How To Start Your Novel And How To Keep Going with Louise Doughty

A two-hour workshop with bestselling author Louise Doughty on the basics of novel construction, plus writing exercises and top tips.

Saturday, June 15 · 11am – 1pm

How do you open a book in a compulsive way, and how do you carry on from there?
What makes good storytelling in a full-length work of fiction, and what do you do when the whole thing spins out of control?

In this lively two-hour workshop, Louise Doughty takes you on a brisk canter through the basics of novel construction and gives you some top tips on how to get started and keep going. Whether you’ve already attempted it or are a complete beginner, bring pen and paper and be prepared to have a go at writing on the spot.

Venue: Metal, Chalkwell Hall, Chalkwell Park, Southend-on-Sea, SS0 8NB
Tickets: £12
Box Office: eventbrite.co.uk

Part of Essex Writers House – for full event listings visit: metalculture.com/projects/essex-writers-house-2024/

About Louise

Louise Doughty is the author of ten novels, including Fires in the Dark, about the Romany Holocaust, and Stone Cradle, based on her own English Romanichal background. Of her other books, Apple Tree Yard was a number one bestseller and adapted as a major BBC One series starring Emily Watson; Platform Seven has been filmed for ITV. She also created and wrote the hit series Crossfire, starring Keeley Hawes. She has been nominated for multiple awards including the Costa Novel Award, the Women’s Prize for Fiction and the Sunday Times Short Story Prize. Her work has been translated into thirty languages.

Part of Essex Writers House: This June, Metal Southend will become a house for writers to read, to write overlooking the Thames Estuary, to get help and feedback on your work or to have lively, meandering conversations with other writers. You can book a writing desk, join a writing group for sharing and solidarity, meet our writers in residence or have an advice session with Metal and our associate writers.

Photo of Louise Doughty © Max Kennedy