Browse all of the seminars available at MKCW. The catalogue is effective from January 1 2023. You can attend the same seminar as many times as you wish. All creative writing seminars are followed by a creative workshop. All seminars come with a set of slides, useful readings, genre/medium samples where relevant and a prerecorded video/podcast you can refer to post-session. You can also do Specialists Modules which expand on the seminar subject with 8 or 12 week course. You can find current specialist courses on the courses page. Something you like not here? Feel free to suggest another module at info@martinkeaveney.com. You can attend these modules through standard courses, Superflex and also request any of these modules at writing events such as our boutique conferences and one day courses.
SUPERFLEX CATALOGUE 2023
Creative Writing
SPECIALIST MODULES
Enjoy any specialist module as part of Complete/Superflex plans. Modules run for 12 weeks and typically start in January, April and September.
Creative Writing: MONDAY MEMOIR
10-11 every Monday Morning (other times may be available)
Start writing your memoir in this specialist class. We will explore different types of memoir and also touch into areas of biography, autobiography and fictional memoir. What is the power of memory? How do we work with real people, places and things, how do we treat our lived experiences with sensitivity and effectiveness? How do we find a home for our work so readers of the world can share it? Submit up to 2,000 words each week and receive feedback. Includes support readings. This is a powerful and enjoyable new course from MKCW – Committed to Excellence. Course Outline
Creative Writing: TUESDAY THRILLER
3-4pm every Tuesday afternoon (other times may be available)
Do you want to build a career as a professional writer? One of the best places to do that is writing thriller and crime novels. Start your journey in this specialist course where we look at various forms of the genre, including detective novels, action thrillers and spy dramas. What is it that that wills secure a publishing contract? What do we need to do to enthrall a commercial agent? Submit up to 2,000 words each week and receive feedback. Includes support readings. This is a superb opportunity for new or improving thriller writers for MKCW – Committed to Excellence.
Creative Writing: PLAYWRITING
3-4pm every Tuesday Afternoon (other times may be available)
Do you want to build a career as a professional playwright? This is one of the oldest and most exciting artforms. See your scenes on paper ultimately come alive on stage! We go through the various forms of theatrical story-telling and performance, including Greek theatre, medieval parades, renaissance, Jacobean plays, romanticisms, realism, modernism and postmodernist practices. We also focus on various conventions in writing for live performance and assist in preparing your work for submission to production companies. This is a really exiting journey through a wide range of theatrical writing. You will submit scripts for the stage each week and receive detailed feedback. Includes support readings. This is a superb opportunity for new or improving thriller writers for MKCW – Committed to Excellence. Course Outline
Creative Writing: WEDNESDAY WONDER
10-11 every Wednesday Morning / 6-7pm every Wednesday Evening (other times may be available)
Think you can entice readers into another world or even universe? Have you the imagination to drive viewers wild with wonder? Start here with this specialist course which explores the parameters of scifi and fantasy at a really effective, practical level. We look at the key elements that achieve the goals of any sci fi or fantasy project and look to achieve a publishable proposal that will engage any industry reader. Submit up to 2,000 words each week and receive feedback. Includes support readings.This is a super opportunity to achieve your goals as a sci fi or fantasy writer – delivered by MKCW – Committed to Excellence. Course Outline
All mediums/levels welcome. Projects at any stage.
Creative Writing: Commercial Novels
12-1pm every Wednesday afternoon (other times may be available)
This specialist course covers all genre novels that fit into a commercial category. It is designed to help writers who are writing for a wide audience. We will look at the differences between a draft and a polished commercial novel. We will explore the vital elements that convince agents and publishers that your manuscript is one that will be a commercial success. Writers should have a specific project in advance. The course will be primarily focussed on the development of writer’s projects for the commercial marketplace, however we will use some novels as a case study. Submit up to 2,000 words each week and receive feedback. Includes support readings.This is a super opportunity to achieve your goals as a commercial novelist – delivered by MKCW – Committed to Excellence. Course Outline
All mediums/levels welcome. Projects from early draft stage onwards.
Creative Writing: Short Fiction
3-4pm every Wednesday afternoon (other times may be available)
One of the most satisfying areas of creative writing is short fiction. It is also a powerful route into professional creative writing. Explore image-driven writing, and poetic prose, tell thought-provoking stories or compose within popular genres. Now you can attend a really high-quality course that specifically brings you through several types of short form writing, including the short story, flash fiction, micro-fiction, prose-poetry and short form in several genres. The course caters for those simply wanting to write explore this form as a hobby, but also for those intending to develop a career as a professional author. Submit up to 2,000 words each week and receive feedback. Includes support readings. Start here with this a super opportunity to achieve your goals as a short story writer – delivered by MKCW – Committed to Excellence.
All mediums/levels welcome. Projects at any stage.
