In-person events
Please note:
Sounds About Write, our live literature event at Sheffield Plate, is wheelchair accessible.
Unfortunately, The Writers Workshop is not wheelchair accessible and there is only partial lift access (via Waterstones).
Until we find a new home, we are expanding our ONLINE offer: click here for the online listing.
Please read our refund policy.
Get Writing
Writers Workshop (online option available)
Host: Beverley Ward
A safe, creative space to explore ideas, develop new writing and work on existing projects. Each week there’s a theme and a focus but where you go with it is up to you. No formal instruction, just gentle, playful prompts to bring out your own voice and style in the company of people who love writing and where it takes them.
Creative Life Writing: Fairy Tales and Folk Stories
Facilitator: Anne Grange
A creative writing workshop exploring the relationship between our lives with the fairy stories or folk tales that we grew up with. From Disney princesses and princes to the elemental and sometimes brutal stories passed on by the oral tradition in cultures all over the world, we will write about the stories that have shaped us.
You will also be able to join us via Zoom.
Writing Workout
Writing Workouts are fun, friendly creative-writing sessions, led by either Rosie Carnall or Lorna Partington, in which participants are guided through several themed writing prompts designed to get the ideas and ink flowing.
We encourage the use of pen and paper (if possible) because it helps us access a different creative mindset than keyboard and screen. There is never any pressure to share writing, so we can write without inhibition!
This is not a course: each session stands alone.
Refreshments provided.
Sessions take place every Monday from May 6th to June 10th.
A discount is offered for all weekly sessions or biweekly sessions (May 6 and 20, and June 3), if you book by May 1st.*
Get Writing
Writers Workshop (online option available)
Host: Beverley Ward
A safe, creative space to explore ideas, develop new writing and work on existing projects. Each week there’s a theme and a focus but where you go with it is up to you. No formal instruction, just gentle, playful prompts to bring out your own voice and style in the company of people who love writing and where it takes them.
*New* Crime Writing Monthly
Facilitator: Russ Thomas
Each month we’ll look at a different aspect of Crime and Thriller writing, discussing all the usual writing techniques but also more specific topics like: ways to build suspense, how to manage multiple plot lines, when to do your research… and how?
You will also be… DOING SOME WRITING! I know, weird, right? There will be no time for procrastination, no pots to wash, no lawn to mow. Just you and a bunch of like-minded individuals working on your novels/stories, doing some planning, doing some research, or making up something completely new with a prompt from me. Afterwards, and if there’s time, I hope that one or two of you will feel brave enough to share your work with others but no one will be forced to.
Nonfiction Writers Meetup
Host: Hannah Boursnell
Location: Writers Workshop
If you've got a non-fiction project (of any genre) in mind or on the go, join this informal monthly meetup where we’ll talk everything fact-not-fiction. This is an opportunity to get to know other local writers working on non-fiction projects, share your progress (or lack thereof), discuss ideas and challenges, and support each other on your non-fiction journeys. Hannah — a freelance editor and former non-fiction publisher — will be on hand to offer support, advice and plenty of tea and cake.
Good Readers Club: Style
Location: The Writers Workshop
Host: Hannah Boursnell
They say that to be a good writer, you must read widely. In this monthly discussion group, we'll be deep diving into pieces by a variety of writers across different genres, analysing both the writers' craft and our response to it as readers.
In this new block of four sessions, beginning in February, we’ll focus on different elements of fiction writing:
Session 1 (Saturday, 10th February, 1.30-3.00): Plot
Session 2 (Saturday, 9th March, 1.30-3.00): Character
Session 3 (Saturday, 13th April, 1.30-3.00): Dialogue
Session 4 (Saturday, 11th May, 1.30-3.00): Style
Short extracts will be circulated to attendees ahead of each event, so do be prepared to do a small amount of advance reading to get the most out of each session.
*New* Group Mentoring for Neurodivergent Writers
Location: The Writers Workshop (online option available on April 29th)
Host: Amanda Marples
Hands up who is neurodivergent and really needs some support with their writing? Who longs for a writing coach but is having enough trouble paying the gas bill? Here is a solution: low-cost, high-quality group mentoring.
