Saint Dizier la Tour
A brand-new non-fiction writing group is coming to Saint-Dizier-la-Tour in January 2027!
Join us for friendly, practical workshops exploring the art of writing short pieces of creative non-fiction — from personal stories and memoir-style pieces to articles, essays, and blog posts.
Each month, we'll explore a different theme through short pieces and vignettes, using the same simple workshop structure so that the process quickly becomes familiar. We'll begin with a little practical guidance on the craft of non-fiction writing before working through four prompts designed to help you explore the month's topic from different angles.
There's plenty of writing time, and the aim is simple: by the end of each workshop, you'll leave with the first draft of a complete piece of non-fiction. That might become an article, blog post, memoir piece, personal essay, or simply a piece of writing created for the pleasure of capturing a story.
The group is open to writers of all levels, including complete beginners. It'll be a small, friendly, and supportive space with an emphasis on experimenting, developing your skills, and actually getting words onto the page.
We meet on the third Friday of every month from 2.30pm–4.30pm, starting in January 2027.
Our first workshop in January is completely free! There's no need to book — simply come along and give it a try. After that, workshops cost €15 per session, with refreshments included. Each workshop stands alone, so there's no need to attend every month — simply come along to the topics that inspire you.
2027 Workshop Programme
15th January 2027
Stories Only You Can Tell
We all carry stories that nobody else can tell quite the way we can. Through four prompts, we'll explore memories, experiences and perspectives that are uniquely ours, finding the beginnings of a piece that could only come from you.
19th February 2027
The World in a Detail
Sometimes the smallest detail can unlock an entire story. We'll use four prompts to focus closely on objects, places, sounds and other seemingly ordinary details, exploring how something tiny can reveal something much bigger.
19th March
2027
Your Voice on the Page
What makes a piece of writing sound like you? We'll explore voice, personality and perspective through four different prompts, experimenting with ways to make your non-fiction feel natural, distinctive and authentically yours.
16th April
2027
The Weight of a Word
Individual words carry associations, memories and emotions — and choosing the right one can transform a piece. Through four prompts, we'll explore the power of language and discover how much can grow from a single carefully chosen word.
21st May
2026
A Sense of Place
Places carry memories, atmosphere and meaning. Through four prompts, we'll explore how to capture a place on the page — from the physical details that make it distinctive to the feelings and stories we associate with it.
25th June
2027
Writing About People
How do we capture a real person in words? We'll use four different approaches to explore character, memory and observation, building a vivid piece about someone who has made an impression on us.
16th July
2027
Making the Reader Feel It
Powerful non-fiction doesn't simply tell readers what happened — it makes them feel something too. We'll explore ways to bring emotion onto the page without over-explaining it, using our four prompts to approach the subject from different directions.
20th August 2027
Great Openings
Where should a true story begin? We'll experiment with different ways into a piece, exploring openings that intrigue, surprise, establish a voice or drop the reader straight into a moment.
17th September
2027
What You're Really Writing About
Sometimes the subject of a piece isn't really what it's about. Through four prompts, we'll dig beneath the surface to discover the bigger ideas, emotions and questions hiding inside apparently ordinary stories.
15th October
2027
The Air in the Room
Every moment has an atmosphere — awkward, joyful, tense, peaceful or something harder to name. We'll explore how carefully chosen details can capture that invisible feeling and allow a reader to experience a moment alongside us.
19th November 2027
Resonant Endings
A good ending doesn't have to neatly tie everything up. We'll experiment with different ways to leave a piece lingering in the reader's mind, finding endings that feel satisfying without explaining more than they need to.
17th December 2027
The Shape of the Year
Our lives have rhythms, seasons and recurring moments that can become rich material for non-fiction. Through four prompts, we'll explore the patterns of a year and use them as the starting point for a complete piece of writing.