London Writing Workshops

Previous Course: Creating Characters, March 13, Discovering Dialogue, March 14. Both days, 10.30 – 4pm

[Picture pending]

• Really great. Have a lot to learn. Will be back. Well done!
• I enjoyed ‘having a go’ – it was fun but it also gave me courage… Good pace and mix of writing, listening and discussion.
• Time limited sessions during the day forcing you to practise the tools are very, very useful. The tools – very, very useful. Asking questions and discussion – also very useful.
• Very sympathetic facilitators – pleased I read and found it helpful. Really helpful to be given the tasks to write there and then – very scary – but really helpful. Exercises also really helpful. Looking forward to using the questionnaire to help develop [a] character. Good also to hear samples of dialogue etc.
• Really enjoyed the character writing – helped me to realise that a lot of things about good character development are quite intuitive. [...] I didn’t expect to come away with so much stuff that I would be able to use. Thank you. I feel really inspired.
• The exercises were well-structured for the subject and very much helped me understand more fully how my characters appear and grow.
• I enjoyed the 2 days very much. Thank you both.
• Getting down to an exercise – opened things – highlighted difficulties. [...] The pre-arrangements [were] good – felt cared for and involved. You both made yourselves available and approachable. Thank you both.
• Found the exercises very useful [...] friendly and supportive atmosphere was great.
• I learned a lot about my own writing foibles and tendencies. Good balance of writing activities and information.
• Very interesting to try the exercises. It really created some interesting characters and was quite surprising. Good supportive environment. It all ran very smoothly, and [it was] really good to hear what had been written.
• Thanks for the handouts, encouragement, ideas and welcoming space.
• …a great weekend. Thank you!!

Previous Course: Writing People & Place, Sat 5 December, 10.30 – 4pm

Previous Course: Writers’ Workout, Sat 14 November, 10.30 – 4pm

From the Feedback Forms: What did you enjoy / find useful about the day?

• [Enjoyed] Being with writers. Writing exercises. Ideas. – Good day.
• The exercises were great. Hearing comments and input from everyone was very helpful and encouraging. I had a terrific time. I really needed this workshop to get me going.
• Feeling rusty, so just turning up and doing the exercises felt like an achievement!
• I liked the object exercise. Enjoyed hearing other people’s experiences of writing.
• I enjoyed the workshop. Found inspiration plus a few new ‘tricks’. It was a Saturday well spent. Structure and pacing were very good. [Liked] the mix of examples and having a go yourself. [Liked] the group and sharing our ideas and challenges. Not sure about the venue!
• [I enjoyed] having time out to think creatively among like-minded people. Very enjoyable day.
• It was very refreshing to think about writing in lots of different ways. There was no pressure and the environment was supportive. Vicky is skilled at making it ‘safe’ to discuss ideas. An enjoyable and useful day.

Previous Course: Sat 12 September, 10.30 – 4pm
Writing Short Stories

Definitely the most enjoyable thing was connecting with other writers and sparking off each other. Somehow, seeing the variety and quality of what other people – and you yourself! – can come up with on the spur of the moment, restores one’s faith in the human ability to be immensely creative.

I thought Vicky’s chairmanship was excellent. She kept firm hold of what we were doing and where we were going (so we didn’t waste time), at the same time as drawing everyone out and getting us all participating fully.  She knows her stuff.

The professional info – the list of websites and the advice about writing for radio – were also very useful, thank you.

A very supportive environment. [...] Great balance between practical and talking and discussing – feel I learned a lot from both. [...] You were probably altering what you did to fit the group and choreographing madly but were so calm and effortless that there was no pressure to do things or feelings of being rushed / incompleteness

Enjoyed about the day:  Setting.  Those uncurtained windows streaming with light.  Informal.  Plenty of room to spread.  Relaxed company.  Interesting chat.  [...]  Warm helpful teacher who put everyone at ease.

Thank you for today’s class. I wish we had one every Saturday! It would make my week just better and make me feel like a ‘whole’ thinking person at all times!