Here's what to expect:
Monthly meetups (online option also available)
Small groups of no more than 5 writers
Opportunity and dedicated space to bring your writing-related executive function issues (see below)
Space to talk it through with other ND writers
Access to the expertise of ND professional writer and mentor Amanda Marples (facilitating)
Solutions
Gentle accountability and goal-setting
What are writing-related executive function issues? (not an exhaustive list!)
Time management
Focus and concentration
Motivation & procrastination
Rejection sensitivity
Planning and workload management
Maintaining interest
Managing boom-bust cycles of activity
Making sense of feedback & understanding submission requirements
Bring your stuff ... and let's find a way through it together.
Writing Workout
Writing Workouts are fun, friendly creative-writing sessions, led by either Rosie Carnall or Lorna Partington, in which participants are guided through several themed writing prompts designed to get the ideas and ink flowing.
We encourage the use of pen and paper (if possible) because it helps us access a different creative mindset than keyboard and screen. There is never any pressure to share writing, so we can write without inhibition!
This is not a course: each session stands alone.
Refreshments provided.
Sessions take place every Monday from May 6th to June 10th.
A discount is offered for biweekly sessions: May 13 and 27, and June 10.
Get Writing
Writers Workshop (online option available)
Host: Beverley Ward
A safe, creative space to explore ideas, develop new writing and work on existing projects. Each week there’s a theme and a focus but where you go with it is up to you. No formal instruction, just gentle, playful prompts to bring out your own voice and style in the company of people who love writing and where it takes them.
Sounds About Write with Emma Purshouse and Steve Pottinger
Location: Sheffield Plate (downstairs)
Host: Beverley Ward
Sounds About Write is The Writers Workshop's live literature event featuring invited guests from the world of publishing plus aspiring authors. This month we welcome performance poets Emma Purshouse and Steve Pottinger.
For an open mic slot, email workshopwrite@gmail.com
About our guests:
Emma Purshouse is a poetry slam champion and performs regularly at spoken word nights and festivals across the UK, sometimes using her native Black Country dialect. She was the first Poet Laureate for the City of Wolverhampton and has performed at loads of festivals! In 2017, Emma won the 'Making Waves' international spoken word competition and she’s the current editor of Blackcountryman magazine.
Steve Pottinger is an engaging and accomplished performer who has performed the length and breadth of the country. His work regularly appears online in CultureMatters, Yorkshire Bylines, and the Morning Star, and has won prizes or been commended in Bread & Roses, Prole, Poetry on Loan, Plough, Guernsey International, Arran, Verve, and Poets & Players poetry competitions. His seventh volume of poems, Snapshots from the Fall of Home, published by Ignite Books, is out now.
Storytelling Skills
Tutor: Carmel Page
Location: Writers Workshop
Enhance your oral storytelling skills! Whether you're an aspiring writer, a passionate speaker, or you love telling tales, this event is perfect for you. Learn the skills of storytelling and have a go in this safe and friendly workshop.
Renowned storyteller Carmel Page will share her expertise, tips and techniques. You will leave with insights into how storytelling really works and feel ready to unleash your creativity.
Carmel Page is a renowned storyteller who performs in large museums, to tiny toddlers, around blazing bonfires, in spooky graveyards, sitting on pub bars, lying on piles of scarves and whilst throwing teddy bears at her audience. She is passionate about storytelling and giving people the skills and confidence they need to fill the land with stories.
Grief Writers (Life, Loss & Death Festival event) FREE
Host: Beverley Ward
This is a special group for the Sheffield Life, Loss and Death Festival, and is free as part of the festival. In order to attend future Grief Writers, you will need to join The Writers Workshop.
The Grief Writers Meetup aims to bring together those who write about themes of loss in a safe supportive space to write, share and to develop outlets for collectively raising awareness of grief perhaps through publications, exhibitions or performances.
Writing Workout
Writing Workouts are fun, friendly creative-writing sessions, led by either Rosie Carnall or Lorna Partington, in which participants are guided through several themed writing prompts designed to get the ideas and ink flowing.
We encourage the use of pen and paper (if possible) because it helps us access a different creative mindset than keyboard and screen. There is never any pressure to share writing, so we can write without inhibition!
This is not a course: each session stands alone.
Refreshments provided.
Sessions take place every Monday from May 6th to June 10th.
Get Writing
Writers Workshop (online option available)
Host: Beverley Ward
A safe, creative space to explore ideas, develop new writing and work on existing projects. Each week there’s a theme and a focus but where you go with it is up to you. No formal instruction, just gentle, playful prompts to bring out your own voice and style in the company of people who love writing and where it takes them.
