Using the natural world and folklore to build atmospheric and sensory landscapes.

Settings are not simply the background to our stories, they are a presence which shapes our characters’ actions, psychology and experiences. Whether our worlds are imagined or real, by deepening our understanding of the environments around our characters we can exploit setting to reflect our character’s inner journeys, add subtext and atmosphere, and immerse the reader in a fully realised world. Working with participants’ own writing or from set prompts, the 90 minute (suggested) workshop will consist of the following:

1. Discussing both imagined and real-world settings, Lorraine will show how freely-available resources can be used to build complex, dynamic settings and set a writing prompt to think about specifics of climate, biome, seasonality and sensory details.

2. We will pull these details together and develop an awareness of how descriptions of the surroundings can be used to create atmosphere and subtext within scenes.

3. We will look at how folklore interacts with the natural world and how this can inform people’s interactions with their surroundings using examples of traditional beliefs as writing prompts to explore our characters’ relationships with their environment.

4. We will pull together these strands through a final writing prompt to explore the power of setting to explore mood, reveal character arcs and tell your story for you.

About the event:

Running time: 105 minutes

Tickets: £15/ £10 (plus 50p booking fee)

The event will be in person.

About the author:

Lorraine Wilson (she/her) spent many years working as a conservation scientist in remote corners of the world, but now lives by the sea in Scotland writing speculative fiction rooted in folklore and the wilderness. Her debut novel, This Is Our Undoing, was released in August 2021 with Luna Press Publishing, and a second is due out next year. She has also published short stories and creative non-fiction in anthologies and magazines including Strange Horizons, Forge Lit, The Mechanics’ Institute Review and Boudicca Press.

This workshop is supported by Write Gear, purveyor of the Writer’s Notebook and creators of The Page One podcast

Choose Your Own Adventure narratives are currently experiencing a resurgence in multiple mediums, thanks to experimental television shows like Bandersnatch, video games like The Witcher, and books like House of Leaves.

Join author Oliver Langmead and Twine writer Francis Butterworth-Parr for a workshop introducing participants to the non-linear storytelling software Twine: an easy-to-learn tool for activating mythic narrative branching in the digital age. After a tutorial on Twine’s basic features, participants will engage with exercises to help them design and write their own branching narrative sequences, leaving them with a grounded framework to take away and develop.

About the event:

Running time: 105 minutes

Price £12/£8 concession (plus 50p booking fee)

This workshop is Live on Zoom

This workshop is supported by Write Gear, purveyor of the Writer’s Notebook and creators of The Page One podcast

In this workshop, you’ll learn how to use tenses and time effects to original and powerful fictional ends. Along with an in-depth look at the potential uses and abuses of the past and present tenses, you’ll explore how to use flashbacks, flash-forwards, countdowns, parallel time streams, looping narratives and paradoxes to create enthralling and intriguing effects.

About the event:

Running time: 105 minutes

Materials will be provided. This workshop is suitable for writers aged 14+.

Price £15/£10 concession (plus 50p booking fee)

This workshop is in person

About the author:

Georgina Bruce is a writer and teacher. Her short stories have been widely published in magazines and anthologies, and have been longlisted for the Bridport and Mslexia short story prizes. In 2017, her story “White Rabbit” won the British Fantasy Award for Short Fiction. Her debut collection, “This House of Wounds,” is due out in May 2019.

This workshop is supported by Write Gear, purveyor of the Writer’s Notebook and creators of The Page One podcast

Join our panel of experienced fiction editors, Helen Bleck, Andrew Hodges and Gale Winskill as they discuss key aspects of publishing and editing. Prepare for debunking of myths about  editing, some practical examples of what good editing offers and useful tips to help you  when self-editing.

Bring us your editing questions and we’ll try to help! 

Topics will include

• Publishing options - A brief overview of the six key publishing paths – and how editing fits in.

• What is editing? - Outlining the different editorial levels (self-edit; external critique;  structure/development; line edit and copyedit; final tidy – i.e. proofread) – and  when to do them. 

• Why bother?  - What an editor can add to your novel – with practical examples (doctored for  emphasis!) of regular pitfalls, showing ‘before’ and ‘after’. 

