Hi Alphas,
Welcome to Alphaday 14, the last Alphaday of our 14th season.
We’ve had a glorious season and we definitely deserve a break now. This doesn’t mean that we stop all communication between us; it simply means that there are no planned activities. We’ll start a full programme with all the writerly treats that we’ve come to appreciate when we’ve enjoyed a relaxing (if it wasn’t for our personal work!) interlude and get back into action again.
I suggest Thursday the 6th of September 2018 for Alphaday 1, Season XV.
I’ll issue a full calendar on that day, along with a bulletin and the brief for Challenge 1. Maybe there’ll even be a fuller agenda. I haven’t got the planning quite ready at the moment. The main thing is: we’ve got a date for the start of our 15th season.
Today’s agenda doesn’t have many items, but it is nevertheless an agenda packed full of interesting goodies:
- This bulletin from me
- The final Leaderboard for Season XIV
- Your collated replies to the end of season questionnaire
The latter item will no doubt lead to some discussion amongst you. It will certainly provide you with an interesting insight into what it is that makes Alphas tick. ‘Vive la difference!’ is what I say. It’s great to be involved with people who share the same interest: writing, in such a variety of ways.
Alpha owes its success to the active and willing participation of every one of our members. I’d like to say a big Thank you to everyone for your help.
First of all to Olaf for still being with us and keeping an eye on things despite his health problems. Alpha is Olaf’s creation and we hope to hear from you in the future whenever you feel like getting in touch.
Then there’s Ros, our web mistress, publisher of Alpha books and much more. Ros also looks after the forum where you can discuss fringe matters and consult all past Alpha files. Ros has been with Alpha for nearly the full run and I rely heavily on her for advice and support in running the group. Thank you, Ros.
Thank you Morgen for taking on the Writers’ Reads and making it a lively and vibrant slot which we all appreciate. We can always rely on you for chipping in with relevant comments and on your permanent and cheerful presence.
Thank you to Sarah for volunteering to assist Olaf with the recruitment. You’ve learnt the ropes to perfection and this part of Alpha is now in your safe hands.
Thank you to Sally for taking on the Log again this season. We started the Log in the second Alpha season and it is one of those slots that we particularly enjoy. It’s is very motivating to hear how members get on with their personal writing.
Next I’d like to thank the challenge setters for setting briefs and organising challenges. This is a task that many of you have volunteered for and it’s great to have you involved.
Finally – and this is the most important part: Thank you to all of you (us!) for contributing to all (or most) of the challenges with your inspired writing. There are so many different ways of expressing oneself in words and it’s a real privilege to be part of a group of writers like Alpha.
Your input into our activities is a wonderful bonus and I hope we can keep up our exchanges for the Log, Writers’ Reads, general comments, challenges, Open Page and all the rest for the next season.
Have a relaxed and constructive break. See you all in September.
Christine