RNA Conference Lancaster University

The RNA Conference weekend is always so much fun - and so full of interesting and enlightening events. I had a fabulous time in Lancaster, meeting up with so many friends and making lots of new ones. I went 

to some great workshops, talked with fabulous writers, drank a little wine (just a little!) and hardly slept at all. Now I'm home and have caught up on the Post Conference Lag - I'm happily recalling some extra, personal moments that made me smile just to think of them.

There was the joy of watching friends and ex-students come out of their one-to-ones smiling and full of delight at having been asked to send their full manuscripts to the editors or agents they had seen. Celebrating with another ex student on the publication of her very first novel Something Like Happy. And seeing Vasiliki Scurfield win the 'Love Story in a Tweet' competition with her great story. I also enjoyed her great workshop on getting t

he details right when writing about Greek culture - lots of room for inspiration there!

Also workshops by Fiona Harper, lovely Liz Fielding and so many others. There were the long talks deep into the night on writing, life, anything and everything. I got the chance to sit back and enjoy the Convincing Crime workshop run by my DH and his co-author Stuart Gibbon the authors of ‘THE CRIME WRITER’S CASEBOOK’ and ‘BEING A DETECTIVE’ (thanks to John Jackson for the photo taken at the Gala Dinner.)

Other unexpected delights were the bargain sale of old Mills and Boon titles where I discovered a 1968 title- Still Waters - by Marguerite Lees who was a friend of my mother's and the first professional novelist I ever met - and in whose footsteps I wanted to follow. Then there was a wonderful gift from another friend and student who made the special gesture of having a fabulous tote bag made for me - with my favourite covers on it front and back. I shall use that for any other conferences I go to in the future.

Thank you so much Andrea!

All in all - a fabulous, if exhausting weekend. I'm already looking forward to next year.

RNA Conference weekend

So here’s how the statistics for the weekend stack up:

First and foremost  - people to thank for a wonderful, fantastically well organised and stimulating conference once again  - Jan Jones and Roger Sanderson

Hours spent getting lost en route to Telford 2

Minutes left to prepare/change clothing/brush hair before Wellington Library panel 5

People attending Wellington library  panel  30

Wedding anniversary celebrated 1

Old friends met up with again  100- maybe more

New friends made – 30

Talks/workshops attended 20

Quiz won  - 1 (by ½ point!)

Bottles of wine consumed . . . err – lost count

RNA ex-virgins (from when I ran the first-timers group)and writers now published after my courses/12 Point Guide – Janet Gover Rachael Thomas Brigid Cody Iona Garrett Cathy Mansell

Discussions with past course students after one to ones -   10

Books added to my TBR pile – 15 – with special thanks to Janet Gover, Lara Temple (see above)

Person to thank for all the photographs – 1-   John Jackson

Late nights in the kitchen with wonderful friends – 4

Cats to appease after abandoning them for 4 days – surprisingly, none. The wonderful cat-sitter we  asked to look after them did the job so well we actually had no complaints, no sulks, no retribution when we came home. 

Except – number of mice sacrificed to cats’ need to bring presents for cat sitter – 3

Hedgehogs to feed in the evening after we got back – 4  - that’s including one brand-new half-grown Heck who is currently eating his/her way through everything we put out for it.

Bundles of washing to dump in the machine and get dry before we head out to Writers’ Holiday- 4

Days to go before I have to turn round and head out again towards Fishguard and teaching on this summer’s Writers’ Holiday – 3 ….

Eeek – thank heaven I planned the course well in advance and had only to pack my handouts etc.

Conferences and Covers

Heading out today for the RNA Conference and meeting up with lots of friends and fellow writers - so looking forward to this. But I just wanted to share - sometimes my covers seem a bit 'samey' but every now and then I get a new cover design that really stands out. So I was delighted with this from a French collection that I spotted today.

 And I'm in a collection with the wonderful Sara Craven who was one of the special writers who made me love the romance genre and I learned so much from her! So consider my day made with this.

Now I need to finish packing and get one the road - to everyone I'll see at RNA - travel safely - Oh, and yes, I'll be at Wellington Library tonight so if you're coming to that I'll see you there.

PS Perhaps I should say that the title of mine in this collection is Cordero's Forced Bride - which had a rather different cover

Busy July

July is always a hectic month for me. So the coming week is going to need me to have my head down, nose to the grindstone - in theory this will mean finishing the book I've been wrestling with, for ever it seems.

