Thursday, April 22, 2010

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

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

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.

6 comments:

Traxy said...

It would be very interesting to go to one of those, but I'm doing contract work for the next few months so can't really take time off. Could perhaps go to the RNA thing next year instead, and meanwhile, work on my novel while making use of your fab 12 point guide! :)

Jo Scapens said...

I had just decided I wasn't going to the RNA conference, then you say you're going to do a workshop on Conflict - now I'm in a real quandary!:)
Jo Scapens.

Rachael said...

You'll see me in the conflict workshop, Kate. It will keep me going until Fishguard.
Jo, you have to come now!

Kate Walker said...

Hi Traxy

If you do come to any workshops please come and say hello and introduce yourself. There will be more coming up - just watch the Events page

And thank you for the comments on 12 Point Guide!
Kate

Kate Walker said...

Jo - if you can't make the RNA then the Conflict workshop will definitely form part of the Fishguard weekend in 2011. And we will hopefully be able to look at it in as much detail as people can manange

And if you have some Conflict related questions then please send them on - I'll use them to think of the RNA workshop and the Fishguard one - and maybe have a Conflict Q&A on the blog if there's enough interest,.

Hope to see you soon - one place or another!

Kate

Kate Walker said...

Hi Rachael - I'm glad that at least one of my 'stalkers' will be there. Looking forward to seeing you again
And like Jo if you have some questions on Conflict please let me know so I can try to answer them either there or in Fishguard - or on the blog

Kate

 

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