Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your career/published works or work-in-progress, including your Masters project(s)?

Over the last 15 years I’ve worked in PR and communications, which includes writing a lot of news articles, features, scripts and other content. But I’ve always wanted to write fiction, especially novels. Before I started the MA in Creative Writing, I’d been developing the idea for my first novel, How to Make a Comedian Laugh, which I’ve been working on during my time at the Manchester Writing School. As well as progressing this novel during the writing workshops, I’ve also been inspired to write short stories and flash fiction. My first two pieces were published by the Manchester Met Poetry Society and Short Fiction Creation Society in its annual anthology and I’m continuing to submit my short stories to external journals and competitions.

How do you think being part of the Manchester Writing School community has helped your writing career?

Not only is attempting to write a novel a big, daunting task, but it’s also quite lonely too. Being part of the Manchester Writing School has benefitted me in many ways, but I’ve particularly appreciated being surrounded by other writers who all have a shared goal. Even outside of the timetabled workshops and modules, there is a lot of ongoing support from the other students. The tutors all have first-hand experience of writing and publishing, so they have great insights that not only help you to improve your writing and hone your craft, but to also start thinking about getting your work ready for publication. I’ve also enjoyed the reading modules and the discussions around the texts have inspired and informed my own writing.

What did you find was your most valuable experience as part of the Manchester Writing School? What were the highlights?

I really enjoyed the elective module, where I chose the Creative Project, which gave me the opportunity to work on a piece of work outside my usual discipline. Previously I’d had the idea of recording a podcast series where I interview writers and other creatives about their processes and how they approach large projects. The module gave me the opportunity to spend time on this project, which saw me interview several writers for my Creatives of Habit podcast. Not only was it interesting to try different skills, but the conversations I had with other writers and creatives gave me so many ideas and encouragement to continue working towards my own goals. I’m planning on continuing with the podcast and hope to use the learnings and interviews to feed into articles or a non-fiction book.

What advice would you give to students looking at studying at the Manchester Writing School, or just starting out on the course?

Have an open mind and take inspiration from different people and sources. The other students in your workshop will all be writing in a range of styles and genres, the tutors all have different experiences and portfolios, and the books on the reading module are all very varied. But even when you’re engaging in work or conversations that you might not think are relevant to your own writing or in line with your usual interests, you can still learn so much from the experience.