*Please note: we are no longer taking bookings for this workshop**
What does it mean to have a ‘voice’ as a writer? Why is it important? And how do you go about discovering yours?
Dialogue, character, structure – every writer who wishes to create plays needs to master these basic building blocks. But what’s next? How do you use these tools to say something that really feels worth saying? How do you find and share the stories only you can tell?
Finding Your Voice is an eight-week, intermediate-level course that will help you develop and discover your own unique voice and style.
This is the course for you if you’re looking for:
- New ways to make your writing stand out from the crowd
- Greater confidence in sharing your writing and talking about your work
- Fresh techniques to get excited by your writing or beat a creative block.
- A stronger sense of knowing who you are as a writer
- An intensive experience to inspire your greatest creativity
Finding Your Voice features a mixture of at-home assignments and in-class writing exercises. Writers will be expected to prepare work to share in class every week – because the best way to develop as a writer is to write.
The class has a supportive and encouraging atmosphere to encourage writers to take risks and uncover new aspects of their unique voice.
Discovering one’s voice as a writer is an ongoing journey, but this class will give participants a leg-up in identifying their distinctive qualities and trusting this process of discovery.
Course Structure
The first four weeks of the course contain focused exercises that help writers hone their instinct for story, and unlock their strengths in relation to character, language, and world-building. There is a one-week break in the middle of the course to allow participants to reflect and process their discoveries. The final four weeks build on this foundation, with increasing freedom for the writers to tailor the exercises to their own needs and skills while continuing to produce new work every week.
Please note that this is an exercise-based course designed to open up new creative avenues, sharpen the writer’s toolkit, and extend the imagination. This class is not suited to writers who only want to focus on a single work or material of their own choosing.
How to apply
Writers are asked to submit:
- A 3-5 page writing sample
- Our short application form (click below to download)*
Please email both documents to
workshops@londonplaywrightsblog.com
*Please note that places may be filled as applications are received, so it’s best to apply early if you want to ensure the best chance of getting a place on the course.
When and where
When:9 February – 6 April 2017 on Thursday afternoons from 3-5pm (please note there is no class on March 9)
Where:RADA Studios, 16 Chenies St, London WC1E 7EX (nearest tube: Goodge Street)
Cost: £160 (payable by BACS following acceptance on the course)
Previous participants say
“I enjoyed the interaction with the entire group, including the instructor. She created a nurturing, sensitive, focused environment and truly encouraged us to achieve things we didn’t feel equal to.”
“I really enjoyed the diversity of the task set, which allowed for exploration.”
“The class has been very useful in giving me confidence to share my work and realise my strengths and weaknesses. The feedback was always very salient and encouraging. I learnt tremendously from all my friends. Thank you so much for this class.”
“It was a great learning and sharing experience.”
About the workshop leader
A.C. Smith is a scriptwriter and songwriter. She is a Playwriting Tutor on the MA Text & Performance at RADA, where she previously served as Head of Academic Studies. She has won awards for her writing from the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Soho Theatre, and has also been shortlisted for the Kevin Spacey Foundation Artists of Choice Awards and the Perfect Pitch Award as a lyricist/librettist for musical theatre. Her writing has been performed at the Soho Theatre, HighTide, RADA, Southwark Playhouse, Theatre503, and Pleasance Theatre, among others. She has worked at First Born Films as Development Executive, working on new feature film projects, and has worked as a writer/dramaturg with physical theatre & dance projects with Theatre Re and Jorge Crecis. She is Co-Founder & Director of London Playwrights’ Blog.
Image: Andy Morffew via Flickr Commons (CC Licence)
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