Back from Weetwood Hall

I came back from Weetwood Hall yesterday afternoon, completely exhausted.

I was teaching a short story course and it was full on from 3pm Friday to Sunday lunchtime.

I’d been, to put it mildly, a bit nervous. I’ve run workshops and classes before, but never for a whole weekend,  and never on my own. It was quite a responsibility knowing that people had paid good money to hear what I had to say.

As it turned out, it was a good course, maybe even better than good (but you’d have to ask the people who went along about that!). They were such a lovely bunch of people of varying levels of experience, talent and confidence but they were all willing to work hard and take part and that’s the crucial thing.

The accommodation was very good, the food too, although a couple of people did find it a bit rich. There was an awful lot of it too, but I’m not complaining about that.

I’m down for another course in March at the same venue where I’ll be looking at ideas, not only how to come up with them, but also what to do with them once you have them (for details contact Lois via www.malagaworkshops.co.uk)

As soon as I’d unpacked, I turned into a couch potato, catching up on Strictly and other must–see TV. I also checked emails  and found that I’d sold a story to Fiction Feast which is always cause for celebration.

No word about Exeter though. I called the estate agent this morning and he confirmed that contracts have not been exchanged. I asked him to get on to the buyer and find out what’s going on as I really need this to come to an end. I really hate being tied to Exeter and wil be so relived once the house is finally sold and no longer my repsonsibility. I’m also not happy that the house is standing empty with winter approaching.

Another fifty entries for the NAWG comp arrived in the post plus a bag from the Writers Bureau with three assignments for me to mark. I have a total, so far, of 82 entries that need feedback so it looks like I’m going to be rather busy for a while.

THe weekend's on its way.

Having sorted out everything for the weekend’s course, I’ve been working on more new stories. They’re taking shape slowly. I’m hoping if I can get them both typed, my subconscious can work on them over the weekend so that they’re ready to be beaten into shape next week.

I’m hoping to come back from the weekend with some more stories to work on. I’ve set quite a few writing exercises so I might as well work on them too.

Yesterday, I sent my first new story to Fiction Feast since February. I also worked on two old stories to send to The People’s Friend.

I also moved the sofa from the conservatory to the living room which means I can watch

I haven’t seen much of John this week. He bought another car which broke down the next day. He can’t use the old one as it’s in bits on my drive.

As the weekend approaches, I’m feeling a bit stressed, to put it mildly. My courses and workshops have always gone down well but I still fret about them. I like to know that I’m giving good value for money and sometimes that makes me try too hard. I can’t squeeze everything into one weekend so there’s no point trying. There, that’s told me. Now all I have to do is take notice.

Almost ready for the weekend

I’ve been working on the course all day. It’s almost done now, just the last session to think about. I’ll leave that til tomorrow. Tonight I’m going to the WI! OK, it’s not exciting but I really need to meet some more people. I’m getting fed up with long dark evenings watch TV and it’s only November. As expected, the couple who came to see the house on Saturday aren’t interested – the garden put them off. 

Zero interest on match.com either. I know I'm no raving beauty, but.....

What to leave out,that's the problem.

I’ve been working on this weekend’s short story course and getting into a tizzy.

 It’s always so hard to decide what to leave out! I’ve covered every inch of surface space with paper. I think it’s probably best to stop for now and come back to it tomorrow.

I had a call from the estate agent in Exeter who says contracts should be exchanged this week with completion next week. I’m going to wait before putting the champagne on ice!

I’m starting to wonder if NOT moving might be a good idea as the market seems to be rather flat. Also, a TO LET sign has gone up in the house next to the one I was hoping to buy. I’ve lived in rented property myself, and know plenty of other people who rent property (I wouldn’t mind living next to any of them) but it still feels a bit dodgy, especially as I have no idea what kind of landlord the owner will be. I also wonder whether that would affect the value of the house next door, i.e. mine!

As I can’t do anything until Exeter completes, that gives me some time to think.

I’m expecting a man to call any minute. He left a survey with me, and a monitor to track my movements over the last ten days. I had to take the monitor with me. I haven’t been out much so I’m not sure what it will be able to tell them.

I ALWAYS do surveys when somebody comes to the door.. A – I like the company, B – I like to think that they would let me in if it was ME calling on them. It must be a horrible job, especially when the weather’s dodgy.

