A Debut Historical Writer Joins the Literary Scene!



This week we are recognising the achievements of SCBWI member, Paula Warrington, and hear how she is inspiring others to strive for their literary dreams. Paula has written for children on and off for many years and celebrates today as her short story is published in Timelines Anthology.




The brief was to write a short story with an historical setting, suitable for a 10-14-year-old audience. Join us in celebration as we applaud Paula’s short story titled ‘Thicker than Water,’ which was one of 17 stories chosen for the first edition of Timelines Anthology; an historical collection of short stories for young teenagers.

Paula tells us a little more about her story;

“In August 1848 a local newspaper, ‘The Leicester Chronicle’, reported a drunken riot in which policeman Sgt. Frank Tarratt was injured. I knew that Sgt. Tarratt had six children. What if one of them had been caught up in the rioting too? That was the starting point for my story. My protagonist is Charlie Tarratt, a 13-year-old with mixed feelings about growing up as a bobby's son, a knack for getting into trouble, and a hankering to play detective."




The Anthology launched at The Manchester Children’s Book Festival in October 2013, where Paula gave her first book reading in the company of her MA Creative Writing classmates, inspiring others to hold on tight to their dreams. What an experience!

Paula says;



“We were all a little nervous about reading at the launch but the day went well and we really enjoyed hearing one another's stories. The afternoon went by so quickly... I hope we'll get to do it all over again one day soon!”

Paula lives in Leicestershire (as her particular patch of Mercia is now known) and finds inspiration in traces of the past still visible in the towns and countryside around her. As a child she enjoyed Susan Cooper’s The Dark is Rising series, and would be thrilled if she could convey an equally strong sense of place in her own work. She hopes to have her first full length novel, a tale set in ninth-century Mercia, completed by September 2014.

...so watch this space!



Clare Welsh joined SCBWI in Feburary 2013 after her marriage to her lovely husband James was under threat from constant chunterings, questions and reading aloud over the football. She is thoroughly enjoying all that SCBWI has to offer, including helping Tania celebrating SCBWI successes as part of the Words & Pictures editorial team, and is pleased that her marriage is still firmly intact.

5 comments:

  1. Congratulations, Paula, and good luck with the novel. Interesting to see short stories are making a come back, and that historical fiction is still thriving. I lived in the past in my teens - whether Tolkien's or Jean Plaidy's.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, Rowena!

      LOVED Jean Plaidy - that's where I picked up most of my historical knowledge (such as it is!). ;-)

      Paula

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  2. Congratulations! Love the pitch for your story, Paula. Sounds like you enjoyed the reading too - I love reading aloud #frustratedactorme

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  3. :-) Thank you, Jan.

    I did enjoy it. The build-up was nerve-wracking - but then it was all over far too quickly. ("Someone fetch the stage hook, please!") ;-D

    Paula

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  4. We are welcome her to start writing for the children. Paula has written for children on and off for many years and celebrates today as her short story those are nice.

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