In ‘The Art of the Short Story’ Workshop I show you how to write a short story using the considerable powers of your unbridled imagination. And reining it in with your organizing intellect!

People often imagine it is easy to write a short story just because it is short.
But, the short story is an art form in itself – with its own peculiar challenges. An obvious one is its brevity.

Creating an imaginative world in 1-5,000 words – a world that a reader can enter into and be absorbed by, is not easy. A good short story is like a chocolate – rich, perfectly formed and concentrated. From the first bite you can’t put it down. Usually it involves one main idea, and often only one or two characters. Each word, each event, each image must earn it's place. Yet, it is surprisingly all encompassing. You can write about anything at all from major tragedy or trauma to the lightest and most insouciant of incidents. Everything depends on how, you write it. When you’ve finished, the story should leave the reader with something to remember, an after-taste, something that perhaps disconcerts a little, or an insight that is new. What if I have no imagination?  You do. We all do. It’s part of being human, the fun part, the fearful part and the visionary part. In my workshop, I show you how to use your imagination to create a fascinating character, who then creates your story. Soon, you begin to trust your imagination and your instincts, because after all, you have been observing character and the way people interact since the day you were born.

In summary, you will gain:

An understanding of the craft of story telling.   The joy of using your imagination – and how to switch it on.   An understanding of character creation, dialogue and scene setting.   Editing skills which will clarify and sharpen your writing.   And you will better appreciate what publishers want.

Who will benefit from attending?

You will, if you have attended my ‘Writing from the Heart’ workshop with its emphasis on your own experiences. This workshop is about using your creative imagination.   You will, if you have a lot of story ideas but are uncertain how to craft them.   You will, if you want to understand how to develop character and plot for a novel, or a play, or a poem.   Or, if you are a raw beginner and are just thinking about writing any of these, then this is definitely for you.

Comments: ‘Inspirational! It started me writing again with a new sense of direction and confidence.’ Jules ‘My biggest obstacle is that I find my own writing boring and I think it may not touch other people, but after this weekend I’ve changed my view.’ Linda ‘Now I understand a simple process which works for me.’ Daryl ‘It was all so helpful. And especially the information on how to set a scene and make the characters come to life.’ Michelle ‘Thank you Rose. I have greatly enjoyed this weekend. You have taken my interest in writing from directionless  inspiration into a desire to work on the fine crafting of a story.’ Laura ‘You were very professional, courteous and patient and always encouraging. I had been anxious about attending but I soon found myself relaxing and learning a great deal about the craft of writing.’ Karen ‘The workshop gave me a much clearer understanding of how to construct a story and the value of economy in writing.’ Jane ‘I enjoyed the various ways of loosening up the creative brain and carrying this flexibility through to the process of writing a story. Not to mention all your wonderful style and publication tips.’ Carol ‘What amazed was how quickly I felt relaxed due to your quiet courtesy and professionalism. You allowed me to see the undergirding meaning of my story and how important it is to select the right words.’ Lynda   For Writing Workshop prices  click here