WOWO Thursday, 14 March 2024, 7-9pm GMT

And don’t forget the next MOTM competition for the coveted title ‘Mug Of The Month’: a 50-word text of any genre containing the keywords GROUND and PITCH. Closing date for entries to annemurray@yahoo.ie is Sunday, 24 March.

Programme

Short Story Mystery at Grange Hall 4 Alice Sheridan

Short Story Tubernalt Mary Hodson

Short Story When They Were In Their Prime James Conway

Drama A Fish Out Of Water Jim Keary

Poem The River Mary Hawkshaw

Poem What Words Can Do Mary Hawkshaw

Poem Obsolete Kathleen Phelan

Poem ABC and Nursery Rhymes Deirdre Anne Gialamas

Poem Nobody Told Me Geraldine Warren

Discussion The Write-On Anthology 2025 All Members

WOWO Thursday, 7 March 2024, 7-9pmGMT

Our session this Thursday opens with a continuation of Alice Sheridan’s lively novel, a social drama of the Jane Austen type set in modern times. A new family has moved into Grange Hall, and the locals are agog to know who they are and how they can engage with them. But all efforts at finding out are firmly and even mysteriously thwarted. To find out how this tug-of-war between the nosy villagers and the reclusive newcomers evolves, don’t miss the next episode on the evening of the 7th!

The short story is very much Mary Rose Tobin’s sphere, and she is a master of this genre, producing tales that are sensitive, empathetic, lively, poignant, often with a twist at the end. Who is the Piano Man? What can we learn from him? Prepare to be bemused by this presentation by Mary Rose.

Our newest member, Jim Keary, is a successful playwright of long standing. He has been presenting excerpts from his plays, and demonstrating how dialogue can be used to portray character, situation, setting, atmosphere, and all the other elements that go to make a written work of art alive and well-rounded. It’s a wonderful opportunity for our members to see great examples of ‘show, don’t tell’. Welcome, Jim, and thank you for sharing your expertise with us.

‘Intriguing, intelligent, highly poetic, with a clear physical context’ – these words well describe the poems of both Mary Hawkshaw and Deirdre Anne Gialamas. We look forward to hearing two works of the very first order.

Finally, Frank Fahy is engrossed in preparing this year’s anthology, and on Thursday our members will be encouraged to assist him in this mammoth and difficult task of assembling, selecting, rejecting, and ensuring that all details are correct. If your name is not among the authors, it is not yet too late to provide a text for inclusion in this impressive and entertaining work.

Once again we invite you – whether member or guest – to join us in what promises to be another outstanding meeting of our talented group. You can expect an enjoyable and profitable evening!

Programme

Short Story Mystery at Grange Hall 3 Alice Sheridan

Short Story Piano Man Mary Rose Tobin

Drama The Other Man’s Grass Jim Keary

Poem The River Mary Hawkshaw

Poem Miriam Deirdre Anne Gialamas

Discussion Write-On Anthology 2025 All Members

What’s On Write-On Thursday 29 February 2024

This Leap Year Thursday meeting of our writing group opens with our monthly competition. A record number of thirteen entries are vying for the coveted title ‘Mug of the Month’ and the accompanying trophy Mug. The key words to be included in the 50-word texts were TIME and TIDE. Each submission will be read and shown twice, so that we can expect a high level of tension to have built up by the time voting begins at the end of the presentation.

The rest of the programme promises a continuation of heightened interest, as recent and very welcome new members display their talents in a selection of short stories, poems and a drama. Established members are also represented, but our newcomers are definitely setting the tone this evening. We greatly appreciate their joining us and bringing in fresh ideas and new impulses. At the same time we are proud of being able to offer a forum which attracts so much diverse talent.

So be prepared for an evening full of variety, a high standard of writing, accompanied by lively verbal feedback and exchange.

