The three masterclasses:
- The Decisive Moment: Writing a Personal Essay 10/09/22
- Experimental Forms in Non-Fiction 15/10/22
- Time Management & Structure in Non-Fiction 19/11/22
The Decisive Moment – Saturday 10th September, 11am-1.30pm (2.5hrs)
The key to structuring a great personal essay, is to be able to see where the decisive moment lies. Much like a good photographer, the writer needs to develop an eye (and an I) who can reveal all the hidden layers of meaning in an experience and develop it into a story that is both rich in knowledge and understanding, and satisfying to read. In this workshop we’ll be considering how to find this decisive moment, and consider the difference between writing a situation and a story. This session will equip you to take a decisive moment from your own experience and craft it into the bones of a personal essay.
Experimental Forms in Non-Fiction – Saturday 15th October, 11am-1.30pm (2.5hrs)
Hybrid forms which use a mixture of techniques from poetry to cut-ups to collages are an increasingly popular way to deliver a Non-Fiction narrative. These forms question the idea of narrative itself and whether or not certain more ordered styles can ever be truthful to experience, after all life is confusing and abstract and strange, why not the writing? In this workshop, we’ll consider the relationship between form and content. How can certain forms be created to reflect the truth of an experience without alienating the reader? How does the work of Claudia Rankine or Maggie Nelson, or Lara Pawson, challenge more ‘traditional’ modes of storytelling?
Time Management & Structure in Non-Fiction – Saturday 19th November, 11am-1.30pm (2.5hrs)
How does a writer go about managing time and therefore structure in a piece of Non-Fiction? When does the story occur and over how long a time period? Where in time are we telling the story from? How much hindsight do you need and how much is too much? Past or present tense? In this workshop, we’ll consider the tricky business of time management in a piece of Nonfiction considering how other writers have tackled this challenge and what different time frames mean for the overall structure of the piece.
These sessions will be a mixture of exercise, example, and discussion.
If you would like to purchase one or two of these tickets separately, click here: The Decisive Moment, Experimental Forms and Time Management & Structure.
To take part, you will need a computer or smart device and reliable internet connection. You will receive a Zoom link to each masterclass close to the event. If you haven’t received the link by the morning of event, please check your spam/trash, or send an email to ennis@londonlitlab.co.uk. If you have any further questions, please email info@londonlitlab.co.uk.
