New Writing Course 2012

So - I promised you news of the brand new week-long residential writing course I'm going to be running - in what has to be one of the most beautiful settings possible!

I love the weekends I teach in Wales - right on the coast in Fishguard - and  the setting of Caerleon Writers' Holidays  in a village filled with Roman history is so special that it now feels like a second home to me. I've taught writing all over the UK  - I tried to get to Scotland but there wasn't enough interest to make the courses run . . .

But now I can offer you the chance of a writing course in Italy!  In Tuscany to be precise.

How does this grab you . . .

Our beautiful and historic watermill stands beside the River Rosaro in the small village of Posara. Peaceful and secluded, yet part of the village, the mill is just a mile or so from the walled medieval town of Fivizzano with its cafés, restaurants and shops. This is the heart of Lunigiana, in the North-west of Tuscany.

Set in a gentle valley with mountain peaks in the background, the mill is a peaceful spot, yet is within easy reach of the sea and the tourist attractions of Tuscany.

We have lovingly restored the historic buildings and created five self-contained apartments around a courtyard. These apartments come together for our painting and creative writing courses. When the courses aren't on, the apartments are available for holiday lets. The bright and airy rooms are well decorated and tastefully furnished. All enjoy lovely views of the the river, the gardens or the mountains.

Around the mill there's a walled garden, a vine verandah, a winding rose pergola, and riverside gardens, all with tables and chairs and providing delightful spots for sun-kissed or shady relaxation and contemplation. Then there are further secluded private gardens where you can stroll beside the millstream for about a quarter of a mile.

Sounds wonderful doesn't it?   What a fabulous setting to talk about writing, discuss techniques, put what you've learned into practise  - and hopefully make new friends or meet up with old ones.

I have been asked to set up a week long course on writing romantic fiction at The Watermill next year and of course I didn't really have to have my arm twisted very hard to agree.  So here are the details  if you're interested -  This is the 'blurb' on the main page.


Writing romantic fiction: beyond the hearts and the flowers

with Kate Walker

Author of the 12-point Guide to Writing Romance (now on Kindle) and a prolific Mills & Boon writer, Kate will explore the world of writing romantic fiction and give lots of practical advice.

Kate loves working with students who want to learn how to craft a novel that sells in the popular genre fiction market. Talking about writing, explaining how things work is always stimulating and she always returned home from her courses freshly inspired.


And here's what I have to say about my course:

Romantic fiction writing is big business, making up almost half the paperback fiction sold and generating billions in sales worldwide. This course is intended to provide information and advice for anyone who wants to learn how to write a popular genre novel. It gives an introduction to all the skills needed for success, from initial research to the final submission of the typescript. With advice and exercises, I'll guide you through creating realistic characters, sustaining pace and conflict, packing emotional punch, writing sex scenes and crafting a satisfying ending. If you're just starting out writing romantic fiction, or you've written a manuscript or two but are not yet published and are interested in honing your skills, this course is for you.

The course is intended to cover the main aspects of writing romantic fiction that from my experience of teaching over the years seem to create the most problems for unpublished writers. While the focus may be on romance novels, the techniques – dialogue, characters, tension, pacing, settings, hooks etc will also be relevant to all forms of popular fiction. I also hope to have plenty of time to discuss your own work with you either in one to one sessions or in an open critique forum with the rest of the group.


You can find all the details of the course, what the timetable and planned classes will cover - and anything else you want to know here on The Watermill's  main site  where you can see  more about this beautiful place and the fabulous setting  for this course.

I know it's going to be fantastic - I can't wait! The trouble is that I'm going to have to - the course doesn't run until October 2012 - 6th - 13th October to be precise.

But that gives you plenty of time to save up for this great experience.