Group hug...

Sometimes you just need a group hug. By which I mean time in the company of other writers to remind yourself that the very strange way we tend to think and behave is OK after all.

Voices in your head? Feel as if your characters are real people? Honestly….don’t worry about it.

Writing is by its nature quite a solitary life so I am very lucky just now as I’m touring Devon libraries with my short story workshop which means I get to regularly meet a wide range of other writers of varying experience. It’s the most fabulous lottery and because each group is inevitably so very different, I find the sessions fun and interesting in different ways.  

My students have been very kind with their feedback ( thank you; thank you) but I should add that I always feel I learn something myself at these sessions and inevitably drive home beaming.

  My latest group  was at the beautifully-refurbished Exeter library and I’m pictured here with just a few of the writers after a quick coffee break. A mix of ages is always good for these sessions and it was lovely this time to have a young and enthusiastic  Italian writer with us to shine a different light on some of the exercises and ideas. Thanks Beni!

  Next week I’m off to North Devon again.  It is all excellent distraction from the fact that my MS is now on submission. The truth? I am so nervous that I am actually trying not to think about that. What do you mean editors will be reading it ? Don’t. Be. Silly…

 

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