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Talks
2 hour / £69
There are lots of different talks I can deliver, but my most popular topics are listed below for your convenience, and can be delivered in up to 2 hours with time at the end for questions and merchandise.
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My experiences, processes, and about any/all of my published books. I am happy to offer an open and honest account of how I got started and the real-life struggles of the publishing world (but also why I love it so much!). This talk will inspire and encourage new writers, or invite those who are a bit curious about the writing and publishing industry overall to dip their toe in. I'll cover a little about what led me to creative writing, the ideas that drove my bestsellers, why I started my company Curious Cat Books, and a few of my other similar interests that help me long-term.
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The biggest mistakes new authors make and how to avoid them. If you're new to self-publishing (perhaps writing is a hobby, but you dream it will become much more?), please let me give you a heads-up when it comes to what not to do in the beginning. I made so many mistakes that delayed my dream of seeing my ideas come to life, so I'd like to give you plenty of tips and tools to kickstart your author career. This talk would be perfect for those who are currently writing or have already written a book but haven't done anything with it yet.
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How to use lots of free and easy-to-use technology to write, perfect, and design your book from start to finish... then publish it yourself! This talk is ideal for anyone who wants a quick and interesting overview of the stages involved in 'self-publishing', which is publishing a book without a big publishing house to help you. I'll explain my processes and how to stick to your budget, but I'll also go through my 'Six Read Rule' to help you polish and perfect your first draft. There is so much out there you can access for free to ease the pressure and frustration of trying to make your book look incredible. Let's go through them together.​
Workshops
2 hour / £79
There are lots of different workshops I can deliver, but my most popular ones are listed below for your convenience.
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The benefits of keeping a personal journal, and the various methods and types of journaling out there. Journaling is great for your mental health, and can also help you develop your career as an author. This type of talk is ideal for anyone exploring writing as a hobby, or who would like to learn about the benefits of being creative in this way. You do not need to be artistic or have neat handwriting, and you don't need any special or fancy items - a notebook and a pen work perfectly. I'll give you an overview of how to use a travel journal, a bullet journal, a success/progress journal, and more, and explain how each one will kickstart your journey as an author.​
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How to generate interesting and addictive story ideas, and turn them into a full-length novel, novella, short story, or even a memoir. For an adult audience, I'll show you how to look within to tell the most profound and emotive stories based on your thoughts, feelings, experiences, fears, and more. It's ideal for social groups who would like to be more involved, as it's an interactive experience. My workshops will never force you to read anything you write aloud. You might want to prepare for this type of workshop by bringing your laptop or your favourite notebook and pen.​ For a younger audience, I'll bring along my story cubes and other games to show you how ideas can come from anywhere! I can also deliver any/all of my school activities during these sessions.​
Workshop Activities/Options:-
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Fantasy Map Design (perfect for fantasy and sci-fi fans)
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Group Story Generation (includes the use of story cubes and other games)
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Character Creation
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Monster/Species Creation (perfect for horror, sci-fi and fantasy fans!)
School Visits
Full or Half Day
As with all my workshops for children, I can bring my story cubes and other unique games along to introduce idea generation; I find that it's often easier for children to understand how writing a book works when they have these fun tools to demonstrate the process. We can complete some group activities to design fantasy maps (using rice... it's fascinating!), use a whiteboard to come up with names of places and characters for monsters, supernatural creatures, and their main characters, and for English classes, we can look at the 3-act structure and/or the Hero's Journey to plan an outline referring to their favourite books and movies for context.​
School visits can be morning or afternoon sessions (I can usually work with one or two classes during this time), or I can attend for full-day sessions, which may interest you for celebrations such as World Book Day. When you get in touch, please let me know how long you'll need me for, and which type of workshop you're looking for me to run so I can make sure I meet all your needs.
I offer career day visits or if you're hosting a careers fair, I'd be thrilled to set up a stall to chat with students about a creative career or side hustle depending on the age group. I'm always thrilled to introduce young people to self-publishing, and of course, explain the importance of reading and writing skills in the workplace!
"Thank you again for delivering an enjoyable and informative talk."
IDLE WOMEN'S INSTITUTE
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"Rachael attended 107th Thackley Guides over two weeks to help the girls attain their creative writing badge. Rachael used her creative style to make the evening interesting and informative, and engaging the girls to the point that some of the guides took their work home to complete. All guides that attended attained their Creative Writing Badge and we invited Rachael back to the unit to see them presented. We wouldn't hesitate in asking Rachael back to unit at any time."
HELEN DERHAM - LEADER IN CHARGE OF 107TH THACKLEY GUIDES
"Rachael inspired us all when she came to visit and this resulted in some excellent stories. The children are delighted with their completed books and the fact that they are now published authors. We are very proud of Low Ash Primary's 'Ghosts of Valhalla' Books 1 and 2 and can't wait for the whole order to arrive!"
FIONA MEER, DEPUTY HEAD OF LOW ASH PRIMARY SCHOOL, SCHOOL VISIT
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“Miss Hardcastle recently visited our classroom and the children were spellbound; hanging on every word of a published author. They were enthused to create excellent quality writing which they were extremely proud of.”
PAUL HENRY, YEAR 6 TEACHER, LOW ASH PRIMARY SCHOOL, SCHOOL VISIT
"Many thanks for your inspirational work with our Year 6 children who have really enjoyed their time with you. You have made them believe that writing is fun and that anyone can be an author if they work hard enough - and made it possible for them to be published authors too! We are very proud of our book and have it in pride of place in the classroom at the moment. Thank you!"
FIONA MEER, DEPUTY HEAD OF LOW ASH PRIMARY SCHOOL, SCHOOL VISIT
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"To conclude, Rachael is a bright and personable lady with a real talent. It was a pleasure to have worked with her and we hope to do so again in the future."
BILLY JEAVONS, CHAIR & CHERISE WILLIAMS, SECRETARY - HANSON HIGH SCHOOL