Digital Taster Course: Starting to Write: Tips for new Writers

Fri 11 September 2020

Tutor / Catherine Johnson

Course Fee / From £ per person

Genres / FictionNon-FictionScriptwritingShort StoriesWriting for Children and Young Adults

Language / English

12.00 pm – 1.30 pm

Join Catherine Johnson for an hour-long digital workshop offering advice for new writers. What would those experienced writers wish someone had told them at the beginning of their careers? What to do, and what not to do? This course is suitable for prose writers writing for children, YA, adults, and scriptwriters. You will leave the course with a knack on how to go about your writing anew. Time has been set aside to settle in at the beginning, to ask questions, and for discussions with your co-writers at the end.

The Tŷ Newydd taster courses series will offer a whistle-stop tour of various genres and themes in both English and Welsh, to continue to inspire your writing during the lockdown. Participant numbers for each taster course will be capped at 16, and the course will be delivered through the video platform Zoom. We hope to welcome you to Tŷ Newydd Writing Centre when we reopen our doors, where we offer a programme of day-long, weekend and week-long residential courses at our wonderful house in Llanystumdwy.

Tutor

Catherine Johnson

Catherine Johnson is an award-winning author for children and young adults. She has twice been nominated for the CILIP Carnegie Medal and her most recent title Freedom won the 2019 Little Rebel’s Award and has been nominated for the IBBY Honour List 2020. Catherine also writes for film, television and radio. Her TV work includes the adaption of Simon Schama’s Rough Crossings for TV, and Holby City. She is currently working on an adaptation of Miranda Kaufmann's Black Tudors for Silverprint Pictures.

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Tŷ Newydd is a magical place of words and friendships, the sound of the sea and the sight of blooming flowers. You can look down the garden, through the hole in the hedge and see the billowing sea, or else the next line of a poem, hanging there, waiting to be picked.

Jonathan Edwards

If you're looking to develop your writing skills in a supportive, relaxed environment, then Tŷ Newydd writing courses is the place to be! The centre welcomes writers at all levels, and the food, accommodation, and surroundings are simply wonderful.

Kat Ellis

I leave Tŷ Newydd with gifts: the participants on our course were willing to go out on a limb, to go deep, to share; they made recommendations for reading, asked questions that were meaningful, and they made work that was important. A privilege to share this journey with them.

clare e. potter

Tŷ Newydd is an idyllic, magical place to teach. I had a wonderful time.

Helen Sandler

A wonderful writing centre in a dream location. A traditional, character house with all modern amenities in the extensions. A library to dream for with views of the sea. If you like writing and want somewhere welcoming and inspiring, Ty Newydd is the place. Quite magical!

Patience Agbabi

Ein tŷ ni yw Tŷ Newydd! Lle sydd wastad yn synnu yn ei allu i dawelu'r corff a'r meddwl er mwyn ymroi i'r gwaith.

Iestyn Tyne

Lle bach rhyfeddol ydi Tŷ Newydd, mae'r holl staff yno'n deall yn union sut mae creu awyrgylch berffaith i 'sgwennu.

Grug Muse

Tŷ Newydd really does give writers, and those new to writing, exactly what they need and crave. Who knows I would ever have become a writer without the boost a Tŷ Newydd course gave me when I was starting out. It’s such a joy to be able to share that experience now as a tutor. It’s a tonic and a little piece of heaven.

Alys Conran

Tŷ Newydd is a fantastic place for writers – inspirational, welcoming. There’s a kind of magic in its stones – words find you there.

Katherine Stansfield

Tŷ Newydd is a beautiful place – incredibly special.

Rachel Joyce

I’ve been told by other writers that Tŷ Newydd is a place like no other but I assumed they were exaggerating, however, if anything, they undersold it. Walking up the path to the house felt as if I were stepping into a time capsule. I was transported by the gardens and views of the sea which drew me in; I knew that I would be inspired to write and teach in the many areas the grounds have to offer.

Rhian Ivory

Waeth be’ mae neb yn ddweud, mae Tŷ Newydd yn rhewi amser. Y mae’n sugno’r trugareddau a’r pethau o’n bywyd bob dydd a’u toddi’n ddim.. Mae’n benthyg i ni lyfrgell sy’n toddi’r dydd yn nos. Ac yn eu lle, mae Tŷ Newydd yn rhoi i ni anadl i greu. Lle felly ydi o. A diolch amdano.

Karen Owen

This is a beautiful place and an ideal environment to concentrate and write. I had heard so much about Tŷ Newydd but it surpassed all expectations!

Dr Dimitra Fimi

"If you want to brush up your writing skills there's no better place than Tŷ Newydd for setting, facilities, peace and quiet, and value for money."

