Summer Workshops
NB. The Summer Writing Workshops advertised here take place annually. Please check this website for further details on upcoming workshops.
DPC Summer School Five Day Workshops
The Summer Writing Workshops advertised here will take place annually. Please check this website for further details on upcoming workshops.
New Writers - The advanced workshops
- Dr. Cathie Dunsford
- Director – Dunsford Publishing Consultants [170 published authors]
- Prescribed text:
- Getting published: The inside story – Cathie Dunsford, global dialogues press, frankfurt, 2003. [RRP: $29.95] – Available at class: $20.00
New Writers – The Advanced Workshop is based on university and publishing industry courses I have developed, taught and refined over the past 20 years in response to student and publishing industry feedback.
The course is open to all new writers of all ages and cultures in all genre areas. The aim is to provide a safe atmosphere where new writers can learn skills, share their work, learn how to co-edit their work and receive constructive critical feedback from the tutor [a professional publishing consultant] and their peers.
We begin by a round of the class to find out what areas each writer wants to work in and to identify any problems so far. This also helps break the ice and let students realise they all have similar fears and can move beyond them. We problem solve any areas needing help then move on to an exercise where each writer develops a character and then we read and discuss the methods of doing this. Then each character meets another writer’s character and the students develop dialogue and work this into the narrative. After discussion, they work together on this and then present back to the class for further discussion.
The next day we move onto deconstructing the elements of writing, looking at structure, narrative development, point of view, research, time management, tone, pace, genre criteria, etc and do technical exercises relating to these, leading up to writing the first piece of prose, short story, memoir, children’s story, poetry, etc in the afternoon with individual feedback from the tutor and the class.
On the following days students learn how to write for radio and other media and produce work each day that is edited and workshopped by the tutor and the class. The mornings are devoted to discussing technical skills and the afternoons to developing the student ’s own writing projects.
The workshop will end with an overview of the publishing industry and the tutor will answer any questions students have regarding this. Each student leaves the course with completed writing: a character development, narrative, script, short work of fiction or non-fiction, memoir, or screenplay and access to further feedback. Each student has the chance to have his/her work read free by the publishing consultancy at any time the student chooses after the course. You will be given access to writing skills books that can provide future guidance for your work.
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The Publishing Workshop
- Dr. Cathie Dunsford
- Director – Dunsford Publishing Consultants [170 published authors]
- Prescribed text:
- Getting published: The inside story – Cathie Dunsford, global dialogues press, frankfurt, 2003. [RRP: $29.95] – Available at class: $20.00
The Publishing Workshop is based on university and publishing trade courses I have developed, taught and refined over the past 20 years in response to student and publishing industry feedback. The course is open to all writers of all ages and cultures and genre areas. The aim is to provide a safe atmosphere for the sharing of new skills, editing and getting constructive critical feedback at an advanced stage for writers with at least 2 more short pieces of work in any genre area, [eg. 2 short stories or 2 articles] or the first draft or beginning of a novel, or an outline for a documentary or non-fiction book or memoir, etc. We workshop each writer’s work thus limiting numbers so each writer gets individual attention from both the tutor [a professional publishing consultant] and the other writers. The course is entirely directed to the particular needs of the students present but will involve some or all of the following:
How to structure and edit your work, writing a synopsis or chapter outline, writing query letters to publishers [we do this in class and discuss outcomes]. How the publishing industry works is explained and the professional way to approach publishers described in detail. Each student writes query letters explaining their text proposal to publishers and feedback is given on how to make the proposal as effective as possible. The mornings will be devoted to developing technical skills and discussing aspects of the publishing industry and the afternoons are devoted to students developing and co-editing their own work to a stage ready for submission. The course includes information on contracts, copyright, query letters, film, radio, TV, print media and internet publishing rights and discusses the strengths and weaknesses of mainstream as well as self-publishing. Each student has the chance to have his/her work read free by the publishing consultancy at any time the student chooses after the course. Several students have gone on to publish as a result of this [see DPC list]. You will be given access to books on writing skills that can provide ongoing guidance and support for your future work.
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