The Writers Bureau

Workshop Outline:

Each session will start with some writing chat to help the group get to know each other, relax and settle into a creative mind set. There'll be room for discussion and (on topic) chat throughout the sessions, and questions will be welcomed at any time. You’ll also have an opportunity to share the work you have created in the session, should you want to. This six-session workshop has been designed to offer you plenty of technical information alongside practical ideas and approaches to expand the themes and patterns in your writing repertoire.

Week 1: Preparation for writing a poem and using imagery – This session will kick off with a discussion on where you've all come from in poetry terms, as writers, readers – or neither. Alison will explain why she feels all writers should write poetry then get you to think about how a poem defines itself for you? You’ll then look at the three stages of preparing to write a poem and how to use imagery to help readers identify with your poem. Throughout the session you’ll be working on an image-based poem in unrhymed couplets (a poetic unit of two lines)

Week 2: Rhyme and rhythm – This week you’ll be thinking about what makes a poem memorable, the effective use of rhyme and rhythm and the connection between the two. Plus, you’ll find out how to avoid the five rhyme crimes. Throughout the session you’ll be writing a limerick or two.

Week 3: Free verse – Here you’ll look at the development of free verse and how it sits alongside more traditional patterns of poetry. Then you’ll find out the answer to the big question of: when is it a poem and when is it prose printed on separate lines? You'll look at an example of a free verse poem in order to illustrate these points and discuss whether they have been used effectively. Throughout the meeting you'll be working on a free verse persona poem (dramatic monologue).

Week 4: Poetry by numbers – Learn how mathematical you need to be when writing your poems. You’ll explore metre and the reasons for it and why the syllable count is not enough in metred poetry. You’ll go on to have fun with numbers, and be introduced to using the template technique for poetry. Throughout the meeting we'll be working on a number poem, using a template if desired.

Week 5: Get it written, get it right – Alison will explain the value of redrafting and revision and show you when and how to revise your writing in any genre? You'll explore one possible route for revision, and look at the need to know when to stop. Throughout the session you'll be working on a meta poem (a poem about poetry).

Week 6: Autobiographical poems – They say write about what you know, but … why write about yourself? Alison will guide you though the process of deciding: how much you want to share, how much truth you want to tell, and how far you let your writing impinge on the lives of others who've shared your story. You’ll be pinpointing the content, considering common and unique experiences, then using memory devices to strengthen your material. Throughout the session you'll be working on an autobiographical poem in tercets (a poetic unit of three lines).