This is a creative writing workshop in which students will read ‘as writers’, mining each text for lessons in craft, discussing how the work is constructed, and identifying what can be applied to their own practice. Our readings span short stories and novels—realist, memory-driven, episodic, dialogue-centred, performative, and those using elements of the fantastic. In response to these readings, and guided by weekly themes, participants will produce outstanding new writing.
Week 1: Introduction and Beginnings
• How stories start
• What makes an effective opening
• Establishing stakes, tone and direction
Week 2: Narrative, Plot and Sub-plot
Workshop 1: Group 1
• Structure, tension, and momentum
• How sub-plots deepen or complicate the main arc
Week 3: Point of View, Character and Theme
Workshop 2: Group 2
• POV choices and their effects
• Creating dimensional, believable characters
• POV as a tool for revealing (or withholding) character
Week 4: Place, Setting and Atmosphere
Workshop 3: Group 3
• World-building in realistic and non-realistic fiction
• Setting as mood, metaphor and engine of conflict
Week 5: Language, Style and Tone
Workshop 4: Group 1
• Sentence craft, rhythm, voice
• How tone shapes reader expectation
Week 6: Dialogue, Interiority and Showing vs Telling
Workshop 5: Group 2
• Rendering speech and thought
• Balancing summary and scene
• Choosing when to show and when to tell
Week 7: Endings and Narrative Resolution
Workshop 6: Group 3
• How to close a story
• Avoiding rushed endings
• Crafting resonant final images and gestures
Week 8: What’s Next?
Editing, Revision and Publishing Talk
• Approaches to self-editing
• Understanding feedback
• Preparing work for submission: journals, agents, competitions
• Applying for MA or MFA