DAY COURSES MAY 2012: UNLOCK YOUR WRITING POTENTIAL!
Welcome to a series of four inspirational day courses designed to guide you through the stages of writing and publishing a book, from first ideas to marketing your finished work. Whether you're a beginner or a more experienced writer, these courses will give you all the practical advice and encouragement you need to help you achieve personal fulfilment as a novelist.
You can choose to book any individual course or a combination. Each course is held in the gorgeous surroundings of Trinity College, Oxford and runs from 9.40 - 5.00. A course pack and two servings of tea, coffee and biscuits are included. NOTE: There are discounts if you book more than one course.
Scroll down this page for full details of the content of each course, course leaders, booking details, venue and location. I'll be closing bookings for Write It! and Edit It! on 17th May and for Publish It! and Market It! on 24th May.
19th May: WRITE IT! (Fictionfire Day Course 9) NOTE: Booking closes 17th May
'Any book I write starts with a flash but takes a long time to shape up.' Robert Penn Warren
'I love writing. I love the swirl and swing of words as they tangle with human emotions.' James A. Michener
So many people dream of writing a book. How do you get started? How do you keep going once you've started? This first course in our series of four essential guides to all the processes involved in getting a book written, published and sold will take you through the key elements of story composition.
Using practical exercises and discussion, along with helpful illustrative examples, we'll start the day by exploring just why it is you want to write, followed by ways of finding inspiration and ideas, along with techniques for developing and structuring those ideas. We'll examine a variety of ways of getting the story going so that your reader is hooked.
Lorna will go on to show you how to create convincing characters, why point of view is so important, how to structure a compelling plot, how to write dialogue that works and how to reinforce your story's power with location and atmosphere. This will be an intense, exciting whistle-stop tour of the crucial components of storytelling, designed to fire your enthusiasm and develop your writing confidence.
Course Leader: Lorna Fergusson (further details below)
Cost: £85
20th May: EDIT IT! (Fictionfire Day Course 10) NOTE: Booking closes 17th May
'A first draft is a work of construction; the seventh is the work of an artist.' Barbara Kingsolver
Once you've completed the first draft of your story or novel, you need to step back from it and start to think like an editor. During this course Lorna will introduce you to the various levels and types of editing and encourage you to see the editing process as an integral and even enjoyably creative part of writing, whether you're aiming for traditional or independent publishing. Whether your work ultimately goes through three, seven or thirty seven drafts, it's crucial that you don't send it out until it's as perfect and polished as possible.
During the day, various editing exercises will be set to enable you to avoid common pitfalls, examine your work judiciously and present it professionally. You'll learn how to look at your work in close-focus detail but also how to stand back and take an overview of it as an artistic construct. Are you showing or telling? Do you repeat yourself or use language lazily? Is your dialogue cumbersome? Are the details of your story internally consistent? Have you got your facts right? You'll learn to assess your work's style, your choice of point of view, how you've come into the story, how well you sustain narrative momentum, whether your characters and settings are developed successfully and whether you've satisfied reader expectations.
In the final session of the day, we'll discuss when to recognise that it's time to stop tinkering and get ready to send your work out. Lorna will advise you on how to prepare to pitch your novel and how to start that most challenging of tasks: writing your synopsis.
Course Leader: Lorna Fergusson (further details below)
Cost: £85 (A discount is available if you book more than one course: see below)
26th May: PUBLISH IT! (Fictionfire Day Course 11) NOTE: Booking closes 24th May
'For me, the bliss of writing is mixed up with the bliss of being in print.' John Updike
Once you've fulfilled the dream of writing your book, it's time to fulfil the dream of publishing it. This day course will guide you towards setting and achieving your publishing goals. We'll examine the different routes to publication you can follow, starting with traditional publishing.
In our morning session, Lorna will discuss how traditional publishing works and what it can still offer the aspiring author. You'll learn how best to select agents to query and how to put together an effective submission package. She'll reveal how you can maximise your chances of being accepted and how to cope with and move on from rejection. You'll find out how your book, once accepted, moves through the stages of the publishing process, which works on a long time-scale.
In the afternoon sessions, we'll explore the exciting potential of independently publishing your book, starting with short-run printing and print-on-demand, followed by e-book publishing. Joanna Penn and Ali Luke will show you what you need to know about e-book readers and formats, cover design, using editors and proof-readers, page layout, budgeting and finance - and much more. Armed with such crucial inside knowledge you can ultimately make your own choice of which publishing route you want to follow, confident that, in spite of all the doom-sayers predicting the death of the book, there's never been a more vibrant and positive time for you to get your words, your stories, onto the page and out to your readership.
Course leaders: Lorna Fergusson, Ali Luke, Joanna Penn (further details below)
Cost: £85 (A discount is available if you book more than one course - see below)
27th May: MARKET IT! (Fictionfire Day Course 12) NOTE: Booking closes 24th May
'Any fool can write a novel, but it takes a real genius to sell it.' J.G. Ballard
You've written and published a wonderful book - now it's time to let the world know about it! This inspiring day course will show you how to create awareness and buzz around your work, helping it to stand out against the 'white noise' of other people's books, all clamouring for attention.
