workshops

There are 16 one hour Workhops on the timetable, scattered throughout the week. These short sessions are often fun and interactive - bring a notebook and a pen and enhance your writing skills!

AI FOR AUTHORS

Artificial intelligence is the hot topic of our time, and it can be very useful for writers.

But!

You have to know how to use it - and how very much not to use it - to create content.

As we’ll discover in this workshop, with the good, the bad, and the downright ugly of generative AI for authors.

TUTOR: Simon Hall

WRITERS THAT MOVE
T'ai Chi, qigong & creativity

Writers often sit for long hours.

A relaxed posture is important as this can prevent repetitive strain injuries for anyone spending a great deal of time at the computer, but……..movement is just as important.

Mobilising and maintaining energy plays a vital part in a writer’s success and the process of writing can take tremendous concentration and perseverance. Some days this is harder than others.

Short, simple T’ai Chi (and Qigong) exercises can enhance energy that is flagging whilst at the same time inducing a pleasant state of relaxation that allows for flow.

T’ai Chi leads to the integration of complementary things – left brain (logic) and right brain (intuition), form and function, body and mind and the increased creativity is derived from this.. Many people who practice T’ai Chi are also involved in the creative arts.

Tutor: Zana Frood

WRITERLY WELL-BEING

Our Mind and body are so interlinked, that it is important to work with both these aspects of our lives.

This workshop will enable us to work with both our conscious and subconscious mind and learn how our brain doesn’t always help us.

We will be using CBT Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, some EFT Emotional Freedom Technique (Also known as Tapping) to understand how we can move away from the constant and distracting chatter in our brains

to have a more focused and creative

approach to our writing and also our life.

Tutor: Katherine Bolton

COSY FANTASY

Cosy fantasy is having a moment. Titles like Legends & Lattes and Dallergut Dream
Department Store are giving us a gentle escape from everyday life, where the adventure is
all about the friends you make along the way.

Join veteran Swanwicker Elizabeth Hopkinson for a cosy fantasy workshop using prompts
from Wanderhome by Jay Dragon - a pastoral fantasy role-playing game about travelling
animal folk.

Will you be a crocodile peddler of clouds and dreams, your fingers adorned with rings? Or a
donkey accompanied by a beetle, carrying fish, pearls and a small, forgotten god on its
back? Maybe you’ll arrive in a university for dormice, with a witchy professor of the healing
arts. Or an island monastery of hermit crabs that knit jumpers from seaweed. You might run into an old friend in an unexpected place. Or find the perfect spot to finally settle down.

Join us around the virtual campfire as we create characters and settings that can travel
home with you.

Tutor: Elizabeth Hopkinson

CONVERSATIONAL POETRY

Not many people seem to read and enjoy poetry nowadays and some complain that the language and/or structure used can be incomprehensible.

This workshop will, therefore, discuss 'conversational' poetry, which uses everyday language and images in a poetic way.

The session will start off by looking at 'conversation' poetry as written by Samuel Taylor Coleridge and William Wordsworth, and then at the 'conversational' style employed by such poets as Robert Frost. 'Conversational' poetry can have a hidden theme or idea within it but every reader should, nevertheless, be able to read and enjoy it even if they do not get the hidden idea.

Those attending will be encouraged to attempt a conversational style poem written as to a friend who is not a poet, using everyday language and images that the 'recipient' would understand.

Tutor: Glenis Moore

the comedy TOUR

In this workshop Phil Collins will act as your tour guide as we take a ride through the basics of comedy and ask: how do I write something funny?

We’ll start off with puns and have a go at creating some ourselves. We’ll look at the structure of jokes, how we use misdirection and punch lines as well as the magic of three. We’ll look at the importance of delivery and test out what works best.

Then open the comedy toolbox and see what else we can use other than dialogue. We’ll look at characters, what traits make for good comedy and generate ideas to create some of our own.

If you have an interest in how comedy works, or you want to inject a little humour into your writing, then come along for the ride with some laughs along the way.

flash fiction FUNDAMENTALS

So, what is flash fiction, and how does it differ to other types of short story? We’ll take a
look at what it is, together with some examples of very short flash fiction.

The emphasis is on fun and you’ll be able to have a go at writing a few of your own stories.

Then we’ll delve into some longer flash fiction pieces, before going into them in more depth.

