I had a busy week last week brushing up my writing skills with Bryce Courtney and a group of really great writers (and interesting people) at Bryce’s workshop at Macquarie University. It was pretty full on, with his novel Jessica to read before we started, as well as Peter Yeldham’s script from the novel which was later made into a television series. Plus ‘homework’ which, at the end, we had to read out for others in the group, plus Bryce, to critique – quite a nerve-wracking process! During the course of the week we looked at creating characters, dialogue, and keeping the action moving in a tight and well-paced plot, techniques which I’ve brought to bear this week as I go once more through Books 5 & 6 of the Janna Mysteries before sending them off to a new agent. Fingers crossed!
Thank you all for your recent messages, including a lovely card from an 80-year-old lady who ALSO wants to know what happens to Janna in the future. I truly hope you won’t have to wait too long to find out. Meantime I’m enjoying being back in Janna’s world, just briefly while I go through these mss one last time before getting back to my new novel – which I discussed with Bryce during our one-on-one session, and on which I got some very encouraging feedback. He’s a lovely man, very kind and very helpful; it was a great week.
