FESTIVAL OF WRITING YORK 2010

Festival of Writing York 2010 are you going?

Many of you will know I'm often at the Winchester Conference helping organise and more recently (Feb 2010) organising the One-to-One pitches at the GET WRITING 2010 ... in association with the University of Hertfordshire.

Well I'm also helping organise the One-to-One pitching at the Festival of Writing in York 2010.

This festival is shaping up to be a major writing event in York. Already delegates from around the world are signed up and booking is still open. Last bookings accepted on 25th March 2010.

Mini courses are available and workshops throughout the weekend.

Many agents from: Greenhouse Literary Agency, John Jarrold Literary Agency and Blake Friedmann are just a few of the agencies attending.

Also publishers: Barry Cunningham, Genevieve Pegg and Jane Johnson are but a few attending.

Some of the editors/authors: Beverley Birch, Sally Spedding, Toby Frost, Adele Geras, Julie Cohen and Kate Allan are amongst the many.

Click on this link to find out more and to book your place. http://www.festivalofwriting.com/

This event has been advertised in Writers News, many of you may have seen it. Don't miss out, take a look today.

I hope to see many of you there. If you are going post and let me know, I'll keep an eye out for you.

Writing a cook book

Sometimes it is good to do something different, well that is what I'm told. With this in mind, I've started writing an adult novel and even more surprisingly, I've just started writing a cook book. It isn't that surprising, as I've been going to do it for quite a while. You must understand this isn't a cook book that is going out to print, it is for family use only. I'm enjoying bringing together all the strange recipes I've put together over the years. Some like my Christmas cake won't go in the one that my son is taking to uni with him, but will be in my copy. My Christmas cake like a couple of other recipes are my secrets, well for a while anyway.

With my adult novel I'm currently working on plotting. this has to be right and as you will all know this is the most important part of the book. It doesn't matter how great the writing is, if the plot is weak, the book won't sell or even get the interest of agents or publishers. Believe me, I know that well. Spending time on this is paramount, and one of the most difficult parts, however I still find synopses the most difficult. That is why it is important to network with other writers through, writing circles, conferences and workshops. I'm very lucky to be a member of the VWC (see the link) where manuscript surgeries are of great benefit. So if you are writing and aren't a member of a writing circle, join one, you will see the benefits for yourself.

Try it out first go to a few meetings and see if you like the way it is run. How will it benefit you? Do your research. How long has it been running, who are the members, do they have a website, is there a critique group, do they have visiting agents, authors, publishers? If so go for it. The VWC also runs conferences. This year we had Barry Cunningham, John Jarrold, Jonathan Pegg along with other authors and journalists. The next VWC conference is: 20th February 2010 'Get Writing' so keep your eyes open for notification of ticket sales. Last year they sold out very, very quickly.

Plot develpments

The summer is here! Where? I think someone has hidden it from me, however this is good for a writer. There are less distractions to drag you kicking and screaming from your laptop or note book. For me this has proved useful. I've been working on my adult novel, which is still very much in its infancy, but I'm quite happy with what is developing there. Although I'm not sure exactly where it is going. I'm letting it grow organically at the moment, writing separate scenes as they want to be written and I think they are all linked, at least they are at the moment. My hope is that the scenes will fit together like a jigsaw puzzle and make sense. Of course this might not happen and it will all be for naught, but I'm getting so much out of writing this, it is dark and completely out of my comfort zone, but apparently it is good. I can only hope the Winchester Writers' Conference is correct and that this project is worth perusing.

I've also managed to find a better/more developed plot line for one of my books that had some interest, but wasn't quite there. This should give the novel a new lease of life and if I approach it correctly, I'll be able to send it out again by the end of the summer.

And not only that, I've a new idea for a YA novel. The notes have been jotted down and I'm liking the way it is going, but the plotting will let me see if it has the beginnings of growing legs. However this will sit and marinate for a while before I get to start work on it. This book will need a lot of research and the ardious task of watching some of Shakespeare's plays. A hard job but someone has to do it.

I'm off now to get started on the children's novel, or maybe the adult one or perhaps the both. I often work on two different manuscripts at a time. This allows me to stay fresh on both. If I write myself into a corner, I move to another piece of work until the other novel sorts itself out. I think it is amazing how this works. I don't know how it works, but it does. It is like the characters go away and have a few strong coffees or something stronger and then come back with the solution. Either that or I'm completely crazy!! Either way, it works - mostly.

Until next time.

Sometimes writing takes you by surprise...

...and I have to say that that is exactly what has happened to me. I've been happy writing for children and feel that I'm making small inroads with my work, however, by a share moment of madness I started writing an adult novel.

I read the first scene of this to the VWC, to nick someone elses words, just the best writing circle in the world, and after a brief pause when I thought they were all in shock, the outcome was 'it was the best thing I've written yet! Now obviously as a children's writer this was a bit of a shock, but I've embraced this new story and will endeavour to complete the plotted novel. Nothing ventured nothing gained, so to speak.

But don't worry, my children's work is still being written, and I seems that I can write both at the same time. It must be that they are so vastly different that you couldn't possibly get the two mixed up.

I'm off now to do some more writing. Don't forget to check out the links down the side of this blog. There are some very talented writers there. I've just added Mark Clementson. Click here to check him out - sorry his site: http://markclementson.co.uk/default.aspx

Must dash.