Alchemy of Story Workshops

Writing The Universal: Working With Myth and Fairytales

Understanding the function and structure of myths and fairy stories helps us to develop a deeper knowledge of ourselves and our relationship to the wider world. It also teaches us how to write powerful, vibrant stories that not only carry universal themes but also engage the reader emotionally. These ancient stories provide intriguing possibilities for their retelling, allowing us to retain their important insights and themes while transplanting the story into a different time and place, or using them as recurring motifs in our stories.

Learning Outcomes

Through a blend of discussion, readings and writing exercises, we’ll

• explore the structure and purpose of ancient stories

• identify a myth or fairy tale that resonates with us and look at ways to incorporate or rewrite it and work with its themes

• explore symbolism to express the deeper themes within the story

• experiment with point of view

• consider the function of setting

Writing the Self: Exploring Life’s Transitions

The overarching frame of our lives is too broad a canvas, so through story we create smaller frames that make sense of our lesser transitions and turning points, helping us to see the cause-and-effect threads at play in our lives and to uncover our purpose. In this workshop we’ll be identifying some of the stories that form our identities, creating patterns that underpin the way we live.

In the process we’ll look at how our personal stories mirror the grand archetypal myths and explore how we can draw on our lived experience to create meaningful and engaging memoirs, personal essays or fictional pieces or even just gain insights into understanding who we are and why.

Learning Outcomes

Through a blend of discussions, readings and writing exercises, we’ll:

• explore transitional points in our lives, seeking to understand their purpose and find the golden thread that connects these points.

• clarify, understand and work with the themes we identify with

• practice ways of creatively expressing these themes and transition points.

Writing the Numinous: Expressing the Inexpressible

Most of us have experienced something unaccountable – an ‘Aha’ moment, a powerful dream, an intuition, a vision, a presence . . . something which suggests that there is more to life than what we can see or measure, something which lies beyond language or rational explanation. This workshop is for anyone interested in writing fiction or non-fiction who wants to learn how to build bridges between worlds and express the numinous in their writing in an authentic and engaging way

Learning Outcomes

Through a blend of discussion, readings and creative exercises we’ll:

• explore genres that lend themselves to numinous writing, including allegory, fantasy, magical realism, travel writing, and memoir

• look at the role of symbolism and metaphor as bridges between the visible and invisible worlds

• consider the archetypal journey as a narrative structure for inner transformation

• look at how other writers have used these tools in their chosen genres

• learn how to express numinous experiences on the page.

Writing Complex Characters: Working with Inner Conflict

We all love complex characters. Whether their complexity comes from the psychological or physical, it enables readers to engage emotionally with the character, and adds mystery, tension, and backstory. A complex character may have a wound that carries the potential for healing or acceptance, which can help to shape and drive a story in the form of a character arc. When plot and characterisation work seamlessly together, the plot becomes an external representation of the inner journey of the character.

In this workshop we’ll go on a journey into the psychology of character and the function of psychological/physical wounds in a complex character’s backstory. Whether you’re a fiction or life writer, you’ll discover tips and techniques for creating intriguing, multilayered characters whose internal and external conflicts drive the plot and illustrate its themes.

Learning Outcomes

Through a blend of discussion, readings and creative exercises we’ll:

• Learn about the function of complex characters as drivers of plot.

• Explore the layers of conscious and unconscious motivation behind our characters’ actions and reactions.

• Learn about the shape of the character arc and the function of its turning points.

Writing for Change: Reimagining Ourselves and Our World

Why do you write? Do you have something urgent you want to say? A vision for a better world? Writers play a part in shaping the world but what kind of world is it that you want to shape? This workshop is for anyone who wants to learn how to make a difference with their writing, whether they are working with fiction or non-fiction.

We’ll be exploring three main approaches to writing for change:

• Implicitly embedding subtle but powerful messages in our writing.

• Explicitly positioning ourselves and arguing for a cause.

• Writing change itself, in the form of the archetypal journeys of our characters and ourselves.

Learning Outcomes

Through a blend of discussions, readings and writing exercises, we will:

• look at how other writers have used these techniques;

• identify the themes that move you and practice ways to engage with them in your writing

• explore human qualities and values that might help to reimagine our world.

• practice techniques that will enable you to consciously weave these values into your writing, subtly or not so subtly, seriously or with humour.

Writing Plot: Working With Heroic Structure

The Heroic Journey is an archetypal story structure that underpins many of our stories as well as our personal lives. It reflects a journey into the psyche, a facing up to our fears, and the reaping of a reward that we must then share with our community. In short it is a map for personal evolution. Understanding its structure and the stages within this structure can help us to map both the development of our characters and our plots.

This is a workshop for anyone interested in understanding and implementing the stages of the heroic journey to write about their lives or create a fictional story in ways that resonate with readers at many levels.

Learning Outcomes

Through a series of writing exercises and discussions we’ll:

• explore different approaches to the heroic journey

• learn the deeper functions of the heroic journey

• discover the overall shape of the heroic journey and its internal stages

• learn about the relationship between the developing plot and the character arc of our protagonists