Dare to Write: the Workshop

This year, one of my writing resolutions is to start running regular writing workshops again.

From 2004 - 2010, I ran weekly writing workshops for two London councils.

It was one of the most rewarding experiences of my writing career.

Week in, week out, people from all walks of life would walk into the libraries we met in and sit down and write.

Week in, week out, I would come up with ever more ingenious ways of exploring character and plot, poetry and prose, self publishing and traditional publishing, writing for radio, stage and screen.

In teaching others, I learnt so much. 

And so did everyone else.

Plays that began life as a simple writing exercise were staged.

Novels that began life as a simple writing prompt were published.

Poems that began life as a single scribbled couplet grew to entire collections.

Competitions were won.

Short stories were sold.

And over the years many lasting friendships were formed.

I would throw parties at my house, filled with these writers.

It was a wonderful time.

And then I moved away.

And I got really busy with my own writing and work in the publishing industry, so my workshops took a back seat.

But I've missed them so much that last year I made the executive decision to cut back on my publishing consultancy work and run more workshops instead.

For the past few months I've been working away behind the scenes, developing Dare to Write workshops for a variety of different audiences.

Dare to Write ~ Online

Dare to Write ~ Young Adult Fiction

Dare to Write ~ Children's Fiction

Dare to Write ~ in Business

Dare to Write ~ the Novel

and my flagship workshop:

Dare to Write ~ for all

I even made a trailer about them:

I'm delighted to kick things off with a monthly Dare to Write workshop for all writers, which will be taking place on the first Tuesday of each month, beginning on Tuesday 4th February, from 7.30 - 9.30 pm - in a wonderfully atmospheric Moroccan tearoom!

Motivation, inspiration, expert feedback and teas galore - what more could you ask for?!

Each workshop will feature written exercises, tips, advice - and the opportunity to read and receive feedback on any work in progress.

The venue is Dar Papillon, 360-364 Berkhamsted High Street, HP4 1HU.

And the price for each workshop is £10 - or you can block book six workshops for £50.

For more info, please email me at:

contact[AT]siobhancurham[DOT]co[DOT]uk

I'm also currently looking for venues for the Dare to Write Workshop Tour, so if you would like me to come and run a workshop for your organisation or at your venue, please get in touch.

How to Set Writing Resolutions that Work

The old year is drawing to a close and the new year stretches out before us - as clean and fresh as a new Word doc.

And writers everywhere are resolving that this will be the year.

The year the novel finally gets written.

The year the poetry collection finally comes together.

The year the screenplay makes it from scribbled index cards to properly formatted script.

The year the short story gets published.

The year the blog gets launched.

And for some writers, all of the above and more may apply.

Some writers have so many goals, their list of writing resolutions is practically a novel in itself.

And while this might initially fire them up with enthusiasm, February tends to find them face down in a bottle of gin, suffering from a chronic case of Resolution Overwhelm.

I know this because there was a time when my own writing resolutions had a higher word count than War and Peace.

There were so many things I wanted to write; so many genres and age groups and mediums I wanted to write for.

So I'd list them all.

And then, in January, I'd make a start on them all.

And I'd end up spreading my writing so thinly that I'd lose heart.

Nothing seemed to get done.

So I'd give up doing it at all.

Then I discovered the joy that is The Writing Resolutions League.

This is where you divide your resolutions up, just like in a football league. And, dear Dare to Writers, it has revolutionised my life.

Let me show you how:

First, write a list of every single writing goal you have.

Then, on a separate page, write the heading, Premier League.

Look at your list of writing goals and pick the one that makes your heart sing the most; the one which you absolutely have to write before the new year is out.

Put this goal in your Premier League.

And nothing else.

Next, write the heading, Division One.

Go back through your list of goals and pick the one that almost made it to your Premier League; the goal that you would really like to achieve before 2014 is out.

Put this goal in your Division One.

And nothing else.

Then, write the heading, Division Two.

Into this division put up to two goals that you would like to make a start on by the end of the new year - but you won't be heart-broken if you don't.

If you have any other goals left, write them under the heading, Division Three. 

Division Three is for the writing goals you would like to achieve in the next five years but you will not be focusing on in 2014.

For the whole of January do nothing but focus on your Premier League writing goal.

Repeat for February.

And repeat as necessary, until this goal is achieved.

Know that your other writing goals are still important.

You haven't abandoned them.

Like Wolverhampton Wanderers, they are just awaiting promotion.

And they will be promoted, once you've achieved your Premier League goal. 

Because then everything else can shift up through the ranks.

When it comes to your writing resolutions, prioritising = clarity.

And clarity = success.

Wishing you all a very happy, writing-filled new year.


One of my writing resolutions for the new year is to run more writing workshops. I will be running a fortnightly group in Berkhamsted, Herts and monthly workshops in London. So be sure to keep checking the Workshops page on this site for more details. . .