Creative Writing: Writing for Children
7-8pm every Wednesday evening (other times may be available)
Do you want to build a career as a writer of children’s literature? Now you can attend a really high-quality course that specifically brings you through each stage of writing for children, engaging with all age groups and provide high level attention to your writing project. The course caters for those simply wanting to write stories for their children (or grandchildren) but also for those intending to develop a career as a children’s book author. Submit up to 2,000 words each week and receive feedback. Includes support readings. Start here with this a super opportunity to achieve your goals as a children’s book writer – delivered by MKCW – Committed to Excellence. Course Outline
All mediums/levels welcome. Projects at any stage.
Creative Writing: THURSDAY TERROR
10-11 every Thursday Morning (other times may be available)
Do you want to strike fear in to readers? Have you considered a career as a horror writer? Start here with this specialist course which explores the parameters of this exciting area at a really effective, practical level. We look at the key elements that achieve the goals of any horror project and look to achieve a publishable proposal that will engage any industry reader. We will explore psychological horror, gore and other cross-genre proposals. Submit up to 2,000 words each week and receive feedback. Includes support readings. This is a super opportunity to achieve your goals as a horror writer – delivered by MKCW – Committed to Excellence.
All mediums/levels welcome. Projects at any stage.
Writing the Past
12.00-1.00pm every Thursday (other times may be available)
Would you like to transport reader or viewers into the past? Do you like the idea of writing within a famous period in history? With this specialist course, you can learn powerful research techniques and explore drafting a creative project within a rigid framework of events. Opens to historical fiction writers and also those compiling any historical project. Submit up to 2,000 words each week and receive feedback. Includes support readings. Start here with this a super opportunity to achieve your goals as a historical writer – delivered by MKCW – Committed to Excellence.
All mediums/levels welcome. Projects at any stage.
Creative Writing: FUNNY FRIDAY
10-11am every Friday morning (other times may be available)
Do you want to build a career as a professional writer? One of the best places to do that is in comedy. Progress through a variety of options for those wishing to work in humour, including stand-up, TV, theatre, and many others. Start here with this specialist course which explores this area of creative writing at a really effective, practical level. We look at the nuances of comedy writing, the challenges of audiences and look to achieve a publishable proposal that will engage an industry reader/audience. Submit up to 2,000 words each week and receive feedback. Includes support readings. This is a super opportunity to achieve your goals as a comic writer – delivered by MKCW – Committed to Excellence.
All mediums/levels welcome. Projects at any stage.
Creative Writing: SCREENWRITING
12-1pm every Friday (other times may be available)
Writing movies and TV scripts is perhaps one of the most exciting areas of creative writing. Do you like the idea of your characters and scene entertaining audiences on the big or small screen? Make the first steps toward achieving high level screenplays for film or television is this specialist course. Beginners and experienced scriptwriters welcome. All genres accepted. We look at the process of scriptwriting, formats, adaptations, different formats such as animation, developing characters and effective storylines. We also look at financing and getting your work produced. Submit up to 20 script pages each week and receive feedback. Includes support readings + Final Project of 120 script pages. This is a super opportunity to achieve your goals as a scriptwriter – delivered by MKCW – Committed to Excellence. Course Outline
All levels welcome. Projects at any stage.
SUBMISSIONS CLINIC
5.30-6.30pm every Friday
Submitting writing is an incredibly long and arduous process for all writers. Would you be interested in a weekly submissions clinic session? You will definitely submit more work!
Clinic content:
- Creating your personal list
- Sending effective correspondence
- Use of specific platforms
- Effective responses to requests
- Maintaining a regular submissions practice
- Magazine customs
- Journal customs
- Submission etiquette
- Other specialised aspects of submissions
During the session, we will also work on submitting to each one of your respective lists. We will review the weekly subs, discuss responses and further submissions strategies as we progress toward getting your work to the readers of the world. The focus of each session will be solely on the submission process. The objective of the clinic is to increase your weekly submissions to industry, whether that is an agent, publisher or magazine editor, thereby significantly increasing the likelihood of publication. Also open to screenwriters & playwrights. I will help you personalise your query, bio and improve your sample where required.
All mediums/levels welcome. Projects should be ready for submission.
This is a super opportunity to achieve your goals as a writer – delivered by MKCW – Committed to Excellence.
1-1 MENTORSHIP
Would you like high-level personalised attention to your writing journey? Meet Martin or Associate each week for a 30 minute 1-1 session in Zoom or In-Person at a mutually convenient time and discuss your progress, your weekly submission and your options in publish or producing. Includes weekly written feedback, a final project submission of 5,000 words which will receive full editorial feedback, one weekly workshop option plus full access to LIVEWRITE
This is a super opportunity to achieve your goals as a writer – delivered by MKCW – Committed to Excellence.
SINGLE SEMINARS
Request a specific one-off seminar as listed below. Note many of these are in regular circulation on the Superflex calendar.
Advertising
Introduction to being persuasive in creative writing.
Adaptation
Explore the rewards and challenges of adapting any project to another form.
Children’s Fiction/YA
Introduction to creative writing for younger readers.
Children’s Special – Books for Babies
Learn about creative writing for the youngest of customers!
