Workshops
Throughout the year Sunday Writers’ Club are running writing workshops and organising readings from local and international authors. Like everything we offer at Sunday Writers’ Club, the workshops are designed to be friendly, inspirational and informative. Great writing development opportunities guaranteed.
As a valued SWC member, not only will you be the first to hear about the next planned workshop through our members-only newsletter, but you will also be top-of-the-list when it comes to booking one of the strictly limited places.
Upcoming Workshop
‘Memoir Writing Workshop’ with Catherine Simpson
Sunday 12th November 2023, 7.30-9.30pm CET (‘Vienna-time)
online (Zoom)
Tickets €25 | Free for SWC annual members taking part in the 24-hour writing challenge
We are extremely excited to offer a unique, two hour online workshop exploring memoir writing and getting real-life down on the page led by the wonderful Catherine Simpson.
Catherine has published two memoirs: When I Had a Little Sister, about the death by suicide of her sister, Tricia, and recently, One Body about growing up and growing older in a woman’s body, written while she was being treated for breast cancer. One Body was shortlisted for the Non-Fiction Book of the Year 2022 in the Scottish National Book Awards, and the audio version, narrated by Catherine, was selected for World Book Night 2023. In 2021 Catherine wrote and narrated a dramatic monologue on Radio 4, called ‘Driving Dad to the Old Folks Home’ which was a Radio 4 ‘Pick of the Week’. Her novel Truestory was inspired by raising her daughter, Nina, who is autistic.
Catherine’s writing has been described as ‘tormented, riveting and bleakly funny… heart-rending and compassionate’ by the Observer and ‘deep and soulful’ by the Sunday Times.’
Join us as we learn how to shape our ramshackle years and myriad experiences into a strong, engaging narrative.
Find out more about Catherine and her work here.
*SWC members who take part in the 24-hour writing challenge DO NOT need to register/pay. You will receive the link after you completed the challenge and can take part in the workshop for free.
Past Workshops
‘Step by Step’ Online Creative Writing Workshop with Paul Malone
How can we Sunday Writers best use our creativity and love of writing to realise our full potential?
In this online workshop we’ll explore the typical stages in a writer’s journey, the challenges (and opportunities) faced at each stage, and identify where you are in your journey. Through reflective writing, each of us will explore our writer’s “dream”—crystallising in our minds the kind of writer we would like to become. With this in mind, we will look at what it might take step-by-step to get there.
The outcomes of this 75 minute workshop include-
- Your vision of the writer you wish to become (your guiding star on your writing journey)
- The current stage in your writing journey clearly identified
- Your clear writer’s plan to help you overcome challenges and progress
- Your personalised accountability chart to keep you writing regularly and stay on track
The workshop will also be a launching pad and incentive to take part in this year’s Summer Writing Fling – our usual two month writing challenge filled with creative ideas to keep your writing momentum going.
Note: You will receive the Zoom link for the workshop when your register.
Featured image from Nina Uhlikova at Pexels
Workshop Details
Sunday 2nd July 2023, 8.00-9.15pm CET
online (Zoom)
‘Short Stories’ with Jenn Ashworth
Sunday 18th September 2022, 7.30-9.30pm CET
online (Zoom)
The brilliant Jenn Ashworth was one of our most enjoyable Meet the Professional guests last year, so it seemed like a great idea to invite her back to SWC and ask her to run a workshop for us. WE’re extremely excited she said yes.
So why not join this idiosyncratic and highly-acclaimed novelist, essayist and short story writer for a series of gentle workshop prompts aimed at helping you bring creativity, structure and surprise to your short fiction.
Topics covered will include using objects, places and dialogue to start your story, finding the conflict and working towards a resolution. It will be a fully interactive experience as you write alongside Jenn and there will be the chance – but not the obligation – to share your work.
Jenn is a Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Lancashire in the UK and is a wonderful communicator of all aspects of the art we love to pursue. This is a one-off opportunity to write alongside and learn from a highly individual craftsperson of wide-ranging experience.
For anyone unlucky enough not to have met Jenn during her MtP event you can discover more about her on her website.
And she had a fun and informative Instagram page too @jennashworth82.
The workshop will be held via Zoom on Sunday 18th September from 19:30hrs to 21:30hrs (CET Vienna time). Remember, we will purposely keep the group small to be sure everyone has a fair chance of getting involved.
Photo © Martin Figura
‘Growth Mindset For Writers’ with Brigid Whoriskey
Tuesday 11th January 2022, 7-9pm CET
online (Zoom)
Looking to the new year, we’ll be running a different kind of workshop for writers thanks to the wonderful Brigid Whoriskey.
Brigid is as an executive coach who specialises in helping business leaders take control of their future roadmap by setting clear goals for themselves. She is a natural collaborator who always uses an ethical and inclusive approach and is driven to help the people she works with achieve the goals they set for themselves. Brigid is also a passionate creative writer. During her workshops she teaches many valuable techniques that we can all learn to successfully apply to how we approach our writing.
