Mini Course Programme

Mini Courses run on Friday 3 July between
10.00am - 4.30pm unless otherwise stated.

NOTES: Workshops will be held in St. Edburga, Main Building, The Stripe Lecture Room, Tom Atkinson & Arts Centre 5

COURSE FEE: £110
Includes coffee and biscuits, lunch, afternoon tea and cakes and Friday dinner.

HOW TO WRITE A SERIES THAT WILL KEEP READER ASKING FOR MORE (MI01)
VERONICA HELEY
As a seasoned serial author, Veronica will help you to choose subjects which have enough scope for a series. The group will consider how action, character and setting, can develop into a number of books instead of overloading one novel. Keeping the plot moving in the series and getting the correct balance for each novel is vital to its success.

TACKLING COMMERCIAL FICTION (MI02)
CATHERINE KING
This course will address aspects of writing and placing a book that will sell. In the morning we shall look at the popular fiction market, what makes a good novel and how to generate ideas. After lunch
we shall work on the opening hook and use of dialogue. The course will finish with a session on problem-solving for novelists.

THE MAZE OF THE SHORT STORY (MI03)
JUNE HAMPSON
This workshop will unravel secrets that can help you write, complete and send out your short story. We’ll explore by writing practical exercises, discussion and examples. Delegates are invited to send short stories, maximum 1,000 words for critiques by 5th June.

MAKING MEMORABLE SCENES (MI04)
LORNA FERGUSSON
We will explore how to make the scenes in your novel work as powerfully as possible to engage and hold your reader’s attention. We’ll look at various published examples, deconstructing them to see what it was in their internal dynamics that made them so effective – and we’ll practise writing our own examples. We’ll cover such areas as pace and tension, creating mood, setting location, using dialogue and placing scenes in the overall structure of your novel. Getting the individual scenes right will help you to grow in confidence as a novelist.

HOW TO WRITE MARKETABLE COMEDY FOR RADIO, TELEVISION & MAGAZINES (MI05)
BRAD ASHTON
Because everyone loves to laugh, television, radio, newspapers and magazines need well written comedy. This course will show you how to create, write and sell comedy to the various mediums.
It will also cover how to surmount the language barrier when writing for foreign markets. A list of possible markets will be included. For this session, delegates are invited to delve into their
past and describe two or three incidents that have caused them embarrassment. It could be due to a misunderstanding, a flippant remark that was taken too seriously or perhaps a seemingly harmless little white lie that grew out of proportion because it had to be backed by further more serious lies. The purpose of this exercise is to demonstrate how these situation comedy episode or a humorous magazine article.

AWAKING THE VOICES: BREATHING LIFE INTO
CHILDREN’S STORIES (MI06)
BEVERLEY BIRCH
This workshop on narrative voice will involve practical exploration of alternative angles of narration that brings characters to life. Bring an idea on which you are working and be prepared for new
writing during the workshop, serious self-analysis and evaluation and a shaking up of your ideas and assumptions!

ESPECIALLY FOR BEGINNERS: PAPERBACK WRITER (MI07)
JACK SHEFFIELD
This is a supportive and informative full-day course for beginners and those who have begun to write articles, short stories or a first novel. We shall explore the route to becoming a published writer. The activities will include: starting out, genre, research
techniques, the first page, scene setting, dialogue, presentation and the important first approach to agents and publishers. If you are writing a novel, bring a one-page synopsis with you.

THE ACID TEST (MI08)
JAN HENLEY & JULIA BRYANT
Is your novel sharp enough to impress an editor? Will your synopsis grab the attention of an agent? Does your first page send out all the right signals? Can you tell someone what your novel is really about? Bring your synopsis/first chapter to this workshop to put it to the test in a group workshop with tutorial advice.

GETTING STARTED KEEPING IT GOING (MI09)
CAROLE BURNS
Find the inspiration for new ideas for fiction or discover a new window into work-in-progress. Class involves six writing exercises, on character, place, endings, intensifying scenes, description and
dialogue; we have a brief discussion at the end of each exercise to hear: what’s working? The aim is to leave with rough drafts to expand and revise at home.

SHAKE UP YOUR POETRY (MI10)
PAUL BAVISTER
Sometimes a personal style can become a limitation, leading to repetition and a sense that we cannot break free from certain subject matter. Take this opportunity to rework the conventions of narrative, imagery and description to create moving, suspenseful and above all – new – poetry. Some of a poem’s ‘problem areas’ will be looked at in detail: how to end without summing up; how to use ambiguity to create suspense rather than confusion; how to use imagery to extend meaning. This will be a practical workshop with new techniques being tried throughout.