How to start writing a play

Come along to a fun, practical playwriting workshop led by director/ dramatist John Binnie. How do you begin to write a monologue for a play? The workshop will explore character and setting, with John encouraging participants to write a monologue(or two). No playwriting experience is necessary, only an openness and enquiring mind.

A Skeleton Story: A Novel

A practical workshop on creating the building blocks of your novel from The End to A Beginning.

‘The Skeleton Story’ technique helps the author create both outline and review comprising elements of setting, character(s) and quest.

Suitable for plotters and pantsers alike!

Crafting the Short Story that lives on after ‘The End’

Crafting the Short Story that lives on after ‘The End’ Outline: An interactive, illustrated workshop on crafting a short story.

Writing for young children

Emily will be drawing on examples from her work of writing science theatre, fiction and nonfiction books, BBC radio plays and screenwriting for CBeebies. This workshop will include hints and tips on how to engage young readers writing. Come along if you would like to know more about: How do you communicate difficult or complicated subjects while keeping them relevant and fun? How do you look after the young reader for example when writing a mental health themed radio play for KS2 or when explaining climate change to a five year old in a picture book. With time for questions at the end too.

Under Another Skin – the persona poem

This workshop will consider the dramatic monologue or persona poem, and how the device can be used to bring freshness and excitement to writing poetry. There will be an introductory talk, discussion and an opportunity to examine how to select a recognisable situation and then examine it from an unexpected angle. We shall consider the form the poem will take, including free verse, blank verse and rhymed patterns, and some of the advantages and disadvantages of the various forms. 

Humour: Finding Your Funny

A look at how to do funny, whether funny as form or funny as technique. Hints, tips, a few jokes and some exercises and tasks to get you started.

Rebuffing Definition and Embracing Individuality: An Academic Approach to Writing Speculative Fiction

This workshop is designed to increase your confidence in approaching a genre as broad and contested as Speculative Fiction. Our goal in this workshop is not to define Speculative Fiction with any finality. Instead, we will explore how we ourselves can define Speculative Fiction in a way that gives us confidence to write freely within the genre. The workshop is split into three sections: Theory, Debate, and Practice. For the Theory portion of the workshop, we will begin to discuss what we though Speculative Fiction meant prior to the workshop. We’ll then look at two definitions offered by the scholar R. B. Gill and begin to develop a working definition we can apply to our own writing.

Writing for Magazines – Perfect Your Pitch!

Pitching the right article to the right magazine is vital if you want your article to be published. This workshop is a step-by-step guide to success and explores the entire process from choosing the right subject, researching your target audience, and correctly submitting your article. The subject must be engaging and informative and must appeal to the readers of your chosen publication. But a successful pitch relies on so much more than the quality of your writing. Other things to consider include the timing of your pitch, your approach to the magazine, and the length and layout of your article. The workshop will explore how a title can help or hinder your progress, whether accompany images are required and how much personal information you should provide with your submission. By following the correct process, there is no reason why you shouldn’t see your article in print. And once you’ve achieved success, there is no reason why that success shouldn’t continue!

The Craft of Non-Fiction: Turning Facts into Compelling Narratives

Have you ever wondered how to turn real events into stories that truly captivate? In this workshop, we’ll discuss the art of blending solid research with engaging storytelling. Focusing on historical non-fiction, you’ll discover how to take the raw material of primary sources and shape it into a narrative that feels alive to the reader —without losing the truth that makes it meaningful. Together, we’ll explore practical strategies for structuring your work and for helping you to find your own voice as a writer. Through exercises using real-world examples, you’ll begin to learn how to breathe life into people and moments from the past, crafting stories that are accurate but also entertaining.

Fantasy Worldbuilding and Mapmaking 

Who doesn’t love a map in a book? From Lord of the Rings to Six of Crows to Star Wars, maps and worldbuilding are integral parts to any genre, but especially in fantasy and science fiction. In this workshop you’ll learn how to create your own world, from scratch, including tips on how to draw your very own map. We’ll sketch out islands and use real world geography to make your map more realistic and easier to understand for your readers. There’s no need for a natural talent in drawing – anyone can draw a fantasy map, no matter the skill set! And once your map is complete, you’ll take a dive with a published fantasy author into mythology, politics, and what makes a world memorable. We’ll explore naming places, creating unique cultures, and how much you can share with readers without info-dumping!

Self Publish Your Book – Free!

This will be a live demonstration of how to publish a printed book online using the Lulu.com website. We will use a ready-prepared book interior document and a cover image, both of which have been converted into PDFs to be uploaded to the Lulu website.

It will be assumed that delegates have a working knowledge of word processing, including inserting images when necessary and converting the word processed document into a PDF file. They should also be capable of downloading files from a website, opening a folder to extract a file, and selecting files to be uploaded to a website. People who do not have these abilities can still attend on the understanding that they will be able to source help in these matters.