Short Fiction Masterclass: Art Breathes From Containment, April 7th

I am in Boston, off to the AWP conference tomorrow, but I wanted to let you know that there are still a few places left on the short story masterclass I am running for Spread the Word in London on Sunday April 7th. Don't let the word "masterclass" put you off, this is open to everyone, all levels of writing. Here's the description:

Breathing from containment…

Leonardo da Vinci said "art breathes from containment and suffocates from freedom.” Well, we can’t all claim to be a Leonardo, but many writers have found that playing with restrictions - limiting word count, writing time, physical space and more - actually liberates their writing, with boundaries forcing the brain to be increasingly creative.

Come and test out this theory at Tania’s short fiction masterclass, where we'll be experimenting with all kinds of restrictions in order to set our words free! Tania offers a guarantee that you will leave with several first drafts of new stories, as well as innovative ideas for what best stimulates your creative brain.

Sunday 7 April
11am – 4.30pm
£60 / £45 concessions

Toynbee Studios
28 Commercial Street
London E1 6AB
Nearest Tube: Aldgate East

Click here to book a place, come and write with us!

Another great-sounding workshop a few weeks later, on April 27th, is this one from the Word Factory on The Art of Story Writing, with my fabulous writer friends Alison MacLeod and Adam Marek:

Enjoy a unique day with award-winning short story writers Michèle Roberts, Adam Marek and literary agent Carrie Kania including an evening reading with Lionel Shriver. 

Join a small group of leading writers in an intimate setting for an exclusive one-day seminar aimed at finding your voice and getting published.

Improve the quality of your writing, find solutions to the editing problems that hold you back and discover how to get your work published. Michèle Roberts and Adam Marek both push the boundaries of the short story form with work that is full of sensuality, surprise and discomfort. You will write, be edited, absorb practical tips and be inspired. Agent Carrie Kania will explain what you need to know to successfully send your work out. And after, share your work or simply relax in the warm setting of The Society Club (Soho), where you can exchange contacts and meet new friends.
In the evening, the Orange Prize-winning author of We Need To Talk About Kevin, Lionel Shriver, will be in conversation with Cathy Galvin and share some of her short stories and an extract from her new novel Big Brother.

 Sounds great, eh? More details here.