Organised by The Guardian
Bestselling writer Cathy Rentzenbrink leads a masterclass in how to develop a writer’s mindset, overcome self-doubt, and start writing.
Everyone has a book in them - so the adage goes. And yet, so few people actually commit the time and hard work to putting words on the page, developing their story, refining their work, and then taking it forward. If you have a burning desire to tell a story, but don’t know how to possibly begin - perhaps you’ve found yourself reading authors’ accounts of how they write and discovered that everyone’s process is entirely at odds - now might be the time to sculpt your own process.
This workshop with bestselling author Cathy Rentzenbrink will enable you to carve out some space for starting to write. From believing in yourself to honing your craft through practical creative writing exercises, as well as how to excavate your story and find your authentic narrative voice, this is a masterclass you mustn’t miss.
Whether you dream of immortalising your family history, capturing a life experience you’ve had, crafting a robust suite of short stories, or you’ve had a compelling idea for a novel swimming around your head for years, Cathy’s class will help get you started. Based on her new book Write it all Down: How to Put Your Life on the Page , Cathy’s masterclass combines expert tips with interactive exercises designed to boost your confidence and inspire you on your journey as a writer.
This course is for ...
- Writers and aspiring writers at any stage of their creative or research process
- Anyone interested in writing in any format
Course content
- Ways into writing: short creative exercises for developing your ideas and boosting your imagination
- What's getting in the way of you telling your story?
- Overcoming self-doubt
- Finding your authentic narrative voice
- How to excavate your story
- Building and maintaining a writing habit
- Developing a writer's mindset
- Cathy's toolbag of techniques
- Q&A
Tutor profile
Cathy Rentzenbrink is the author of the Sunday Times best-seller The Last Act of Love and of A Manual for Heartache and Dear Reader: The Comfort and Joy of Books. In 2021 she published her first novel, Everyone is Still Alive, and in January 2022 she will be publishing a guide to writing memoirs, called Write it all Down: How to Put Your Life on the Page. Cathy regularly chairs literary events, interviews authors, reviews books, runs creative writing courses where she welcomes anyone, no matter what their experience, education, background or story. She believes that everyone’s life would be improved by picking up a pen and is at her happiest when encouraging her students to have the courage to delve into themselves and see the magic that will start to happen on the page.
Course Details
- Date: Monday 12 September 2022
- Time: 6.30pm-8.30pm (BST)
You may also be interested in Cathy’s other masterclass, The art and craft of the edit: A creative-writing masterclass with Cathy Rentzenbrink. Both masterclasses are available to book as pair for a discounted rate of £89 (plus £4.66 booking fee).
6.30pm BST | 7.30pm CET | 10.30am PST | 1.30pm EST
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.
You will be sent a link to the webinar 24hrs and 2hrs before the start time. Please email masterclasses@theguardian.com if you have not received the access link within two hours of the scheduled start time.
All Guardian Masterclasses are fully accessible but please contact us at masterclasses@theguardian.com if you have any queries or concerns.