New venue and new website

Renegade Writers’ Group was set up for like-minded writers — writers who dare to be the best. And all with the aim to write to professional standards, to see our work in print so that others may read our words.

Although based in the Potteries we have regular members coming from Cheadle, Crewe, Shrewsbury and Stafford.

We meet weekly, every Wednesday, in the back room in the Bridge Street Ale House, 31 Bridge Street, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, ST5 2RY, from 7.00 p.m to 9.30 p.m. There is no membership or entry fee — other than buying a drink from the bar.

Members read out their work in progress (not already published work) and then we all chip in, discuss it and make helpful suggestions in order to improve the fiction. We help with all aspects of the writing, highlighting both the strong and weak elements. Not all members are able to read every week due to the healthy group size. On a good day we manage around six readings.

Note for new members: you are more than welcome to come along (please email to let us know although that’s not essential — renewriters [at] gmail.com), but note the following rule. You must attend four meetings (not necessary consecutive) before you can read out your work. This way we ensure that people become members because they want the level of constructive comments we make on each others’ work.

And finally, this blogspot is no longer used. For current Renegade information visit:

http://renegadewriters.wordpress.com/

Still here

Hi there! I haven't posted anything here for ages. That's because I update our information, and post news of our meetings, on Facebook (which then gets copied to Twitter). So to reassure visitors to this blog: we are still running, still active -- and meet every Wednesday at the Red Lion, Stoke Old Road, Hartshill. We start gathering at 7.00 pm -- the meeting proper begins at 7.30 pm.

We meet in the upstairs room of the Red Lion. Enter the building by the Lounge Door entrance, although there is no need to go into the bar itself.

We read out our work in progress, and then discuss it, making suggestions to help improve the narrative, if needed. All this is great fun and invaluable. It's also beneficial to meet up with fellow writers. Do come along.

Renegade Writers: new venue

Renegade Writers is a writers' group that meets every Wednesday (7.00pm-9.30pm) in a private room in the Red Lion, 18 Stoke Old Road, Hartshill Road, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, ST4 6ES. 

All genres covered (no poetry). 

The group is open to all writers, aspiring and published, who wish to meet like-minded folk, to discuss their work in progress, to have a drink and a chat, and to have an evening with friends. We read out work in progress and offer constructive feedback in a supportive environment.

Writing is a lonely business – here’s an opportunity to talk about your passion. Entry is free.

To contact Renegade Writers, send an email to renewriters [at] gmail.com or join us on the Renegade Writers’ Facebook page or follow us on Twitter (@renegadewriters) for updates.

Note: this page will remain static – and will be updated with important news or changes in day, time or venue.

The Jolly Potters closes its doors

The Jolly Potters pub -- our home for over a year -- has closed down while it searches for a new landlord. We have therefore relocated to The Red Lion, about a mile further along the road towards Newcastle-under-Lyme.

Facebook and Twitter news

Renegade Writers is a writers' group that meets every Wednesday (7.30pm-9.30pm) in a private room in the Jolly Potters, 296 Hartshill Road, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, ST4 7NH – but is open to all writers in the area and beyond. The pub is located at the corner of Hartshill Road and Vicarage Road – there is a large gravel car park at the end of Vicarage Road. 

The group is open to all writers, aspiring and published, who wish to meet like-minded folk, discuss their work, have a drink and a chat, have an evening with friends. We read out work in progress and offer constructive advice in a supportive environment. Writing is a lonely business – here’s an opportunity to talk about your passion.

To contact Renegade Writers, send an email to renewriters [at] gmail.com or join us on the Renegade Writers’ Facebook page or follow us on Twitter (@renegadewriters) for updates.

Note: this page will remain static – and will be updated with important news or changes in day, time or venue.

Christmas schedule

The next meeting of Renegade Writers is on Wednesday 14 December, at the usual venue (see right). This is a Christmas meeting -- so please bring seasonal stories or poems and festive food.

The meetings for 21 and 28 December are cancelled. We start again on 4 January 2012.

Rod reports on this week's meeting

RENEGADE WRITERS: 29^TH JUNE 2011

Welcome to new attendee Gerry!

Congratulations to Jan on the nomination of her short story ‘Otterburn’ in the British Fantasy Society Awards 2011 short story category.

After the standing-room only attendance of last week we were down to just six of us this week, but small in number though we were the quality of the writing was good.

Jan kicked off with a new short story called ‘Midnight Twilight’ set on a desolate artic island ‘somewhere north of Fennmark’ and involving the experiences of an intrepid reporter Ellie as she tries to get to the bottom of the nightly appearances of a mysterious sledger. We were all agreed that the piece was well written and the planned hook a good one.

Peter read a short story entitled ‘Ghost House’ which was a tale of a sceptic challenging his disbelief by spending some time in ‘the most haunted house in Britain’ where he has a close encounter of the weird kind. Again a good, strong story.

Rod read an excerpt from the end of ‘The Demi-Monde: Spring’, the sexy bit involving the seduction of one of his characters. It seemed to go down well with the listeners.

--- Rod Rees

Renegade Writer Nominated for Award

Jan Edwards, a member of the Renegade Writers group, has been nominated for a British Fantasy Award, in the Short Story category, with her tale of otter hunts and a missing woman, entitled ‘Otterburn’.

‘Otterburn’ first appeared in the December issue of Estronomicon ezine. (Published by Screaming Dreams Publications.) http://www.screamingdreams.com/ezine.html

Fantasy Book Review Fantasy Short Story Competition 2011

This year, Fantasy Book Review with Swift Publishers are running a short story competition. The writer of the winning fantasy short story will receive an Apple iPad, the two runner-ups will receive Amazon Kindle’s. Each applicable entry will receive a free copy of Frank P Ryan’s fantasy ebook The Snowmelt River.

Full rules and conditions can be found on their website but in brief: all submitted work be the author’s original work, between 2,000 and 5,000 English words with a fantasy theme woven throughout. Entries can be submitted from 10 April 2011 up until 10 September 2011, with the winners being announced on 1 November 2011 and published on the site exactly one week later.

Fantasy author Frank P Ryan has supplied a guide to how to write a fantasy short story especially for the Fantasy Book Review Short Story Competition 2011. Full of advice and tips it can be downloaded by clicking here.

When you are happy with your mini-masterpiece, simply email   fantasyshortstorycompetition@fantasybookreview.co.uk with your entry as an attachment. Include your full name (first name and surname) and country of residence.

Market update: Where Are We Going?

From Allen Ashley, editor of forthcoming Eibonvale Press anthology Where Are We Going?  

“After several requests, I have now officially decided to extend the submission period for this anthology to now close at 10.00pm British Summer Time on Tuesday 31 May 2011.

Further details from: editorwherearewegoing@hotmail.co.uk  or visit   http://www.eibonvalepress.co.uk/