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Over the last few weeks, I’ve been running writing workshops across County Durham as part of a project to help people in the area develop their creative writing skills. One of the things that has come up again and again is that people are writing – often prolifically – but they’re not sharing their work.
This might be because they lack confidence, or it might be because they’re not sure where to find opportunities.
As a writer from Middlesbrough, I’ve been aware of the Crossing the Tees Festival for several years now, even judging the annual short story competition back in 2019.
It’s a great prize and one I often recommend to writers who are looking for competitions or awards to enter.
One of the best things about it is that it’s a friendly competition and one that gives a lot back to writers. Every year, 30 longlisted writers have their stories published in the prize anthology, and there’s the opportunity to attend the prize event, meet other writers and celebrate your work. Even if you don’t win the main prize, there’s a chance your story could be included in the anthology and you get to see your name in print: that’s a special feeling.
And this year, if you need a confidence boost, or some support editing your work, I’m here to help. I’ll be running workshops across the Tees Valley and Darlington in May and June, plus there will be a chance to have a one-to-one mentoring session where I’ll read some of your work and suggest ways you could develop it, to help you get ready to enter the competition.
I’m looking forward to meeting local writers at the workshops – and hoping to see some of those people in the ninth prize anthology when it comes out next spring! Find out more about the writing workshops, which start on 16 May. As a little extra, if you join me for a workshop, you get free entry to the competition.