"You can stay in an average hotel and eat out for more than it costs to stay at the beautiful Tŷ Newydd and have top class food and accommodation – and brilliant tutoring about writing as well!"

David Thorpe

Tŷ Newydd is a wonderfully warm and welcoming place. It’s a space that allows you to connect with your writing and focus entirely on that. The location, staff and house all come together to create the perfect home away from home for creativity and inspiration.

Alison May

On the final evening of our course, one student hit ‘send’ on a submission to a literary agent and the whole room cheered for her. That says everything you need to know about the course. As a tutor, it was a real privilege to be part of such an inspiring few days.

Janet Gover

A warm welcoming writing centre with lots of space and fantastic grounds. We had rich discussions on writing about climate change; stayed up late discussing denial, anger, grief for the world and hope for the future. A few bottles of wine, candlelight and delicious food.

Emily Hinshelwood

A weekend at Tŷ Newydd is an escape to a romantic literary past. The modern day falls away, forgotten. What remains is the whitewashed house, the gardens and the stretch of sea in the distance. What remains is the writing and the inspiration that powers it. And what remains are the new friends experiencing the same thing at the same time.

Louise Walsh

I always come away from Tŷ Newydd feeling enthused and creative. It’s a tonic, a fresh eye on life. A rest for the mind and a fire for the heart. It makes me want to craft words, tell stories, write.

Eloise Williams

Lle delfrydol i gyfarfod yr awen.

Eilir Jones

Mae gan Dŷ Newydd rhyw swyn greradigol sy'n ffeindio'i ffordd i fewn i bob rhan o'ch cyfnod yma. Dwi wedi mynychu a tiwtora mewn cyrsiau yma ac wedi ffeindio'r llonyddwch, yr harddwch a chyfeillgarwch y staff yno yn sbardun i ysgrifennu ac arlunio bob tro. Mae'r ffaith fy mod yn edrych ymlaen i ddychwelyd yma i fod yn rhan o'r cyfnod creadigol, dim ots beth yw'r cwrs na'r cwmni yn destament i lwyddiant Tŷ Newydd.

Siôn Tomos Owen

Do it! As well as the focused period of writing, and excellent tuition, you will make a lot of contacts with other writers and these can be invaluable in exploring mutual opportunities for publication and readings. You will gather a lot of material for drawing on later. You will enjoy the wonderful Dwyfor valley, the coast and surrounding countryside. The accommodation is comfortable ... and the food very enjoyable! (Sorry, that’s longer than a sentence!)

2018 Course Participant

Cerwch amdani! Mae’r arbenigedd a rennir gan diwtoriaid yn amhrisiadwy a’r gwmnïaeth a’r lluniaeth yn ychwanegu’r fawr at y profiad.

Adborth o gyrsiau 2018

Os ydych yn dod am y tro cyntaf, dewch gyda meddwl agored a bod yn benderfynol o elwa, naill ai drwy ddarganfod eich dawn chi eich hun neu ddawn rhywun arall. Os yn dod ar encil, gofalwch eich bod chi’n cael popeth mewn trefn CYN dod ar yr encil er mwyn cael y budd mwyaf o lonydd i sgwennu.

Adborth o gyrsiau 2018

Mae awyrgylch Tŷ Newydd cyn bwysiced â'r cwrs. Mwyhewch y llonyddwch, y bwyd a'r cwmni, a holwch eich tiwtoriaid yn ddi-baid. Oni bai y gwnewch chi hyn, fyddwch chi wedi gwastraffu cyfle.

Adborth o gyrsiau 2018

Ewch! Mae ymroddiad y tiwtoriaid a’r staff heb ei ail; mae’r profiad o fod gyda phobl eraill sy’n ymddiddori mewn gwaith creadigol - a’r profiad o Dŷ Newydd ei hun (yr adeilad, yr ardd, y wlad o gwmpas) yn werthfawr iawn

Adborth o gyrsiau 2018

Tŷ Newydd holds a special place in my heart. I’ve grown through every residential course I’ve attended and to return as a tutor is a real honour. It’s a delight to work in such creative surroundings and to have the opportunity to practice my Cymraeg.

Sophie McKeand

Tŷ Newydd is a wonderfully warm and welcoming place. It’s a space that allows you to connect with your writing and focus entirely on that. The location, staff and house all come together to create the perfect home away from home for creativity and inspiration.

Alison May

This is a beautiful place and an ideal environment to concentrate and write. I had heard so much about Tŷ Newydd but it surpassed all expectations!

