Big Smoke Writing Factory

Being a new parent can be a delight and a challenge. The good news is that the challenges coincide with a boost in brain function, creativity and focus, not to mention the joy and wonderment of watching a new baby develop and grow.

This course is designed for parents of babies (newborns to one year olds) who are looking for a course that allows them to bring their babies to class, talk to other parents about the challenges of new parenthood and rediscover their creativity as they grow and change in their new role as parents.

Over a 10 week period students in this course will learn to find time to get back in touch with their creative side while maintaining their most important role as parents. Classes will consist of in-class writing exercises and discussions, workshops for sharing creative work and weekly suggestions for at-home writing time.

Ultimately, after taking this course you will feel the support and creative ideas of other parents who are also trying to find the time and energy to keep a bit of themselves and their passion for writing going during the first year of parenthood. Students will discover how life changing experiences can foster our interests and passions even if it’s just one small step at a time.

Maggie Smith Hurt is the mother of a two year old, a writer and a teacher. She received an MFA in Creative Writing from Hunter College in New York City and has written a book of poems and a chapbook. Her poems were recently published in The SHOp Poetry Journal. She has taught creative writing courses in Poetry, Fiction and Memoir at Hunter College in NYC, UCD, The Irish Writers’ Centre and Big Smoke Writing Factory since 2002.

Length: 10 weeks
Fee: €250
Facilitator: Maggie Smith Hurt

BIG SMOKE class/workshop policies

Spring 2010

TUESDAY, 10.30am-12.30pm, starting March 12, 2010.
Book by March 5, 2010

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Try this nifty WriteChain application which lets you keep track of your word count.

And if in need of a little motivation, have a look at these writing quotes.

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A terrific time was had by all at this evening's Poetry Saloon!

Next Saturday, January 30th, as our guest workshop in Writing A Bestseller: How To Successfully Write and Publish Chick Lit is taking place, we will once again have members of the Big Smoke team on hand to take registrations for upcoming courses and answer queries between 1-3pm. Feel free to come along, and take a look at our course list to see what's starting in February!

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... we have several new sets of classes starting.

-- Our evening Beginning To Write classes for those starting out. There's a couple of spaces still available on the Tuesday night, while Monday and Thursday (which will run a week later) are still open for booking.

-- Registration stays open later for those of you who are past the beginners' stage and would like to hop on board Yvonne Cullen's (intermediate) Writing Train.

-- There are still a couple more places left in our guest workshop, Marisa Mackle's Writing A Bestseller: How To Successfully Write and Publish Chick Lit, if anyone writing commercial fiction would like to snap them up.

-- And finally, this Sunday (January 24th), do pop along to the Poetry Saloon from 4pm!

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Dear readers,

You are invited to:

Songs of Praise,
A Poetry Saloon

at 4pm on Sunday 24th January, at the Big Smoke Writing Factory, where you will be treated to some of the best new poetry being written in this town - we really think so!

We'll put a glass in your hand while you listen. And if you're still getting organised to register for that Big Smoke course, a member of the team will be on hand to help with that.

Astonishingly fine poems on a Sunday afternoon in our little Georgian drawing room. Sure, where else would you be going?

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The Children's Books Ireland annual table quiz takes place this Thursday evening.

Wonders & Marvels describes itself as "a community for curious minds who love history, its odd stories, and good reads", and is a charming place to wander around for an hour or two (or a day or two!).

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Here's the schedule for upcoming classes. Booking is open: click course titles for a course description as well as links for booking online! (Courses which have started or are closed for booking will not appear on this list.)

Already know what class you want to sign up for? Download the registration form as a PDF or Word document, or click through to the course page for Paypal links.

Please note that the closing date for booking is one week before the course start date. (Some of our courses will accept bookings after this if space is available, but do contact us to discuss with the facilitator.)

Quick links:
Beginning To Write
10-week specialist courses
12-week intermediate courses
12-week specialist courses
Advanced workshops
One-day specialist workshops

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BEGINNING TO WRITE courses
€240, 10 weeks

Beginning To Write: course description and how to book

Evenings
MONDAY, 6.30pm-8.30pm, starting February 1, 2010.
THURSDAY, 7pm-9pm, starting February 4, 2010.

Daytime
TUESDAY, 10.30am-12.30pm, starting February 23, 2010.

