On February 17, 2024, The Writers Workshop hosted the inaugural Writers Day at Theatre Deli, Sheffield, which was attended by more than 80 people.
Our aim was to bring writers together from Sheffield and beyond to CREATE MORE, LEARN MORE, and ASPIRE MORE in 2024.
Information about the programme and our speakers is below, and takeaways from the day can be found on our Blog. We are also running WRITE MORE events throughout the year to keep the momentum going, so keep an eye on What’s On!
The Programme
The programme for Write More in ‘24 has three strands of exciting sessions to inspire you. The schedule for the day and the biographies of our fantastic line up of session leaders follow the programme description.
CREATE: More Ideas
The CREATE strand comprises fully interactive creative-writing sessions, led by experienced Writers Workshop facilitators, helping you produce new material from prompts.
Writing Workout with Lorna Partington & Rosie Carnall: Join Lorna and Rosie for a taste of their popular Writing Workout. Work up a creative sweat with a series of structured exercises to strengthen your writing muscles, responding to the day’s theme, 'What is more?' using a variety of fun prompts that offer an enjoyable way into a more creative, intuitive, and flexible writing experience.
Writing for Wellbeing with Bryony Doran: The power of writing for our mental wellbeing is well documented. From journaling to creative writing, the act of putting words on paper is cathartic and liberating, not to mention simply enjoyable! Join Bryony Doran for a creative writing session to start your day that will leave you a little lighter of heart and mind.
Write from Life with Raquel Vogl: Do you have memories or experiences that you’ve always wanted to write about? Are you interested in writing a memoir? Join Raquel for an open, encouraging session of writing from life, using your life experiences as inspiration and with a focus on concrete, significant details.
Urban Safari: Nature Writing with Anne Grange: Join Anne on an urban safari! You’ll gather at nearby St Mary’s Church, where you’ll search for signs of spring, discover history, bird watch, and look for mini beasts before heading back to the warmth of Theatre Deli to reflect and write. Who knows what you'll discover! If you’re planning to attend this workshop, bring warm, waterproof clothing and sensible footwear, as well as a notebook, pen and camera/phone.
Write from the Art with Rosie Carnall: Join Rosie for an innovative, art-inspired workshop offering a thought-provoking way into new writing. Based on Rosie’s extensive experience of facilitating philosophical enquiry sessions to get people thinking and writing together, we’ll look at a piece of art and do some shared thinking activities to build a communal bank of inspiration before using creative prompts to stimulate your own pieces of writing.
EXPLORE: More Skills
The EXPLORE strand will introduce you to different writing disciplines. Suitable for any level of experience, these sessions are the perfect opportunity to learn some new skills and ‘have a go’.
Start Your Novel with Susan Elliot-Wright & Russ Thomas: Are you serious about writing a novel in 2024? In this special half-day mini masterclass, bestselling authors Russ Thomas and Susan Elliot Wright provide top tips and practical exercises to help you explore your ideas in a group setting. By the end of the session, you’ll have a working document that forms the basic scaffolding of your novel, allowing you to get going, keep going and finally build that novel you’ve been dreaming of. Although designed to work alone, this session is the perfect start to Russ and Susan’s intensive series of 5 masterclasses starting in March.
Please note: There will be two identical sessions, morning and afternoon. Each session is limited to 12 participants, so sessions must be booked in advance (instructions for reserving a place for this session will be provided with your Eventbrite booking).
Poetry for All with Anne Grange: Do you want to write poetry but are unsure where to start and what to write about? In this practical workshop, have a go at writing in some poetic forms or "freestyle," learn some tips and tricks about poetry writing, and begin finding your voice. Have fun and find out that poetry is nothing to be afraid of! Suitable for everyone, from absolute beginners to poetry maestros!
The Script Sharpener: Scriptwriting with Letty Butler: The Script Sharpener: An exercise-led class, jam-packed with tips and tricks to make your script shine, covering topics including creating compelling characters; how to write ‘real’ dialogue; the importance of location; and silence and subtext. Suitable for scriptwriters at any stage, whether you write for stage, screen, or radio.
Tackling Issues: Writing Fiction for Young People with Beverley Ward: Reading has been shown to develop empathy in young people and can be a great vehicle for tackling issues. But how do you write something engaging and age-appropriate? In this interactive workshop, Beverley Ward (author of Archie Nolan: Family Detective) will help you to take an issue that you care about and to bring it to life for young readers.
Self-Editing for Success with Lorna Partington: So, you have written a ‘sh***y first draft’ … now what? The task of revision can be overwhelming, especially for new writers. Join Lorna to discover more about the editing process and how you can get your manuscript into the best possible shape before you send it to readers, a professional editor, an agent, or a publisher.
ASPIRE: More Dreams
The ASPIRE strand will encourage you to take yourself seriously as a writer, inspiring you to build, sustain, and enjoy a writing life.
