The beginner's guide to starting a book with Andrew Miller

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The beginner's guide to starting a book with Andrew Miller

By The Guardian Masterclasses

Date and time

Wednesday, September 3, 2014 · 10am - 5pm GMT+1

Location

The Guardian

Kings Place 90 York Way London N1 9GU United Kingdom

Refund Policy

Contact the organizer to request a refund.

Description

Everything you need to know to plan, research and write a book, in a nutshell

If you're taking your first steps into writing, you want to know that you're heading in the right direction. This one day capsule course offers a practical, digestible introduction to the fundamentals of planning, researching and writing a work of fiction or non-fiction. Costa Prize-winning author Andrew Miller will put you in touch with your creativity, and help you to make sense of the writing process, showing you how to establish an individual methodology that suits your routine and makes writing a natural part of your life.

By the end of the day, you'll know how to set your priorities for progress, what you need from your first draft and what you can fix in the editing stage – and how to approach your final draft. You'll also learn the essentials of researching a creative project and how this learning process will inform and shape your writing.

This course is for you if…

  • You're at an early stage of any large-scale creative work – whether it's a book, a novel, a short story compendium, an anthology or a book of poetry – and want to understand the mechanics of writing
  • You'd like to write for your own entertainment and would like tips on accessing your creative side with confidence

Course description

This inspiring one-day course deals with the fundamental skills and approaches to planning and completing a long-form creative work from start to finish. Topics covered in the day include:

  • How to approach a new project
  • Different ways of planning
  • How to carry out research, and how much you'll need to do
  • When to start putting words down on paper
  • What to save for the editing stage (and how it works)
  • What to look for in your first draft
  • How to free your creativity and enjoy the writing process

Tutor profile

Andrew Miller is the author of six novels. His first novel, Ingenious Pain, was published by Sceptre in 1997 and won the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for Fiction, the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award and the Grinzane Cavour prize in Italy. His last novel, Pure, won the 2012 Costa Book of the Year. He is an experienced tutor and a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.

Full course and returns information on the Masterclasses website

Organized by

Welcome to Guardian Masterclasses – a unique programme of learning embedded within one of the world's most forward-thinking media organisations.

We offer a broad range of short and long courses across a variety of disciplines from creative writing, journalism, photography and design, film and digital media, music and cultural appreciation.

Harnessing the expertise and specialisms within the organisation, our courses are led by first class and award winning guardian professionals whilst also drawing on the skills and expertise of other leading figures at the forefront of the creative and digital industries.

The programme is aimed at anyone interested in personal or professional development whether that be refining your skills, focusing your ambition or simply broadening your mind and gaining inspiration.

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