We're delighted that longstanding WriteWords member Terry Edge has agreed to become a site expert. Terry has published several children's and young adult books (Andre Deutsch, Transworld, Corgi, Hutchinson and others), both fiction and non-fiction. He has taught creative writing for many years, in adult evening classes, schools and with the Open College of the Arts. He is also a free-lance editor, working for publishers, agencies and with individual writers.

Fantastic news, congratulations Terry.
Elspeth

Well done Terry. I'm surprised you weren't promoted long before now.

Congratulations.

Dee.

Congratulations Terry I am sure you will bring a balance and helpful commentary to those of us who aspire.

david

Yes, Terry - Congratulations! I look forward to seeing you in your purple robes!

Ani

Well done and justly deserved!

Len

Thanks to everyone for the kind words. I'm a little concerned that Ani knows about my purple robes, in that it's supposed to be a secret 'm a member of that particular organisation. Just as long as you don't mention the foot in the bucket of custard too.

I think Writewords is a terrific tool for writers. In an increasingly networking conscious world, writers can be easily left behind, simply because we spend so much time inside our own heads, locked in our writing cupboards, lying on the floor 'researching', or going to the pub for inspiration. I've become a convert in the last year or two to the importance of making contact with other writers and anyone involved in the publishing business. In this respect, WW is tremendously valuable: people share their experiences and get to know best practice (to use a networky phrase).

There are some tremendously talented writers on this site and my message to them would be not to be downhearted if it's difficult getting published. It's not necessarily a sign that one's writing is not good enough. But it could well be a sign that ways of submitting, angles to take, tips, understandable exaggerations of the truth, can be gleaned about how to convince increasingly commercially minded publishers that you are a serious long-term project.

I look forward to seeing everyone's work in the new group.

Terry

Just want to add another congratulations to the list - I always think you give such considered and thoughtful responses to people's work and it's great that you are now Officially Recognised!
Hib

Great news, Terry!!

Regards

John

What's all this about becoming a site expert - you always were to me mate!

All hail Terry the Edge...er...meister!

Nice one WW - good choice. Now, if you ever need an expert in slacking off writing duties, I can give a few tips...

Terry, I agree with Davey - you were always recognizable as an expert even without the purple robe. Brilliant!

Nell.

Hello, I am new to this site and am trying to learn your ways of doing things and to find out if this is a suitable place for a foreigner. Is this piece from expert Terry Smith considered to be encouraging and supportive in your culture?

http://www.writewords.org.uk/archive/5048.asp#30433

Karim.

Karim,

I'm not quite sure why you've raised this particular piece of criticism from me. But, given that it is not very positive, I guess I better answer your question. No, I would say it isn't representative of the kind of criticism you will normally find on this site. In general, criticisms here tend to be supportive and encouraging, including mine. Up front, I should say this particularly piece was too negative, and certainly not representative of my normal criticism. However, you will notice that the writer of the piece said that it had already been published in the US and Canada, and he wanted to know what the UK thought. In other words, he's not a new, probably vulnerable, writer. You'll also notice that he has not subsequently commented on this site, on other writers' works or on the forums. I suspect this is not so much because my criticism put him off as that he got what he wanted and then departed, but I could of course be wrong.

Having said all that, I won't be posting comments like that again. Happy to hear anyone's views, if they have time to check out your link.

Terry

Mr Edge, if you can see through the internet into the souls of men and women to know the effect of your harsh words, then you have a rare gift indeed. You suggest that published writers must not be sensitive to criticism. but is it not a sensitive nature at the core of all artists?

Wassalamu Alaikum,

Karim.

I am fully in support of Terry's judgment. We have to use judgment throughout the day, every day, because, of course, no one can read minds.

Enough said.

Ani