Creative Writing - Ghostly Stories for Halloween
Course Overview
Unpick the threads of tension and what makes stories scary.
Over two weekends we’ll explore the history of ghostly stories and the techniques that make them work. There will be plenty of writing in these workshops so come prepared with your ideas and 500 words of your existing story to work on.
Course Overview
1st Session - 24 October
- Story types throughout history, mythology and folklore
- Modern monsters for Halloween
- How to raise the stakes and build tension
2nd Session - 31 October
- The line between fear and comedy
- Pushing your characters towards the cliff edge
- Share your work
What to Bring
- Notebook and pen – no laptops.
- Ideas and an open mind.
Expected outcomes
Some short readings will be given each week for discussion the following week.
- Each session includes topic discussion, short readings and active writing.
- Completed self-set goal.
- Improved confidence and future plan.
This course does not specifically cover speculative fiction, romance, horror, historical fiction or crime/thriller genres but covers creative approaches for all types of prose writing.
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Helen Connealy
Helen Connealy is a storyteller, writer, experienced CEO, executive coach
and workshop facilitator. She holds a Master of Arts in Creative Writing from the Seamus Heaney Centre, Queens University Belfast and is currently working on a poetry project and a short story collection.
Helen is a Board Director with the Irish Writers Centre, a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD), an accredited Strengths Profiler and a Certified Yoga Teacher. An advocate for women, writers and creativity, she is passionate about philanthropy, literature, healthcare and building social impact.
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