Even though it’s flash fiction, you still need to pull the reader in at the beginning, build
tension through the middle as you head towards the climax and then finish with a bang.

Lots of tips will be offered along the way to guide you in creating a flash fiction masterpiece.

There will be an opportunity to share your work with other course participants, with prizes on
offer, as well as a Q&A session.

Tutor: Esther Chilton

competitions

Catching the Judges' Eye

There is a lot more to writing competitions than writers realise.

What kind of competitions are there? Why should you enter? What are the typical rules? Why is there a fee? What kind of prizes are there? What are the judges looking for? What should you avoid? What makes a great competition story?

Join competition judge, columnist and entrant Morgen Bailey who shares her experiences of competitions from both sides.

Tutor: Morgen Bailey

writing for performance & drama

Want to know where to start with writing for film, theatre or performance art? Then step this way and discover the endless possibilities of drama and performing today!

This course has been designed to bring to life and demystify what it “might” actually mean to write for performance and how the spheres of writing and performing are connected.

Can writing a book be an act of performance? What makes something performative? Can performance help to heal the world? Where does performance end and reality begin? Is reality the same as truth?

This workshop offers a thoughtful and accessible journey through the meaning and making of performance from multiple perspectives.

Tutor: Bear Stephenson

BECOMING A FREELANCE EDITOR

Are you fed up with the corporate 9-5?

Do you resent the time you spend at work because you’d rather be doing something else?

Have you thought about a change of career into a creative life?

Freelance editing and/or proofreading might well be the change you’re looking for.

Join freelance editor, Liz Hurst, as she teaches you all the tips and tricks of the trade such as is freelance editing right for you? What training and qualifications do you need? Setting up your business and finding clients, as well as marketing, rates, and how to follow a client brief.

The workshop will also include resources, overcoming challenges and taking care of yourself

Tutor: Liz Hurst

the drama triangle

Rescuer/Persecutor/Victim

A simple understanding of this basic tenant of Transactional Analysis is key to writing great character-driven fiction.

People habituate to one of the three characteristics, but can switch depending on situation, relationships, stress, etc.

This workshop will examine the behaviours associated with each part of the triangle, and show how to use these interactions to drive tension and conflict in a story.

There will be small-group work to cement learning.

Tutor: Steve Hartley

SONGS-SPIRATION

Stuck for ideas? Need inspiration for your short story, novel, or poem? Searching for a setting, a plotline, or a captivating character? Look no further than the humble song lyric…

Hidden within the average three-and-a-half-minute pop song are brilliant story ideas, plotlines, characters, settings, and even whole narratives – if you know where to look!

Join us for a fun, creative, and interactive workshop where we'll listen (and maybe even sing!) to some fabulous music - designed to ignite your creativity.

Bring along a pen and a notebook, and get ready to be AMAZED!

PS: This is NOT about songwriting!

Tutor: Maria Hennings Hunt

READ ALL ABOUT IT

Newsletters? Do you need one?

In this workshop we'll be looking at how powerful a newsletter can be for an author and why you need one.

There will be tips an how to create engaging content which resonates with an audience and aligns with the brand message.

Finally, we will explore what kind of platforms are best to use.

Tutor: Wendy Ridolini

EFFECTIVE LISTENING

Effective Listening – A Writers Secret Weapon

Listening. . . apparently we’ve been doing it since the womb. But are we as good at listening as we could, or indeed should be?

Research shows that on the whole we’re not.

We live in a world of endless distractions and it’s a proven fact that attention spans are shrinking across the board.

This one hour workshop will show the importance of effective listening for everyone and highlight why it’s imperative for writers.

We’ll pool ideas for sharpening these skills and look at the impact that Audio Books can have on our writing, at the same time as providing a pleasurable, painless work out for overloaded brains.

Tutor: Heather Vivien Swash

THE social media GAME

Join author and former BBC TV producer Jennifer Page for this workshop adventure that will transform your online presence from a monotonous monopoly into a thrilling, multi-dimensional game of engagement!

Forget unboxing videos and review sharing - we're talking DIY book-themed crafts, recipes inspired by your stories, and interactive quizzes that'll have your readers rolling the dice to engage with your content.

Get ready to turn your social media strategy into a best-selling game!

Tutor: Jennifer Page

WORKSHOP

MORE DETAILS COMING SOON!