Spring & Summer Courses and Workshops
Here are our courses and workshops for March, April, May and June. If you are on a computer, you can use the menu on the right-hand side to jump to the courses you want to look at. If you are on a phone or tablet, happy scrolling!
EXPLORING FICTION
EXPLORING FICTION is suitable for anyone who is already motivated to write, but keen to stretch their writing muscles. These workshop-format sessions aim to deepen your understanding of how fiction works through the traditional method of close reading– a.k.a. learning from the best. Using extracts, we focus on an aspect of writing technique such as point of view, voice, character etc. Kate guides you in the analysis of a relevant text which will be provided in advance and discuss how this writing can inform your own work.
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The class also provide regular feedback on your own work, as well as the encouragement, support and stimulation of a varied group of writers from around the world. Every other week, you submit 700-1,000 words over the weekend before a session. Kate then guides the non-submitting writers in giving their feedback on your work in the first part of the session.
DATES: Weekly starts 20th April
TIME: 6pm - 8pm
DURATION: 6 weeks
LOCATION: Online via ZOOM
COSTS: £150 discounted rate if full course fee paid in advance, or £30 per session. PLUS opt in at any point for written feedback from Kate (approx.150-200 words) on your response to a task (up to 700 words) for an additional £15. Keyworker 10% discount. One discounted place for disadvantaged writers, please contact Kate for details. 10% of any profit to be split between Carers UK and Women’s Aid.
TUTOR: Kate Worsley (Find out more about Kate here).
HOW TO BOOK: Contact Kate
"May I take this opportunity to say how very much I enjoyed the first course. Katie did this brilliantly making it interesting, fun to do, thought provoking, engaging the whole group excellently."
STEP-UP MICRO
For those who've previously attended Helen's courses and for experienced writers who'd like to experiment with short-form writing.
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We'll do writing exercises and games, write to a variety of prompts and encourage each other to develop and polish tiny pieces. Email feedback will be provided following each session.
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TIME: 4.30 pm - 5 pm
DURATION: Fridays 20th and 27th May, and then Fridays 10th and 17th June.
LOCATION: Online via ZOOM
COSTS: Pay per session £20. Paid in advance on a session-by-session basis.
TUTOR: Helen Chambers (Find out more about Helen here).
HOW TO BOOK: Contact Helen
"the sessions have been extremely enlightening"
MICRO-FICTION FOR BEGINNERS
This introductory four-week bite-sized course aims to teach the basic skills in constructing a tiny story - a whole world in 100 words or fewer! Learn how to make every single word work hard to earn its place in your pieces. Learn how to edit, streamline and improve your ideas and receive expert feedback and build community, skills and confidence by sharing your work with your peers. After four weeks you’ll have a neat selection of ‘little’ stories with big impact, which you can develop further.
DATES: Wednesdays 2nd, 9th, 16th and 23rd March 2022
TIME: 4.30 - 5pm
DURATION: 4 weeks
LOCATION: Online via ZOOM
COSTS: £50
TUTOR: Helen Chambers (Find out more about Helen here)
HOW TO BOOK: Contact Helen
The set up of the microfiction course was efficient, the timing prompt and well managed. Homework was potentially demanding but the comments that came back from Helen were invaluable. Her responses were considerate, thoughtful and instructive.
BOOK WRITERS GROUP
PLACES AVAILABLE. JOIN AT ANY TIME.
This is a rare opportunity to join one of Petra's focused book writing support groups. You must either be undertaking a long-term project or be working regularly on shorter fiction, creative nonfiction, or poetry.
Each week members of the class send each other up to 1000 words to be reviewed by each other and the tutor. The workshop then takes the form of positive feedback and areas for improvement. Occasionally Petra will run a skills workshop where she feels the group as a whole will benefit.
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We are looking for committed writers only as the work is time-intensive for students and the teacher. There will be a maximum of eight students.
