Online: Fiction Writing to Help Manage Chronic Pain

This online fiction writing workshop is designed for women who experience chronic pain. We’ll explore the ways writing can be used as a useful distraction to help in the management of chronic pain. We’ll practice the skills involved in writing fiction and have fun developing our own characters and stories.

Fiction Writing to Help Manage Chronic Pain, Tuesday 6th October and Tuesday 13th October, 2pm to 3pm, Online, Women only

The workshop will be led by Gillian Shirreffs, a writer with multiple sclerosis, who is passionate about the potential fiction writing has to help those who live with chronic pain.

Participants in Gillian’s summer writing workshops said ‘It was really enjoyable!’ and that it felt ‘Like GWL in my living room.’

These are repeats of the popular sessions we hosted over summer and each workshop is the same. Choose one of the two dates that best suits you, and look out for the additional Winter Warmer themed session later this year. Book onto the workshop on Tuesday 6th October here.

This is one of our “take part” events this Autumn. We’d love you to join and get involved with the writing exercises but there’s no pressure to share your writing!

You can read some of Gillian’s writing, ‘ILLNESS: A Narrative in Four Parts’ which explores being diagnosed with and living with MS, here.

Event Outline

1.55pm: Signing in. You can get settled and sign in to the session before it begins at 2pm.

2pm: Welcome and Housekeeping. Welcome and introductory comments from Gillian.

2.05pm: GWL Slide. Opportunity to familiarise ourselves with Zoom and the GWL approach to workshops.

2.10pm: Introduction. Introduction to Gillian in terms of both creative writing and chronic pain.

2.15pm: The Lemon Exercise An opportunity to try out distraction technique.

2.20pm: Focus on Fiction Writing. Introduction to our writing exercises.

2.22pm: Exercise on Character: Opportunity to create a rounded character.

2.32pm: Writing Practice: Precious Object. Opportunity to bring your character to life.

2.50pm: Post-workshop writing. Take-away exercise to keep you going.

2.55pm: Final questions and thanks             

Booking

Booking is now closed for this event.

The event is free and for women only*. To attend, please book below and we will share an email invitation with you.  If you would like to make a donation to Glasgow Women’s Library, you can do so here. Please note that booking will close at 9am on Tuesday 13th October and you will receive your email invitation a few days before the event takes place.

*All women-only events are inclusive of Trans and Intersex women, as well as non-binary and gender fluid people.

Accessibility

This session takes place via an online video call link. If you would like to attend, please book below and we will share an email invitation along with simple and straight forward instructions on how this will work. If you have any concerns about how this will work for you, please do get in touch and we’ll do all we can to support you in joining the session.