Star Wars creator famously used 'The Hero's Journey' as a template when penning his intergalactic phenomenon!

Thanks to this, millions of children have grown up making blaster sounds in the playground, swinging imaginary lightsabers at each other or sat next to the family dog in the back seat of the car as they prepare to make the jump to lightspeed (okay, that last one might just be me - Steve).

As a children's writer and Star Wars nerd, I thought I'd put my two passions together and create some writing workshops for children which look at the Hero's Journey and how it was applied to the original film, and then (the fun bit) create new stories of our own.

No experience is necessary, just an enthusiasm for writing, for film (hopefully Star Wars) and for just giving things a go!

There are 2 sessions remaining, each targeted for 9-15-year olds, and each attendee will get individual attention and feedback.

What the sessions entail...

Session 2 'Facing the Trials' Saturday June 18th, 10:00-12:00

• 'Crossing the First Threshold.' What does the new world look like? 'Mos Eisley spaceport: You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. We must be cautious.'
• Test, Allies, Enemies'. We'll have fun creating new friends based on old ones, 'Wwwrraaagggaahgghhh (that's Chewbacca, just in case you were wondering), 'Beep-boop.. doo-duh-dooda-doo' (that's right, R2-D2!) and enemies, 'Commander tear this ship apart and bring me the passengers, I want them alive!'... you've got it! Cue the deep breathing!
• 'Approach to the Inmost Cave'. Somebody needs rescuing! 'That's no moon!' We'll create a fortress that's hard to get into and even harder to get out of!

Session 3 'The Final Duel' Saturday June 25th, 10:00-12:00

• 'The Ordeal' Our heroes are getting away with it. This is toooo easy, right? Hang on a second. Here comes that deep breathing again. 'When I left you, I was but the learner. Now I am the master.'
• 'The Reward'. Someone is rescued and despite the cost, our heroes gain the knowledge to win!
• 'The Road Back'. Our enemies are not very happy at all and will stop us getting home at all costs. Here come the TIE-fighters!
• 'Resurrection.' What did Luke always dream of being? Yes, a pilot! Well he's about to get his wish. 'Red 5, standing by!'
• 'Return with the Elixir'. 'You're all clear kid! Now let's blow this thing and go home!' Say no more.

We will look at lots of film clips and complete writing exercises relevant to each stage of the Hero's Journey!

About Steve Katon...

Steve's life changed beyond repair as a boy in 1977.

While waiting with his family for The Spy Who Loved Me to start at the local cinema, a trailer came on introducing a place from ‘a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away....’ He knew at once that he had to go and live in this place no matter how far away or long ago it was and, for most of his daydreaming life, he has done just that.

When back in this galaxy, Steve is studying for an MA in Creative Writing at Nottingham Trent University. He lives in Nottingham with his wife, 2 teenaged daughters and his dog.

He can normally be found with his head in a book.

Book your place...

Please note there are 2 sessions remaining(18th and 25th). Each lasts for two hours (10:00-12:00) and more detail is shown above.

Each session will be stand-alone with individual learning objectives.

Separate tickets are available for each session (@ £10 each), with a bundle price of £15 if you purchase both.

Access...

This workshop will be delivered in person at the Nottingham Writers' Studio in the Carousel Building @ 25 Hockley, Nottingham, NG11FH.

Please email us at admin@nottinghamwritersstudio.co.uk if you have any particular access requests.