Write Up North 2024

 


Hi and welcome to the very first post of our Write Up North blog.

We are so happy to be working again with Blackburn with Darwen Libraries, Blackpool Libraries and Lancashire Libraries to deliver a series of 6 week creative writing workshops for adult beginners all thanks to funding from Arts Council England with support from the three library services.

In 2022 we ran a similar project which was exclusively delivered online. This year we are able to deliver sessions not only online but also in several venues: Blackpool, Blackburn, Accrington, Chorley and Skelmersdale and we have had a lot of interest and demand.

As well as taking part in interactive workshops, everyone who attends these sessions, will have the opportunity to write a short story of around 1500 words which can be included into a published and e-book anthology. All three library services will add copies of these books to their catalogues so everyone will have the opportunity of reading everyone's stories.

There will be other ways of showcasing these stories:

  • At several celebrational book launches
  • Sharing online via this blog
  • Recording and uploading onto YouTube.
What we are looking at during the sessions
Over the 6 week long workshops we break down what new writers need to think about when writing a story including:
  • How to find inspiration to write a story
  • Setting scenes including looking at how to show not tell
  • Building and showing characters
  • Planning stories
  • The 7 basic plots
  • Dilemmas
  • Dialogue
  • Building suspense and tension
  • Hooks and story titles
  • Editing and Revising.
Next week we will look at how we can seek inspiration for our stories. Stay tuned!

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