Claudette's Pen To Paper

In this episode I talk more about what influenced my journey into writing. It also features poems by nonagenarian Jean Harding, a member of both Bridgend Writers' Circle and Bridgend u3a.
I also read one of my early science fiction stories 'Adamstown' brought about by one of my favourite quotes from Miles Davis in reference on how to playing jazz: “Don't play what's there, play what's not there.”  This can easily be translated to writing as “Don’t write what you see, write what you don’t see!” 

My podcasts are all about putting Pen to Paper and creating something new and exciting; giving a new angle to fact or generating absorbing fiction. 
I'm Claudette Evans, and putting pen to paper is exactly what I’ve been doing all my life, be it writing songs or stories. I love writing fiction best, although I have been know to turn my hand to poetry, enjoying the challenge of a writing group's prompt as this can take you out of your comfort zone and encourage you to think outside the box. I also use my previous life's skills to record writings and interviews other writers from within one of my three writing groups.
In this first episode I explain why and how my writing journey began, in the hope it will inspire you the listener, to put pen to paper . 
Moving to Wales in 2015, my intention upon retiring from my ‘day’ job as a professional musician, music teacher and sound engineer was to write. However, before embarking on this enterprise, I decided to do some Creative writing courses, to help me prepare and brush-up on the basics of grammar. So, I joined both the Bridgend and Porthcawl U3A writing groups and Bridgend Writer’s Circle, and now I’d like to share with you a selection of stories and poems to encourage you to put pen to paper.  

In this special Podcast I’m featuring the winner of Bridgend Writers’ Circle’s winner of the Saviker Shield, which for the 2nd year in succession was myself. 

In this special Podcast I’m featuring a recent conversation I had with Bridgend Writers' Circle's last season's winner of the Railton and Endeavour Competitions,  past winner and the 21/22 season’s runner-up of Bridgend Writers’ Circle’s Saviker Shield, Mike Hayes. 
Mike gives us an insight into his thought process and reads the winning entries.

During lockdown and through Stronger Together Bridgend, I was introduced to a gentleman who has written many, many poems about the mining community and life in the valleys. Now, thanks to Awen Cultural Trust Kevin has published a children's Christmas story about Dewii the Dragon, and more recently a book of his poems.

Fear comes in many shapes and forms. Could you find inspiration in the thing or things you fear most? In this Halloween special I explore the thoughts behind writing a good scary ghost or horror story

In this episode we’ll be exploring the world of fantasy, with readings from Bridie Banwell and Kevin Bryant.

I am delighted in this my seventeenth Podcast to be sharing with you an interview I recently had with local author and member of Porthcawl u3a, Malcolm Cowper. 
Malcolm talks about his early life, how the books came about and includes readings from his third book, 'Reluctant Warriors' the stories of those men conscripted into the various branches of the armed services to do their National Service.

Do you like to write autobiographically? I think we all do – to some extent!’ So, in this episode I’ll be exploring the art of autobiographical writing. 

Our first contact with a villain or villains, is most probably in a comic book form and there are plenty of villains to instil fear, chills, and terror in the hearts of the citizens of the DC Universe.  After all, if everyone was always nice and good and honest all the time, in the words of Villanelle, from the 'Killing Eve' books and TV series, we’d find literature ‘boring’!