The there will be the RNA Conference - where I have the appearance on the fantastic panel on Thursday evening 13th July, it's a free event at the local Wellington Library, from 7-8pm, so if you're in the area, and you'd like to come along, everyone's welcome - other fabulous writers on this panel are : Freda Lightfoot, Sarah Morgan, Nicola Cornick, Bernardine Kennedy.

At the RNA - as always - the Babe Magnet and I will be celebrating our wedding anniversary of many, many years but as the conference is always so busy and so much fun, we'll have our private, personal celebrations once we're home.

T

hen the next week (we have 3 days to turn around, get clean clothes and head out again we're heading for lovely Fishguard in Wales and the fabulous Gerald P Hobbs Writers' Holidays where I'm teaching The Complete Romance Writing course and one Stephen Wade is running a course called 'Make 'em Laugh' - writing humour. (Note to self - must find out if there are any places still availab

le on this year's Writers' Holiday in case anyone's interested.)

So as I know I shall be very busy (understatement ) in the rest of the month - I'm going to be doing something a bit special for the next few days - and introducing you to a new writer. Someone who writes very different sort of books from mine but they're fascinating and great reads - well, I'm partial because I know her! But if you have young readers in your family specially those who love books of fantasy and darkness, magic, menace and a truly terrifying foe - then come along - and there will be a giveaway to enter as well.

So that's coming up soon.  I hope you'll come by and meet this writer.

Library Event

If anyone is around on the RNA Conference Thursday evening  13th July, there's a free event at the local Wellington Library, from 7-8pm, with Kate Walker, Sarah Morgan, Freda Lightfoot, Bernardine Kennedy and Nicola Cornick. You'd be very welcome.

Meet Lara Temple - with a chance to win one of her books!

One of the best things abut going to  the Romantic Novelists' Association conference - which, as  you'll remember , I did in July this year -  is that   as well as getting the opportunity to meet up again with many friends I've known for some time,  there is also a wonderful opportunity to meet  new writers, published and unpublished (yet)  who may start out being strangers but by the end of the conference have become friends and people I look forward to seeing again.

This time, one of these new friends was someone I met by the happy accident of the fact that she was allocated a room in the same flat as I - and some of my other friends  - was sleeping in.

So I first met Lara Temple on that Thursday night when the early arrivers all get together.  We started that night only knowing each other's names - and ended it firm friends. Several of my other friends/past student/fellow writers were also in the same flat, but by the end of the first evening you would have been hard put to separate the 'old ' from the new - and by the end of the conference it was as if we had all known each other for ever.

Lara had just had her very first Harlequin Historical novel  (Lord Crayle's Secret World) published and she was kind enough to give me a copy.   I loved the 'shout line' -  A Desperate Highwaywoman - and from reading the opening I was hooked, just wanting to read on - and on.   (Thanks, Lara! Just what I needed  - not! - with my own deadline bearing down on me!)

I also learned that Lara's new  book -  The Reluctant Viscount  - would be published later in the year - it's actually out today so Happy Publication Day, for The Reluctant Viscount, Lara -  As you know I love introducing readers to new authors, I asked Lara if she would come and visit my blog and tell you a little about herself.   She has  also kindly agreed to do a giveaway for both her books - all you have to do is to answer her question in  the comments either today or  on the second part of the Meet Lara Temple blog -   we'll leave this open over the weekend to give you time to read and comment.

So meet Lara Temple - and maybe you'll discover a brand-new favourite Historical Romance author.

Welcome to the blog, Lara and thank you for agreeing to answer my questions:

1.       Can you tell us a little about yourself ?

Hi Kate, thanks so much for inviting me on your blog! I write strong and sexy regency romances for Harlequin Mills & Boon – my first book “Lord Crayle’s Secret World” came out in March, my second “The ReluctantViscount” is out on the 25^th of August, and I am hard at work on three more books in the same line. In my previous and very different life I was a financial analyst on Wall Street and a high tech executive and I also moved around the world a lot. But throughout all this change, the one constant was my love of reading and writing. I’m VERY lucky Harlequin gave me a chance to realize it. I’m also lucky my husband and children are very happy and supportive about my change of career – I think they like the author more than the banker. Surprising!

