Aim High: Crafting and Pitching Outdoor Stories (Nonfiction)

This practical workshop will give you the confidence and skills to start turning story ideas into pitches to send to outdoor publications. The workshop will be structured but informal and interactive. We’ll cover outdoor stories in their broadest form, from nail-biting adventures to contemplative nature essays. Beginner storytellers and experienced writers alike are welcome.

We’ll start the session by having a chat about everyone’s outdoor passions and storytelling aspirations then get into crafting and pitching.

Crafting

We’ll talk about your favourite outdoor stories (articles, books, films etc.) to tease out what makes them engaging and successful. We’ll look at how writing techniques from fiction, like narrative and character, can be used in nonfiction. There will be time to share your story ideas and give feedback to others. This introduction to crafting nonfiction stories will provide you with ideas and techniques that you can build on after the workshop.

Pitching

Nonfiction stores are usually sold to publications as emailed pitches, i.e. you ‘pitch’ your idea to an editor and if they like it, they will commission you to write it. We’ll look at what makes a great pitch and how to write one. We’ll talk about finding the right publication/s for your idea and cover practical details, like finding submission guidelines and editors’ names. You’ll leave with pitch templates and other resources to support you after the workshop.

Bring either a laptop or a phone and notebook as we will be doing internet searches and making lists. Bring any story ideas, no matter how loose! The focus will be on written stories, but we can also talk about other formats like podcasts, social media and short films.

About Karen

Karen Emslie is a Scottish journalist and essayist. She was the 2024 winner of the Scottish Mountaineering Press Creatives Flash Nonfiction contest.

Karen built an international freelance writing career from scratch over a decade ago. Her publishing credits include National Geographic, The Atlantic, Wired, BBC Wildlife, BBC Earth, The Smithsonian Magazine, Discover, Knowable, Aeon, The Telegraph, GOOD, Psychologies etc. She has an MLitt in Creative Writing and is currently studying for an online M.Sc. Computer Science with Artificial Intelligence.

Karen is an avid solo hiker who has had mini adventures in all kinds of places from Patagonia to the Alps. She’s been working remotely as a writer since 2011 and is currently based between Scotland, Spain and wherever her van is parked.