Dr Dimitra Fimi

Tŷ Newydd is my favourite writers’ centre – warm, welcoming, like a home from home, and the setting is stunning – sea views, huge gardens, picturesque river walks. You are doing a great job and huge contribution to the literary life, attracting many talented and promising writers who are a dream to teach – thank you!

Pascale Petit

The location itself is crucial to the course, offering as it does a quiet, serene venue for people to get down to work free of outside influences and the stress of daily life. The peace and the layout of the house – lots of nooks and corners for people to disappear into to write – means that even with 16 people on the course we at no time felt cramped or under each other’s feet.

Paul Sussman

My thanks as always to the staff at Tŷ Newydd for their unobtrusive but supportive presence throughout the course. They make it a pleasure to be there.

Ann Sansom

It is my favourite place for teaching creative writing anywhere in these islands – I love the setting and the atmosphere it creates, and the groups I’ve taught over the years have never been anything but amenable and good fun – and talented!

Mavis Cheek

And if anyone wanted proof of the Tŷ Newydd effect, and the quality of writing it can produce, get a hold of the anthology produced at the end of the week, ‘Tales from Tŷ Newydd’, and read the ‘Letter from David Lloyd George’ that a school pupil, aged 11, wrote in twenty five minutes, in the library, on a Thursday morning. It’s extraordinary!

Malachy Doyle

On the final evening of our course, one student hit ‘send’ on a submission to a literary agent and the whole room cheered for her. That says everything you need to know about the course. As a tutor, it was a real privilege to be part of such an inspiring few days.

Janet Gover

The tutor was outstanding - I've been twice before and I learn more and more each time. Kaite is rigoras, supportive and exciting to work with.

Writing and Performance Making, 2017

"Roedd y tiwtoriaid yn ffantastic. Wedi bod yn gyfle gwych i gael dysgu wrthyn nhw ac oddi wrth fy nghyd-fyfyrwyr."

Cwrs Cynganeddu 2017

I feel enlightened, like all the static in my head that I always wished would stop has finally turned into song.

Pupil from St Aidan's High School

Yssu i ddod yma ar gwrs arall yn barod!

Mynychwr cwrs sgriptio, Medi 2016

Roedd yn braf cael rhyddid a llonydd i fynd ar eich liwt eich hun, ond cael y cyngor gan y tiwtoriaid os roedden ni angen hynny. Bwyd hyfryd, gwely a chyfleusterau glan a chyfforddus. Tan tro nesaf, Tŷ Newydd.

Mynychydd cwrs sgriptio, Medi 2016

It feels like home. I never want to leave.

Past Participant

My favorite writing centre by far! The setting and the house are so conducive to creative work. Being surrounded by beauty, natural and home-wise, makes all the difference.

Pamela Robertson-Pearce

Tŷ Newydd offers an unforgettable experience for writers. It is unique among writing centres I know in its beautiful, picturesque seaside location. Working there as a tutor was a greatly rewarding experience. It was brilliant to see how writers developed during the week, and how quickly a sense of a writing community developed among people who started the week as strangers. As a tutor, it was a thrill to be inspired by the students’ work and by the atmosphere of the place. This is very definitely one of the best experiences I’ve had as a writer and teacher.

Jonathan Edwards

Lle i enaid gael llonydd - a thanio!

Mared Lewis

Mae awyrgylch unigryw yn Nhŷ Newydd, ac unwaith mae rhywun yn cyrraedd mae modd canolbwyntio ar yr elfen greadigol. Mae’r safle mewn lle delfrydol a rywsut mae holl ethos y lle yn eich meddiannu wrth ddod yma, ac mae pobl yn llwyddo i greu ac ymagor ac i gyd-dynnu yn arbennig. Lle sydd yn agos iawn at fy nghalon i fel mynychwr cyrsiau ac fel tiwtor. Hoffwn dreulio mwy o amser yma i weithio ar waith penodol fy hun hefyd.

Aled Lewis Evans

Tŷ Newydd is a very special place. Writers often seek inspiration and it is difficult not to find it here. Inside, the house is handsome, comfortable and heaving with books – not to mention chef Tony’s mouth-watering creations. Outside, the natural setting is extraordinarily beautiful, a world of mountains and rivers, woodland walks and the stretching sea. As a writerly escape from the busy world, a place of reflection and laughter, it takes some beating.

Justin Marozzi

Wales’s best kept secret. The house has loads of character and is labyrinthine – so many nooks and crannies and the best library ever. You instantly feel at home. The food is home cooked and wonderful and the staff welcoming. And a 15-minute walk away is an unspoilt rocky beach with a path all the way to Cricieth. If you seek inspiration you will find it here: in the workshops at Ty Newydd; on the bardic chair in the garden; all along the wild coastline.

Patience Agbabi