New Courses Coming Up

OK - so I promised the details of the new courses I have coming up  this year.

I'll start with  a one-off that's coming in April.

A while ago the Babe Magnet  went to  speak  about his book The Girl Who Lived on Air  at the Penfro Book Festival at Rhosygilwen in Pembrokeshire.  I went with him and as at breakfast I met the delightful Barbara Large who  is the Chairman of the Hampshire Writers' Society   I really enjoyed talking with her and as a result of our meeting, she invited me to  go and speak at an event for the Society.

When we talked about it, that date seemed a long time ahead - but now it's coming up fast  and so I am starting to look forward to it  happening in April,

So here are the details for that event - from the Hampshire Writer's Society Programme. 

Tuesday 12th April 2016

Kate Walker – romantic novelist

Kate Walker’s 12 Point Guide to Writing Romance – how to craft a novel for the romance genre
Special guest: Judith Heneghan – Director of Winchester Writers’ Festival, Lecturer in Creative Writing at the university of Winchester
Writing competition: Write a steamy love story (300 words)
Adjudicator: Alison Spencer – author of Tug o Love, best debut novel, Romantic Novelists’ Association

That week is going to be a busy one it seems because on the following weekend I'm teaching a Relax and Write course at Cirencester Royal Agricultural University.

This course is already booking up so do enquire now if you are interested in a place.  I've included details of my husband's course on Writing The Past as well, in case  anyone is interested in that.

Details and booking can be found at  the Relax and Write web site


15 - 17 APRIL 2016 at THE ROYAL AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY CIRENCESTER

 Beginning Middle and End with Kate Walker

Was your New Year resolution to 'write that novel'? Did you start out hopefully, wanting to write the story that was burning in your head ... only to find that now you've slowed down. Come and join a group and gain new inspiration. This course will teach you how to plan out your novel so that you have a much better idea of where you're going and how to create the best read possible. All incl

usive fee £245 includes Sunday Lunch.

 Writing the Past with Stephen Wade

This course is intended to help both fiction and non-fiction writers at all stages of their writing lives. The aim is to provide help and guidance in all areas of writing which is concerned with the past. The course topics include the full range of writing and research skills you need to write in any category about the past. All inclusive fee £245 and includes Sunday Lunch.

More courses coming up  - May - July - the RNA Conference . . . 

Home again, home again . . .

I have finally found my way to my computer keyboard.  I got home on Wednesday but the decorators were still in the house and we've spent the last few days climbing over pots of paint, dodging wet  gloss on doors and windows,  avoiding  dangling, pasted wallpaper and  hunting for things under dust sheets  . . .  We lost Ruby the cat under those sheets several times and she has a couple of suspiciously glossy looking new patches on her fur.

But now the decorator is packing up his pasting table and step ladders and hopefully we'll have the house to ourselves for a while.  Until the new wardrobes are put in!  The bedroom wallpaper looks lovely as do the hall, stairs and landing and I'll be able to move a chest of drawers, bookshelves and dressing table back into the places they belong over the weekend.

It seems impossible that it is actually a week since I was just starting to teach on the weekend course of Advanced Romance Writing at Fishguard in Wales. I ha d a fabulous time there! Teaching this

course is so much more like  enjoying myself talking to friends so that it's never a hardship. We laughed so much, talked for hours (I think the earliest I got to bed was 1.30 am) and shared a great time. There were a couple of newcomers to the course this year but they were absorbed into the group from the start and everyone jelled so well.

I have to send special thanks to Melissa, Vasiliki, Sallyann, Melanie, Marie, Sonia, Andrea, Kim, Fiona, Nerys, Jenny, Claire, Ingrid for sharing the weekend with me - and for your lovely card and gift. I  was so touched to receive that.  Thank you!   I shall hope to find something special to celebrate with the champagne!

I always love my weekends (or weeks in the summer) spent beside the sea on the Welsh coast and I'm already looking forward to teaching the Complete Romance Writing Course at the Fishguard Bay Hotel in July ( Monday 25th July - Saturday 30th July 2016). There are still some places available on this course this year - and there are also some day   delegate plac

es still available. The week holiday rates are all-inclusive  and the day delegate places include everything but a bed!

But if you're interested in the Advanced Romance Writing Course in 2017  then better make enquiries now!  I'm not exactly sure how many spaces are free for next year - yes I did say that - for 2017! - but I think there are only one or two available right now as almost everyone booked up again  after this year's event.  Details and booking forms are available on the Writers' Holiday web site

But I must also let you know about the other courses coming up this year  so I'll post the details over the next couple of days - but basically they are these:

15 - 17 APRIL 2016 at THE ROYAL AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY CIRENCESTER

 Beginning Middle and End 

 13 - 15 MAY 2016 at THE HAYES CONFERENCE CENTRE SWANWICK DERBYSHIRE

The Writer's Repair Shop  with Kate Walker

A course for those with work in progress.

'

14  -16 OCTOBER 2016 at The Hayes Conference Centre Swanwick Derbyshire.

All inclusive fee for these courses £249

Focus on Writing Romantic Fiction  A RETREAT.

Details for these courses, and to book - go to the Relax and Write web site

And of course I will be back at Fishguard in July for the

 FISHGUARD BAY HOTEL July

The Complete ROMANCE Writing Course  

  This course is intended to provide information and advice for anyone who wants to learn how to write a popular romance genre novel. It gives an introduction to all the skills needed for success, from creating realistic characters, sustaining pace and conflict, packing emotional punch, writing sex scenes and crafting a satisfying ending. 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.

Bookings for this course and a summer week by the sea at: Writers’ Holiday  web site  http://writersholiday.net/

Pink Hearts Day

Today's my day for blogging at the Pink Heart Society blog - and from now on the 3rd of the month will be my regular date there. Today I'm talking about one of my favourite February (and other dates!) way of filling up my writer's 'well' - with the courses I run with  Writers Holiday  and those run by  Relax and Write  which reminds me, I need to give more details of some of those  when I update my Events Page