Six Week 'Keep That Momentum Going' Creative Writing Course - Southbank SE1

Venue: Southbank, London SE1

Address: Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London SE1

Dates: Tuesdays 15th, 22nd, 29th Oct; 5th, 12th, 19th November 2024

Time: 6.30-8.30pm

Price: £347 / £327 concessions (senior citizens/disabled persons)

Duration: six weeks - one session per week of two hours

Class Size: Maximum 8 students (6 required for workshop to proceed) *

(*Once enrolled, should the course not go ahead and there is not a suitable alternative course you’d like to transfer to, you will receive a full refund. Please note: refunds via PayPal or Eventbrite usually take 3-5 working days.)

Format: weekly topics, in-class discussion and writing exercises via detailed worksheets, plus homework and critique, with the emphasis on developing all aspects of your work.

Age: 18 and above. (I am DBS checked)

Description: This creative writing course is suitable for writers with projects underway or experienced writers looking for a fresh injection of inspiration. It is perfect for all genres and also those wishing to write short stories.

Beginners - please kindly refer to the more suitable ‘Get That Novel Started’ course options or the one day ‘Write A Complete Story’ workshops.

Course Outline: In the warm, fun and inspiring environment of London’s Southbank, this six-week course is the perfect follow on to the ‘Get That Novel Started’ course, focusing each week on more key aspects to fiction writing, as detailed below. (Please note - this course is suitable for historical and biographical genres too.) In addition, there will be writing exercises, group discussion and homework (up to two-thousand words of your novel/writing project) which I will critique and send back to you. This is where you learning truly accelerates, plus, vitally, your writing will flourish due to regularity.

Here’s the week-by-week content:

Week 1 - Show, don’t tell.

“Don’t tell me the moon is shining, show me the glint of light on broken glass.” - Anton Chekhov

This classic technique for writing is definitely one to master, as, when done properly, it transports the reader’s imagination to make them feel there, in that moment, feeling that emotion, or feeling as if they are in that location on a sensory level.

‘Showing’ describes a character’s true feelings or observations. It makes a reader feel they are there, on the beach, feeling the sun’s golden rays brushing their skin, as opposed to ‘telling’ the reader that the character is on the beach and that the sun is hot.

Mastering this technique will enchant the reader, creating the emotion and depth we seek in our writing.

Week 2 - Plot & Character Arcs

Throughout the story, us writers need to chart the development of both the plot and our protagonist. I.E., we need to be able to compare where the story started, what is its energy/impetus, and via what series of events it is building to its conclusion. Likewise, with our protagonist, we need to be able to compare the person they were at the start of the story with how they evolve/change/develop via the circumstances they face.

This is of paramount importance, as, by knowing this, we can draw our reader in to be able to empathise and share the emotional journey, thus ensuring the reader experience is as gripping and engaging as possible.

Week 3 – Pace

Novels are written via ebbs and flows/peaks and troughs in the storyline, and knowing when to allow the characters – and, most importantly, the reader – to be able to catch breath and absorb the content, is vital. E.G., if much has happened in a scene or chapter, it will pay dividends to the immersion and connectability for the reader to have time for your content to soak in.

Also, when building towards our endings, we must be able to gauge when we can begin to ramp up the delivery to convey a sense of momentum and rising drama, tension or jeopardy. Much of this is instinctive, yet practising the techniques can only enhance the reader experience.

Week 4 - The Writer’s Daily Check List

As voted the most enlightening of all the weeks’ content, here we focus on a checklist to ensure our writing is as rich, engaging and unputdownable as possible. When writing, I always encourage students to simply go for it – write with abandon and harness the sheer, unbridled joy of creating our next scene or chapter. And when doing so, we mustn’t baulk our creative flow by stopping to change words or sentences, we must keep charging forwards until we capture our new content for that day.

However, once we have done so, we need to go back through our work (ideally after an hour or two’s break) with our editorial caps on, so to speak, to ensure the many aspects that make our writing shine are included: e.g., narrative, descriptions, dialogue, paragraph lengths etc.

Week 5 – The Ideas factory

This week, we focus on how to keep producing plot ideas. Ideally, we will have a conveyor belt of new ideas to pick from. This is possible to achieve, though, to do so, we need to be as immersed as possible in the story (writing every day is the ideal to facilitate this), plus, be open to all possibilities for ideas and content to complete the start, the middle, the end and, ultimately, the first draft. Here, we learn vital techniques to achieve this.

Week 6 - The End

Naturally, this is of huge importance. From page one, the story has been leading up to this point, and so, of course, deserves our upmost attention. And never will we have as much time as we do right now to a) consider what our ending will be, and b) how we will deliver it. Sure, we may not yet know our ending, however, we can begin to consider what type of ending it may likely be. E.G., happy, sad, open to the reader’s interpretation, a cliff hanger which leads into the next book in the series.

The end has a number of jobs to do. In addition to delivering a strong, satisfying conclusion that justifies the reader’s financial and time investment in reading all the preceding pages, it must neatly tie-up most/all the plot threads throughout and account for all the key characters.

Course goal: at the end of the six weeks, you will have learnt and practised more of the fundamental building blocks necessary to deliver a rich, compelling and immersive novel/story. Plus, you will have potentially produced another twelve-thousand words of your project, being inspired to continue towards your end target - the completed first draft.

Reviews:

“After completing the Get That Novel Started course, my writing dried up. I need the discipline and motivation of a course environment and enrolling for this made me write again. I rediscovered the joy, and love the accountability of having to send in homework each week, for which the critique was so helpful.’ Alex, Crystal Palace

“The additional weekly topics really broadened my mind to the structure of novel writing. The course is great fun, enlightening, and Dominic’s enthusiasm really kept me writing. Worth every penny.’ Dave, Herne Bay

“As with anything in life, writing is all about “keeping that momentum going”. I’d attended the Get That Novel Started course with Dominic, but let things slide afterwards. Now, it’s great to be back creating again. The weekly content and course notes are a great reference too.’ Azra, Victoria

FAQ

Are there any course requirements? Yes, you’ll need basic written English skills to benefit from it, plus access to the internet for the sending and receiving of homework

Is previous creative writing experience required? Yes.*

*For beginners, please check out the courses page for the next ‘Get That Novel Started’ course or ‘Write A Complete Story’ workshop in your area.

Are there any other costs? No.

Is there anything I need to bring? Your own writing materials – pens, paper, laptop etc.

And perhaps most importantly ...

Why choose Creative Writer as opposed to other course providers?

I am a passionate, enthusiastic and vastly-experienced creative writing coach and published author. I know what a big step it is to put pen to paper, let alone enrol on one of these courses. So, I will be totally on your side, guiding you with the positive, friendly advice and critique needed to ensure your development as a writer.

One of my favourite quotes: “Dominic tells students what they need to know, yet in a gentle, encouraging and very positive way. You’re in great hands.” Natalie, Wimbledon

Also, you will be taught in a group with a maximum number of eight students, small enough to ensure personal attention and inclusion, whilst broad enough to benefit from a cross-section of influences and inspirations. And there’s nothing like being in the company of fellow-creatives to truly get inspired.

Each week, you will receive detailed critique on your homework, guiding you on all aspects of writing, especially those particular to your style. I want you to excel on this course and to exceed your expectations.

Should you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me on: [email protected]

Thank you and I hope to work with you on your writing goals.

Best wishes & happy writing!

Dominic

Dominic Canty

[email protected]

www.creative-writer.co.uk

Host or Publisher creative-writer.co.uk