Embracing the weird in your writing means taking risks and breaking rules. It means being completely honest, not censoring yourself and not being afraid of judgement! It means having fun, trying experimental techniques and looking at things from strange, new angles. In this course, we’ll explore how you approach writing in new ways, how you can unlock the weird in your writing and how you can look to other forms of art for inspiration. We’ll do some reading, lots of writing and break some writing rules too!

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Hi, I’m James Smart


I am a graduate of the MFA in Creative Writing at UEA. I am a short story writer from Barnsley and love what language and words can do! My stories have been published in the UK and abroad: I was shortlisted for The Commonwealth Short Story Prize and The UEA New Forms Award; won the award for best new writer with US journal Glimmertrain; and I have been nominated twice for the Pushcart Prize and once for the Best of the Net award. I live in Norwich and love making things, exploring new places, and teaching creative writing!