Description
Starting is the hardest part
Whether you’re a seasoned playwright or someone hoping to write their first play, finding a starting point is tough. There’s nothing more intimidating than staring at a blank page or screen.
Our fully-interactive one-day online writing workshop will get you writing immediately. We’ll cover the essential fundamentals of playwriting and get you working right from the start—no messing around, just getting ideas out of your head and onto the page.
It’s a messy process to begin with—you’ll find more than you can use. But through a sequence of exercises, you’ll hone your idea into a conflict you can’t wait to develop.
Online writing workshop: One day is all it takes
Our one-day online writing workshop gets you working straight away. We’ll explore:
- The 4 Essentials of Playwriting—disovering characters and a conflict along the way
- What you want to say—examining how to embed your theme
- The functions of dialogue and action—ensure your characters “do” things to each other rather than chat.
And by the end of our 4-hour session, you’ll have the first couple of pages of your new (or first script).
Can I use this to start my novel?
Absolutely.
We’ll be looking at the fundamentals of dramatic writing while building the framework for drama and/or comedy, which is ideal for novelists as well as playwrights.
The only real difference is that you’ll write the first few pages of your novel instead of your play. But you’ll end the session with a clear starting point to develop later.
Why WriteForTheStage?
WriteForTheStage has over a decade’s experience in helping new writers formulate their ideas. Our writers have gone on to writing careers in theatre, radio, and TV, with a string of awards and a long legacy of kickstarting the passion required to succeed in the creative industries.
Our lead tutor, Mike Heath, is a well-known playwright and novelist and has over 30 years of teaching experience under his belt, up to university level.
Mike’s work has appeared extensively in North West theatres, including The Kings Arms Theatre, HOME, Oldham Coliseum, The Lowry, Liverpool Lantern, and The Contact Theatre. His work has been performed around the UK and as far afield as Australia.
Can I try before I buy?
Yes.
We’re currently offering our Finding Starting Points online writing course for free till September. You can give that a go, and come along to the workshop with a some ideas ready to go.
Reviews of WriteForTheStage courses:
The Finding Starting Points course is an excellent resource for anybody wanting to write a play, novel or short story which has characters in them. Divided into three easy to follow modules, (the first module can be used for writing poetry) the course shows the difference between plot and theme and lets the writer answer the question, what is your work about? One tip having done the course, allow yourself time between modules, (at least an hour) to reflect on what you have written previously. The course allows you to produce an idea, progress a theme and develop characters in a way you may not have considered. With this course you will never be short of ideas. As part of the course Mike is offering an on-line 30 minute feedback for anyone completing the course. Invaluable for anyone wanting to take their work forward.
Super course (The First 10 Pages). Mike was clear and constructive. Warm and welcoming way of working in a small group to understand how to improve and produce a dynamic opening to a play. Warm ups led naturally to the subject matter of each session. Great to be able to hear and appreciate others’ work in progress and to see how Mike’s teaching consolidated and built over the weeks to give a lasting structure. I will definitely be looking to working with Mike in the future.
Thanks again Mike for another wonderful course (Top of the Stack:Act 2). The course is a brilliant balance of theory, exercises and specific reference to individual scripts. It’s really made a big difference to my current play, by allowing me to apply the tools and techniques learned, to sharpen and make my piece more dramatic. I will definitely be using the ample resources provided to help structure, edit and improve past and future plays. Thank you.
What are the dates for the online writing workshop?
The one-day workshops will run on the following dates:
- Saturday 22nd August, 10am-2pm.
- Saturday 26th Sept, 10am-2pm
- Saturday 24th Oct, 10am-2pm
- Saturday 21st Nov, 10am-2pm
£50
Book now.
Jayne Marshall –
Having been in a creative wilderness for a while, this course has been such a vital kick-start to develop a new piece of writing. At 10am I was staring at blank page, by 2pm my fellow participants were reading out a scene I had written from scratch, discussing character arcs, themes and next steps. In addition to being a talented playwright, Mike is also a fantastic teacher who has the innate ability to bring out the ideas we didn’t know we had. Such a great and productive way to spend a Saturday; I’d recommend this to all writers and creatives at any stage of your career.
Mike Heath –
Thanks Jayne. So glad you found it useful. 👌
Kelley Dolan (verified owner) –
I really enjoyed Mike’s one-day workshop! As a musician and songwriter who is relatively new to playwriting, I found it friendly, relaxed and practical, with a great balance of instruction, writing exercises and feedback.
Mike explained everything clearly and gave thoughtful, specific feedback that helped me see new possibilities in my work. I came with the beginnings of an idea and left with a new scene and plenty to develop!
I’d definitely recommend Mike’s workshops to anyone looking for an encouraging and productive space in which to develop their writing.
Mike Heath –
Thanks, Kelley. Glad you enjoyed it.