Today I am sending out a newsletter about my line up of weekly classes and workshops for the coming months (I love the autumn!) and I thought it might be a good idea post it here also. It is nearing the time when we begin planning what we’ll do in September and I’d love to learn Italian. I’ve been saying this for years, but I’m really going to put in the effort to find a class this autumn. Here’s what else I’ll be doing:

WEEK LONG ADULT WRITING COURSE

Firstly I am running a week-long intensive writing course for ADULTS from 22nd – 26th August. It will be best suited to people who have attended a writing course before and want to further develop their skills and works in progress  (however beginners are also welcome). The cost of the course is €150 and it runs in Skerries Mills from 10.30a.m.-3p.m. for five days. During this course I will be building on the topics covered during the adult courses last month and before the summer break.

ONE DAY ADULT NOVEL WRITING WORKSHOP

Secondly, I am running a one day workshop for adults on ‘Beginning a Novel: The First Three Chapters’ on Saturday 3rd September in Skerries Mills. It runs from 10.30a.m. to 3p.m. and costs €45. It will be suited to people who have already begun to work on a novel, or have an idea for one that they want to write, but aren’t quite sure how to begin. The first three chapters of a novel are the most important as they are what you send to a publisher or literary agent to attract a deal. There are key elements needed to make the opening chapters of your novel as good as they can be, and we will discuss those on the day. As with all of my classes, the group size will be limited to twelve.

ADULT WEEKLY CLASSES

Following on from that, my Autumn/Christmas term of classes begins on Monday 12th September with my popular Monday morning ADULT class in Skerries Mills from 10.30a.m to 12.30p.m. I find this class a great start to the week. We get our writing done, natter over coffee in the Cafe during the break, and head off with homework full of good intentions for the week. Students will be asked to do homework which we will workshop together in class. There is no compulsion on anyone to do homework, but it is the best way to get the most out of this writing course. The adult thirteen week term costs €235 if booked, and paid for, before 25th August or €260 thereafter (with the option to pay in two installments of €130). Class size is limited to twelve.

CHILDREN’S AFTER SCHOOL CLASSES

For CHILDREN, I am running afternoon classes in Skerries Mills on Thursdays (beginning 15th Sept) from 2.55p.m. – 3.55p.m. for 8-10 year olds, and from 4 -5p.m. for 10-13 year olds. (The age groups need not be strictly adhered to, so if one time suits your child better than another let me know).
Also After School classes for children begin in St. Oliver Plunkett’s School in Malahide beginning on Tuesdays (13th September) from 4 – 5p.m.  and from 5 – 6p.m. Both class sessions suit 8 to 13 year olds. My Malahide class has become increasingly popular and that is why this term I have decided to run a second class on a Tuesday afternoon.
A new option for children will take place next term in Balscadden Community Centre beginning on Wednesday 14th September from 3- 4p.m. for 8 to 13 year olds.
All children’s classes run for thirteen weeks and cost €155 if booked, and paid before, 25th August or €170 thereafter (with an option to pay in two installments of €85)** Class size is limited to twelve.

TEENAGE CLASSES

This term I am planning to run a TEENAGE Creative Writing class upstairs in the Skerries Bookshop on Mondays from 5p.m. to 6p.m. It will begin on Monday 12th September and will be suited to 12 to 16 year olds. The term runs for thirteen weeks and costs €170 if booked, and paid for, before 25th August or €185 thereafter (with an option to pay in two installments of €92.50). The class size is limited to five students (due to the size of the venue).

As always, Paddy, in the Skerries bookshop is kindly collecting fees for me (or you can post me the amount if that suits you better). My address is Megan Wynne, 12 Rockabill Apartments, Skerries, County Dublin. Please include your mobile number and email address when you send the fee. Cheques should be made payable to Megan Wynne. I will confirm your place when I receive it.

HALLOWEEN SPOOKY STORY WRITING WORKSHOP

Oh, another thing, I will be running a SPOOKY STORY writing workshop during the Halloween break for children and teenagers (8 – 16 year olds) in Skerries MIlls on Friday 4th November from 10.30a.m. – 3p.m. It will cost €45. This will be my third year to run a Spooky Writing Course and it is always a lot of fun, involving vampires, dragons and witchtes etc.

So there are busy times ahead for me, and they will get busier at Christmas. Similar to previous years, I plan to publish a collection of students’ short stories for charity. Those attending term classes from September to December will have a chance to submit a story and see their work in print.  We will have a launch in December, which is always lots of fun for friends and family, while at the same time making money for a charity. Last year we made over €500 for the local St. Vincent de Paul.

LITERARY FESTIVALS

Finally (promise!) do check out the following writing festivals for children and adults taking place over the coming weeks. They’re a great opportunity to meet writers and get lost in the world of stories!

www.mountainstosea.ie

http://www.airfield.ie/index.html

So that’s it from me. Thank you very much for reading this and I hope to see you soon.

I had a wonderful rest on my holidays for the last two weeks. I had planned to write but when I switched on my laptop I discovered that I’d lost the previous few days’ work. I felt so nauseous at this discovery that I closed the laptop and didn’t open it again for the rest of my time away. I very seldom lose work, but we had wiped the memory stick before we went away and so all was lost. But never mind, I completely switched off, and now that I’m home my writing mojo will return. There is plenty to motivate me. Check out the following competitions:

Nemesis Publishing are running a debut novel writing competition. The closing date is 12 August (so you need to have it ready now) and the prize is publication. You can enter on-line and find out more here:

http://nemesispublishing.com/Debut-Novel-Competition-2011.aspx

And for those of you who have not yet completed a book, these competitions may be of interest:

Mslexia Magazine has a novel writing competition that requires the first 5,000 words of a novel by 30th September. The prize is €5,000 plus recognition and interest from publishers and agents. The only snags are you have to be a woman and there is an entry fee. You can find out more here:

http://www.mslexia.co.uk/whatson/msbusiness/ncomp_rules.php

And finally, the Irish Writers’ Centre are running a very interesting competition for unpublished writers. You must post the first 10,000 words of your novel to them by 12th November, and you need to have the remainder of the novel complete by 13th January 2012. The entry fee is €35 and the prize is to attend a writers’ fare on 10th March 2012, where you will have a chance to pitch your novel to  leading Irish editors and agents. You will find out more information here:

http://www.writerscentre.ie/novelfairtermsconditions.html

To help with the above, I am running a one day workshop for adults on Beginning a Novel on Saturday 3rd September in Skerries Mills. It runs from 10.30a.m. to 3p.m. and costs €45. It will be suited to people who have already begun to work on a book or have an idea for one that they want to write but aren’t quite sure how to begin. The group size will be limited to twelve.

My schedule of classes, beginning in September, are laid out on my writing courses page, and am looking forward to the run up to Christmas. Like previous years, I will be producing a booklet of students’ stories in December to be sold for charity. We always have great fun at the launch in Skerries Mills and  will hopefully make a tidy sum for our chosen charity.

My mixed teenage and children’s summer camp went very well last week. We had fun making up stories about a wizard called Gummy, his wise Aunt Lily (a pig) and the terrifying Jack Sparrow (who turned out to be not so terrifying after all). Tomorrow I begin my first week-long Adult writing course this summer. Thanks to The Café Times most of the spaces are filled. If you don’t already know it, The Café Times is a free magazine that you can pick up in Doctors’ surgeries, Cafés and some shops in Skerries, Balbriggan, Swords and Malahide. I am hugely grateful to Bernie who produces it, as I enjoy reading The Café Times every week – it is full of positive articles about how to beat stress and be happy – and she advertises my courses, for a very reasonable rate, which means I no longer have to ask kind shop keepers if I may put up a poster in their window. (It was always my least favourite part of the job). So thank you Bernie!

On the reading front, I have recently read ‘The Time Spell’ by Judi Curtain. It is aimed at 8 – 11 year old girls and tells the tale of a twelve year old girl who owns a magic cat called Saturn. The cat causes her to spin back in time to the Titanic a few days before it sank. Lauren, the main character, desperately tries to warn the captain that the ship is going to sink but of course he ignores her along with everyone else – well, almost everyone. It is a great read. I love children’s fiction and Judi Curtain is fast becoming one of my favourite children’s writers. I also love her Alice & Megan series of books for the same age group. I haven’t read a good adult novel in a while, but have my nose stuck in The Good Back Guide by Barry Savory. I have been away from the tennis courts for two months now with an injured lower back (the sacro-illiac joint to be precise) and am seriously pining to return to the courts. Barry’s book is helping me prepare for my relaunch into the world of the Skerries Tennis Club – a very competitive business! Bring it on!

This summer the most popular week to do a summer camp for children seems to be from 18th – 22nd July. My creative writing camp for that week booked out this morning, and I am now running a second creative writing camp for children and teenagers (ages 8 – 16) from 4th – 8th July  in Skerries Mills. I am delighted that there is so much interest in my camps. It is my fifth year to run creative writing courses in Skerries and they’ve become increasingly popular with younger age groups.

I’m off to Cork tomorrow for the launch of an anthology of short stories entitled ‘The Blue Suitcase and Other Stories’. My story ‘The Runaway Wife’ is included in the collection and it will be fun to see it in print and chat to the other authors. After that I’m heading to Kerry for a week’s holiday where I shall swim, eat and read lots and lots. I may even climb Mount Brandon, if I’m feeling particularly energetic.

If anyone wants to contact me about courses, I will be heading into the big smoke of Dingle every couple of days to check my email and will get back to you then. Happy holidays to all school children, parents and teachers. Enjoy the summer!