Joanna Pocock MA

Through the use of in-class exercises and take-home assignments, this beginners' course will focus on the basic elements of good writing. Each student will work towards creating clear, expressive prose which demonstrates the virtues of economy and directness, as well as good use of detail and dialogue. There will be a strong workshop component to this course, which will enable students to become comfortable reading and sharing their work as well as benefiting from valuable feedback. There will also be lectures and discussions on technique with particular emphasis on point of view, characterisation, structure, and the process of editing. Students are encouraged to keep a journal throughout the duration of the course. Not only will this course help with writing skills, wherever they may be applied, it will aid with clear thinking and clear expression in other areas and disciplines.

Joanna Pocock graduated with an Honours MA in Creative Writing at Bath Spa, where her collection of short stories 'Blue Suburban Skies' won the Peters, Fraser & Dunlop Award for best unpublished manuscript in the UK. She is currently working on a novel set on a Greyhound Bus when she isn't writing, editing and workshopping with a variety of companies around London.