2.       Have you always wanted to write? 

Yes. Yes. Yes! When I was three I forced my mom to write down my stories (they were rather mad adventures and I often wonder what they were feeding me back then…) and as soon as I could hold pen to paper, I took over. I had a little setback when my older brother discovered my secret notebooks where I had a story about teaming up with Batman, but I kept at it, just found a better hiding place. Still, it was always ‘for the drawer’ until I struck lucky when my mom pushed me into entering Harlequin’s So You Think You Can Write 2014 contest competition and my submission earned me a contract and a new direction in life.

3.       You write for Harlequin Historical can you tell us why you chose this particular line? Are you a great fan of historical fiction? Any special favourite authors?

I’m one of the many Jane Austen addicts and Georgette Heyer. I found my first Georgette Heyer book in a dusty bookstore in New York as a teenager and from that point on all my (many) daydreams migrated to the regency period. Whenever I needed to escape life and work I slipped into this

world, daydreaming or writing, and it is still “home.” I also adore contemporary and historical murder mysteries, and aside from rereading my Austen and Heyer books until they disintegrate to dog-eared dust, I do the same to my Sherlock Holmes’ collection. I especially love those with psychological depth, like those by P.D. James and Minette Walters. And too many others…I need more time!

4.       Your first novel, Lord Crayle’s Secret World has the ‘shout line’ A desperate highwaywoman . . .   Now that would immediately make me want to pick up  the book when I saw that.  Can you tell us a little about this novel.

My highwaywoman, Sari, is my favorite kind of heroine – unconventional. Very little about her life has gone ‘by the book’, and when she is at her wits end how to provide for her brother and friends, her choice of action is pretty unconventional, too – she tries her hand at highway robbery. Unfortunately, or for my purposes, fortunately, she has unwittingly chosen to hold up the carriage of Michael, the Earl of Crayle, ex-soldier, current spy, and luckily in need of a female operative for The Institute, an offshoot of the War Office. Michael is emotionally scarred by war and by the damaged relations between his parents and as a result he particularly values order and discipline. But although Sari has the best of intentions, her ambition to succeed in her new role often clashes with Michael’s need to keep everyone safe and naturally they clash. But when the hunt is on to stop a political assassination, the last thing either Michael or Sari count on is that the heat of their conflicting characters is eclipsed by an attraction they can’t control.

5.       What gave you the original idea for this book? What inspired you to write about such an unconventional Regency heroine?

I worked in several very male-dominated worlds – I was in the military, on Wall Street, and then in high tech, and in each case there is a sense of being on the outside trying to get in (and trying to stay in). One very late night at work in London I wondered – if it is this frustrating for someone in the 21^st century when all the doors are relatively open, what must it have felt

for someone two hundred years ago when the thought of being equal never even crossed a woman’s mind? And the idea of a woman finding herself drawn into the world of early espionage just appeared and started writing itself. 

Lara's  Question for giveaways   - Please post your answer in the comments to be in with a chance for a giveaway of one of Lara's books.

Both Sari and Alyssa are not your run of the mill regency misses. History is full of unconventional heroines and I am always on the lookout for real life examples – do you have a favorite unconventional historical heroine?

Catching up - trying to!

I've been missing for ages! I couldn't believe it when I looked at my blog and found that I hadn't posted since the beginning of July - my apologies for my absence but there are reasons for it.

It's July - the busiest month in the year for me most years and this year was no different. There was The RNA Conference in Lancaster,  a visit to dear friend and great writer Michelle Reid  - then home, unpacking, repacking and heading to Wales for the wonderful Writers' Holiday.

I've been meaning to write about my travels and the fabulous month I've had  but never found a moment for it -until now. Today is August 3rd which means that it's the day for my regular monthly post over on the Pink Heart Society Blog  so that's where I'm blogging today - and where you'll find my post about the highlights of the past month  as I've travelled up and down the country  and over to Wales.

Hopefully I'll now stay in the same place long enough to finish my latest book - and to find a way to lose  the extra pounds I've put on after the amazing food at Writers' Holiday last week. I keep saying I'll avoid the desserts  but . .  . they're  just too tempting.

Are you an RNA Conference Virgin?

 

I  still remember how it felt to head for my very first conference back in 2000. I was so nervous. But I soon got settled and this year I’m back for my 12^th or 13^th – how did that happen?