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10-WEEK SPECIALIST COURSES
€250

Stand-Up Comedy
FRIDAY, 6.30pm-8.30pm, starting February 5, 2010.

Parent and Baby Creativity Workshop
FRIDAY, 10.30am-12.30pm, starting March 12, 2010.

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12-WEEK INTERMEDIATE COURSES
€280

Line Production (Continuation)
MONDAY, 7pm-9pm, starting February 15, 2010.

Beyond Beginners
THURSDAY, 7pm-9pm, starting February 11, 2010.

Line Production (Developing)
FRIDAY, 11am-1pm, starting February 5, 2010.

Beyond Beginners
SATURDAY, 1pm-3pm, starting March 13, 2010.

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12-WEEK COURSES (WORKSHOPS AND SPECIALIST COURSES)
€280

Demystifying Poetry
TUESDAY, 6.30pm-8.30pm, starting March 9, 2010.

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ADVANCED WORKSHOPS

Writing Train workshops (Intermediate)
14 weeks, €315
TUESDAY, 6.30pm-8.45pm. Students may still join this workshop.
WEDNESDAY, 10.45am-1pm. Students may still join this workshop.

Writing Train workshops (Advanced)
17 weeks, €395
WEDNESDAY, 7pm-9.30pm, starting March 2010.
THURSDAY, 6.45pm-9.15pm, starting March 2010.

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ONE-DAY SPECIALIST WORKSHOPS

The Drama of Writing
SATURDAY, full day, February 27, 2010.

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Please note that occasionally we may need to adjust our schedule in order to best accommodate student numbers and interests. When we need to do this, we will always contact students who have already signed up for a course, and always ensure that our online course schedule is up to date.

See also:
BIG SMOKE class/workshop policies
How do I pay for a course?

Labels: courses

Interested in signing up for one of our upcoming courses? We'll be holding several open registration days before the start of our winter/spring term.

Thursday 14th January, 5.30pm-8.30pm
Sunday 17th January, 2pm-6pm
Wednesday 20th January, 5.30pm-8pm

(Sign-ups will also be available during the Poetry Saloon, Sunday 24th January, 4pm-6pm.)

You can register for courses (please note that we can only accept cash or cheque at open days - credit card payments can be processed only through Paypal at present), or just discuss with one of us what kind of course might suit you best. As ever, there will be tea!

Find us at 7 Lower Hatch St, Dublin 2.

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So what else has been going on at BIG SMOKE lately apart from preparing for open days and getting ready for our 2010 courses?

(Click for larger image) Pictured: James Stafford and Hannah Carabine

An occasional event linked to the Writing Train workshops, The Writing Saloon met last month in Yvonne Cullen's house. We had turf fires (along with fires in our heads) going strong in two rooms, all evening, and such a staggering assortment of party food that we simply had to break for two indoor picnics instead of one. File under 'a tough job but someone's got to do it!' All told, it was a lovely evening and there'll definitely be more of them for Writing Train members in 2010. Yvonne's already mulling over the form these will take, and reckons some will be workshops like last weekend's event, while others - inspired by what she's heard of the artist Louise Bourgeois's open houses in Manhattan - may just be Reading Picnics. Writing Saloon. "Salon with an extra 'o'," indeed!

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...for you to read this weekend - Wallace Stevens's The Snow Man.

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Please note that some of our course start dates have been moved back slightly, as a result of the weather-related disruptions in Dublin. Students who have already registered for courses will be contacted via email or phone with the new start dates.

Some classic winter and snow poems for this chilly January!

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Big Smoke wishes you a happy New Year!

Some deadlines for you: the Mslexia Short Story competition 2010 closes 25th January. The Stinging Fly accepts submissions January 1st - March 31st only each year.

Amidst the many 'best books of the decade' lists, try the decade's best unread books.

What's your writing resolution of 2010? Try a new form or genre? Finish a collection of poems or short stories? Finish a novel? Write every day? Start writing? Write more often? What small steps are you going to take to make sure you finish the year with that resolution kept?

Penultimately, a reminder: booking is open for our winter/spring 2010 courses now. Most of the courses begin the week starting January 25th, which means that booking for those courses will start closing the week beginning January 18th.

And last but not least, to subscribe to the Big Smoke newsletter, email bigsmokewritingfactory@gmail.com with ‘Put me on the newsletter mailing list’ in the subject line.

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