• What about self-editing? Self-editing is essential – but can be challenging. We’ll offer some pointers to what  to look for, with suggestions for how to approach the task – and what not to rely on!

About the event:

Running time: 105 minutes

Tickets: £15/£10 (plus 50p booking fee)

The event will be in person.

This workshop is supported by Write Gear, purveyor of the Writer’s Notebook and creators of The Page One podcast

Tarot Cards are not just for divination. We can use them to create stories and it’s so fun! After all, this was what Tarot Cards were originally used for in the form of storytelling games in Italy during the Renaissance.

Take a different approach to your creativity and fiction writing and join me for my practical workshop using Tarot Cards to unlock ideas, develop characters and build storytelling structure for your own novel, story or creative project.

No experience with Tarot Cards is necessary but you will need a deck of Tarot cards to get the most out of the workshop. The easiest deck for beginners is the Rider Waite Deck or pick a Tarot Deck which resonates for you!

About the event:

Running time: 105 minutes

Tickets: £15/ £10 (plus 50p booking fee)

The event will be in person.

About the author:

Noelle Harrison is the bestselling author of ten novels. She has been translated and published in thirteen different countries. Noelle’s most recent novel The Boatman’s Wife was published in January 2021. She has also written and produced five plays. The latest Witches’ Gets was performed at Cymera Festival in June 2019 and Audacious Women’s Festival in February 2020 to sell out houses.

She has taught creative writing in Ireland, UK & Norway for both adults, teenagers and children in schools, and for organisations such as The Inkwell Writers Group in Dublin, Meath County Council in Ireland, The Big Smoke Writers’ Factory in Dublin, Litteraturhuset in Bergen, Norway and Edinburgh Napier University.

Noelle has a Masters in Creative Writing with Distinction and an Associate Fellowship in Higher Education both attained at Edinburgh Napier University.

This workshop is supported by Write Gear, purveyor of the Writer’s Notebook and creators of The Page One podcast

Drawing on literary traditions from the Uncanny to the Gothic, this workshop looks at the ways authors withhold information to create tension and unease, propelling readers through the story. Participants will look at the fears and appeals of the unknown in a range of genres and forms, and practice using these techniques. 

About the event:

Running time: 105 minutes

Price £15/£10 concession (plus 50p booking fee)

This workshop is in person

About the author:

Eris Young is a queer, transgender writer of speculative fiction. Their alien contact story All That Water came first in the 2021 British Fantasy Society short story competition.

This workshop is supported by Write Gear, purveyor of the Writer’s Notebook and creators of The Page One podcast

Author and artist J. Dianne Dotson gives tips, tricks, and clicks to help you craft an “onlife” to gain and nurture an audience.

About the event:

Running time: 105 minutes

Tickets: £15/ £10 (plus 50p booking fee)

The event will be in person.

About the author:

J. Dianne Dotson dreamed up other worlds and their characters as a child in the 1980s in East Tennessee. She formed her own neighborhood astronomy club before age 10. As an adult, Dianne earned a degree in ecology and evolutionary biology and spent several years working in research. She published the The Questrison Saga. Dianne is also a science writer, short story writer and anthology contributor, watercolorist, and illustrator. She lives with her family.

This workshop is supported by Write Gear, purveyor of the Writer’s Notebook and creators of The Page One podcast

All Shades of Horror is a writing workshop for BPOC authors of all experiences and backgrounds, who work in the genres of Horror, Gothic, Dark fiction and anywhere within that spectrum.

Katalina will guide you through interactive and practical writing exercises for prose, and this craft seminar will be a safe and inclusive space to generate and share ideas. We'll explore non-Western storytelling devices and play with inspiration for shaping your stories. You'll be guided towards developing your voice and confidence, with the practical goal of creating the beginnings of a piece which you can continue after the workshop.'

Katalina (she/they) was Longlisted for Penguin Write Now 2020 and received a 2021 Ladies of Horror Fiction Writers Grant. They are published in various magazines and anthologies including Haunted Voices, Unspeakable, and Extra Teeth and have appeared at Edinburgh International Book Festival, Cymera, and FIYAHCON. Katalina is represented by Robbie Guillory at Underline Literary. They are a member of British Science Fiction Association, Codex, and Society of Authors.
Katalina is Literature Officer at Creative Scotland and previously worked in Audio and Digital for Canongate and Hachette, and as founding Audio Director for khōréō, a magazine of speculative fiction and migration.'

