Month: November 2021

Winter Tales Book Festival

Judith Wharton/ / News

ALL ARE WELCOME

A reminder about the Winter Tales Book Festival  taking place in New College Edinburgh from Friday 3rd December until Sunday 5th December.

I will have the great privilege of chairing a session on Creative Writing with Cathy Fox and Rachel Mann on Sunday afternoon 2.45pm to 3.45pm. 

Here is the link for the programme and the link to book for the different sessions. 

 Programme – Winter Tales Book Festival (ed.ac.uk)

Most of the sessions are free, except for some evening gatherings In Conversation With … Robert Harris, Val McDermid, Sally Magnusson, Francis Spufford and finally on Sunday afternoon, Miles Jupp on Comedy, Religion and Literature. 

The Science of Storytelling

Judith Wharton/ / blogging

I have just begun reading The Science of Storytelling by Will Storr. Already I am fascinated, although I also wonder how I ever had the audacity to think of myself as a writer. In the introduction he writes, ‘The standard five-act plot is successful not because of some secret cosmic truth, or any universal law of storytelling, but because it’s the neatest way of showing deep character change.’

I am desperately trying to figure out if my novels and stories have five acts and hoping that if I squint out of one eye and blur the edges, I might be able to argue for three or maybe four. Oh well, I think, it’s never too late to learn! 

The Winter Tales Book Festival

Judith Wharton/ / News

I have just received my on-line draft program for The Winter Tales Book Festival in Edinburgh. The Festival offers a wide and diverse programme for everyone and is being held at New College from 1 pm Friday 3rdDecember until 6.30 pm, Sunday 5th December. Some wonderful writers will be in conversation about their work, including Sally Magnusson, Cathy Fox, Ian Bradley, Val McDermid and Francis Spufford. 

I will be discussing creative writing with Cathy Fox and Rachel Mann at 2.45pm on Sunday afternoon. More details to follow.