Yesterday, I got to mix with a wide range of writers from all stages of their career, and hear some fantastic speakers talking about the publishing industry, and how to get published. It was hosted by the Writer's & Artist's Yearbook in conjunction with Literature Works. What made this even better was it was on my dootstep. I didn't have to venture up to London or Birmingham or Manchester... or even Bristol, which is still two hours away and difficult to organise. No, this event was a 30 minute bus ride into the town I spend a lot of time in anyway. It was a long day, but the speakers were so engaging, and the questions from the audience so interesting, I didn't really notice. The glass of wine at the end was very welcome. Here are a few interesting points from the day:
Thank you to everyone who made How to Get Published happen. It was really great that you chose Plymouth as the venue for your first outside-London. If you come back, or indeed if you find other venues around the country, I can guarantee they'll be very much appreciated. Due to an oversight at work (I forgot to take annual leave for most of the year - whoops!) I have most of March off - I will be working approximately two days a week! As a happy coincidence, I have just completed a new draft of an old story, which now needs editing and a better ending. It's currently a perfect novella length, but I'd love to see if I can boost it to novel length. And what better time to do it than when I actually have plenty of time to do it! I'll also have time to meet friends for lunch and coffee, and check out the real locations I've used in the story to make sure I've got them accurate. In short, this is going to be a good month. Yesterday, I walked up to Plymouth Hoe, to do some research for my current book. It's amazing how much you forget about a place - even one that you love so much - when you're trying to recall specific details about it. I ate my lunch on a bench, and then those black clouds let loose their hail, and I had to run for cover. |