Learn to Write with Jessica Hart

The more I write, the more interested I am in how and why popular fiction works, and I love sharing what I’ve learnt about the writing process over the past twenty years.

If you’re interested in writing, why not join me on one of the courses below? 

 

Learn to write in sunny Tuscany!  Join me for a week’s course at the Watermill at Posara

24 September – 1 October 2011 

Are you interested in writing fiction that sells? Would you like to learn in a beautiful place? Now’s your chance! Anyone who’s ever tried to write knows that it can be a tough and at times lonely business … but not at the Watermill in Posara, in the heart of Lunigiana in the north-west of Tuscany. Spend a week learning about the key elements of writing commercial fiction under a vine-laden pergola, and I promise you it won’t seem nearly as difficult! There’s something about being with a group of like-minded people, who all love reading and writing, with no deadlines except when the next wonderful meal is going to appear, and no distractions but the sound of the river and the clang of the church bell in the village …

For more details click here.

 

A Crash Course in Writing Romance 

York, Saturday 21 May 2011

A one-day workshop specifically designed for those who have always thought they’d like to try writing a romance, but haven’t really known where to start. The course will focus on how to invest a story with the emotional tension that is key to the success of any romance. We’ll be looking at how to create an engaging and sympathetic heroine and an irresistible hero, as well as a plot that will keep the readers turning the pages to a satisfying end. Working in groups, we will have created the outline of a story together by the end of the day. This is the social side of writing, and the most fun, so come prepared to participate!

For more details, click here or contact the Centre for Lifelong Learning at the University of York.

 

 

From the Slush Pile to the Shelves: Writing Fiction that Sells 

An eight week evening course at the University of York, starting Wednesday 26 January 2011

This course is aimed squarely at those wanting to write mass-market fiction, and more particularly at those with a work already in progress. It is less about writing creatively than about structuring a story to give it the emotional punch it needs to grab an editor’s attention and appeal to readers around the world. The focus will be on writing romance, but the techniques we’ll be examining – hooks, tension, character, dialogue, plot and so on – are common to all forms of popular fiction. We’ll also be looking at the process of writing, from a glimmer of an idea (‘Where do you get your ideas from?’) to polishing a manuscript for submission and selling your story. The more I write, the more interested I am in how and why romance works, and I love sharing what I’ve learnt about the writing process over the past twenty years.

For more details, click here or contact the Centre for Lifelong Learning at the University of York.