Developing your creative writing: workshop

- Respond to, and assess, pieces of writing with sensitivity
- Write more effectively and confidently in your chosen genre(s)
- Evaluate, revise and edit your own work.

You should bring paper and pens or pencils. You will need to make copies of work you bring to present to the class. These will be returned to you as soon as the class ends.

Most sessions will consist of a balance of teaching and students reading and discussing their work. Each week two students will be scheduled to present the group for half an hour each. The rest of the session will consist of an open reading, for students to read and discuss shorter pieces of work, and teaching and discussion on a particular topic.

The tutor will find out from each student what aspects of writing they are interested in, or what they are grappling with, so that these topics can be explored in discussion. The tutor will generally give the first response to a piece of writing before opening up the discussion. If students do not want to read their work aloud other arrangements can be made.

All writing courses at City Lit will involve an element of workshop. This means that students will produce work which will be discussed in an open and constructive environment with the tutor and other students. The college operates a policy of constructive criticism, and all feedback on another student’s work by the tutor and other students should be delivered in that spirit.

For classes longer than one day regular reading and writing exercises will be set for completion at home to set deadlines.