Of Mice and Men... leave us nought but Pain and Joy.

So Of Mice and Men is to be wiped from the school curriculum... at thoughttree we'd hate to poke the ants nest but being honest, we've seen it taught  in a pretty mundane way. Sure, its a great novella, but (squirm, gurn) can we suggest it is a touch difficult to stretch the most able students with good ole George and Lennie? It's beautifully accessible. But so easy to work its way into the year plan so it becomes set in stone.

But To Kill a Mocking Bird? Such sensitive handling of what is a rather topical theme, wethinks! Such admirable writing technique in the duality of child Scout/adult Scout narrative voice! For starters! Gasp shock horror!  Keep it in, Mr Gove, keep it in.

Thoughttree Residential Writing Courses are Expanding!

Here at Thoughttree Residential Writing Courses we are delighted to announce that we are expanding... due to demand, we are developing our courses to be appropriate for teachers of A Level Creative Writing and English Language and/or Literature.

Teachers: if you join us at #Gisborough Hall Hotel for one of our 3 day courses, you can be confident that a Thoughttree Course will:

- develop your confidence in yourself as a writer and teacher of Creative Writing
- provide you with ideas for supporting your students with A level coursework
- enhance your skills of literary analysis
- focus on style modelling as a pathway to higher marks for your students - and give you the chance to try it for yourself.

And that's just for starters!

We'll keep you updated with developments - or you can visit us at www.thoughttree.co.uk

Writing Gothic!

Writers in groups that work with Deb and Ali from Thoughttree are hitching a ride on the Gothic wagon... here's a sample from one worthy writer, Sarah:

'I awoke with a start. I lay in cold, silent darkness. Every fibre of my body ached. I turned my head and closed my eyes against the spinning, stabbing pain. And then I heard it. Shuffle, drag. Shuffle, drag. Getting closer.
I tried to move, to sit up, to see, to run. Shuffle, drag. Shuffle, drag. With an inhuman effort I clawed myself into a sitting position. Shuffle, drag. I tried to scream but my lungs were full of a thick fear that swamped my voice and numbed my reason. Shuffle... I raised my arms in a futile attempt to protect myself from whatever was about to assault me... drag.'

Go Sarah! Suspense and Gothic terror wonderfully done. Lovely use of the verb 'clawed'. More, please!

We do hope that Sarah joins us on one of our Gothic courses!

American Psycho AGAIN!

I'm delighted to say I had a tremendous welcome from Wyke College A level students last week, who were participating in taster sessions of #Thoughttree writing workshops.

And, of course, #American Psycho came around again... workshop participants were delighted (in a kind of wincing, nay shocked, nay OMG sort of way) with the casual, nay clinical, detailed treatment of extreme violence juxtaposed with the disconnected, zero-emotion narrative voice of psycho-character Patrick Bateman. It was very interesting to explore Gothic elements in the novel. Eh? I hear you say. Gothic? Yes, certainly. Let me explain:

Lone, isolated character in exotic landscape; straying into the realms of the forbidden; the pleasure/pain dichotomy for the reader who is caught up in the thrill of anticipation; terror. Overflow into horror. Yep, definitely Gothic - will be using this in our forthcoming Thoughttree writing courses!