All Blogposts

  • Writing Workshops and Events in and around Wiltshire (and beyond!)

    Writing Workshops and Events in and around Wiltshire (and beyond!)

    2023/24 UPDATE New workshops in Bradford-on-Avon. Details here. ________________________________________________________________________ NEWSFLASH FREE WRITING WORKSHOPS (POETRY AND SHORT FICTION) SALISBURY LIBRARY You are invited to join writer Josephine Corcoran in these enjoyable workshops. In a supportive, friendly environment you will: • read and discuss a variety of poems and short stories to inspire your own work. •… Read more

  • Reading, Writing, Rejections, Acceptance

    Reading, Writing, Rejections, Acceptance

    February already and what is everyone up to? I really enjoy Robin Houghton’s blog so I thought I would follow her example and share some of what’s been happening in my life. Robin reports regularly on what she’s reading, where she’s sending her poetry and where it’s been accepted/rejected. She also shares information gleaned from… Read more

  • Smallstone poem for the last day of January

    Smallstone poem for the last day of January

            Smallstones As a boy I loved skimming grit. Now that I’m a man I spread my picnic rug by the smallstones so I won’t be overlooked when having sex. I am an elf, had a gallstone the size of half a pea the surgeon said, wincing in empathy. My sister is… Read more

  • WordWeavers Session 4 – Writing Dialogue

    WordWeavers Session 4 – Writing Dialogue

    Students began by reading their stories from last week when they’d placed one of their own fictional characters in a work setting they’d researched by interviewing other students.  The writing was diverse and really interesting and included a man working in an all-female cleaning crew, a white Zimbabwean farmer advising on simulation exercises to a… Read more

  • Writing about Work – WordWeavers Session 3

    Writing about Work – WordWeavers Session 3

    A summary of what we did…. Last week, among other things, we talked about how a character’s actions can reveal something, a mood or character trait, for example, to the reader. This week, continuing to think about what our characters do, we considered the world of work as a source of writing inspiration. The workplace… Read more

  • WordWeavers Session Two involving a carrot…

    WordWeavers Session Two involving a carrot…

    We began by considering the following: writing what a character does is a way of revealing emotion or mood to the reader; it helps to know something about your character’s background, their childhood, their desires, their fears, etc., as this is likely to influence their behaviour; tapping into your own memories and thoughts is a… Read more