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Were you a Puffineer? Sadly I wasn't but if I was eight again I know I'd be nagging my mum to sign me up because it's back. Puffin books' children's club has been relaunched having closed in the 80s. The first ever copy was issued in 1967 and membership grew and grew at one point reaching 200,000. The new version is now open for subscriptions before it officially launches in January. Subscribers (there's a special rate currently on offer) receive a magazine every two months and their choice of six free Puffin books over the year they will also be able to join Puffin Island an exclusive area of the website. Puffineers also get a Puffin Post membership pack which looks really fab. I'm a big kid at heart so I'd love this - there's puffin notepaper, membership book with secret code, bookplates, bookmark, pencil, notebook, enamel badge and puffin beanie toy. The Puffin Post website says: "When relaunching Puffin Post we knew we were doing something special, but the response from the original Puffineers of the 60s, 70s and 80s has been amazing. Puffin Post has been an important part of so many people's lives: now it can be a part of yours too!" The magazine sounds like a lot of fun as it's going to be packed with activities, games, competitions and interviews with authors. A pre-launch version apparently includes interviews with Charlie Higson, Eoin Colfer, Cathy Cassidy and a Michael Morpurgo short story. It sounds right up my street. I've seen lots of images of old covers online too and they had some fantastic designs, I hope the new ones will be as good. A fantastic old Puffin Post cover The Puffin Post is run by 'a group of eccentric puffins known as Ptolemy's Pteam! I hope Gordon Ramsay doesn't get to hear about them! The Puffin Post website says: "Puffin Island has even more games, competitions, downloads, features and exclusive interviews, and is a great place to meet new friends, share your stories, poems and artwork and puffinise your life. Take a trip to the Lost Library for articles from the Puffin Post magazine; join your fellow Puffineers for a Clifftop Chat; join in the octo-fun at Oscar's Funfair or rub shoulders with authors in the Puffin Pavilion." Bookseller.com also says the magazine will be edited by children. "From writing poems and stories for the magazine and suggesting feature ideas to sending in the latest playground jokes and adding unusual words to the online glossary, kids will be involved at every level." P.S Welcome to anyone directed here via the black box widget. My question was custard or ice cream? A dilemma I often face when choosing apple pie!

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While at Liverpool Central Library I picked up a copy of a magazine I've not seen before called 'Booktime.' I've been really impressed by its content and will be looking out for further issues. I'm always on the look out for new books to read so a magazine like this can be really helpful. I also like the Waterstone's Books Quarterly and enjoyed Ink magazine which sadly folded after just a few issues. As you'd expect 'Booktime' contains a mixture of reviews, interviews and competitions. There is a lot of children's book related articles including Meg Rosoff's What I Was, The Robber Baron's Daughter by Jamilia Gavin, Joanne Owen's Puppet Master (one I'll be watching out for as I collect puppets and have visited Prague where the story is set) and The Traitor Game by B.R. Collins (another woman writing under initials!). I spent quite a bit of my bank holiday weekend reading and most writers will tell you it is just as important to read lots of books as it is to keep writing. The problem is sometimes you think how on earth can I write anything as good as that? That happened to me after reading in one sitting Siobhan Dowd's 'The London Eye Mystery' I loved Ted the main character and was geniuinelly mystified as to how Salim disappears from one of the eye's pods. Ted has a 'syndrome' and in someways there are parallels to Mark Haddon's 'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time' which I also enjoyed but was a darker story. I'll definitely picking up Siobhan's other books, it is such a tragedy she died so young, she was a really talented writer. Another book I read at the weekend was Agatha Christie's 'Murder in Mesopotamia' featuring one of my literary heroes Hercule Poirot. I started reading Christie when I was about twelve and they were the first adult books I read (beginning with 'Peril at End House'). I was hooked immediately and Hercule obviously influenced Dr Midas' fine moustache!" Somehow I'd missed this one when I worked my way through the series and didn't spot the killer for once. I have also started reading 'No Time For Goodbye' (which I got at a discount with The Times newspaper) and found out today that it has been chosen as Richard and Judy's latest Summer Read winner. The premise is really interesting - a girl falls out with her parents and wakes to find they and her brother have disappeared. 25 years later a phone call makes her wonder what happened. I was quite surprised to find the book is written from her husband's point of view, I'm only about 60 pages in so I can't tell yet if its one I'll stick with. I often find I give up with books at around 100 pages in. I've also just realised that all my latest choices were written in the first person. * If you love thrillers, crime and mysteries remember to tune in tonight for the next episode of The ITV Crime Thriller Awards Profiling series on ITV3. The Ian Rankin was one was really good and tonight it's Val McDermid's turn - who wrote the Tony Hill (Wire in the Blood) books and the brilliant 'A Place of Execution.' Next week it's the turn of Morse writer Colin Dexter. Then onto PD James, Lynda La Plante and Ruth Rendell although I don't yet know in which order.

