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HG Wells Short Story Competition: Junior Creative Writing Workshop: Chekhov’s gun

On Wednesday 22nd and 29th May, the H G Wells Short Story Competition has organised two free online writing workshops for aspiring writers aged under 22 led by Sarah Anthony.

Chekhov’s gun is a concept that describes how every element in a story should contribute to the whole. It comes from Russian writer Anton Chekhov’s famous writing advice: if there is a gun on the wall in the first act, it has to go off by the last. If it does not, it should not be there.

The one hour sessions look at this theory as a form of foreshadowing and encourages writers to avoid using detail in their stories that has no relevance to the outcome.

Students are asked to read ‘A Sound of Thunder’ by Ray Bradbury, which will be examined during the first session. They are then invited to write a short piece to be submitted during the week which will be peer reviewed with tutor feedback in the second session.

A Sound of Thunder – Google Docs

Dates:   Junior (Age under 22) workshops: 11am-noon, Saturday 22nd and 29th May

Participants are asked to attend both sessions to make best use of this workshop. Numbers are limited to 14 and you need to register in advance to receive login details to these Zoom sessions.

The two free workshops offer aspiring writers the opportunity to learn, write and share ideas online.

Both of our free workshops will be held via Zoom with Sarah Anthony. Participants will be limited to 14 on a first come first served basis so sign up now!

Login details and course details will be emailed to registered participants by no later than 8pm on 20th May by Sarah Anthony. Please watch your email after registration for her message. Book your free ticket here.IOF 32 Revolver with S&W (L) cartridges (Anupam Kamal, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commonshttps://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:IOF-32-REV-1.JPG)

About Sarah Anthony

Sarah Anthony graduated from Bristol University with a degree in English and French literature and did her MA with the Open University, specialising in postcolonial literature She has worked for the School of English at the University of Kent, co-ordinating their part-time programmes in English and American literature and Creative Writing and acting as academic advisor to international students.

Sarah has 15 years’ experience lecturing and teaching university undergraduates and adult learners at the University of Kent, for the Workers’ Educational Association and for the U3A. She has taught on subjects as disparate as the plays of Christopher Marlowe and the writers of the Windrush Generation, and has taken part in a TV documentary on E M Forster for international arts and culture channel ARTE.  Current projects include the novels of John Steinbeck, the Bloomsbury Group, and 20th century Russian literature.

Register online.