Previous course:  11 July 2009, 10.30am – 4pm
Writing People & Places

From Participants’ Feedback Forms:

• Most enjoyable.
• Stimulating and thought-provoking. Also the course was encouraging – making it sound so achievable to write regularly.
• [I enjoyed] the exercises, time to write, the mixture of criticism (reading of extracts) practice and networking.
• The ‘break-out’ sessions worked really well and being given a limited time period to write within given parameters was really useful – especially hearing other people’s efforts.
• Really reminded me of how much fun writing is.
• Helped me lift my head out of one mammoth project I’m on and see things differently. Useful to see how other people arrived at solutions and different writing styles. Feel re-energised and have renewed enthusiasm for my writing. Many thanks, Vicky!

Previous course: 18 April, 16 May, 13 June, 12 July 2009
The Novelists’ Club

From Participants’ Feedback Forms

• Great course. Very useful. Delivered on its claim! I enjoyed the fact that I was given so much in-depth feedback on my novel. Vicky really did look at it in detail and offered really helpful advice. I think the small number in the group means you can really get stuck in and cover a lot of ground. The course was very good, and compared to other courses it was far superior – you get much more for your money.
• Forced me to read more & [I] picked up a lot from feedback for my own and others’ work. The 1,000 word scenes were good for developing a sense of standalone scenes / chapters. Excellent and constructive feedback from Vicky – a real sense that she cared about each and every story.
• Monthly meetings were a good time frame. Excellent, thoughtful, helpful , encouraging feedback from Vicky.
• It goes without saying that I think it’s been great, and has really helped me to try to organise and structure my novel. I’ve loved talking to other people about their work and seeing everyone’s ideas develop in a safe environment.
• The course prompted me to think more carefully about character motivation and direction and structure. I completely took my novel apart and reorganised scenes, considering turning points etc. This has been a very useful exercise for me.  Also, Vicky’s excellent at asking just the right questions to set you thinking about important issues to do with the novel.
• I have really enjoyed the sessions. I’ve met good writers and readers and the group dynamic has been really great. Vicky’s good at establishing a relaxed, informal atmosphere. Very worthwhile course for me. Good handouts to digest and relate to what I’m working on.

Previous course: Saturday 28 March, 10.30am – 4pm
“GOTTA USE WORDS WHEN I TALK TO YOU”: WRITING DIALOGUE
With Vicky Grut & Kathy Page

• A great focused workshop with friendly tutors who made discussion and exchange of ideas easy and pleasurable.
• The exercises were excellent and the explanations very clear – really sharpened my understanding.
• Created a great atmosphere – felt very safe to express opinions and ask questions.
• A good mix of exercises, chat and looking at texts. Relaxed atmosphere. Full in terms of giving a good ‘all round’ explanation of dialogue.
• A good day. I enjoyed it and got a lot out of it. Thank you!
• I really liked the specific analysis of dialogue and how it works successfully, especially being given such interesting examples. I also enjoyed the writing exercises, which were liberating.
• I had a great time. Good mix of people, great examples of writing.

Previous course: Saturday 28 February, 10.30am – 4pm
MICRO FICTIONS: WRITING SHORT SHORT STORIES

• Good group size. Friendly.  I enjoyed having time to write and then discuss and felt comfortable doing this – not intimidated. I liked the format.
• [I enjoyed] the chance to spend a day writing, talking about writing and learning about other people’s experience, and the opportunity to be given exercises with time limits and then to get feedback on them.
• [Gave me] new ideas for building on an idea and how to focus on the most important components. Comparing different approaches with other people is very useful
• For the future: maybe a longer day, or a follow-on session on a different day, [to allow people] to see something through … I always start things and then don’t finish them!
• An enjoyable and stimulating day.

Previous Course: 29 November 2008
WRITING PEOPLE AND PLACES
with Vicky Grut
A really inspiring day.

From the Feedback Forms: What did you enjoy/find useful about the day?

• [Enjoyed] being among others who want to write. A very relaxed, comfortable structure with great facilitation.

• being in a situation where the imagination can be allowed to operate. Being creative and meeting people in the same situation.

• listening to each other’s work and feedback

• being made to write and getting useful feedback, and being encouraged.

• The exercises worked very well and seemed to bring out the best in everyone.

• Great exercises – concise – useful. Really focussed.

• It has been my first experience of such a course … Looking forward to more.

• I thoroughly enjoyed the day.

