Ghost Story Writing Course

Ever wanted to write your own ghost stories but never knew where to begin? This six-session online course of workshops is for you! Beginners and experienced writers alike are welcome.

Price for the course per person: £65 (plus Eventbrite fee). The course of workshops begins on Tuesday 13 Jan and runs for six sessions across seven weeks, ending on 24 Feb (there is no course on Tues 3 Feb). See below for full list of dates.

NB: Course must have at least 22 participants to take place. All tickets will be refunded if the course is cancelled or can't run for any reason.

DATES: Tuesdays, 13, 20, 27 Jan, 10, 17, 24 Feb (no workshop on 3 Feb)
TIMES: 7pm - 9pm (approx)

ABOUT THE COURSE

Across six productive, stimulating and fun workshops you'll dive into writing gripping, thrilling ghost stories. Led by experienced writer and workshop leader Adam Z. Robinson (creator of ghost stoy theatre shows The Book of Darkness & Light, Shivers, Upon the Stair, Unhomely) you’ll tackle exercises to help you create dynamic characters; establish vivid and chilling settings; weave intriguing backstories; conjure horrifying encounters and develop beautiful and descriptive scene-setting. We’ll also look at academic questions on topics such as the differences between horror and terror; uncovering the uncanny; and the greatest question of them all... How do we make stories 'scary'?

Beginners and experienced writers alike will improve their craft by looking intensively at this thrilling genre. Through a series of exercises and discussions, you'll soon be penning tales in the style of greats such as M.R. James, Charles Dickens, E. Nesbit and Susan Hill.

PRICING

"I'm commited to making my courses and workshops affordable for anyone who wants to attend, which is why I have several ticket options available. However, this course is an indepdendent venture so if you can afford the full ticket price, please take that option. Thanks! Adam."

The general course ticket is priced at £65 per ticket (plus an Eventbrite charge).

There is also a discounted ticket priced at £50 for anyone in lower-income circumstances, whatever they be. You won't be challenged or asked to 'prove' this - it's being run on an honesty basis.

Comparible courses to this one run at around £20 per session. So, there's also a ticket option to reflect this. If you can afford to pay more, there's an £80 ticket option..

If the cost of this course is a barrier to your attendance, even at the concession level, please contact me: thebookofdarknessandlight@gmail.com

FORMAT AND 'LOCATION'

The workshops will take place on Zoom and will run from 7pm - 9pm. So, a reliable internet connection will be essential to take part in the course. The sessions won't be recorded but exercises can be sent out to participants who miss workshops by request.

At each workshop Adam will guide you through a series of writing exercises, providing prompts and inspiration to get you started. Then...you'll just write! How you respond is entirely up to you. The only focus will be to have fun with language and explore the ghost story genre. After these short bursts of writing, there'll be an opportunity for writers to volunteer to share their work with the group.

At Adam's workshops, there is no pressure and no hierarchy. There's a relaxed and supportive atmosphere and whether you've written a dozen novels or nothing at all since school, you're equally welcome and will, we hope, get lots out of the sessions.

READING

Each week, Adam will give suggested reading and will provide everyone with a reading list before the course begins. Most of the stories featured will be in the public domain and available online, so there won't be any extra costs.

BEGINNERS WELCOME

If you've never attended a writing workshop before - don't worry! Adam has 10 years experience of running them and people over the years have loved attending the sessions (see the Feedback section below). The workshops are relaxed, inclusive and extremely enjoyable... the only scary thing will be the stories you'll write!

IMPORTANT DETAILS

- There will be six LIVE-streamed workshops (see dates and times below).

- The workshops won't be recorded, but the slides for sessions are available by request

- Workshops will take place on Zoom, so you'll need a reliable internet connection.

- You'll need something to write with and something to write on (notepad and pen, laptop, or whatever you prefer).

- The workshops will generally run for around 2 hours

- The course has a capacity of 30 participants/households. The course must reach 22 participants to run. If it does not reach 22 participants it will not run and you will be given a full refund.

- NB: It's important for everyone participating to feel that they are writing and sharing in a safe environment. Therefore, for safeguarding best practice, this is a course for adults only.

DATES

Course dates*: All workshops will be LIVE-streamed on Tuesday evenings, 7pm (UK time).

WORKSHOP 1: TUESDAY 13 JAN 2026

WORKSHOP 2: TUESDAY 20 JAN 2026

WORKSHOP 3: TUESDAY 27 JAN 2026

(No workshop on Tues 3 Feb)

WORKSHOP 4: TUESDAY 10 FEB 2026

WORKSHOP 5: TUESDAY 17 FEB 2026

WORKSHOP 6: TUESDAY 24 FEB 2026

*NB: Dates may be subject to change, but course participants will be consulted in advance in this very unlikely event.

ABOUT THE COURSE LEADER

Adam Z. Robinson is a writer, theatre-maker, workshop leader and award-winning author of flash fiction. His theatre work includes: Upon the Stair (“Everyone needs to see this show” - ✭✭✭✭½ The Reviews Hub) and Smile Club (✭✭✭✭ - The Guardian) co-written with Andrea Heaton. His ghosts story plays The Book of Darkness & Light and Shivers toured nationally between 2016-2019. As well as his original plays, Adam has adapted classic works for the stage: Nightmares (national tour 2024), Haunted (two national tours, 2023) and A Christmas Carol (national tours 2019-25; residencies London 2022, New Brunswick, Canada, 2023). Adam's other writing includes: Conscientious (national tour 2014), Belle & Mary (a true crime play commissioned by The Dukes Lancaster) and Seaside Terror (national tours 2017-20) with OddDoll Theatre. His play, Unhomely: Three Tales of Terror, premiered at Leeds Playhouse in 2024 and is published, along with his other playtexts, with Playdead Press. Adam is the host of The Ghost Story Book Club podcast. www.adamzrobinson.com

FEEDBACK

"This has been the best writing class I've done and it has exceeded my expectations."

" This was the most fun class/workshop I've ever taken in my life."

" Reignited the writing spark in me."

"I loved the course. Adam made it so easy. He was friendly and positive and really encouraging."

" Adam is a wonderful course leader and I look forward to joining on further courses in the future!"

" Adam is an excellent course leader who always put you at ease "

"Adam has a fantastic knowledge of the subject."

"Loved it. So glad I came!"

"Very relaxed atmosphere. Inspiring."

"Encouraging/friendly and informal atmosphere. Adam is very encouraging and interesting to listen to. I definitely learned a lot from the experience. Thank you!"

"It was perfect."

"My first workshop - thoroughly enjoyed it. Very inspiring. The format was great. Didn't feel intimidated, nervous or insecure."

NB: This is a course for adults. By purchasing a ticket you confirm that you are over 18 years of age. Any younger people present at the workshops are entirely the responsibility of adults and caregivers.

The course leader actively promotes an inclusive, respectful and supportive environment. Any behaviour that falls outside of this will not be tolerated and participants may be asked to leave the course if they resort to such conduct.