And talking of Workshops

Remember  I talked about that fabulous residential week learning  about writing romantic fiction in glorious Tuscany  - 

Well,  I know it's a long time away - but it's getting closer all the time - and just  yesterday I got an email that  might make you think about the fact that you want to book sooner rather than later - and save yourself some money by doing so. Here's what Lois and Bill Breckon had to say:

We’re very much looking forward to you joining us at the mill in 2012 and we are already taking bookings. To further speed up the process, I wonder if you could pass on to your students one particularly important piece of information: if they book before 1 October, they will enjoy next year’s course at this year’s prices (also, they will be more likely to be able to choose their bedroom, rather than make do with what’s left!).

These are our prices for 2012 courses, as from 1 October this year: sharing a room as well as a bathroom will increase from £1,116 to £1,1149 GBP. A bedroom with en suite bathroom will increase from £1,278 to £1,316 GBP. So it’s not a huge increase, but we haven’t put up our prices in a couple of years and we need to keep up a little with inflation!

Also, as always, don’t forget that if your students book before the end of 2011 they will enjoy a £75 GBP early-bird discount. And if they bring a non-participating partner, the partner enjoys a special £200 GBP discount provided that they share a bedroom.

I know I'm looking forward to this - if you think you might like to join me, you can find details here  - and here are a few more photos to inspire you  . .. 

Tempted?

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.

Fishguard Novel Writing Weekend

I had a letter yesterday from Fiona who was interested in the Novel Writing Weekend in Fishguard. She started off brilliantly - telling me she'd bought the 12 Point Guide to Writing Romance - and even better, she'd followed the advice!

But then she had a question. As this is a question that I've been asked several time about the course I run, either at Fishguard or anywhere else, I thought it wold be helpful to answer it on my blog so that anyone who needs to can read the answer.

Fiona gave me permission to quote from her letter here: (Thanks again Fiona)

Having read your 12-point guide to writing romance and taken your advice to read before you start writing. I read and read and in the end decided that my heart wanted to write paranomal romance.
So, having seen the next course is on contemporary romance would it still be suitable for me? I have started character building and writing the first chaper for a paranomal romance set in a contempory setting.

Thanks for your advice, Fiona.

And here's my answer:

Well - you're off to a great start! Thank you for reading the 12 Point Guide - and for taking my advice! I meet so many people who want to write romance but have never looked at the publishers' contemporary output and I have seem some truly old-fashioned - not to say prehistoric - attempts at writing romance

OK, so - I'm assuming that you mean my next course in Fishguard in November? Well,I think my answer to you wold be a resounding yes - it should definitely be suitable and hopefully helpful to you

You see, the title Contemporary Romance is in the details for the course largely to differentiate it from the Historical Novel which is a completely different topic and taught very differently. I'll go back to my first paragraph - I teach what contemporary publishers are looking for.

I teach the Romantic Fiction course really - romance in all its forms (some of which would cross over into the Historical Novel topic) You see, if you are writing romance then the growth of the emotional relationship is what is central to the book - and that's wht my course is about - creating characters, adding emotion, working on emotional intensity. After that the idividual author adds the elements they most want to concentrate on - intrigue, paranormal, medical . . .whatever.

On my courses I have had would-be historical writers. medical romance writers, thriller writers who want to add that emotional content, MA students who simply want to learn popular storytelling techniques, inspirational romance writers, chicklit writers . . .

So yes, I would think that the course would be suitable and hopefully very helpful for you - and if it's as much fun as it was last year then very enjoyable too

If you do decide to come along please let me know and I'll look forward to meeting you

The point I'm making is that my courses - and the 12 Point Guide - are not just narrowly aimed at wrould-be category romance writers. The book and the courses are designed to help anyone who wants to write a novel in which the emotional relationship is central to the development - which is Romantic Fiction in its broadest definition. The books I write have the concentrated focus and intensity on the contemporary romance in a style and approach that fits the Modern Romance/Presents lines - but what I teach can be applied to every line, indeed every type of romance/romantic fiction published.

In fact, the lovely Karen Maitland who as well as being a Creative Writing tutor

has two great historical novels - Company of Liars and The Owl Killers coming out in 2008 and 2009 - said of the 12 Point Guide:

I genuinely think the book deserves as wide a publicity as possible. There are a lot of writing books out there and some, it has to be said, are less than helpful, but I think writers from beginners to experienced writers get solid practical advice from your book which is both clear, logical and jargon-free and as one of my more down-to-earth male students said, 'makes you actually get on and write rather than sit there meditating on your inner child for three months before you can get started.'
Title - in this capacity, Dr. Karen Maitland, Creative Writing Tutor, Adult Education.

Though I must add that in my other role as a writer myself I have also found it really useful.

So if it's considerations like Fiona's that has you wondering if the course can help you, then please don't worry. The weekend should have something for everyone - just ask the students on the Write Away Beyond The Hearts and Flowers course in Leicester last month.

We had all ages, all interests all styles and levels of writing on that course and from everyone's comments and the feedback sheets everyone got a lot out of it.

So if you're wondering about the Fishguard Course - or any others that I might run in the future - I hope you'll decide to come along and I can meet you and hopefully help you take your writing a stage further.

Maybe I'll see you there?

PS Don't forget that it you are a member of the RNA, then you will get a discount on your booking - check out the back page of this month's Romance Matters for details.

Beyond the Hearts and Flowers

I'm back. Did you even notice I'd been away?? I was so busy preparing for the course I was teaching that I never got a moment to post before I left for Leicester and the Writing Romance: Beyond the Hearts and Flowers course this weekend.

I had a fabulous time. It's amazing the way that 12 people who have mostly never met before (14 if you include the tutors) can meet and 'gell' quite so fast that in a couple of days I felt as if we'd known each other for ages and that I'd made a whole bunch of new friends.

I knew it was going to be a good weekend, if only because I was teaching with my great friend Julie Cohen who I haven't seen in far too long and I was right about that. Julie is always wonderful company and as a co-tutor I doubt if I could have picked anyone better. But I wasn't prepared for was just how much fun the whole weekend was, from the first welcome cups of tea, through the teaching sessions, the meals, the evenings swapping ghost stories in the bar (and being told to be quiet because we were laughing too much!) the critique sessions , the Writing Sex class where the poor man asked to bring us in a heater (this was another cold WET summer weekend) fled rapidly as soon as Julie told him what we were doing . . .

It was one of the best courses I've ever been involved in and that was down to those 12 people who made up the class. So, in no particular order -

Liz , Jo , Jacqui , Lara, Melanie, Pat, Karen, Sue, Gray, Jane, Sarah, Marie it was wonderful to meet you

And of course Julie - Thank you all for a fabulous time.
And thanks to Sally and Bonnie from Arts Training Central for organising everything and for all the photocoyping!

Now I have to catch up - again ! The Great Big Blog Party is over (sniff!) but I have plenty to do. I still have some winners to announce and, looking at the last Party Post, I have some questions to answer that will give me some material for the next couple of blog posts.

And of course I have THE DEADLINE . . . .So I'm going to be busy.
Oh, and there's one thins I should mention.

Recently I've had a flurry of emails asking about the internet story Stolen By The Sheikh that was the result of the Writing Round Robin that I did on eHarlequin last year. This story is linked to the later book At The Sheikh's Command and the two cewntral charaters of S B T S appear in that book at the end.

This story was available as a special ebook mini on eHarlequin and then it disappeared. Because so many people were asking about it, I checked with eHarlequin and to my delight they have reinstated this ebook - and what's more it's available for free! So if you're one of the readers who wants to get you hands on this story, you can find it here to read absolutely free.

A Kate Bit - just when I thought the party was over

Well, that was supposed to be the very last Great Big Blog Party post.

I thought that I had a final total of 57 - count them - 57 - wonderful posts by 57 fabulous friends, writers and -er - animals! At the start of this celebration I had wondered if I was going to get 50 posts and I ended up with 57. . .

Well, no, I didn't.

Because then I went to Caerleon - Caerleon that Jane Wenham-Jones called "the jewel of writing holidays" (which it is) - and there I met old friends who have shared the Caerleon experience with me many times before.

