SUMMARY: MY FESTIVAL OF WRITING EXPERIENCE

I attended the Festival back in September... seems like a lifetime ago now.  And I am finally about the complete my diary of the weekend.  Going through my notes has been useful, I did not realise how much I had taken in until I reviewed them.  I consider myself lucky to have been able to attend this weekend.  It was a real treat, I actually felt like a writer, like I belonged.  The fact I had self published interested many budding authors on the pursuit of an agent and a publishing contract.  It was funny to be asked for advice!

I have to admit that since February of this year I have been on the steepest learning curve of my life.  From learning how to format, create a cover, discovering the beauty of using Beta readers to help me edit my novels, self editing and downloading to Smashwords and then Amazon.  I learnt how to make my novels look as professional as possible.  I am sure they could do with some further editing, but then I have read many “traditionally” published novels that could have been edited extensively.  I am sure you can all name a few…

Anyway, I have posted a fair amount on this blog and I think some of the posts are very useful for all of you aspiring or already published authors.  As a teacher, I know we are always learning, moving forward, we never know it all.  These notes might help you find something you forgot or did not consider.  Enjoy, share and comment…

Thank you to The Writer Workshop for hosting the event,

Carry on reading, writing and reviewing,

Vanessa Wester J xx

Summary of the Main Posts:

Self Editing you Novel with Debi Alper (Part 1 &2) – Excellent

Jojo Moyes Key Address – Outstanding

Creating Tension with Claire McGowen – Superb (great advice)

Creating Character with Julie Cohen – Fantastic (helps you kick start a story)

Reimagining SFF: Fantasy & SciFi for the Modern Market with Lee Harris – Informative & enjoyable

Breaking the Rules by Sam Mills – A great alternative way to write