508 Writing courses in Stratford-upon-Avon delivered Live Online

LOOKING FOR: ADULT FICTION, NON-FICTION Julie Gourinchas (she/they) is developing a selective list focused on upmarket and literary adult fiction across a wide variety of genres. Writers she represents have been nominated for the British Book Awards, the Hugo Awards, the BSFA Awards, and the Saltire National Book Awards, among others. In fiction, she's drawn to a uncommon voices, and striking, intelligent writing – whether vibrant and floral or tense, quick, and sparse – as well as texture in both tone and setting (particularly anything with a strong aesthetic). Above all, she is looking for hooky, high-concept work, but her taste can perhaps be best summarised as "the weird, dark, and gruesome." While literary-speculative is her sweet spot, she considers herself genre agnostic within upmarket/literary fiction, and remains open to compelling and well-executed genre overlap. These include: upmarket and literary horror: especially featuring feminist or cultural themes, body horror, mangled nature, or cosmic, Lovecraftian vibes and looking for a fresh, literary take on vampires. Think Mona Awad, Lucy Rose, Julia Armfield, Jade Song, Stephen Graham Jones. dark and spiky literary dramas with high emotional stakes - think Eliza Clark, Julia May Jonas. razor-sharp dark academia particularly with something to say about the complex and exploitative systems within academia, more The Secret History, less The Atlas Six. gothic fiction, specifically regional gothic anchored in an evocative sense of place in the vein of Alexis Henderson and Alix E. Harrow. grounded fantasy or otherwise speculative fiction with coherent, sharp worldbuilding that feels recognisable and familiar, or directly set in our world. Play with magic, faith, and technology in your story like Babel, or a more literary version like Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries, Blood Over Bright Haven, Metal From Heaven. Searing contemporary fiction centred on themes of identity and belonging: think Sally Rooney, Torrey Peters, or what Saltburn should have been. dark westerns, in particular any that play with the truth and false hopes of the American Dream. magical realism both whimsy with a touch of darkness, and darkness with a touch of whimsy. unhappy romances anything -punk: steampunk, solarpunk, silkpunk, clockpunk, dieselpunk, cyberpunk and more of these! Suffice to say: if you can successfully and smartly comp to Arcane, Julie wants to see it! character-focused historical fiction with a literary edge: think Lauren Groff, Anthony Doerr, Eleanor Catton, particularly in the 19th and 20th centuries; including and indeed encouraging alternate history. Stylistically, Julie loves uncommon, thought-provoking experimentation with both prose and form, and anything spiky, toothy, and dark. Happy endings, to her, should feel earned. In all things, compelling character development should come first. First person narration is not impossible, but hard to sell. A smart genre blend is always welcome, as is any fresh-eyed approach to a well-trodden trope. Julie is also very much looking for her first romantasy – especially one that approaches this exciting new genre from a fresh, bold perspective. She is keenly interested in hearing from authors traditionally underrepresented in the industry, including but not restricted to writers of colour; queer, trans, and nonbinary writers; working class writers; disabled writers; etc. Her enduring favourite books include All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr, Do Not Say We Have Nothing by Madeleine Thien, The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton, and Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials series. More recent favourites include the masterful Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin, Babel by R.F. Kuang, Detransition Baby by Torrey Peters, Matrix by Lauren Groff, Tell Me I’m Worthless by Alison Rumfitt, Brother Alive by Zain Khalid, and Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield. In non-fiction, Julie is keen to read in the narrative and “big ideas” spaces, particularly in the realms of politics, history, and the social sciences. Please note: Julie is not looking for young adult, middle grade, and children’s books. Strictly no AI-generated content of any description. Please also bear in mind that, despite a deep and abiding love for all things Tolkien and Star Wars, she is not typically the right fit for epic or high fantasy, nor space-faring science fiction. She would also prefer to avoid pulpy crime and straightforward romance/romcoms. Julie would like you to submit a covering letter, 1 page synopsis and the first 5,000 words of your manuscript in a single word document.  (In addition to the paid sessions, Julie is kindly offering one free session for low income/under-represented writers. Please email agent121@iaminprint.co.uk to apply, outlining your case for this option which is offered at the discretion of I Am In Print).  By booking you understand you need to conduct an internet connection test with I Am In Print prior to the event. You also agree to email your material in one document to reach I Am In Print by the stated submission deadline and note that I Am In Print take no responsibility for the advice received during your agent meeting. The submission deadline is: Tuesday 29th April 2025

