Cerese, Maggie and Pam: Writers' Bloc workshop with Kristin Duncombe

Photo credits:  Cerese and Maggie
Text:  Pam 

Kristin held a writing workshop at Pam's elegant and comfortable home.  (But she didn't
let Alaska come to the workshop). 

Kim, Bernadette and Kristin

Kristin, Maggie, Rosie and Pam

Here are Maggie's photos from the workshop:

l to r:  Rosie, Cerese, Kim, Bernadette and Kristin

Kristin Duncombe

Rosie, Maquita, Hostess Pam in the center, and Maggie

Writers' Bloc members Pam, Maggie and Rosie with Kristin

Pam, Maggie, Rosie, Kristin, Maquita, Bernadette

 ..... and then there was lunch,  of course.  But still no Alaska, Pam? 

Pam writes:

AWG Fireside chat with author Kristin Duncombe
A group of AWG women interested in writing had what could be called
a fireside chat with Kristin Duncombe on January 14th at Pam’s house in Saussines.  Kristin kindly and thoughtfully reacted to questions members of the Writers’ Bloc had submitted to her for discussion. Kristin has written two memoirs of her life as an expat, mother of two, multi-cultural psychological counsellor. Drawing from her experience she gave us would-be writers some worthwhile advice such as:

Start your work by writing an outline.
Be sure you are clear as to “what your story is about.”
Jot down on paper or on an electronic device the “bursts” that come to mind (as you are vacuuming, cleaning the bathroom, washing dishes, etc.) and then go over them to see how you could use them in your writing work.
When you have produced a certain amount of writing on your computer, try printing the pages to improve the connectedness.
Memoir-writing and fiction are two different things. However, one can write a fiction piece in the first person.
Self-doubt is normal. You’ll have good days and bad days.
Author James Patterson gives an excellent on-line Master Class, a 6-hour video, on novel writing. ($90).
If you like a writer’s style, read and re-read his/her works.
     
The gathering was convivial and enriching. Thanks to AWG for making the weekend with Kristin possible.

#####
Maggie writes:  

Here are a few more notes that Maggie took during the workshop, as well as some questions from Writers's Bloc members that had been formulated prior to the workshop (and not all of which were
answered during the allotted time):

I think Kristin said that regarding suggestions, she doesn’t always follow them herself.

She said she likes to write in the first person because she likes to READ in the first person.  She also said that the first person narrative creates more of a sense of immediacy.

She cited two ‘unusual’ books, written in the second person and in the present tense.

Also, that when you find a book that ‘speaks’ to you, don’t hesitate to read it again and again.

She used the terms “bursts, then transcribing, then connecting whatever is there.”

Discipline.

Both her memoirs were self-published (but she did work with agents first).

The following are some of the questions we “submitted” to Kristin, though there was not enough time for her to address all of them:

* Why, when, where and how did you first start writing? What single piece of advice would you give us to help us get started on a large work? 
* Do you think in your head or on the paper?
* Is it necessary to have rules such as - you can't have lunch until you've written 6 pages?
* Do you get attacks of self doubt about the quality of your manuscript in the middle of a project, and if so, how do you overcome them?
* How difficult do you think it is to make the transition from memoir to fiction? 
* Have you tried writing in the third person? What problems does this present for you?

* About publishers... Are there some special formats to adopt to send a finished work and are there publishers who can be interested by part of any work? In other words, do you have to send a finished book ?  What are the rules?
 

* Did you have to do a lot of communication/promotion work for your books?  Is this mandatory and in a contract with publishers?