Programme

Competition Mug of the Month 13 Authors

Short Story Mystery at Grange Hall 2 Alice Sheridan

Short Story Pat – the Legend Eileen Miller

Short Story ‘If Only …’ Brenda Silke

Short Story Smelling of Roses Frances Dermody

Poem On Finding a Dead Goose James Conway

Poem Sweet Citrus Fruits Deirdre Anne Gialamas

Drama Marrying Mike Jim Keary

WOWO Wednesday 14 February 2024, 7-9pm GMT

Valentine’s Day!

For our Valentine’s Day Special we have a wide selection of topics and genres from eight different writers plus ‘Anon’. With a number of the titles promising a reference to the romantic occasion, serious topics such as illness or death will also put in an appearance. So be prepared to be surprised!

Next Week’s session will take place at the usual time on Thursday, 22 February.

The closing date for entries to this month’s Mug of the Month competition, 25 February, is drawing closer! The key words, TIME and TIDE, must appear in your text of no more than 50 words (excluding the title); you can write a poem, a short short story, a memoir …. The winner of the hotly contested Mug will be selected on 29 February.

We wish all participants and visiting viewers an entertaining and enjoyable evening!

Programme

Short Story New Girls Anne McManus

Old Sayings Sayings and Riddles Mary Hodson

Poem A Ballad of a Wayward Gardener Mary Hawkshaw

Poem Big Hair Deirdre Anne Gialamas

Love Reflection Living and Loving in Old(er) Age Anon

Short Story Nora’s Journey Mary Hawkshaw

Short Story Les Amants d’un Jour (NEW) Mary Rose Tobin

Poem The Photograph Frank Fahy

Song Traveller Grit Metsch

Poem Old Loves Deirdre Anne Gialamas

Short Story World’s Apart Josephine McCann

WOWO 8 February 2024 7.00-9.00om GMT

Where would our Write-On sessions be without the input by our members, be it as presenters of the Website and Newsletter or the evening’s meeting, or as contributors of stories, poems, articles, songs! Everyone suffers from ‘dry’ periods now and again, and a constant flow of material cannot always be guaranteed. For this reason we are always glad of new members, eager to present their new and past works, and possibly also to participate in the running of the show! Or are we?! Do more new members mean more work for those behind the scenes? All this has been the topic of excited exchanges on our WhatsApp site recently, and we hope to discuss the various issues involved in writing/  presenting/ integrating new members this Thursday. As if to emphasise the theme above, three of our four contributions this week are ‘left-overs’ from last week’s list. But for all that they are all the more welcome.

A change of schedule is planned for next week: our usual Thursday session is being moved forward to Wednesday 14 February – Valentine’s Day. Please make a note of the date! Material suitable to this romantic and delicate occasion is more than welcome, be it song, poetry, memoirs or scandal of any kind!

We wish our members and viewers a lively and interesting evening!

Programme

GenreTitleAuthor
Short StoryNew GirlsAnne McManus
Short StoryThe StormJoanne Dowling
Short StoryWorlds ApartJosephine McCann
PoemHysterectomyKathleen Phelan
PoemBig HairDeirdre Gialamas
DiscussionShould we take in new members or not?All Members
DiscussionWhy are people writing less this year?All Members

WOWO 01 February 2024, 7-9pm GMT

Three new publications have been scheduled for Write-On this year. Mary Rose Tobin’s outstanding collection of short stories ‘The Life and Times of Jimmy Mullins’ appeared recently; our annual anthology will be published later this year; and now our new persona Olga Peters’ novel ‘A Normal couple’ is going to print. Our members have been following the evolution of this work for many months, and we might get a glimpse of the cover design this evening. So this should be an exciting moment for everyone!

Eileen Miller has already independently published a volume of poems by Patrick Kelly paying tribute to his love for Connemara. Tonight she will be presenting the background to this venture, from the first flicker of an idea to the birth of this exquisite anthology.

Grit Metsch, our resident and dedicated song writer, has written and composed a beautiful new lyric about love and closeness in the changing seasons of the year. We can look forward to hearing and talking about this unusual work this evening.

