In this fourth session on writing for performance our guest is Jeremy Herrin, who will be chatting to us about New Writing for theatre. Jeremy is Associate Director at Live Theatre in Newcastle upon Tyne as well as running the New Writing department. He has directed productions at the National Theatre, The Royal Court, in the West End and at The Market Theatre in Johannesburg. He has also enjoyed directing short films and radio plays. Continue reading ‘New Writing for theatre’
Archive Page 15 of 22
I’m going to be in Cape Town in September and will be speaking at a creative writing and publishing workshop, in collaboration with award-winning author Gillian D’Achada. I’ve just finished editing her novel Sharkey’s Son, which has won the prestigious Sanlam Award, and I’ll be over in South Africa for the book’s launch.
So if you’re going to be in Cape Town in September, why not come along to one or both of the sessions:
Session 1
Releasing your creativity:
Getting those ideas from the brain to the page. A two-hour workshop where you can explore what’s already in you and how best to get it out.
Plus – a bonus half hour on the South African and UK publishing markets.
Session 2
Bringing your writing to life:
How to use all your senses, ‘show not tell’ and banish passive writing for ever. A two-hour workshop that will give you the tools to develop your writing into something worth publishing.
Plus – a bonus half hour with Gillian D’Achada on one author’s journey towards publication.
Venue: Stellenbosch Library
Date: Saturday 13 September 2008
Time: 10am–12.30 and 2–4.30pm
Venue: Hout Bay Library
Date: Saturday 20 September 2008
Time: 10am–12.30 and 2–4.30pm
Cost: R500 for both sessions, R350 for one session. Light refreshments will be provided for each session, but lunch is not included. There are lots of eateries nearby, or bring your own!
To book: Telephone Gill on 0833610167 in SA, or contact me via email.
Your hosts
The workshops will by run by me (Fiona) and Gill, and you will have an opportunity to meet Gill and ask her questions about her book and her experience of the publishing industry.
I’ve just had a short story published 18 months after submitting to Aquila children’s magazine. It’s the first of a two-parter. I submitted it as a three-parter (as per their contributors’ guidelines) but then the editor asked me to cut it by 1000 words and make it a two-parter. Yes ma’am! I said. What does this tell you about magazines? Continue reading ‘Magazine ‘lead times’’
In our series on scriptwriting (see writing short films and writing for radio) we have explored some of the outlets for writing for performance. This week we speak to ex-Eastenders writer Richard Stockwell about writing for television.
Richard was an actor who had time on his hands, so started writing plays, then moved into television. His plays Bad Blood and Killing Time have been produced many times, in 10 countries and in several languages – most recently touring in California. He wrote for the BBC’s premier evening soap Eastenders for two years. He is also the Programme Leader for Drama and Scriptwriting at Northumbria University. Continue reading ‘Writing for Television’
In the increasingly competitive world of mainstream publishing, it’s hard to get a book deal – and that’s an understatement. In the gap between self-publishing and mainstream publishing are the independent publishers. These small publishing houses take on work that might be overlooked by their larger competitors, and while they do not have the resources to market books in any major way, many talented authors have found a home with them. For some, they hope that it will be a stepping stone into mainstream publishing, for others, like the acclaimed crime writer Val McDermid, who chose to approach independent publisher Flambard Press with her anthology of short stories, Stranded, it’s a strategic move.
The Crafty Writer spoke to first-time novelist Rosalie Warren about her experiences with an independent publisher. Continue reading ‘Independent publishers – an author’s perspective’
It’s that time of year again when I have to cough up for a writing market yearbook. I started buying these books six years ago with The Writer’s Handbook being my tome of choice. But in those days I was focused on fiction writing and writing for magazines. About three years ago I switched to the The Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook when I broadened my writing to include stage, screen and radio. I felt that it offered more for scriptwriters than the Writers’ Handbook. As I also write for and teach writing for children, I started buying the Children’s Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook as well – all tax deductable, of course! This year, I’ve been asked to review the Writer’s Market UK. Continue reading ‘Writer’s Market UK 2009 – Review’
Steve Chambers has written for theatre, radio, TV and film – his feature film Hold Back the Night won the audience prize at Cannes ’99 Critics Week. He has written episodes for Casualty and Byker Grove and adapted ‘The Grapes of Wrath’ for BBC Radio 4’s Classic Serial. He is currently developing a number of new ideas for broadcast and in development with a new feature film with NE film-maker Sarah McCarthy. A director of Bruvvers Theatre Co as well as New Writing North, he also works as a script mentor and teacher of dramatic narrative fiction. Steve was kind enough to answer some of our questions about writing for radio: Continue reading ‘Writing for Radio’
You may or may not be aware of the ongoing debate about the merits of full versus partial RSS feeds. After favouring partial up to this point, The Crafty Writer has decided to change tack and switch to a full feed.
In case you don’t know, this enables you to read the content of a website through a feed reader application (similar to an email program) without having to visit the site directly, and is typically used by people who have a large number of sites they like to keep tabs on.
Our main reason for favouring partial initially was that we wanted to try and draw people into the site, as we feel it offers a richer experience. And don’t get us wrong – we still want that. But apparently there is not much difference in the rate in which people click through to a site from a partial feed versus that of a full feed. So in this case it appears we can all have our cake and eat it too!
What this means for you, the reader, is simply that you have more choice when it comes to how you read The Crafty Writer; come to the site if you like, or use the feed. Either way, you’re very welcome. Oh yes, and tell all your friends too!
If you have no idea what we’re going on about (Fiona doesn’t!), you may want to check out this explanation of RSS.
Peter Dillon has written for the stage, radio, theatre and film. He is a co-director of Wildcat Films for whom he has script edited and co-produced a number of films – several of them, shorts. Peter teaches screenwriting at Northumbria University and runs an Introduction to Screenwriting Course at the Tyneside Cinema. He’s completed a draft of a stage play called ‘Guts’ and is working on a film script for Airship Productions called ‘Where’s Charlie?’. Continue reading ‘Writing Short Films’
Book Club participants who enjoyed Val McDermid’s The Grave Tattoo will be interested to hear that it has been longlisted for the Theakston’s Old Peculiar Crime Novel of the Year Award (2008). Val was the winner of this award in 2006 for The Torment of Others. This year her fellow nominees include Alexander McCall Smith, Stef Penny and Christopher Brookmyre. You can vote for The Grave Tattoo over at Waterstones. Continue reading ‘Grave Tattoo on Crime Award Longlist’