Once he’s gone, I might just tinker with my cat story. At least then I’ll feel I’ve done something positive.

WARNING! ADVERT CONTAINED IN THIS POST!

 I didn’t turn the computer on yesterday (I can tweet using my iPod). The dogs left at ten which gave me two hours to clean up. It’s amazing how many hairs they manage to shed and where they get to not to mention the paw prints on the laminate flooring.  

The couple seemed to like the house but they found the garden daunting. They want to start gardening and if they buy my house it would be like jumping into the deep end.

The man didn’t seem keen on my hedges (neither am I). I have somebody else coming at 1.30 today.

Exeter still hasn’t completed which is starting to annoy me. I so want to cut that link.

After the viewing yesterday I started reading the NAWG short story competition entries. I’ve already found a few good ones so that’s promising although nothing’s actually jumped out at me yet. Sometimes a story takes a second read to grow on me.

This morning, I’m preparing feedback on stories sent to me by the people who have signed up for next weekend’s course at Weetwood Hall in Leeds. My plan is to give them written feedback when they arrive so that any queries can be dealt with during the course.

Now for an advertisement. I hate doing this, but my books won’t sell themselves, so as they say on Miranda, bear with, bear with.

For any friend who’s into writing, why not buy my Writers Treasury of Ideas? It will help them to come up with all the plots they wil ever need. It’s also great for groups as ther are exercises and themes to work to.

For all your other friends, especially those difficult ones you have no idea what to buy, how about HOW TO MAKE £10 IN TEN MINUTES. It’s all about producing readers’ letter, silly anecdotes and so on that magazines will either pay for or give prizes. You don’t need to be able to write as magazines often change things round. Anyone can do it. Just think how pleased your favourite uncle, least favourite cousin, best friend or work colleague will be when the present you gave them wins them a cheque for £25 or a case of wine.

Both books are available from my web site (www.akacatherinehoward.weebly.com) or on Kindle.

Right, that’s out of the way.

Now I’d better get back to work.

Dogs, houses and Valentine's stories

Last night, when I went to bed, I had to let the dogs into the garden. It was chucking it down. Woody would not go out. In the end I had to pick him up and put him outside the door where he did what he had to do, looking so forlorn it was comical. Snoopy on the other hand, just bounded out into the rain and came back dripping.

They could hardly be more different. Woody, the tiny dachshund has a bark like a big dog, and Snoopy the Labrador doesn’t bark at all. Woody’s not scared of anything, and will have a go at other dogs if he can get hear them. Snoopy is scared of the vacuum cleaner. 

They're devoted to ech other too which is odd seeing as Woody will any other dog he meets. 

There’s not much happening on the buying and selling front. I have another viewing for this house on Sunday, so that’s this weekend. It’s not as many as I’d hoped but I only need one.

Writing–wise, I’ve been editing a Valentine’s story. I would have liked to have let it stew a bit longer but February’s getting a bit too close, so I worked on it today. I couldn’t decide between two endings so in the end I wrote them both and sent them to Woman’s Weekly.  I’ve also had what I think is a great idea for a Fiction Feast story but I probably won’t have time to write it until after Weetwood Hall (I’m teaching a short story course. There’s another one scheduled for March, about ways to come up with ideas. Get in touch for details).

Back to the dogs. Their owner was meant to call when they got back but I haven’t heard. I just tried to call them but ther was no reply and the machine was fill of messages. It looks like Woody and Snoopy may still be here when the first couple come to view the house.

I  hope they like dogs!

Morning writing

I decided to try an experiment today – not turning ht computer on until after I’d done some  writing. This morning, I sat on the sofa in the conservatory, both dogs by my side and managed to draft two stories. One is based around Valentine’s Day and the other about April 1^st.

As it’s November already, I’m going to type up the Valentine one soon so I can send it off fairly sharpish. That’s if Woody will let me type. He does everything he can to stop me,  including walking on the keyboard.

As Woody and Snoopy leave on Saturday, I’m going to make the most of it so I won’t be able to do too much work but it does seem that I’m back in the groove  ( at last).  I might even start entering Writers News comps again. Daft not to really, as they’re free to enter. Who knows, I might even try a poem….