'Beyond my expectations - do not skip this workshop! Linda is a wonderful, patient and sensitive teacher. The facility was perfect. Linda, thank you SO much for a wonderful, informative, and eye-opening time. My goodness how quickly two hours passes! I learned so much, and you make me feel welcome and comfortable. I am inspired to continue writing, thank you!'

That is my latest review, written by a client yesterday 14/9/2019 who attended the two hour Mindfulness & Creative Writing Workshop I run via Airbnb Experiences 🤗 You can read all the Experiences reviews here:
https://www.airbnb.co.uk/experience-hosting/reviews/all 

and my many testimonials on this website here: www.freewriterscentre.org/testimonials.html

It is such an honour to work with so many writers and be in the arena of creativity. Come join me there and download any of my Online Courses www.freewriterscentre.org/online-courses.html  or attend one of my live courses or workshops!

Live now!

At the end of my last blog I said: 'Next time I'm going to try out making a Youtube 'reactions' video – in the first case it will be my reaction to Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time In Hollywood which I saw in Bristol a few days ago and LOVED his re-imagining of the Sharon Tate case.' Well here it is! youtu.be/74eAQdtF2p0

I love the power of reimagined stories. For instance (spoiler alert) the way that Tarantino handled the terrifying denouement of the Sharon Tate case was quite a stroke of beauty and genius combined. By shifting who the victims of the case were and by keeping Sharon alive it handed over a feeling of peace to her soul, allowing her to live on brightly.

I look at the subject of reimagining (contemporising myth and story) in my 10 hour Advanced Creative Writing Course – available for immediate download here: https://www.freewriterscentre.org/store/p3/Advanced_Creative_Writing_Course.html

The focus of the four sessions (making up the 10 hours) goes like this:

Week 1: Contemporising myth, finding the personal links to given stories; looking at the existing plots and motifs in such stories and mimicking/re-writing them. Also looking at, discussing and using Cavafy's Ithaca.
Week 2: Symbolism and surrealism in writing.
Week 3: Review and critique: how to write non fiction creatively.
Week 4: Write your own Creation Myth. Looking at the 5 given plots of worldwide creation myths
and writing your own birth of a new world.

You can read more about the structure of the course and watch an intro video via the link above and then just press Add to Cart!

I can promise you you will get a lot out of the course and I also encourage you to take a look at the other courses on offer: https://www.freewriterscentre.org/online-courses.html and read testimonials from many clients: https://www.freewriterscentre.org/testimonials.html

Invest in your creativity and make your writing a reality!

That's a question I was musing over recently as I wanted to get more traffic to my website so people could browse my Online Courses www.freewriterscentre.org/online-courses.html and see what Live Events www.freewriterscentre.org/live-courses--events.html were coming up.

I had some trepidation about committing to the Facebook advert www.facebook.com/freewriterscentre/ as it can always be 'a moment' when you hand your bank or Paypal details over – however – Facebook let you stay in control of the spend. You select how much you want the advert to cost per day and for how many days and go for it! I selected £2 per day for 14 days – so no big financial commitment there – but after 7 days my advert has already been seen by over 13000 people.

In terms of who I selected for the audience; for this one I went with Facebook's algorithm choices of 18 – 65 yrs within the UK wide. However on other adverts I will select differently as I have an international audience and due to my many years living in Egypt I still have a strong trusted presence and still have work and clients coming in from there. I also wish to expand my online presence to a global one as the Online Courses can be taken anywhere at anytime.

So, if you want to boost a Facebook Ad or you're thinking of creating content to advertise on Facebook or make any marketing campaign I can verify that the Facebook Business Centre is A-OK and DOES get results.

Go for it!

Next time I'm going to try out making a Youtube www.youtube.com/channel/UCczh7mMCua_FJZP9J_mWZ_Q 'reactions' video – in the first case it will be my reaction to Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time In Hollywood which I saw in Bristol a few days ago and LOVED his re-imagining of the Sharon Tate case.

Workshop reviews from participants over the last week of taking my Airbnb (Creative Writing) Experiences, Airbnb Experiences are open to all - just book through Airbnb. I offer two Experiences:
https://www.airbnb.co.uk/experiences/1046960
and
https://www.airbnb.co.uk/experiences/841273

REVIEWS:
Mindfulness and Creative Writing 2 hr Workshop
Hilary
August, 2019
This short course was a great introduction to the use of Mindfulness concepts coupled with sound knowledge of useful techniques to inspire creative writing.
Steph
August, 2019
A very interesting and informative meeting. The two hours passed very quickly and Linda explains her subjects in such a way that understanding is made easier for a beginner in writing.

Creative Writing 2 hr Workshop
Jo
August, 2019
I was amazed by how much Linda fitted into the 2 hour workshop. I thoroughly enjoyed it and learnt so much. Thank you Linda
Zara
August, 2019
I had an absolutely brilliant time. I couldn’t believe how much I learnt in only a few hours. Linda really listened and gave positive advice and suggestions which were very welcome. I would highly recommend this experience and wouldn’t hesitate to book another with her.
Janet ·
July, 2019
Fantastic experience! In such a short space of time I learnt so much, if you only have time for one writing course make it this one. Only a longer course could be better!

