Creative Writing Masterclass - Shape of a Story

Everyone of us knows when we are gripped by a story our friend is telling us, and when we are bored and wish they would stop! But we don’t necessarily know why. In this workshop I will be looking at the different elements that combine to keep a reader engaged in any storyline: the beats along the way, the arrows launched, the resistance and desires driving on the protagonist and other characters. By understanding the organic shape of a story, you can work with your own to better understand what might be missing and where to go next. We will also look at the question of time in storytelling – from what point in time is this story being told to us? – and narration – who is telling us this story? If multiple people, when and how is the story baton handed over? What does omniscience mean, and how does POV affect the overall shape of story, be it short story, novella, or a full-length novel? I will ask everyone to send me in advance a one-page synopsis of anything they know so far about a story they want to write, or have already written but wish to develop further.

Susannah Waters has spent the whole of her working life telling stories. Whether as an opera singer in her first career, or as a stage director, creating productions of opera, theatre and dance, or in her own writing. As well as novels, she has written plays and operas. For fifteen years she was a tutor on the Creative Writing Programme, at the University of Sussex and then under the umbrella of New Writing South. She has been a mentor for the Literary Consultancy and a tutor for the Arvon Foundation. She loves nothing more than working with writers on their stories, and is continually exploring new ways to help writers create the best book they can, in every kind of genre.

The session will be held at the Jubilee Library in Brighton and will run from 11:15-16:45 with half an hour for lunch. The venue is fully accessible, near the train station and bus routes and with plenty of options for lunch (including bringing your own). If you have any specific needs to enable you to access the workshop, please do Contact Cathy Hayward - cathy@creativewritingprogramme.org.uk

The workshop is part of a series of one-day masterclasses held in the Easter and summer holidays. They are open to existing students on the Creative Writing Programme and other writers looking to improve specific areas of their writing craft.