to our children – not that they’re old enough to read Follow Me Follow You yet – it is an adult contemporary romance after all. Their copies will remain on the bookshelf for a while. They are not too young to ask for signed copies, however, and so their wish was my command.

‘How shall I sign it?’ I asked. ‘I’m your mum. I can’t sign it L E James …’

‘Put Mum and L E James,’ my daughter said.

So I did. My first-ever paperback, with my first-ever signature: Mum. L E James. I’m not intending on doing that in all of them … 🙂

I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has helped make my dream come true. I consider myself very lucky to be doing what I love, surrounded by the people I love, in a place that I love.

I look forward to meeting you at the book launch and author afternoon in September.

Have a great week.

Take care.

Laura x

 

 

Follow Me, Follow You on the Virtual Shelves

Follow Me, Follow You on the Virtual Shelves.

FM_hirespackshot copyHuge excitement in the James household as my second novel for Choc Lit, Follow Me, Follow You hits the virtual shelves. It’s available on all major digital platforms, with the paperback to #follow early September.

There is a dedicated page here for the book.

I spent three days last week preparing for the release, including writing blogs in celebration. In the Choc Lit Corner I asked: what defines a first love?ChocLit-logo transparent background

 

Along with first loves, Follow Me, Follow You is about healing and recovery – not just for the characters, but for me as the writer.

I was 60,000 words into the first draft when I lost my mum two years ago, and with the wind very much knocked out of my sails, progressing the journey of Victoria Noble and Chris Frampton became a struggle. But I never gave up on them. I set them ashore and kept them safe until the storm had passed.

When the seas grew calmer, Victoria and Chris continued on their way and in September 2013, they reached their final destination.

Typing ‘Ends’ was a significant and emotional moment. I’d done it. I’d finished the story I was compelled to complete, connecting together two ends of an intricate, complicated and personal circle – one tied to my mother, the other to the last book we ever discussed.

And a piece of me healed.

As a result, I’m very attached to Victoria and Chris, little Seth and Rick, lovely Frank and direct Olivia, and I wish them a long and healthy life on the virtual shelves, in the real world.

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Chesil Beach

 

Then come September, I’ll be standing on Chesil Beach, saluting the clear, blue skies with the paperback in my hand, acknowledging the journey we’ve all taken.

Laura x