Writer

I love to write. Putting ideas on paper, those moments and thoughts that may or may not turn into something exciting. Creating tales and seeing where a flow of fiction may take me.

 

I write various genres, from tiny snippets of humour: ‘A Calculated Wish’ published by The Drabble, to flashes of emotion from unexpected sources: ‘Of Morgawr and Mawnan’ published by Tribe Media.

I love a challenge and National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is a must. It is exactly what it says on the website “a seat-of-your-pants approach to creative writing”.

It’s also great to share. Reading and talking about stories, hearing other people’s work, putting your life and soul into narrative forms. If you have anything you’d like to share, or maybe collaborate on, I’d love to hear from you.

 

Winner of the 2016 Iceland Writers Retreat Writing Competition

Story: ‘White Light’ published by Iceland Writers Retreat

 

Photos from the Iceland Writers Retreat

 

“For the third year in a row, we have partnered with Iceland Travel to run a competition to win a spot at the Iceland Writers Retreat. This year’s theme was ‘Iceland – Regard the Moon’ and we received over 350 submissions from the around the world. 

The winner of the competition is Heidi Ball from the UK, with her story ‘White Light’.”

Iceland Writers Retreat, 19 December 2016

 

I felt so lucky to have the chance to attend the retreat in 2017. There were amazing speakers, truly inspirational, and so many interesting people to make it such a memorable experience.

I attended workshops with Claudia Casper, Bret Anthony Johnston, Madeleine Thien and Meg Wolitzer. Goodness, what a line-up! There were insights about working practices, exercises to get your brain ticking in overtime and lots of tips, tall tales and shared industry experiences.

Special thanks to Eliza Reid, Erica Jacobs Green, the IWR team and everyone at Iceland Travel – I will always be grateful. And Iceland itself is such a dramatic and intriguing place, I totally recommend it if you have the opportunity to go.

 

Winner of the 2014 Atlantic Press Graphic Literature Award

A work in the nonsense illustration genre: ‘The Devil’s Noose’ by Heidi Ball, published by Atlantic Press

 

“This fictional Victorian Journal presents the absurd ramblings of scientist Professor Wraithchild, lavishly illustrated with engravings by his dubious assistant Gideon Veneer. Wraithchild’s frantic experiments with a mysterious plant species, in part an attempt to re-establish his tarnished reputation, go awry to great comic effect. Clues hidden within the visuals slowly betray an intriguing subtext as the fate of the world is put under an infatuating threat.”

Atlantic Press, 2014

 

Book launch and interview: 27 June 2014 – 64 Killigrew Street, Falmouth, Cornwall TR11 3PP 

Book reading: 15 November 2014 – Small Publishers Fair, Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Square, London WC1R 4RL

  

Writing Qualifications and Study

 

2021 Writing YA, Faber Academy
2018 Crime Fiction, Professional Writing Academy
2017 Writing Romance, Professional Writing Academy
2017 Hypatia Trust: Her Story, a collaborative writers research group
2016 Writing Short Fiction, Professional Writing Academy
2016 Advanced Creative Writing, Free Writers Centre, Penzance
2016 Short Story Writing, Free Writers Centre, Penzance
2016 Marketing Writing, Professional Writing Academy
2013 MA Illustration: Authorial Practice (Distinction), Falmouth University