Workshops & Pricing

At The Story Nest, there’s no single way to be a writer.

Some young people arrive with notebooks full of stories. Others have wonderful ideas but find getting them onto the page difficult. And some are quite certain that writing simply isn’t for them — yet.

Our workshops are playful, imaginative and flexible, using stories, pictures, objects, sounds, sensory inspiration, games and the interests of the young writers themselves to get ideas flowing. There’s no pressure to create in one particular way, and no expectation that everyone’s finished piece will look the same.

The aim is simple: to make space for young people to discover ideas, find their voice and enjoy creating something that is entirely their own.

Small Group Creative Writing Workshops

£15 per young person | £60 minimum booking | 1 hour

Perfect for siblings, friends, home-education families and small groups of young writers.

Groups of 2–3 young people are very welcome, with the £60 minimum workshop fee applying. For groups of 4–8 young people, sessions are £15 per child.

Workshops can be booked as a one-off adventure, a short series or regular weekly sessions.

We might create impossible characters, invent extraordinary worlds, play with poetry, solve mysteries, experiment with different kinds of storytelling — or discover that an ordinary idea can take us somewhere completely unexpected.

2 young writers — £60
3 young writers — £60
4 young writers — £60
5–8 young writers — £15 per child

Creative Writing Days

From £260 per group | Up to 8 young people | 5 hours

A whole day to disappear into stories.

Creative Writing Days give young writers the luxury of time: time to imagine, experiment, develop ideas and see where a story might take them without rushing the creative process.

A day might revolve around fantasy worlds, mysteries, character creation, poetry, picture books or a completely original theme created especially for your group.

Creative Writing Days can be booked as a one-off themed experience, a series of days or part of an ongoing programme.

For a full group of eight, £260 works out at just £32.50 per young person for a five-hour creative writing experience.

More bespoke sessions may be priced individually depending on requirements.

Home-Education Groups, Co-ops & Learning Communities

Tailored workshops and programmes

Already have an established home-education group, co-op or learning community?

The Story Nest can come to you.

Sessions can be created around the ages, interests and needs of your young people — whether you’d like a one-off workshop, a longer themed session, a series of workshops or an ongoing creative writing programme.

Tell me a little about your group, and we can create something that fits.

1:1 Writing Mentoring

£35 per hour | Limited availability

For young writers who would benefit from a little more individual space for their ideas, a limited number of one-to-one creative writing sessions are available.

A young writer might already be working on a novel, need help developing a character or story, have lots of ideas but struggle to get them onto the page, or simply want to spend time writing and talking about stories with a published author who takes their imagination seriously.

These aren't traditional tutoring sessions or extra English lessons. They’re a space to explore ideas, develop skills and build confidence as a writer, guided by the interests and needs of the individual young person.

A Different Kind of Writing Space

Traditional approaches to writing don’t work for every child.

Being a storyteller doesn’t necessarily mean sitting quietly at a desk, writing neatly from beginning to end or finding spelling and handwriting easy. Sometimes the most imaginative storyteller in the room is also the child who finds a blank sheet of paper overwhelming.

As an autistic writer and qualified teacher, I understand some of the barriers young people can experience around writing, communication and traditional learning environments.

The Story Nest uses a mixture of visual, sensory and sound prompts, objects, conversation, games, movement, imagination and — most importantly — each young writer’s own interests to help stories emerge.

Children can approach ideas differently. They can experiment. They can change their minds. They can create something wonderfully strange.

Because writing should be about more than getting it right.

It should also be about discovering what you have to say.

Professional Experience & Safeguarding

The Story Nest is run by an internationally published children’s author, trained teacher and autistic creative with Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).

I also hold a current Enhanced DBS check, giving parents, carers and group organisers additional reassurance when booking sessions for young people.

The Story Nest is a travelling creative writing studio, bringing workshops to home-education groups, co-ops, learning communities and suitable venues.

Local travel is included where possible. For sessions further afield, an additional travel charge may apply — this will always be discussed and agreed before a booking is confirmed.

Bring The Story Nest to You

You don’t need to have a workshop planned before getting in touch.

Tell me a little about your young writers — how many there are, their ages, what they’re interested in and what you’re looking for — and we can work out the right session together.

Whether they already fill notebooks with stories or haven't yet discovered that writing can be for them, they’re welcome at The Story Nest.

Have a group of young imaginations? Let’s give their stories somewhere to take flight.