I haven’t yet set the dates for my next set of workshops. If you want me to let you know when they’re open for booking, get in touch.

General Info

This half-term I’m running writing workshops for 12-14 year olds on Monday 8th April, Monday 15th April, and Wednesday 17th April, 2-4pm.

The sessions will be held in small groups of no more than six and will focus on bringing out the strengths of each writer to create stories that are exciting and evocative.

Location

Workshops run from 2-4pm at a well-appointed home in North Finchley. Full address on booking. Nearest tube: Woodside Park.

Booking

The workshops are £25 each. When booking, there’s a pop-up form you have to fill in before you can add the workshop to your cart. So that you only have to fill this in once, I’ve created options in the drop-down menu for buying two or three workshops in one go. If booking workshops in a block, remember to let me know on the form which ones you’re booking.

Hopefully this should make it as easy for you as possible! If you have any problems please email me at miriam@miriamcraig.com.

Cancellation policy

Cancellations are possible up to two weeks before the date of the workshop, though there will be a £5 cancellation fee per workshop.

What to bring

Please have your child bring a small snack and drink for the 10-minute break. They should also bring their own pen and writing notebook.

Please make sure that any child who needs to carry an EpiPen, inhaler or other medication has it with them, otherwise they may not be able to take part in the workshop.

About me

I’m a children’s writer and workshop leader who teaches creative writing to kids, in groups and one-to-one. My publishing credits include being one of the writers of My Golden Ticket, an award-winning personalised book published by Wonderbly. It tells the story of a child’s trip around Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory and was published in partnership with the estate of Roald Dahl. I loved getting to build on the world Roald Dahl created in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I’ve also written a children’s book for the fiction packager Working Partners, and written my own stories and poems for kids. Before that I studied English Literature at Cambridge.

Workshop Details

Monday 8th April: Flash Fiction – Big Stories in Tiny Packages

 Sometimes the idea of writing a whole story is intimidating. Much easier if you know you only need to write 300, 100, or even 50 words. A piece of flash fiction can contain everything you’d get in a longer story – character, conflict, imagery, twists and turns – but concentrated into a tiny space. They’re fun to read and write, and are great for learning how to edit your own work.

Monday 15th April: From Vampires to Spacebots – Mastering Genre

This workshop is about understanding genre and all the key features that make up each one, from the vampires in a fantasy novel to the technology in science fiction or the blow-out row with your best friend in realistic fiction. Understanding genre is a big step towards feeling comfortable within the world of books – it not only helps us discover more books we want to read, it also gives us a starting point any time we have a story to write.

Wednesday 17th April: Learning to Write Like an Orchestra

In an orchestra there’s a string section, woodwinds, brass and percussion; in good writing there’s description, action, backstory and emotion. We’ll learn the elements of good writing and how to move seamlessly between them, like a conductor leading a symphony. This workshop is brilliant for making our stories feel sophisticated and nuanced, and it’s very helpful for young writers who tend to stare at a blank page not knowing where to start!

Questions?

If you have any questions, email me at miriam@miriamcraig.com.