In 2002, I helped introduce some ‘newbies’ (aka Conference Virgins) to the Conference experience and then for the next 2 years I ran the first timers’ welcome scheme and newsletter – something that’s now an established part of the conference. So when I was asked to write a post for the RNA blog about the things a first-timer should pack, I just had to go back over my past newsletters to collect up my list. 

So here is the Virgin’s/First Timer's Packing List.   Hope it helps!

• Clothes you can  live in for a day of  workshops/sitting on chairs/taking notes/taking part/drinking tea or coffee/eating lunch/talking/meeting people.  Be comfortable  - dress code is pretty casual.

• Layers – this is England - you never know what the temperature will be. In Sheffield we baked in the heat  - other days - well, see below!

• Rain protection – umbrella/ jacket to run from accommodation to workshops etc

• Shoes you can walk in from bedroom to workshop to coffee to workshop to lunch to queue for lunch in to workshops to tea to your room . . .

• Glitz  for the celebration dinner – this is the time to wear shoes to flaunt  and have photographed for the blog . Some people dress up to the nines, other just  up to five – use it as an excuse to glam up if you want.

• Notebook File Pens – you may be provided with some of these  – but it’s amazing how many people forget that they will need to take notes  etc The goody bag usually has paper in it but if you have a preference for a particular sort of notebook or a pen  bring one.

• A bag to carry them around in and collect up handouts from workshops  papers will slip and slide in your hands. Straps long enough to go over your shoulder help – specially when trying to drink tea/coffee/eat bacon rolls etc. There is always a goody bag given by RNA - but you want to make sure you have something suitable for all the stuff you need to tote around.

• It can be useful to have a small fold-up/cotton bag (or that 'goody bag' )  to go inside your other bag to carry the books you inevitably buy from the bookshop

• Don’t bring book(s) to read – your goody bag will provide some and there is always the bookshop

• Small bottle of water to carry round  - specially in workshops etc if it gets warm and have water  in your  room to avoid hangover  see below!

• Cash for  books, drinks, extras

• Tissues

• Alarm clock or one on  your phone  - you don’t want to miss anything. Use your phone to plan your day as well. 

• Paracetamol  for ‘overload’ headache

• And/or   hangover cure – water/paracetamol/milk thistle. Every year the bar staff are warned the Romantic Novelists can shift a little wine. Every year they don’t quite believe it – until they have to send for fresh supplies!

• Ear plugs if noise bothers you – it’s a place you’re not used to and people do gather and chat in the kitchens etc.

• Toiletries shampoo etc

• Hairdryer if needed

• Minimum makeup stuff – do you really think you’ll have time for a full glam up for the evening?

• Pyjamas or similar for wandering from room to kitchen/staying and chatting in kitchen

• List of books you want to get hold of/authors you hope to meet

• Laptop/ipad/blackberry/whatever if you really can’t live without email

• A pack of disposable plastic tumblers are a good idea – wine drinking back in the digs can be difficult with no glasses....  (Thanks to Anna Louise Lucia – one of the original ‘virgins’  who reminded me about this one!)

• Anna also says:” I bring a note of my workshop choices, so I don’t have to double check.”

• And  you might want to bring extra tea bags  specially if there's one brand you love - or you go for green/white/fruit teas.

Other points you might want to consider:

Pace yourself 

The RNA is quite a small conference, particularly when compared to America’s RWA – but it doesn’t always seem that way when it’s your first time and you don’t know many people. You don’t have to do everything and even if you attended all the workshops you wanted you probably won't take everything in if you're rushing frantically from A to Z. One of the important benefits of a conference is meeting and talking with fellow writers - people who actually get what this is all about.  Balance this with the workshop benefits and take time out when you need it. It's so easy to get swept away in the hype, the networking, the fun but taking a moment to regroup your thoughts/grab a water/caffeine boost can set you up for the rest of the conference. If you give yourself some "break" time, it'll stop you feeling overwhelmed and give you a chance to absorb what you've heard.

Meeting authors and others

Remember that published writers are only human - this means that they  will  usually be easily approachable and happy to talk - if you approach them at the right time.  Specially if you want to ask them to sign a book! But published authors can get as overwhelmed as new writers. When an author is talking with an agent/senior editor - any editor is not the best time to approach. But if they are looking a bit lonely or in a queue for lunch  that's a good time to stop and say Hi.

