William Sutton's Blog

FURTHER DETAILS of full and half-day retreats available.
Other workshops as single two-hour sessions or a series of three 90-minute sessions. Workshops and retreats available online.

Writing retreats/bootcampsEdit Your WritingWriting for Procrastinators“Welcoming and supportive: one of the best sessions I’ve attended” “This course stimulated my mind and work beyond my expectations”

 

Writing Retreats & Thesis Bootcamps

Are you a writer, struggling with your draft? Or a researcher, fighting to finish your thesis? Are you struggling to get started with your academic writing? Or have you hit a block? Finding it tough to get motivated?

A writing retreat or bootcamp can help you get back on track and make significant progress with your article or thesis. You get the time and structure to focus.

With guidance from an experienced facilitator, you can set realistic goals and achieve them in a supportive virtual environment. The programme includes warm-up exercises, group discussion, and 1-2-1 coaching. And you’ll receive instruction in advance on how best to prepare for the retreat.

By the end of the retreat, you’ll have:

better understanding of your writing processstrategies for improving your focustechniques for planning and measuring progressa big chunk of writing

Feedback from previous events:

One of the best sessions I’ve attended.Ticking all the boxes of my to-do list was an achievement.A fantastic Bootcamp! I learned a lot about the strategies to help structure my day, week and months ahead. Thank you so much!Supportive atmosphereLoved EVERYTHING! From the free-writing prompts to the individual writing periods.Confidence support and refreshed ideasConstructive thoughts on the drafting process.There is a great camaraderie from these retreats, both in-person and online.I loved the schedule we used for the day. Writing in 1-hour chunks with pre-determined breaks – really helpful.

Facilitator : Dr William Sutton

William Sutton has been tutoring, teaching and facilitating for thirty years. Novelist, journalist and musician, he tutors students all over the world, especially coaching creative writers from beginners through to advanced novel revision. His (WiP)2 workshop programme offers writing opportunities to groups across the city and county.

These classes, relaxed though rigorous, help writers take their work to the next stage. He has presented at events from the Edinburgh International Book Festival to Bristol Crimefest and Highdown Prison to Eton College.

His articles have been published in The Times, Fortean Times, The Author and The Conversation. His journalism and short stories appear in magazines across the world. He plays double bass for chansonnier Philip Jeays and for Jamie and the Jets. I received a PhD by Publication in Creative Writing from the University of Portsmouth in 2023.

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Tales of 11 WiP2 workshops

Running writing workshops over the past few years has been satisfying and challenging, rewarding and enlightening. To celebrate all our collective achievements, and look to the future, I’m going to recall highlights of these creative collaborative explosions over the next few weeks:

 

 

 

 
Tales of 11 WiP2 workshops—summary Write Your Novel Scribbers Salon Editing ClubPetersfield Museum Ashcroft Arts & Fareham Live Pallant Centre

New Theatre Royal 2024-2026: Writing for Procrastinators Folklore Experimental writing Poetry: fighting names Ekphrastic Writing for performance Historical Writing Edit Your novel Write Your Life, Journalling (Greenhouse) Writing retreats Kettle Tales Write to be Heard Writing for Wellbeing Seawords Quay Words Sanpau facilitator training

Spinoff groups:

Nonfiction Songwriters Workshop Petersfield writers

Portsmouth Writers Hub online communities:

WhatsApp groups for General writing chat Submissions/competitions Agents etc Fantasy Historical Socials Local groups for Petersfield, Fareham, HavantFeedback Fantastic retreat today. I managed to do so much writing. Thank you so much! Fantastic and great workBrilliant! What a way to finish Bookfest!Please Feel Free to Share:

Loving our WiP2 writing workshops at @Fareham Live this spring: bright inviting space, welcoming venue, and writers buzzing with ideas and creativity. Come along and rediscover your zest for writing.

Crime Writing course

Book Writing Workshop: Write Your Crime Novel tickets | Fareham Live Fareham   2 -4 this Friday 17 April at : come and get started on your own crime novel in with “Stimulating”“Loved working alongside other writers”“Great exercises to get you going”
Loving our WiP2 writing workshops at @Fareham Live this spring: bright inviting space, welcoming venue, and writers buzzing with ideas and creativity. Come along and rediscover your zest for writing.

Death at Fareham Live: Write Your Crime Novel Please Feel Free to Share:

Many new and experienced writers finding the local community through Bookfest, through our workshops and through our Writers’ WhatsApp Community. I enjoyed Bookfest. I’d have loved further visibility for the conclusion of the #InOurWords literary year, but good to know there is local demand and support for the growing writing scene. Exciting to establish new socials Quay Words and Seawords, not to mention groups meeting for songwriting, non-fiction and in Petersfield.

