Creative Fiction Writing Tuesday

Award: Certification of Attendance (on request) 

Course overview: 

This course seeks to read, write and workshop creative writing - the short story, the long story, poetry and a smattering of scriptwriting. We welcome complete beginners as well as those who have been writing for a while and would like to find new ways to move forward with their story. 

Course Content: 

The course will begin with writing exercises and reading successful short stories, poems and excepts from longer stories. We will brainstorm ideas for your own work and share them, while exploring the technical side of good (and bad) writing. You will learn some techniques in style, concision and narrative and apply those skills to your own writing. We will be workshopping your material in progress, where you'll be given constructive feedback on your story. By the end of the course you should have at least one written piece, whether short story, chapter or poem. 

The course will examine: 

1. Introduction to Creative Writing

• Overview of the course objectives and structure. Introduction to different genres (fiction, poetry, scriptwriting, etc.). Discussion of the importance of creativity and personal voice in writing.

2. Developing Writing Skills

• Exercises to enhance style and expression.
• Techniques for improving sentence structure and clarity.
• Focus on writing exercises to practice different styles and points of view.

3. Developing Writing Skills

• Exercises to enhance style and expression.
• Techniques for improving sentence structure and clarity.
• Focus on writing exercises to practice different styles and points of view.

4. Plot and Structure

• Overview of narrative structure (beginning, middle, end).
• Techniques for building tension and conflict.
• Outlining strategies for planning a narrative.

5. Setting, Staging and World Building

• Techniques for creating immersive settings, scenes and worlds.
• Importance of context and atmosphere in storytelling.
• Exercises for descriptive writing and sensory details.

6. Dialogue and Voice

• Techniques for writing realistic dialogue.
• Understanding how voice can reflect character and tone.
• Exercises focused on crafting unique voices for different characters.

7. Editing and Revising

• Strategies for self-editing and constructive feedback.
• Importance of rewriting and refining drafts.
• Workshopping sessions to provide peer review and feedback.

8. Sharing Work

• Overview of the publishing process (traditional vs. self-publishing). Preparing manuscripts for submission (formatting and query letters). Opportunities for sharing work (readings, contests, online platforms).

Assessment: Participants will be assessed on their written work, participation in class discussions, and completion of assignments.

Tutor Biography:

Jon Mangion is a practicing Writer and Filmmaker, and has been teaching Film & TV production full-time at GTI for the past 17 years. He studied Scriptwriting and Film Production at Rhode Island School of Design and holds a Master's Degree in Art & Design Education from Pratt Institute, New York City. 

Jon worked in the Film Industry in New York City for a decade during which time he won the Hollywood Scriptwriting award for his script "The Average Shade Of Hate". Since moving to Ireland, he has written several books, one for Young Adults, a Sci-Fi trilogy and a Supernatural Romance based in NYC, all available on Amazon. In 2019 his short film "Pathway" was shown at the Galway Film Fleadh. 

GRETB email address: jon.mangion@gretb.ie 

Materials Needed: Pen and notebook or laptop, whichever you prefer to write on.