Pity I had done quite a bit of writing and I was so looking forward to sharing it with you all.
The course on Tuesday evening went well (although when we arrived at reception we were told that the course had been moved to Wednesday nights). That did send the four of us, present on Tuesday, in a bit of a panic (Margaret, Ben, Richard and I). Fortunately Lynne Bryan, the tutor wasn't told either, so they eventually found us a room (no room was booked for 11th September) and the course went ahead, thank goodness!!
My feeling and, it is only my feeling, is that the course is quite a big step up from last year's. Ben has already got a whole first draft of his novel and Richard, the other new person has his plot outline and a few scenes written, which is kind of where I am.
Lynne, the tutor will be far more hands-on and will request far more work from us, I think, compared to last year.
She is used to mentoring writers and script writers, who have already done a fair bit of their work. She is very nice and funny but probably might be less gentle with us than lovely Gary was. I must admit that it is what I was after and if, by the end of the course, I could arrive to a first draft of my masterpiece, then I will be a happy customer!!!!
On the night itself, we did a few exercises mainly interviewed each other in pairs then we introduced the person we had interviewed to the group. We also told Lynne what we expected from the course and she told us what she was expecting the course to be about. She is really going to try to work with each other and our ‘masterpieces’, almost on an individual basis, which I think in fantastic. We also talked about all the things that stop people from writing and Lynne read to us how some famous writers wrote. Some in bed, some using always the same kind of notebooks, some using only fountain pens, etc.
Julie, if you are reading this, I know that you can't make Tuesdays, but I think you would have liked it.
Message for HILARY and PETER: HOMEWORK for next Tuesday:
Lynne asked us to put it on the blog for you, as we discussed what experience/what courses we did before. And she knows some of us have done Gary’s course.
Margaret please do feel free to edit this part if you understood the homework a bit differently!
1) Write the summary of your novel (maximum: 1 side of A4).
A few pointers to help us:
Try to reveal the ‘heart’ of your plot.
Try to convey what kind of genre it is.
Give names of writers who write the same kind of things as you are writing.
What is your book about?
Maybe condense the plot to its essence.
2) Write the first sentence of your novel.
I will see some of you next Tuesday at Wensum Lodge and the others on Thursday in 2 weeks time, I guess.
Caroline
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