Creative Writing Summer School
19th – 23rd August 2013, University of London Union, Bloomsbury
Do you enjoy writing fiction or poetry? Or maybe you would love to put your ideas down on paper, but you don’t quite know how to begin?
The Creative Writing Summer School offers students aged 15-18 a chance to explore a wide range of writing forms, techniques and approaches. As well as engaging in plenty of challenging and enjoyable practical exercises, we will also spend time analysing and learning from classic works and discussing how literary theory can shape what and how we write. Five days of intensive study, practice and constructive review and criticism will leave students with a wider range of creative techniques, plenty of exciting new ideas and a sense of inspiration and enthusiasm for further creative endeavours.
You can expect friendly and supportive tutors, small group tuition (max 12 students) and plenty of time to discuss your own work and ideas.
See a full schedule for this course here.
Students are invited, if they wish, to submit a piece of writing for Debate Chamber tutors to read, and which will then form the basis of an individual discussion of your aims for improvement as an author. This may be a complete short story or poem, or an extract from a longer work. It may be a finished piece or a work in progress. Please note that this is completely optional, and not a requirement for participation in the Summer School – see submission guidelines here.
Feedback from the 2012 Creative Writing Summer School
It’s the perfect course if you enjoy literature, reading and writing in your free time. It also provides you with a more in depth study of what techniques writers use which you then get the chance to experiment with in your own writing.
I found the course really enjoyable, the teaching was great and it was really good to mix with people who have similar aspirations and interests!
If you love writing, exploring why and how authors write and discussing literature with people who are equally passionate about it, then this is the course for you.
I would definitely recommend this course, not only because it was incredibly instructive and helpful in terms of reading and texts and how to apply certain skills to your own writing, it was also a lot of fun. To spend a weekend on creative writing, to just let your ideas and imagination run off, in a room with like minded and interested people, is a great opportunity.
I would definitely recommend this course to anyone interested in sharpening their writing skills. The course teaches you many techniques which you would probably not learn at school, which is helpful not only with exams but also for your personal satisfaction. I found the atmosphere very friendly and the tutor was amazing: if you take this course you will not regret it!
If you are interested in literature and the writing of both poetry and prose and would like more help on how to write or new ways of writing then this is definitely the course to attend – No Question.
If you want to get good feedback on your writing this is definitely worth while doing. Make sure to bring in something you have been working on outside of the course to develop it further.
The Creative Writing Summer School gave me an experience I will surely not forget. The things I learnt were incredibly valuable and the people I met extremely encouraging and friendly. It was nice to have the chance to share my work with others who think similarly to me and also to see what they had written. I’m so glad I was given the opportunity to go!
The course was fantastic, shaped to fit our own interests and ideas. Looking at literature and then drawing from our analysis to write our work meant that I thought much more deeply about what I was doing. The tutors were brilliant and the whole thing was amazing. It was nice to spend time with other like-minded people and see all the different talents people had. Overall, it was brilliant.
The course was really helpful for inspiring one to pick up a pen again, especially after the stress of AS level exams. It was also a course which helped everyone, no matter their ability, to realise they can write. The constructive criticism received was kind and always helpful.
Practicalities
The price of the five-day Creative Writing Summer School is £390 per student. Please note that accommodation is not included, and must be arranged independently if required. Bookings for any event may be made by individual students or parents or through the school. To book a place or places at the Creative Writing Summer School, or if you have any further questions, simply call on 0845 519 4827, email info@debatechamber.com, or use the form below.
Debate Chamber offers a limited number of full and partial bursaries to students who could not otherwise afford to attend. If you are applying for a bursary please do not complete this form, but instead complete the ‘Bursary Application Form’ here.