Writing West Midlands

Writing West Midlands’ Writer Training Programme

We are developing a programme of writer training activities for emerging and professional writers (in the region and further afield). The next to take place will be as follows:

Workshop: Getting Where You Want To Be (In association with The Writers’ Compass)

Tuesday 7th September, 2010, 1pm (for tea/coffee) for 1.30pm start to 4.30pm, The Shakespeare Memorial Room, Birmingham Central Library, Chamberlain Square, Birmingham, B3 3HQ

Are you heading in the direction you want with your writing career? Using exercises from The Writer’s Compass DIY guide to professional development planning, this not-to-be-missed workshop with writer and experienced workshop leader Sarah Hymas will provide you with a structured opportunity to explore where you want to get to professionally and to start planning your next steps. During the workshop, you’ll be able to think about your current situation and your vision of where you’d like to be and when; look at your skills and motivations; explore strategies for overcoming possible hurdles and consider the different sources of support you can draw on. Finally, you’ll start to map out a plan of action to achieve your goals.

The workshop is aimed at writers at all stages of their career living and working in West Midlands. If you are considering a change in direction, starting out or simply want to take stock and check you’re still on track, then you are likely to find it particularly useful. To help kickstart the planning process, you’ll be asked to complete a brief questionnaire beforehand.

Sarah Hymas is a poet, short story writer and editor based in Lancaster. Her work has appeared in short story collections, anthologies, magazines, pamphlets, multimedia exhibits, film, on posters, and as lyrics and scripts and her first poetry collection, Host, has just been published by Waterloo Press. She works for Litfest, the Lancaster Literature Festival, as the editor of its publishing imprint, Flax, and keeps a blog, Echo Soundings www.sarahhymas.blogspot.com. She is an experienced workshop leader and works as a writer in schools, prisons and community settings. She became a Cultural Leadership PCT Accredited Coach in 2008. 

The Writer’s Compass (formerly literaturetraining) is a wing of NAWE (National Association of Writers in Education) and provides free information and advice services for writers. www.literaturetraining.com

Cost: £20 / £15 Concession  (20 places only)

Deadline for booking: Monday 23 August 2010

How to book: please get in touch via our contact page. 

Other Writer Training Opportunities

Formal Writer Training

In the West Midlands, there are several routes. The University of Birmingham run an MPhil in Playwriting, plus a new BA in Creative Writing. Birmingham City University hosts the National Academy of Writing, which runs degree courses for writers. The Universities of Warwick, Northampton and Wolverhampton all have similar creative writing courses.

Non-Formal Writer Training

If you have never written before, you might want to consider creative writing workshops, taster courses or similar activities. These can often be found at literary festivals, libraries and many points inbetween.

If you are an aspiring, or student, writer, you may find more advanced workshops or courses like those run by the Arvon Foundation useful. A programme of poetry workshops is run by Jacqui Rowe and Merideth Andrea: details at www.makingpoetry.co.uk.

The Birmingham Book Festival and Writing West Midlands run year round workshops. Details of any forthcoming workshops are found here.