This is the case with people giving talks or workshops - if you have questions that there wasn't time for in the talk most people will be happy to answer - but make sure that they're not on their way to another talk/a meeting/ coffee with someone/a meal. You can always come back later.

Smile and say hello to people.  Introduce yourself. You never know who you might end up standing/sitting next to

Above everything else, have fun  and enjoy yourself.  If you have a problem  or feel lost – ask. There will always be someone who’ll know the answer or if they don’t they can find someone who will help.

See you there

Kate

PS I'm  giving a talk on Emotion on Sunday afternoon if you're there for the whole conference and not leaving at lunch time.

Pink Hearts Day

For anyone who wants an update on Charlie - he is so much better he's eating like a pig, and now has gone out to chase magpies off his lawn!

Today is the 3rd of the month which means that it's my day to blog at the Pink Hearts Society - where I'm looking forward to the events coming up - RNA - Writers Holiday - Relax and Write and all the fun I'll have there.

Have a great weekend. I know Charlie will!

Missing . . .

Well  that was a hectic couple of weeks.  I  was travelling here there and everywhere and giving talks, running courses . ..  In the end something had to go  and this blog had to be it.   I just couldn't keep up.

But now I'm back - for a few days - heading for another talk in Bridlington library on Friday -  so I'll try to catch up. A bit.

But while I sort through a  ton of laundry, a zillion emails, innumerable answer machine messages, here's a bit to keep you reading.

As you know I was at the Romantic Novelists'  Association conference in Penrith   which is where I gave a talk on putting Emotion into your writing. There are a couple of reports of tbhis that you can find:

Here on the RNA blog where with other speakers I talk about  the 'behind the scenes' of my talk.
and

Here in the Conference reports on the same site - there are reports of other talks too if you are interested.

Now I have a date with a washing machine . . .again!

Oh  - but I can't finish without sending huge  congratulations to the brilliant Sarah Morgan who won  the Short Contemporary RITA award at the Romance Writers' of America conference this weekend with her  fabulous Modern Romance/Harlequin Presents title  Doukakis's Apprentice. 

Congratulations Sarah!

Off to London

I had a crazy day yesterday. It was going to be busy anyway, with my workshop to complete for the RNA Conference and the organising of packing and Danny the Cat-Sitter as well. But it turned into an even more frantic day than I'd planned when I switched on the computer, reading to print out notes and handouts . . .

. . . and watched it die right in front of me, leaving only a blue screen with lots of indecipherable warnings across it. And locked in there, inaccessible, not even on a memory stick (yes - I know but it's been on hell of a week) were all my workshop notes, and handouts . . . .Help!!

Luckily by the time I was able to put in a phone call to my techie wizard, Andy the PC Doctor, he managed to find time to squeeze in a visit to the computer's sickbed and deliver a dose of TLC that had it back on form again. I have promised Andy sainthood for this.

But there was no time to reorganise, regroup and double-check the workshop as I have to leave this morning to get to Greenwich tonight - so if you'll be in my workshop I hope it - well, I hope it works! But then, like Robert Redford in Butch Cassidy, I'm 'better when I move' ie answer questions so I should still find something to talk about.

Oh, and it's my day over on the Pink Heart Society today. Thursday Talk Time - and guess what I'm talking about?

If you're going to the conference - I'll see you there. If you're in my workshop, have questions ready!

If You're Going to RNA (2)

Busy day today - I need to organise the cat-sitter, get my hair done, send out a bundle of prize books, complete the work on my talk for the RNA conference - thank you so much to everyone who sent in questions. I plan on answering those the best I can.

I still remember how it felt to head for my very first conference back in 2000. I was so nervous. But I soon got settled and this year I’m back for my 10th – how did that happen?

In 2002, I helped introduce some ‘newbies’ (aka Conference Virgins) to the Conference experience and then for the next 2 years I ran the first timers’ welcome scheme and newsletter – something that’s now an established part of the conference. So when I was asked to write a post for the RNA blog about the things a first-timer should pack, I just had to go back over my past newsletters to collect up my list.

That post is up today so if you need a little advice, why not visit me over there ?

Thanks and clebrations

My thanks to everyone who has sent me questions for the Conflict Q&A . I'll be addressing those in the workshop - and hopefully on here after the Conference. Any more questions, you still have time to ask.

