This workshop uses Laura’s ‘Dream Riders’ horse series as a starting point to explore how grappling with complex or scary feelings – the everyday sort, not the jumping out of a plane sort – can inspire emotionally rich and truthful storytelling. It’s tempting to ignore difficult feelings and ‘put on a happy face’, but shining a light on challenging experiences and feelings can help us develop realistic characters and moving stories which will powerfully connect with others. Laura draws on her extensive experience in running workshops and telling stories for young people to help students tap into where great writing comes from.

Suitable for both keen and reluctant readers/writers.

Topics covered

• Discussing favourite book/story characters who experience big feelings
• Role playing/role swapping exercises so students can experience different points of view to inform character and story development
• Guided individual and group writing exercises for students to ‘put on paper’ what they discovered through role playing and point of view exercises
• Student Q and A