Bag Lady

For some women bags are a 'thing'.  They cannot pass a shop or stall where there are bags.

"Oooooh that's nice."
"Wow look at this, isn't it fab"
"I know I have a lot of bags, but I really must buy this one"

These are some of the exclamations I hear when I shop with a certain someone.  I tag along behind her as she feels the material or leather.  She looks inside to see what extras are hidden from sight - a zip compartment, a phone holder, whether it is lined with nice material or just plain.  Considering what she will use it for is another lengthy process.

"I could take in on holiday"
"It would be perfect for such and such occasion"
"It matches my dress"
"I don't have one this size/colour/shape"

I have heard it all.  I am not particularly a 'bag lady'.  I'm very happy to use one bag for a very long time.  They take up space to store so if I don't use any bags I have they are sent to the charity shop or thrown out.  But then it happened to me.  Bag Love.  I fell hook, line and sinker for this beauty.

Never having bought a bag over £25 I crooned my love of this delight to my dearest saying he could keep it a few months and give it to me for Christmas.  And so it was a Santa Special.  I was like a child waiting for Christmas that year.

So it comes with me on my bookish outings - to Birmingham or Stoke on Trent when I attend Author & Blogger meetings; to book signing events or literary festivals and this year it went with me to Swanwick Writers Summer School. www.swanwickwritersschool.co.uk

There I met Jan Lloyd who had a dose of Bag Envy.  She admired it and touched it, looked inside, and marvelled at the matching purse too.  I promised her I would blog about it on return from Swanwick. So here it is Jan - just for you and all Bag Ladies who like owning quality handbags.

If you love dogs, cats, cafes, baking, books, bees etc. take a peak at the Yoshi website -  www.yoshi.co.uk.  There you will find similar bags, purses, card holders, glasses cases and pencil cases.  You wont be able to smell the soft leather, or feel the texture of the material inside, but you will be Wow'd by the designs and hopefully find your nearest stockist.

I acquired mine at Lichfield Cathedral Bookshop, Staffordshire but I feel sure that good quality department stores and gift/leather shops will stock them for you to peruse and handle before purchase.  It is handmade to a very high standard and is unique. Everyone speaks to me when I use it, admiring and asking where I got it.  It is my pride and joy to own.

Do contact me on Twitter @tweetsue13 to let me know if you enjoyed the blog and/or own/buy a bag.

Swanwick Writers Summer School 2019

Thursday morning:

This is the last day of courses, workshops etc.  Thoughts of packing in readiness for an after breakfast departure tomorrow morning already in my mind.  Then smiles cross my face as I remember the Page to Stage skits of last night.  Several writers had penned 5 minute plays that were directed and played by volunteers - drama and comedy sketches were all a delight to watch.

Today's menu for me is part 4 of 4 How to Write your First Novel by Della Galton then on a recommendation from the man I chatted with in the sunshine a few days ago, I will take the Non Fiction Books 2 part course led by Tarja Moles.  Later I have a 1-1 session booked with Bridget Holden where I will hear feedback of a piece of my novel and hopefully some helpful advice.  My tummy does a leap over at the thought of this meeting with the old, old script in my head of 'you're not good enough' telling me its 'rubbish'.  Go away negative voice!

 Graham Rayner has such a soothing voice and a fountain of knowledge to draw from.

Thursday afternoon:

Non-fiction writing workshops x 2 were extremely interesting.  Thankfully not many notes to write as all her very informative and interesting presentation notes were screened and will be available to download.  I now am more informed of where to start as and when I am ready to try this market too.  I have ideas but hadn't envisaged writing non-fiction until after I was an established novelist.  But.... perhaps I might.

My 1-1 with Bridget went well.  We climbed the stairs in the main house to a lounge that was quiet.  I had not been in this part of Swanwick before and it felt strange being just two people away from all the other delegates.  She had my work on her computer and highlighted areas to talk about.  Her comments were very helpful, confirming and encouraging.  I floated back down the stair assured I was on the right track.  My negative voice vanishes and positive voice is saying: You will be published.

