A University of Worcester expert will share her insider tips on not just starting a novel, but actually finishing one, in a special workshop at The Hive.
Lecturer in Creative Writing, Dr Ruth Stacey, will be leading a free session on this topic on February 18 (5pm).
Plenty of us have dreamed of writing that novel that’s been going round in our mind for years, but in reality that’s only half the battle. Dr Stacey said transferring ideas into a fully-fledged manuscript is a common problem among writers.
“People have lots of good ideas and they might make lots of good starts,” said Dr Stacey. “The fun part is having a dramatic idea. It’s exciting and you have a real rush of ideas transferred to the page and then it grinds to a halt. People have that energy for the first three chapters and then things can go flat.”
She will be sharing tips from famous writers and writers she has encountered, suggesting some methods that might help in pushing past this writers’ block or prevent it from happening.
The session, which is part of a series of weekly talks and workshops by the University’s experts in the Department of English, Media and Culture, will be practical and interactive, with guided writing exercises that will get attendees putting ideas on the page.
Dr Stacey’s talk is suitable for anyone who is writing a novel and looking for guidance on the next steps, and also for anyone who has a novel, memoir, or family history in mind, but is overwhelmed by the idea of starting and is looking for advice.
The published writer said: “There are two types of writers; the planners and the ‘pantsers’, who fly by the seat of their pants. The first type can spend so long planning that they lose the joy of writing and give up. The second type can tend to plough straight in without a plan, and they run out of steam.”
Dr Stacey added: “There’s no perfect method for writing; there’s a method which will work for every writer. It’s about finding a balance.”
The event, titled ‘How to finish a novel (and not just start one)’, is free, and places can be booked by visiting the Worcestershire County Council’s library events webpage: