What do you see when confronted with the dreaded Blank Page? A horror story or the start of something romantic? It all depends on what you bring to it.
In this course we will look at some different starting points when writing fiction, using a variety of creative exercises to help us to begin a piece of fiction and move forward, touching on various aspects of fiction including, but not limited to a brief overview of:
• Plotting and planning
• Characterisation
• Prose style
• Voice
• Pace
• The art of completion
Participants will be asked to create new work during the course, and will have the opportunity to share work in progress with other members of the group. There will be the choice to receive gentle, supportive feedback on individual works if desired.
Some recommended reading will be given, which may include short fiction, long fiction, flash fiction and micro fiction as well as short novels.
In the final session we will look at publication in various ways, how this is achieved for different kinds of fiction, and the various issues that may arise before, during and after a work is published.
By the end of the course you will have learned:
• Techniques in beginnings for a short story, a piece of flash fiction or a longer work
• A range of self-editing skills
• How to finish a short piece, or plan the ending of something longer
Dr Melanie Golding is the author of three traditionally published novels, the first of which, Little Darlings, became an e-book bestseller and has been optioned for screen by Free Range Films. She works as an associate lecturer at Bath Spa University on the MA in Creative Writing, and freelance as an editor, mentor and writing coach.
A course of five sessions over ten weeks: 12th / 26th September, 10th/24th October, 7th November
The Exchange, Stroud
£150 / £125
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