You'll start by learning to 'know' your book and your 'brand' as an author, along with identifying your potential readers and market niche. If you are an 'indie' author, Joanna Penn will give you tips and tricks for how to improve your Amazon sales page, how to write cover and sales copy, how to use pricing and giveaways to push your novel up the rankings, how to experiment with your cover to improve sales. Lorna will explain how, even if you have less influence in a traditionally published context, you can still contribute effectively to the success of your book by being market-aware and by working positively with your publisher's marketing and publicity people.
In the afternoon, Ali Luke will discuss the crucial notion of the 'author platform' and how you can use social networking, blogging and guest-posting, list management, multimedia, video and audio/podcasting to reach out to your audience and create a relationship with them. Finally, we'll look at designing your marketing plan, timing activities as you approach your book-launch date, garnering book reviews, setting up signings and online book-tours and offering articles and talks.
Successful marketing requires forethought and energy but will repay you many times over as you create loyal readers who will buy not just your first book but all the books you go on to write!
Course leaders: Lorna Fergusson, Joanna Penn, Ali Luke (further details below)
Cost: £85 (A discount is available if you book more than one course - see below)
Course Leaders:
Lorna Fergusson, Head of Fictionfire: Lorna is a published novelist and has taught both English Literature and Creative Writing for many years, including on behalf of the Writers' Conference at Winchester University and Oxford University's Department of Continuing Education. She set up Fictionfire in 2009, offering courses and workshops for writers, along with editing, critiquing, and mentoring services. She will be contributing to the forthcoming Studying Creative Writing in the Creative Writing Studies series and is preparing to e-publish her novel The Chase, previously published by Bloomsbury. You can follow Lorna on Twitter @LornaFergusson
Joanna Penn of The Creative Penn: Joanna is the independent author of action-adventure thriller novels, Pentecost and Prophecy. The books are Amazon bestsellers and have sold over 33,000 copies. Joanna helps people write, publish and market their books at her site www.TheCreativePenn.com, which has been voted one of the Top 10 Blogs for Writers two years running. Joanna is also an international speaker on digital publishing and book marketing. Not only does she have experience of publishing both fiction and non-fiction, but she has enormous enthusiasm for helping writers feel at ease with the world of self-publishing, print on demand, e-publishing and promotion, particularly on the internet. She has a wealth of practical advice and information to give you about effective book marketing. You can follow Joanna on Twitter @thecreativepenn.
Ali Luke of Aliventures: Ali is a writer and writing coach with a post-graduate MA in Creative Writing from Goldsmiths College, London. She has several years' experience of blogging, both on her own site, www.aliventures.com and for other motivational blogs such as Copyblogger, Problogger and Men with Pens. She spoke on 'How to Write Ebooks that Practically Sell Themselves' at BlogWorld Los Angeles in November 2011 and will be speaking at BlogWorld in New York this June. She is currently writing 'Publishing e-Books for Dummies' for Wiley. Her e-courses and e-books are full of warm, lively, practical assistance, drawing on her knowledge of the writing life and of the possibilities the internet offers to freelance writers. You can follow her on Twitter @aliventures.
HOW TO BOOK AND FEES:
Each course costs £85 and will run from 9.40 a.m. to 5.00 p.m,. to include two servings of tea, coffee and biscuits during the day and a useful course pack for you to take away.
Discounts: book any two courses for £160 (saving £10), any three courses for £235 (saving £20) and all four courses for £310 (saving £30).
Remember: booking closes 17th May for Write It! and Edit It! and 24th May for Publish It! and Market It!
Choose any one of these three ways to make your booking -
1 Postal Bookings:
Please print off the Fictionfire Course Booking Form (follow this link) and send with your cheque to L Fergusson, Fictionfire, 110 Oxford Road, Old Marston, Oxford, OX3 0RD. Remember to read the Terms and Conditions regarding these courses. When I receive your payment I will get in touch with you and confirm your place.
2 Online Shop:
You can also make a course booking using Paypal - just go to the Online Shop page. Scroll down the shop page to select the course(s) you wish to attend. Remember to read the Terms and Conditions. IMPORTANT - If you choose to book this way, please notify me of your booking by emailing info@fictionfire.co.uk : let me know which course(s) you are booking, if it is for one person or more, your contact details (name, address, phone number, email) and the fee you have paid through Paypal. On receipt of this notification I will email you to acknowledge that you have registered for your chosen course(s). If you have not heard from me, please check your junk/spam folder in case my message has ended up there and add info@fictionfire.co.uk and mail@fictionfire.co.uk to your safe list. You can also ring or text me on 07827 455723.
3 Paypal Invoice
You can also book by emailing me at info@fictionfire.co.uk and letting me know your contact details and which course(s) you wish to attend. I will issue a Paypal invoice so that you can pay by debit or credit card - there is no need to have a Paypal account for this facility.
