Writing Masterclass with Universal Pictures UK and Author Naomi Wood

Whilst I’m a big reader, I had never previously thought about writing. I assumed that I lacked the imagination to produce an entire story from start to finish. However, the invitation sparked some interest and I decided to give it a go.

The masterclass was hosted at the Faber Academy and we were hugely privileged to have Naomi Wood, author of Mrs Hemmingway and creative writing teacher at Goldsmith College, to lead the class. If you want to take your first few steps into the world of writing, Naomi is a fantastic teacher – supportive, knowledgeable and non-judgmental!
 

There were 8 people in attendance at the masterclass in total, including Juliana from Premier Comms (who arranged the class) and Lydia from Universal Pictures UK. The other participants were writers and fellow bloggers, like myself.

I have to admit that when I arrived at the Faber Academy, I was SCARED! What do I know about writing? What if I have to read out loud? What if everyone dismisses my ideas as juvenile and lacking in imagination? Walking through that door was certainly a nerve-wracking moment!

I’m happy to report that I really shouldn’t have worried. Julianna was hugely welcoming and the rest of the class arrived quickly after me. The table was laden with crisps and Haribo, to sustain us, and there were some bottles of wine waiting to mellow the mood.
 

The class focused on fairy tales. I was interested in this topic as my husband has recently read Grimm’s’ Fairy tales and we had been discussing how short and dark those tales are in comparison to the more popular Disney retellings.

We first discussed what makes a fairy tale and the structure of this specific genre, including typical characters, obstacles, repeating motives, magic, morals and resolutions. We explored the repeating themes and the importance of progression and regression in the tales. We also analysed how the author imparts information to the reader without simply telling them the information. Fairy tales are a truly fascinating genre as the author has to impart so much information in such a few short words.

As a class, we read a couple of passages from Snow White and Rapunzel in order to analyse those ancient tales. It was interesting to read tales from so many years previously and to consider what problems we would have with those stories if written in today’s world. From a feminist point of view, the characterisation of the female protagonists as weak and in need of rescue, is somewhat of a sticking point.

We also watched scenes from The Huntsman: Winter’s War(released on DVD on 15 August) in order to analyse the settings used in those scenes.

We were given exercises to do, both alone and in a group, including:  providing a physical description of a typical fairy tale characters (i.e. prince, heroine, witches, evil sisters, the old crone/hag etc…), reviewing a fairy tales for signs of repetition and describing a scene to evoke the emotions of heartbreak. I found it hugely interesting to learn how the other the participants chose to interpret these tasks. For example, when describing a character, I modernised my description whilst some people changed gender roles, used animals etc… Similarly, with the heartbreak scene, I described a barren desert with no clear direction and almost a sense of sensory deprivation – being too alone with your own thoughts and feelings. Most of the other participants described scenes with too much sensory deprivation – rain, forests, cliffs etc… It was interesting to understand people’s reasoning behind their choices.

I left the masterclass feeling inspired. The class had left my brain spinning with new ideas for retellings of those ancient stories and, indeed, made me feel for the first time as though I may be able to find the creativity needed to actually start writing.

I also left the event excited to watch The Huntsman: Winter’s War, as I know that I will look at it through different eyes since the masterclass.

Huge thanks to Juliana, Naomi Wood and Universal Pictures UK for a truly memorable, thought-provoking and inspiring evening.