WIS Database of Writers

I have developed a series of creative writing workshops which, with some minor variations, work as well with primary as with secondary schools. 45 to 60 minutes long, depending on the age of the class & the timetable. They can be presented on a one off basis or as part of a series, building from week to week over an extended period. Typical class size 12 to 30. Requirements: writing materials, board.
Workshops include:
1 Structure of a story. Talk about traditional fairy story structure, hooks, conflict & resolution. Fairy stories told from another point of view.
2 Describing using the 5 senses. A piece of writing about memories of places & special events gives a good opportunity to write sensitively & evocatively.
3 Poetry with similes and metaphors. Describe people by comparing them to animals giving reasons why. What can you compare yourself with?
4 Onomatopoeia. Sound words are always fun. Use a mindmap to gather your thoughts & describe an animal.
5 Haiku poems capture a moment, thought, idea briefly. Read some examples, learn about syllables, do some counting and develop some season words together.
6 Characterisation. Create a character from a group of objects, description, past history and secret thoughts, put them in a tricky situation & write about their reaction.
7 Drama. Show don’t tell. Portray an emotion through movement & dialogue. Write a piece of drama & perform to the class.
8 Write a story in the round. Start a story based on a season, swap around the class for each of the seasons, then using editing techniques, rewrite.
9 How To. Start by writing instructions to make me a cup of tea. Move on to instructions on how to fly, how to become invisible, etc.

8 to 18 years

Available one day a week