A few people who join the course are experienced writers looking for feedback and support from like-minded people. The vast majority, however, loved writing stories as children but haven’t produced any fiction since they were at school. Many worry that their imagination has atrophied completely, or are concerned that they’ll have to read out their writing ‘in front of the class’.
One of my first aims is to create a relaxing atmosphere where people feel completely at ease with each other. I keep each group small (a maximum of 9 people) and hold sessions in comfortable venues which feel nothing like classrooms. Tea and biscuits are an important component of the course. Students develop their writing skills in simple steps and, as they gain confidence, begin reading and discussing the work they produce in pairs or threes. I’ve found that people soon feel relaxed with one another and are happy to share their writing, but nobody is ever obliged to read out a piece of work if they don’t feel ready.
Classes are organised in blocks of ten sessions which follow the school terms. The first thirty sessions lead students through the basic elements of fiction writing, including plot, characterisation, dialogue, setting and point of view. As it’s perfectly possible to know about the theory of fiction writing without actually being able to sit down and write, we spend time focussing on the creative process itself. We discuss issues such as how to develop the habit of writing regularly, how to recognise the topics that will come alive for you, how to ignore the negative voice in your ear and how to let go and be yourself on the page. Over the time I’ve been teaching creative writing, every single student has built up the skills, habits and confidence to write pieces they’re happy to publish in our volume of short stories by the end of the first year.
Each group session is very practical. Students usually share and discuss their writing tasks with each other and plunge into exercises connected with the week’s technique. After the session, you will also be given a writing task that encourages you to practice your new skills. The course will benefit you most if you can devote a short time to writing every day, perhaps a minimum of 15 minutes. After each class, I email comprehensive notes which explore that week’s topic in detail. Week after week, these build up into an invaluable resource.
After the first three blocks, groups have the option to follow their interests by trying their hand at genres such as radio plays, memoir writing and children's fiction. However, students often choose to use the sessions to workshop their current writing, whatever the genre. The value of the group at this stage becomes support, feedback and the discipline of deadlines!
One of my first aims is to create a relaxing atmosphere where people feel completely at ease with each other. I keep each group small (a maximum of 9 people) and hold sessions in comfortable venues which feel nothing like classrooms. Tea and biscuits are an important component of the course. Students develop their writing skills in simple steps and, as they gain confidence, begin reading and discussing the work they produce in pairs or threes. I’ve found that people soon feel relaxed with one another and are happy to share their writing, but nobody is ever obliged to read out a piece of work if they don’t feel ready.
Classes are organised in blocks of ten sessions which follow the school terms. The first thirty sessions lead students through the basic elements of fiction writing, including plot, characterisation, dialogue, setting and point of view. As it’s perfectly possible to know about the theory of fiction writing without actually being able to sit down and write, we spend time focussing on the creative process itself. We discuss issues such as how to develop the habit of writing regularly, how to recognise the topics that will come alive for you, how to ignore the negative voice in your ear and how to let go and be yourself on the page. Over the time I’ve been teaching creative writing, every single student has built up the skills, habits and confidence to write pieces they’re happy to publish in our volume of short stories by the end of the first year.
Each group session is very practical. Students usually share and discuss their writing tasks with each other and plunge into exercises connected with the week’s technique. After the session, you will also be given a writing task that encourages you to practice your new skills. The course will benefit you most if you can devote a short time to writing every day, perhaps a minimum of 15 minutes. After each class, I email comprehensive notes which explore that week’s topic in detail. Week after week, these build up into an invaluable resource.
After the first three blocks, groups have the option to follow their interests by trying their hand at genres such as radio plays, memoir writing and children's fiction. However, students often choose to use the sessions to workshop their current writing, whatever the genre. The value of the group at this stage becomes support, feedback and the discipline of deadlines!