[ Alan Grant ] [ Lou Fletcher ] [ Veronica Bright ] [ Sarah Adams ] [ John Curry ] [ Cate Frances ] [ Jo Sparkes ] [ George Zacal ]

We have a number of writers in the group that are published and self published writers. Many writers have won various competitions and you can visit their individual page to find out more about them below.

Alan Grant

Alan’s writing experience, began with a night class in 2001, and since then, he has completed several hundred short stories, poems, stage and radio plays, some of which were included in anthologies. His premiere collection “Short Stories for Longer Journeys” was published by Authorhouse in 2008, and is now available on Amazon and Kindle. In 2014 he was the first author to win a regional newspaper annual contest for the third time. Having been shortlisted for the Kenneth Branagh new playwright award in 2014, his latest short play “The School Crossing” has been selected by the Theatre Royal, Plymouth for a performance in the Drum Theatre in January 2015. Alan states….”my personal and working life has resulted in a series of experiences, exposures and events relating to a mass of wonderful people, with significant strengths, characters, issues, weaknesses, and ambitions. My characters are composites of me, them and us, plus a large sprinkling of imagination.

Find out more and read examples of his/her work!

Lou Fletcher

Lou is interested in writing for writing’s sake. However, he has been published as a winner of the Western Morning News short story competition with his supernatural “The Rocking Chair”, is self-published on Amazon with a Plymouth thriller “The Bohemian Ruby”, and has completed its sequel “The Ivory Tower”.

Lou has recently finished a novella, a Tavistock based detective story called “Mute of Malice”, and has been published on the website UK Authors, and in a number of good food guides. He enjoys writing short stories that have a twist in the tail.

Find out more and read examples of his/her work!

Veronica Bright

Veronica has won over forty prizes for her short fiction, including the prestigious Woman and Home short story competition, as well as places at the Winchester Literary Festival and the Swanwick Writers’ Summer School (twice). Her work has appeared in over a dozen anthologies, and online. She has published three collections of prize-winning short stories ––Cloud Paintings, A Gift from the Horse Chestnut Tree, and Rainbow Laughter. A former primary school teacher, Veronica is also the author of teaching resource books published by Kevin Mayhew Ltd, and a non-fiction book, How to create believable characters using the Enneagram.

Veronica is the short story adviser for the Association of Christian Writers. She has written a monthly blog for several years, and at present her aim is to encourage and inspire anyone who writes for children. She gives talks locally on writing memoir; on the adventure that is writing (including readings); and on ‘50 things to do before I rest’.

Veronica’s monthly blog LET THE WRITER OUT may be found on her website: www.veronicabright.co.uk

Find out more and read examples of his/her work!

Sarah Adams

Sarah moved to Plymouth in 1983, to study Literature and Philosophy at Marjons. After finishing a degree she decided not to return to Surrey, but set up home in Plymouth to be near the moors and the sea.

She has recently feature in the PWG anthology and now a regular member of the group. She plans to produce two children’s books and publish poetry in the future

Find out more and read examples of his/her work!

John Curry

John ran away and joined the theatre in 1980 and has been a jobbing actor ever since. His main claim to fame was being part of the original West End cast of the Shakespearean Rock and Roll Musical ‘Return to the Forbidden Planet”. You may not know it but it was good enough to beat ‘Miss Saigon’ and ‘Buddy’ and win the Olivier Award.

John has had two musical plays for children produced professionally and another at the Edinburgh Fringe.

He has been writing songs for ages and a couple of years ago he recorded a CD of his own songs.

He has also written songs for the last three pantomimes in Modbury where he lives.

His play for radio (A Bench Encounter) was recently released as a podcast by Backwell Playhouse in Bristol.

John is now trying to develop his writing seriously, he recently won his first short story competition. He has a crime novel set in the world of theatre in development.

Cate Frances

Holder of an English Literature degree from the Open University, Cate is a dedicated writer, always keen to learn more about the craft and the industry. She attended an Arvon course in September 2019 and came away more motivated than ever to improve and put out work worthy of reading. Since then, she has been appointed editor of the Tolkien Society’s members magazine, done some freelance copywriting for an advertising agency, and been shortlisted and highly commended for the Exeter Story Prize. Cate has self-published a travel memoir and just completed her first historical novel.

Find out more and read examples of his/her work!

 

Jo Sparkes

From the Pro Football Writers Association to the Film School at SCC, Jo’s adventures in writing have run the gamut.

Humor and interview articles for Arizona Sportsfans Network, scripts for children’s television, commercial work, and adjunct teaching at Film School at Scottsdale Community College led to writing fiction.

Her fantasy series The Legend of the Gamesmen, has garnered three B.R.A.G. Medallions and a 2015 silver IPPY award for Ebook Juvenile/YA Fiction. Frank Retrieval, an original film script, won the Kay Snow award, and her nonfiction work Feedback  How to Give It  How to Get It: A Writer’s Guide to Spinning Gold has received high praise in the industry.

Find out more and read examples of his/her work!

George Zacal

Born in Zlin, Czechoslavakia and came to the UK as a young child. He has an Economics degree and worked in industry until he retired and has now started  writing short stories. The stories tend to be either 500 and 1500 words and cover a wide selection of topics – love, war, working lives and the comic elements of daily lives.

Find out more and read examples of his/her work!