Membership, Mini Masterclasses and things to make you go mmmm in March
Whatever your budget and interest, there's something for everyone in the growing Dialect community this month
There’s a spring in our step over in the Dialect Members ‘Meadow’ this month - our recent Regional Writers Meet Up at Jolt Studios in Gloucester was jam packed with ideas and writing projects, and we are so grateful to everyone who came along and brought their energy to the afternoon.
And with lots of talented new faces joining our pay-as-you-can writing community, our range of gatherings and events is expanding too.
So, if you’re interested in seeing what hanging out with the Dialect Collective is like - March is the month to find out!
Here are just a few of our offerings over the next few weeks that are free or discounted for our brilliant members, as well as being open to rural writers everywhere, whatever their budget:
Writing Your Story - Trick, or Treat?
Wednesday 11th March, 7-8pm
Memoir, autobiography and the business of ‘write what you know’ is always a hot topic of discussion in the Meadow online writing sessions.
So we are so thrilled to say that author and member Mark Blackburn is joining us for the first time as an event host next week, offering a friendly and informal online workshop on the joys (and potential pitfalls) of writing from life, the ethics of writing about real events, and walking the line between memory and fiction.
It will also include industry insights on publishing memoir and non-fiction, and plenty of time for discussion.
Mark’s memoir/travelogue Final Approach: My Father and Other Turbulence is published by Claret Press. He’s the winner of the 2024 South Hams Lit Fest and the Heathrow 70 Writing Prize. He’s also the author of the Brian the Bear children’s books and has had numerous short stories and other pieces published and shortlisted for prizes.
You can read more from Mark on the challenges of writing about personal family relationships in his powerful 2024 blog for Notes From the Edge: And What Was His Turbulence
Book here:
https://www.dialect.org.uk/coursesworkshops/tellingyourstory-trick-or-treat
Free for members/£5 pay as you wish/£10 pay it forward
Words in the Woods: Sladebank, Stroud, Gloucestershire
Saturday 14th March, 12-4pm writing time, 4-5pm readings/open mic
An afternoon of focused, structured writing time, in the beautiful surroundings of Sladebank Woods on the outskirts of Stroud, Gloucestershire.
Join us by the roundhouse fire to get words on the page, find inspiration in nature, and connect with a warm and friendly creative community.
At the end of the session, we’ll have an (optional) open mic for participants - perfect for those new to reading in public, who would like a relaxed space to hone their skills.
Book here: https://www.dialect.org.uk/coursesworkshops/words-in-the-woods-sladebank-stroud
£15 or £7.50 for Dialect members
Includes hot drinks, BYO packed lunch
From Page to Performance
Wednesday March 18th, 7-8pm
Online
Whether you’re a poet or whether your first love is prose, reading and performing is increasingly a part of the writer's life, and a great way to connect with new audiences.
Writing is usually a solitary business, so this can be nerve wracking and a whole new skill to learn - but here at Dialect we are dead lucky to have talented actor and performer Charlie Sanderson in our midst.
On March 18th, she is offering a rare treat for writers: a mini masterclass on performing your work to an audience, both online and in person.
Charlie is an actor who has voiced over 300 books on Audible, and her stage credits include the West End and Broadway. She is also an experienced faciliator who empowers writers from every walk of life to perform their own work confidently.
She’ll be sharing professional tips and exercises to help you overcome nerves, and bring your words alive for new audiences.
Book here: https://www.dialect.org.uk/coursesworkshops/page-to-performance
Free for members/£5 pay as you wish/£10 pay it forward
POWER HOURS!
As well as our little cluster of craft and words-on-the-page opportunities over the next couple of weeks, don’t forget we also offer three online writing ‘power’ hours every week, to dip into whenever you need. A highly effective buddying system for the chronic procrastinators (that’s definitely us!), and a warm, collaborative space to gather up new ideas and connections, these hours have been responsible for more completed work, met deadlines and publication acceptances than we can shake a stick at. Free for members, and open to all at £5 a go - check our website for details!
We hope that’s whetted your appetite for all things Marchy and Membershippy (that’s a word, we’re pretty sure).
And just remember, access to all the Meadow has to offer is just £20/month, or pay as you wish for full time care-givers and anyone who is on a small budget - you can sign up and find out more here:
https://www.dialect.org.uk/membership
All of our Pay It Forward prices help us to keep our collective growing, and make writing community a place for everyone:)
Thank you so much who has supported us so far this year with their donations and/or their time, skill and energy. We need you now more than ever. Let’s get together! See you soon!
Emma and Juliette xx