http://www.ayrwritersclub.co.uk

We meet most Wednesdays from September to May at 7.30 p.m. From September 2006 we'll be at a new venue - Prestwick Community Centre in Caerlaverock Road. This new venue is easily accessible by car or public transport and only a few minutes walk from Prestwick Cross.

At the club, there are three types of evening :

Speakers - once a month we have a visit from a well-established writer, or someone from a related field (e.g. an editor). The format of the evening usually takes the form of a presentation by the Speaker followed by a question and answer session. As well as entertaining us, each Speaker will adjudicate a competition for the Club.

Workshops - we have divided the world of writing into five main genres: fiction; non-fiction; poetry; drama; and writing for children. There are two workshops for each genre, spread over the session. On joining, you will be given a syllabus which has exact dates. The format of the workshop is decided by the workshop leader and can vary from genre to genre. It may involve hints and tips on publication or on improving our writing, the reading of members' work, or even some writing exercises designed to enhance our writing skills or creativity. What is certain, is that no two workshops are ever the same. Rowena has been workshop leader for Poetry and for Beginning Writers. She will be leading the Poetry workshops again this session (2005-06)

Club nights - this is a more informal kind of evening where members have a chance to socialise with other people in the club. There are usually a series of fun activities with a writing theme, designed to make us focus on specific aspects of our writing. Competition results will be announced on these evenings and, time permitting, the winning entry read out. It's also a useful time for asking people for advice if you have a specific writing problem; there is a wealth of experience in the club, so someone is bound to be able to help you.

One theme that is often used for these Club nights is 'Homegrown Talent' where members of the AWC give a talk about how they came to write and showcase their own successes. Rowena was invited to give one of these talks last session.

There are a series of competitions throughout the year and membership of the AWC allows writers to attend the Scottish Association of Writers Conference held annually in March. Members of the Ayr Writers' Club scooped a third of the trophies there in 2003, which gives you an idea of the extremely high calibre of the AWC. They did well again in 2004, taking some of the major trophies as well as getting many honourable mentions (e.g. runner-up prizes, Highly Commended or Commended)

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WRITABILITY

[Our new website is currently under construction - details of how to find it will be posted as soon as it is ready]

This is a writing charity. It has a number of different aspects to it: e.g. a readers' and writers' group, a commissions project and the design of a disability aid.

The Readers' and Writers' Group now meets at the Carnegie Library in Ayr every Monday from October to May (except for school and public holidays) and has an interesting programme of workshops and speakers.

The Commissions Project was Lottery Funded. We commissioned stories, articles and poetry by well-respected writers which we made into a CD. It was made available, free of charge, to schools and writers' groups. Rowena was the Commissioning Editor for this project.

The design project is also in progress.