Three Days in Syrupville

An article by Danny Gillan.

Not for me your package holidays, with the sunshine and the beer and the food and the dysentery. Not interested. Nor do I entertain the notion of a couple of weeks travelling this or any other country in search of new cultures and experiences. Pah.

I’m a writer you see, and that means, above all else, that I have no money.

Normally the closest I get to a summer holiday is avoiding incompetent suicide bombers as I drop various members of my family off at Glasgow Airport then pick them up again two weeks later, pretending not to be bothered about their tans, stories of adventure and stress free state of mind as I break the news that I’ve forgotten to re-stock their fridge, water their plants, record CSI Miami or feed their pets (or children, in some cases).

This year was different though. I actually left the city for more than an hour. I took it upon myself to suggest to a dear friend and fellow writer that we might venture forth on a trip to the fine hamlet (I should point out at this time that I have no idea what a ‘hamlet’ is) of Wigtown, which is somewhere in Scotland but quite far away from Glasgow and therefore counts as ‘travel’.

Wigtown is known as ‘Scotland’s Book Town' ...

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"I hurt ... to know they yearned for freedom, fought for one last flight ... And when I draw them, I too, am free."

The pale avians show clear against the early clouds. They whirl and spiral on vagrant thermals, wing tips almost touching. They own the sky, strong winged and fearless while smaller fliers roost in the terran pines or cower in cliff scrapes envious of the giants’ claim. I watch from my hide in the pines, high above the dugouts where my fellow troopers wait, and I long for such freedom.

I follow their silent swooping, rejoicing in their no-sound dance, using my sighter to bring them close. Another day, I’d attempt a sketch, but not today. Today I wait, my trigger finger poised. Another survey of the terrain shows no movement. Perhaps the info was wrong, perhaps the rebels will not come this way. But if not here, where will they cross? They must break through, ford the river, escape the closing net ...

Extract from Watching, by JW Hicks

Full story in the first issue of Words with JAM. Sign up now!

FREE Christmas Prize Draw

Quinn Publications' first venture into the world of literature, was to produce a collection of work, compiled from writers all over the world, to be given to their loved ones this Christmas. Whatever that indefinable something is that makes Christmas special, you’ll find within Bits, Bobs and Baubles. From an unforgettable chilli experience to recipes of times gone by, from grannies getting revenge to heart-warming traditional tales, from daft odes to moving poems, from grown-up stories to those created especially for children, there is something for every member of the family.

Words with JAM are pleased to announce they've got their hands on a copy of the book (which is pretty good going, considering only 125 copies are being produced).

To celebrate the first issue being out for December, we are going to get the compiler to autograph, gift wrap, and stick a bow on it, and post it out to one lucky subscriber in time for Christmas. The winner will be announced in the first issue, and contacted by email for their postal address.

To be eligible, you simply need to subscribe to Words with JAM.

Closing date: Saturday 21st November.

Ask Away ...

Co-author of The Writer's ABC Checklist, and author of The Greatest Moving Abroad Tips in the World, Lorraine Mace will be answering your questions on writing ...

To save us dreaming a few up for the first issue, if you have a question, please post or email to editor@quinnpublications.co.uk

Sitting on Offence

An article by Derek Duggan

Words. That’s what we think we deal with. They’re just words. But it’s what they stand for that can often cause the problems. A word that means nothing to one person can deeply offend another.

Initially we’ve got the difficulties involved with localisation. The bonnet of your car is a bonnet, unless you travel across the Atlantic in which case it becomes a hood. A cupboard in most of the world is just that, but in Ireland it’s a press. And so on.

Then there are words that sound and are spelled the same but the meaning changes. Americans are quite happy to mention their fannies but travel back to Europe and although the word remains the same, the geographical location of the object slips forward a few centimetres. And one thing you don’t want to do is confuse your fannies. There’s a chance I’ll receive a letter from Irate from Chester for just mentioning it ...

Full article in the first issue of Words with JAM. Sign up now.

Libraries: What's in it for me?

An article by Catriona Troth

For all the concern expressed about the decline of libraries in recent years, there are still more than 4500 public libraries in the UK, lending out over three million books per year to thirty five million library card holders. So how can you, as a newly published writer, make the most of the library system to access that readership? And how can you use that readership to generate an income? ...

Read more in the first issue of Words with JAM. Sign up now to receive your copy (due out end of November 2009).

Short Story & Poetry Submissions

We are looking for short stories and poetry to publish in upcoming editions of Words with JAM. Stories should be no more than 5,000 (we accept flash fiction) and poems are unlimited in line length.

As the magazine is very new, we are unable to pay for stories and poems we accept at the present time. Due to this, we are more than happy to consider works that have already been published either online or in print (please state where and when they were published on your submission if this is the case).

You first need to subscribe (right) and then send your submission as a Word attachment to editor@quinnpublications with 'FICTION SUBMISSION' in the subject bar.

We aim to respond to all submissions within 2 weeks.