How often do you promise yourself that you are going to set aside time to write, but never do? How challenging do you find it to make time for your writing and, honestly, how well do you utilize that time? Do you set clear writing goals? Do you constantly worry if your writing is good enough? How do you pluck up the courage to send off a submission? How do you cope with receiving yet another rejection letter from a publisher? How do you maintain the focus and positive mindset to keep moving towards achieving your ultimate goal of publication?
If these questions resonate with you, our 2 hour ‘Growth Mindset For Writers’ workshop might be just the thing you need.
The workshop will be held online using the Zoom platform on Tuesday 11th January 2022 and is open to both SWC members and non-members.
Photo © Brigid Whoriskey
‘Beginnings’ with Joanna Nadin
Sunday 7th November 2021, 7.30-9.30pm CET
online (Zoom)
The bestselling novelist and creative writing lecturer Dr Joanna Nadin was one of our most popular guests for Meet the Professionals earlier this year. We are extremely excited to now be able to offer a 2 hour online creative writing workshop with Joanna – genuinely an opportunity not to be missed!
Joanna holds a doctorate in young adult fiction and is a senior lecturer in creative writing at Bristol University. Her books for children include the ‘Flying Fergus’ series, which she co-wrote with 6-times Olympic gold medal winning cyclist Sir Chris Hoy. Her tough but life-affirming young adult novel, ‘Joe All Alone’, has been made into a BAFTA-winning, Emmy- nominated BBC TV drama. Her novel for adult readers ‘The Queen of Bloody Everything’ was longlisted for the Guardian newspaper’s Not The Booker award.
We all know the weight of a great first line, but what else goes into a well-planned novel opening? Joanna will take you through some of the greatest openings, show you how they work, and help you shape your own.
Joanna will discuss introducing characters, backstory, setting and description. The Beginning is only the start – everything a writer puts in their opening pages must resonate for the reader throughout the rest of the novel.
The workshop will be held online using the Zoom platform on Sunday 7th November from 7.30pm to 9.30pm CET and is open to both SWC members and non-members.
Photo © Helen Giles
Online Poetry Workshop
with John Malone
The Red Pencil Sharpener: Sharpening Your Imagination
Sunday 24 January 2021 at 10:00am (CET – ‘Vienna time’)
“The Red Pencil Sharpener” is about the imagination, letting it run free, following where it takes you, allowing yourself to be surprised or dismayed where it leads you, not being afraid, We will look at poems that do this, that show you the way. It is all about the imagination, giving you techniques to access it, and how best to use it when you have.
This 1.5 hour online workshop with John Malone is for anyone interested in creative writing and poetry.
You will find workshop terms and conditions at the bottom of this page.
John Malone
Australian poet and workshop tutor
John has three educational titles to his credit, each on the writing of poetry and all with major publishers including Longman Cheshire, Wakefield Press. He has oodles of Flash Fiction pieces published in hard copy form and on websites, a dozen or so short stories, and five books of poetry, two of which were self published. Over the decades he has published 100s of poems for children in leading literary publications including the School Magazine (Aust) and Cricket (USA). He has run many workshops at schools, writers’ groups, and for a number of tertiary groups and institutions.
John keeps a fun blog here
.
The Red Pencil Sharpener
I am looking down the barrels of
the red pencil sharpener
its holes
big as drainpipes
fat as full moons
flared like the nostrils
of horses;
they are
deep wells
dark tunnels
O-shaped mouths hungry
for pencils
The red pencil sharpener sharpens
my imagination
Workshop Terms and Conditions
Tickets
Online Tickets to SWC workshops are only available on www.sundaywritersclub.com. The price stated on the website, including any possible discounts, applies.
Tickets are only valid for the date they were booked for. Tickets are not transferable to another date and workshop.
Tickets are transferable. Please send an email to office@sundaywritersclub.com to inform us of the changes until the day before the SWC Sunday Session.
Cancellation of a SWC workshop
Should we need to cancel a SWC workshop, we will inform you as soon as possible. Your ticket will then be reimbursed.
Returns
Tickets can be cancelled for a full refund up to 7 days before the SWC workshop.
Unfortunately, in order to cover the workshop costs and pay the workshop instructor, tickets cannot be cancelled less than 7 days before the SWC workshop or for non-attendance.
You can email us at office@sundaywritersclub.com and transfer the ticket to a friend until the day before the workshop. Transfers on the same day as the workshop cannot be accepted.
What is included
Your ticket allows you to take part in the SWC workshop on the date for which you have purchased the ticket. The workshop will take place online, via the Zoom online meeting platform. Please ensure that you are able to stream and use the platform before the event. We will send you the link to the workshop in advance and ask that you log on in good time. You will be transferred to a waiting room and invited to join the meeting at the stated start time. You will also need a secure internet connection. When using Zoom, please make sure that you can use your device microphone and camera. You can find out more about Zoom here: https://zoom.us.
General information
Anything you write during a SWC workshop is, of course, yours to keep. The copyright remains with you.
Data Protection
When buying a ticket on www.sundaywritersclub.com, you are requested to provide personal data (name, address, telephone number, e-mail address). You agree to this storage of personal data collected during the ordering process. As a matter of principle, we will never pass it on to unauthorised third parties. For full details, please read our Datenschutz (Data Protection) page.
Vienna, December 2020