Bridget Holden in the Main House upper Lounge

Next its Posh Frocks and Clean Socks for dinner when the men get out their bow ties or kilts or suits and ladies swish about in glamorous outfits (optional) followed by Awards evening, farewell entertainment and prize draws.  This usually includes our anthem which is led by John Lamont playing the guitar and singing his version of "I will walk 100 miles and I will walk 100 more" which is "I will write 100 words and I will write 100 more" it has us belly laughing and singing along to the chorus with gusto and sends us on our way with the song playing over in our minds for weeks afterwards.

For those of you reading this blog who have not experienced the place or the Summer School,  there are LOTS of other courses, workshops, entertainment etc that I have not mentioned or partaken of (you can read previous year blogs I have written by scrolling down my list and selecting).  I guess I should mention the CAKE - available at every tea break or biscuits and of course the BAR which is open twice a day.  Some bring their own drinks and before dinner this evening will be a Dregs Party - usually on the lawn if the weather holds out - where everyone brings their bottles and shares their left overs.  So you can see it will be a merry last night for those who imbibe.

I would also like to add that the Summer School accommodates a wide range of participants of all ages. I had the privilege of hearing one young woman, possibly in her 20s, sing a song called Atheist which was about her Grandma having suffered and died and the memories of moments and words spoken which have stayed with her and made her question about after-life.  Playing her guitar and vocalising this song was both touching and inspiring.  I later had chance to tell her she should be on Britian's Got Talent but what I meant to say was that she was excellent and could go far with her writing and singing.  Another young lady was brave enough to tell the tutor and delegates of a workshop we were attending of a devastating happening after winning a prize with a play she had written.  Thankfully it has not put her off her talent for writing and producing work to be staged.

I recommend this place, these courses, tutors and friends you haven't met yet who share your interest in learning to write and have walked the path to publishing before you or have had a successful career in some avenue of the writing world.  Look it up on www.swanwickwritersschool.org.uk.  The Hayes Conference Centre is disabled friendly and although Kay-Anne wasn't here this year other 'scooter' users whizzed about and had assistance with dinner plates to tables etc.  Whatever your circumstances or ability/agility you will find this place a writers delight.

Again please make any comments via Twitter @tweetsue13.

Swanwick Writers Summer School 2019

Wednesday

Having started to blog about my week I am feeling the pressure to keep it up.  Part of me wants to relax and write it up afterwards, and another part of me says 'do it now while its fresh'.  So the latter has won again and here I am fitting it in between the end of lunch and the beginning of the next exciting session.

Part 3 of 4 with Della Galton this morning was as enjoyable as ever.  We looked at Dialogue and colloquialisms ie. "Y'know what I mean"; "So.……" "Cool"; "Ace" etc.  I have a friend who uses "Sweetie" a lot - I love that and am surprised I haven't used it for one of my characters well used phrases because not only is it a nice term of endearment, but tells you the person saying it is actually a Sweetie type of person (not someone who likes sweets/candy but sweet natured).  A lot of people say "Erm…" before a sentence, "Like" is another well used word.

We discussed Dialogue, Dialect, use of Italics, Americanisms etc.  The time goes very quickly and my notebook is being well used.

The second morning workshop was Blogging for Authors by William Gallagher: a Dr Who writer; Journalist; Radio Times writer; has a BBC news blog; and is a scriptwriter for long running television programmes.

His first question was what do you call a gathering of writers and the reply from a quick witted delegate came back : A Volume of Writers.  Another suggested a Saga of Writers.  Perhaps you have another suggestion?

I sat next to a lady who blogs about her travels of which it sounds like she has really seen the world and, for the exercises set, we paired up and exchanged ideas. During the workshop I learnt how to combine my passions into my blogs and so you will be getting more from me than just book reviews.

