3. Sun 13th Sept 2026 Festival – Writing Basics

The inaugural online ‘Self-Pub Fest’ festival was held on Sunday 25th January 2026 via individual hourly Zoom genre panels with up to four participating authors on each panel, plus Morgen hosting, each a different genre throughout the day. See the red link above for the details and recordings. Januarys hereafter will continue to be split into genre panels.

The second all-day online festival took place on Sunday 5th July 2026. Click that red link for the details and recordings. That day was about the nuts and bolts of publishing. Each July session will repeat this topic.

NB. It’s free to be on a panel (but we do need to have had a Zoom chat beforehand) and free to watch and ask questions/comment in the chat if you can attend live!

At the end of the final session on that day I announced that instead of every SIX months, the online all-days would be EVERY OTHER month, starting September 2026. Most, if not all, will run on the SECOND Sunday of the month. So…

Future dates (second Sunday of every other month)

  • Sunday 13th September 2026 (the basics of writing, i.e. characters, settings, plots, beginnings, middles, endings) ~ See below
  • Sunday 8th November 2026 (the craft of writing, i.e. description, dialogue, pacing etc.) ~ I’m already taking author bookings for that!
  • Sunday 10th January 2027 (genres) ~ I’m taking author bookings for that too!
  • Sunday 14th March 2027 (topic tba)
  • Sunday 9th May 2027 (topic tba)
  • Sunday 11th July 2027 (nuts and bolts of publishing)
  • Sunday 12th September 2027 (the basics of creative writing)
  • Sunday 14th November 2027 (the craft of writing)
  • and so on…

The Sunday 13th September 2026 hour-long panels are listed below with some of the discussion points we may be talking about. The authors booked so far are: Charles Harris ~ Denise Beddows ~ Jennifer Page ~ Pam Arland ~ Pete Williams ~ Phil Oddy ~ Shahd Karaeen ~ Tony Forder…

  • 9.30am-10.30am: characters: How do you choose your characters? Are they based on someone you know? Do any of them share your traits? How do you make your characters distinctive? How much detail do/should you put about them (i.e. Jack Reacher’s tall!)? Do you write characters of a different gender or generation? How many characters do you have in your stories? How do you keep track of them in your notes? Will you make a minor character in an early work more of a prominent character in a future book? Do you have favourite characters in other books/films? Why do you find them memorable?
  • With Morgen hosting, the other authors taking part in this session are: Denise Beddows ~ Pam Arland ~ Phil Oddy ~ Tony Forder who will also be invited to read a short passage (three minutes max) from one or more of their books where it shows a great (or not so great!) character.

The access link to this session is https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88343663036 (and the passcode is 930AM should you need it).

  • 11am-12pm: settings: Do you use settings you know, made-up locations or a mix? How much detail do/should you provide about the location? Does it vary depending on your genre? Do you visit the real locations you use? Where would you like to travel to/write about? Do you have favourite locations in other books/films?
  • With Morgen hosting, the other authors taking part in this session include Phil Oddy ~ Shahd Karaeen (two spaces left) who will also be invited to read a short passage (three minutes max per author) from one or more of their books where it shows a great (or not so great!) setting.

The access link to this session is https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86488474477 (and the passcode is 11AM should you need it).

  • 12.30pm-1.30pm: plots: Do you plan or just get an idea and run with it? For either route, how much do you plot? Does it vary depending on whether you write a series or standalone? Does the length of the story matter, i.e. short story vs standard novel vs epic novel! What should you include in a novel plot? Does that vary per genre? What do you do about plot holes? Are there books you’ve read that have weak plots but it doesn’t matter because the characters are engaging?
  • With Morgen hosting, the other authors taking part in this session include Pete Williams (three spaces left) who will also be invited to read a short passage (three minutes max per author) from one or more of their books where it shows a great (or not so great!) plot point.

The access link to this session is https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83533269945 (and the passcode is 1230PM should you need it).

  • 2pm-3pm: beginnings: What makes a good beginning? How much of the character do you want in the first chapter? Do you start with the ‘now’ and write forward or have a flashback (or forward) then return to the now? Do beginnings vary for different genres? Do you have a memorable beginning from a book you’ve read?
  • With Morgen hosting, the other authors taking part in this session include Jennifer Page ~ Pete Williams ~ Tony Forder (one space left) who will also be invited to read short beginnings (three minutes max per author) from one or more of their books.

The access link to this session is https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89264349460 (and the passcode is 2PM should you need it).

  • 3.30pm-4.30pm: middles: how do you combat a saggy middle? What’s needed by the time you get to the middle? How long should a middle be? Does it vary depending on genre? Do you enjoy writing the middle part more than the start or ending? Do you ever get the idea for a middle rather than the start or ending? What do you do if you get stuck around the middle? Do you write a later section and return, knowing more of what’s to come? Have you ever stopped writing altogether because you can’t see your way forward?
  • With Morgen hosting, the other authors taking part in this session are: Charles Harris (three spaces left). They will also be invited to read a short passage (three minutes max per author) from one or more of their books where it shows a great (or not so great!) plot point.

The access link to this session is https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81048656590 (and the passcode is 330PM should you need it).

  • 5pm-6pm: endings: what makes a great ending? What makes a bad one? If you have a twist where should it appear? Do you have any favourite endings (or yours or from other books, films etc.)? What’s the difference between chapter endings and the end of a book? If I remember I’ll mention my four ‘E’s… do remind me!
  • With Morgen hosting, the other authors taking part in this session will be listed here… Charles Harris (three spaces left). They will also be invited to read a short passage (three minutes max per author) from one or more of their books where it shows a great (or not so great!) plot point.

The access link to this session is https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89256773858 (and the passcode is 5PM should you need it).

So the authors so far are: Charles Harris ~ Denise Beddows ~ Jennifer Page ~ Pam Arland ~ Pete Williams ~ Phil Oddy ~ Shahd Karaeen ~ Tony Forder…

If you’d like to take part (in any of these events or in another way, e.g. moderate a panel, provide your expertise, or volunteer at our in-person festivals) email me, Morgen or see the Participate page. If you’d like to simply watch ~ see the relevant pages for the Zoom links and passcodes should they be required.