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
Every book - whether fiction or non fiction - creates a world in which readers lose themselves. On this course you’ll learn just how to do this along with other creative writing skills that writers Jessica Fox, Robert Twigger, and Shaun Bythell can impart.
The course takes place over two full days in spring, starting on Friday evening with an option to stay a further morning on Monday to talk over further questions with the tutors if you wish.
It will take place in the Georgian drawing room above The Bookshop in Wigtown, a stunning venue which has hosted many writers in the last twenty years; guests who have enjoyed hospitality here include everyone from Alexander McCall Smith to Ali Smith; Max Porter to Max Arthur, and Louis de Bernières to Alain de Botton (OK, well de Botton hasn’t been yet, but he’s been invited).
Cultural and literary luminaries have passed through its welcoming door over the past quarter of a century to gather, eat, drink and sit by the huge warm fire. The very walls will inspire you!
As well as various teaching sessions each day (you can opt in or out) this is your chance to have one on one Q&A with successful published authors, plus group Q&A around the fire. Meet and talk books for three days, ramble along the sea shore and recharge your batteries in a calm and exquisite landscape.
Learn to create a world in the glorious Scottish Booktown of Wigtown. You owe it to yourself.
The cost of the course is £350. This includes lunch and dinner* each day, as much coffee, tea or (if you prefer) wine and a free whisky tasting. We can offer help with finding accommodation if it is required. For more information or to reserve a place contact us - wigtownwriting@gmail.com
*please let us know of any dietary requirements
THE PROGRAMME
Friday
5pm: Drinks and introductions followed by supper
Saturday
9am - optional walk and yoga session.
10 until 12 - Robert and Jessica talk world building
Lunch
2 until 4 - Unlock your natural creative side in your writing
4.30 until 6 Shaun Bythell joins us for a session on writing, agents and publishing
6.30 whisky tasting round the fireplace (or wine/water if you prefer)
Sunday
9am optional walk and yoga session
10 until 12 - Don't build characters, build relationships
2 until 4 - How to make a story work everytime
4.30 until 6 - Inner secrets of a convincing world
Monday
9.30 until 11- final Q&A session with Shaun, Jessica and Robert.
At some point - depending on the weather - we will also head down to the sea to make the most of the wonderful location of Wigtown, Scotland's Book Town 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
Contact: wigtownwriting@gmail.com