As a result of a discussion on Comments I researched quickly in settings why 'comments' don't seem to be activated on my blogs and am wondering if commenters have to have a Google account in order to do so.  Perhaps other BlogSpot users will enlighten me?

Lots of questions and answers gave food for thought, inspiration and valuable insight into the benefits and pitfalls of blogging.

Yoga for Writers hour gave me some new exercises to try at home with my limitations not to bend like a flexi-card.

Being a Tree!  I need to work on my balance! (3rd from left front row)

The torrential rain of the day has now ceased and I'm off to dinner. Thank you for stopping by and taking a few minutes to see what I've been up to.  I hope you have found it interesting and comments can be posted to me @tweetsue13 on Twitter.

Swanwick Writers Summer School 2019

Tuesday

Free Time Day - yay!  Although there are PLENTY of things to do if you want to keep going to courses etc.  it is also billed as 9.30 - 5 pm JUST WRITE!  So I am doing just that, catching up with myself, blogging, reading, browsing the book room, being a bit anti-social to prevent being 'all peopled out' as I called it when I worked in a similar environment in Lancaster.

A messy bed in my room at The Hayes Conference Centre, Swanwick

I hope you are enjoying these blogs as I hope it will encourage other would-be writers and authors to give Swanwick some thought for another year because as one of the guests on the staged chat show last night said, "It's like coming home."  There is an atmosphere here that is hard to describe, its almost spiritual as we come together from all backgrounds and yet bond and interact without barriers of race, ability, education, gender etc.

I attended a one hour session before a salad lunch.  The Natural Storyteller workshop with Bridget Holding was full of correlations between the natural world of animals and nature and how we can use our in-built ways to enhance our writing.

I then sorted notes and papers into character piles and made a spreadsheet of the chapters, pages and scenes of what I have already written so that I can track where I am at a glance rather than re-read each time I start another chapter.

A break involved a car trip to Ripley just to get out and about.  I was looking for a park to sit in but actually went around the shops.  It is a small place and lots of bargain shops so I was able to get some plastic wallets and other bits to bring back to my room.  I can't believe how quickly the afternoon has gone and  walked around the lake and sat in the last of the warm sun before the evening gets cooler.

   

Swanwick Writers Summer School 2019

Monday Morning

Weariness keeps me in bed beyond the alarm this morning.  Tiredness is always my downfall on organised events keeping me away from things I'd like to do but which my body tells me 'now, now, you're not as young as you used to be' and I have learnt to listen to my natural rhymn rather than push on regardless then 'crash'.

So my first session was at 9.30 am and I was ready for part 2 of 4 with the lovely Della Galton, author of two of my favourite books (Ice and Slice & The Morning After) as well as short story writer for magazines.  We (about 50 delegates) looked at Characters - who are they, what are they like, where do they live etc.  We were given a Character Development Sheet with lots of questions to answer about our main character then to sum up in a sentence and read out aloud to the group if you wanted to.  This is mine and again I would value your opinion:

Sheila's life is cluttered to the max making her feel edgy

at home, bored at work and her dream far out of

reach.

I will do the exercise again when I get home and probably come up with something different but for now time is pressing.  Della gave us the idea to draw up a family tree as a helping aid to keep track of characters, which although I know in my head, it will be useful to see on paper, so another exercise to do at home sometime.

Also useful to me was the importance of your setting.  Naming your Town and County is ok but roads and names of pubs, cafes etc need to be fictitious names, so I was on track with that too.   Good to be affirmed in what I have done already. 

After a short coffee break the next session was session 1 of  2: Dream Author by Sophie Hannah.  Wow what an amazing woman and this course was SO right for me.  Sophie has a Coaching Programme and supports would be and already published authors.  She said stuff that I know about positive thinking but in a way that makes some of the things we think after rejections, disappointments etc seeming really daft.  Her examples of how to look at things from a different prospective were both funny and so true that I am sure everyone gained something.  She used the CTFAR Model which I will look up again at a later date.