Gain the most from work, education and everyday life, and achieve your equivalent to GCSE grade C or 4 held every Thursday afternoon – 4pm till 6pm for 12 weeks with our dedicated tutor. These sessions will be via live Team’s webinar classes, covering 3 areas: Speaking, Listening and Communication, Reading and Writing. Through the completion of this qualification, you will demonstrate that you have Presentation, Q&A and Group discussion skills as well as Reading and Writing skills, to our tutor. The qualification is awarded by Highfield OFQUAL-regulated and nationally recognised. Learn more about the Functional Skills Qualification in English at Level 2 Giving you Presentation, Q&A and Group discussion skills as well Reading and Writing with practice exams our tutor will support you all the way to help you achieve that examination to move your career in the right direction. As part of one of our apprenticeship courses – This course could be government funded – so ask for more information. Course Dates Every Thursday 4pm - 6pm 12 week rolling course Costs £400.00 per person (inc. VAT) Any additional resits of exams are charged at £30 each.

Historical Association webinar series: Building different types of historical knowledge Presenters: Claire Holliss This second session will consider how teachers have helped their students to develop coherent explanations of historical processes and to form judgments in response to historical questions. The session will then engage with the rich tradition of practitioner research on students’ writing at A-level, particularly focusing on how teachers have helped students engage with historical writing in order to gain a more sophisticated understanding of the discipline and to strengthen their written work.   To use your corporate webinar offer on this webinar please fill in this form: https://forms.office.com/e/9JZCQ0RUkJ

COBOL training course description A hands on training course providing an introduction to COBOL. What will you learn Write COBOL programs Debug COBOL programs Examine existing code and determine its function. COBOL training course details Who will benefit: Programmers working with COBOL. Prerequisites: None although experience in another high level language would be useful. A 10 day version of this course would be more applicable for those new to programming. Duration 5 days COBOL training course contents Introduction to COBOL Compilation, linkage editor. Compile errors, compiler options. Divisions, syntax and format, COBOL character set, program structure. COBOL statement structure COBOL words, format of statements. Divisions Identification entries, Environment entries, Data division: FD, record descriptions, hierarchy and level numbers, description-string entry. File and Working-Storage Sections Literals, figurative constants, redefines clause, data representation, Usage clause, synchronization, sign clause. Procedure Division File status codes; Open, Read, Write, Close, Stop, Goback; Accept, display; Move, Justified, data name qualification, reference modification. Perform statement Out-of-line, With test ... Until, ... Times, in-line statement; Go to statement. Program design Design techniques, design considerations, procedure names, program structure. Printing Printed output, Write, advancing option, editing characters; Initialize. Condition testing Conditional statements: IF, class, sign and relation conditions, condition-name conditionals, Set, compound conditions, logical operators. Evaluate, Continue. Arithmetic Rounded option, On Size Error option, Add, Subtract, Multiply, Divide, Compute. Non-sequential files File access modes, Select. Indexed and relative files. Open, Close, creating / reading sequential access files, Write, Read, Invalid key clause, reading, writing / updating Random access files, Rewrite, Delete, Start. Declarative routines Clauses. Subroutines Call, Using clause - calling program/called program, Linkage Section, returning control. Table handling Subscripted tables: One/two/three dimensional tables, Perform, variable length tables. Indexed tables: Set, using an index; Search. Copy code: Copy, Suppress, Replacing. Data Manipulation Inspect, String, Unstring. COBOL/370 LE/370 and Intrinsic Functions.

About this course This practical course will help primary teachers to understand the purpose of assessment in history and consider current best practice. We will explore ways of continuing to improve the quality of teaching and learning in history through effective assessment strategies. We will go through practical ideas and resources to enliven teaching and learning in history and provide opportunities for assessment. This course will provide guidance and support to help develop the accuracy of teacher judgements. During the course, we will look at examples of writing and outcomes from different schools and consider how these outcomes demonstrate progress and attainment in history. Outcomes • understand the purpose of assessment in history • consider current best practice • explore ways of continuing to improve the quality of teaching and learning in history through effective assessment strategies • explore practical ideas and resources to enliven teaching and learning in history and provide opportunities for assessment • provide guidance and support to help develop the accuracy of teacher judgements Course leader The course is led by Steven Kenyon. Steven is a member of the Historical Association’s primary committee, having worked as a primary school teacher and then Deputy Head Teacher between 2004 and 2018. He joined Lancashire Professional Development Service in April 2018 as a Teaching and Learning Consultant for Primary History and English. He works closely with Lancashire Archives to promote and develop local history work in primary schools. This year he is a judge for the Historical Association's Young Quills Awards.

