Have you ever been on an Arvon course?

I’ve been on two Arvon courses: in 1997 in Moniack Mhor and 1n 1999 in Devon - I think. (I’ll need to check old diaries.) I feel a teeney bit excluded by the question: have you been on a course recently? But, in the grand scheme, I thoughtfully realise that those few years ago are indeed recent.

So I will write something about those two weeks. God knows what’ll come out but it’ll do me good to trace a line back to then, and see what happens. Who knows, such writing might unchain some melody…

I’ve been on three Arvon courses at three different centres and each one has been fantastic fun and tremendously productive. The first was a beginners’ course at Totleigh where not only did I learn a lot, but it taught my kids how to manage while I was away and got me started on a properly disciplined writing life. I’ve been on two drama writing courses, in Hebden and at The Hurst; they taught me about structure and character in fiction as well as on stage. From my website you’ll see that my children’s novel was published two years ago, a theological thriller for adults will be published next year and I’m writing my third novel now. Between times, to clear my palate, I write humour books about stupid court cases. The skills for all these I’ve learnt at Arvon courses, in beautiful places among terrific people. I have tried other writing courses (though not one of the MAs in creative writing - I have too many family commitments) and for me Arvon far and away the best.

I went on an Arvon Course in the mid 1990s, in Devon. We were taught by the amazing Beryl Bainbridge, and Nicholas Shakespeare. He told me I had verbal diarrhoea (a word I find difficult to spell) - but I think it was just because I type very fast. Anyway, we went to university together so I didn’t really mind. Beryl was a total inspiration - I remember her standing in the kitchen stirring gelatine into her tea to strengthen her nails. She made me feel so good about my writing, that I went off and wrote a novel in five weeks flat between two contracts. She also gave me the name of her agent, and I regret very much that I was sidetracked into appointing another agent who wasn’t tough enough on me, and didn’t manage to sell my novel, in spite of a lot of kind enthusiasm. I went back into journalism, and have never written another piece of full length fiction, although I am going to self-publish a new version of that first novel ‘One Apple Tasted’, later this year just to get it out of my hair and bottom drawer. The meal I cooked that happy week was green Thai curry, and I think people liked it. The reader was a detective story writer, but I can’t remember his name. The group was wonderfully diverse - including a retired miner from Kent (where I come from) and a teacher, unhappy with her job in a boys’ public school, and so enthusiastic about their work and everyone else’s. I would recommend the courses to anyone (and frequently have) - I was feeling very shaky after the death of my mother, and being outside my own life for a week, and being able to write fiction (which I adore and find very therapeutic) helped me to recover from the most urgent pangs of grief. I tried to go on another one in 2000, while attempting to write a children’s novel, but found I was pregnant so backed out. I would love so much to do it again, but my life with three children and sundry full time jobs and freelance journalism rushes along so fast that I cannot find the head space currently to write fiction again. However, maybe one day when things calm down a bit! I do blog though, at http://www.josayoung.co.uk when I can.

I went to Devon some years ago to get some comments for a novel, apprehensive on the train down but very curious, slept out in the cowshed with Fatima as a neighbour, she was up at prayer times, and we got on well, so well in fact I am going to see her in Woking tomorrow so we are stil literary and family friends, she was the only one wearing a headscarf and was Austrian so I was intrigued, lots of other colourful characters, a lady who said she couldn’t write anything and then came up with the best story of all about a fish, John Harding who became a famous writer after the course made us laugh out loud, the first word of his novel was ‘TOILET!’ He said he would never forget my stuffed tomatoes and even came to my flat in London to get some more. Glen Patterson the lecturer and lovely writer made me cry when I told him Brian Behan stole my orphan story in the Behan memoir Kathleen, he also made me read at the end of the course despite my protests, it was part of an abortion tale, so I got out my ya-ya’s and I remember there were lots of tears at the end as we all parted, another writer came to visit, Tim O’Brien, we ended up years later suing the same publisher, we both won, life is full of stories like this and Arvon is still vivid in my memory and I will go again, for poetry next time. Or maybe short stories.

I went to Totleigh Barton for the Advanced Fiction course in November 2003. It was great, and the immediate result was that I decided to jack in the whole of the rest of my life (ie job, partner, etc) and become a Dedicated Writer.

My first novel will be published in March 2008.