Absolute Beginners Workshop
Location: The Writers Workshop
Facilitator: Raquel Vogl
Have you always wanted to write creatively but don’t know where to start?
This is the workshop for you. We will do several beginner friendly writing exercises, and I will give you exercises and tips to take home to build a writing practice. There will be the opportunity to share your writing, but it is not obligatory.
This will be a friendly, fun, and open space to get words on the page, build confidence in your writing, and develop your own writing practice.
This workshop will use different prompts from the previous Absolute Beginner workshops.
Writing a Novel Masterclass: Creating Scenes
Location: The Writers Workshop
Tutors: Susan Elliot Wright and Russ Thomas
This intensive Masterclass with bestselling authors Russ Thomas and Susan Elliot Wright takes a fascinating look at how to construct scenes in your novel.
How do you convey your characters’ feelings, thoughts and emotions in a convincing way? This Masterclass will help you to decide when (and how) to ‘show’, and when it’s okay to ‘tell’.
We’ll help you learn the art of crafting scenes, employing revelatory dialogue, internal monologue, and dynamic action to deepen your characters’ motivations and advance your story.
You'll be encouraged to discuss your ideas and thoughts throughout the day in a comfortable, friendly and supportive environment with two experienced professionals who know the publishing industry and how to write books that catch the attention of agents, publishers and readers.
The session will run from 10.00am until 4.30pm with a break for lunch (lunch not provided).
While designed to work as a standalone session, this is one in a series of informative and comprehensive novel-writing Masterclasses, designed to give you the tools you need to make real progress on your novel.
Writing Workout
Writing Workouts are fun, friendly creative-writing sessions, led by either Rosie Carnall or Lorna Partington, in which participants are guided through several themed writing prompts designed to get the ideas and ink flowing.
We encourage the use of pen and paper (if possible) because it helps us access a different creative mindset than keyboard and screen. There is never any pressure to share writing, so we can write without inhibition!
This is not a course: each session stands alone.
Refreshments provided.
Sessions take place every Monday from May 6th to June 10th.
Storytelling Skills
Location: Writers Workshop
Tutor: Carmel Page
Practice, practice, practice is how you learn to tell stories. It also helps to get some feedback and advice.
In this session, six people will have the opportunity to take the stage for fifteen minutes each. They can tell a story and receive feedback and advice during that time. Tellers can opt to tell and just receive applause if they prefer and they can ask specific questions about their performance.
The audience will be encouraged to reflect on the story and make comments which will benefit the teller.
This event is about oral storytelling, not creative writing, but if anyone wishes to use notes that is not a problem.
You do not have to tell a story to attend, there are four tickets for people to come and listen. You will learn as much from listening to other tellers as from telling.
Self-Editing Weekender for Novelists TBC
Location: The Writers Workshop
Tutor: Lorna Partington
Designed for people who have a full novel manuscript (of any genre) and are ready for revision, this 2-day weekend workshop will be intensive and interactive, providing writers with a clear path to a stronger draft.
Saturday August 31, 2024 (10:30AM-4:30PM)
Premise
Genre
Character
Story
Sunday September 1, 2024 (10:30AM-4:30PM)
Plot
Theme
Style
Revision planning
The cost will be £80 for members, £100 (plus booking fee) nonmembers.
What do you get for your money?
A total of 10 hours learning
Guidance and insights from a professional editor
Peer support and feedback in a friendly environment
A solid revision plan
A framework for self-editing that you can use for other projects
Unlimited refreshments
CLICK HERE to register your interest in this event. The event will be confirmed if sufficient interest is expressed.
Storytelling Skills: Time to Tell
Location: Writers Workshop
Tutor: Carmel Page
Practice, practice, practice is how you learn to tell stories. It also helps to get some feedback and advice.
In this session, six people will have the opportunity to take the stage for fifteen minutes each. They can tell a story and receive feedback and advice during that time. Tellers can opt to tell and just receive applause if they prefer and they can ask specific questions about their performance.
The audience will be encouraged to reflect on the story and make comments which will benefit the teller.
This event is about oral storytelling, not creative writing, but if anyone wishes to use notes that is not a problem.
