Frequently Asked Questions
Can I already have experience?
Absolutely – you can even have a completed draft of a book or a screenplay. What we are about is getting you on the road to finishing it, and taking it to the next level.
Can I be right at the start?
Yes you can. It sometimes helps if you have an idea or an area you want to explore. Maybe a theme or a starting point? We can help you with this. If you have a burning desire to tell a particular story, even better, but not necessary.
Do I need to have developed an idea already?
Not at all – but you probably already thought about something, which is why you are here! And that is where we will start.
What about what kind of writing I want to do – do I already have to know?
No you don’t. We will explore different ways you might approach your ideas be that fictionalising or just factual. We can talk about formats in the sessions.
Will I have to share what I am thinking of doing?
Only if you want to. You might want to share with one other person you buddy up with? Entirely up to you.
Do I have to join in readings?
If you want to you can but you don’t have to do anything if you don’t want to. Having your work read out by others, to hear it, can be very useful though and we recommend it even if you don’t do the reading. But again, it is not essential.
Will I have any one-on-one time with you?
We do some one-to-ones in the sessions, but mostly we do intimate sessions in the afternoons with smaller numbers. This is the most important part of the course. We try to keep people doing related things in the groups so you learn from each other.
What will I get from this week?
At the end of the week you will have achieved way more than you imagined and have a very clear idea of where you are at, and what you need to do to get to the next level, whatever that is.
This is what Tracey one of our attendees said: ‘In my first session with John I learnt more in one morning than I had attending a six-week online course. John doesn’t just coach you, he makes you think hard about the skills he is teaching you. I found I learned much more from this focused approach.’
How do I join the course?
Email: john@big-pic.co.uk
We want to make sure you are on the right course for you. Ideally a short conversation on the phone will clarify what we do, how we do it, perhaps after you send something about yourself, some information of your writing so far, if any, or your ideas, what you think you might want to do. After that, once paid, we book you on. Or if you just know already what you want to do – you can book online on the Book Your Place page!