PITCH & PRESENTATION (MI01)
JULIA BRYANT & JAN HENLEY
You have written a novel - but how best to pitch it to grab
the attention of an agent? Does your synopsis sparkle? Will
your first page hook your reader? Have you a UNIQUE SELLING
POINT and a KILLER FIRST SENTENCE. Bring your synopsis and first
chapter to this workshop to practise the art of pitch and presentation
through tutorial advice and a group workshop. Julia Bryant and
Jan Henley look forward to putting you through your paces.
SELLING YOUR WORK WORLDWIDE BUT KNOWING
YOUR RIGHTS (MI02)
JOHN JENKINS
Freelance journalism in the UK is not lucrative work but marketing
your work worldwide certainly is. A dollar a word is not uncommon
from the USA. Do you know how much the Christian Science Monitor
pays for an op ed?
One clever lady sold the same article to 16 different outlets.
Another enterprising freelancer made more than £10,000
from a magazine feature and pictures which went to more than
20 markets. But you have to know your rights. Who would have
thought Les Miserables would have become a smash-hit musical?
How did Lionel Bart and Neil Simon come to rue the day they
sold all rights to superb pieces of work. John Jenkins, who
has sold more than 300 articles and stories world-wide, will
give you the tools to be a master marketeer of your work.
BREATHING LIFE INTO A CHILDREN'S STORY:
AWAKENING THESE VOICES (MI03)
BEVERLEY BIRCH
Join this course on narrative voice, involving practical exploration
of alternative angles of narration and bringing a character
to life. Bring an idea you are working on and be prepared
for new writing during the workshop, serious self-analysis
and evaluation and a shaking-up of your ideas and assumptions.
BLINDFOLD INTO THE MAZE: PLOTTING YOUR
NOVEL (MI04)
LORNA FERGUSSON
Margaret Atwood says that writing a novel is like going blindfold
into a maze: for beginners and more advanced writers alike,
plot-construction can be daunting. During this stimulating
day course, we'll use practical exercises, examples and discussion
to explore and tackle story structure, examining the overall
design of a novel and how to place scenes and scene-sequences
so that your reader's interest, once hooked, never flags.
If you have a novel underway, bring a BRIEF synopsis of it
with you. If not, just bring your ideas and watch them grow.
FINDING YOUR STYLE - YOUR WRITING VOICE
(MI05)
ADRIENNE DINES
This is a workshop for people who have a story to tell but
haven't been able to find
a way to tell it. Maybe that wonderful tale in your head just
isn't finding its way onto that page. Maybe you have started
and found that somewhere after the first few pages/chapters
the story drifted off and you can't seem to harness it again.
It's not so much writers' block as a lack of conviction. This
workshop will look at where the problems might lie: structure,
point of view, characterisation, and narration. We'll start
with you and how you relate to characters/ situations and
see how that affects the way you approach your story. This
interactive workshop is designed to renew your enthusiasm
and give you confidence. If you have a work in progress or
ideas for a story, please submit a short synopsis and any
questions that you'd like to tackle, by 6th +June
WRITING A NOVEL: ADVANCED TECHNIQUES
(MI06)
PAUL BAVISTER
Writing a novel can sometimes feel like you are juggling more
concerns than is humanly possible. This workshop will help
you play to your strengths by analyzing your novel's structure,
looking primarily at enhancing all levels of readability and
suspense. It will also introduce new approaches to description,
dialogue and characterization to break habits which might
be slowing the completion of your work. Please bring along
a brief synopsis of your novel (even if it is at the planning
stage).
HOW TO WRITE MARKETABLE COMEDY FOR
RADIO, TELEVISION & MAGAZINES (MI07)
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 recollections
can trigger the basic plotline for a situation comedy episode
or a humorous magazine article.
ROMANTIC COMEDIES: HOW TO BALANCE THE
ROM WITH THE COM (MI08)
DEBBY HOLT
To be successful, romantic comedies have to traverse a tight-rope:
If there's too much comedy, it's difficult to care about the
romance at the core of the novel. If there's too little, the
book resembles an overcooked sponge. This course aims to help
you become the Delia Smith of the rom-com! You are welcome
to bring first two pages of your novel.
WHAT IS A SHORT STORY
(MI09)
JUNE HAMPSON
The workshop will take the delegates from the idea of a short
story through the craft to the submission of the completed
manuscript. Written exercises will include characterisation,
plotting, theme, dialogue, viewpoint, setting out and marketing.
At the end of the day the delegate, via the use of the handouts,
Q&A, critiques of delegates' work, discussions, group
and one-to-one work, will comprehend the craft of the short
story. Pens, pad and a sense of humour essential.
THE A-Z OF SUCCESSFUL CRIME & THRILLER
WRITING (MI10)
PETER GUTTRIDGE
The Observer's Crime Fiction Reviewer, Peter Guttridge will
lead you through the nuts and bolts of crime and thriller
writing. Exercises will include creating realistic characters,
plotting and plotting backwards and narrative structure. You
will also have the opportunity to solve a real crime.