May I wish you a warm welcome to the Pens of Erdington website which gives a strong flavour of the essence of our creative writing over the past year and beyond. I hope you enjoy the variety of writing on offer in this developing collection of out members work.
Pens Creative Writing Group has been meeting since 1997 and possibly even before that. We now meet in the Library’s Community Room behind the Library itself. Before I became the facilitator, Jan Watts, a 
former Birmingham Poet Laureate led the group. She asked if I would take over her role as facilitator. This I did in December 2012. We also recognise previous facilitators who took the group from strength to strength and have contributed to what it is today.
Anybody is more than welcome to come along and sit in on a session before joining our group. There is a membership fee scheme to cover the hire of the room and future projects; tea, coffee and a biscuits are included. We now meet on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month 1pm – 3pm unless changed on the Meeting Schedule page.
We are
an eclectic group of people who thoroughly enjoy writing in various genres from poems to radio plays, monologues to short stories with other creative writing exercises run in parallel, which reflects our vibrant membership.
Jude Shields- Facilitator
Here is a delightful example of the work of one our members on her thoughts after joining the group; thank you Elizabeth !
I’ve joined a group of writers
I want to be one too
I’ve joined a group of writers
But I’m not sure what to do
I want to be just like them
I want to write a poem
I think that words would help me
I could use the ones at home
I’ll put them down on paper
I’ve seen that done before
I hope they’ll be so pretty
That you couldn’t like them more
On Wednesday when the writers meet
I’ll have my poem wrapped up neat
I’ll take it out and show them
How it is
My poem will be dandy
Just as sweet as sugar candy
And I’ll always keep it handy
In case the writers ask for more
© Elizabeth Ginger 2016
Pens of Erdington 
Smart new layout to website. Looking forward to future events.
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creative, inventive, observant, words repetitively used when describing our group.
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Lynne Holland here, Pens mad comic scribbler. The Pens Webpage is really classy and it makes us look so good in the world of writers groups. I love being involved with with the Pens Writers Group it is a delightful afternoon out, full of fun and surprises when we meet on the first Wednesday in the month at 1:30 pm. Thanks to Dave our clever facilitator we are out there in cyber space for everyone to see us. That is so good to know! X!
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Double check the time please on the meetings page on the website, it’s 1.00 till 3.00 unless otherwise stated. Thanks you.
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Hi David, good of you and Jude to let us have 10 mins (well, 25!) today. It was very kind and welcoming of everyone – good job I’d sent you an e-m or something techy first! We popped in the library and went for the 16 June, thx to the feedback from your writers. Probably with a start time of 2.30. Once we’ve created a bit of a poster/flyer, I’ll send that to you too. Meantime, I’d better get writing up a press release for the SCO re the ‘doctor in the house’ ! author. Am hoping Val will send me what she has written herself and then twill be easy for me to adapt/edit to suit the SCO. Looking forward to seeing Richard’s pics IF my e-m will stop playing up.
KR, Sheila P. (377 7899)
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Busy Wednesday ahead enjoying the work of our talented competitors. Pencil at the ready.
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Even more impressed by the talent of our competition entrants. Hope there is a good turn out at prize giving day 12th December with shoppers dropping in to rest weary feet & possibly get a tea or coffee?? Not sure of arrangements but perchance it could be an option??? See you all soon. xx
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Great workshop hosted by Jude 2nd December. Much alternative thinking about romantic poetry and all associated topics. What a fascinating group to belong to. Surprised we aren’t fending off new members with a stick…or perhaps they are just a wee bit shy.
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Thank you Kate, your enthusiasm and support is very much appreciated.
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Thank you Kate, your enthusiasm and support is very much appreciated.
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Fantastic turnout & atmosphere at Erdington library today. Thoroughly enjoyed the company and the vast array of talent. The mince pies and other goodies slipped down rather nicely too.
Thanks to all for the time effort & other stuff that went into the production.
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Thanks Kate, your support and enthuiasm is invaluble
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Wishing all the present and future members of this wonderful inspirational group a joyous Christmas and a prosperous healthy creative 2016.
Wishing a load of other good stuff but you’d probably lapse into slumber.
Kate
xxx
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Thank you Kate, the same sentiments to you and yours for the season. See you in the new year
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I hope that all the present and future members of Pens have a very productive, successful happy & healthy 2016. All the best folks
Kate
xxx
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Here’s to even greater things being achieved by this amazing little group. Hoping to lure new writers to explore their talents and join in with us.
Come on give it a go…you know you want to.
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Eager anticipation at the prospect of Wednesday’s workshop. Hope Karen is feeling better or we may just wing it and do an improvisation.
Now there’s a possibility for a future event; Improvise or act out one of our in house plays.
I recall a certain gentleman starting a play about someone’s first night in prison…still keen too see if my guess at ‘first night kit’ is. Imagination is a strange thing.
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A certain gentleman has all sorts of strange imaginative things in his head, it’s scary at the best of times..hahaha
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Fantastic workshop today 2nd March. If it had been a ticketed event I would have suggested ‘kill for a ticket’ & with a little help from Karen the presenter I could have got away with murder. Read further into Pens wonderful world of words to learn more.
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Sounds as if was great, sorry I couldn’t make it.
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Wild anticipation at seeing/hearing Jan Watts at our meeting tomorrow. Tea and biscuits at the ready, pens & pencils poised….on your marks, get set, write!
Sorry for enthusiasm but after our usual drubbing at Eurovision the chance of being among genuine talent is rather appealing.
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It will be great, can’t wait!
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Thank you all for posting your magical wild weird stuff. I shall be back among you as soon as possible, having missed you all.
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Thoroughly enjoyable meeting today, glad to be back in the loop after a short absence. As ever great writing on so many different themes.
Thanks everyone for your companionship and good humour.
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Thank you Scribbler, you make great contributions and the meetings are not the same without you.
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Hi I would like to come – I used to go to a writing group but it hasn’t been on for months can you let me know if I am able to attend I live in chelmsley wood but I dont mind travelling every so often to come. thanks Lucy
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Hello,
I hope all’s well with you. We know all writing groups have been severely affected by the Covid outbreak, so we’d like to offer Pens of Erdington members a discounted place on the forthcoming Write Here… Online novel-writing course, which they can take from the comfort of their own homes, if they sign up by Sunday 7 March. Would it be possible for you to share this email with them?
Write Here… Online is an eight-week course, taught by expert editor and Two Piers Agency literary agent Rufus Purdy, which takes writers from those tentative early planning stages right through to submitting their finished manuscript to literary agents and publishers. Featuring masterclasses on plot, characterisation, dialogue and all the other essential aspects of novel-writing, the course also involves all-important sessions on editing and pitching your novel. The final week will also involve a Q&A session in which Rufus directly answers students’ questions directly.
Your members can see all the information on the course and sign up for the discounted fee of £89.10 (rather than the full price of £99) via the link below…
http://www.writehereuk.com/affordable-writing-courses-and-professional-book-editing/creative-writing-courses/write-here-online-novel-writing-course-1120/
Here’s what some of our previous students have to say about the course…
http://www.writehereuk.com/online-novel-writing-course-testimonials/
If you have any questions, please let us know,
The Write Here… team
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