Retreat – Della Galton.

Holidays for Writers – are they worth it?

Written by Della Galton on August 22, 2015. Posted in Inspiration, Retreat, Writing, Writing conferences & schools. 4 Comments

I’ve recently been lucky enough to spend time at two well known writers’ Summer Schools. The Writers’ Holiday at Fishguard (Pembrokeshire) and Swanwick the Writers’ Summer School (Derbyshire).

So what can you do at a writers’ holiday? Apart from network and enjoy yourselves a lot, that is!

Here’s a selection of the 2015 courses provided at each.

Novel Writing
Manifesting your goals – writing goals – naturally!
Writing for Children
Poetry
Short Stories
Script writing
Painting – discover the artist in you.
Writing historical fiction
Writing contemporary women’s fiction
Writing for magazines
Meditation

The speakers are impressive too. Experts in their fields, they range from authors to agents and publishers to magazine editors. Check out their websites for next years selection.

Oh and then there’s the entertainment. The last night pantomime at Swanwick. The Cwmbach male voice choir at Fishguard. All unmissable entertainment.

What’s the food like? Well, Swanwick has a reputation for school dinner food but I thought this year’s was pretty good actually. Fishguard isn’t bad either. Waitress service, choice of menu. Huge breakfasts. Fantastic. But then maybe it’s just the company of other writers – you never know who you are sitting next to? That little old lady at breakfast who turns out to be the author of 40 plus novels or the woman who’s the world expert in chimney sweeps! Who needs food!

The accommodation is good at both but you won’t be spending much time in your room. There is far too much going on and you won’t want to miss a thing.

Both holidays are superb value. Fully inclusive for a week and around £500.

Will you come away inspired and buzzing and fired up to get on with the lonely business of writing. Well, I always do. Both courses have Facebook and Twitter pages. Check out their websites on the links above. So you can keep in contact all year long. I highly recommend both ‘holidays’.

Fishguard is more intimate – around 50 delegates and they have a weekend in February as well as a week in July. Swanwick has around 200 delegates and has activities going on from dawn – meditation on the lawn – till dusk – late night discos and writing sessions.

Fishguard is set on the beautiful Pembrokeshire coastline. Great for walking if you want to clear your head between courses.

Partners are welcome at both. Some pix below to give you a flavour of both but please do check out their websites.

My next Saturday course in Bournemouth by the way is Create Off The Page Characters. This is workshop based and suitable for beginners or experienced writers. And will be useful for you whether you write short stories or novels. Should be great fun. Small group guaranteed. Very relaxed environment. Constructive feedback.

Date: Saturday 17th October – 10 till 4.00
Venue: Kinson Community Centre, Millhams Road, Pelhams Park, Bournemout BH10 7LH
Cost: £45

Please email me via this website if you’d like to book or find out more details of my Bournemouth course.

I’m also teaching at the Royal Agricultural University in Cirencester, 8th to 10th April 2016 and in Alicante on 13th June 2016 for a few days. Email me for details of these if you’d like more info. I also teach at Woman’s Weekly offices in London. Please see their website for details. I’m also at NAWG this year 4th to 6th September and Woman’s Weekly Manchester Live 10th to 12th September. Phew, no wonder I feel a tad tired! I wore myself out just writing that!

Della guitar — me having a guitar moment by the lake at Swanwick with the lovely Helen Ellwood

Me teaching at Kinson — Me teaching in Bournemouth.

Short Story Writing Courses

Written by Della Galton on April 1, 2015. Posted in News, Retreat, Wednesday Writing Spot, Writing. 1 Comment

Just a couple of forthcoming courses to tell you about today.

10^th – 12^th April 2015

‘Write a Short Story in a Weekend’ at the Royal Agricultural University – Cirencester (above)

A step by step guide to writing a short story in beautiful surroundings with expert tuition – well with me anyway! I’ve sold one or two short stories!

£240 all inclusive fee

e-mail loisbm@outlook.com or me via this website for more details or check www.malagaworkshops.co.uk

6^th June 2015 – 10 – 4.00

How to Write and Sell Short Stories (with me again) at Kinson Community Centre, Pelhams Park, Milhams Road, Kinson, Bournemouth.

