Our recent Club Night on the 6th of November was filled with insight, creativity, and a lovely sense of camaraderie. To kick things off, we were treated to a brilliant presentation by Kirsty Hammond. Fresh from her win at this year’s Scottish Association of Writers Conference, Kirsty shared her three-minute pitch for work in progress novel, Moon Cross, which won her the Dragons’ Pen trophy.
After sharing her pitch, Kirsty offered fantastic tips for anyone planning to enter a Dragons Den-style competition.
- Lead with conflict. The conflict in your story is what makes it exciting and grabs the listener’s interest right from the start.
- Reveal the heart of your story. Go beyond the plot and touch on what your story is really about. It will give your pitch depth.
- Consider your audience. Think about who would want to read your story and why, and make that clear in your pitch.
- Keep it simple. Avoid any confusing jargon or unnecessary detail that could leave your audience muddled. You want them intrigued, not scratching their heads. Kirsty reminded us to practise, keep it straightforward, and above all, make sure we leave our audience wanting more. For anyone keen to give this a go, the Ayr Writers’ Club Dragons’ Pen evening is coming up on the 4th of December, and it’s the perfect place to try this out.
Our first exercise of the evening consisted of the following three prompts:
- A lady walking her dog
- A speeding car
- A jogger
We each wrote a short paragraph in the past tense and third person to include all three prompts. A few brave volunteers shared their pieces, and it was fascinating to see how each writer brought a unique style to the same themes. In the second round, we tackled the same task but switched to first-person present tense.
On discussing the effect of each viewpoint, we all agreed that with the first-person present tense, it felt more immediate, drawing the listeners directly into the character’s world. The third person, meanwhile, offered a slightly more observant angle, as if we were watching events unfold from just a step back.
After a quick break, we jumped into our final exercise, which gave everyone a chance to go wild with their creativity. The prompts were:
- Muddy footprints leading to a front door
- A text message saying, ‘Meet me outside now’
- A character going on their first space journey
- A dark family secret coming to light
This time, we were free to write in any tense or format.
To finish up, Carrie recommended, The Ghost Woods by C.J. Cook, a novel that showcases the power of the first-person present tense.
For those who couldn’t attend, I encourage you to try these exercises yourself. I’m sure you’ll find them as enjoyable as I did. Thanks to everyone who came along and made it a night to remember.
Susan McVey