Aspiring writers are often told: “Write what you know.” But how do we really know what we know? When Shakespeare created compelling characters, such as Othello and Shylock, he didn’t know what it was to be black or Jewish – but he did know what it was to be an outsider, and he found in his own remembered experience the basis for an understanding of his characters’ imagined lives.
Empathy is an act both of memory and of imagination, and our writing will be enriched if we learn how to harness the two. Through discussion and practical exercises, this session will examine the nature of memory and imagination, and the creative chemistry of their interaction.
Working in a supportive and relaxed environment, you will participate in practical exercises and be able to receive feedback and ask any questions you may have during the sessions. You will leave with the knowledge and confidence to use your own experiences and observations as springboards to writing imaginative fiction.
This masterclass is suitable for all aspiring fiction writers, from beginners seeking guidance to more experienced writers wanting to sharpen and energise their practice. It is part of our four-workshop series with Professor Jem Poster and Dr Sarah Burton, who currently lead the master’s degree course in creative writing at the University of Cambridge. Read more and book the whole series here.
From the same masterclass series...
- Character and plot: A masterclass with Cambridge University’s creative writing tutors
- Point of view and narrative voice: A masterclass with Cambridge University’s creative writing tutors
- Time and place: A masterclass with Cambridge University’s creative writing tutors
Tutor profiles
Jem Poster is the author of two novels – Courting Shadows and Rifling Paradise – as well as a collection of poetry, Brought to Light. He has won major prizes in the Cardiff International Poetry and the Peterloo Poets Open Poetry competitions. He is emeritus professor of creative writing at Aberystwyth University and has been chair of the editorial board of New Welsh Review. He is currently programme adviser to the Cambridge Institute of Continuing Education’s MSt in creative writing and director of its international summer programme in creative writing.
Sarah Burton has been course director of the creative writing MSt at Cambridge University’s Institute of Continuing Education since 2013. Her publications include two critically acclaimed biographies, Impostors: Six Kinds of Liar and A Double Life: A Biography of Charles and Mary Lamb, which was shortlisted for the Mind Book of the Year award; a children’s book, The Miracle in Bethlehem: A Storyteller’s Tale; a page-to-stage guide, How to Put on a Community Play, and the humorous Complete and Utter History of the World By Samuel Stewart, Aged 9.
Details
Dates: Saturday 11 November 2017
Times: Full-day course, 10am-4pm
Location: The Guardian, Kings Place, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU
Price: £129 plus £5.66 booking fee
Event capacity: 32
Complimentary lunch and refreshments included.
You may also be interested in...
- The science of storytelling with Will Storr
- Writing your novel: A six-week creative writing programme with award-winning author Ross Raisin
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Returns policy
Tickets may be refunded if you contact us at least 14 days before the course start date. Please see our terms and conditions for more information on our refund policy.
