Workshop downloads are available!
So you can watch and write when it suits you, for however long it suits you.
Hello writers,
I feel so grateful for the last (almost) year of planning and hosting workshops. I have met wonderful people, heard fantastic fresh writing, and thought a lot about the writing craft. It has been a joy.
Since so many subscribers are new to this Substack (thank you!) I thought I’d share that there are a few workshop downloads that you can purchase. These include the PowerPoint from the session, a recording, and any prompts I used, so that you can complete the workshop in your own time.
After almost a year I still over prepare, wanting to share my excitement and knowledge with everyone, so there are usually additional resources too. I still do human things like talk while I’m on mute, share my powerpoint in the wrong setting, and lose track of time. But, I think based on feedback and how much fun people have, they’re still worth it.
This is great for anyone who:
Is interested in writing, but doesn’t have a four-hour chunk of time to attend a workshop.
Missed a workshop that they wanted to go to.
Just joined the Substack and didn’t know about passed workshops.
Struggles to concentrate for a long period of time, or sit in one spot.
Writing Speculative (recorded March 2026)
This workshop includes three guided writing exercises, some homework, and a bunch of additional resources. I read from what I think are some great examples of speculative fiction, I share some of the recent (as of March 2026) industry statistics, and talk about the many genres and sub-genres you might like to explore.
I also share a REALLY fun tool, called the Zwicky Box, which has the potential to generate 100 million unique story ideas for you. So that’s pretty cool, I think!
Writing Love (recorded February 2026)
This workshop includes four guided writing exercises, some homework to write a love poem, a deep dive into some of the key genres that are selling well in the romance market at the moment. I explore the key plot points in a romance book, and how to use those in a rom com. It also shares the good, the bad, and the awkward of writing sex scenes, and how to write them. The PowerPoint contains links to a number of additional resources that I think would be valuable for writing romance,
It was really fun to research this workshop, and I’m still thinking about the pieces of writing people produced.
The Best of 2025 (recorded January 2026)
In January I ran an online-only workshop that covered the five exercises I loved the most from the 2025 workshops. This covered — building strong characters, writing wonderful settings, getting characters in dialogue, building emotion in your story and in scenes, and writing different forms (flash fiction and poetry). I could have gone on for days, but I limited it to the usual time period.
How to get your copies
Workshops cost R350 each, and because they don’t contain our tea break they are about 3 1/2 hours long, but if you order all three you’ll get them for R900.
To order, email me at jenthorpewrites@gmail.com
Other workshops you can sign up for
If you’d prefer to attend in person or online, here is all you need to know about the upcoming workshops:
Happy writing until then!
Jen
If you’d like to support my work you can buy me a coffee or buy one of my books.