I know you are interested in food so here's today's lunch delights - Chicken and Mushroom strogonoff with rice or pasta or chips with sweetcorn; there was a gluten free choice and salad or soup too.  Deserts were Blackberry fool; slices of watermelon and pineapple; strawberry ice cream and fruit salad.  I sat with a mother and daughter attending for the first time and heard about their writing, workshops attended and where on the complex they were.  Thankfully all 3 of us were in the Lakeside building which is some way from the Main building which had been disturbed in the early hours by the fire alarm ringing and occupants had to be evacuate into the Hall.  This brought back memories of when I was at this Conference Centre 30+ years ago with a different set of circumstances and the fire alarm went off TWICE and all residents had to get out of their rooms and assemble in the cold night air in their night wear.  This time however I was not disturbed and slept unaware of their adventure.

Part 2 of Dream Author was just as inspiring, comical and informative.  I liked the idea of a Thought Ladder and wrote very quickly in my notebook how my process has been towards being a published author so far:

Not good enough
I've finished a manuscript
Is it good enough
I've edited it and others have too
"If I get published...."
"I will get published one way or another, one day"
"When I get published"
"I will be published soon"

These thoughts are not ideal, we are our own worst critic, and delay the action needed.

Sophie told us "Optimism is not enough - hope is great but determination and action will make it happen."  And I heard the phrase "massive action may be needed" and it gave me an idea for where I am at now.

Monday's one hour afternoon short course I chose to attend was 'Photography for Writers' with Simon Hall.  Having been to other workshops he led in previous years I knew it would be interesting and as I use photos on this blog any improvement to my knowledge and technique would be a bonus.  Using our phones he led us through various steps giving us chance to practise on him or on each other.  I know now what the various symbols on the camera setting mean and how to use them and, rather than editing the picture after I have taken it, how to get a good picture first time.

These are not the best examples but practice makes perfect lol 

After such a full day I walked out of the building into the sunshine and sat on a bench deciding that was  enough for today.  An elderly man joined me and we chatted in the sunshine before dinner.  At 8pm it was the Swanwick Chat Show which Simon Hall hosted asking questions and getting surprising answers from the 3 celebrities - Alison Chisholm, Poet; Amit Dhand, Crime Writer; and Sophie Hannah, Crime Writer and Coach.  It was very entertaining with much laughter.  

And so to bed. zzzzzzzzzz

Swanwick Writers Summer School 2019

First Days

This year is SWSS 71st year.  It is my 4th year of attending.  We gather in the main hall to be addressed by the Chairman.  'We' are 293 delegates all with one thing in common - the love of the written word.  There are 15 international delegates, 11 different countries are represented.  And many from all corners of the UK and surrounding islands.

What I love about this place is that you can attend alone and immediately find someone talks to you to find out where you are from, how many times you have attended, what are you writing etc.  Conversation is easy.

Meals are served in two dining areas where you meet different people and make new acquaintances. I ate with delight choosing from the various dishes to have chicken Kiev, roast potatoes and sweetcorn followed by a big dish of crème brulee.  Yum.

The grounds are as beautiful as ever but the wind and rain of today have somewhat battered the blooms.  I did notice some strawberries in the planters leading up to the main house and I may be tempted to pick one when no-one is looking! Lol

The first night after dinner speaker was Paul Dodgson who took us through his journey of becoming a writer from his time at the BBC and radio plays to his memoir The Road Not Travelled - he had wanted to be a rock star.  He ended with a song he had written and we all joined in the wordless chorus which was fun and actually sounded good.

I attended a Birds of a Feather gathering where groups of different genre writers flocked together but I found the noise level of so many people chatting in the main house lounge rather overwhelming, so politely left and went to my room.  It was nice walking the short distance from the house to the Lakeside block, I am rarely outdoors after dark.  The night air was fresh and silent, my bed beckoned.

