Mslexia Cover Competition

1st prize: £500 - plus your artwork will appear on Mslexia's next cover.

Closing date: 27 February 2009

Competition Rules

Artwork and photography must be original work, in any form or style;

Artwork should be inspired by or reflect Mslexia, the magazine for women who write;

You do not have to subscribe to Mslexia to be eligible, but you do have to be a woman.

Send entries to:

Mslexia Publications Ltd

PO Box 656

FREEPOST NEA5566

Newcastle upon Tyne

NE1 1BR

For full competition details go to http://www.mslexia.co.uk/

Obama: We Have Overcome

On this day I watched BBC coverage live from Washington this afternoon, of history being made as Barack Obama took his oath of office to become the first African-American President. This 44th President of the United States gave yet another great speech with the theme of the remaking of America; of turning crisis into opportunity and offering hope but sacrifice. As over a million people went to Washington's Capitol Hill and witnessed Obama's Inauguration many tears were shed and hugs were expressed. His oath of office was followed by a massive roar from the crowd and a 21-gun salute. Truly a defining moment, for everyone around the world, particularly those African-Americans who spiritually and emotionally felt that a dream has now been realised and that we have overcome.

Mr Obama said: "The time has come...to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea...that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness."

The Honeymoon

Introducing: John Charlery - Born in St Lucia in September 1955, John came to the UK aged 15 in 1970. Having always been interested in history and literature, he began enjoying writing poetry from his days as a schoolboy in the Caribbean. However, his creativity became more apparent when he joined the British Army and had to write to friends and relatives. John lives in Walthamstow, East London and currently works as an Employment Adviser and Information Advice & Guidance Representative.

The Honeymoon

The countryside came awake but was quiet and in splendid semi-darkness
as the moonlight enhanced his physical and muscular blackness,
He lay awake and inflamed, still tasting her aroma and sexual musk
while like a feline she sleeps, contented after a night of sensual lust.

Entranced! Her shallow breathing is all he wishes to hear
and the magical harmony of birds, that filled the country air,
Divine and sheer perfection is her body in black silk underwear
as he reaches to touch and kiss her again just about everywhere.

The Countryside it whispers, as the gentle breeze pushes away the rain
just as the stillness is shattered, and she smiled at the sound of a distant train,
Gracefully she wakes and surrenders to his intense chemistry
happy to love and be loved, as they delve into yet another sexual mystery.

Clinging like Gladiators, afraid that one or the other might take flight
helpless and breathless in the early morning moonlight,
Feverishly they kissed as he removed her black silks and laces
Just as the distant train disappeared to many and unknown places.

Hammering like their hearts, each piston against the railway track
their bodies erotically carved by the silver moon peering in through the dark,
To listen to their melody as rippling passions erupt, echoing their
harmony throughout the countryside

Thus taking them on a magical ride of love, like a wave on a floating tide.
The birds sang and the moon just looked on!

J W Charlery
February 1999

Writing for Yourself

I am half way to completing my story for Mslexia’s short story competition and I have thoroughly enjoyed the writing process so far – one thing I found inspiring was to let your writing settle on the page before you and your inner critic go in for the kill and start to revise/edit the story. The first draft is just that - the start of a story – a new form of creative expression on the blank page and somehow you have to be disciplined to let the story evolve, unless you have the plot structure already sorted.

With my story, I started with an outline of the main character and the themes and then let the story (plot) unfold and it was both surprising and thought-provoking letting that process take shape. Having written 1,000 words, I deliberately didn’t read what I’d written until a week later, with fresh eyes, and that made so much difference. I also read the text out loud and where I stumbled upon some words, knew they had to go or be amended. So far so good. Finally, although I am writing this to submit to a competition, and have done the necessary research, i.e. check out the judge’s profile, etc, I am writing this story for myself first, and for the competition second.

In the current issue of Mslexia, Issue 40 (Jan/Feb/Mar), an article called Heart and craft by Beth Webb states, …being a good writer is really about art; it requires craftsmanship and passion. Its primary purpose is usually communication – building bridges between people – but writing is just as valid when the author is working for her own pleasure or satisfaction. Measuring the value of our creations solely in terms of publication and money is misleading at best, dangerous at worst.

Happy writing!

Writing Goals 2009

Happy New Year!

I thought it would be appropriate that my first blog posting for 2009 focus on writing goals. I find that writing down goals and writing lists does help to keep you motivated towards achieving your goals. In Be Your Own Best Life Coach, The Tao of goal-setting, Jackee Holder states ‘…when we write down goals and lists and take actions that come wholeheartedly from our inner essence there just seems to be a different charge in the air that brings our desires – sometimes almost miraculously – into fruition’

So, this morning I wrote a list of my writing goals for the first 3 months of this year, which includes continuing blog-writing here (of course!), taking up a non-fiction narrative course, completing/submitting a short-story to Mslexia’s competition this month, and a few more.

Another tip – and forgive me for getting a bit technical – is to follow the SMART method to achieving your goals. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time bound. The reason for this is that it’s fairly easy to set goals, just like making New Year resolutions; however, achieving them is the challenge. It’s also a good idea to set goals in quarterly chunks rather than what might be a lengthy list for the whole year. This way you can prioritise goals in 3 monthly intervals, which I can confirm is far less daunting than focusing on the whole year’s goals.

However you keep motivated on your writing projects in 2009, my message to you is be true to yourself, write for yourself, don’t worry about perfection and celebrate your goals once achieved.