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International
Writers’ Block
(founded 1999)
The Writer's Block is for people who take their writing seriously and are open to exploring different forms. We believe this process really does beat the 'block' and stimulates the imagination. Over the years we have found that people have enjoyed the challenge of writing in an unfamiliar genre and that this experience has informed their technique and stretched their thinking. For example, if you are writing a story or a memoir and are finding it difficult to sequence the work in other than a chronological fashion, writing poetry may be a catalyst.
Members write primarily for pleasure, personal development and health. Most have, however, found a wider audience through publication in the following: The Interpreter’s House, Rialto, Fire, Orbis, Pulsar, Decanto, Scintilla, Iota, Connections, Current Accounts, Envoi, Other Poetry, Ver, The New Writer and many other magazines and anthologies.
The fee of £120 entitles you to 8 of our assignments and, on completion of each, our comprehensive feedback is returned to you together with suggestions of how your work may be developed. The course lasts throughout the year (with breaks at Christmas, Easter and Summer). Single assignments may be ordered at a cost of £15 including feedback. We use a variety of stimuli including art, music and plays whilst introducing you to some of the best contemporary authors. We suggest that it is very important to work to a deadline - normally four weeks per assignment.
For further information and an informal discussion about the content of the assignments email: Jocelyn Simms pontdarche@hotmail.com or phone (00 33) 5 49 80 22 96. Jocelyn is happy to put you in touch with writers who have been through the course for their comments.
Who are we?
Gordon Simms founded the Performing Arts Course at Blackburn College, having previously been a Head of English in a comprehensive school, a lecturer in a Drama College and a Drama Adviser. He has been writing poetry, plays and stories for most of his life. He has won or been placed in many play-writing and poetry competitions including the Arvon, whilst over seventy of his poems have been published. He has written a craft book, a novel and several scripts for touring theatre companies. Jocelyn, formerly a librarian, trained as a person-centred counsellor in 1995. She too has been successful in poetry competitions with a number of her poems appearing in magazines and anthologies. She is the author of Colour Matters, a reference work using colour as the primary source of inspiration for writing. Together they founded the Writer's Block in 1999 to foster therapeutic and creative writing. As well as originating the assignments they have designed and delivered dozens of themed workshops.
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