Short Trips Opportunity Successes!
(
10/05/2010)
Yes, it's the news you've all been waiting for! You’re a talented lot, aren’t you? Many thanks for all your submissions to our opportunity to write a
Short Trips short story for the CD releases later in the year. There were just over 500 entries. It’s a cliché, but it was genuinely a very hard job to narrow them down to this final 22, which will appear in the first four of the new
Short Trips series.
There was a fantastic mix of people who sent in stories, from those who hadn’t had anything published before to professional writers and editors. Take a look at the list below to find out a bit more about the authors.
Due to the large number of entries, it is impossible to give individual feedback. But when Simon Guerrier judged the Short Trips competition in 2007, he wrote a marvellous (and comprehensive) piece of general advice, which definitely holds true for this open submission. It’s well worth a read and can be found
here.
The following stories will appear alongside stories from Big Finish writers Jason Arnopp, Andrew Cartmel, Richard Dinnick, Simon Guerrier, George Mann, James Moran, Kate Orman and, of course, Colin Baker!
There are also stories from award-winning author Ally Kennen and Dorothy Koomson, whose novel
My Best Friend’s Girl was selected for the Richard and Judy Summer Reads Book Club and sold over 500,000 copies. Without further ado, the successful entrants are:
The Wondrous Box by Juliet Boyd
Age: 47
Location: Somerset
Juliet works as an Admin Manager. She started writing short stories a year ago and has not yet been published, but has another story awaiting publication.
1963 by Niall Boyce
Age: 33
Location: London
Niall has written for the Liars' League storytelling events and sleevenotes and text commentaries for the Classic
Doctor Who DVD range.
The Doctor's Jacket by John Bromley
Age: 24
Location: Missoula, USA
John is a freelancer who works in the field of table-top role-playing games.
The Way Forward by Steve Case
Age: 45
Location: Florida, USA
Steve is both a writer and speaker.
Sock-Pig by Sharon Cobb & Iain Keiller
Ages: 33 and 43
Location: Cheltenham
Sharon works in marketing in the financial services industry. Iain does ratings graphs on Gallifrey Base and has co-written sketches for BBC Radio and Southwark Theatre.
Walls of Confinement by Lawrence Conquest
Age: 35
Location: Frome
Lawrence is a musician and author who has been published in several small press magazines and anthologies.
All the Fun of the Fair by Beverley Conway
Age: 48
Location: Cambridgeshire
Bev Conway is an artist, musician and writer living in the Cambridgeshire fens.
Pop Up by Dave Curran
Age: 34
Location: Tynemouth
Dave is a web developer who has never written anything before.
Murmurs of Earth by Michael Deacon, Jamie Middleton and Chris Wraight
Combined Age: 102
Location: Trans-Atlantic
Michael, Jamie and Chris form a symbiotic writing partnership with nodes based in Houston, Texas and Bath, England.
To Cut a Blade of Grass by Cynthia Garland
Age: 49
Location: Maryland, USA
Cindy is a Director of Marketing for a media company. Her first novel,
Tales In Dark Languages,
has just been published by Hirst Books.
The Old Rogue by John Grindrod
Age: 39
Location: London
John is a writer and works in publishing. Most recently he edited the 2009 Faber book
Shouting at the Telly.
Chain Reaction by Darren Goldsmith
Age: 42
Location: Northamptonshire
Darren has worked for himself for over a decade, as a digital media/3D designer.
A True Gentleman by Jamie Hailstone
Age: 36
Location: West Sussex
Jamie has been a journalist for more than 10 years. This is the first time he’s made anything up. Honest.
Lost in the Wakefield Triangle by Vin Marsden Hendrick
Age: 41
Location: Scarborough
Vin works at the railway station and managed to sneak a
Tomb of the Cybermen quote into his one and only Radio 4 script.
Wet Walls by Mathilde Madden
Age: 37
Location: Brighton
Mathilde is a journalist and author who has written six novels for Black Lace, including a trilogy about werewolves.
Penny Wise Pound Foolish by Foster Marks
Age: 36
Location: Sussex
Foster is a freelance film and theatre writer with commissions from a diverse range of genres. This is his first short story.
A Stain of Red In the Sand by David A McEwan
Age: 28
Location: Gothenburg, Sweden
David is a bilingual full time student who has studied literature and creative writing.
Seven to One by Simon Miller
Age: 45
Location: Leamington Spa
Simon is an Analyst Programmer and an On Demand Administrator who has just started a writing course.
Quantum Heresy by Avril Naude
Age: 22
Location: Suffolk
Avril is a full time mum and gardener who writes in any spare moments inbetween!
Death Dealer by Damian Sawyer
Age: 38
Location: Cardiff
Damian is a writer, artist and musician who suffers from fibromyalgia. He is seeking creative career opportunities.
Police and Shreeves by Adam Smith
Age: 41
Location: Lincoln
Adam teaches on the Media Production course at the University of Lincoln. He has previously had poetry published.
The Shadow Trader by Charles Williams
Age: 30
Location: London
Charles is a former journalist who now runs the editorial team of a major UK charity.
Congratulations to you all, and commiserations to the other entrants.