And I met new friends, new writers - and the old friend and the new friends wanted to be included in the Great Big Blog Party too.

So I have news for you - we don't just have 50 - or even 57 - posts -we have 60 Great Big Blog Party posts! And the next three are going to be Caerleon Specials with reports from this summer's special week in Wales.

I was planning to write the first one up today but I've been so so busy. I've been preparing the course and the handouts for the residential weekend Write Away Course - Beyond The Hearts and Flowers - in Leicester than I'm running with Julie Cohen next weekend (17-19th August). That's taken up all of today and from next Friday I will be teaching in this lovely building in the University of Leicester.

(If you were interested in the course, then I'm afraid that this one is now totally booked up. But if you are looking for another course I'm running then the next one will be Fishguard in November - which coincidentally is run by the wonderfully warm and welcoming Anne and Gerry Hobbs who also run Caerleon. Details are on my website Events Page if you want them)

But for the next couple of days I'll be giving you some reports on my week in Caerleon - and there will be guest blogs from three of my friends there.

But first I have a couple of winners to annouce.

A Kate Bit - Writing Courses

I just wanted to do a quick catch up on the appearences and writing courses that I'm teaching in the next few months.

Doncaster Library was fun yesterday - if you're visiting here for the first time because I told you about my blog then- you're very welcome. And thank you for the warm welcome you gave me. I had a good afternoon.

Now - courses -

While I was at Leicester University for the RNA Conference, I met with one of the orgnaisers of the Beyond the Hearts and Flowers - Writing Romantic Fiction course I'm teaching at Leicester University in August (August 17th - 19th) with Julie Cohen. If you want the details of this course - you'll find them here on the Events page on my web site.

But if you're interested in signing up for this, then I suggest that you act now. As of Monday, there were only a couple of free places available on the course, and as I know that one of those has already been booked up since then, the course will very soon - if not already - be sold out.

Contact Arts Training Central Leicester Tel: 0116 242 5202 for details

If it is full then there is always the Fishguard Novel Writing Weekend in November which I believe still has some places available - or at least they did the last time I heard.

You'll find more details of this course on my Events Page again - or here on the Writing Weekend home page. I am teaching Writing Contemporary Romance on this course and there are also courses on Crime Writing and the Historical Novel.

And of course the Fishguard Novel Writing Weekend is run in the same warm and welcoming spirit as the wonderful Caerleon Writers' Holidays - which is where I shall be heading in just a couple of weeks. I shall be doing one of the main talks and probably joining i one of the novel-writign classes too. So if you;re going to be there, please come up and say hello

And maybe I'll see you at one of these events.

8 things . . .

Apparently Tessa Radley has tagged me to reveal 8 things about myself – I’ll have to take her word on my comments section because for some reason her site and her blog adamantly refuse to open so I can read for myself.

As this is just after my birthday and I’m thinking in this way, I thought I’d reveal 8 things that are coming up for me in this ‘new year’

1. Saturday May 19th – Readers’ and Writers’ Day – Borders Charing Cross Road 12- 4pm. This is to launch Wannabe A Writer by Jane Wenham-Jones and many of the authors who have contributed to the book will be there, meeting people and signing copies of their own books.

2. As you all know already – that 50th book. Officially June 1st is the date for the UK publication of The Sicilian’s Red-Hot Revenge though I’ve noticed that it’s already riding high in the Amazon.co.uk hourly bestsellers list – and yesterday they claimed they only had one left in stock. I received my own author copies of the book the other day and I love the cover. Which reminds me, I meant to talk about covers . . .

3. June and July are the months for The Great Big Blog Party – to celebrate the publication of that important book . The last time I looked, I had 32 visitors and guest bloggers lined up to come and chat with you and offer prizes – all you have to do is to come along and join in the fun. You might win a great prize – you’ll get to meet a lot of fabulous authors. And I’ll be willing to bet that your book-buying fund will start to groan under the pressure as a result.

4. June 9th is the real party – the launch party for The Sicilian’s Red-Hot Revenge. Again lots of my very special friends from all parts of my life – the authors I’ve met, friend from home, my sisters, editors, people from Caerleon Writers’ Holiday - even my university tutor are all coming to help me celebrate the publication of my 50th title. I wish I could invite you all - but I promise you there will be reports and photos just as soon as I can get them to you.

5. July 6/7/8 I’ll be at the RNA Conference in Leicester. For the first time in 6 years I’ll not be doing anything - no teaching, no speaking . . . (You promised Jan!) So all I have to do is to enjoy myself, meet up with old friends and hopefully make new ones. If you’re going to be there, please come up and say Hello.

6. 29th July – 3rd August - Caerleon Writers’ Holiday. I’ll be there again for a wonderful week in Wales, meeting other writers and would-be writers, talking , laughing, eating (just a little bit!) sharing a few drinks (just a few) and oh yes, giving a talk to earn my keep. I’m not running a Writing Romance course this year – I did that last year and maybe next ? – but I am doing a talk and so is the BM who is also running some evening classes on the grim and gruesome books - Writing and Researching True Crime and Crime History. His talk is on Writing the Past - how to write and publish historical writing. Again, it you’re going to be there, please come and say Hi and introduce yourself.

7. Back to Leicester! Beyond the Hearts and Flowers –to run the residential course Writing Romantic Fiction, with Julie Cohen (17-19 Aug). I’ll be putting up more details on this on my web site – just as soon as I can get myself organised - but for now here’s what the publicity leaflet says - Write Away courses are held at University of Leicester, in accommodation within close proximity to the Harold Martin Botanical Gardens, a quiet haven of sixteen acres. Easily accessible by road or rail the venue provides en-suite single rooms and full catering for all participants. And I’m posting a photo of the setting – I’m so looking forward to this.

8. Another thing – another course – I’m looking forward to is of course going back to Fishguard to run the Contemporary Romance section of the Fishguard Novel Writing Weekend. I had so much fun last year when I ran this course that I can’t wait to do it again. A weekend in a comfortable hotel by the sea, with wonderful food, enthusiastic students, lots of conversation . . .I don’t think I set foot outside the hotel all the time I was there – I was so busy teaching and discussing and talking – and drinking a little wine! This time I’m going a day earlier so that I can see more of the area.

One other event that I don't yet have a date confirmation for yet is that I'll be speaking at Doncaster Central Library - probably the afternoon of August 11th.

Phew! I can hear another Kate making some comment about post and kettles after she’s read this!

And then I suppose I should add in the publication of another book – The Greek Tycoon’s Unwilling Wife – (aka Andreas’ story for those who remember him) in November – and of course the small matter of at least another two novels to write to make sure I maintain my 3 books a year output into 2008.

Because of course 2008 is going to be a very important year for Harlequin Mills & Boon as we celebrate out 100th anniversary. More on that as I get it.

And there’s also going to be the 2nd edition of Kate Walker’s 12 Point Guide to Writing Romance. I’m busy working on that right now – revising and expanding it to make sure it will be out towards the end of 2007.

So there you are – 8 things about me – 8 things coming up for me this year. It’s going to a busy time - I was going to say a busy year but then I realised that all these events are in the next 6 months! Make that a ‘hectic time’! But I wouldn’t have it any other way.

PS Now there's a coincidence. Just as I finished writing this, the mail arrived and in it was the letter giving all the details for Caerleon Writers' Holiday 2007. This gave me the news that there are already less than 20 places left on this year's holiday - so if you were thinking of booking a place, then do so now. Every time I've been to Caerleon, the holiday has always been totally booked up. I mean- where else can you get 5 nights' single room, en suite accomodation, 3 cooked meals a day, tea and coffee - and intensive writing tuition on TWO different courses. Plus the main speakers, the 'after tea' sessions AND an afternoon trip out - all for £379?

It's the same with Fishguard - Friday/Saturday night in a comfortable hotel, ensuite accomodation, all meals, concentrated tuition - 8 sessions - one on one discussion of your work - long late night talks with your tutor - and I mean LATE night talks! And that's for £199. (if you're in the RNA there will be a report on Fishguard in the coming issue of Romance Matters - and RNA members will get a £10 discount)

Yes - I'm biased but I love these events. Maybe I'll see you at one of them?