Friday, 7 October 2022

Jericho Writers Masterclasses

 Upcoming masterclasses:

Embrace the challenge


How to Ride a Writing Wave

Chances are, you feel most like a writer when you’re in the ‘flow’ state. It’s well recognised - the psychologist Mihály Csíkszentmihályi was fascinated by artists seemingly becoming lost in their work and went on to define ‘the flow’ as, amongst other things, ‘intense and focused concentration on the present moment.’ The same can be said of writing, and it’s something most writers try to chase throughout their careers. Today, Josh Denby (fantasy writer as well as our Video & Marketing Assistant) shares some simple ways to keep putting words onto that page and hopefully keep yourself in that ‘flow’ state – for days or even weeks.

 

This week at Jericho Writers:

 

MEMBER EVENTS: Ask Jericho and BYB

Check in with us in a special ‘Ask Jericho’ tonight at 19:00 GMT – after a month of learning about the future, we’ll all have questions. Afterwards, it’s on to Build Your Book Month! Get ready to create your book from scratch in this special, hands-on month of events. Make sure you register below for all the workshops you want to attend.

 

 

N.B. Our ‘In Conversation with’ award-winning, bestselling author Kit de Waal, has been rescheduled to 7 November, 19.00 GMT. Mark your calendars for this special event – it'll be available to members and York Festival attendees.  

 

MASTERCLASS: Trauma to Humour with Henry Fry

One way or another, the events that haunt us force their way out. They alter our brain chemistry. But so does laughter. From Michaela Coel’s I May Destroy You to Hannah Gadsby’s Nanette, this session explores how writing trauma with humour can be a way to process and heal from it.

 

 

BLOG: UK Literary Agents for Memoir & Autobiography

This is a tricky market - but if you’ve just finished your memoir, we’re here to help! This is part of a series on literary agents for each genre by our wonderful AgentMatch team – remember this database is always available to help you curate your shortlist and reach the agents who will really love your work.

 

 

 

How to Ride a Writing Wave | Josh Denby Takeover

I’ve been fortunate enough to have a whirlwind time of writing since the start of August. Perhaps the positive feedback I got during our Pitch Festival inspired me, or perhaps it was the rush of blood from starting a new WIP. Either way, I somehow found myself with a 100,000+ word first draft within 45 days. That is a crazy feat, and I almost blush saying it. Maybe you picture a goblin buried in the dark, clacking away on a keyboard, but I can assure you, it wasn’t like that. 

A writing blitz, such as the upcoming NaNoWriMo challenge, is very much possible to balance with ‘normal’ life - if you can exploit all the ways to coax your brain into writing. Here are a few methods I have found invaluable in my time: 
 

1 - Fall in Love. Whether it be with character, setting, plot, or everything all at once, fall in love with your project. The biggest factor by far of my recent speedy writing has been a burning passion for the characters within it and the journey they take. Writing the story has become the thing I most want to do when given free time alone, far from a chore or obligation. Before committing to your story, make sure you feel that bubble of excitement. If you don’t, perhaps ask yourself why. Do you know why you want to write the story? Do you know its elevator pitch? Can you enter the characters’ minds? 

2 - Keep a Diary (even if it’s very simple). Duolingo, daily crosswords, wordle. We tend to become addicted to streaks no matter the format. These apps, games and companies know how to hook us, so how do we hook ourselves? Simple – keep a diary of words written. You can be as complex as you like - setting targets or just ticking off that you’ve written something today. Creating a competition with yourself is a great way of maintaining progress. But - a word of advice - do block off time you know you might not have the time/energy to write. I did so while working our immense Festival of Writing event in York, and lord knows I’m glad I didn’t have nagging guilt in the back of my mind that weekend. Instead, I got to enjoy the smiling faces and wonderful stories of the authors gathered. 

3 - Work from a plan. Like a good building, map out your story and lay your foundations. Different people have different methods of planning, and I’m not here to tire you with all that, (we have plenty of discussions on the topic!). But having a framework allows you to easily pick up and put down your WIP. For me this comes in the form of a spreadsheet – I plot out each of my chapters with a short description, have a column for any writerly notes (like themes I might be wanting to play up), then a column for any quotes I might come up with long before reaching that chapter. It has worked very well for me and will be the plan I swear by from here on out. 

4 - Tease out the subconscious. In teaching there is a method of learning known as ‘Suggestopedia’, in which relaxing stimuli (often music) teases out the subconscious and aids the brain in absorbing information and priming itself for a lesson. This can be translated to writing too. My favourite way of doing this is creating playlists for my protagonist(s). Listening to them when writing and later when on a walk or having a shower helps ease my mind into the writing and conjures thoughts of the characters throughout my day. It might also be done by creating a writing space, scheduling your writing times to form a pattern, or even by surrounding yourself in mood boards. 

5 - Don’t look back. I’m a big proponent of the idea that writing and editing stimulate two different parts of your brain. You shouldn’t be too eager to mix them up. Treat an event like NaNoWriMo, or even your whole first draft, as a sprint. More than likely, nobody but yourself will be reading that draft. There will be mistakes, there will be clunky sentences, but that doesn’t matter. If you can’t help yourself but edit – try do it in batches, editing a couple of chapters at once and then leaving it alone. 

6 – Start your next day’s passage. This has been a big one for me. Rather than reaching the end of a chapter or a natural midpoint and putting down the (metaphorical) pen, I’ve gotten into the habit of writing the first paragraph of what’s coming next. This lends the last drips of creativity to give me a launching off point when I return; and if I still have free time, it can inspire me to keep writing. Using this technique has turned days of writing one chapter into two or even three, while never making it feel daunting to return to my manuscript. 

 

Remember, whether you challenge yourself to write 1000 words in a month or 50,000, you are your own boss. Don’t compare yourself to others, stress about falling behind pace, or worry your writing might be of poor quality. Every book is different, and writing one is a process. Ironically, it has a real-life plot, pace and even characters that make every writing journey unique. If you put pen to page, you’re already a hero. 

Josh 

 

As always, happy writing and remember, you can contact our customer service team on +44 (0) 345 459 9560** or info@jerichowriters.com for any writing-related advice.

**or if you're in the US, give us a call on +1 (646)-974-9060

 

Plus, don't miss:

Full Manuscript Assessment (10% member discount)

Give your manuscript the best chance of succeeding with detailed editorial feedback from a professional book editor.

Agent One-to-One Sessions (10% discount available)

Think you might be ready for querying? Here’s your chance to speak directly with literary agents and book doctors from around the world and get one-on-one, constructive feedback on your work over the phone.

Copyediting (10% discount available)

Got the bulk of your manuscript down? You might be looking for a text-correction service. Our editors are all professional authors and experienced copyeditors - they know the rules of grammar inside out. They’ll read your manuscript for errors, but they’ll also make sure it retains its style and voice.

 

 

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Jericho Writers
4 Acer Walk
Oxford OX2 6EX
United Kingdom
UK: +44 (0) 345 459 9560 US: +1 (646)-974-9060


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