Are you a writer that bends the rules of reality? Do you look to folklore, magic and the supernatural for inspiration in your writing?
Join award-winning author Zoe Gilbert for a very special online course dedicated to writing that comes with a fantastical edge.
Designed to focus on how to capture, develop and nurture the fantastical elements of a story, this is a course that applies to any genre, suitable for writers of all abilities, and comes packed with discussion, working examples and practical exercises to be taken away and applied to your own work.
This course includes:
- Five online sessions, 1.5 hours in length, and with a maximum of 20 students
- Practical workshops with takeaway exercises to be applied to your own work
- A written review from Zoe on a submission of up to 2,000 words
- Writing exercises to put each session's learning into practice
- Insight into the process of finding an agent and getting published from literary agent GUEST AGENT TBC
- Course materials available to view ahead of each session, including stories and excerpts to read, plus catch-up audio recordings
- Exclusive discounts on W&A titles and other products
Each week, sessions will combine tutorials with practical exercises, feedback and discussion.
Schedule
Week 1: From ideas to stories
Wednesday 14th October 2020
How do we get from an inspiring idea, or object, to an engaging story? We’ll use simple writing exercises to find the stories behind intriguing or everyday objects, and discuss how other writers have used the traditions of folklore and magic to develop story. We’ll also explore imaginary starting points for stories, and look at how magical creatures and transformations can speak deeply to us of change or individuality in fiction. How can we develop a creature, or a relationship with one, that brings symbolic meaning to a story?
Week 2: Characters and communities
Wednesday 21st October 2020
In week two we’ll focus on character development. How do we animate a character, and make them distinctive? We’ll explore how to develop characters that drive their own plots, and ways to bring them to life on the page. Then we’ll experiment with placing characters into communities, and see how their friends and foes become part of their story. We’ll also play with the power of names.
Week 3: Settings and magical landscapes
Wednesday 28th October 2020
In this session we’ll experiment with building rich settings that draw readers in. We’ll think about the kind of worlds your stories take place in, and how to describe these vividly. We’ll also learn about using settings to enhance the reader’s insight into characters, and how they see the world. Using maps, we’ll explore world-building, and guiding your readers through a magical place.
Week 4: Voice, point of view and language
Wednesday 4th November 2020
In this session,we’ll look at a range of voices and approaches for storytelling. We’ll consider the powers that certain points of view and tenses possess, and how can we use them effectively. Who is speaking and why, where are they speaking from? We’ll also look closely at language in our writing, and the power of careful world choice. We’ll experiment with narrative styles that express our characters and their attitudes, as well the world they live in.
Week 5: Plot, story and fate
Wednesday 11th November 2020
Stories need tension, conflict and choices, and characters pushed to extremes. In this session we’ll explore how things can go wrong for a character, and how to create tension when they do. What makes a strong story shape, that satisfies the reader? We’ll try taking inspiration from the skeleton structures of folk tales. We’ll also try different methods for creating a story, from using archetypal plot shapes to throwing in unexpected twists and turns.
Event Details
This is an online course presented via video-conferencing software. Joining instructions and full guidance will be provided before the course start-date.
Testimonials
‘I really feel it has got me back into feeling positive about writing.’
‘Inspiring, magical, uplifting.’
‘I learned a lot (not least from Zoe’s wonderful teaching style), and best of all I was INSPIRED!’
‘Original, clear, dynamic.’
‘It gave a very clear structure in approaching creative writing and getting over the first hurdle of writing and creating scene, characters and tension. I can't thank you enough.’
‘Fun, friendly, full of ideas.’
Zoe Gilbert is an award-winning author whose first novel, Folk, was published by Bloomsbury in 2018. Folk was shortlisted for the Dylan Thomas Prize 2019, and adapted for BBC radio. Her second novel, Mischief Acts, is forthcoming with Bloomsbury. Her short stories have appeared in anthologies and journals in the UK and internationally, on BBC Radio 4, and won prizes including the Costa Short Story Award 2014. She teaches and mentors writers at London Lit Lab, and at organisations including the British Library and Arvon Foundation.
Booking & Payment
The course fee of £350 (inc. VAT) is payable in full online. Please do contact us to discuss an instalment payment plan by calling 0207 631 5985 or by sending an email to writersandartists@bloomsbury.com.
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