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When I checked the post on Saturday I saw a familiar A4 white envelope with the address written in my own handwriting. Now usually this means one thing another rejection. Well it was in a way – it was the short story assessment from Writer’s Forum magazine. The form is broken down into different sections including opening, title, characters, language and ending. Then there is a choice of description that the reader can pick with a score next to it. For example title: Suited the story – 10, room for improvement 5, and try again 0. There are also four sections for the reader to add more detailed comments. Finally there is a page of typed general hints that are not specific to your entry and then a total and explanation as to what the overall scores mean. My story ‘Ninety nine per cent’ about the space chimp programme scored 150 (out of a maximum out of 230.) Ham the space chimp This meant it qualified for second read and there was also a tick next to highly commended (130+) . The form explains: “After an initial assessment the manuscript is either rejected or passed to another reader for a second opinion. At that stage it is either rejected or short listed for the attention of the editor and publisher. My story scored better for the early parts but the reader felt it needed a more exciting finish. This seemed a very fair comment to me as I can struggle with the endings of some short stories and I may well take another look at my story. They also said: “Confident writing, great premise for story, good characters in the chimps, lots of research and accurate detail.” But they went on to say: “But what is the theme? Too ambiguous for short story,” with some suggestions as to what needed fixing. Overall I was pleased with the comments and thought they were excellent at showing where improvements could be made. Writers’ Forum run a writing competition every month in their magazine including the application form – which can also be downloaded from their website at www.writers-forum.com Entry is £10 (£7 for subscribers) including a critique like mine. It did take a little while for them to reply. You also need to include biographical details (50 words maximum) and if chosen they will need a photograph of you. Stories should be between 800 and 3000 words. The Prizes are: £300 1st prize, £150 2nd prize and £100 3rd prize.

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American based 'Pockets' magazine are running a free to enter fiction-writing contest. Pockets, a devotional magazine for children aged six to 12, are offering $1,000 prize for the winner and publication. Other entries may be chosen for publication too. The magazine's website explains: "Pockets offers wholesome devotional readings that teach about God's love and presence in life. Each page of Pockets affirms a child's self-worth. Included are fun and exciting puzzles, games, stories, poems, recipes, colorful pictures, and scripture readings. The magazine is published monthly (except in February) and includes a wide variety of materials." The website advises that stories should contain lots of action, use believable characters and dialogue, be simply written, and be relevant to the problems faced by this age group in everyday life. Children need to be able to see themselves in the pages of the magazine. "It is important that the tone not be 'preachy' or didactic. Use short sentences and paragraphs. When possible, use concrete words instead of abstractions. However, do not 'write down' to children.It is no longer common practice to use such terms as 'man,' 'mankind,' 'men,' in the familiar generic sense. Substitute non-sexist terms that are inclusive of everyone (e.g., 'humankind,' 'persons,' 'human beings.)" Fiction-Writing Contest Guidelines Guidelines for the contest are essentially the same as for regularly submitted material. Historical and biblical fiction is not eligible. Submissions will be: *Accepted if postmarked between March 1 and August 15 of the contest year. *Returned if accompanied by an SASE. Your SASE must include sufficient postage for your submission plus 2 pages -- a letter of notification and writers' guidelines. Submissions should be: *1,000 to 1,600 words -- 1,400 word manuscripts are the best length for our purposes. Stories are disqualified if they are shorter or longer by even a few words. Note accurate word count on the cover sheet. *Previously unpublished. *Designated Fiction Contest on the envelope and on the cover sheet. *There is no entry fee. The winner, notified by November 1, will receive a $1,000 award. Because the purpose of the contest is to discover new writers, previous winners are not eligible. Send contest submissions to: Pockets Attn: Lynn Gilliam 1908 Grand Avenue P.O. Box 340004 Nashville, TN 37203-0004 Further details and general story guidelines are available at http://www.upperroom.org/pockets/

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