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Writing for Pleasure |
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This is an indoor-based holiday with the opportunity to gain hints and tips on beating writer’s block, how to improve your writing, and how to edit successfully. It is aimed at anyone interested who has been on previous writing holidays, or anyone who enjoys creative writing. Proposed Programme Day of Arrival Arrive in the afternoon and meet your Leaders and fellow guests. In the evening, we’ll meet for about an hour or so for a light-hearted chat about what sort of writing you are interested in and what you hope to get from the course. We may even play a game to get the creative juices flowing straight away! First full day In the morning, we’ll look at ways to improve your writing through better description. We’ll take a tantalising tour of our own senses, discovering the power of smell, touch, sound and taste, not only for improving description, but also for generating ideas, and explore this through several writing exercises. We’ll get to grips with editing and constructive criticism. Understanding the weak points in other people’s work can help us to improve upon our own. We’ll learn how to critique someone else’s work, then use those lessons that we’ve learnt to critique and edit our own work. We shall break at lunch time for about three hours to give you time to stretch your legs and explore the local area. In the late afternoon, we’ll learn how to turn being nosey…er…make that ‘inquisitive’… into useful dialogue writing techniques. “Just how do you write dialogue that’s realistic?” he asked enthusiastically. After dinner there is no formal learning, however, we’ll be on hand to answer any questions you may have about your own personal writing projects. Alternatively you may wish to join in with any other evening options taking place in the hotel. Second full day In the morning, we’ll look at ways of beating writer’s block. We’ll create various pieces of fiction in five-minute bursts, play the idea generation game and discover numerous source of ideas for whichever kind of writing you may be interested in. Then we’ll step into the unknown and boldly go where we haven’t been before. We shall then break for about three hours. In the afternoon, we’ll listen to the results of a piece of writing that you’ll have been working on since arriving! On our last evening, it’s your final opportunity to question us on any burning issues you may have. We’ll be happy to discuss any work that you may have started whilst on this holiday or work you’ve brought with you, and give advice on how to develop it and markets to consider. Alternatively you may wish to join in other evening options. Day of Departure Depart after breakfast. What To Bring You may wish to bring pens and notebooks with you to make notes or jot down ideas, and also to have a go at some of the writing exercises we have planned. You may bring a laptop computer if you wish, although please note that power points may be limited in the room we shall be using.
What To Bring We will provide a wide range of magazines for you to look at during the break. However, if there’s a magazine that you are keen to write for, please bring a copy with you. You may wish to bring pens and notebooks with you to make notes or jot down ideas, and possibly start writing an article or short story! You may bring a laptop computer if you wish, although please note that power points may be limited in the room we shall be using.
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