I’ve run around 90 workshops/retreats over the last 12 months at a dozen venues, with help from wonderful facilitators, welcoming partners and willing writing. Theatre Royal Portsmouth haven’t confirmed the venue this year, so that programme is on hold. If you’d like more workshops, at Theatre Royal or Petersfield Museum, do ask them what they’re planning and give them a nudge. I could also offer courses online. Do reply or shout on the WhatsApp if you’d be interested in

–          Edit Your Writing online

–          Writing for Procrastinators online

Three recent interviews about the local writing scene:

–          Portsmouth Magazine, with Graham Brown

–          Southsea Lifestyle

–          Express FM, with Caroline Brennan (from 42 minutes in)

I’d love to establish

–          a calendar where we can access these dates, add to them, and perhaps filter various ways (by genre, workshop/performance, free/paying)

–          a resource page to share group links and writing resources (as I do in workshops)

–          a noticeboard where writers could say hello, seek critique groups, buddy mentoring and beta-readers. Helen Moon’s working on such a community writing space with MoonProjects – have a look.

Dates – updates on my events pageMondays 5 – 7 pm      Monday Manuscript online retreat, via Zoom linkThurs 2 April 2-4pm   Quay Words social, Fossil Thief, Gunwharf – first Thurs (or Tues) of monthSat 4 10 – 1                    Scribblers Salon online First Sat of month 10-1Tues 7 7.30                     Crowbait Club UK , Nut Bar, Keppel’s Head HotelSat 11 10 – 12               Creative journal writing, Christine Lawrence, Pallant CentreFri 17 2 – 4pm                 Write Your Crime Novel,  William Sutton, Fareham LiveSun 19 2 pm                  Creative Writing Group, Fareham WaterstonesMon 20 6.30 – 8.30      Seawords Scribbling Social , Coffee@the Pier, South Parade Pier – third Monday of monthTues 21 7 – 9                 Solent Writers, Lee Hub Community Library, PO13 9BZWeds 22 6.45 pm        Songwriting Workshop, Eldon Building, UoP (whatsapp group)Weds 22 7 pm              Speak Volumes Dockyard Club Portsmouth Authors Collective (4th Weds of month)Fri 24 11 – 1                   Yourspace Writing group, Gosport contact Mark Iles… Sat 16 May                 Bring Your Story to work day, Jackie Green, Pallant Centre…Sat 13 June               Writing for Procrastinators, William Sutton, Pallant CentreTBC:    Next Writing Retreat mid-June Greenhouse, Victoria Park, PO1 3HJ.

Working on making Kettle Tales (Cosham Community Kettle) an ongoing group.

On hold for the moment:

–       Editing Club

–       Writing for Wellbeing, Buckland

–       Write to be Heard, Motiv8 Fratton

Petersfield Museum / Theatre Royal Portsmouth: Do ask Theatre Royal Portsmouth and Petersfield Museum what they’re planning.

Good writing to you all.

— William Sutton

 william-sutton.co.uk/events

 @wip2writingworkshops
facebook/wip2writingworkshops

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An interview on Portsmouth’s Express FM. Thanks to Caroline Brennan for the warm welcome and the chance to talk about our #Portsmouth #writing #community, our WiP2 writing workshops and the Sugababes. It was a lovely chance to reflect on the dozens of workshops and retreats we’ve managed to pull together, with a great team of facilitators and writers brimming with creativity.

Caroline says:

“Who says Sunday nights have to be quiet? In this catch-up edition of Sunday Night Love, I’m inviting you into a cosy corner where romance meets real talk and the city’s creative scene gets the spotlight. With 2026 being celebrated as a National Year of Reading, I share why turning pages still matters, then bring it home to Portsmouth with the search for our next Poet Laureate and the workshops, groups and events helping new voices find their nerve.

My special guest is writer, storyteller and workshop leader William Sutton, Author of the Campbell Lawless Victorian Mysteries. We chat about the joy of writing in a room full of other humans, how to tackle procrastination and the blank page, and what people really gain from sharing work-in-progress out loud… including a surprise revelation from William George Sutton about the Sugababes that genuinely made me laugh.

Settle in, feel the warmth, and let the words do their thing.”

#InOurWords Portsmouth Creates

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Thanks to @Will May of ArtfulScribe for the chat today about Portsmouth writing within the landscape of #ScopingtheSolent.