Rejection Management with Amanda Marples: Writing is a personal, solitary undertaking, and sharing it with the world can be threatening. Rejection comes with the turf, but what if you don’t have a rhino’s skin and can’t seem to grow one? What if the seemingly endless stream of thanks-but-no-thanks rejections landing in your inbox are wearing you down? What if you’re so afraid, you never share your work at all? This workshop will help the thin-skinned writer understand rejection sensitivity, find strategies to manage it … and keep going. This session is applicable to all writers but is also a good introduction to Amanda’s workshop series aimed at neurodivergent writers.
Pitching to Publishers with Beverley Ward & Zoe King (Hachette): Join Beverley Ward and Zoe King from Hachette to talk about the publishing process from pitch to publication. The session will include a Q&A, so you can ask your pressing publishing questions directly to an expert.
This session is open to everyone, but for a chance to pitch your novel to Zoe during the session and receive immediate feedback, you must register for this session separately (additional fee applies). Instructions for applying to pitch will be provided with your Eventbrite booking.
Pitching to Agents with Beverley Ward & Rachel Mann (CAA): Join Beverley Ward and Rachel Mann from the Creative Artists Agency to talk about the process of pitching your book to an agent. The session will include a Q&A, so you can ask your pressing questions about querying agents directly to an expert.
This session is open to everyone, but for a chance to pitch your novel to Rachel during the session and receive immediate feedback, you must register for this session separately (additional fee applies). Instructions for applying to pitch will be provided with your Eventbrite booking.
Find Your Readers: Intro to Marketing for Authors with Anna Caig: Most writers want to find and connect with readers at some point, but many writers feel awkward about marketing and worry about ‘selling out’. But marketing is simply about understanding the people who’ll love your writing, how to find them, and how to capture their attention. Join Society of Authors trainer Anna Caig to discover the essential marketing toolkit and how to choose marketing activity that’s authentic to your creative values, drawing on the inspirations behind your own writing. Whether you’re starting your writing journey or an established author looking to boost your marketing, this session will leave you inspired, empowered, and excited about connecting with readers.
Putting Yourself Out There with Carmel Page: At some point, writers must take to the stage to share their work with the world. Join experienced performer Carmel to learn how to use your nervous energy (or plain old stage fright) to your advantage and convey yourself and your creative writing to audiences in a confident, engaging way. Learn the trick to reading aloud engagingly, and you will be on the path to performing like a literary celebrity.
Session Leaders & Guests
Beverley Ward is the founder of the Writers Workshop. A published author and writing coach, she is also passionate about developing everyone’s love for writing, especially young people’s. https://www.beverleywrites.com/about
Rosie Carnall is a writer and creative facilitator who gets people together to think, write, and explore ideas both large and small, often using the principles of philosophical enquiry. https://www.rosiecarnall.co.uk/creative-facilitator
Lorna Partington Walsh is a professional editor who collaborates with writers to elevate their manuscripts to the next level. She is also dedicated to helping writers become better self-editors. https://www.lornapartington.com/about
Anne Grange is a poet and novelist who also provides editorial and self-publishing support to indie writers. She has a particular passion for nature writing and life writing. https://wildrosemarywritingservices.co.uk/about/
Raquel Vogl is an American writer, musician, and teacher who loves helping people find their creative voice and facilitating their expression and writing. She has taught English and writing at the City University of New York and the Queens Library.
Carmel Page is known widely as an engaging oral storyteller. She also delivers a range of arts and crafts activities across the region and is the author of Yorkshire Folk Tales for Children, published by The History Press. https://www.createsheffield.co.uk/partners/carmel-page
Anna Caig specialises in media relations and strategic marketing campaigns. She works with The Society of Authors, Jericho Writers,The Literary Consultancy, Tŷ Newydd Writing Centre and The Romantic Novelists' Association, as well as indie writers. https://www.annacaigcomms.co.uk/
Amanda Marples is a mental health practitioner, mentor, and published author. She specialises in helping writers who identify as neurodiverse to achieve their writing goals. https://www.reconcilecreative.com/home
Bryony Doran is a published poet, novelist, and short story writer. She is also a writing coach and mentor helping authors build their writing careers. https://www.bryonydoran.com/
Russ Thomas is the author of crime novels Firewatching, Nighthawking, and Cold Reckoning, featuring Detective Sergeant Adam Tyler, published by Simon & Schuster. http://russthomasauthor.com
Susan Elliot Wright is the author of five novels, including the acclaimed The Flight of Cornelia Blackwood, published by Simon & Schuster. https://susanelliotwright.co.uk
Rachel Mann is a literary agent at Creative Artists Agency, having spent ten years editing and commissioning fiction at houses including Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster. She moved into agenting in 2018, representing clients across the adult and children’s markets. CAA is one of the largest talent agencies in the world. Its UK publishing office opened in 2022. Among its clients are Margaret Atwood, Haruki Murakami and Eliza Clark.
Zoë King is a rights executive at Hachette UK, working across the Little, Brown Book Group and Dialogue lists, where she helps to bring authors’ work to life in different languages, territories and formats.