To the Smoke!

Lovely to have thoughttree blog up and running again... We're now taking bookings for autumn workshops (too soon to get gothic? Yeh... bit too summery. But come October...) If you're East Yorkshire based and would like a workshop - get in touch!

Off to London tomorrow to record a podcast for York Notes. Specialist subject: The Handmaid's Tale. Still adore the novel even if its become rather familiar. A level students can check it out come the start of the new academic year by going to York Notes online A level resources. And on the subject of A levels...

Good luck to all A level students this week. Ali has been tutoring several A level students who have university places hopefully on the horizon - Amy and Alice you know who you are!

Ali x

We're Back!

Greetings all! After weeks of GCSE marking followed by a technological problem of stupendous proportions solved only by the return home for summer break of the university student - we're back!

So news: this morning Deb led our latest writing workshop: 'Location, Location, Location' at the Paintpot Cafe, Elloughton. No doubt a great time was had by all! We are finalising details for an autumn workshop with York Writers - fear and tension as main focus (odd bit of ghost story in there no doubt, then - whoooo). York Adult Ed are advertising us for their autumn season of courses (and look out for our 'one offs' in Huntingdon and York Central library). Ali is wading into writing her A level study guide for ecocriticism with - huzzah! - a publishing deal!

Some great stuff in the cooking pot then - and look out also for details of our autumn/winter workshops - coming just as soon as this next little bit of summer has passed...

Sooooo good to be back! Ali x

Creative Writing at Wyke

Did you know that creative non-fiction is one of the fastest growing genres for publishers and bookshops – and that magazines pay good money for well written factual articles and reviews?

This week Deb has returned to @WykeCollege with Thoughttree Workshops, to reveal top tips for writing ‘non-fiction with pizzazz’ to Creative Writing students. And, luckily for everyone, many of the well-established techniques of fiction writing apply!

So… use a narrative structure and don’t give too much away too soon, shun the passive tense (not to mention adverbs), use active verbs and tell a true story well, in a lively colloquial voice. Sound familiar?

There’s more to it than that, of course, so look out for a Thoughttree Writing Workshop on Writing Creative Fiction, coming your way soon!

Deb x

A Great Morning spent with Costa Winners!

Our latest workshop, where we took a close look at Costa Book Award winners, went down a treat - as did splendid coffee and cakes at our latest coffee shop venue, @thePaintPotEllerton!

Most notable... 2015 Costa winner Andrew Michael Hurley's The Loney, where we uncovered a classic Gothic opening crammed with foreshadowing, hints of death and a sense of mystery that draws the reader in (and all that in the first 3 paragraphs!)

Francis Hardinge's The Lie Tree was also hailed as a rightful winner; workshoppers found her text to be permeated with a wonderfully evocative sense of period and landscape.

More coming soon!

Boaty McBoat Farce!

It's been one of those stories... the public, in its infinite and wonderfully tongue in cheek wisdom, has chosen the one name for the new polar research vessel that the NERC probably didn't want. And now, of course, there is much wriggling and re-thinking and it looks like Mcboatface will never quite make it.

What shame! Didn't we vote for this? Yeah, we did! The NERC should honour its commitment! Boaty would have sailed with such support and such affection - it's a lost opportunity for engagement between scientific research and us ordinary guys out there. Boo you, NERC!

More Great Writing!

Here's more great writing from our Year 4 star, Amelia:

Beach

The peach sand frizzled under the turquoise sky, while in the distance the glistening sea formed huge waves.
The white feathers of the seagulls sparked in the sunlight.
The sea water splashing onto the shore smelt of salt.
The sun reached out on to the rocky hills.
Nearly in the brilliant blue rock pools, golden fishes raced.
As the light faded, the sunset skipped into a rainbow.
Above the clouds, the cobweb moon gazed at the dazzling planets.

Love this! Amelia explored two things which made such a difference to her writing: different sentence starters, and powerful verbs.

Favourite sentence: the sunset skipped into a rainbow. Beautiful! (to use a word we have banned in our sessions!)

Young Writers showcase

As promised - some fine descriptive writing from young writers - this time Amelia, year 4.

Enjoy!

The Monstrous Night… by Amelia

Once upon a time there was a field. The bright green grass swayed in the shimmering wind. The spreading branches trembled in the blue-sky breeze. The warm wind flowed in between the emerald green blades of grass, while the golden sun glowed. Autumn coloured leaves flew through turquoise air.

           

In the field was a scarecrow. He was loving, happy and a giant smile on his face.

            

That night there was a monstrous storm. Fierce lightning flashed while dark rain poured in the ebony night. The powerful wind prowled like wolves howling and growling. The wolf wind grabbed the leaves and tossed them in the air. It pulled on the scarecrow’s straw. It spun him round and round. It stole the scarecrow’s torn hat and scarf. The wind tugged at his head and his arms until he was torn apart and laying on the grass in peace.