Short Story Skills: Finding and capturing ideas for stories

Two-session online workshop, 1 - 1.5 hours per session, live teaching, via Zoom.

The length of the sessions varies depending on the session topic and the questions and discussions that arise. Sessions will be a minimum of one hour.

Only ten places available on this workshop.

Starting Wednesday 8th October 2025 at 7.00PM (BST) for two weeks ending 15th October 2025

Times shown: British Summer Time

If you are interested in future dates for this workshop please email: [email protected]

Workshop fee: £59.99

(meeting invite will be sent out a couple of days prior to the workshop)
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Workshop Leader

Tony Kirwood

Tony’s short stories have appeared in numerous publications and have been awarded or shortlisted for prizes. He has also contributed articles for The Independent, Writing Magazine, and many other newspapers and magazines. In an earlier life his comedy sketches were broadcast on UK and European TV and radio. His non-fiction book “How To Write Comedy” was cited by The Stage newspaper as the training book of the year.

Tony teaches creative writing in colleges and venues across the country. He has led workshops at book festivals and given talks to writing groups.

Workshop Outline

Ideas and inspiration are all around us. A writer simply needs to capture and unpick them so they can be transmuted into ideas for stories.

In these two sessions you will learn how to use a variety of prompts to fire your imagination: visual images, memories, everyday life and characters and television, film, other stories and books.

You will see how by firing the right questions at your raw idea you can shape it into a workable premise.

By the end of the course you will have formed an idea and turned it into a solid story concept.


This workshop is run by Budding Writers in partnership with The Writers Bureau.
Sign-up now for £59.99

By taking part in this workshop you will:

  • meet other writers

  • have time to ask questions as there are only ten participants per group

  • learn where to find ideas for stories

  • find out how to interrogate an idea to turn it into a story

  • gain increased self-confidence to take your writing forward on your own.

Starting Wednesday 8th October 2025 at 7.00PM (GMT) for two weeks ending 15th October 2025

Workshop fee: £59.99

  • Where to find ideas for your stories

  • Learn how to develop your ideas into a strong story concept

  • A maximum of ten people

  • Notes emailed to you after each session