FIRST WORDS: STARTING TO WRITE A FIRST DRAFT

Máire Fisher, writer

This course is designed to help participants who may have attended a novel writing course, read ‘how-to’ books or worked out a timeline or plot, and yet have not had success in putting pen to paper . Working from the premise that where a story or novel starts is not necessarily where it will eventually begin, this course uses a series of exercises and a variety of techniques to help participants conquer the fear of the first draft and have the confidence to keep writing . It offers a useful follow-on to other writing modules but can also be attended as a stand-alone course . It will be valuable to both new and established writers.

Recommended reading

 Schuster, A. 2014. To the Islands: A Creative Writing Handbook. Cape Town: Tiber Tree Press.

 Truby, J. 2008. The Anatomy of Story: 22 Steps to Becoming a Master Storyteller.  Farrar, Straus and Giroux