A day-long crime fiction creative writing workshop
Improve your writing technique courtesy of the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival’s creative writing course for aspiring writers. Hone your novel and short story writing skills with a day-long programme of workshops and seminars led by bestselling crime writers, publishing industry professionals and real-life crime experts.
The programme for 2011 Creative Thursday is currently in the planning stages. To give you a flavour of what previous programmes have offered aspiring writers, the 2010 programme is outlined below.
The 2010 programme included:
Stuart MacBride & Allan Guthrie
2 hr Intensive Writing Workshop: Character, Narrative and Voice
Two of the UK’s most successful crime authors come together to lead a hands-on workshop aimed to expand any writer’s toolkit.
Joseph Finder
2hr Intensive Writing Workshop: Suspense: How to Create and Maintain It
Get to grasp with one of the hardest aspects of the genre to get right with guidance from the award-winning international thriller writer.
D-I-Y Research: Forensics
Quiz three world-renowned forensics experts.
Professor Dave Barclay, Dr James Grieve and Dr Lorna Dawson from the Macaulay Institute have worked on some of Britain’s highest profile murder cases, this is an exceptional opportunity to ask the forensic questions your novel needs answered.
Dare you enter the Dragons’ Pen?
Four brilliant publishing industry professionals. Two minutes to convince them your novel is worth reading. One audience full of your fellow would-be writers watching how you fare. Our literary version of the popular TV show, the Dragons’ Den, is not for the faint-hearted.
We are offering a limited number of places to Creative Thursday participants with a completed concept for a crime novel the opportunity to pitch their book to two powerhouse agents, Jane Gregory of Gregory and Company and Peter Robinson of Rogers, Coleridge & White, and two highly-esteemed editors, Julia Wisdom of HarperCollins and Daniel Mallory of Little, Brown.
Fail to excite the Dragons’ interest and you’ll be going back to the drawing board – but if your pitch rouses their keen instincts then they will vie with each other for the privilege of being the first to read a synopsis and first chapter of your work. But be prepared… it takes a lot to impress our Dragons!
Places to pitch to the Dragons are limited. Register your interest upon booking to be in with a chance to pitch.
