Happy New Year - and plans

One of my 'new year tasks' is to update my calendars and diaries putting in the details of the events coming up n this year of 2020. It's always a delight to be able to note down the dates of one of my favourite events of the year - the first writing weekend planned -

Since the Writers' Holiday in the summer closed, there always seems to be such along gap between the last time I was in lovely Fishguard and the date that I'm heading there again - but now there's just over a month to go before I'll be back there with my friends and waking up to the sight and sound of the sea outside my bedroom every morning. I can't wait. You know that feeling with real friends when you haven't seen each other for too long - but when you meet up again it's as if you only parted yesterday. Well, that's one of the very special parts of the atmosphere at  Writers Holiday - and that's why I love it so much.

February 21st - 23rd 2020 - Advanced Romance Writing Course with the fabulous Writers Holiday 

Courses also with poet Alison Chisholm, Simon Whaley,  Short story writer Della Galton, novelist Janet Laurence  and   drawing and painting tutor  Susan Allison.

Numbers on this course are strictly limited so if you're interested, get your booking in while there's still spaces. The course also includes a one to one critique on your writing.

There are a couple of other weekends planned with Lois Maddox- one a course and one a writing retreat - I need to check on the details and dates and places then get back to you.

There and back again

Finally catching up with things after a long and lovely weekend in  Fishguard,  teaching the Advance Romance  Writing Course,  getting to see and talk with fellow  tutors and students  - established and new ones. 

This year everyone seems to have been even more enthusiastic and involved  than  usual - and there had been really enthusiastic groups  in the past.   We didn't want to leave, we were enjoying ourselves so much,  but  the weekend seemed to pass in  a flash and  before we knew it we were packing the car ready to travel home.  And that was when life got interesting . . .

This country has a strange climate. Spent a wonderful wonderful weekend in Fishguard in bright sunshine then set off home in sunshine and blue skies. Halfway home we got stuck in a raging blizzard which was not fun but eventually we made it home safely . . . to find none of the threatened snow here at all!

Overnight this changed and we are now snow-bound in deep deep snow and whirling winds! Oh well,I have cases to unpack, books to sort out, course teaching papers  to file away . . . and the presents . . . .

Every year I try to point out to my students that I have as much fun teaching them as I hope they have in doing the course with me - add in a stay at the Fishguard Bay Hotel - and the fabulous company of the Fishguard 'Family' -   Gerry  and Anne Hobbs, Alison  Chisholm,  Simon Whaley.  Della  Galton  and Susan Alison . . . and everyone else. So there is no need to do anything else. But every year they ignore me and I came home with this lovely bundle of 'excess baggage'! Thank you all for your kindness and warmth - and specially for your company over a great weekend.

  And it's  a lovely reminder of  a fabulous weekend in Wales while  I  try to catch up with everything, write revisions, send out critiques and letters.   And it's  so sad that it will be  next Febraury (2019) before we're back in Fishguard again.

Oh well,  it's warmer and safer inside right now, when my garden looks like  this  with the birds queing at the door for extra mealworms and  seedcake to get them through the freeze.

Keep warm and safe everyone!

PS Re the Advanced Romance Writing Course weekend - that's back again in February  2019 with Writers Holiday   I saw  lots of my students   booking ahead to ensure a place on  this popular course next year  - so if you're interested, register that fact now!   I'm  told there are 'a few' places left but as I've talked with two people who wanted to book  a place in 2019  -  those don't look like  they're going to hang around!

Courses Coming Up 1

Ok so, I said that I would give some details about the courses I have coming up in case anyone was interested in joining me on one of them. But then it seemed that as soon as I mentioned that, bookings took off with the one just on the horizon - so -

The Advanced Romance Writing Course in February in Fishguard is now totally booked up.Writers' Holiday just in case.

