summer day writing courses

For many years I offered a 'summer school' each July: five days of varied and inspiring ways in to writing. Then I burnt out – the perpetual cycle of a lot of energy output for minimal relative income coupled with family health issues. Still, the summer comes around and the Ghost of Summers Past hovers at the edges of my creative thinking, and I give in because actually I really love doing these courses.

So, if you live close enough, and feel you'd like a shot of inspiration this month, may I tempt you perhaps to come and join us in the lush green depths of the Devon countryside on either or both of two writing days? If you succumb, you can email me via my profile. I'd love to see you.

*

I need bookings by 16th July – please email me as above and for more details.

Writing From Life
Saturday July 23rd, 10 – 4, £40. Near Totnes, Devon (details on booking). Bring vegetarian lunch to share.
For several years I ran this course as a weekend residential. I've heard so many moving and inspiring and funny and sad stories. There's something very profound about sharing the story of our life; and in the doing we can also remake ourselves: story is a way of healing. This one-day workshop will ask you to choose a theme and an incident from your life, and as the story unfolds it may reflect back to you a deeper truth about your life, as well as offering a starting point for fiction, if you wish. Bookings in advance with cheque to address as above please.

***

Dusting off that Novel
Sunday July 24th, 10 - 5, £45. Near Totnes, Devon. Bring vegetarian lunch to share.
This day is intended to be a trouble-shooting and morale-boosting day for those novelists and aspiring novelists who feel themselves in need of extra stimulus and tutor and peer support to remember why on earth they thought this was a good idea. If there seems to be demand, I am also offering a work-in-progress session into the evening where there will be feedback on individual synopses/plot outlines. This extra session will be an additional £15 plus £5 for a bowl of soup and some bread. There are B&Bs a couple of miles away for anyone needing that. Bookings as above.

Tea & coffee provided.

You can attend BOTH COURSES for £75 (plus evening extra as above).

***

Failing this, maybe your summer reading might include my novel, Imago, or ‘proem’ collection, Bardo?
 
I’ll be offering a regular weekly poetry session for the Poetry School in Exeter (Mondays from September). I will also be leading a one-day poetry workshop here, and probably a weekend: 'Zen and the Art of Poetry'.