Friday, June 26, 2015

FOCUS ON: Bath & Wiltshire Chapter

This month we welcome Rachel Brimble who answers our questions about Bath & Wiltshire Chapter

How long has your chapter been running?

Fellow RNA member, Alison Knight, and I started the Chapter about five years ago. At the first meeting there were just five of us. Since then, I now have twenty-eight members on the list and we always have between ten and twelve at each meeting.

Members of the Bath & Wiltshire Chapter
at the 2014 RNA Conference
How often do you meet – and where?

Every six weeks or so. We are lucky enough to meet in the beautiful village of Lacock in Wiltshire. It is a National Trust area and has been used in Pride & Prejudice, Harry Potter and Cranford to name a few film/series. Well worth a visit!

Do your meetings include a meal?

Always! I arrange the meetings alternate lunch and evenings so everyone has a chance to attend as many as possible.

Is your chapter open to non-members of the RNA?

We are more than happy to welcome guests who are actively writing with a view to joining the RNA in the future. We are all so enthusiastic about the Association and stress to so many newcomers the advantage of the New Writers Scheme. It hasn’t taken guests long to sign up!

How long do your meeting last and do they involve having guest speakers?

Usually around 2-2 ½ hours – we meet at 1pm or 7pm. I must confess we haven’t had many speakers but would love to welcome them if anyone is interested. Please email me at rachelbrimble@googlemail.com. Just recently, we had two agents visit us from Keane Kataria based in Bath and since then I know at least one member was signed, which is great news!

What do you have planned for the rest of 2015?

Myself, Alison Knight, Liz Fielding, Nicola Cornick and Louise Douglas will be hosting a Romance Writing Panel at the Chippenham Arts Festival. We are all very excited and would love to welcome as many RNA members as possible. Here is the Facebook event page for anyone wanting to come along - https://www.facebook.com/events/1431860797122479/

What would you say makes your chapter of the RNA so special?

On the roof of Ashdown House
The friendliness and support. I think we have a great supportive and fun atmosphere and one where everyone is made to feel valued and validated. We write a vast range of romantic novels from erotic to paranormal to sweet to historical. All sub-genres are discussed and enjoyed!

Does your chapter have a website, Facebook page or Twitter account?

Not at the moment but this is on my ‘to do’ list to get done this year! I will announce as soon as we are up and running.

Who is the contact for new members?

Me! I would love to hear from anybody wishing to join.

Email:              rachelbrimble@googlemail.com
FB:                  https://www.facebook.com/rachelbrimbleauthor?fref=ts
Twitter:           https://twitter.com/RachelBrimble

What a wonderful venue you have for your meetings, Rachel. I’m sure you must all find it inspirational. Thank you for sharing with us today.

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Elaine Everest & Natalie Kleinman

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1 comment:

Elaine Everest said...

I would love to join your Chapter but it is too far from NW Kent! Lacock is a beautiful place to visit but to be able to meet other writers as well is an added bonus.