A pleasure to explore past successes and advances (thanks to Dom Kippin and Tessa Ditner Amorosi) as well as celebrating the work of current movers and shakers, such as

– Christine Lawrence– Caroline Brennan: Pompey Poetry Party– April Singley: Crowbait– Dr Amanda Garrie: T’Articulation– Springwood Writers, Gosport Writers, Solent Writers’ Circle, Havant & District Writers– Tom Sykes & Alison Habens: University of Portsmouth CCI– Majid Dhana and Liz Weston: 432 Nomads– Omar Lagares Mahmood: Open Ya Mouth– Maggie Sawkins: Tongues and Grooves– Portsmouth City Council Libraries’ Bookfest– Portsmouth Creates CIC #InOurWords etc

as well as all our delivery partners

– Theatre Royal– SanPau creative– Motiv8– Community Kettle CIC– @The Greenhouse, Victoria Park– Coffee@the Pier– Fossil Thief– Fareham Live– Petersfield Museum and Art Gallery– The Pallant Centre

and word spread by

– Portsmouth Magazine/Waterlot Publishing– Southsea Lifestyle Ltd– Portsmouth’s Express FM– Petersfield’s Shine Radio– The News, Portsmouth and more.

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Writing for Wellbeing, with SanPau Creative, at Buckland Community Centre, is sold out. Great to find there is such a demand for these fantastic workshops.

Seawords Scribbling Social at Coffee@South Parade Pier is the penultimate event of Bookfest 26. Free. Just turn up.

Greenhouse Writing Retreats (Greenhouse, Victoria Park/online) are the final events of Bookfest 26: https://wegottickets.com/event/681630

Thanks to Portsmouth Bookfest for spreading the word. Thanks to Portsmouth Creates #InOurWords for support of these valuable workshops and meet-ups, creating and nurturing our ever-expanding #writing #community here in and around #Portsmouth.

SEAWORDS SCRIBBLING SOCIAL

Monday 16 March 6.15–8.30 PM

Coffee @ the Pier, South Parade, PO4 0SP (open despite sea defence work all around) Free! Dress up warm. Parking along seafront free from 6 pm.

6.15–7.00 – Early-bird Write-In. Quiet writing pre-social.7.00–7.15 – Welcome: grab a coffee, meet fellow scribblers.7.15–8.00 – Prompt & Inspire: writing update, creative prompts.8.00–8.30 – Social & Share: chat, connect, swap writing ideas.Greenhouse RETREATS

Not quite a workshop, more a way to feel part of the writing community, share writing experiences woeful and wonderful, and get words on the page.

Friday & Saturday 20 – 21 March 10 – 1

– “incredibly h elpful”

– “I edited 5000 words in a weekend”

I’ll offer goal-setting targets, encouragement, and the camaraderie that such a solitary calling often lacks.

10 am Goal-setting10.15 Write12.50 pm Morning feedback

– “Amazing how the writing prompts so often led into just the bit of writing I was struggling with.”

£20, £10 conc, £5 superconcession — one ticket for both days

 

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Great to see these authors going from strength to strength. Here are just a scattering of the books that have been published in recent years following novel-writing courses such as my upcomingValentine’s Day Murder at Pallant Centre 14 FebWrite Your Novel at Theatre Royal 27 FebWriting for Procrastinators at Fareham Live 20 MarchFrom our course Murder at the Theatre Royal Portsmouth in 2016 emerged at least three novels: all three novelists have gone on to publish more. Well done, Nilima Rao, Chris Blackwater and Christine Lawrence.     Write Your Novel in 2020 led to Sue Harper’s The Dark Nest, Eileen Phyall’s About Time, and Tom Sykes’ Tangled Saviours.   Writing for Procrastinators 2022 at Ashcroft Centre led to Alexia Daniels’ The House of Light and Air, and Christine Lawrence’s Emily.   Not to mention Lynne Stone, Fiona Ballard, Chris Hilmi, Tania Almond and Anthony Cambling, plus others who have got over the finishing line following courses in Portsmouth, Petersfield, Fareham and Havant. Push your writing dreams forward by joining a course like this: Write Your Novel (Theatre Royal), 2 -4 Fri 27 Feb, Theatre Royal Portsmouth.Please Feel Free to Share:

Don’t Miss Bookfest 2026Portsmouth Bookfest is a must for writers as well as readers, with 2026’s National Year of Reading, #InOurWords and #Portsmouth100 celebrations.

