You want to write. You have some great ideas and a strong desire to be published – or published again. You just need to get it all down. But why can it be so hard to move from impulse to action?

As Thomas Mann famously wrote, ‘A writer is someone for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people.’ In this course we’ll look at some practical strategies for overcoming our anxious what ifs and turning ideas into stories. Writing requires stamina as much as it requires imagination, and fortunately stamina is something you can develop over time. From fear of failure and inspiration deficit to time management and critical self-talk, we will look at why words sometimes fail us, and how we can get them down on the page.

We will cover:

• Distinguishing the ‘situation’ from the ‘story’ in your writing
• How to begin your story
• The meaning and uses of ‘scaffolding writing’
• Self-diagnosing blockages and converting fear into focus
• Using bitesized word targets
• Planning self-rewards and discarding distractions
• Prioritising writing projects and finishing what you’ve started

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Expected Learning Outcomes

1. How to overcome the fears that might prevent you from starting or completing your writing project
2. How to distinguish the ‘story’ from the ‘situation’ you’re describing in your writing
3. How to discard distractions and develop stamina as a writer

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Participant Requirements

Pen and paper or laptop; four printed copies of a sample of your creative writing (up to 1200 words) for workshopping, time permitting; a short memorable anecdote about your name to verbally share with the class.