From Scotland's Booktown and home of the World Famous Wigtown Book Festival...
THE WIGTOWN SCHOOL OF WRITING
Join our April 11-14 2025 Creative Writing Course- building a compelling world with
Jessica Fox: award winning screenwriter and feature film director of Stella and bestsellling author of Three things you need to know about Rockets.
Robert Twigger- multi award winning author of 15 books translated into 16 Languages
Shaun Bythell- bestselling author Diary of a Bookseller- translated into 37 languages.
Creative Writing means building a world for the reader to lose themselves in...
The Course:
11th to 14th April 2025
We can get too obsessed with word building and not think enough about world building. Every book- whether fiction or non-fiction- must create a world for the reader to lose themselves in. On this course you’ll learn just how to do this along with all the other creative writing skills that top writers Jessica Fox, Robert Twigger,and Shaun Bythell can impart.
The course is 3 days, starting on the Friday evening with an option to stay a further morning on Monday to talk over further questions with the tutors if you wish.
As well as various teaching sessions each day (which you can opt in or out of) this is your chance to have one on one Q and A with successful published authors, plus group Q and A around the fire. Meet and talk books for three days, ramble along the sea shore, refresh your batteries in a place of calm and exquisite landscape.
Learn to create a world- in the Glorious Scottish Booktown of Wigtown. You deserve it because you owe yourself the chance to get the best help you can for your writing...
The cost of the course is £350. This includes lunch and dinner each day, copious amount of superb coffee or tea if you prefer, wine, and a free whiskey tasting. It does not include accomodation though we can supply the names and help with booking if required of many excellent places to stay at all price levels from cheap and cheerful to luxurious. EMAIL us for more information or to reserve a place (limited to 10 places only): wigtownwriting@gmail.com
THE PROGRAMME
Friday 5pm: cup of tea and introducing ourselves
Friday Night supper gathering
Saturday 9am - optional walk and yoga session.
Saturday 10 until 12- Robert and Jessica talk world building
Saturday 2 until 4- Unlock your natural creative side in your writing
Saturday 4.30 until 6 Shaun Bythell joins us for a session on writing, agents and publishing.
Saturday Night: whiskey tasting round the fireplace (or wine/water if you prefer)
Sunday 9am optional walk and yoga session
Sunday 10 until 12- Don't build characters, build relationships
Sunday 2 until 4- How to make a story work everytime
Sunday 4.30 until 6- inner secrets of a convincing world
Monday 9.30 until 11- final q and a session with Shaun, Jessica and Robert.
At some point we will also head down to the sea to make the most of the wonderful location of Wigtown- Scotland's booktown and home to the world famous Wigtown Book Festival.
Your famous Tutors:
Jessica Fox created a world in her award winning film Stella. Find out more here.
Shaun Bythell created a world – for real- in his bookshop, and then he recreated it on the page in his bestselling series of memoirs. Find out more here.
Robert Twigger created a world in his novel Dr Ragab’s Universal Language. He also writes literary travel books which requires creating a recognisable world for travel readers. Find out more here.
We will cover in detail:
1. What is a world in book terms?
2. What are the raw ingredients?
3. What are the secret ingredients?
4. Characters, relationships and world building
5. Creating a film world
6. Recreating a travel world
7. Memoir and world building
Email: wigtownwriting@gmail.com