I've recently joined Airbnb offering my Creative Writing workshops as Experiences. This means that anyone can still enjoy them but you need to book those specific workshops through Airbnb directly - follow the links under the titles. I'm currently offering two Experiences:

Creative Writing workshop
https://www.airbnb.co.uk/experiences/841273?s=67&shared_item_type=2&virality_entry_point=2&sharer_id=190604581

Mindfulness and Creative Writing
https://www.airbnb.co.uk/experiences/1046960?s=67&shared_item_type=2&virality_entry_point=2&sharer_id=190604581

It feels genuinely FANTASTIC to be part of a global community with so many people doing so many great things!

I'll be adding to my Experiences over time but for now: Come on and #GetYourWriteOn!

Today's Writers 11 was thoroughly absorbing with so many topics covered. I will give a potted account here:

Writing in adversity - we discussed the challenges of living in countries that are going through political and social conflict/unrest ie my own experiences, and those of writer friends, living in Egypt and Barbara's experiences living in Ecuador. And also how adversity can come through difficult personal circumstances whether that be circumstantial (no time to write/no space) or emotional (grief). And yet these very conditions can also provide the life blood and thrust one can take into the work.

Arts and Sciences - Corry, who is a scientist, gave us fascinating insights into various scientific facts about the brain and its mechanisms and that tied into many points with writing when considering relationship between poetry and science (using language, exploring themes) and also with plot and character in story (motivations, actions), also about writer process (where do ideas come from, can one intuit ideas or is it from the subconscious?).

Appropriation - we talked briefly about cultural appropriation, what and when can we write about that that is outside our own lived experience, and I mentioned Lionel Shriver's infamous speech on that.

Other topics were about the individual writing process and the times and habits people have adopted, what works/what doesn't. Abigail talked about the glamourisation of psychopaths in story (and how she fears this is becoming more prevalent). And Jude led us out of today's meet up with some accounts of her decades of sailing around the world in storms and in serenity and of her daily log and letters home to her parents which now allow her to recall specific facts that enable her writing.

Come join us for the next one - Friday 23rd August. See you there!

Dear All

I hope you are well. Please read on for details of the next Writers 11 event and the upcoming Summer Writing Sessions all starting at Hypatia Trust soon. As well as reading here please go over for a gander to the Live Courses & Events tab and also take a look at the Online Courses which are now available, all six of them, via the online shop which means a protected payment at the touch of a button and immediate download of your chosen course.

If you're on Facebook be sure to get yourself ticking the Like on my new page there: https://www.facebook.com/freewriterscentre/
It couldn't be easier to #GetYourWriteOn!


Coming up:
The next Writers 11 event will be Friday 26th July at 11am to 1pm. Looking forward to seeing you there if you come along. It's your space, make the most of it.

WRITERS 11
a community of writers – writing

Come to the writers’ workroom, the writers’ space, the new jam in town, the place to work on your own or network and share with others, to be absorbed in your pages or talk through what you’ve got. Drop in/leave anytime within the session hours.

At: Hypatia Trust, 54 Chapel Street, Penzance, TR18 4AE

Cost: £3
…...........................................

Summer Writing Sessions
A summer of Creative Writing workshops that you can attend as a one off Saturday or enjoy the whole series. Each week we will be visiting some nearby inspiring places and then going back to Hypatia House to focus on various aspects ie one Saturday work on character, one Saturday work on environment and description, one Saturday work on creating plot etc. For the visits you can expect a little walk down to the beach at Penzance bay or over to Morrab Gardens or along Chapel St and into some art galleries.

How Do I Book?
In advance via:
email: freewriterscentre@gmail.com
or
text: 07507550764

Price:
£20 per session

…...........................................

And don't forget individual Editing and Mentoring Services 
https://www.freewriterscentre.org/editing.html are available by appointment – so get in touch if you want to check my availability. I'm starting work on a novel set in 14th century Islamic Spain in a few weeks by an Egyptian writer I've worked with many years ago – I'm looking forward!

Bye for now, all things writerly, Linda

So, I finally launched this new website and I'm absolutely thrilled with Jennifer's work, Pure Cornish Design https://www.purecornishdesign.com and in awe of her intelligence! This is a person to watch!

However, even though her clever work has made things as easy as possible for me to navigate and control the site there is still a LOT of work to do to market and advertise it. Let's face it - anyone in their own business knows it never ends.. adverts, posts, working on the next thing and the next thing.. And to that end I would like to ask you to go visit my newly created Facebook page and not only like it but share it too! Here it is: https://www.facebook.com/freewriterscentre

I'm both excited and daunted by the road ahead; the curve just got higher but the rewards will be greater and I'm looking forward to reaching many more people in the global writing community and working with you all.

The online shop https://www.freewriterscentre.org/online-courses.html on this website has made buying a course an ease and joy! Just go look through the courses on offer and after click button payment you get to download the course material replete with worksheets, audio and some video links. It couldn't be easier! There are six Creative Writing courses to choose from - so I hope you enjoy the yummy selection :)

Bye for now and wishing you all a fabulous day!