Course Title:   

Course date:  Saturday June 14th 2025. Full day including refreshments and lunch.

Course Level:  Beginners to advanced 

Course Summary:  

Would you like to write a story or a chapter to the novel? Would you like to be able to write great openings, create memorable characters, bring your reader into the world of your story? Then this one-day masterclass in storytelling is for you. Join me, Pauline Clooney, and let’s get started on your next piece of fiction.

Course Outline: 

10am to 11.30am The best openings and how to achieve them.

11.30am-11.45am Morning break with tea/coffee, scones and chocolate (always chocolate)

11.45am-1.30pm  Breathing life into our characters as we move beyond the opening.

1.30pm-2.30pm Lunch around the dining room table, chats, walks in the garden…maybe even sneaking back to the desk to get the next plot point in your story down!

2.30pm-4.00pm Making sure our story is set in a very real world. (Time and Place in fiction) 

Short personal biography:  

Pauline Clooney is an award-winning writer and founder of the Kildare Writing Centre. A former teacher of English, History, and Drama for over 30 years, she now works full-time as a writer and creative writing facilitator, with experience delivering workshops for institutions including the Irish Writers Centre, NUI Maynooth, and numerous festivals across Ireland. Pauline holds an MA in Creative Writing from UCD, an MLitt from NUIM with a thesis on Charlotte Brontë, and a diploma in Creative Writing for Publication.

Her debut novel, Charlotte and Arthur (Merdog Books), a reimagining of Charlotte Brontë’s Irish honeymoon, reflects her scholarly and narrative expertise. Her short fiction has received widespread recognition, most recently winning the 2024 Dingle Literary Festival Short Story Competition. She is a recipient of the Arts Council Agility Award and a former winner of the RTÉ Guide/Penguin Ireland Short Story Competition.

Pauline is a frequent festival speaker, including at the Bradford International Literature Festival and Brontë Society events in Ireland and Japan. She is a member of several professional literary organizations and continues to support emerging voices in Irish fiction through her teaching and mentorship.  

Eight participants (max) accepted on course. 

You can book your place by clicking on the link below.

Course fee €125 including refreshments and lunch..