So we’re closing on the biggest gift-giving occasion of the year, and you don’t know what to get that writer on your list? What about an investment in their writing career? Nothing says love and encouragement and “I believe in you!” like a contribution to their goals. (And reading their work. But that’s much harder to wrap.)
If you are the writer, feel free to leave this page open on a conspicuous monitor or maybe even send a helpful link.
Waiting for the sunset at Slea Head
Education is vital to any art or skill, and I’ve found a lot of value in writing conferences and critique groups and good workshops. I started attending Ireland Writer Tours with its inception in 2015, with Susan Spann and Heather Webb, and in 2017 I am thrilled to be teaching and coaching with bestselling YA author Lorie Langdon.
You’ll get instruction, critique, and career advice from authors successful in both the traditional and self-publishing worlds, and you’ll learn how to choose which path is the right one for each of your stories. You’ll learn about craft, and queries, and we’ll walk through various publishing paths, and you’ll leave energized and inspired and with a clear checklist of your next steps.
moss-covered trees in Irish forest
And you’ll do it all in some of the most lushly gorgeous country in Ireland, which is mostly lushly gorgeous country to start. National Geographic once called the Dingle Peninsula “the most beautiful place on earth,” and it was recently voted the world’s most beautiful place to photograph. It’s stimulating for the mind and soul and art. Trust me, I helped with the reconnaissance for this itinerary, and even in that short time I came away with an exciting story idea. If you don’t feel anything while you’re here, it’s likely you have the same stagnant pulse as the famous Irish literary creation, Dracula.
So we’ll walk the same ground which Celts, Vikings, mystics, monks, kings, queens, druids, rebels, famine-defying survivors, and Luke Skywalker have trod, and we’ll revise and coach and plan and write. What could be better? Oh yeah — it’s probably tax-deductible. (Check with your accountant for your particular details.)
You can read more about the workshop tour (I’m leading the August tour) and register with Fiona. Or tuck an “I believe in you!” check into your favorite writer’s stocking.
