La Loge Sagrolle
Join us at La Loge Sagrolle for friendly, relaxed creative writing workshops in a small and cosy group. With a mixture of beginners and more experienced writers, it's a welcoming space to explore your creativity, develop your writing, and share ideas with other writers.
Each workshop explores a different aspect of creative writing, with a mixture of discussion, practical guidance, and writing exercises. Sessions stand alone, so there's no need to attend every month — simply come along to the workshops that interest you.
We usually meet on the first Saturday of every month from 2pm–4pm at 2 La Loge Sagrolle, Urciers, 36160. Please check the individual dates below, as occasional sessions may take place on a different Saturday.
Workshops cost €15 per session, including tea, coffee, and cake. Places are limited to keep the group small, friendly, and interactive.
New to my workshops? Your first session is completely free! There's no need to book or reserve your free place — simply choose a workshop you'd like to try and come along. After your first session, workshops are €15 each, with no ongoing commitment.
2026–2027 Workshop Programme
24th September 2026 (10am)
Excellent Openings & Great First Lines
Your opening has a big job to do. We'll explore what makes a first line grab attention and how strong openings create questions, establish voice and persuade readers to keep turning the pages.
22nd October 2026
Under the Microscope: Line Editing
Sometimes the smallest changes make the biggest difference. We'll zoom right in on our writing and explore how careful editing at sentence level can make prose clearer, tighter and more effective — without losing your individual voice.
25th November 2026
Creating Suspense & Tension
You don't have to be writing a thriller to keep readers on the edge of their seats. We'll explore practical techniques for building tension, creating anticipation and making it very difficult for your reader to put the story down.
17th December 2026
The Writer's Year in Review - FREE SESSION
A chance to look back at your writing year, celebrate what you've achieved and think about where you'd like to go next. We'll reflect, take stock and make some creative plans for the year ahead.
2nd January 2027
Beyond the Traditional: Exploring Narrative Forms
Stories don't always have to be told in conventional ways. We'll experiment with different narrative forms and structures, looking at how playing with the way a story is presented can open up exciting creative possibilities.
6th February 2027
Backstory Without the Info Dump
Your characters had lives before page one — but your reader doesn't need to hear about all of it at once! We'll explore ways to weave backstory naturally into your writing, revealing what readers need to know at just the right moment.
6th March
2027
Said, Whispered, Growled: Mastering Dialogue Tags
Should your character say it, whisper it, mutter it — or not have a dialogue tag at all? We'll look at how dialogue tags work, when they help, when they get in the way and how to make conversations flow naturally on the page.
3rd April
2027
Scene or Summary? Controlling the Pace of Your Story
Not every moment in a story deserves the same amount of space. We'll explore when to slow down and let readers experience a scene in detail, when to move quickly through events, and how those choices affect the pace of your story.
1st May
2027
Full of Heart: Writing Romance and Love Scenes
From the first spark of attraction to declarations of love — and everything in between! We'll explore how to create believable chemistry, emotional intimacy and romantic moments that feel genuine rather than forced.
5th June
2027
Descriptive Writing: Beyond the Basics
Great description does far more than tell us what something looks like. We'll explore ways to make description vivid, purposeful, and individual, using carefully chosen details to bring your characters and their world to life.
3rd July
2027
Body Language & Non-Verbal Clues
Characters don't only communicate through dialogue. We'll explore gestures, expressions, movement and all those tiny physical signals that can reveal what a character is thinking or feeling — even when their words say something completely different.
7th August 2027
Deep Dive on Dialogue
What makes fictional conversation feel natural without simply reproducing the way people actually talk? We'll take a closer look at dialogue and explore how it can reveal character, create conflict, deliver information, and keep a scene moving.
4th September 2027
Dealing with Death: Crafting Powerful Death Scenes
Death can be one of the most emotionally significant moments in a story — but writing it effectively isn't always easy. We'll explore how to approach death scenes with purpose, considering emotion, character, pacing and the impact that remains after the moment itself.
2nd October 2027
Flashbacks, Dreams, and Visions
Sometimes a story needs to step outside the here and now. We'll explore how flashbacks, dreams and visions can add depth and meaning to a story — and how to use them without confusing your reader or interrupting the narrative flow.
6th November 2027
Foreshadowing: Planting Clues & Promises
The best revelations often feel both surprising and inevitable. We'll explore how to plant clues, hints and promises throughout your story so that later developments feel satisfying — without giving the game away too soon.
4th December 2027
The Writer's Year in Review - FREE SESSION
A relaxed end-of-year workshop to reflect on the writing you've done, recognise your progress and celebrate the things you're proud of. We'll also look ahead and think about what you'd like your writing life to bring in the coming year.