Strong Openings: Starting a Story with Purpose with Patrick Holloway, a Prose workshop for the Irish Writers Centre, Saturday 10th October, 2:00 – 4.30pm, Tourist Office, Town Hall, Banba Square, Nenagh, E45 Nx26, €30
The opening of a story makes a promise to the reader. In this practical, discussion-based fiction workshop, we’ll explore what makes an opening paragraph compelling, memorable, and effective. Through close reading of successful examples, we’ll examine how writers establish voice, character, tension, and momentum from the very first lines.
Participants will take part in a series of short writing exercises designed to generate new work, experiment with different approaches to beginnings, and revisit existing pieces with fresh eyes. We’ll also spend time rewriting and refining openings, exploring how small changes can transform a reader’s experience.
Suitable for writers at all stages, this workshop combines reading, writing, and revision to help participants create stronger starts and build confidence in their fiction.
Patrick Holloway is an Irish writer of fiction and poetry and is an editor of the literary journal, The Four Faced Liar. He completed his Masters in Creative Writing from the University of Glasgow, before moving to Porto Alegre, Brazil, where he completed his PhD in Creative Writing. He is the winner of the Bath Short Story Award, The Molly Keane Creative Writing Prize, The Flash 500 Prize, the Allingham Fiction contest and he was the recipient of the Paul McVeigh Residency in 2023. His work appears in The Stinging Fly, The London Magazine, Poetry Ireland, The Moth, Southword, The Ilanot Review, Carve, The Irish Times and The Irish Independent.The Language of Remembering is Patrick’s debut novel.