Sunday morning started with meditation.  Instruction in mindfulness with the aid of a tic-tac mint was interesting, sitting for 5 minutes in silence and stretching and yawning were all a gentle wake up for the busy day ahead.

Having 3 meals a day with nearly 300 other people is quite something.  I had breakfast in my room thanks to Quaker Oats so Simple pots and Whitworths cranberries together with my second cuppa to fully get me going.

Next stop is Part 1 of 4 with Della Galton - How to write your first novel.  We heard about Pitch/Premise and this is mine for the novel I have written:
 

Journey with Shelia Walker on her physical and mental de-cluttering expedition  

which leads to a new direction with some touching special moments along the way.

What do you think?  I may work on it further but your comments would help.  Is it too long; not punchy enough; does it intrigue you; does it tell you the basis of the storyline?

Then Della explained the importance of the first page, which is usually 350 words, and several things that need to happen there.  I will be checking mine out but mentally ticked a few off that I could remember I had written.

We also touched on Plotting which I was pleased I know I have done ok with. 

I also attended Val Penny's short course, part 1 of 2, on Promoting your Work.  She worked through the alphabet with helpful hints.

A short Chapel Interdenominational Service before lunch of Roast Turkey (or beef or pork); Yorkshire puddings, roast potatoes, green beans and parsnips followed by a slice of black forest gateaux and fresh cream.

After lunching with 4 ladies and 1 man when we chatted about river and lake swimming, it was back to Val Penny for session 2 of 2 to complete her alphabet of helpful hints.  I see from my notebook I wrote much about understanding Twitter (my favourite social media site).  Tweeters will notice I use hashtags more now.

Coffee and cake was served but I declined opting to go for a walk around the grounds for some fresh air.  No rain but breezy.  It is so hard not to take photos of the lovely grounds and here are just a few, some you may have seen on Twitter already.

5.15pm each day is Unwind your Mind with Zana Lamont which is always a lovely 45 minutes of music, movement (Thai Chi style) and relaxation.  Just what we need after a full evening and day.

I had an early night after the evening meal and will continue with more news of my writing holiday soon.

Note: the courses and other activities  I mention are MY choice.  There are so many things to choose from and delegates can dip in and out of any as they wish.  It is all very informal and relaxed but quality time to feed our passion for writing etc.   

Satisfying Saturday Shopping

When I heard about The Tamworth Pantry opening at our local Garden Centre I was thrilled.  Having visited Chester recently and stumbled across a Plastic and Packaging Free shop I bought two shampoo blocks and noted all the array of goods on sale determined to find such a shop nearer to home.  I searched the internet and the nearest was in Birmingham but then, on a Sunday morning trip to Grangewood Garden Centre to look at plants and have a coffee, I noticed one of the many 'cabin units' had a sign of a forthcoming new venture....

Zero Waste Shopping

 

I started to fill a bag with empty containers ready for the opening day which was today.  I was as excited as a little girl going to a sweet shop.  I wasn't disappointed.  So now I can buy my porridge oats without its cardboard box or in a plastic bag; nuts as many or as few as I need; fill old conditioner, hand wash and washing up liquid bottles as well as buy a wooden tooth brush or lovely natural soap and so much more.

OH was impressed too as there were many spices and he got organic chick peas and apricots for cooking with.  

Free tray bakes by Heavenly Baking for first customers at The Tamworth Pantry

Then OH stopped at another cabin that sold real ales, so we sat chatting to 3 of the cabin business people whilst enjoying a tipple in the sun.

The Beer Hut sells Craft Ales, Gins, Cider, Spirits etc and it was more than he could resist.  I had a Peaky Blinder Lager and although I was going to have a cappuccino in the Grangewood Garden centre café this really was very pleasant for a change.

We rarely go shopping on a Saturday but this was one Saturday that was very satisfying.