Previous course: September 2008
THE WRITING LIFE: GETTING STARTED – KEEPING GOING

Participants’ feedback

Very interesting to hear other people’s ideas. The sensory information we accessed was eye-opening. Free writing was a good way of getting going – mine actually rounded itself off quite nicely so pleased with that!  (Donna Gelsthorpe-Pearce, by e-mail)

What I enjoyed most was meeting other people who enjoy writing. I thought the exercises were good, and the practical tips and resources were really helpful. I was shaking when I read out my first contribution, but I think just doing that has helped me to feel more confident about sharing my writing! I certainly feel motivated and energised – I started my notebook on the tube home and wrote another short story last night. I’ve also got ideas for several more pieces, and I’ve even found some potential destinations for them via the Duotrope website. Many thanks – (Georgina Brown, by e-mail)

From the Feedback Forms:  What did you enjoy, find useful about the day?

• …thinking quickly and on the spot. I’m a real ponderer, and tend to over-think before starting, and then end up putting myself off. The exercises were really inspiring, and Vicky got my brain thinking creatively, despite it being a Saturday!

• …doing exercises I don’t normally do to tap into ideas I didn’t realise I had, and great to have an audience to give immediate reactions.

• Extremely enjoyable and fun. It was good to climb out of my own head space and interact with others. Vicky struck a good balance between moving things on and giving us time to do exercises.

• Very supportive and encouraging and friendly vibes

• I enjoyed almost all of the exercises, particularly the one with the corridor, the found words and the freewriting. It was useful to hear other people’s experiences and some of the practical advice on moving forward.

• I have found a new short story and forced a plot (with an ending) out of myself   – I think I’ll be better at endings now.

Previous course: 12 July 2008
MICROFICTION: WRITING SHORT SHORT STORIES
A one-day workshop with Vicky Grut

“It was a perfect balance between talking and practical exercises. I learnt a lot, and I also feel like my approach to writing has been opened up through trying new things, thinking about problems in new ways… And it was a lovely group, as well.”

– Emma K Martin, South London

“Thanks again for the workshop on Saturday. Even if the workspace turned out to be a little noisy, I loved its casual comfort and warmth. I also appreciate the handouts and have reread them, especially #5, your comments on flash fiction. I have renewed motivation to condense my verbiage.”

– Danna Halpin, Louisiana, USA

From the feedback forms:

Very friendly tutor, supportive and calm environment. Good exercises which have been really helpful to me, as a relative beginner, in opening my eyes to good starting points and structure for writing. Very helpful and a really enjoyable day. …I would definitely attend another course in the future.

I thoroughly enjoyed the day and I thought your breakdown of exercises made sense and were on target.

Interesting discussion of challenges faced by writers; technique, process etc. Very well mentored by Vicky – encouraging and enthusiastic.

Great facilitation – you have a lively manner and the sessions were a nice mix between talking and practical exercises.

The exercises were great. Very useful to be ‘forced’ to write some things I wouldn’t have chosen to. … Nice venue.

Previous course: Saturday, May 24 2008
CREATING CHARACTER AND SHAPING THE STORY
A one-day workshop with Kathy Page and Vicky Grut

Thank you both for such an inspiring day. The tutors and location were superb.
Tina Malhamé

Thank you both so very much for such an inspiring, satisfying day. Every part of it felt indulgent. Charlotte Butler

• I really enjoyed it … there was a lovely sense of sharing and encouragement. It felt like a very safe environment in which to explore.
• Well, I felt inspired to go home and write! Clear and concise information was distributed and shared. I enjoyed the day very much.
• Useful to speak to / work with other people with different levels of experience.
• I found the whole day very stimulating – a good balance of talk, experiences, writing.
• I enjoyed the use of the group and teamwork – Reading aloud was inspiring and feedback constructive
• Very informative. Very enthusiastic – both Vicky & Kathy. Relaxed atmosphere. What could have been done differently? Nothing. A very full day with an end point that made sense – in terms of character, structure, etc.
• Good mix of individual and partner work. Great Day! Feel I learned lots and inadvertently had an idea of how to rewrite something I’d shelved.

Kathy Page (28/3/09 and 24/5/08)

Kathy Page is the author of six novels, including The Story of My Face, which was short listed for the Orange Prize in 2002, and Alphabet, which was nominated for a Governor General’s Literary Award for fiction in 2005. Born in the UK, Kathy is an accomplished workshop leader and has taught writing in universities and other institutions in the UK, Finland, Estonia,  and now in Canada, where she has lived with her husband and two children since 2001. www.KathyPage.info

For more information contact Vicky Grut at: londonwritingworkshops@googlemail.com