You do not have to tell a story to attend, there are four tickets for people to come and listen. You will learn as much from listening to other tellers as from telling.
Grief Writers
Host: Beverley Ward
Location: Writers Workshop
The Grief Writers Meetup aims to bring together those who write about themes of loss in a safe supportive space to write, share and to develop outlets for collectively raising awareness of grief perhaps through publications, exhibitions or performances.
Write a Novel: Developing Your Plot
Location: The Writers Workshop
Tutors: Susan Elliot Wright and Russ Thomas
This intensive Masterclass with bestselling authors Russ Thomas and Susan Elliot Wright offers a fascinating examination of some of the many different ways of telling a story.
What is your novel really about? Have you got enough going on or have you got too much? This Masterclass will help you to create a structural skeleton for your plot, exploring the key elements, how they interact, and how they should progress the story to a satisfying conclusion.
You'll be encouraged to discuss your ideas and thoughts throughout the day in a comfortable, friendly and supportive environment with two experienced professionals who know the publishing industry and how to write books that catch the attention of agents, publishers and readers.
The session will run from 10.00am until 4.30pm with a break for lunch (lunch not provided).
While designed to work as a standalone session, this is one in a series of informative and comprehensive novel-writing Masterclasses, designed to give you the tools you need to make real progress on your novel.
Absolute Beginners Workshop
Location: The Writers Workshop
Facilitator: Raquel Vogl
Please note that this session has been cancelled.
Another session is scheduled for May 23rd: Click here to book.
Have you always wanted to write creatively but don’t know where to start? Are you intimidated by groups of more experienced writers?
This is the workshop for you. We will do several beginner friendly writing exercises, and I will give you exercises and tips to take home to build a writing practice. There will be the opportunity to share your writing, but it is not obligatory.
This will be a friendly, fun, and open space to get words on the page, build confidence in your writing, and develop your own writing practice.
This workshop will use different prompts from the previous Absolute Beginner workshops.
Writing Club (9-13s)
Location: Writers Workshop
Host: Beverley Ward
Writing Club encourages children and young people to develop a love of language and story outside of the formal restraints of the school curriculum. It is an opportunity for participants to play with words and express themselves in the company of other young people. Writing Club is for any young person aged 9-13 who loves to write.
Get Writing
Writers Workshop (online option available)
Host: Beverley Ward
A safe, creative space to explore ideas, develop new writing and work on existing projects. Each week there’s a theme and a focus but where you go with it is up to you. No formal instruction, just gentle, playful prompts to bring out your own voice and style in the company of people who love writing and where it takes them.
Sounds About Write with Anna Mansell
Location: Sheffield Plate (downstairs)
Host: Beverley Ward
Sounds About Write is The Writers Workshop's live literature event featuring invited guests from the world of publishing plus aspiring authors. This month we welcome bestselling author Anna Mansell.
For an open mic slot, email workshopwrite@gmail.com
About our guest:
Anna Mansell is a bestselling author of seven novels, a playwright, and an emerging screenwriter. She’s a BBC Writersroom alumnus, a New Associate with New Perspectives Theatre Company, an Associate Artist with Mansfield Palace Theatre, and currently working with Inspire Libraries on I Am A Writer; a programme developing a legacy project with older people from the Nottinghamshire area.
Her novels (including How to Mend a Broken Heart and Her Best Friend's Secret) are intended as a moment of escapism that reflect modern life and real, flawed, protagonists. Her theatre, film and community work focusses on the human condition and lived experience. She’s particularly interested in co-creation, stories about women at middle age, and the conversation around our relationship to body, food and self, explored in her podcast How To Breathe So You Don’t Look Fat, titled after a lesson she was taught at 8 years old.
Children's and YA Authors Meetup
Host: Beverley Ward
Location: The Writers Workshop
If you've got a project for children or young people in mind or already on the go, come along to this informal monthly meetup and let's talk about writing for youngsters. This is an opportunity to get to know other writers who write for a young audience, share your progress (or lack thereof), discuss ideas and challenges, and support each other on your writing journeys. Poets, fiction and non-fiction writers all welcome.
Absolute Beginners Workshop
Location: The Writers Workshop
Facilitator: Raquel Vogl
Have you always wanted to write creatively but don’t know where to start?
This is the workshop for you. We will do several beginner friendly writing exercises, and I will give you exercises and tips to take home to build a writing practice. There will be the opportunity to share your writing, but it is not obligatory.
