Inspirations for creative writing
What you'll learn
- You will see how to use a selection of prepared prompts and activities that you can fall back on when the Muse fails.
- You will see how the same prompts can be used in different ways, allowing you to try something different with your writing.
- You will have been introduced to techniques that you can use to develop your own prompts and resources.
- You will have access to resources to use to inspire your own writing, or to use with others in writing groups or workshops.
- You will see real-life examples that have been written as a response to these same prompts and activities.
Requirements
- No previous academic study or qualifications are required.
- Students should have a knowledge of, and interest in, poetry or creative writing, as the course will provide prompts to be followed and example texts, but will not explain the actual writing process.
- Students should have at least an intermediate level of English, although, once understood, the activities can be applied in any language.
Description
Some writers always have things to write about: they never seem to run out of ideas. Others struggle to start new work, sitting around waiting for inspiration to come. But experience shows that the Muse likes to find us working, so it's good to have a range of activities you can use when you're not sure what to write next.
Each class in this course provides a different prompt or activity to get the creative process started. How you use these resources will depend on your particular interests and aims as a writer.
Many of the classes are accompanied by examples of writing that has resulted from the activity described. Most of these are taken from my own work and, as my own main interest is in poetry, the examples are mostly poems; even so, the course should be of interest to any creative writer who’s looking for inspirational activities.
Who this course is for:
- Poets and other creative writers who are looking for ideas and activities to help them write new work.
- Creative writing tutors who want to widen their arsenal of activities.
- Creative writers who want to kickstart the writing process and overcome writer's block.
Instructor
Award-winning poet, writer, translator and businesswoman, with a career spanning IT, teaching, design and publishing, Gwyneth specialises in copy writing and transcreation, particularly in the fields of lifestyle, travel and technology.
As joint owner of the UK creative agency and publishing house Tantamount, Gwyneth works with businesses, educators and freelance creatives on projects that draw together the threads of publishing, design, technology and training.
As a writer, she is fascinated by the multi-layered aspects of language revealed through translation and poetry, and her creative writings explore the borderlands between writer and narrator, between translation and creation, and between memoir and invention.
Over the years, Gwyneth has organised and been an active member of a number of writers' groups. She is Digital Advisor to the SWWJ, the UK's oldest professional organisation for women writers, for whom she has run workshops and courses in subjects including creative writing, translation, and technology for writers. As well as running workshops, she was poet in residence for TEDx Leamington Spa in 2017 and is a regular at open mikes and on local radio.
You can find out more about Gwyneth at her website, where you'll find information about her books (available from Amazon), as well as links to her personal blog and some of her other writing activities.