Is it just me or is this another one of the really expensive for no apparent reason type of workshops? I find this new proliferation worrying. And who has the dosh? Not me.
Maybe we should start up a workshop of poor, starving in a garrett (sp?) writers, committed to their writing, who meet once a week somewhere nice for 6 months and work on their novel/poetry collection/short stories. There are specialist talks for small amounts of dosh all year round if you look.
The Stinging Fly is looking for writers in the early stages of writing a novel, for their upcoming workshop at the Irish Writers' Centre, who feel they will benefit from a relationship with a group of others engaged in the same process.
The group (of no more than 10 writers) will meet once a week in a workshop setting over a 6 month period. A serious long-term commitment from all participants is required. The ultimate aim is for each participant to complete a strong first draft of her/his novel.
Alongside the workshops, on one Saturday every month, there will be a series of specialist talks on issues around the process of writing and the imagination. The workshop and group discussions will be overseen by the writer Sean O'Reilly.
See here for more details.
The cost of workshop €1,500 and will start on 12 October.
Presuming Sean O'Reilly and the specialist presenters don't get €9-15,000 between them, where does the money go?
10 comments:
Yeah - when I got the email about it I kept scanning to see the bit which read 'to apply for a grant, click here' - but nary a grant in sight... So no, it's not just you.
Tis pretty pricey alright, though it IS 30 sessions, so 50 quid a pop, hmmm it definitely works out cheaper not to do it, according to my calculations, buy 150 books about writing on amazon instead, for an average price of 8 euro each. Leaving 300 euro to go out afterwards to celebrate the achievement. Bwah hahaha
I'm sure we'll be sorry when those special ten are all published and rich though.
I love workshops, but that is definitely too pricey. Most writing courses are about €30 a class.
Crazy money for what seems like a decent writing group.
I like your idea of impoversihed people meeting weekly for free. I'm way out in teh sticks, though. maybe we could have a virtual weekly writing group? With real writing and real red wine, but meeting on the interweb?
I agree wholeheartedly.
Mad money alright. We could use it to go on a writing holiday in Tuscany. I could use it just to go to some shabby hotel for a couple of weeks to get headspace from the four kids. I'd definately be on for the virtual writing group, merlot or shiraz?
There's a few of these pricey workshops around with far less successful and aknowledged novelists. I was on a workshop with Sean O Reilly before and he was brilliant, unlike some of the lazy workshop hacks out there he seemed to have a real passion for our work. But it was free though.
You'll only be among a selected ten if you make it through too - that in itself means it might be better than a mixed bag writing group.
I would do it if i could afford it.
I like free things!! I agree with the starving, garret part. Meet you at the statue at three.
Oooh what a lot of money.I could take that off of you... I get my info for free from the fantastic blogging friends I have, so I have workshop info...
Mmmm, I have a villa with a pool, two spare rooms, I wrote a few exercises for writer's on my blog...Writeaway Cyprus Workshop
€1,000 for week. Food, Flight and Four dogs to walk (inspiration in the vineyards). LOL LOL
On a serious note, some of the workshops are far too pricey, I cannot afford to join in and I do wonder what is learned from them, that I don't learn from books and other writer sites.
Wow, that is expensive. Like that there's some kind of 'quality control' going on, but when asking for that kind of money up-front you do wonder how far that really applies.
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