London Writers' Café

 
 
 

'The only thing worth writing about is the human heart in conflict with itself ' - William Faulkner

In this workshop, we'll focus on turning the internal and external conflicts inherent in your story into conflicted characters that transform as your story unfolds. Knowing how your story is going to torture your main character so that their emotional and psychological journeys are as satisfying as possible for readers is vital and that all comes from solid conflict. As the saying goes; if there's no conflict, there's no story.

Here we'll go through how to strengthen the internal and external conflict for your protagonist, review how conflict is used to drive every character forward and workshop an example together as a group.

LEVEL: This session is designed for writers with a basic understanding of character development. If you're unsure if that's you, please message me and I'll be happy to answer any questions.

LOCATION: Video call. Google Meet link will be visible once your book your place. Please try to login 5-10 minutes before we start in case you run into difficulties.

TICKETS: £15.00 and please follow the steps to pay via PayPal when you RSVP. Please NOTE: Refunds will only be provided if the meetup is cancelled by us. No exceptions. We cannot offer credit for another session if you decide not to attend on the day. Please change your status to NOT GOING if you no longer plan to attend. We often have people on the waiting list and we'd hate for them to miss out. Thanks so much.

 
 
 

The vast wisdom of writing guru, John Yorke, is regularly on the lips of our workshop leaders at LWC, as well as being quoted in countless writing guides. So, let's meet him in the flesh! In this extra special Masterclass, John will take us on a journey to the heart of storytelling, breaking down everything we need to know to construct a powerful and compelling story, whatever your genre of fiction.

We will look at individual narrative elements, alongside theory and practise of story structure, and how that structure manifests in all aspects of fiction, from characterisation to dialogue and beyond. John will even set us a practical exercise to help cement what we've learned. Together, we will explore not only how, but why stories are told and that, throughout the ages, there is one motif that continually recurs – the journey into the woods to find the dark but life-giving secret within. All stories begin here…

The UK's leading expert on narrative, John Yorke is a Storytelling Consultant. He currently presents, BBC Radio 4's Opening Lines programme, unpacking the themes and impact behind the books, plays and stories that are being dramatised in Radio 4's weekend afternoon dramas. He's a former Head of Channel Four Drama and Controller of BBC Drama. As a Commissioning Editor and Executive Producer he has championed BAFTA award-winning drama from Shameless to Life On Mars and his book Into the Woods, How Stories Work And Why We Tell Them, is a the go-to work for writers across all genres. Creator of the BBC Writers’ Academy, John lectures extensively on narrative structure and is Visiting Professor of English Language and Literature at the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

More about John Yorke:
www.johnyorkestory.com
@johnyorke123

LOCATION: The Phoenix, 37 Cavendish Square, London, W1G 0PP. We are downstairs in the basement event space, where the bar will be staffed just for us. The Phoenix is very close to Oxford Circus tube. I have booked the room from 6pm, so feel free to come early and grab some dinner (you can order food at our bar): Main Menu (phoenixcavendishsquare.co.uk)

TICKETS & REFUNDS:
£30.00 and please follow the steps to pay via PayPal when you RSVP. PLEASE NOTE: Refunds will only be provided if the meetup is cancelled by us. No exceptions. We cannot offer credit for another session if you decide not to attend on the day. Please change your status to Not Going if you no longer plan to attend.

Download the Meetup app to manage your RSVPs on the go: http://www.meetup.com/meetup_api/apps/

For help with PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/us/webapps/helpcenter/helphub/home/

Any questions, please post a comment below and we'll respond asap.

 
 
 

Join us to hear what other members are working on, get notes on your own work-in-progress (when you’re ready) or just be there to see how we work (it’s fine to come along and listen).

PLEASE READ CAREFULLY:

Workshop sessions are open to writers of all forms of FICTION - novels, short stories, scripts etc. Sessions are friendly and the format is simple; three writers volunteer to read their work for applause, discussion and feedback from the group. For these online sessions we'll hear from three readers and so spend longer on feedback for each piece than our in-person, four reader, sessions.

Make a comment below if you'd like to read at this meeting. Slots are assigned by first ask, first served. Only THREE places per meeting. Please be sure to RSVP before requesting a reading spot.

****A reading slot is up to 3,500 words, roughly 15-20 minutes of reading (practice reading aloud beforehand to make sure your piece fills the time slot) and then approx 20 minutes spent on feedback from the group. Feedback is moderated and is always constructive and respectful. PLEASE NOTE: Booking a reading slot but failing to show up will mean removal from the group.

LOCATION - After you RSVP you'll see a Zoom link in the event location box. Just click on this at the time and date of the workshop.

Costs: £7.50, please follow the steps to pay via PayPal when you RSVP. Refunds will only be provided if the meetup is cancelled by admin, no exceptions. Also, we cannot accept cash payment on the door.

Download the Meetup app to manage your RSVPs on the go: http://www.meetup.com/meetup_api/apps/

Instructions on how to change your RSVP: http://help.meetup.com/customer/portal/articles/615554 For help with PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/us/webapps/helpcenter/helphub/home/

Any questions, please post a comment below and an organiser will respond.

 
 
 

In this #GettingPublished workshop, we'll go through the core elements of fiction writing in detail that every writer needs to know, and the tricks to rewriting and self-editing to combine them in any story.

How well do you understand the essential elements of fiction? I hope by breaking it all out in this practical workshop, you'll better be able to see where your story may be a bit saggy before submitting to agents (and likely being rejected).

THE ELEMENTS:
Point-of-view, narrative voice, conflict, character, pace, dialogue, themes, language & style, world building, sense of place and causality.

These elements tend to function as a checklist for professional readers (i.e. agents and publishers) and so it's vital that you understand the mechanics of what you've written, which elements you've mastered, and where you may need to work a bit harder to impress. We all write to our strengths so don't worry if you're not expert in every element mentioned above. It is also worth remembering that some genres demand more of one element than another.

These workshops are meant for any writer working on a novel but this first session is relevant to short story writing too.

THE FORMAT:
This workshop will involve a lot of examples from published books and short (5-7mins) writing exercises. We will discuss each element as a group and in pairs too.

NOTE:
I'm repeating this same workshop as some members missed out of the previous occasions that were fully sold out. Hope you can make it if you missed out last time!

LOCATION:
Williamson's Tavern. 1 Groveland Ct, London EC4M 9EH (off from Bow Lane, Cheapside). Nearest stations are Bank and Mansion House.

TICKETS & REFUNDS:
£17.50 and please follow the steps to pay via PayPal when you RSVP. T&Cs: Refunds and credits will only be provided if the meetup is cancelled by us. We cannot offer credit for another session if you decide not to attend on the day. Please change your status to 'Not Going' if you no longer plan to attend. We often have people on the waiting list and we'd hate for them to miss out.

QUESTIONS?
Any questions, please post a comment below, and I'll respond as soon as possible.

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