Returning to WriteClub and my first WI event

It's been a busy week. As well as editing book two (nearly finished my second draft!), I gave a talk to the Avon Federation of Women's Institutes and co-presented a WriteClub workshop.The WI ladies were lovely - a great audience who had lots of interesting questions and provided me with some excellent cake while I sold books. I met a nurse who had worked with patients like Alex, in my debut novel If I Die Before I Wake, and said it had really made her think about what they could understand of what was going on around them.It was wonderful to be back at WriteClub, which I set up with fellow writer Alison Powell nearly three years ago. I haven't run a workshop since going on maternity leave two years ago, so it was fun to get back into it.

The workshop was all about research - how to do it and how to use it in your writing. We had a fantastic group of writers join us, all at different points in their writing journeys.We covered topics including: mindful writing, how to interview people, where to do your research, and most importantly (I think!) when to STOP researching and start writing.For more information on the other workshops Alison runs with WriteClub, visit their website here.