The last two places were allocated this week - so if you wanted to put your name on the waiting list you can - contact Gerry Hobbs  at

 I believe that most of the February Weekend is also full or filling fast - so if you want to consider
Poetry with Alison Chisholm
Short Story writing with Della  Galton (though that may be filled as well!)
Novel Writing with    Rachael Thomas              
Writing Feature Articles with    Simon Whaley
or Painting and Drawing with    Susan Alison 


It will be a good idea to at least make an enquiry with Writers Holiday right now.

Preparing writing course

I've been spending the weekend preparing The Complete Romance Writing Course for the wonderful Writers' Holiday in Fishguard in July - so now I'm keyed up with anticipation and can't wait to go back to one of my favourite places ever - with a lot of my special friends - and making new ones I hope!

There are still some places on the week/the course that are available if you want to join us. If you'll be a new first timer do let us know so that we can make sure to welcome you. (I needed to add this as the story has got out that I have the nickname Ms Whiplash for Writers' Holiday! It's a joke, honest!)

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.

Don't forget there are also great courses run by Carol Fenlon, Simon Whaley, Della Galton, James Morgan Nash, Susan Moody, Janet Laurence, Alison Chisholm, Susan Alison and Stephen Wade on writing humour

Oh, now I really can't wait

Back home from Wales

Back home  after the wonderful Writers And Artists weekend in Fishguard with everyone there.  I had such a good time with all my friends and making new ones - plus fellow tutors Alison Chisholm Della Galton Susan Alison  and of course my own former student and now multi-published author - and tutor on  the Novel Course - Rachael Thomas.  I had a fabulous time.

So many of my students have been on other courses before that they are affectionately known as

  Walker's Stalkers - they wanted to thank me for the course and  I came home laden down with gifts! (There was another bottle of Walkers' Bay wine, but that was enjoyed on the last night before I left Wales!)  

So very generous - but the real truth is that the fun and laughter - and the great discussions we shared was more than gift enough.  But a huge thank you to everyone who was there and who contributed.  I really enjoy these weekends - and can't wait to do it again!

I'm also so looking forward to teaching the  Writing Romantic Fiction course at Fishguard in July.

Meet Della - Della Ga er . . . . Della Parker

Every year I go to Fishguard  - well, I go twice a year actually.  Every February and July.   I go for the wonderful conferences run bu  fabulous Writers' Holidays - a weekend in February and a week in the summer, in July. I always look forward to it so much. 

It's by the sea for one thing - what's not to like about waking up every morning with the sound of the sea lapping against the beach outside my window? And then there are the people I meet there - the students - and of course  fantastic Gerry and Anne who run the holidays each time.

And then there are my fellow tutors - a great bunch of people who have become dear and special friends over the year.    They're all great writers too - very successful in their own fields.  I try not to envy them but there's one lady I have to admit I do feel envious  of! And that's Della -  I know her as Della - but  she's recently have a name change -  check out the rest of this blog for details.

I envy her because of her ability to write and sell short stories.   You'd think that having published 65 books, I might be able to manage a short story or two - but the thing is that writing short is a very special skill. I find my ideas naturally grow and  fill a novel - I have sold precisely 3 short stories in my writing life.    Della recently  sold . .  .  her 1500th short story!!

Yes that's right - 1500th!

Perhaps I should go on Della's short story course at Fishguard - but there's just one small problem - I'm usually teaching my own course  when she'd teaching! But I know how much everyone  who does attend any course of hers  enjoys it - and how much they learn from Della in her own area of expertise.   

And now Della is branching out. She's become Della Parker - and she's writing something new too -  a series of novellas called . . .but no, I'll let Della tell you all about them -

Welcome to my blog, Della  . . .Parker or Galton - whichever you are!

My New Name – Della Parker

2016 was the year I changed my name to Della Parker! Or rather my new publisher did.  A new name for my new series of novellas, which is called The Reading Group.  I have had the best fun writing them and the first few are now out so Kate has kindly agreed to me coming along to her blog to talk about them. Thank you so much, Kate.

My New Novellas - The Reading Group. 

The Reading Group focuses on five women who meet monthly to drink wine, have nibbles, gossip and – oh yes – discuss the classics.