DATES: Mondays throughout the year - please contact for more details.
TIME: 3pm - 5pm
DURATION: 6 weeks
LOCATION: Online via ZOOM
COSTS: £150
TUTOR: Petra McQueen (Find out more about Petra here).
HOW TO BOOK: Contact Petra
"Petra McQueen is an extremely capable and knowledgeable team leader."
CRAFTING SHORT-FORM WRITING
A new series of four short, snappy sessions to stimulate new flash and micro pieces. Each session we’ll begin by analysing ‘what’s worked’ in a published piece of writing, before writing from a range of prompts. An opportunity for those who’ve already taken some of Helen’s previous Micro courses to polish technical and editing skills and create some new flash and micro pieces.
DATES: Wednesday 4th May, Wednesday 18th May and then Wednesdays 8th and 15th June.
TIME: 11.30am - midday
DURATION: 4 weeks
LOCATION: Online via ZOOM
COSTS: £50
TUTOR: Helen Chambers (Find out more about Helen here)
HOW TO BOOK: Contact Helen
"You certainly got my brain ticking"
STEP UP CREATIVE WRITING
This group is a follow-on from Beginners Creative writing and is open to anyone who feels they have started their journey but would like to reinforce their skills and have the support of a like-minded community.
This small, friendly class will give you the skills and confidence to tackle the blank page. We will be looking at techniques such as 'show not tell', plot, theme, dialogue, setting and character. You will be encouraged to share your work and will gain insights into what makes your writing unique and how to improve.
DATES: from Tuesday 19th April
TIME: 7pm - 8.30pm
DURATION: 10 weeks (with a break for half-term on 31st May)
LOCATION: Online via ZOOM
COSTS: £250
TUTOR: Petra McQueen (Find out more about Petra here).
HOW TO BOOK: Contact Petra
"I've learnt so much from coming to these classes; they never fail to inspire and excite me."
EXPLORE YOUR PRACTICE
These face-to-face workshops will allow you to explore your own practice by taking inspiration from other writers and artists. Each week we will take a new topic and explore it through close reading of other authors and then create our own pieces of writing. By the end of the session, you will have done at least two pieces of new writing and will have an optional task to complete before the following week. At least half an hour of each session will be dedicated to giving feedback.
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You will grow as a writer and be part of a new writing community.
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TIME: Tuesdays 10am - 12pm
DATES: 5 weeks 26th April - 24th May
LOCATION: Face-to-face Wivenhoe private house (exact ocation released on booking)
COSTS: £125
TUTOR: Petra McQueen. Find out more about Petra here.
HOW TO BOOK: email Petra
"This course has been very enjoyable and I have learned a great deal about how I write and how I think about writing. Petra's style is relaxed but the lessons are very focused and relevant."
SPRING SHOOTS, AND LEAVES – THE WRITING SESSIONS MARCH 2022
Liz Ferretti’s Writing Sessions are a tried-and-tested format – to get you motivated and writing. During March, the focus is on growth.
What’s it all about?
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15 minutes of warm-up exercises
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40 minutes of writing time, for guaranteed productivity
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15 minutes of consolidation exercises
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Maximum 6 participants. This is time for you, so we share ideas not our writing
What else do you get?
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2 x critical feedback (submissions of up to 1000 words each – the first after week 1, second after week 4)
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FREE! workbook after each class
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A short guide to keeping a reflective journal
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Writer’s surgery – focussed problem solving
DAY AND TIME OF CLASSES: Tuesdays 19.00–20.15
DURATION: MARCH 2022 1 month = 4 classes
DATES: 8 March, 15 March, 22 March, 29 March
LOCATION: online (via Google Meet, you will be sent a link. Google Meet is free but you need to log in if you don’t have a Google account)
TUTOR: Liz Ferretti
HOW TO BOOK: www.writerrevealed.co.uk, for more detailed course info, email Liz at info@writerrevealed.co.uk