Are you economically inactive* and interested in joining a creative community where you can further your skills as a writer? Then a FREE creative writing course could be perfect for you. Ran by industry professionals, this is a fantastic opportunity to develop confidence, glean valuable insights and enhance your storytelling skills.
Our courses are for all levels of writing ability so no experience is necessary.
Upcoming courses will include novel writing, screenwriting for film and television and spoken word. There will be something for everyone and some opportunities to attend more than one course.
Throughout the year of the Write to Work Club we will continue to offer regular opportunities to participants, including practicing and developing writing skills, engaging with our community and connecting you with educational, volunteering and career opportunities. You will be invited to join our Writer’s Bloc workshops, which consist of regular community meet ups with professional writers and representatives from educational and career organisations, aimed at further development of your skills.
Please note:
*Eligibility:
Please also note that you should not turn up to a course without receiving a confirmation from us first. Registering for the course does not guarantee acceptance as we need to determine eligibility before we can offer a place, and numbers are limited.
If you have any queries please email us at write2work@writingonthewall.org.uk
The good news is that you do not have to do the course to join the Writer’s Bloc! These sessions are open to our wider community. Find out more about the Writer’s Bloc and sign up here
These courses have had a major impact on participants and led to much career success. They have also led to success for Writing on the Wall, with the Write to Work programme recently winning the Preparing For Work Award at the LCR Culture and Creativity Awards in March 2024.
Writing on the Wall is delighted to host a new series of creative writing workshops. Given by David Jackson, an internationally published novelist who has extensive teaching experience, the workshops will focus on tips and techniques that he has personally found useful in his own writing. Each session will focus on a different aspect of the writing process, but all will be hands-on. All you need is a pen, some paper, and a mind!
Workshop 1: What’s the big idea?
One of the questions authors are always asked is, “Where do you get your ideas?” In this initial session I will describe simple and effective techniques for generating story ideas. Be prepared to have a go yourself!
Workshop 2: Populating the world
One of the most important aspects of story writing is creating characters people want to read about. In this workshop I will show how to develop characters that are interesting, compelling and believable. We will look at how characters can be used to advance the story, and how to create good dialogue.
Workshop 3: Putting flesh on the bones
Coming up with a good fiction idea is just the first step. In this session we will look at techniques for developing that idea into a fully rounded story. In particular, we will consider structure, style and plot development.
About the Presenter
David Jackson’s debut novel, Pariah, was Highly Commended in the Crime Writers’ Association Debut Dagger Awards. He has written a string of internationally published crime thrillers since then, including the bestseller Cry Baby, nominated by Amazon as one of their Best Books of the Year. His most recent novel, Love Kills, continues a police procedural series set in Liverpool. When not murdering fictional people, David spends some of his time writing scripts, including several episodes of the award-winning ‘Short History Of…’ podcast series. Formerly a university lecturer, David won a string of awards for his teaching, and he has given numerous creative writing workshops and seminars. He lives on the Wirral with his family and a British Blue cat called Mr Tumnus.
In November 2024 Writing on the Wall was delighted to launch Writing for TV, the first Write to Work course of its kind, led by our Project Coordinator Lyn Papadopoulos, an industry professional with years of soap writing experience. Held at FACT Liverpool, the course was a fantastic opportunity for participants to gain expert insights from professional screenwriters, hone their writing skills and build confidence both within and beyond their writing.
We were delighted to be joined by Tony Schumacher, creator and writer of the hit BBC show The Responder and Sally Abbott, creator of The Coroner and writer on Vera, Eastenders and Call the Midwife. Both shared their inspirational stories of becoming writers, invaluable writing advice, insights on breaking into the TV industry and tips for overcoming rejection.
We ran a second course on Writing for TV in February 2025, this time in Liverpool Central Library and with a focus on writing for soaps. Jan McVerry (Coronation Street, The Forsyte Saga, The Street) and Jayshree Patel (Hollyoaks, Waterloo Road, Casualty) were incredibly generous with their time and advice and inspired those taking their first steps into screenwriting.
“What I noticed first about the two guest speakers was just how down to earth and lovely these people were. Jan and Jayshree are current in writing for most of the soaps on TV and were more than happy to share this knowledge. I feel the amount of knowledge they shared with us was priceless. It was interesting to see how they first got involved in writing for TV and how they got there through grassroots. It gave me hope that I could one day be writing for screen too. With WOW and all their workshops I feel my writing has blossomed and I am excited for the future of my writing.”
– Writing for TV participant
After taking part in the courses, participants were invited to CallTime Company’s industry training day funded by Liverpool Film Office through Screen Alliance North via BFI National Lottery funding. This was an amazing opportunity for those looking to break into the UK Film & HETV Drama industry. Participants gained a knowledge of industry best practices, essential set etiquette, different crew roles and much more.
Throughout these courses, we have thoroughly enjoyed hearing brilliant ideas from the Write to Work participants as well as expert insights from TV professionals. The courses shine a light on the amazing talent in this city and the stories its people have to tell. Write to Work helps you write them!
“10 Steps to Becoming a Better Writer:
Write.
Write more.
Write even more.
Write even more than that.
Write when you don’t want to.
Write when you do.
Write when you have something to say.
Write when you don’t.
Write every day.
Keep writing.”
Supported over 300 unemployed creatives in LCR
Published 10 new anthologies
Delivered over 300 workshops with professional writers (and counting!)
Thank you to our amazing writers, participants, editors, partners and everyone involved.
Write to Work is funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF)