In December they are reading A Christmas Carol and Grace’s life seems to be taking a curious parallel to Dickens’ classic story! Spooky! 

In January they are reading Jane Austen’s Emma – and this time it’s Anne Marie who’s the focus of the story. Like Emma, Anne Marie fancies giving Cupid a run for his money. But matchmaking isn’t really her forte!

In February they are reading Lady Chatterley’s Lover. Oh and Kate has a handsome gamekeeper (I mean builder) in renovating her kitchen. Hold on to your hats, ladies.

In March, Daphne Du Maurier’s Rebecca is the book of the month. Jojo has a new man in her life. She is starting to worry that there may be certain parallels between her life and Daphne Du Maurier’s heroine. Age gap romance and ancestral homes spring to mind.

The Reading Group series is published by Quercus Books.

January, February and March are out now. They are novellas and are 99p each (ebook only)

December, which is a short story, is free for your kindle. I would be eternally grateful if you would download it.  I’m hoping that lots of downloads will catapult me to writing fame and fortune! I’ll report back on this at some later date, possibly from a Hawaiian beach!

But seriously... Having the chance to write a contemporary version of these classics has been an absolute privilege and a joy.  

Della Galton

www.dellagalton.co.uk

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If you fancy coming on any of Della's short story courses at Fishguard - then check out   Writers' Holiday  for more details  of the courses there in February and July 

Trying to catch up

So far. 2017 has been a not-very-successful attempt to catch up with everything I have on my To Do list (OK - so it's the To Do List carried over from 2016!) so if you're waiting for messages/emails/letters from me - I promise - soon! I was about to talk about courses coming up in the not too distant future - like the one with Writers Holiday in Fishguard in February.

I was about to say that there were a few spaces left on the Advanced Romance Writing Course on the we
ekend of February 17 - 19th 2017. But even as I was writing that post, more people had booked - so there is perhaps just one space on the weekend now.

Was it something I said about the new Mills & Boon Love to Write contest that people wanted advice and help with?

Anyway - this is a last chance to book a place on this weekend before the course is filled up.

Meanwhile, there is another tutor on the February Weekend - Della Galton who teaches Writing Short Stories. She was supposed to be guesting on my blog at the beginning of the week, but obviously she's having the same sort of start to the year as I am - so she will (hopefully) be visiting my blog this weekend. See you soon (both on the blog and in Wales) Della!

Writing course queries . . .

Another thing that got forgotten - well, no, not forgotten but had to be put on the 'to do list ' that is s-l-o-w-l-y being worked through is the answer to the enquiries I've had about writing courses I'll be running in 2017 - which is getting dangerously, frighteningly near!

So here's a quick reminder of the first such course/weekend that is coming - in February 2017 - - Winter Workshop Weekend
Friday 17th February – Sunday 19th February 2017

 As always, I will be running the Advanced Romance Writing Course in Fishguard at Writers' Holiday Fishguard

A series of six advanced novel workshop sessions led by Kate Walker. This course is open to previous Fishguard workshop OR Caerleon Romance course participants OR those who have been on Kate’s basic Romance courses OR Kate’s workshops elsewhere. It is NOT for beginners. Designed especially for Fishguard to move you on, the whole weekend will be concentrated on this workshop – without other distractions. Guests are encouraged to complete and submit work to Kate prior to the weekend commencement.

Usually this course is booked up months ahead but this time because of unexpected health issues or travel problems, I do have a couple of spare places if you're interested - either message me/email via my web site - or send and enquiry via the Writers Holiday Newly updated web site.

And if you don't want to join the Advanced Romance Writing Course - there's always Poetry (with Alison Chisholm) Short Story Writing with Della Galton,   Basic Novel Writing with Rachael Thomas and Painting and Drawing with Susan Alison.  All details are on the web site.

I haven't forgotten the need for details of the 12 Days of Christmas giveaway - but I went out to the shops this morning and so have to recover first!! But those details will follow. But everyone's posts/comments will be noted and go into the draw for winners next week - Charlie is delighted!