Whether you’re an experienced writer or a complete beginner, there will be days you find it hard to get going. But the festive season can give us inspiration. What are the elements of a festive story? Do we always encounter hope and positivity in them, or are there darker tales to tell?
And where do you start? This friendly and supportive workshop is full of inspiration and exercises to overcome fears and self-censorship and get those words out.
We’ll look at some examples, and enjoy some simple warm-up exercises. Once we’ve got the words flowing, we’ll move on to writing our festive flash fiction – really short stories. We’ll write and discuss our work, and get to grips with editing to make our stories shorter…and shorter…and shorter.
By combining practical writing exercises with a supportive writers’ circle feel, you’ll achieve great things on the day and you’ll go home armed with the tools, resources and ideas to keep the stories coming.
What to expect
Time at ArtisOn is designed to take you away from it all and provide the environment, the time and the guidance you need to create. You can expect a warm welcome, skilled and friendly tutors plus the chance to meet like-minded people keen to share ideas and experiences. You can even leave us to clear up the mess! There will usually be two workshops going on and we encourage everyone to mingle and be nosey about what the other workshop is up to.
Arrive in time to meet other participants over a cup of tea or coffee and biscuits before beginning your session at the appointed time. There will be a mid-morning break for refreshments and a chance to talk over progress with others. Lunch is usually around 12:45 for about 45 mins – you can expect a homemade 2 course lunch. The main course will be delicious but don’t overdo it as the puds are usually worth waiting for! There will be a further afternoon break with the most wonderful cakes from Roots & Fruits Home Bakery, a North Yorkshire micro-bakery producing handmade bread and cakes. All food and refreshments are included in the price of the workshop.
Finish time is given as a target – there are occasions when the session may overrun so do let us know if you need to be away promptly.
We aim for your day to be a real treat… of course you could always learn a new skill in a shed or a draughty village hall with a curly sandwich, but we want you to have more fun than that! So we make it a day being looked after, with good food, good company and great inspiration!
What you’ll need to bring with you
Writing materials – pen and paper. Even if you usually write directly onto your laptop, it’d be best to use pen and paper for this workshop.
