Results for
John Harman
Show Don't Tell- Skilful use of Exposition
Stories do not come out of a void. Your reader needs to know much about the time, the setting, the characters and past events to enjoy and make sense of the story. How to handle this mass of detail called exposition? Some storytellers set down facts like a newspaper report; others use awkward and unnatural contrivances. This workshop shows how the subtle art of exposition – showing not telling – may be woven into the fabric of the story so the reader is unaware of being given...
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Getting published - mastering the process
Completing the first draft of your manuscript – whether for a novel, short story, non-fiction book or magazine article – is a major achievement. Yet this is only the first step in a long journey to getting published. In this course you will learn the step-by-step process including market research, finding an agent, approaching publishing houses, and the pros and cons of self-publishing. Your first draft is only the beginning. Now comes the rewriting, and yet more rewriting; then...
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Dramatise your story through narrative structure
New writers can struggle with narrative structure in writing whether the form is a novel, short story or script. In this workshop, writer John Harman will help you better understand the type of story you are telling, discover the importance of narrative structure and learn advanced techniques of plotting. Narrative structure is about choices and about writing your novel, short story or script in scenes. The choices hinge not only on the integration of the story and the plot (which...
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How to edit and assess your manuscript - getting from first draft to finishing your book
You have just finished the first draft of your manuscript and you are feeling mighty pleased with yourself. And so you should. It’s no mean feat writing between 70,000 and 140,000 words of a novel or non-fiction book. You are to be congratulated. But… what’s important for you to realise is that you are still much nearer the beginning of the process of writing your book than you are to the end. Your first draft is no more than that: a first draft. You have more drafts to work...
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Devious art of plotting your novel
A good plot is both the skeleton and sinews of the story, providing direction, definition and the power to move readers' feelings to a satisfactory resolution. Yet many writers find plotting difficult. By understanding and experimenting with the nine-point arc of a typical plot, workshop members will learn the devious art of plotting: discovering that plots are driven by the wilful or unconscious desires of the protagonists and that plot and character are two sides of the same...
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Creating memorable fictional characters
Fictional characters must possess sufficient strength of character to handle difficult dilemmas. In other words, they must be up to the demands of the plot. John Harman will show you how to create convincing characters, even those of the opposite gender. A story may be structured like a journey with a: Compass – the premise, theme, threads Map – the plot Engine – the motivation of the protagonist (plus other central characters) Fuel – the dialogue The depth, dimensionality and...
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How to Show More than Tell
The art of exposition – showing not telling – is a subtle one. Behind every story there is an entire world complete with a history and peopled by real-life characters. How does the writer handle this mass of detail? This workshop shows how and where writers can employ techniques to weave exposition into the fabric of the story so readers are scarcely aware of being given essential information. Stories do not come out of a void. There is much the reader needs to know about the time,...
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Writing dramatic dialogue
Dialogue should leap off the page. In novels, short stories, scripts and screenplays it must move the story forward, reveal character and provide essential exposition. Yet it must also be dramatic and believable. How to reconcile these apparently incompatible necessities is the subject of this dynamic and interactive workshop. A story is a completed process of change which has the ability to move readers' feelings powerfully and pleasurably (or painfully) in a certain, definite...
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This course has no current classes. Please
the waiting list.