Build a rewarding career in content design Build a rewarding career in content design with a globally recognised, industry-approved qualification. Get the mindset, the confidence and the skills that will help you stand out in a rapidly growing industry. Why take this course: Be in demand. Certified qualifications will help you stand out in a fast-growing industry Build a career with impact. Design content experiences that will influence users worldwide Broaden your opportunities. Optimise your skills to get hired at leading companies Get qualified. Earn a university credit-rated certification approved by industry leaders Gain the confidence you need to succeed. Our mentors, career advisors and student community will support you all the way University credit-rated, industry-approved Our content design course is credit-rated by Glasgow Caledonian University and has been reviewed and endorsed by leaders in the tech industry. It covers everything you need to become a certified content design professional. Study method Online, self-paced Duration 10 weeks Access to content 12 months Qualification Professional Certificate in Content Design Awarded by Scottish Qualifications Authority trading as SQA Additional info Exam(s) / assessment(s) is included in price Tutor is available to students Description In this Professional Certificate in Content Design course you will learn: An introduction to content design. Understand what content design is and the role of a content designer. Principles of good content design Learn the core principles of content design and why it matters. Voice, tone and style Learn how voice, tone, and style can create a cohesive product experience. Understanding your users Uncover your audience's goals and content needs. Writing for interfaces Learn to write microcopy for buttons, notifications and other UI elements. The product mindset Develop a product mindset by learning about product design systems and tools. Testing content Learn how to test, evaluate and improve your content. AI for content design Learn how to use AI tools to become a more effective content designer. Working in content design Learn how to be the content champion within your organisation. Support at every step From day one, you’ll be part of a lively community of tutors, mentors and fellow students that support each other along the way. Student Success team Our friendly and responsive team will help you stay on track and keep you accountable. Course mentor Your course mentor is an expert content designer who brings years of practical insight. Student community Collaborate, share tips and build connections on our lively student Slack channels. Who is this course for? Writers and journalists who want to enhance their skills for the digital world UX and UI designers who want to become more rounded professionals Content designers looking for a formal qualification that validates their expertise Digital marketers who need content design skills to succeed in their roles Anybody with a writing, content or design background looking for a creative tech job Requirements Background You don’t need experience in design or technology to enrol in our courses. To get the most value from this course, you will need some experience in writing and a genuine interest in words and language. Commitment You do need to be motivated and committed. We set a high bar. Studying for one of our professional qualifications requires a certain amount of time, energy and focus. English language To take this course, you should be fluent in verbal and written English. If English is not your first language, you should have a proficiency of C1 as defined by the CEFRL (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages).