This course will focus on what a short story is and how you can sell it. We will look at existing short story markets (including magazines) and up to date information on what those markets require. We will also be looking at other paying short story markets (including podcasts) and what they require. Advice will be given on house style and how to find ideas to suit your intended market. Courses are run on an informal lecture/discussion group basis. £45.00

The Dunford Novelists’ Conference

Written by Della Galton on December 14, 2012. Posted in Retreat, Writing, Writing conferences & schools. 2 Comments

Gosh, it’s ages since I wrote a blog, and I have been meaning to tell you about the Dunford Novelists for a while.

This is my all time favourite writing conference. Two reasons: one, it’s at the end of January – and looking forward to it livens up that flat ‘after Christmas’ feeling no end – and two, it’s a working writer’s conference. Moi? workaholic? Well, of course!

I was first introduced to Dunford about 12 or so years ago. It runs from Friday tea time to Sunday just after lunch and it’s one of the most intensive things I’ve ever done. Basically it’s all about getting the first chapter – and indeed the first page – of your novel as spectacular as possible. Because if you don’t do this, the rest of it might never be read.

You take along your first chapter – four copies of it to be precise – and throughout the weekend you get written feedback from the other delegates, a mix of published and yet to be published novelists. You also read your first chapter aloud to your group (6 people) and get comprehensive verbal feedback. You also read your first page aloud to the entire assembly (36 people) and get verbal feedback.

It’s scary. Very, very scary. But it doesn’t half focus your attention on your first chapter. And your first page. I love it, love it, love it!

Dunford is chaired by best selling novelist, Catherine King.

It is however, invitation only, but I happen to know that there are one or two places left for this year’s conference because of last minute cancellations.

It costs £201 for the weekend, and is in Bournemouth on 25-27 January.

If you fancy subjecting your first chapter to intense scrutiny and having a rather fine time socialising too, then get in touch with me and I’ll see if I can wrangle you an invite 🙂

It’s invitation only,

Writing Retreat – Day Five

Written by Della Galton on December 1, 2011. Posted in Retreat, Writing, Writing conferences & schools. 5 Comments

Thursday 1^st December

Hell, it’s my last day and I haven’t done anywhere near as much as I planned. Get up at crack of dawn. Open laptop. Write and write and write. Finish Chapter Three. Edit late chapters. End with total word count of 7,000 words. But more importantly, feel that my novel has legs. Am beginning to fall in love with the characters and story. Think I will carry on with this when I get home, which is one of the things I wanted to establish. One of the reasons I came away.

Things I learned

If you can possibly bear it, don’t have internet access. (wish I hadn’t succumbed)

Writing first pages (stream of consciousness writing) in the morning does work. (will continue to do this)

Don’t take anything else to do. It’s just another excuse to get distracted. (wish I hadn’t taken competitions)

Don’t think you have loads of time. If you usually work to deadlines – as I do – then set some. Interesting how on the last morning I wrote loads.

Take chocolate. (you might think you won’t want any – but you will and it’ll save a lot of time going out to get it 😉 )

Would I do it again? Definitely!

Writing Retreat – Day Four

Written by Della Galton on November 30, 2011. Posted in Retreat, Writing. 2 Comments

Wednesday 30 November

Must do some more writing. Back to Chapter Two. Delete lots of what I wrote. Force myself not to edit later chapter in novel. Finally get going on chapter Two, even though I delete more words.

Wed afternoon/eve

Haven’t even read the three competitions I brought with me to judge. Must, must do that. They all have deadlines. Spend entire afternoon and evening reading them and making notes. Have the shortlist of 6 in the one I am judging for Wimborne Literary Festival. (This is flash fiction so not too long). Great entries. Hard to decide.

Have the shortlist of 11 in another and the shortlist of 7 in another. Make decisions on these two, but not the Flash Fiction. Must agree to judge fewer competitions. They are a wonderful displacement activity. Like blogging!

Writing Retreat – Day Three

Written by Della Galton on November 30, 2011. Posted in Retreat, Writing. 2 Comments

Tuesday 29 November

Beautiful day. Take Maggie for long walk. Get back at 10.00. Leisurely breakfast.

Maggie enjoying herself anyway — Maggie's enjoying herself anyway!

