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Descriptive detail can give essential colour and texture to a work of fiction, but it may also, if we’re not careful, impede the progress of our stories. Through a combination of practical writing exercises and close reading of key passages from the work of well-known authors, this weekend masterclass will explore the rich possibilities of descriptive writing and help you to find a balance appropriate to the needs of your own fiction.
Novelists, teachers and co-authors of an inspiring new guide for writers, Dr Sarah Burton and Professor Jem Poster will help participants to gain a deeper understanding of the writer’s craft, and of their own potential as writers.
Suitable for aspiring writers of fiction of all levels, this supportive workshop will give you a more nuanced appreciation of the role of detail and description in your writing, and the confidence to take your writing to the next stage.
This course is for …
Aspiring writers of fiction from beginners seeking guidance to more experienced writers wanting to sharpen and energise their practise
Anyone who wants to learn more about the use of description in creative writing
Course content
The purpose and value of description
Pitfalls and possibilties
Describing place
Describing character
Tutor profiles
Jem Poster is emeritus professor of creative writing, Aberystwyth University, and co-founder, with Sarah Burton, of Cambridge University’s master’s programme in creative writing. He is the author of two novels, Courting Shadows (Sceptre, 2002) and Rifling Paradise (Sceptre, 2006), as well as a collection of poetry, Brought to Light (Bloodaxe, 2001). He edited volume III of the six-volume Oxford University Press Edward Thomas: Prose Writings (OUP, 2018) and is co-author, with Sarah Burton, of a handbook for fiction-writers, The Book You Need to Read to Write the Book You Want to Write (Cambridge University Press, 2022).
Sarah Burton’s publications include two biographies, Impostors: Six Kinds of Liar (Penguin, 2000) and A Double Life: a Biography of Charles and Mary Lamb (Penguin, 2003, shortlisted for the Mind Book of the Year award); a children’s book, The Miracle in Bethlehem: A Storyteller’s Tale (2008); and a page-to-stage guide, How to Put on a Community Play (2011). Her novel, The Strange Adventures of H (Legend Press, 2020) was shortlisted for the Historical Writers’ Association debut fiction award. With Jem Poster, she co-founded Cambridge University’s master’s programme in creative writing and is co-author of The Book You Need to Read to Write the Book You Want to Write (Cambridge University Press, 2022).
Details
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Date: Saturday 22 April – Sunday 23 April 2023
Time: 2-5pm BST both days
Price: £249 (plus £7.31 booking fee)
This masterclass is available globally. See this time zone converter to check your local live streaming time.
6pm BST | 7pm CEST | 10am PDT | 1pm EDT
You will be sent a link to the webinar 24 hours and 30 minutes before the course start time. Please email masterclasses@theguardian.com if you do not receive the access link 24 hours before the scheduled start time.
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