Venue: National Theatre

Address: Upper Ground, South Bank, London SE1 9PX

Dates: Saturday 28th February 2026

Time: 10am - 5pm

Course Number: SB280226

Price: £47 standard / £42 concessions (senior citizens/disabled persons)

Duration: 7 hours, including lunch/coffee breaks

Class Size: Maximum ten students (six required for workshop to proceed)*

(*Once enrolled, should the course not go ahead and there is no alternative course you’d like to transfer to, you will receive a full and immediate refund. Please note: refunds via PayPal or Eventbrite usually take 3-5 working days.)

Format: In-group discussion & writing exercises.

Age: all ages, though 16s and under to be accompanied by an adult.

(I am DBS checked)

This creative writing workshop is suitable for beginners, writers with projects underway, or those looking for a fresh injection of inspiration. It is perfect for all genres and those wishing to write short stories.

Workshop description: In the iconic and wonderfully inspirational setting of London’s South Bank, and via comprehensive worksheets, this one day creative writing workshop focuses on how to make our lead character(s) - our protagonist(s) - as compelling as possible.

Be they gregarious extroverts or shy, timid introverts, as the writer/creator, we need to develop them and form the vital bond between our reader and protagonist to ensure our reader is immersed, hooked, emotionally-connected and compelled to read on. This is done by getting to know our protagonists.

character is absolutely key to the success of our writing as our protagonist(s) are the vehicles via which our stories are told. It is therefore imperative we develop our characters to their potential, to ensure we deliver the very best story and reading experience possible.

We must create a compelling, interesting and more-ish protagonist (again, be they loud or quiet, good or bad) so that our reader can look forward to being in their company.

To quote my dear Aunt Jan, who would ask me for the next Jack Reacher novel as her Christmas gift. Regardless of the plot line, she “just wanted another four-hundred pages in the company of Reacher.” Lee Child does such a wonderful job of bonding the reader with the character, thus making for such a compelling read and one of the most successful book series ever.

Reviews:

“A great day of discovery. From being one dimensional, my protagonist now has a voice, likes, dislikes, flaws and layers I hadn’t envisaged, making him much more compelling. A great workshop.” Denise, Bagshot

“As Dominic says - characters are the vehicles via which our stories are told. Is there any more important aspect to pay attention to?” Nigel, Ilford.

“Our protagonists need to be rounded. Mine weren’t. This workshop has taken them to the next level. Thank you, Dominic.” Lana, Runcorn

FAQ

Are
there any session requirements? Yes, you’ll need basic written and spoken English skills to benefit from it.

Is previous creative writing experience required? No.

Are there any other costs? No, unless you wish to buy food or refreshments on the day.

Is there anything I need to bring? Just your own writing materials – pens, paper, laptop etc.

Refund policy: once enrolled, should the workshop not go ahead and there is not a suitable alternative workshop/course you’d like to transfer to, you will receive a full and immediate refund. Please note: refunds via PayPal or Eventbrite usually take 3-5 working days.

To Enrol:

Please select from the ‘Workshop Prices’ drop-down menu, then enter the workshop number (SB280226), add any special instructions (e.g., is this purchase a gift? If so, who for? / do you, or the recipient, require special access etc.), then click ‘Buy Now’ to be taken through to your PayPal account.

Should you not have a PayPal account, alternative payment means are available. Please email me to discuss.

And for any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me on dominic@creative-writer.co.uk

Thank you for reading and I hope to work with you on your writing goals.

Best wishes & happy writing!

Dominic

Dominic Canty

dominic@creative-writer.co.uk

www.creative-writer.co.uk