Workshops - Self-editing your Novel
“I'm not a very good writer, but I'm an excellent rewriter." - James Michener
Cost |
To book a place |
Course outline
9.30 am: Assemble, coffee & introductions
10.00 - 12.00: The Microscope
When agents (or agents' readers) are going through the submissions pile, they'll give your work about half a minute to prove its quality. Only if your work passes that test will agents go on to invest in reading entire chapters of your work. That means that your work must stand up to that kind of scrutiny. The opening session of the workshop will place participants' work under the microscrope. We'll look at presentation (briefly), prose quality (in depth), and open up more profound questions about the novels under examination. Many participants find this single session worth the entrance fee on its own!
12.00 - 12.30: Planet Agent
Agents take about 1 in 1000 of the manuscripts that come their way. Many top quality agents take even fewer than that. These days, even senior agents sometimes fail to sell work that they take on - something that was almost unheard of 10 years ago. We'll talk in detail about the mysterious & inaccessible world of Planet Agent, and how to beat the odds.
12.30 - 1.00: Lunch
Lunch & more conversation. Mostly about agents, we'd guess.
1.00 - 2.45: Character
Good novels - literary or commercial - need strong characters that need to speak, think, and act distinctively. Characters also define themselves through relationships with others. Also, writers often fail to round out a character by failing to develop a full enough understanding of who their characters really are. This phase of the workshop will drive at understanding how to analyse and develop your own skills at characterisation.
2.45 - 3.00: Tea / Coffee
3.00 - 4.30: Plot, pace, hook
In these degenerate days, all books - literary or commercial - need strong plot momentum and, ideally, the kind of 'hook' from which a marketing campaign can ultimately be hung. A clear majority of first time writers fail to keep their plot sufficiently pressurised. Any lack of pressure will kill your chances of securing a book deal. This session will focus on teaching writers how to identify plot weaknesses, and how to go about addressing them.
4.30 - 5.00: Round-up, questions, good-byes
Cost
The cost is £140 (inc VAT). Bookings are first come, first served so book early to reserve your place. A full welcome pack will be sent out once you've made your booking.
Homework
The more you put into this course, the more you'll get out of it. We do ask participants to supply some material that will be used in each of the main workshop sessions, namely:
The Microscope - any one single page (A4, double spaced) of your MS.
Character - a chunk taken from your MS in which one of your major characters is first introduced to the reader. Preferably a scene that involves other people. Chunk no more than 1000 words please. If you don't have a chunk that fits this brief exactly, then just pick out the bit that fits most closely.
Plot, pace, hook - Please give us (a) a one paragraph outline of your story, (b) a one sentence outline of your story, and (c) for your first 5 chapters only, please supply a 1-2 sentence outline of the dramatic purpose of each chapter.
Please (1) do not put your name on the "Microscope" page. (2) It does help if all the material is sent in one single document. Also, (3) we do need this material at least one week before the start of the workshop, so we can have a look at it and copy it for group discussion. You don't absolutely have to supply this material to attend the course, but you'll get much more out of it if you do.
Send all of this by email IN A SINGLE FILE to info@writersworkshop.co.uk at least one week in advance. For further information on homework format, please click here.
Freebies
All participants will receive a "£50 off" voucher to be used against a full-length WW editorial review. (£30 off for MSS under 60,000 words).
Cancellations
We can take cancellations for a full refund up to 22 days before the event. Thereafter, no refunds - sorry.
Booking
If you want to book a place on one of our workshops, all you have to do is give us a call on 0845 459 9560 or book via the website letting us know (i) the workshop you want to book for, and (ii) your phone number.