Children’s Special – Little Land
Tutorial on books for very new readers.
Children’s Special – New Kids on the Block
Tutorial on writing for younger children.
Children’s Special – Teen Trouble
Tutorial on writing for new and mid teenagers.
Young Adult – All Grown Up
Tutorial on writing for late teenagers/young adults.
Comedy
Tutorial on writing humour in creative writing projects.
Comics
Introduction to creative writing for the comic/graphic novel market.
Conflict Fiction & Feedback
Combined tutorial: Introduction to relationships fiction & giving and receiving feedback.
Crime & Self-Editing
Combined tutorial: Introduction to Crime fiction & self-editing.
Coming in 2023 – Series of modules on crime writing – enquire
Fantasy
Introduction to creative writing in the fantastic genre.
Coming in 2023 – Series of modules on fantasy writing – enquire
Historical Fiction
Tutorial on creative writing and recorded events.
Coming in 2023 – Series of modules on historical writing in fiction and nonfiction – enquire
Horror & Publishing
Combined tutorial: Introduction to Horror & Publishing.
Coming in 2023 – Series of modules on horror writing – enquire
Internet Literature
Tutorial on creative writing on the Internet.
Long Form
Discussion of long form creative writing projects.
Major Surgery
Discussion of making significant changes to creative writing projects.
Mock Query Session
Tutorial on preparing a creative writing query to industry.
Multiform
Introduction to creative writing in combined genres and mediums.
Music & Song
Introduction to creative writing music and song.
Nonfiction
Tutorial on creative writing about hobbies, travel and other areas of nonfiction.
Personal Projects
Discuss your creative writing project at this one-to-one session. May be booked if not currently listed.
Perspective
Discussion of perspective in creative writing projects.
Poetry & Flash
Explore one of the most deceiving forms of all – the poem. We will also look at prose-poetry & flash fiction.
Proofreading, Formatting & Copy-editing
Learn key writing presentation skills in this seminar.
Presentation Skills
High level seminar on preparing and executing a professional presentation.
Radio
Tutorial on creative writing for radio.
Rhythm
Discussion of rhythms in creative writing projects.
Romance Fiction
Introduction to the romance fiction market.
Coming in 2023 – Series of modules on horror writing – enquire
Submissions Clinic
Learn and set up a highly effective routine of submissions to agents, publishers and other industry professionals.
Scifi & The Writing Life
Combined tutorial: Introduction to Scifi & life as a writer.
Coming in 2023 – Series of modules on scifi writing – enquire
The Role of The Reader
Discussion of the role of the reader in creative writing projects.
Video Game-Writing
Introduction to video game-writing.
Writing for Screen
Introduction to writing for the screen.
Screenwriting Special – Who?
Explore the development of character in this module.
Screenwriting Special – What?
Explore the development of story in this module.
Screenwriting Special -Process
This tutorial explores the drafting process of scriptwriting
Screenwriting Special – Revision
Explore the revision process of script-writing in this tutorial.
Screenwriting Special – Wrapping up
Learn about formatting your work in this module on format.
Screenwriting Special – Bringing it to life
Learn about the submission process & aspects of screen production in this module.
Writing for Stage
Introduction to writing for the stage.
Irish Literature
You can request any of the below modules. Many of these run in 8-week sessions throughout the year. Exploration of Irish literature with discussion of both the work and the author. There is a mix of short stories, novels and poetry. Includes video, newspaper reviews, interviews, readings, adaptations and discussion of themes. You can also suggest other authors/works.
Sessions usually run 6.30-7.45pm on Tuesdays
(other times may be available)
Banville, John – The Book of Evidence
Baume, Sara – Spill, Simmer, Falter, Wither
Bennett, Claire-Louise – Pond
Brennan, Maeve. – ‘The Springs of Affection’
Carragher, Alvy – The Men I Keep Under My Bed
Contemporary Irish Poetry – Galway Poets
Costello Mary – Academy Street
Dennis, Ryan – The Beasts They Turned Away
Dolan, Naoise – Exciting Times
Enright, Anne – The Green Road
Heaney, Seamus – Poetry
Johnston, Jennifer – The Captains and The Kings
Joyce, James – ‘The Dead’
Kavanagh, Patrick – Poetry
Keane, Molly – Good Behaviour
Keegan, Claire – Foster
McCormack, Mike – Solar Bones
McBride, Eimear – A Girl is a Half-Formed Thing
McGahern, John – Amongst Women
McCabe, Patrick – The Butcher Boy
McKeon, Belinda – Tender
Macken, Walter – Seek The Fair Land
Meehan, Paula – Poetry
Moore, George – ‘In The Clay’
Nealon, Louise – Snowflake
O’Brien, Edna – The Country Girls
O’Brien, Flann – At Swim-Two Birds
Plunkett, James – ‘A Touch of Genius’
Rooney, Sally – Normal People
Toibin, Colm – The Blackwater Lightship
Trevor, William – ‘The Ballroom of Romance’
Yeats, W.B. – Poetry
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