This will be a friendly, fun, and open space to get words on the page, build confidence in your writing, and develop your own writing practice.
This workshop will use different prompts from the previous Absolute Beginner workshops.
*New* Developing Style: Sentences
Location: The Writers Workshop, Sheffield
Tutor: Lorna Partington
This event is the first of five interactive workshops designed to improve your language craft and your understanding of key grammar principles. Suitable for creative writers (fiction and nonfiction), the session will include writing and editing exercises.
This session will focus on sentences.
Novelist Janet Fitch says, "Write the sentences, not just the story … "
As a copy editor, I can confirm that writers too often forget to pay attention to their sentences, which can end up ungrammatical, confusing, or superfluous! So, join me in going back to basics, exploring the 4 types of structure, how to break the sentence rules effectively, and how to construct a great paragraph. Read more about the session on the blog.
The other sessions on language craft in this series are (dates TBC):
Words
Punctuation
Tone
Flair
You'll get 50% off the last session if you've attended the previous four.
Spring Nature Walk & Writing Workshop
Location: Malin Bridge tram stop
Host: Anne Grange
The Rivelin and Loxley Valleys are stunning arteries of nature reaching into the city from the Peak District and merging at Malin Bridge, not far from our meeting point at the Malin Bridge Tram stop. The ruins of the old mills have been colonised by ferns and mosses, but were once an essential part of Sheffield's industry.
Now, these valleys are important havens for many species of wildlife, including dippers, kingfishers and herons. This walk should be bursting with spring life, with several stops along the way for writing, refreshment and contemplation.
The walk includes uphill sections and uneven surfaces. Please dress for the weather, wear sturdy footwear and bring a waterproof jacket and a packed lunch or snacks, as well as a phone/camera and notebook.
*New* Group Mentoring for Neurodivergent Writers
Location: The Writers Workshop (online option available on April 29th)
Host: Amanda Marples
Hands up who is neurodivergent and really needs some support with their writing? Who longs for a writing coach but is having enough trouble paying the gas bill? Here is a solution: low-cost, high-quality group mentoring.
Here's what to expect:
Monthly meetups (online option also available)
Small groups of no more than 5 writers
Opportunity and dedicated space to bring your writing-related executive function issues (see below)
Space to talk it through with other ND writers
Access to the expertise of ND professional writer and mentor Amanda Marples (facilitating)
Solutions
Gentle accountability and goal-setting
What are writing-related executive function issues? (not an exhaustive list!)
Time management
Focus and concentration
Motivation & procrastination
Rejection sensitivity
Planning and workload management
Maintaining interest
Managing boom-bust cycles of activity
Making sense of feedback & understanding submission requirements
Bring your stuff ... and let's find a way through it together.
Good Readers Club: Dialogue
Location: The Writers Workshop
Host: Hannah Boursnell
They say that to be a good writer, you must read widely. In this monthly discussion group, we'll be deep diving into pieces by a variety of writers across different genres, analysing both the writers' craft and our response to it as readers.
In this new block of four sessions, beginning in February, we’ll focus on different elements of fiction writing:
Session 1 (Saturday, 10th February, 1.30-3.00): Plot
Session 2 (Saturday, 9th March, 1.30-3.00): Character
Session 3 (Saturday, 13th April, 1.30-3.00): Dialogue
Session 4 (Saturday, 11th May, 1.30-3.00): Style
Short extracts will be circulated to attendees ahead of each event, so do be prepared to do a small amount of advance reading to get the most out of each session.
Nonfiction Writers Meetup
Host: Hannah Boursnell
Location: Writers Workshop
If you've got a non-fiction project (of any genre) in mind or on the go, join this informal monthly meetup where we’ll talk everything fact-not-fiction. This is an opportunity to get to know other local writers working on non-fiction projects, share your progress (or lack thereof), discuss ideas and challenges, and support each other on your non-fiction journeys. Hannah — a freelance editor and former non-fiction publisher — will be on hand to offer support, advice and plenty of tea and cake.
Get Writing Easter Special
Location: Millennium Galleries
Host: Beverley Ward
A safe, creative space to explore ideas, develop new writing and work on existing projects.
Each week there’s a theme and a focus but where you go with it is up to you. No formal instruction, just gentle, playful prompts to bring out your own voice and style in the company of people who love writing and where it takes them.