Duration 3 Days 18 CPD hours This course is intended for This course is intended for intermediate to advanced Business Analysts who are looking to improve their skills for eliciting, analyzing, documenting, validating, and communicating requirements. Overview Obtain a thorough understanding of the core responsibilities of the business analyst Understand the main professional associations and standards supporting business analysts in the industry Discuss and explore the components of each of the domains/knowledge areas that comprise the work of business analysis Recognize the importance of properly defining the business need prior to engaging in requirements activities Formulate a strong understanding of the concepts that comprise strategy analysis Obtain experience with identifying and analyzing stakeholders Decipher between project and product scope and successfully use models to communicate scope Thoroughly understand and identify the various requirements categories and be able to recognize requirements of various types Explore business rules analysis Understand the benefits of process modeling and the common modeling language of BPMN Discuss process models and how the techniques can capture details about the as-is/to-be environment Learn how to properly prepare and conduct interviews Explore the components of use cases Learn what it means to package requirements Obtain hands-on experience with a number of business analysis techniques and gain hands-on experience eliciting, defining, and writing requirements. This course provides students a clear understanding of all the facets of the business analysis role, including a thorough walkthrough of the various domain/knowledge areas that comprise the business analysis profession. Students are provided an opportunity to try their hand at several business analysis techniques to assist with improving their skills in stakeholder identification, scope definition, and analyzing, documenting, and modeling requirements. Introduction to Business Analysis What is business analysis Benefits and challenges of business analysis Project success factors A Closer Look at the Business Analyst Role Definition of a business analyst Responsibilities of a business analyst Importance of communication/collaboration BA role vs. PM role Project roles involved in requirements IIBA/PMI and the goals of a professional association Purpose for having a BA standard IIBA?s BABOK© Guide and PMI?s Practice Guide in Business Analysis Business analysis beyond project work Business analysis core concepts Business analysis perspectives IIBA and PMI certifications for business analysts Workshop: Choose Your Project Supporting the Project Portfolio (Enterprise Analysis) Define Strategy Analysis When to perform Strategy Analysis Components of Strategy Analysis Defining the business need Envisioning the Product and Project Defining business requirements The importance of stakeholders Stakeholder identification Tips for analyzing stakeholders Techniques for managing stakeholder lists Discussion: Who is involved in strategy analysis? Workshops: Define the Business Need, Write Business Requirements, and Identify Stakeholders Understanding and Defining Solution Scope Defining solution scope Techniques for defining solution scope Applying the brainstorming technique Project scope vs. Product scope Finding solution boundaries The Context Diagram Actors and key information Workshop: Draw a Context Diagram Understanding Requirements What is a requirement? Requirement types Business, Stakeholder, Solution, and Transition requirements Assumptions and constraints Business rules Taxonomy of business rules Decision tables How to write simple calculations Requirements vs. business rules Document requirements Workshop ? Document Requirements Elicitation and Process Modeling Why do we model processes? What is Business Process Management? Using a modeling notation ?As Is? vs. ?To Be? modeling Why use BPMN? Basic BPM notation Business Process Modeling ? A case study Business Process Realignment ?As Is? vs. ?To Be? activity diagrams Workshop: Create a Business Process Model Planning & Eliciting Requirements Interviewing ? what and why? Preparing for an effective interview Types of questions to ask Sequencing questions Active listening techniques Planning for elicitation Conducting the interview Establishing rapport Active Listening Feedback techniques Types of elicitation techniques Workshops: Planning for Elicitation and Conducting an Elicitation Session Use Case & User Story Analysis What is an Actor? Types of Actors How to ?find? Use Cases? Diagramming Use Cases Tips on naming Use Cases Explaining scenarios The use case template Components of a use case Scenario examples Best practices for writing Use Cases Scenarios and flows Alternate and exception flows Exercises: Drawing a Use Case Diagram, Writing the Main Success Scenario, and Writing Alternate and Exception Scenarios Analyzing & Documenting Requirements Requirements and Use Cases Non-Functional requirements User Interface Requirements UI Data Table Reporting requirements Data requirements Data accessibility requirements Characteristics of good requirements The business requirements document (BRD) BRD vs. Functional Requirements Specification Preparing the requirements package Requirements traceability Workshops: Develop a User Interface, Analyzing Requirements, and Tracing requirements Additional Resources Useful books and links on writing effective requirements

