I am feeling fragile today. It’s completely self-induced, do not pity me. We had friends round last night, I went to bed at 2.30am and I have a hangover. Yuck.
It’s such a waste of a lovely Sunday (and what was supposed to be a writing day and a going-swimming day!). I am annoyed with myself. Never again.
Until the next time.
I was out late last Saturday night too but this did, at least, have a link to writing.
I ventured into Birmingham to meet up with four other mentees from the Kate Nash #bookcamp scheme.
I’d never met any of them ‘IRL’ and they’d come from all over the UK to meet up for the weekend. Needless to say, we had a great time and didn’t stop talking all night.
The drive into Birmingham was less enjoyable, though, I must admit! I hadn’t driven there for at least 3 years and it had all changed! And I couldn’t park! Nightmare!
In the end, an angel-in-hi-vis – a parking attendant for one of the eateries – must have seen my panic-stricken face and took pity on me. He removed some cones to let me park across a bay, thereby blocking in a couple of cars. It would be alright, he said, they wouldn’t be moving until the morning.
So I dumped the car, thanked him and dashed across the busy Hagley Road, wondering a) whether the car would still be there when I returned at midnight and b) whether it would be rammed by irate boxed-in drivers (It was/wasn’t. Phew!).
Sending Your Work Out – Online Workshop
Some of my fellow mentees have novels out on submission (I can’t say who, of course but when they get their book deals I’ll be shouting it from the roof tops!).
As we know, it’s a long and scary business (a bit like driving in Birmingham: not for the faint-hearted). If you’re about to launch yourself into that process too, then this on-line workshop, Sending Your Work Out into the World run by novelist Beth Miller (a New Writing South event), might be of interest.
It’s on Friday 22nd October 4pm – 6pm and it’s a very reasonable £10 or £8, depending on your circumstances.
This is the blurb about it: “You’ve finished your novel, memoir or non-fiction proposal and polished it to within an inch of its life. Congratulations, that’s a huge achievement! Now it’s time to send it out into the publishing world to agents and editors. How can you ensure that your submission is as good as it possibly can be before you hit the send button? In this session Beth will cover just about everything you need to know: from researching agents and publishers, writing the dreaded synopsis, tricky query letter and perfect pitch, to handling the inevitable rejections. She’ll also talk a little on how to handle success when it comes your way.”
Where’s Bonnie?
Dementia Fiction
Here’s news of a free writing workshop (1st November, evening, 2.5 hours) and the opportunity to be mentored by an established writer and see your work published in an exciting new anthology of short stories which will explore the theme of dementia in a variety of different ways. There are 12 places available for UK/Ireland-based writers and you need to apply by 15th October. Details here.
National Poetry Day: 7th October
It’s National Poetry Day on Thursday and the theme this year is ‘choice’. Even if you’re a fiction/prose writer/reader rather than poetry, you might find inspiration on the website, which is bursting with competitions, events and, yes… poems!
Right, I have to go and find more aspirin… have a good week!
Blog About Writing 
Nevertheless, sending a little sympathy your way, Helen! You’ll make up the writing time, for sure. As an aside… I used to teach in Birmingham. Lovely folk, but it took two buses to get across town and I’m so glad I don’t have to do that sort of thing these days!
Thank you, Penny, for your sympathy! I worked in Birmingham for many years and driving in/around the place was no problem – even the dreaded Five Ways roundabout and all those tunnels – but there are lots of roadworks now and my SATNAV took me through places I’d never been before! Also, as a country bumpkin, I have to face facts that I find it difficult to drive in cities now! Yes, I can imagine you are quite happy not to do a two-bus journey every day!