This is a one-off workshop. Meet at the the Millennium Galleries cafe from 10.45am for a coffee. We’ll explore the galleries and do some writing and return to the Workshop (or the cafe) for sharing and lunch.
Screenwriters Meetup: Endings
Location: Writers Workshop
Host: John Hunter
Are you a practising screenwriter or in the process of writing a screenplay? Or are you interested in entering the world of film and TV writing but don't know where to start?
This workshop is a chance to get together with other interested and experienced writers to support each other in developing projects for the screen.
In this session we'll be exploring what makes a script's ending memorable and how we might build up to a big finish that leaves audiences satisfied and/or wanting more. Appropriately enough, this will be the last in this current season of Screenwriters Workshops.
Creative Life Writing: Celebrations & Traditions
Location: Writers Workshop (online option available)
Facilitator: Anne Grange
Are you passionate about writing? Do you want to explore the world of celebrations and traditions through your words? Then this workshop is perfect for you! Whether you're an experienced writer or just starting out, this workshop will provide you with valuable insights and techniques to enhance your creative writing skills.
During the workshop, you'll have the opportunity to engage in various writing exercises and activities, guided by our experienced facilitator. You'll learn how to capture the essence of different celebrations and traditions, and bring them to life through your writing. From festive holidays to cultural rituals, this workshop will help you delve into the rich tapestry of human traditions.
Not only will you gain inspiration and knowledge, you'll also have the chance to connect with fellow writers who share your passion. Share ideas, receive feedback, and build lasting connections in a supportive and friendly environment.
Writing Club (9-13s)
Location: Writers Workshop
Host: Beverley Ward
Writing Club encourages children and young people to develop a love of language and story outside of the formal restraints of the school curriculum. It is an opportunity for participants to play with words and express themselves in the company of other young people. Writing Club is for any young person aged 9-13 who loves to write.
Get Writing
Writers Workshop (online option available)
Host: Beverley Ward
A safe, creative space to explore ideas, develop new writing and work on existing projects. Each week there’s a theme and a focus but where you go with it is up to you. No formal instruction, just gentle, playful prompts to bring out your own voice and style in the company of people who love writing and where it takes them.
Writing Workout: Spring Sessions
Facilitators: Lorna Partington
Location: Writers Workshop
Join creative-writing facilitators Rosie Carnall or Lorna Partington for a Springtime Writing Workout!
Involving exercises that will stretch and strengthen your creative-writing muscles, the Writing Workout is suitable for all, from new starters to experienced wordsmiths.
These sessions provide a friendly, supportive environment to simply have fun with creative writing or develop a more serious writing practice.
Writing Motherhood
Facilitator: Raquel Vogl
Location: The Writers Workshop
Motherhood is a rich subject for writing. As Sarah Ruhl writes, “Motherhood is an undiscovered country in the literary sense, one we must venture into lest our experiences [go] unrecorded.”
Open to anyone who is a mother (self-defined) or wants to write about mothers. Open to both novices and seasoned writers.
This workshop will provide a space to explore our experiences of mothering through writing in any genre. We will mine the rich, abundant material that comes from the experience of mothering or being mothered, and I hope that the act of describing our experiences empowers us as writers and as mothers.
This workshop will use different prompts from the previous workshops on motherhood. We will spend our time writing and sharing our writing.
Children's and YA Authors Meetup
Host: Beverley Ward
Location: The Writers Workshop
If you've got a project for children or young people in mind or already on the go, come along to this informal monthly meetup and let's talk about writing for youngsters. This is an opportunity to get to know other writers who write for a young audience, share your progress (or lack thereof), discuss ideas and challenges, and support each other on your writing journeys. Poets, fiction and non-fiction writers all welcome.
Storytelling Skills: Time to Tell
Location: Writers Workshop
Tutor: Carmel Page
Practice, practice, practice is how you learn to tell stories. It also helps to get some feedback and advice.
In this session, six people will have the opportunity to take the stage for fifteen minutes each. They can tell a story and receive feedback and advice during that time. Tellers can opt to tell and just receive applause if they prefer and they can ask specific questions about their performance.
The audience will be encouraged to reflect on the story and make comments which will benefit the teller.
This event is about oral storytelling, not creative writing, but if anyone wishes to use notes that is not a problem.
