A group of commissions are being made available to writers in Midsomer Norton who might be struggling to develop their work or have their voices heard.

Time to Write will support five to 10 writers living in Somerset, Gloucestershire, South Gloucestershire or Wiltshire from February to September 2020.

The organisers, South West writing commissioning group Paper Nations, have specifically called on writers in Midsomer Norton to bid for the commissions as it is a place that experiences socio-economic disadvantage.

Time to Write will provide small commissions (up to £1,000 each) for writers who struggle to find time to work on a piece of writing, who need help developing their writing craft, or who want support to access opportunities within the writing and publishing community.

Writers know how rewarding writing can be and how important it is to their well-being. But developing the craft and creating good work takes time, training, and space, away from the pressures and distractions of daily life.

Many writers struggle to find this space because they face barriers to accessing time, money, or opportunities.

Paper Nations believes that everyone, no matter their background or experience, deserves the opportunity to write. This commission will help writers to find the time, space, and money they need.

A Paper Nations spokesperson said: "We are particularly looking for writers from groups or backgrounds that are under-represented in writing and publishing, such as writers of colour, working class writers, writers from areas of rural or coastal deprivation, writers who have experienced homelessness, refugee writers, writers in the LGBTQ+ communities, writers who have survived abuse, disabled writers, and writers with chronic health conditions.

"Writers don't have to be published or experienced – they just have to be serious in their commitment to writing, be able to share a sample of it with Paper Nations, and be able to demonstrate that the commission will help them do things they might otherwise struggle to achieve or complete.

Paper Nations is offering four types of commissions. Writers can apply for one type of support or a combination.

Time to Write Scholarship: Writers can apply for a small monetary commission that will remove the barriers to writing by – for example – paying for time off work to write, paying for transport to attend a writers' group, or by supporting the costs of childcare so that a writer has time and space to work. Writers can apply for up to £1,000 each in seed funding. There is no lower limit and they encourage writers to apply for funds to cover anything that will remove a barrier.

Craft Support: Writers can apply to receive mentoring and a sponsored place on a 2020 Dare to Write? Academy programme with a published writer. This commission is a valuable opportunity to get one-on-one help with one's writing from an expert, as well as an insider understanding of the writing industry.

Career Support: Writers can apply to receive mentoring and a sponsored place on a 2020 Dare to Write? Academy Habit Camp. This commission will help the applicant plan a creative project for the coming year and/or develop a proposal for funding.

Network Commission: Writers can apply for an events pass, gaining free access to a range of networking and speaker events provided in collaboration with the Dare to Write? Academy. This commission will help the applicant develop their professional writing and creative networks.

Please note: Writers are not guaranteed to receive the full amount for which they apply.

Writers receiving a commission will need to keep journals of their progress and document their experience through any of the following (depending on the type of commission awarded): reports, blogs for the Paper Nations website, and quotes to be used online and in print.

Completed work will be showcased as part of their Writing for All events planned for 2020-2021. Writers will be asked to demonstrate the impact of the commission on their creative practice. Paper Nations will assist with this.

Applications are currently open and will close on January 5 at midnight.

Successful applicants will be announced in January 2020. Writing projects and other activities funded through the commissions need to be completed by the end of September 2020.

For more details, click on the red button below.