Workshop #2

Yesterday I had the absolute pleasure of running a workshop for the South Coast Writers Centre and Shellharbour Library. It was my first romance writing workshop, so I wasn't sure what to expect...or if anyone would attend.

We had 9 participants and they were the best! The discussions started almost immediately, although I don't think too many of the people knew each other beforehand. They all loved writing so there was a bond which developed throughout the afternoon.

There were questions and answers, discussions with everyone sharing their experiences or hopes or dreams. We wrote. Read that out. Discussed what had been written. Loved each others' work.

We talked about publishing, point of view, genre fiction, pitfalls, sales, promo, subgenres, sex, horror, memoir, feminism, true crime, journalism, #metoo, strong heroines, werewolves, AI (artificial intelligence), authors, writing, our love for words, reading, writing, video games, movies, books, software, rejections, voice, studies, jobs, writing tools and techniques.

The three hours went like 5 minutes, and yet, looking back we covered a lot of topics, we did a lot of learning and sharing, and most importantly, I think we all went away enthused to write more.

The venue, Shellharbour's new library, was spectacular. If you haven't seen a great modern library space, check it out. Curved shelving with wide spaces. Muted, earthy colours. Spaces for different activities. Noise reduction. You're able to eat and drink within the space. A magnificent balcony in the fresh air, getting the afternoon sunshine. Armchairs that wrap around you. Beanbags. Miles and miles of space. A cafeteria. It was such an inspiring venue.

I've found that workshops can be hit and miss. They depend on the participants' interaction and enthusiasm. I was so incredibly lucky to have the best bunch of writers come to this workshop.

Even if people didn't read or write romance, they were open-minded enough to be at the course, to want to learn and discuss, to accept the genre.

And yes, I'm so very pleased to say that there were men as well as women in attendance.

Thank you to everyone who came for making the workshop a fabulous afternoon. Thank you to the South Coast Writers Centre and Shellharbour Library for the event. I loved it!