Friday, February 26, 2016

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/



4 comments:

Lissa Morgan said...

THANK YOU Kate, for another fabulous and friendly Fishguard. The session on emotional conflict was so useful and the group camaraderie made leaving on Monday really hard! Looking forward to next year already :) xx

Wendy's Writing said...

I've only ever heard good things about these weekends/weeks in Fishguard, Kate. They sound like great fun.

Kate Walker said...

Melissa - it was lovely to see you in the group - specially for that session on emotional conflict. I really hope that helped you. And yes - wasn't it hard to say good bye? But hopefully that's very definitely 'au revoir' and we'll all meet up again soon.

Kate Walker said...

Thank you Wendy - I'm glad you've heard such good reports about Writers Holiday and the February Fishguard weekend. I know I always have a great time and it doesn't seem like teaching so much a talking about writing with friends - and having a lot of fun doing it. There's always laughter and sharing on these weekends

 

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