Online Writers' Day

TLC’s popular Writers’ Day returns and for the first time, we are going digital!

• Enjoy a day of inspiring online talks and workshops to help you write, submit, and publish your work.
• Get links to video recordings of your sessions to watch back for up to 30 days after the event, so you don’t miss a thing.
• Take part in creative challenges to help you feel inspired, in a supportive online environment.
• Gain access to a free video library, with insights from key publishing figures and readings from exciting debut authors.
• Enter your writing into the TLC Pen Factor Competition (deadline February 16th), whose alumni include award-winning novelists.
• Captions will be provided. Please scroll to the Accessibility Note for full details.

TLC Online Writers’ Day Programme

(Full programme leaflet here)

9.45am-10am

Welcome by TLC Director Aki Schilz

10am-11am 

New Digital Frontiers with Leodora Darlington, Commissioning Editor at Canelo
Publishing is changing, with new formats disrupting the way stories are delivered, and the way publishers and authors share risk and reward. Canelo is one of the most digitally forward-thinking publishers currently on the market. Find out how digital publishing offers a new way to reach readers, and a new model for writers working with publishers. 

11am-12pm

DIY: Publicity with Maria Garbutt-Lucero, Publicity Director at Sceptre, Hachette 
Publicists are often the unsung heroes of books that are the biggest hits with readers, creating connections and building momentum. Hear from an award-winning publicist about how she builds campaigns, and gain insight into how to apply big scale publicity strategy to small scale projects, to help build buzz around your work.

12pm-1pm

Lunch Break

1pm-2pm

Writing Workshops (Breakout Groups)

Group 1: The Science of Writing Characters with Dr Kira-Anne Pelican
In this illuminating workshop, find out why rounded or psychologically-credible characters are the most engaging; place the Big Five dimensions of personality at the core of characterisation; and take part in a creative writing exercise that begins to look at how to create memorable characters that come to life on the page.

Group 2: Writing Place with Amanthi Harris
Making home is an act of creativity. Looking at the places that inspire us, and what we aspire to, can be a starting point for creating vivid engaging environments for our characters. In fiction, as in life, can we draw on memory and impressions of place to create new worlds and new lives? In this workshop, we will consider ways of creating believable engaging worlds and how we might draw from our own experiences and ideals to enrich our writing.

Group 3: Write Your Story, Your Way with Okechukwu Nzelu
As writers, finding your voice is something we often talk about, but it can be a difficult, confusing and lonely process. In this interactive workshop, we will practise writing sketches and scenes from different perspectives and different styles, experimenting and playing with writing, to help you on your creative journey.

2.05-3.05pm

Pitch Perfect (Break-out Groups)

Group 1: Fiction (Adult)
Learn how to pitch your work of fiction to agents and publishers, with literary agent Hattie Grünewald (The Blair Partnership)

Group 2: Fiction (Children’s/YA)
Learn how to pitch your children’s, middle grade and YA writing to agents and publishers, with literary agent Alice Sutherland-Hawes (ASH Literary)

Group 3: Non Fiction
Learn how to pitch your non-fiction writing, from memoir and travel to popular science, with non-fiction commissioning editor Joelle Owusu-Sekyere (Coronet).

3.10pm

Round up, thanks, and announcement of the TLC Pen Factor Writing Competition winner
(Details of how to submit to the competition will be emailed to you once you have booked your ticket)

3.30pm End of Event

BOOK NOW

Please note that the deadline for bursary applications for this event has now passed. We will be in touch with all applicants.

Accessibility note

• This event will be hosted via the TLC website using Zoom, and requires an internet connection to attend. If you need to use a telephone to dial in, we can provide a separate link for you.
• You do not need to be physically fit or able-bodied to participate in this event.
• The morning session will be live-captioned. The afternoon session will be auto-captioned. These captions will be accessible via the Zoom Closed Captioning function. All video library content will be captioned.
• Please note that the morning session will include presentation material which may not be accessible to reading devices for the visually impaired. Please contact us if you require descriptions for visual materials to be sent to you.
• We will provide a programme on the day which clearly indicates when comfort breaks are scheduled to take place, and there will be an hour provided for lunch break.
• Unfortunately we are not able to accept landline calls as the TLC office remains closed during the lockdown.
• If you would like to attend this event and have any additional access questions, please email us at to discuss. 

PLUS…

• Entry to the TLC Pen Factor Writing Competition, judged by industry experts and with a prize bundle worth £2,000. Many of our finalists and winners have gone on to be published, and to win major awards.
• A bonus video library with exclusive insights into the future of publishing from Jeremy Trevathan (Publisher, Pan Macmillan) and Katie Clapham (Storytellers, Inc) and readings from some of the UK’s most exciting debut authors.
• Watch back the sessions you attended for up to 30 days after the event with a unique link.
• Enjoy live captions for each of the speaker sessions for maximum accessibility.
• Read the full programme flyer here.