psychic distance tutorial with Emma Darwin, may 29 2025.

Psychic Distance Masterclass

Thursday May 29, 6:00 – 8:30 pm BST

Psychic Distance: the fiction writer’s secret sauce. Over the years Emma has found that learning to work with psychic distance – often called narrative distance or emotional distance – is the game-changer for her students.

In this extended 2.5 hours Masterclass you will have the chance to explore how and why that happens. Sometimes you may want the reader to be deeply involved in your protagonists’ subjective perceptions, sometimes you might want the reader to have a wider and more objective experience of what’s happening in your story. Bringing together point-of-view, showing and telling, and narrative voice into a single, dynamic way to shape your narrative, psychic distance can and will transform your storytelling.

You”ll come to understand how psychic distance works, try your hand with the new tool in a series of exercises, study how good writers use it, and ask lots of questions to help you gain confidence with this crucial technique.

A handout will be sent after the event so that you don’t need to make extensive notes during the tutorial. Attendees at the event will receive a one month free subscription on substack to Emma’s blog This Itch of Writing.

If you aren’t able to attend in person, please sign up and request a recording which will be sent out a few days after the event along with the handout.

Guest tutor

Author Emma Darwin

Date

Thursday May 29, 2025

Time

6.00 – 8.30 pm BST

Venue

Zoom Platform

Cost

£50.00
Author Emma Darwin - BPA Events

Emma Darwin

Author

She teaches creative writing at Oxford University and Goldsmiths, University of London, and has given workshops from Auckland to Zurich.

Emma Haynes - Blue Pencil Agency

Emma Haynes

Head of Events & Competitions

Emma is responsible for BPA’s bespoke programme of literary events and retreats as well as managing the First Novel Award and submissions

Assistance to writers on low incomes and/or from communities under represented in publishing

We are offering a free place on each of our online tutorials and Q & A sessions for UK based writers on low incomes and/or from under represented communities in publishing. Writers may apply for a free place on one of the sessions by contacting BPA with a short bio and a summary of their writing career to date. Please click here to Contact BPA with your application and in the case of writers on low incomes, proof of financial eligibility such as: Jobseeker’s Allowance; Disability Benefit; Income Support; Working Tax Credit; Child Tax Credit; Proof of being a full-time student; Housing benefit; Proof of being a full-time carer. All details will be kept confidential. Decisions on who receives the free places rest with the BPA team not the tutors.

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