A topic which has resulted in reactions ranging from heated to fascinated is the use of AI in creating or improving texts. Tonight Mary Rose Tobin will be showing how she created a story and images using ChatGPT and Dall-E. We can expect another lively discussion!

And not to forget this evening’s literary offerings, which include short stories and poems from new, recently new, and established members of our very active group.

We wish all viewers an entertaining and stimulating meeting!

P.S. The meeting in two week’s time will take place one day sooner, on Wednesday February 14 (St Valentine’s Day!), at the usual time.

Programme:

GenreTitleAuthor
SongFor you, for usGrit Metsch
Short StoryNew GirlsAnne McManus
Short StoryThe StormJoanne Dowling
Short StoryA Mother’s DilemmaKathleen Phelan
Short StoryWorlds ApartJosephine McCann
PoemOne Field, Once MoreJames Conway
PoemBig HairDeirdre Gialamas
DemonstrationCreating a story with ChatGPT and Dall-EMary Rose Tobin
PublicationNew cover for Olga Peters’ novelFrank Fahy
PublicationDerryclare and Other PoemsEileen Miller

WOWO January 25, 2024 7-9pm GMT

After the long winter break, our popular Mug of the Month competition is again on offer: a text in any genre of maximum 50 words, to include two previously given words. A fine challenge to practice succinct, pithy expression. This month FINE and TUNE were the two words with multiple meanings, so that we can look forward to a wide selection of versatile uses. Each poem/text/song is presented twice, and then viewers are invited to cast their vote for their favourite. The winner is awarded The Mug, and receives the hotly contested title of ‘Mug of the Month’!

With four short stories and two poems to follow, we can promise two hours of quality writing and lively discussion – in short: an entertaining evening.

Welcome to all our viewers!

Programme:

MOTM Competition

  • Amadeus Mary Rose Tobin
  • East v West Eileen Miller
  • Haiku Jutta Rosen
  • January Aspirations Elizabeth Hannon
  • Maybe Anne McManus
  • Saying Goodbye Kathleen Phelan
  • The Deer Hunter Mary Hodson
  • Ticknock Alice Sheridan
  • To the Height of the Stars James Conway

Short Story The Storm Joanne Dowling

Short Story Daisies and Strawberries Mary Hodson

Short Story Mystery at Grance Hall Alice Sheridan

Short Story World’s Apart Josephine McCann

Poem One Field, Once More James Conway

Poem My Earthly Ties Mary Hawkshaw

Discussion Submissions for Anthology 2025 All Members

WOWO January 18, 2024

Programme:

Excerpt from a novel Ch. 31: The New Year’s Party Jutta Rosen

Short Story Chubb James Conway

Short Story The Storm Joanne Dowling

Short Story The Secret Mary Rose Tobin

Short Story Daisies and Strawberries Mary Hodson

Review Discussion of New Publications All Members

WOWO January 11, 2024, 7-9pm GMT

“Happy New Year to all our esteemed members and cherished viewers! As we step into 2024, may this year overflow with boundless inspiration and unfettered creativity, gifting us an abundance of splendid stories, poignant poetry, and enriching discussions that captivate us for hours on end.

Our gathering tonight commences with the unfolding of Chapter 30 from Jutta Rosen’s compelling novel ‘A Normal Couple.’ This segment unveils a wintry funeral scene intertwined with enigmatic family secrets, promising to stir emotions and evoke a sense of mystique among us all.

Anxiously awaited, Anyta Freeman’s short story has lingered on our anticipation list for several months. We ardently hope this evening offers the deserved platform for this exceptional tale by an exceptionally gifted writer.

Reflecting on her past contributions, Mary Hodson has graced us with heartfelt memoirs recounting her rural upbringing. Here she reveals how imagination and creativity were not encouraged in children back then! Expect to be amused – and reminded of your own times past!

Prepare to be tantalized by Alice Sheridan’s narrative on a recipe—though we suspect there might be layers beyond the culinary instructions that will surprise and delight us!

A stalwart among us, Seamus Keogh, will enthrall with ‘Scent of a Sinner.’ His poetry, imbued with depth and vivid imagery, has earned him not just our admiration but also widespread acclaim over the years.

