HERE COMES THE SUN

I’ve just seen the sun! Honest. Big round firey thing in the sky.

I’ve been catching up on eight months of paperwork this week and last, after the in tray collapsed from the strain. I really need a PA. I can’t make a joke about PAs in case I advertise the job next year and ‘dressing like a PA in a Benny Hill sketch’ is brought up in the interview. And that’s just the dress code for the blokes. Ack… I can’t say that either.

Anywho…

After mentioning doing some workshops last year, I’ve had a few comments on here and email. And not all of them said, ‘What do you know about how to get published, Wheatman?’ so I think it may be worth doing. As I said, something practical and useful is always a plus when you are sat in a workshop. I’ve been on plenty of writing workshops, business seminars, how to waste your time functions, etc myself and know what it’s like to be on an uncomfortable chair for a few hours wishing the person at the front would say something worthwhile and in a less patronising manner. Come to think of it, I’ve been on two-year courses like that.

A while back, me n Paul (ex-Tontoer) ran Creative Writing courses that lasted a week and we crammed as much as we possibly could into it. In my unbiased opinion, the course was brilliant. We covered all we could in the writing of novels and short stories, but that’s where the hurdle is. It’s impossible to cram it all into a week, but we couldn’t make it any longer. Many had been on writing courses in the past and hopefully found our approach a bit different and refreshing. A few other things I spotted - writers enjoy talking to other writers about writing… this is where you do all the comparing and learning from successes and failures, sharing ideas, getting practical advice from someone who has successfully pitched and had books published (me) and who publishes and knows how to spot good approaches, manuscripts and is honest about the business.

The ‘industry’ is made up of writing and publishing – the artistic and business sides. More than ever, writers need to be aware of the business of writing. It’s the stuff they don’t teach you on a MA or the stuff that’s probably in the ‘how to’ books we all collect and never get round to reading.

I’d look to cover writing on a Saturday and business on a Sunday.

Writing: Not cramming a two-year course into a day, but looking at the main reasons behind ‘the rejection letter’. Character, plot and dialogue are my three main grumpy old publisher gripes and a great area of discussion. From there, I’d look to bring in an author or two to talk about their experiences in writing and publishing. I’m sure that this would then cross over into day two…

Publishing: The business of writing, the stuff you need to know as a writer but every publisher will never tell you because it’s a secret. And you’re a writer – no one tells writers anything. Firstly, getting your approach right is the way to get your foot in the door. From there, you move past the rejection pile and into publication… and into unknown territory for many. You need to know about agents, contracts, sales, advances, royalties, promotion, interviews and practicing your autograph before you can retire to your private island.

I’d also be looking to keep costs down because I’ve spent way too much money on courses only to come away from them with a snazzy folder to rip the contents from and use for my own work and a nice branded pen to remind me of my day of torture.