Sherlock Faces the Music, with HolmesFest duo Hudson & Lestrade, will delight music aficionados. The Tides of Time’s three acclaimed authors take literary voyages steeped in salt and sea-spray. History readers can choose between Untold Railway Stories and 50 Years of Punk – The Stiff Records Story.

Pompey Poetry Party bring three brilliant events to life — gothic-inspired Character Creation Workshop with Holly Kybett Smith, a high-energy Poetry Slam Workshop with Bash Amuneni and Lit and Twisted: Open Mic Night of Quirky Words & Playful Plotlines. “Portsmouth is such a vibrant, culturally rich city,” says Caroline Brennan. “We’re proud to celebrate its creativity and community through poetry and performance.”

William Sutton’s Write Your Novel classes help local writers towards creating their stories. “The Theatre Royal workshop was incredible,” said one writer. “So many ideas – really spurred me on.” Kettle Tales and Writing for Wellbeing bring WiP2’s friendly, welcoming workshops to Cosham and Buckland.

Maggie Sawkins hosts a popular event in its sixth year: “From the Heart invites people from all walks of life to learn a poem by heart,” says Maggie, “and recite it in front of an audience. You don’t need to be a poet or writer. It’s always a heart-warming event.” Maggie also joins Poet Laureate Simon Armitage in a sold-out reading.

Bookfest opens with Children’s Week 16 February, bringing puppets, Gruffalo, sea creatures and magic shields. It closes a month later with Seawords Scribbling Social, free, at Coffee@thePier, and a Writing Retreat at Victoria Park’s Greenhouse. “Incredibly helpful to have such a supportive space,” wrote one writer. “Motivating and encouraging.”

 

 

william-sutton.co.uk/events/

librariesandarchives.portsmouth.gov.uk/public-library-service/whats-on/events/portsmouth-bookfest/adults-bookfest-programme/

William Sutton’s Portsmouth Bookfest

Write to be Heard 4 – 6 pm 17 February, for ages 12 – 18. Motiv8 Fratton
(carers/parents need to sign Motiv8 consent, on the day or by email)
Free session for young people to explore self-expression.

Write Your Novel 2 – 4 pm 27 February. Theatre Royal 20-24 Guildhall Walk, PO1 2DD £20 (£10)
Newtheatreroyal Get an idea of how to write your book & join a community where words matter.

Kettle Tales 1 – 3 pm 2 March. Cosham Community Kettle wegottickets.com/event/686205
Pull up a chair, pour yourself a cuppa, and let the stories flow. Free.

Writing for Wellbeing 1 – 3 pm 5 March Buckland URC.
Explore writing and self-discovery in a supportive 2-hour creative workshop.
Free but booking required:: wegottickets.com/event/684017

Seawords Scribbling Social 6.15 – 8.30 16 March Coffee @ the Pier, South Parade Pier PO4 0SW Portsmouth Writers get-together. For writers of all levels. Free william-sutton.co.uk/seawords

Writing Retreat 10 – 1, 20 & 21 March Greenhouse, Victoria Park, PO1 3HJ £20 / £10  Welcome to our Writing Retreats, in-person/online, one day or two wegottickets.com/event/681630

All events: william-sutton.co.uk/events/
or Google Portsmouth Bookfest

 

 

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Thanks to Graham Brown for interviewing me for the Portsmouth Magazine — creating an arts feature for the city’s newest publication. Graham has thus given us a chance to shout about Official Portsmouth libraries Bookfest26 & all the wonderful events coming up this month and next in #nationalyearofreading

https://www.theportsmouthmagazine.co.uk/

“Quiet space to write”

#InOurWords #Portsmouth100 #Portsmouth2029 Portsmouth Creates including our WiP2 writing workshops #writing #workshops and #writingretreats
For example, among the wonderful #writing #reading events coming up in Official Portsmouth libraries Bookfest26
#NationalYearOfReading #portsmouth2029 #Portsmouth100 #InOurWords

14 Feb Valentine’s Day Murder, the Pallant Centre17 Feb Write to be Heard20 Feb Writing Your Life: “I come from…” (Writing Workshop, Fareham Live)27 Feb Bookfest: Write Your Novel (Theatre Royal)2 March Kettle Tales, Cosham3 March Quay Words, Fossil Thief, Gunwharf5 March Writing for Wellbeing, URC Buckland16 March Seawords20-21 March Greenhouse Writing Retreats20 March Writing for Procrastinators Fareham Live
What did you enjoy?

“The time to write and to talk to other like-minded people.”

“Giving permission to break rules, to look at new ways to craft poem and think about language”

“The 5 minute fiction tasks, really help you focus.”

“The freedom to write”

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