If you're Birmingham way and have novelist aspirations, then there's a couple of workshops being run by author and scriptwriter Sarah Duncan, who once played one of Rodney's squeezes in Only Fools and Horses. No, I didn't believe it either, but that nugget comes from her own webpage.

The first one, Write a Novel is on June 18th and 'concentrates on the central aspects of plot and character, enabling you to develop your ideas into a blueprint for writing - and finishing - your novel.' The sequel, How to Get Your Novel Published, covers 'how to find an agent or publisher and preparing material - synopses, pitches and covering letters - to send out when your manuscript's ready.'

If you work exceptionally quickly, you might get a kick out of both of them.

Writers' Courses with Sarah Duncan