Though in content and story, many manuscripts are wholly different from one another, in draft form, they tend to carry the same mistakes. This is not to say that the essence or vision you, a writer, has for your story is irretrievable - far from it. By recognising common mistakes in your writing, you’re already on your way to avoiding them in the future.
In this action-focused masterclass with Tim Lott, award-winning writer and mentor to many novelists, you will be taken through the 15 most common mistakes to be found in a novice manuscript. Beginning with the understanding that these mistakes can pose real problems for the strength of your writing, Tim will then suggest other methods for spreading your words and developing your story.
From avoiding the murky middle of a first draft and not equipping your characters with believable motivations, to producing flatly functional dialogue and telling rather than showing, you will be privy to the difficulties that are currently hindering your writing - and how to overcome them.
This course is for …
Beginner writers who have either started a piece of writing, or who are sitting in the ideas stage
Intermediate writers who want to hone their skills to produce stronger work
Course content
How to avoid muddling up your time frames
How not to blow the big moments
Why you can’t skip exposition - even though it’s boring
Why an unmotivated character is an unconvincing character
How to avoid pointless dialogue
Plus ten more common mistakes identified and rectified
The writer’s toolkit is a masterclass series with award-winning novelist Tim Lott. Designed to give aspiring writers the tools they need to produce their best work, classes are available to book individually or as a pair.
Tutor profile
Tim Lott is the author of eight novels and Penguin Modern Classic memoir The Scent of Dried Roses. He is one of the most sought-after writing teachers in the country, particularly through his personal mentoring services. His writing has been highly praised by Hilary Mantel, Alan Bennett, Sebastian Faulks, Tony Parsons and Sarah Waters, among others. His students are equally enthusiastic – read their testimonials.
Tim’s help got me to a point where I was ready to write my next draft. That next draft got me an agent.”
Ben McPherson, A Line of Blood
No one else could have taught me what Tim did. Without him I can safely say I would still be flailing around in piles of rejection slips.”
Rebecca Thornton, The Exclusives
Details
Date: Monday 9 May 2022
Time: 6.30pm-8.30pm BST
Price: £49 (plus £2.66 booking fee) or £85 (plus £4.20 booking fee) if booked in conjunction with Tim Lott’s writer’s toolkit, part 1
This masterclass is available globally. If you are joining us from outside the United Kingdom, please use this time zone converter to check your local live streaming time.
6.30pm BST | 7.30pm CEST | 10.30am PDT | 1.30pm EDT
Information on Guardian Masterclasses
To contact us, click here. Terms and conditions can be found here.
All Guardian Masterclasses are fully accessible - but please contact us if you have any queries or concerns.
Returns policy
Once a purchase is complete we will not be able to refund you where you do not attend or if you cancel your event booking. Please see our terms and conditions for more information on our refund policy.
