What's the solution to writer's block and writers' blocks? How do you move to what every writer wants, a blockbuster? June, July and August and busy months in the UK for writers and readers. Choose from the book festivals at Hay, and Edinburgh. Edinburgh Festival is full of stand up comedy paid for events performed in theatres, pass the hat 'free' events in rooms behind bars, and even on the street. My favourite performer was the guy who is apparently there every year; I arrive to the crowd and he rushed forward and addressed me, "Mother!" Apart from my look of horror and surprise, he has done this to several other people, so each time he has the audience in hysterics.
Books
Hay on Wye.
Edinburgh Book Festival.
London Jewish book week in London.
Writers
The summer season's highlights include
Writers in Winchester:
I've never been but I know people who have taught and those who gone as would be best sellers. Some of them are proud to have won prizes. Another won her first fiction book deal as a result and has written more.
Writers Holiday
at Fishguard in Wales (seaside hotel, fab food, still time to attend for just a day or more this week),
Facebook pages tell me that it's the birthday of poetry course leader, Alison Chisholm, this week. Also Writers Holiday is celebrating 30 years.
Fishguard Bay Hotel, Fishguard, Wales, overlooking the sea.
Venue for writing courses in spring, summer and autumn
www.writersholiday.net
Writer's Summer School
at the Hayes Conference Centre, in Swanwick, Derbyshire;
a real buzz and so many courses. Same format, at least two main courses, morning and afternoon, after tea, evening main speakers. Midweek outing by coach for a small fee and DIY group alternative activities.
swanwickwritersschool.org.uk
Storytellers
Storytelling courses: A friend of mine goes to several, says, weekends and whole weeks. Some of them are open microphone events on a sign up basis. Sometimes it's lucky dip names drawn from a hat. One recent event had an impromptu session when everybody had to tell story about a mouse. Strangely, everybody has a story about a mouse. If you are last on the list of a first some first served event there's the danger the a VIP will walk in and be allocated your slot.
One or two events are like American folk singing and song writing contests and get togethers, and Glastonbury, lots of happenings in tents and grand marquees. She says if you don't want to overnight in a tent, pick a nearby hotel or bed and breakfast place. She and her husband walk or catch the bus to the storytelling centre each day.
Speakers and Speaking Contests
Toastmasters International groups worldwide have their contests and visitors are welcome but you need to contact the president of each club and the directors of each area (see Find a club website) because dates and times and venues may change. For example, they need bigger premises than usual and may move meetings to the weekend.
Dinner Dramas and Networking
I went a day early to Fishguard. One of the jollier suggestions was that we could diet by using smaller plates at buffets, and plates of red of blue (the speaker could not remember which) helped a diet.
Over dinner another new friend told me an alarming real life story about her friend, an author, who escaped a husband; she stayed with friends before moving overseas. The ex-husband heard she'd stayed with the friends and burned their house down. Despite this awful story, we managed to spend a delightful evening telling all the dramas in our lives and those of friends and acquaintances.
Socialising and Stories
Humour all day from breakfast onwards. One lady in a lovely dress says that her pink dress will turn blue later in the week. For a moment we are all silent digesting this information. She dashes off to collect her mixed grill and we debate what she meant. I presume she has a second dress in blue which she will wear later in the week. Another person suggests maybe because it's so hot the wearer will wear the dress all week and her sweat will turn it blue.
When the wearer returns, suggest that she could wear the dress twice in one day, and we could all pretend that the dress has changed colour. To amuse or confuse other writers. She could tell an unsuspecting person that the local porridge makes your eyes go funny, so you see blue instead of pink. Then she could dash to the ladies and change into the other dress. (We must be drunk from last night because we are soon in hysterics over this plan.
Assorted suggestions for variations include the emperor's new clothes (based on the Hans Anderson short story) when one person comes to breakfast wearing nothing, whilst the rest of us pretend that she is beautifully dressed. The girl who suggests this does not volunteer to be the names writer at breakfast.
Authors' Highs and Lows
A top author is upset at being accused of plagiarism. A thriving author tell me how twitter has such an effect on her sales, that when she stops tweeting sales go down, so she pays somebody to keep her tweets going out when she is away at a writing course of on holiday. She reckons it's worth the money and effort to do the marketing, having spend so much time on historical research, the book cover design and more.
Over breakfast a poet tells me her stories of working as a carer for schizophrenics. I am curious as to how you know when to commit them and when they can stay in their homes for day care. Decisions have to be made about when a person needs one carer, or two to manage their condition and daily life. Are they safe to themselves, the carer, the public, or when sectioned, to fellow patients.
Apparently its damage to the front lobe which makes people aggressive. Aggressive people can be managed by distraction and activities as well as soothing and conversation. (And music.)
I mention that even apparently 100% coping and sane people can get aggressive when thwarted or their routine is disrupted. Many groups run by or for writers and other creatives, are run more successfully by the scientific and meticulous personality. The OCDC type starts and end the meeting on time. The creatives arriver half an hour late and turn up to a poetry reading with the first chapter of a novel. I confess to being a creative, struggling to be organised and actually keep to a deadline, write to a brief, or self-start with no commission.
Converting Your Life Story Into A Novel
My confidant tells me that she is well organised. She had trouble with a pharmacist who gave a catheter for a female to be delivered to a nurse in charge of a male patient. My friend pointed out that a catheter for a woman is a different size and will be painful for a man. On another occasion my friend challenged the pharmacist who had given the wrong pills to a man. The wrong hormones would have been fine for a woman, but would have made the man's breasts grow. When she pointed out that the pharmacist himself would not have liked the side effects, luckily he saw the funny side. He agreed to check that his young assistants always checked the prescription given by the doctor was correct for the ex of the person for whom it was prescribed.
She also had to cancel hospital appointments made for clients who were no longer alive. (I had a story about that from my late uncle who was sent eye tests.
Because of confidentiality, she would have to publish her memoirs as fiction. I envisage her writing her story as if the heroine, based on herself, is looking after a brother and sister. All the events which happened to different 'clients' are then attributed to this fictional and non-existent pair of siblings.
All the above was written before this year's writing holidays and the autumn speakers' contests. I think I shall have enough material for being either a humorous speaker or a contest chair person.
The Tailor and The Spy
Finally, I have the courage to mention to one of my friends my own forthcoming novels. I mention that the first will be called The Tailor and The Spy. Somebody says it might be too similar title to Tinker, Tailor, Soldier Spy. I don't think so. The titles are different. The plots are different. May book is set in 1880. Besides, a title cannot be copyrighted. The difference in author distinguishes it.
See
writersholiday.net
Angela Lansbury, travel writer, author, speaker.
Forthcoming books:
The Tailor and the Spy (supposedly copies are in the post to me)
The Tailor's Travels
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