Duration 1 Days 6 CPD hours This course is intended for This course is designed for individuals who need to present information effectively in a professional environment. Overview This program can benefit anyone who presents; a trainer, a meeting facilitator, speaker, or seminar discussion leader. No matter which role you are assuming, this workshop will help you become more efficient and proficient with the skills of providing information to others. In this course, students will learn active listening skills to facilitate the exchange of ideas in meetings and presentations. They will also organize your ideas to create coherent and convincing oral presentations. Getting Started Icebreaker Housekeeping Items The Parking Lot Workshop Objectives Creating the Program Performing a Needs Analysis Writing the Basic Outline Researching, Writing, and Editing Choosing Your Delivery Methods Basic Methods Advanced Methods Basic Criteria to Consider Verbal Communication Skills Listening and Hearing: They Aren?t the Same Thing Asking Questions Communicating with Power Non-Verbal Communication Skills Body Language It?s Not What You Say, it?s How You Say It Overcoming Nervousness Preparing Mentally Physical Relaxation Techniques Appearing Confident in Front of the Crowd Creating Fantastic Flip Charts Required Tools The Advantages of Pre-Writing Using Colors Appropriately Creating a Plan B Creating Compelling PowerPoint Presentations Required Tools Tips and Tricks Creating a Plan B Wow 'Em with the Whiteboard Traditional and Electronic Whiteboards Using Colors Appropriately Creating a Plan B Vibrant Videos and Amazing Audio Required Tools Tips and Tricks Creating a Plan B Pumping it Up a Notch Make Them Laugh a Little Encourage Discussion Dealing with Questions Wrapping Up Words from the Wise Review of Parking Lot Lessons Learned Completion of Action Plans and Evaluations Additional course details: Nexus Humans Presentation Skills training program is a workshop that presents an invigorating mix of sessions, lessons, and masterclasses meticulously crafted to propel your learning expedition forward. This immersive bootcamp-style experience boasts interactive lectures, hands-on labs, and collaborative hackathons, all strategically designed to fortify fundamental concepts. Guided by seasoned coaches, each session offers priceless insights and practical skills crucial for honing your expertise. Whether you're stepping into the realm of professional skills or a seasoned professional, this comprehensive course ensures you're equipped with the knowledge and prowess necessary for success. While we feel this is the best course for the Presentation Skills course and one of our Top 10 we encourage you to read the course outline to make sure it is the right content for you. Additionally, private sessions, closed classes or dedicated events are available both live online and at our training centres in Dublin and London, as well as at your offices anywhere in the UK, Ireland or across EMEA.

Sockets programming training course description A hands on course for programmers using Sockets. It is important to recognise that the course assumes that delegates are already familiar with TCP/IP and Python. Practical exercises follow all the major theory sessions. What will you learn Read Python programs which use Sockets. Write Python programs which use Sockets. Debug Python programs which use Sockets. Sockets programming training course details Who will benefit: Programmers working with network applications. Prerequisites: TCP/IP foundation for engineers Python for network engineers Duration 2 days Sockets programming training course contents What is a socket? Review of IP, ICMP, UDP vs TCP, IP addresses, protocol numbers, ports. API's, UNIX I/O, sockets. SOCK_STREAM, SOCK_DGRAM. Hands on Compile and run code. The systems calls Clients and servers, structs, socket(), bind(), connect(), listen(), accept(), send(), recv(), sendto (), recvfrom(), close(), shutdown(), getpeername(), gethostname(). Hands on Walk through of example client and server code. First code TCP connections, passive opens, active opens. Hands on Write a simple 'hello world' server and client. Application protocols User character stream, ASCII turn taking, binary protocols. Hands on Raw SMTP, Writing a mail client. Clients Concurrency, polling, threads, event driven programming. Hands on Conferencing application. Servers Concurrency, stateful, stateless. Forks and execs. inetd. Hands on Running servers with and without inetd, chroot jails, conferencing server modifications. Advanced techniques Blocking, select(), partial send(s). Raw sockets, example sockets using Java, Perl and PHP. Hands on A broadcast application.

Calling all aspiring screenwriters and creative minds! Join us for an exciting script pitching workshop led by tutor Gemma Mushington. This taster session is designed to unleash your imagination and guide you through the process of coming up with and pitching an original script idea. Gemma Mushington, a talented screenwriter with a BA in Film, Television, and Digital Production, brings her wealth of industry knowledge and experience to this workshop. She is signed with Casarotto Ramsay and was the proud winner of the Neal Street Productions Screenwriting Bursary in 2021. Gemma's impressive credentials also include writing an episode of CBBC's The Dumping Ground, which aired in May 2023. With her current role as our Module Leader for the Major Feature Film module on the BA Screenwriting course, Gemma is the perfect guide to help you develop your script ideas. During this engaging taster session, Gemma will lead you through an exercise focused on generating and refining your own original script idea. Learn the techniques and strategies used by professional screenwriters to create compelling narratives that captivate audiences. Gain valuable insights into the art of pitching as Gemma shares her expertise on how to effectively communicate your ideas and grab the attention of industry professionals. Whether you are a screenwriting student, a budding storyteller, or simply someone with a passion for creative writing, this workshop is a fantastic opportunity to explore the exciting world of script development. No prior experience is necessary, as Gemma will provide guidance and support throughout the session. Don't miss out on this chance to refine your scriptwriting skills and pitch your ideas with confidence. Reserve your spot now and prepare to unleash your creative potential with the guidance of tutor Gemma Mushington!