About the event:

Running time: 105 minutes

Tickets: £15/ £10 (plus 50p booking fee)

The event will be in person.

About the author:

Katalina Watt (she/they) is published in various anthologies and magazines and represented by Robbie Guillory at Underline Literary. They are Literature Officer at Creative Scotland and previously worked in Audio and Digital for Canongate and Hachette, and as founding Audio Director for khōréō, a magazine of speculative fiction and migration.

This workshop is supported by Write Gear, purveyor of the Writer’s Notebook and creators of The Page One podcast

In this workshop, you’ll learn how to use tenses and time effects to original and powerful fictional ends. Along with an in-depth look at the potential uses and abuses of the past and present tenses, you’ll explore how to use flashbacks, flash-forwards, countdowns, parallel time streams, looping narratives and paradoxes to create enthralling and intriguing effects.

About the event:

Running time: 105 minutes

Materials will be provided. This workshop is suitable for writers aged 14+.

Price £12/£8 concession (plus 50p booking fee)

This workshop is Live on Zoom

About the author:

Georgina Bruce is a writer and teacher. Her short stories have been widely published in magazines and anthologies, and have been longlisted for the Bridport and Mslexia short story prizes. In 2017, her story “White Rabbit” won the British Fantasy Award for Short Fiction. Her debut collection, “This House of Wounds,” is due out in May 2019.

This workshop is supported by Write Gear, purveyor of the Writer’s Notebook and creators of The Page One podcast

Drawing on literary traditions from the Uncanny to the Gothic, this workshop looks at the ways authors withhold information to create tension and unease, propelling readers through the story. Participants will look at the fears and appeals of the unknown in a range of genres and forms, and practice using these techniques. 

About the event:

Running time: 105 minutes

Price £12/£8 concession (plus £0.50 booking fee)

This workshop is live on Zoom

About the author:

Eris Young is a queer, transgender writer of speculative fiction. Their alien contact story All That Water came first in the 2021 British Fantasy Society short story competition.

This workshop is supported by Write Gear, purveyor of the Writer’s Notebook and creators of The Page One podcast

Gareth L. Powell is an award-winning and widely lauded author at the forefront of current speculative fiction. His passion for the genre, along with a refreshingly open and honest relationship with his fans, shows why he is such a unique talent.

In this workshop, Gareth shares his insights and tips from the world of genre fiction.

About the event:

Running time: 3 hours 15 minutes including breaks

Materials will be provided. This workshop is suitable for writers aged 16+.

Price: £30 regular / £25 concession (plus £0.50 booking fee)

The event will be in person.

About the author:

Gareth L. Powell is an award-winning British science fiction author. He is best known for his Embers of War and Ack-Ack Macaque trilogies, but he has also written numerous short stories and novellas, and even turned his hand to screenplays and comic strips. To date, he has written and published nine novels, two short story collections, three novellas and a nonfiction writing guide. His writing is often praised for its strong characterisations, vivid action sequences, and thought-provoking explorations of the human condition. Gareth currently lives in North Somerset with his two children and is engaged to the American science fiction author J. Dianne Dotson.

This workshop is supported by Write Gear, purveyor of the Writer’s Notebook and creators of The Page One podcast

This workshop is designed to help you address the difficult topic of ‘Writing Outside of Your Experience’ by developing your own critical thinking toolkit. From discussing the importance of cultural engagement to considering how to approach the topic in a respectful and skillful way, this will provide a primer for you to begin your journey. The workshop will also introduce a framework for seeking and accepting feedback on your work and provide a list of additional resources to encourage further study in this area.

About the event

Running time: 4 hours 15 minutes including breaks

Materials will be provided. This workshop is suitable for writers aged 16+.

Price: £40 regular / £35 concession (plus £0.50 booking fee)

The event will be in person.

About the author

Katie Griffiths is an Associate Lecturer in Creative Writing at Napier University, and the Co-Founder and Editor of Malefaction Magazine.

Follow Katie Griffiths on Twitter @ktgriffiths1 or visit her website.

This workshop is supported by Write Gear, purveyor of the Writer’s Notebook and creators of The Page One podcast