COURSE: GLADFIC Creative Writing with Vanessa Gebbie - SOLD OUT
GLADFIC Creative Writing Course
Sunday 11th – Friday 16th August
Led by Vanessa Gebbie
This course has sold out. Email [email protected] to be notified of any cancellations.
Perhaps there’s an unfinished novel under the bed that needs a fresh start. Perhaps you have a few short stories that petered out. Perhaps you’ve always wanted to write, never found the right time, and now aren't sure how to start. Perhaps you’ve just mislaid your writing mojo? Whatever the reason, give yourself the gift of a week at Gladstone’s Library - the perfect place to focus on your writing with the support of an experienced mentor and teacher of writing who was also one of our first Writers in Residence.
The course will be informal but very focussed, as you shed all the other roles you have to play, keeping a firm hold on your writer’s hat. You’ll spend the mornings in a variety of group workshops, exploring how some great writers have created their works, where and how to find inspiration, how to create new or refresh existing characters, voices and settings. You may decide to experiment with poetry, prose poetry, flash fiction.
In the afternoons you will have plenty of time to practice the new skills you have learned, and everyone will have a private one-to-one with Vanessa. And there are the walks, the gloriously welcoming Gladstone Room, or the Reading Rooms to inspire you. In the evenings, after supper, there will be a programme of writing-related activities as not a moment is wasted to strengthen you as a writer.
There will also be a focus on what comes next - asking what a successful writing group is, how to aim at competitions, publication, working with agents, self-publishing and much more.
By the end of the course those with lengthier projects will have enriched their work-in-progress, and with Vanessa’s support, nudged it on to the next stage. The short story writers will have revised, written or edited several pieces of work. And most will have at least a few pieces of short, short fiction ready to submit for publication.
You will, most importantly, understand yourself better as a creative being.
Programme
Sunday 11th August
From 5pm: welcome and dinner
Monday 12th August
Morning
What exactly is fiction?
What are the different forms of fiction? Exploring the novel, short fiction forms (including short-short fiction and flash) and prose poetry
Are there any differences in approach when writing different forms?
A creative game
Analysis of a well published fictional narrative, to weed out some of the elements of fiction
Afternoon
One-to-ones (free time for delegates not timetabled for these meetings)
Evening
Discussion: sharing our favourite published fictional narratives. Why do we love them?
Tuesday 13th August
Morning
Continuing the narrative analysis
A creative game
A deeper look at elements of fiction
A focus on character development - discussion and practice
Afternoon
One-to-ones (free time for delegates not timetabled for these meetings)
Evening
Vanessa Gebbie reads out fiction examples and holds a Q&A
Wednesday 14th August
Morning
Creative game
Focus on world-making - discussion and practice
Where do stories come from?
Using as many different stimuli as we can find - and practice
An introduction to revising your writing
Afternoon
One-to-ones (free time for delegates not timetabled for these meetings)
Evening
Film screening
Thursday 15th August
Morning
“Art Lives from Constraint and Dies from Freedom” – an exploration of writing within constraints
Exploring the world of the short-short forms, including flash fiction, micro fiction and hybrid forms
Creative game
Continuing revision discussion - and practice
Afternoon
One-to-ones (free time for delegates not timetabled for these meetings)
Evening
Celebratory readings from the team
Friday 16th August
Creative game
A look back over the week
Questions arising
Plenary session - covering topics arising, plus:
Markets for your work
Where to find information on markets and publishing
Self-publishing versus working with publishing houses
Agents - do you need one?
How to find an agent
Writing competitions - how to sort the wheat from the chaff
What now? How to fit what you have learned this week into your life
Writing groups
Writing Courses and how to pick the right ones for you
Lunch and end
Rates:
Single en-suite £910 (with student/clergy or Society of Authors discount £670)
Double ensuite both on the course £1366 (with discount £1066)
Double en-suite one on the course £1285 (with discount £1016) Note: course delegate and partner gets all meals included.
Double en-suite single occupancy £1060 (with discount £760)
Non-residential £510 (£450 with discount)