Oh and special thanks to Janet who sent me a question by email and reminded me of something I'd once said a long time ago on this topic (some of you have memories like elephants!) that is a point I really want to make at RNA - so thanks for that question Janet!

And just to remind you that as it's 29th June, you still have one more day in which to enter the Summer Sizzler contest that I'm running with Michelle Reid. In case you've forgotten this is the contest where you can win a signed copy of both Michelle's and my new releases - Mia's Scandal and A Good Greek Wife?. Details can be found on the Contest page on both our sites. And don't forget that you can enter twice - once with Michelle, and once with me.

The contest closes when June 30th ends - everywhere in the world!

Of course this contest is to celebrate the publication of The Good Greek Wife? The official publication day is supposed to be July 2nd but as I was out and about yesterday and I discovered that it's already on the shelves, I'm celebrating today. I love seeing a new book on the bookshop shelves. And seeing it selling well - which A Good Greek Wife? was already doing, is even better.

Talking of publication, as Harlequin continues to reissue backlist books in ebook form, I've been thrilled to see The Married Mistress get a new lease of life as an ebook over on eHarlequin and Amazon. And now I've just discovered that Their Secret Baby has been reissued in ebook too.

This is one time when I'm realy pleased that it's the USA version of this book that's reissued. The original UK edition was known in this family as The Headless Wedding. And if you want to know why, you can see that cover here

If you're going to the RNA Conference . . .

. . . or even if you're not. I wonder if you'd like to help me.

I need to know about how to stir up conflict.

Not an actual conflict at the conference - manuscripts at dawn or book wars over breakfast . . .

But on Saturday 10th July at 11.45 I am doing a workshop on Conflict - and I have an hour - just an hour - in which to, hopefully, educate, enlighten and entertain everyone there on the subject of Conflict. What it means, how it works, how you develop it . . .

Last time I heard there were 60+ eager (well, I hope they'll be eager) students signed up to come and hear me ramble on an the subject. 60+ eeek!

So I was wondering if you'd help me.

If you're coming to the RNA and if you're going to be in my workshop . . .or even if you're not, but you're interested in writing - and in finding out more about Conflict. About creating it, writing it, developing it.

Are you confuzzled by internal and external conflict?

Do you want to know how much is too much and how much is not enough?

Would you like to know why I describe conflict as being like the layers of an onion ?

Is there any question that you'd really really like me to try and answer on this subject?

If so please let me know. Post your question or you comment in the comments section. or email me privately at the address below.

Authors, if you want to say what you think is important about conflict then that would be welcome too - all contributions welcome.

I'll try to address every query raised in my workshop. And if you're not coming to the conference, then please still ask any questions you have and I'll hope to tackle them when I get back and maybe we can have a Conflict Q&A here on the blog as well.

Over to you . . . And thank you in advance

Courses etc coming up

I'm just orgainsing myself to update my web site and I'll be posting some new courses/workshops dates coming up - so as I know a lot of people who read this blog like to know about the teaching I do, I thought I'd list the details here as well and then post them on the web site for future reference.

So -

July 2010

ROMANTIC NOVELISTS' ASSOCIATION
Romantic Novelists’ Association Conference

Place: University of Greenwich in SE London

Dates: Friday 9th July - Sunday 11th July 2010

I'll be teaching a workshop on Conflict - so if you're going to be there and you have any specific queries about Conflict then please send me an email and I'll hope to answer your questions (and maybe I'll be able to use the lecture as a series of posts on this blog about the subject too.)

WRITERS’ HOLIDAY AT CAERLEON
Once again I’ll be going back to one of my favourite places and taking part in the Writers’ Holiday at Caerleon 2010.
Date: July 25-30, 2010

Event: I will be teaching a five part course on The 12 Point Guide to Writing Romance.

Further details and booking forms can be found here: http://www.writersholiday.net/
Book online and save £10!

September 2010

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF WRITERS' GROUPS
NAWG (National Association of Writers’ Groups) Festival of Writing

Place: St Aidan's College, University of Durham, Durham

Dates: September 3-5, 2010

http://www.nawg.co.uk/

I'll be teaching four workshops over the weekend:

Friday evening - What Sort of Fiction Should I Write?
Commercial publishing is a highly competitive world. Knowing how to focus on the type of fiction you can write best is an advantage in this often cut-throat business. But how do you decide where your focus should lie?