LOCATION: (Fuller details )available on Venue and Directions
The courses will be held in the elegant, wood-panelled Sutro Room (which has excellent disabled access) at Trinity College, Oxford. Trinity, which was founded in the 16th century, is situated on Broad Street at the heart of the city, close to the Bodleian Library, the Sheldonian Theatre, Balliol, Exeter and Jesus Colleges. At lunchtime, you can choose from a wide variety o
f cafes, pubs and restaurants in the immediate vicinity. During the lunch-break or after your course ends, you may wish to explore Trinity's beautiful gardens, browse in the world-famous Blackwell's Bookshop, visit the newly re-opened Ashmolean Museum, or simply stroll around BroadStreet, Radcliffe Square and St Giles, soaking up the atmosphere and appreciating the architectural glories of this historic city.
DIRECTIONS: (Fuller details are on Venue and Directions)
Trinity College is centrally placed, with excellent access on foot from the Bus Station at Gloucester Green and from the Railway Station. If you are coming by car, there is parking available on St Giles and at Gloucester Green. However, parking is limited and expensive so I would strongly recommend you make use of the Park and Ride system: http://www.oxford.gov.uk/transport/park-and-ride.cfm
See also http://www.trinity.ox.ac.uk/contact/getting/ and http://www.trinity.ox.ac.uk/maps for further detailed guidance.
Thank you, all of you who have attended my previous courses. I really enjoyed meeting you and wish you all the very best of luck as you pursue your writing projects. Here are the listings of my previous courses, so that you can get some idea of what a Fictionfire course involves. If you are interested in these courses being run at a future date, or if you're part of a writing group and would like me to run a course for you, please let me know by contacting me at info@fictionfire.co.uk and I can register your interest.
PREVIOUS COURSES
COURSE 7: WRITING YOUR NOVEL: ESSENTIAL STORY CONSTRUCTION (Spring 2011)
As a writer, you're a fabricator: you make things up but you also have to put your invented elements together in a way that will not only make sense to your readers but which will grip their attention. This day course will examine the components you need to build your story - with particular emphasis on plot.
COURSE 6: CREATING NARRATIVE PERSPECTIVE AND VOICE (Spring 2011)
One of the crucial choices you make as a storyteller is to choose who's telling the story. The effective creation of point of view will add colour and draw your reader into the world of your characters. In this course we'll use published examples and practical exercises to explore the options available to you when choosing narrative perspective, how to convey attitude and voice and the importance of controlling just how much information the reader is given and how it is pitched. You're aiming to use your skills to intrigue your readers and keep them engaged.
COURSE 5: MAKING MEMORABLE SCENES (Autumn 2010)
If you are interested in aspects of plot and story-structure, this day course will guide you towards making the scenes you write work as powerfully as possible to engage and hold your reader's attention. We'll look at published examples, deconstructing them to see how their internal dynamics made them effective - and we'll practise writing our own scenes. We'll cover areas such as pace, tension, mood, location, using dialogue and placing scenes in your story's overall structure. Getting the individual scenes right will help you grow in confidence as a writer.
COURSE 6: SHAPE UP AND MAKE YOUR PITCH (Autumn 2010)
You've completed your writing project - congratulations! Now you want to get it 'out there' to a readership. This day course is designed to help you meet the challenge of making your pitch. So that your submission is as polished as possible, practical exercises will guide you through crucial self-editing techniques and show you how best to present your manuscript. We'll explore how to write an effective query letter and synopsis which will make the agent or editor hungry to see more. The marketplace is crowded: here's how to make yourself stand out.
COURSE 3: CHARACTER BUILDING (Spring 2010)
'Without character there is no story.' (Julia Bell)
This day course is designed to help you create and develop characters for your fiction-writing. However clever your plotting, however powerful your theme, however beautiful your style, your story will not work if your characters fail to engage your readers' attention and emotions. We'll examine how to bring characters to convincing life, exploring the variety of techniques available to you. We'll look at how published writers have achieved their effects and engage in exercises to imagine new characters - and their stories.
COURSE 4: ESSENTIAL EDITING (Spring 2010)
'A first draft is a work of construction; the seventh is the work of an artist.' (Barbara Kingsolver)
This day course is designed to show you the essential techniques of editing your own work and to help you see revision as integral to the creative process. Whether your work needs to go through three, seven or thirty-seven drafts, you need to be sure when you send it out that it's as polished as you can make it. The course will also arm you with a knowledge of how the publishing industry works so that you can pitch your story effectively. And you thought just writing the thing was enough ...!
COURSE 2: BLINDFOLD INTO THE MAZE - PLOTTING YOUR NOVEL (Autumn 2009)
COURSE 1: GET THAT NOVEL UP AND RUNNING (Autumn 2009)
(fictionfire is an organisation which contracts with the College for the use of facilities, but which has no formal connection with The University of Oxford.)