Introduction to creative writing 

• The publishing scene 
• Becoming a creative writer 
• Some thoughts about creativity 

Speeches and scripts 

• How writing for speakers differs from writing for readers 
• Different types of speeches 
• Scriptwriting 
• Scripting stages: synopsis, treatment, scene breakdown, first draft 

Tracking ideas 

• The two main secrets of successful writing 
• Why be a writer? 
• Tomorrow's vegetable-peel wrappings hold today's ideas 
• Other ways of coming up with ideas 
• Inspiration is simply the recipe 
• Establishing a good working routine 

Writing for children 

• Is it easy to write for children? 
• Types of children's books 
• Children's book prizes 
• The 'ingredients' of successful children's stories 

The short story 

• What is a short story? 
• The parts of a short story: five classical terms 
• Conflict: The powerhouse of the story 
• Viewpoint and emotional depth 
• How to tell the story 

Poetry writing 

• What is poetry 
• The language of poetry 
• Getting started 
• Drafting and redrafting 
• Forms of poetry 
• The shaping - sound and imagery in poetry 
• Imagery 
• Rhyme 

Writing a novel 

• The novel vs. the short story 
• Which sort of novel should I write? 
• Developing your plot 
• Plot and subplots 

Editing, polishing and marketing 

• What have you learned? 
• Marketing your work 
• The writer's dilemma: to publish here or overseas 
• What type of fiction has the best chance of success? 
• Should you use a manuscript assessment service? 
• Should you use an agent? 
• Taking the first step to being published 
• Non-fiction proposals 

Characters, deep viewpoint and dialogue 

• Characters: The lifeblood of your stories 
• Viewpoint 
• Dialogue 
• The technical aspects of writing dialogue 

Setting the scene 

• Setting - how to create a sense of place 
• Creating a sense of impending action 
• Creating a scene 
• Emotion: the drama that pulls the plot 
• Flashbacks - a good idea or not? 

Family histories, autobiography, biography 

• Autobiographies and memoirs 
• Self-publication of memoirs 
• Family history is a special kind of love letter 
• Writing a biography special responsibility 

Non-fiction 

• What kind of non-fiction writing do you want to do? 
• Writing magazine articles 
• Further tips on writing articles 
• Writing the How To book... handing on wisdom