SATURDAY - SUNDAY

These 3 workshops will be particularly focussed on writing Romantic Fiction which is my speciality. But they will also be helpful for anyone who wants to write any sort of fiction, particualarly commercial genre fiction. They can be used as a mini course - or dipped into by someone who just wants to do one or the other.

1. Creating Characters
An essential skill for succesful commercial fiction is to create believable and sympathetic character. Whether storm-tossed lovers, hardened, cynical detectives or even blue headed aliens from another planet you need to build characters the readers care about and who come alive on the page. This workshop will give you techniques and ideas how to do just that.

2. Plotting
Are you a planner or a pantser? Do you plot your story in details or 'travel hopefully into the mist'? How do you create a romantic story - or indeed any sort of story - that will keep your readers turning the page and avoid the dreaded 'sagging middle'?

3. Writing A Sex Scene
Very little commercial fiction that involves the relationships between men and women (or indeed same sex relationships) is published today that doesn't involve dealing with the passionate and sexual aspects of that relationship. So how do you write a believeable, emotional, sensual scene that works for your characters and keeps you out of the short-list for the annual Bad Sex Awards?

October 2010

Calderdale Writers' Roadshows - Halifax

I really enjoyed taking part in these last year. Sadly, this year I'm already booked up for other things for the dates of most of them, but I will be doing the following

1. Friday 8 October – Halifax Library – 5-7pm – one-ones (you'll need to book thse in advance)
2. Saturday 9 October – Halifax Library – 10.30-12.30 workshop on Romantic Fiction

February 2011

FISHGUARD WRITING WEEKEND 2011
Once again I will be teaching at the fabulous Fishguard Writing Weekend.
Event: Weekend Residential Writing Course – Romance – Moving It On

You’ve been to Kate Walker’s Writing Romance Workshops – Now here is your chance to take your romance writing further with her new series of ‘Moving It On’ workshops designed exclusively for Fishguard 2011

Dates: 18 – 20th February 2011

Venue: Fishguard Bay Hotel

Quay RoadGoodwickFishguardPembrokeshireSA64 0BT

http://www.writersholiday.net/

Book on line and save £10

Anyone who has been to any of my previous workshops is welcome - and even if you haven't been to one of my writing weekends or courses, this new series of classes will help you learn more about writing romance and how to polish your manuscript ready for submission.

Just to say . . .

The Tote Bag Presents Special will continue tomorrow with another author and another question, so don't forget to call back and check on that.

But I just wanted to say that the lovely Heather from We Write Romance has updated my web site putting all the latest news and book information up there.

So it you want to know everything that' s happening with me, that's the place to look. You'll also find the full details of how to enter the Tote Bag Presents Special Contest and a list of all the books that are going into this fabulous prize.

Then there are the details and covers of my next book - Kept For Her Baby - together with all the information you need about the USA edition of the 12 Point Guide to Writing Romance.

Oh - and the details you'll need to find information or book for one of my courses or to find out about other public appearences I'm making in the next 12 months.

Of course my next event will be the Literacy Signing at RWA Washington - which is where I'll be on Wednesday evening. I'm realy looking forward to the conference and to joining in Harlequin's special 60th celebrations.

In between then and now I'll probably be too busy organising, packing and panicking to post but the blog won't be empty - there will be lots of great posts from the authors who have donated books to the Tote Bag so don't miss out on those and their questions for the Scavenger Hunt.

One thing that I'm personally very sad to have to miss out on this weekend is the UK's Romantic Novelists' Association Conference - so I'm sending a wave to all my RNA friends who are in Penrith this weekend. I wish I could be with you but I'll be following all the fun and activities virtually on the brand new RNA blog . I t won't be as good as being there but it will have to do - have a wonderful conference.

At last - the RNA!

I'm not at all sure what happened to the last week. There was the journey back from Chichester in some appalling road conditions, there was the interview with Jen, there was catching up to do . . .lots of catching up. There were proofs to correct . . .

And then there was in internet lock out. I just could not get into my email or my web browser - so frustrating!

So now I'm back at last and it's a week since I was in Chichester and lots of other people have posted blog reports on the RNA Conference - check out Kate Hardy and Liz Fenwick for some great reports - and I'm running fast to go nowhere - so I'm just going to post a sort of mini photo-diary of the event so you can see people and get some flavour of it all from the pictures >

So here goes . . .


Starting with the wonderful, unflappable, lovely Jan Jones who organised the whole thing and always does such a brilliant job. Here she is starting off the conference with the notices and the 'Celebrations' announcements.

Next the conference proper started with the panel discussing 'What is Romantic Ficiton anyway?' In this picture are, from the left in white is Nicola Cornick, next to her is Kate Harrison, the Sara Craven, Kate Hardy and Anna Jacobs.

Later that evening, in the bar. Here I am with my friend Kate Hardy. Thanks to Mary who tok the picture and actually managed to get one of me with my eyes open - I always seem to have them shut in photos.

Firsts talk Saturday morning - the interesting and wonderfully helpful Shelf Secrets or how to get your books onto the bookshop shelves by thinking like a bookshop owner by Mark Thornton who also ran a fabulous bookstall through the conference with titles by every author there - including the 12 Point Guide 2 which sold out early on.

Mark's bookshop, Mostly Books in Abingdon won the New Bookshop of the Year 2008 award and you can find out more about that - including his blog on the conference here.

Fabulous Katie Fforde introduces An

Audience with the equally lovely and witty Jill Mansell -->

The bar where most of the - um - networking took plpace. In the centre Katie Ff is chatting with the Sunday morning speaker, Jane Wenham-Jones.

The Chapel where most of the talks were held with the beautiful huge windows.

Brand new M&B author Sabrina Philips whose first book Valenti's One-Month Mistress will be out in February 09. Sabrina has also just got married and brought some of her beautiful wedding photos with her. Congratulations on both counts Sabrina!

The Saturday night dinner and Imogen Howson received the Elizabeth Goudge trophy as the author of the best first chapter of
less than 2,000 words - on the theme 'To Have and To Hold'.

Imogen's own blog can be found here.

Anna Louise Lucia looking glamourous at her first conference as a published author. Her first book Run Among Thorns (which I have read and thoroughly enjoyed) was on sale at the conference - and I also managed to persuade her to sign a couple of copies for the Tote Bag of Books contest which is coming up soon. (I also managed to grab copies of Jan Jones' Stage by Stage for that too- and a couplpe of other books from other authors - more soon)




Nell Dixon (in white) and beyond her Fiona Harper who writes for Mills & Boon Romance. Nell's new book for Little Black Dress Blue Remembered Heels was on sale at the conference too and was the first book to sell out. I took this photograph while she was deep in conversation with the babe Magnet - so you can see why he has this nickname at the RNA!

The dining hall for the Saturday evening Conference dinner - you can practically hear the buzz of conversations!

Julie Cohen at the Saturday dinner looking bright and beautiful - the next morning the image was slightly less so after a glass or two of champagne too many as she celebrated the publication of Anna Louise Lucia's first book.





Biddy Coady who won 3rd prize in the Elizabeth Goudge contest - with only a point or so between the top three. Yes Biddy - you can write - now finish that submission for M&B!

Sunday morning - RNA CHairman Catherine Jones (who writes as Kate Lace for Little Black Dress) leads the session on publicity and plans for the RNAs 50th birthday coming up in 2010.

Jane Wenham-Jones entertains the conference on Sunday morning. Regular readers of this blog will remember that Jane is a friend and regular tutor at the wonderful Caerleon Writers' Holiday which I shall have to miss this year (sob!) because I will be in San Francisco.

Julie Cohen showing the chart of themes and events that she used to plot out her lastest Little Black Dress Girl From Mars during her workshop on Pacing. I found this fascinating as Julie's approach was so very different from the way I work - hers is far more analytical in contrast to my more instinctive approach. Which just goes to prove that there is no one 'right' way of working - and we can all learn from looking at different ways of doing things.

The last night of the weekend - most of the delegates had already gone home but some of us stayed over in order to have an early start in the morning. We all crammed into Jan Jones' flat for a drink (or two) before dinner. And I really meant to join them back there after wards too for the quiz but I made the mistake of going to my room for a moment, sat down on the bed - and fell fast asleep. Conferences are like that! Talking and learning and talking some more . . . and som e more . . . and some more - wears you out! In this photo, I'm afraid I don;t know who the lady on the left is but next to her, with the grey hair is Liz Bailey, then Joanna Maitland, Sara Craven and Amanda Grange.