Latest News - April 2019

Book now for WEA Creative Writing Courses
I’m looking forward to a new term of teaching creative writing for the Workers’ Educational Association after Easter. Find out more and enrol by clicking on the links below or contact me directly if you’d like to talk about any course in more detail.

Enjoy Creative Writing at South Shields Museum: 10.30am-12.30pm on Tuesdays for 9 weeks beginning 30 April. Fee – £54. Enrol here.

Creative Writing at Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle upon Tyne: 10.30am-12.30pm on Wednesdays for 11 weeks beginning 1 May. Fee – £66. Enrol here.

Improvers Creative Writing at Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle upon Tyne: 1.00pm-3.00pm on Wednesdays for 11 weeks beginning 1 May. Fee – £66. Enrol here.

Creative Writing at Morpeth Methodist Church: 10.00am on Fridays beginning 10 May for 5 weeks. Fee – £30. Enrol here.

Remember that WEA courses are FREE to attend for those on income-related benefits – check whether you’re eligible here.

Writing about short fiction
I’ve been writing about short stories and flash fiction in a two part post for Hazel Osmond’s blog. You can read my thoughts on writing short fiction here. Blogging about this has motivated me to revise some unfinished stories and I’ve just submitted one to The People’s Friend. I’ve not been published by them before (although I did once win a tea caddy for a letter), so fingers crossed…

Inspirational Women
March saw me celebrate women’s writing in South Tyneside at two events at Women’s Health in South Tyneside (WHiST). Since I started teaching creative writing at WHiST in 2016, I’ve heard some fantastic stories and poems. This term, I arranged for my current students to share these at a celebration event in the café. Most of the women hadn’t read in public before, but they enjoyed the experience. The audience also enjoyed readings on topics as diverse as Dolly Parton, philosophy, coffee, singing, and terrible haircuts.

I also led a poetry workshop at an International Women’s Day event hosted by WHiST. At the workshop, I invited women to talk and write about what they like doing. The group then worked together to produce a poem which celebrated the positive things in life. I thought their final line summed things up brilliantly:

If you need someone to deliver a writing workshop or course, I’d be happy to help – you can find out about my courses and workshops here. You can also keep up to date with all my latest news by signing up to my mailing list here