You do not have to tell a story to attend, there are four tickets for people to come and listen. You will learn as much from listening to other tellers as from telling.
Writing Club (9-13s)
Location: Writers Workshop
Host: Beverley Ward
Writing Club encourages children and young people to develop a love of language and story outside of the formal restraints of the school curriculum. It is an opportunity for participants to play with words and express themselves in the company of other young people. Writing Club is for any young person aged 9-13 who loves to write.
Get Writing
Writers Workshop (online option available)
Host: Beverley Ward
A safe, creative space to explore ideas, develop new writing and work on existing projects. Each week there’s a theme and a focus but where you go with it is up to you. No formal instruction, just gentle, playful prompts to bring out your own voice and style in the company of people who love writing and where it takes them.
Writing Workout: Spring Sessions
Facilitators: Rosie Carnall
Location: Writers Workshop
Join creative-writing facilitators Rosie Carnall or Lorna Partington for a Springtime Writing Workout!
Involving exercises that will stretch and strengthen your creative-writing muscles, the Writing Workout is suitable for all levels, from new starters to experienced wordsmiths.
These sessions provide a friendly, supportive environment to simply have fun with creative writing or develop a more serious writing practice.
Grief Writers
Host: Beverley Ward
Location: Writers Workshop
The Grief Writers Meetup aims to bring together those who write about themes of loss in a safe supportive space to write, share and to develop outlets for collectively raising awareness of grief perhaps through publications, exhibitions or performances.
Absolute Beginners Workshop
Location: The Writers Workshop
Facilitator: Raquel Vogl
Have you always wanted to write creatively but don’t know where to start? Are you intimidated by groups of more experienced writers?
This is the workshop for you. We will do several beginner friendly writing exercises, and I will give you exercises and tips to take home to build a writing practice. There will be the opportunity to share your writing, but it is not obligatory.
This will be a friendly, fun, and open space to get words on the page, build confidence in your writing, and develop your own writing practice.
This workshop will use different prompts from the previous Absolute Beginner workshops.
This event has Sold Out
Why not try the Writing Workout on March 18th instead? Also suitable for beginners! BOOK HERE
ND Writers' Toolkit: Demand Avoidance
Location: Writers Workshop
Tutor: Amanda Marples
Getting to the page and staying there can be tough for any writer, whether you are an academic, novelist, poet or freelancer.
If you are neurodivergent (or think you might be), it can be even tougher, and there are good reasons for that. Join Amanda Marples for the final workshop in The Neurodivergent Writer's Toolkit and learn some stuff about why your silly brain does the things it does and derails your writing.
Please note you do not need a diagnosis to attend these sessions, which are designed to stand alone.
What workshop 6 is all about:
Ever found yourself desperately, passionately wanting to write some new and brilliant thing, and then immediately thought … nope? Does this automatic resistance crop up in the weirdest, most illogical places? (e.g., I should go to bed, but damned if I will). Is there a flavour of stubbornness about it that makes no sense (e.g., I ought to submit that poem I wrote to that competition … but ain’t nobody gonna tell me what to do). Welcome to demand avoidance. This final workshop in Amanda Marples’ series for neurodivergent writers is all about this bewildering, poorly understood feature of neurodiversity. Learn what demand avoidance is, where it comes from, and how to deftly sidestep it and land on the page where you belong.
This event has sold out, but CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE WAITLIST
Write a Novel: Bringing Characters to Life
Location: The Writers Workshop
Tutors: Susan Elliot Wright and Russ Thomas
This intensive Masterclass with bestselling authors Russ Thomas and Susan Elliot Wright, takes an in-depth look at the concept of character in novel writing.
Do you have a strong, convincing protagonist? Do your minor characters earn their place in the novel? How well do you know these people you've created? This Masterclass will help you to understand and strengthen your existing characters, and will give you the tools you need to create new, believable characters who will leap off the page.
You'll be encouraged to discuss your ideas and thoughts throughout the day in a comfortable, friendly and supportive environment with two experienced professionals who know the publishing industry and how to write books that catch the attention of agents, publishers and readers.
The session will run from 10.00am until 4.30pm with a break for lunch (lunch not provided).
While designed to work as a standalone session, this is one in a series of informative and comprehensive novel-writing Masterclasses, designed to give you the tools you need to make real progress on your novel.