Date/Time
Date(s) - Tue 25th Nov - Thu 18th Dec, 2025
6:30pm - 8:30pm
Travel the world from your armchair
The word sums up distant and exotic locations, but “travel” need not mean physically going far. It can describe an experience of places and people close to home, one in which memory and history also play a part. On this course you’ll learn how to look at and describe worlds both strange and familiar and how to shape what you learn into a story that others will want to read. Through texts and images, interviews, conversation and written exercises, you’ll think about different approaches to describing nature, cities, cultures and people, both for books and shorter texts. We’ll talk about truth-telling and rule-breaking, delve into the concept of the “inner journey” and find ways to weave the author’s own perspective into the narrative. Travel famously broadens the mind: prepare for a stimulating journey at Moniack Mhor this autumn!
Moniack in a Month: Travel Writing includes:
- a short introductory welcome session
- four stimulating online workshops, preceded by optional drop-in social time
- one 30-minute tutorial
- a final ceilidh session – sharing of work
- Contact and support from your community of writers via Google Classroom (optional)
- Drop-ins before each workshop to help you get to know your group (optional)
- Support from your Moniack Mhor host
Miranda’s workshops will focus on the following themes:
Workshop 1 – People
What makes a person tick? We’ll look at some memorable character portraits, both written and visual, and practise describing people in a way that brings them to life on the page.
Workshop 2 – Places
You’ll learn how to balance personal impressions with facts, history and dialogue, to evoke a range of places in ways that captivate your readers.
Workshop 3 – Voice and Structure
How can you make a piece of writing uniquely yours? We’ll look at a range of approaches to style and tone, and consider different techniques for making a narrative shapely.
Workshop 4 – Editing and Everything After
You’ll learn how to refine your manuscript, from first draft to polished final piece. We’ll discuss agents, getting published and any other unfinished business.
Timetable
Week 1 Tuesday 25 Nov 18:30–21:00 Welcome Session and Workshop 1
Week 2 Tuesday 2 Dec 18.30-20.30 Workshop 2
Week 3 Tuesday 9 Dec 18.30-20.30 Workshop 3
Week 4 Tuesday 16 Dec 18.30-20.30 Workshop 4
Week 4 Thursday 18 Dec 18.30-20.30 Ceilidh
Tutorials
Your one-to-one tutorial with Miranda will be scheduled when the course starts and will most likely take place in weeks 2 or 3.
Tutor
Miranda France is the author of five books, as well as a translator from Spanish and a consultant editor at the Times Literary Supplement. Her memoir The Writing School (2023), which considers events following a family tragedy in the context of a writing course, also doubles as a guide to researching and shaping creative non-fiction. Miranda’s writing has been praised for its warmth and humour as well as its originality and eloquence. An experienced teacher, she is currently a guest tutor on Goldsmiths Creative Writing M.A. and writes regularly for the TLS and Prospect, among other publications.
Fees
The full fee for this online course is £360. A deposit of £100 is required to secure your place, which is non-refundable after a 14-day cooling-off period. The balance payment of £260 is due six weeks before the course begins.
Bursaries are available, and you also have the option to pay in instalments, please email online@moniackmhor.org.uk to enquire.
All activity takes place on Zoom, and workshops include a short break. Moniack Mhor staff will be on hand to support you during your course.
For more information please email online@moniackmhor.org.uk.
Access
Please let us know in your booking form if you have any access requirements when working online so we can do our best to support you. For more information about access to our courses, please visit our Access page.
Terms and Conditions
Please read our Terms & Conditions before booking.