This week’s guest blog comes from Felicity Pulman, author of the wonderful novel I, Morgana and the magical Janna Chronicles, amongst many others. She has recently returned from a three-month writing adventure in the UK, after being awarded this year’s Di Yerbury Society of Women Writers’ Residency. During her time in England and France, Felicity wrote the first draft of the sequel to I, Morgana, which I’m so excited about. Read on to follow Felicity’s journey – and discover how to apply for the residency in 2016…
Ever dreamed of having ‘a room of your own’, somewhere to plot and plan, to dream and write without interruption or having to cope with the everyday mundane minutiae of life? Read on and be inspired to make your dream come true!
I’ve recently returned from a three-month writers’ residency in Barnstaple, Devon (UK), where I was able to complete a first draft of the sequel to my novel I, Morgana. When you live in Australia, the joy of having a base in the UK is that you’re comparatively close to everything, so before I took up the residency I was able to do some research in France, and during the residency I took time out to spend a week in magical Glastonbury.
My sequel, The Once and Future Camelot, tells the story of Morgana’s daughter, Marie, who at the end of I, Morgana finds herself stranded in our world at the time of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine (hence my visit to France). It’s a time-slip dual narrative between the poet, Marie de France, and the present day Morgan, a rebel and runaway, who fetches up in Glastonbury and then has to try to make sense of the terrifying visions that haunt her: visions of the end of our world that she needs to understand in order to save the future. It will take all her courage, ingenuity and knowledge of magic, along with Marie’s help, to fulfil an ancient prophecy about the return of Arthur – but also to find a way to love and happiness, both for herself and for Marie.
I loved my time in Glastonbury; it inspired me on a personal level (I found my time there very healing) and it also helped to inform Morgan’s story and give it veracity. I climbed the Tor, I visited the Springs and the Goddess Temple, and I found the people I needed to find (and I truly believe the Universe conspired to help me there!).
Being in the UK was a blissful and very productive time, writing in the morning (I set myself a target of 2000 words a day) and going on a long ramble beside the river in the afternoon, making notes as ideas flowed, talking to myself (!) and also enjoying the beautiful scenery. There was also time for reading and research, and for exploring historic and beautiful Barnstaple, and meeting some lovely people there, including the writers who meet regularly at the library. Barnstaple is also very close to some famous seaside towns, including “Portwenn”, the setting for Doc Martin, and also Tintagel, the birthplace of King Arthur. (Photo taken on Arthur’s throne in the Great Hall there.)
The Society of Women Writers/Di Yerbury Writers’ Residency is open to members of the NSW branch of the SWW (Australia) under the following conditions:
* You must be a member for at least three months before submitting your application, due March 6th, 2016. (So you need to join the SWW by early December.)
* You must be researching or writing a work of fiction or non-fiction either set in or linked to the UK.
* You must be over 55 years at the time of your residency.
* Applications must be received by 5pm March 6th. The winner will be announced at the SWW meeting on Wednesday April 13th.
* The residency is available from June 20th to September 19th, 2016.
Further details about the residency and the application form can be found on the SWW website: www.womenwritersnsw.org. Good luck!
Find out more about Felicity’s books and her writing journey on her website, www.felicitypulman.com.au. You can buy her books in bookstores or from Amazon and other retailers, and for more information and to buy the beautiful I, Morgana and The Janna Chronicles, visit Momentum Books.
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