Essence of Story Workshops
Writers Dreaming: Working with Dreams, Symbols, Metaphors and Motifs
Dreams can enrich our stories and our understanding of the psychology of our characters, or we can use them as stepping off points for the creation of fantasy worlds and unique characters. Dreams are also laden with symbols because they emerge from deep within our psyche, and like symbols and metaphors, they are the language of the heart rather than the head, a language that enables us to express what cannot be expressed and in so doing create meaningful layered stories that engage with essential truths and resonate with our readers. In this workshop we’ll share a dream, dig deep into the symbols it contains and look at a range of ways it can be used within a story.
Learning Outcomes
Through discussion, readings and writing exercises we’ll:
explore different ways of using dreams and symbols in our fiction and non-fiction stories
explore ways of threading motifs through our stories
learn the different functions of dreams in our lives and our stories
learn how to create hidden but resonant depths to our stories
Writing Archetypes: Working with Heroes, Villains, Shapeshifters and More
Archetypal characters have always inhabited our myths and fairy stories and they resonate deeply within our psyches. Some say that the array of characters in a story are all archetypal aspects of the hero, and that the pantheon of gods in ancient mythology are giant maps of the psyche, representing the play of archetypes within us, in both their light and their shadow aspects.
Working with archetypes is an illuminating and helpful way to explore character development, however it’s important to ensure that we create archetypal characters not caricatures. In this workshop we’ll explore a range of archetypal characters and consider how we can layer them to create authentic characters and stories that resonate deeply with our readers.
Learning Outcomes
Through discussions, readings and writing exercises we’ll:
Learn the fundamental universal nature of archetypal characters.
Explore the role of archetypes in the psychology of character and self
Learn how to create complex and credible characters not caricatures
Writing in the Flow: Overcoming Creative Blocks
Most of us have experienced creative blocks, sometimes briefly, sometimes for a very long time. That heavy, deadening feeling overshadows our experience of life, dimming our perceptions and draining us of the energy we need to engage playfully with our imaginations and make something of the seeds of our ideas.
In this workshop, we look at the obstacles that prevent us from accessing or making full use of our creativity, obstacles such as perfectionism, beliefs, self-consciousness and intellect, time restrictions and fear.
Learning Outcomes
Through discussions, readings and writing exercises, we will:
Explore ways to overcome creative obstacles and re-engage with the flow of life
Bring our ideas to fruition.
Work with the concept of play and curiosity to unlock our imagination
Writing the Journal: Reflecting on the Personal and the Universal
In many ways writers are like magpies. We forage amongst our own experiences and the experiences of others, stealing gems that one day might link to other gems in some unexpected way. The journal is our nest, it’s where we hoard our treasures ready for the right moment. However, there is much more to journal writing than this and journals are not the property of writers alone. The journal is a self-reflective space within which we tell ourselves our own story and in so doing makes sense of our lives and connect our experiences to a wider world.
This workshop is designed to help participants discover the value of journal writing and dig deeper into themselves and their experiences of the world around them.
Learning Outcomes
Through a mixture of discussion, readings and writing exercises we will:
explore ways in which to enrich our journals by making connections between our experiences, observations, ideas and reading.
learn how to turn our journals into a valuable tool for developing self-knowledge as well as a repository of ideas.
discover the joy of journal writing
Each workshop is designed to be accessible to all levels of experience and interests, whether you are a writer, seeker, or change-maker.
Each workshop can be run as one-day workshops or weekend intensives.
You can find upcoming workshops on the Events page.
If you would like me to run one or more of the workshops for your writing group, festival or other event, get in touch.