Fictionfire

Welcome to my Speaker page

I love sharing my knowledge of the writing craft! Over the years I’ve given talks to many organizations and run workshops and classes too, as well as for my own business, Fictionfire. I offer a wide range of topics, covering

·        motivation/commitment/creating your writing practice

·        writing techniques

·        editing and the submission process

·        publishing options  

See the list of previous topics/titles here and organisations I’ve previously worked with here. I can design bespoke talks and classes for you – just ask!

Upcoming events:

Oxford University Summer School for Adults, 6-13 July 2024 (fully booked)

Oxford University Creative Writing Summer School at Exeter College, 21 July - 10 August 2024

Events in 2023:

For Oxford University, summer 2023: OUSSA summer school (fully booked); Creative Writing summer school at Exeter College (fully booked); Undergraduate Diploma in Creative Writing lecture. For Oxford Royale summer school: 4 lectures.

Events in 2022:

Oxford University Undergraduate Diploma in Creative Writing Day School 23 October; Oxford University Creative Writing Summer School at Exeter College 24 July - 13 August; Oxford University Summer School for Adults (OUSSA) Fiction Writing: Key Aspects and Techniques, 9-15 July.

Talk on storytelling for non-fiction writers, for an Oxford group of writers, January 2022. ‘Lorna gave us a great talk on Storytelling Techniques in Non-fiction - it addressed the key issues for writers, had practical ideas to solve their challenges, and was backed up by a wonderful range of books for them to draw confidence and get ideas from, and be inspired by!’ Robert Bullard, Facilitator of GROW

Events in 2021:

Alliance of Independent Authors Self-Publishing Conference in October had as its theme Writing and Publishing Craft. With fellow author Debbie Young I discussed The Craft of Genre Fiction in an online presentation.

Oxford University Summer School for Adults (OUSSA) and Oxford University three week Creative Writing Summer School, Exeter College, were both cancelled this summer again, because of the pandemic.

Events in 2020:

1 March 2020: Oxford University Undergraduate Diploma in Creative Writing: day school classes on how to write openings, how to transform life into art, and key editing skills.

8 March 2020: I took part in the five day online Women in Publishing Summit, talking about mindset for writers.

25 April 2020: my workshop on mindset at the Hawkesbury Upton Literature Festival was cancelled because of coronavirus.

Summer 2020: Creative writing summer school programmes for Oxford University (OUSSA programme and the three week Creative Writing Summer School at Exeter College) were cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic.

(Late 2019: Essential Editing, plus one-to-one appointments, at WriteCon in Zurich. http://writecon.ch/)

My key purpose is to inspire. In any talk or class I aim to entertain, inform and support attendees, giving them a vision of what they’re capable of as writers and the belief that they can go ahead and achieve it. I can help writers at all levels from absolute beginners to the more experienced and those seeking publishing advice. 

If you’re running a writing group or writing circle, or are organizing a conference or festival and you’d like to invite me to give a talk or run a bespoke workshop or course, then use this contact form or call 07827 455723 and we can take it further. 

I also welcome interview invitations, such as for radio or podcasts, or you can invite me to guest-post on your blog. Contact me via the contact form or call 07827 455723.

what can I offer you?

Ask me to create a new talk or workshop if what you’re looking for isn’t here! Some of these were created for the organisations listed below, but most for my own Fictionfire programme of workshops, day courses and retreats during the past decade.

Sample formats: 60-90 minute talks, workshops lasting 2 or 3 hours, half-day or full-day courses, linked series over a weekend, courses lasting several weeks. I can design and structure workshops and courses according to your specific needs. I can also use Zoom for online sessions.

Here are some ideas for you! 

Finding inspiration, motivation, commitment, creating your writing practice

Talks:

Why write; making the transition from short fiction to the novel; how stories evolve; how to create a writing life for yourself

Workshops/class/course topics: 

Get inspired and stay inspired; staying committed to your writing for the long haul; transforming your life into art

 Writing techniques and skills 

Talks: 

Writing openings; creating/using a sense of place in fiction; using sensory details, making your scenes memorable 

Workshops/classes/courses topics: 

Complete novel writing course (10 sessions typical, but customizable)

Writing openings

Creating character; creating heroes and villains; making use of character ‘ghosts’; creating minor characters; creating inner lives for your characters

Creating narrative perspective; the uses of different kinds of point of view

Story construction/plotting; how to control and shape plot; how to pace your story; how to create memorable scenes; pacing individual scenes; how to create back story; raising the stakes of your story; playing with time; how to write happy scenes; creating layers of meaning; writing short stories; how to write spooky stories

Dynamic dialogue

Using settings and creating a sense of place/atmosphere; using sensory details

Improving your writing style  

Workshops exploring how you can use certain subjects in your fiction – techniques and purposes:

Friendship; war; the aftermath of war; love; parents and children; siblings; spiritual journeys

Editing, submitting and publishing your work

Talks:

Essential editing; historical fiction; how to get published/your publishing choices; cover design 

Workshops/classes/courses topics: 

Essential editing techniques; how to write a synopsis; how to create your pitch package; how to write your covering letter; how to edit your submission 

Writing retreats 

In the past I’ve run several writing retreats: Fictionfire by the Sea in St Ives, Cornwall, and Fictionfire by the Spires in Oxford. Each retreat had a taught themed component: past themes were Spirit of Place, Plot Structure, Get into Character, Reboot and Troubleshoot. 

If you would like me to structure and guide a retreat for you, whether themed or not, please contact me.

Past talks and lectures include for:

·        Oxford University

·        The University of Winchester’s Writers’ Festival

·        Aarhus University English Society

·        The Historical Novel Society

·        The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators

·        The Oxford Literary Festival

·        Oxford Writers’ House

·        Writers in Oxford

·        The Calderdale Writers’ Roadshow

·        Oxford’s C.S. Lewis Society 

Past workshops, classes and courses include for:

·        Oxford University’s Department for Continuing Education: part-time course programme, Undergraduate Diploma in Creative Writing day schools, OUSSA summer school programme 2001-present, Oxford University Creative Writing Summer School 2013-present

·        The University of Winchester’s Writers’ Festival 2001-2018

·        Arcadia University

·        Didcot Writers at Cornerstone Arts Centre, Didcot