AUTHOR'S CORNER:

DO WORKSHOPS WORK?

So I finally take the plunge and brave it up and book myself into a writers' workshop!  BIG STEP FOLKS; 

because in a writers' workshop, there are 'real' publishers. and 'real' agents and 'real' editors!  As most writers would tell you (and I'm sure most of you are writers and therefore this is irrelevant) we are extremely shy, wilting, self-conscious people.  The idea of actually coming face to face with a fully fledged publisher or agent is terrifying!  You wonder if you would be taken seriously and worry that you have been perhaps deluding yourself into thinking  your work is actually good, when in fact you can't write at all!

WILL THEY LAUGH AT ME?  

WILL I MAKE A FOOL OF MYSELF? 

 WILL MY QUESTIONS SOUND SILLY OR PERHAPS PRESUMPTUOUS AND WILL THE MIGHTY PUBLISHERS JUDGE ME AND WORSE, REMEMBER WHO I AM?

HOW DOES ONE TALK TO THE MIGHTY PUBLISHER?

ALL these questions and many more have whizzed around in my mind as the workshop date approached, I was tempted to cancel on several occasions; thinking that I would only draw attention to myself and stick out like a sore thumb!  I am after all published, and yes whilst I do have a few questions I'd like to ask and learn about; what am I doing at a workshop?  And will everyone notice how in fact strangely odd I am?

I THINK I OUGHT TO STAY HOME AND HAVE MYSELF A CUP OF COFFEE!

Eventually I braved it and took myself off to Charring Cross where the workshop was being held.  I was pleasantly surprised by how relaxed the workshop was; there was no snooty behaviour and the publishers, editors and agents where some of the nicest people I have met!  

OH HOW WRONG A GIRL CAN BE!

Further more, my fellow writers, were actually human like me!  They were not super intellectual, ultra prim, wisdom drenched beings; instead they were quirky, funny, delightful and came in all different shapes and sizes!  And best of all, they were in fact, strangely a little odd!

I have gained brilliant, valuable pointers from the panel who were running the workshop, all my questions were answered kindly and respectfully and I have to say I feel so much more confident and have more of a direction of where I am going with my writing!

There was a panel consisting of a publisher, an agent, a writer and two editors who sat at the front and talked us through four sections, we had a general writing discussion and were then able to ask questions and discuss certain things that we wanted clarifying.  The second section was looking at submissions in depth, which was of immense help, because as we all know, most writers fail on this point and no matter how good your work is, it is your approach that actually counts.  The third section was about what agents and publishers are looking for, again something that most writers have no clue about.  And finally we looked at how to successfully market your work, from this particular section, I took away the  most, as this area to me was like trying to play tennis in the dark!  After this workshop experience, I am happy to say that I will certainly be attending more workshops, no matter how many books I've got published!

In addition to this, I have made a few friends who are 'Like me' (hey, it can be lonely being a writer) and had lots of fun on the day. 

AT THE VERY LEAST - IT WAS A GOOD DAY OUT!  AT BEST - A VALUABLE WATERING HOLE FOR THE WRITER!

So next time any of you budding writers are wondering whether or not to go out into the wilderness of the writing world....

TAKE A DEEP BREATH, AND BOOK THE EVENT!  YOU MIGHT DISCOVER THAT YOU ARE

NOT ALONE!