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| Getting ready to start teaching at Oxford University Summer School for Adults |
It’s a while since I last blogged so this is a round-up
of what was going on and advance notification of what is coming up!
Summers equate with creative writing teaching: no sooner
had I finished running a part time course for Oxford University during the
spring, but I taught at Winchester Writers’ Festival where my subject was the
power of point of view, then two summer schools on two different programmes for
Oxford University. This was my fifteenth year at OUSSA and my fourth at the OUDCE
Creative Writing summer school at Exeter College.
As ever, I was blown away by the quality of work I was
assessing and hearing. I loved meeting my students and hearing their stories.
Summer schools bring together the most extraordinary mix of nationalities,
backgrounds, life experiences and writing dreams.
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| With lovely tutor and writer Judy Waite, at Winchester Writers' Festival |
By mid-August I was just desperate for a holiday, though! I hadn’t had a break since our
holiday in Cornwall in early spring. But before I could relish any down-time, I
had to face tasks I had been putting off for months – nay, years! I moved my website host, I created an opt-in PDF, I learned
how to use Convertkit and moved my mailing lists to it, I got all the elements
talking to one another!
Before we left for our holiday in France in September, I
set up my new website landing page. I felt tired but pretty damned chuffed.
What would be a walk in the park to some people was like climbing Everest to
me, but I had done it – I had got that far.
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| Roussillon, Provence |
We went back to Provence, which we had visited last year.
And oh, it was still gorgeous. For two weeks I genuinely unwound and it did me
a power of good. I even wrote something!
Back home, I soon got all wound up again. Life has been
full on since then. I have been editing, mainly, for long-term clients. I’ve
also been the co-ordinating judge of the short story competition Writers in Oxford
has been running for young Oxfordshire writers. Now, our choices have been made
and sent to Philip Pullman, our head judge. The prizes will be announced next
week at the Writers in Oxford 25th Anniversary party, held in
conjunction with the Society of Authors.
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| Being interviewed at Radio Oxford to publicise Writers in Oxford's Young Oxfordshire Writer competition |
Ah. Ahem … a work in progress still, but progress is being made!
Well, do go and visit: you can download my free PDF on
leading a productive writing life!
In other news, I got published!
More of that in my next post too …
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| Download your free guide to launching a productive writing life by visiting the website here |
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