Must get serious about this. Sit and drink morning coffee on window seat watching view. Decide it will be good plan to do some stream of consciousness writing to get going. On notebook I have brought with me. Start writing. Was going to reproduce it here, but too embarrassed 😉

Nice to do stream of consciousness writing. Decide I am warmed up enough to return to novel. Continue with Chapter Two.

Struggle. It isn’t blinking working. Maybe I should change viewpoint. Decide not to. Struggle some more. Check emails. Tell Maggie it is not working. Decide I’m lonely. Ring up friends. Have long chat. Feel better. Go back to novel. Chapter Two – still not working.

Have brainwave. I will write a chapter that is further on in the novel that I fancy writing. I don’t usually do this as it’s hard to catch up. But I am keen. So I do it. Works wonderfully. Fantastic, I now have a chapter that may or may not be in novel. But at least I have a word count 3500 words. Yippee.

Tue Eve

Watch a bit of My Transsexual Summer, channel four. No I am not a transsexual and nor is anyone I know (as far as I know) but I find this programme absolutely fascinating and have been watching the series. I think because they’re so courageous – how hard it must be to be shut out and shunned by your families just because you were born the wrong sex. They have my utmost admiration. I like brave people.

Writing Retreat – Day Two

Written by Della Galton on November 29, 2011. Posted in Retreat, Writing. 2 Comments

Monday 28 November

Slept wonderfully well. Walked Maggie across the fields – there is a footpath a few hundred yards away. We both get extremely wet. Returned to cottage to dry off.

Read back through first chapter. Not bad. Will need fleshing out, but I like it. Phew.

Check internet. Get embroiled in emails – good time to catch up on emails as I don’t have anything else to do! After half an hour, remember I am supposed to be writing a novel. Go back to novel, read first chapter again. Still like it. Begin to edit chapter, increase word count to 1800 words Hurrah. I knew this was a fantastic idea. Have brief self congratulatory moment about what a wonderful idea this was.

Write the words Chapter Two. Underline and centre.

Chapter Two

I am on Chapter Two already. How good that feels.

Write first paragraph of Chapter Two. Check emails again. Maybe I should tweet about this. Yes, that’s a good idea. I was going to tell my Twitter friends. Also, just remembered I have urgent email to answer from good friends who is having problems with an ill husband Must, must check she is OK.

Go back to novel. Delete first paragraph of Chapter Two.

Have lunch.

Restart Chapter Two. Am rubbish at writing in the afternoon. It feels like wading through toffee sauce. Toffee Sauce, yum, decide I need something sweet to sustain me. Didn’t bring any chocolate. Go on chocolate-buying expedition. Come back, check emails. Have nap.

Wake up feeling guilty. Must write novel, must write novel.

Word count for the day 400. Hmmm!

Writing Retreat

Written by Della Galton on November 27, 2011. Posted in Retreat, Writing. 10 Comments

Hello. This is my first ever blog. And I thought I’d kick it off with another first in my life – my first ever solitary writing retreat.

Five days of uninterrupted writing in a cottage in Devon – alone. Just me and my dog, Maggie, the mud monster. Bliss, right? I thought so too. Read on to hear how it went.

Sunday 27 November, 2011

2.00 pm. Arrived, laden with laptop, note book, clothes (scruffy but one nice top in case I went out to pub), supplies (basic food that wouldn’t take long to cook and big jar of coffee) one dog (Maggie), one dog basket, books to read (in case I got fed up of writing), three competitions to judge (in case I got fed up of writing).

Discovered owners had left a bottle of wine to welcome me. How lovely. Discovered cottage had amazing view across a valley with a window seat so I could sit and dream. A log burner, a well equipped kitchen, central heating, internet access. I was going to do without the internet access, I promise, I was, I was.

But as I was about to start a brand new novel – I thought I might need it for research. Yeah right!

3.00 pm.

Plugged in laptop – wrote first line of my novel. Scary stuff. I was slightly worried it wouldn’t work. I’d had this novel swimming in my head for a few months. Had not yet committed a single line to paper. Very very Scary.

Evening.

Have written first chapter – not a very long chapter, mind, (1600 words) but I like it. I think! The acid test is tomorrow when I read back.

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