As an exploration of story development, this weekend will offer a range of approaches to completing your own individual piece of fiction: offering practical advice about how to define the kind of story you want to tell, and then focusing on how to bring it to life on the page.
In this informative, fun and interactive weekend we will use a wide range of resources as prompts for writing exercises and class discussion: photographic and video archive, audio materials, texts from novels and news media.
We will begin by looking at a variety of story genres, and then exploring how character development and interaction creates drama and tension, with plenty of twists and turns along the way. We will also explore how focused research and detailed description can add depth and authenticity to your story. We will then investigate the technical building-blocks of writing: narrative point of view and dramatization. The event will conclude with practical advice on how to rewrite and edit a completed first draft, with a view to publication.
You will be encouraged to engage with these principles on your own terms, exploring the specific kinds of stories that you want to tell. You will leave with an understanding of both the creative and practical elements of story development and a range of specific techniques that you can apply to your own work beyond the remit of the weekend event.
You will have the opportunity to share your creative writing with the class, but there is no obligation to do so.
Suitable for those with some previous creative writing experience, although no formal qualification is required.
Please note:
- This event will close to enrolments at 23:59 GMT on 11 March 2026.
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Due to the nature of the contents of this day, this is not suitable for people under 18 years old.