Saturday Afternoon Writing Workshop with lunch (and early bookers get a free copy of my writing guide)

This is a first. I’ve taught in all kinds of places: art galleries and university lecture theatres, under a Mediterranean sun and in cold church halls, but never before in an AIRBNB. However, this is a very special AIRBNB because it belongs to bestselling novelist Sarah Rayner and her chef husband Tom who are both Super Hosts. 
Sarah and I are running writing workshops on Saturday afternoons at her lovely home near Brighton station. PLUS early bookers will get a free copy of my creative writing guide (rrp £7.99) which has very nearly 100 five * reviews on Amazon. (For the sake of balance I should perhaps mention it also has one 1 * review) PLUS everyone gets lunch prepared by Tom.

WHAT ARE WE GOING TO COVER?

The half day workshop (three hours) will include:
* Dialogue – how to make conversation sound natural and drive the story along – whether it’s a novel, short story or part of a memoir
* Plotting – where to start, prevent flabby middles, how to end. We are going to look at how Sarah plotted one of her novels (she has published five and sold over half a million books). It means you will see how the ideas we suggest actually work in practice.
* Character creation – breathing life into characters and avoiding stereotypes. If you’re writing about real life events we will explore how you can create a realistic portrait in words
* Tips on editing your own work. In a past life Sarah was a copy editor so we both have a lot to say about this. Trust us, everyone needs to edit.

WHO IS THE WORKSHOP FOR?

Emerging Writers
You can send us up to 1000 words of a WIP by email ahead – we’re happy to read it and chat with you about it. It can be a short story, a novel, a memoir, creative non fiction (perhaps you’re writing about your family or have plans for a How-To-Guide, or want to write the biography of someone you know or researched).
Writers Starting Out
Perhaps you’ve been to other classes but aren’t working on a writing project right now. That’s fine’s – this workshop will give you plenty of ideas plus Back to Creative Writing School will help you continue with your writing once the workshop is over.
Absolute Beginners
Don’t worry if you’re a complete novice – the atmosphere will be warm and supportive, with the emphasis on confidence boosting and generating ideas.

THE BOTTOM LINE: HOW MUCH AND HOW DO YOU BUY TICKETS

Click HERE and you will be taken to the AIRBNB site and told to pay $49 (to be honest I have no idea why) but that works out to £37 – a massive 25% discount on the regular price. It includes a lovely lunch (made by a chef!) and a copy of my writing guide

AFTER THE BOTTOM LINE: A FEW OTHER THINGS YOU MIGHT LIKE TO KNOW…

SARAH RAYNER: the author of five novels including the international bestseller, One Moment, One Morning, which is set in Brighton. In 2014 she published Making Friends with Anxiety which grew into a non-fiction series with a very substantial on-line following.

She has sold over 500,000 books worldwide, but her first foray into fiction was writing short stories for women’s magazines.

BRIDGET WHELAN: I’ve published one novel and won $4000 in an international short story competition. I have a PGCE in adult education, a Masters in Creative and Life Writing and lectured at Goldsmiths College in autobiography and biography. I have also been Writer in Residence at a Brighton community centre serving the unemployed and low waged, and been an online agony aunt for budding short story writers.

My creative writing guide has been praised by lecturers, authors and students and I particularly like the review which called it a bubble bath for jaded brains…