Tonight marks a premiere: the unveiling of two poems by our new member from Dublin, Póilín Brennan. Such fresh contributions always garner special attention, promising new sparks of inspiration and innovation within our group.

In keeping with tradition, Write-On will publish an anthology and perhaps one or two additional books by our talented members this year. The titles and the publishing process will be unveiled tonight for further group deliberation and discussion.

Wishing everyone a thoroughly enjoyable and spirited gathering tonight!”

(ChatGPT’S version of my text; the original appears below!)

Programme:

Excerpt from a novel Ch. 30, Part 2: The Funeral Jutta Rosen

Short Story I Only Stayed Once Anyta Freeman

Short Story Name to Follow Mary Hodson

Short Story Cock a Leekie Soup Alice Sheridan

Poem Scent of a Sinner Seamus Keogh

Poem The Rise Póilín Brennan

Poem All Souls Póilín Brennan

Review Discussion of New Publications All Members

A Happy New Year to all our members and viewers! May 2024 bring a wealth of inspiration and creativity, providing us with even more excellent stories, beautiful and moving poems, and many hours of fruitful discussion and exchange.

Our session tonight opens with the continuation of Chapter 30 of Jutta Rosen’s novel ‘A Normal Couple’, describing a funeral in the depth of winter where mysterious family secrets are touched on. Expect to be moved and mystified!

Anyta Freeman’s short story has been on our list for several months, and we hope that it can at last receive the hearing that it merits. An excellent story by a talented writer!

In the past, Mary Hodson has provided us with moving memoirs of her country childhood and home. Here she reveals how imagination and creativity were not encouraged in children back then! Expect to be amused – and reminded of your own times past!

Alice Sheridan will be making our mouths water with her stoy about a recipe – or will there be more to it than mere cookery instructions? We look forward to being surprised!

One of our original members, Seamus Keogh, is reading ‘Scent of a Sinner’. His poems are thoughtful and pithy with a clear poetic colour, and have earned him the admiration and respect of the group and beyond for several years now.

Finally, we have a premiere: two poems by a new member from Dublin, Póilín Brennan. Such contributions are always received with special attention and interest, for new members can provide new stimuli and inspiration for all of the group.

As usual, Write-On will be publishing an Anthology and one or two other books written by its members this year. Tonight the titles and the publishing process will be presented for further discussion by the group.

We wish you all an enjoyable and lively meeting!

WOWO December 21, 2023, 6.30-9.30 pm

Christmas Special

Welcome to our Write-On Christmas Special 2023! With over twenty contributions lined up, our meeting this Thursday will run an hour longer than usual, beginning 30 minutes before and ending 30 minutes after the usual time.

We can expect a wide range of topics centring around the Christmas theme from the fifteen members who have submitted stories, poems, songs and memoirs for this evening’s celebration. Unlike our regular sessions, texts this evening will not be critiqued. So just sit back, put your feet up, and enjoy the show!

Once again, many thanks are due to Anne Murray for her wonderful pictorial enhancement of the poems and songs throughout the year. We are constantly amazed and impressed by the perfect images she finds in PowerPoint to illustrate the written words. Although AI is moving in on her field of action, she will still be needed by those members who are not yet familiar with the new technology.

Our presenter Frank Fahy is teaching us how to present our works ourselves, creating a broader team of comperes. Sincere thanks to him for all his input, tutorials and encouragement in the past year. Once again he has succeeded in starting a number of faltering would-be writers on the road to self-confidence. After a year of Frank’s tutoring, everyone is aware of a strong learning curve! Not to mention the inner satisfaction resulting from a pleasing poem or a convincing short story. A big Thank You, Frank, from all the Write-On members!

Mary Hodson in particular has risen to the challenge and has run several of our meetings with calmness and charm. Well done, Mary. You have set a high standard for others to follow!

The Write-on Group Wishes All Members – Past, Present and To Come – a Happy Christmas and a Successful and Creative New Year!