This is, more or less, the text of my talk on sex scenes. There were, of course, asides, odd additions, and contributions from the audience.

I will also include a link to the handout, which was labelled 'Assorted Erotica' and contained examples of what I, at least, considered well written sex scenes. The post containing the example sheet will be locked to community members only.

If you are terribly squeamish about sex and sexual language you might be better not to click on the cut at all...

( Let's Talk About Sex, Baby... )

My time at the writerconuk event.

I’ve just about caught up with my sleep since The Event in Coventry and as usual most of the lack of sleep was because I was enjoying what we were doing and didn’t want to go to bed!

Before I go into details, I think I need to emphasise that the content of the talks, and the other events which the Committee work so hard on, are still very much secondary to me. Don't get me wrong - I enjoy them immensely, but the BEST part about the weekend is that you get to meet fandom-y people. People who laugh when you get a text and your phone twitters like R2D2 (and they recognise it's R2D2!); people who know why you’ve said “It’s a trap!” when you find out the restaurant you’re going to on Friday is called ‘Akbar’s’; conversations where you giggle like the inner 6 year old you really are and no-one minds (and they join in!). It really is the most fun you can have with a whole load of people from diverse backgrounds, but with the common theme of fandom running through our veins!

As has already been said – there is to be another Event next year (back to being in August), so if anyone isn’t sure about coming, you really should come along if you can because everyone is so friendly and welcoming that you’ll be making new friends without even trying. Just listening to the overheard snippets of conversation is so entertaining (I think someone was making a note of some of these out of context bits which were hysterical!!). In the meantime there’s a minimeet which I’ll be posting a poll about later on.

Anyway – onwards gentle reader..(beware there are pictures!)

( Read more... )
Wow - that got long (sorry!).  It definitely was a fun weekend, and next year I'm organising the opening night quiz (so you HAVE to come! LOL!).

My little write-up of this year's writerconuk can be found here, should anyone be interested.

Oh dear! So much for group members at the event keeping those of you who weren't able to be there up to date... I apologise on behalf of everyone.

The only excuse is that we were busy 'doing things'.

The Ramada Hotel in Coventry now knows us pretty well - and upgraded almost all of us from basic rooms to the slightly more up-market ones that have their own wee sitting area.

They also coped with the request for us to be able to watch Eurovision as a group - reserving the TV end of the bar for us so that we could all sit and snark and cheer/jeer as the acts required, whilst drinking assorted beverages, many of them of an alcoholic nature. I have discovered that I rather like Martini after-eight cocktails!

But this is looking past the main part of the event...

I return to Saturday morning ( under this cut )

And I will finish there for now - much fun had, things learnt - and the report still to come from when we actually shared what we had learnt with each other on Sunday morning.

Well, I can't speak for everyone obviously, but I certainly had a lot of fun at the 2012 Event and it seems as if most people enjoyed themselves.

We managed to fit some presentations in amongst the refreshment breaks, cocktails, and dinners, and Saturday night was enhanced by some pretty spectacularly bad performances. And then after Eurovision we outdid ourselves with masterpiece theatre the likes of which you will never see again (we can only hope).

Shortly the presentations will be available here as vodcasts, and the minutes of possibly the shortest AGM in the history of Writercon UK will go up.

But before you come over all flush with those exciting prospects consider this: There will be mini-meets later this year! Oh yes, there will! And next year too!

And before you hyperventilate yourself into a faint, any day soon the poll to decide dates for next year's Event weekend will go up!

But wait... There's more! We already have a full line-up of presentations for 2013's Event!

Yes! You read that correctly! (Can I get any more exclamation marks into this post? Yes! I can!) We have a full line-up!^* And it's not even 2013 yet!







*All presenter appearances subject to work commitments

Well - we're all here, and the proceedings proper start at what the programme calls' Reasonable a.m.' - so about 10.00am.

So far though we have had the quiz ('You win or you die'), with the usual amount of high competitiveness and heckling,and walked across the road to Akbar's Indian Restaurant for dinner together. It seemed a suitable fannish name...

It might not exactly have been a trap (for those who don't get the reference; Starwars) - but perhaps we should not have used the description on the programme of 'A Long Expected Party'... the kitchen staff must have read it - we did have a very long wait for our dinner - poor Kazzy-Cee was hysterical with hunger by the time her fish came!

We returned to the hotel, lounged around, gossiped, drank cocktails (the staff had given us our own, personal, cocktail menu!) - but were all beginning to droop, and I fear to report that most of us had retired to our rather nice rooms before midnight!

So - now on to a day of talks about banners, sex, death and plagiarism - and then a writing workshop - what better mix could you ask for?

We will keep you all up to date as the day allows.

Oh and I have managed to leave my mouse in the bar - and it seems to have gotten drunk and fallen under the furniture as it has not yet made its way back to me! I can't remember if this is the second time I've done this over the 4 years we've met here... or the third. :(

Coming to you from the Ramada Hotel Coventry this post is just to say....

I'm in the bar! The other two of the triumvirate committee will be joining me any minute, and we are go, folks.

If you are a bit lost when you get here - very soon the group will grow larger in the bar - and I am wearing a tasteful combination of pink and terracotta so I'll be hard to miss.

ETA - and our meal this evening is to be in Akbar's rather than Mint - only a couple of doors away from Mint, if you arrive late!

It's this Friday!

It's This Friday!

Are you excited yet?

Bring your excitement! Bring your enthusiasm! Bring your best heckles and one-liners!

FRIIIIIDAAAAAY!!!!

Ahem.

Your committee would just like to quietly and professionally remind you that The Event begins this Friday and is scheduled to last until the alcohol runs out Sunday afternoon.

Thank you.




FRIIIIIDAAAAAY!!!!

Just over 3 weeks until Coventry now!

As has become traditional, everyone will get a 'raffle number' in their goody-bags. This is the reminder that we need prizes.

Got any odd fandom things you don't want any more? We've had books, T-shirts, posters, Spike action figures... I have a brilliant bag which is just the right size for my netbook that came out of the raffle a couple of years ago bearing a discreet buffy logo.

Or something else geeky? We've had music tracks from movies, journals and note-books to help you write down your ideas if you still like a pen, a 'how to write fantasy book', promises to make icons or banners...

Chocolate or other comestibles? speakr2customrs and I got some excellent, and interesting, New Zealand goodies last year - and Quinara definitely left clutching a bottle...

You can even donate more than one thing if you want - we'll happily go round till we run out of prizes!

Every year at the Event, on the first evening we have a fandom quiz. This is in theory totally lighthearted, and therefore fought to the death. Teams are created at random, self-named and inspire instant loyalty. Sometimes we wave flags. Last year we had squeaky balloons.

The problem is that putting together the questions takes time. Or thought. Or both.

So this year we, your humble Committee, decided we would try to get ahead. We don't have all possible fandoms between us but, you, Dere Reeder, do.

Please will you post questions below, in a screened comment? (I shall not answer, in order to keep it all hidden.) Please say what fandom, even if it's blindingly obvious, and give me some idea of the level of difficulty, from ridiculously easy to brain-exploding. Alternatively, send to gill dot othen at gmail dot com.

We need about thirty-forty questions, so please don your thinking caps.

Many thanks in advance!