Table of Contents
- Meet Darren Brealey, Your Workshop Host
- How to Start a First Draft Without Overthinking It
- Timed Writing Exercises and Creative Writing Prompts That Get Words on the Page
- What Happens in the Workshop
- Who the Workshop Is For
- Book Your Place
- Frequently Asked Questions
Last Updated: October 6, 2026
Meet Darren Brealey, Your Workshop Host
Darren Brealey is a writing coach, playwright, writer and producer with more than 30 years of experience across theatre, script development and independent production in Australia, Singapore, Malaysia and London.
His credits span playwriting, producing and independent theatre across Fringe and mainstage venues, alongside a long teaching practice in dramaturgy and script development. Darren is not a vanity publisher. He works with writers to create, edit, format and publish their work, and he expects you to put in the work too. The 90-Minute Draft Method is built on that principle: you will not sit and listen for an hour and a half. You will write.
How to Start a First Draft Without Overthinking It
The fastest way to start a first draft is to lower the stakes on purpose. Most writers stall because they try to write the final version on the first pass; separate the two jobs and the block usually lifts. A common mistake is waiting for the right mood, opening line or idea, none arrive before you start; they arrive while you are writing badly. Try this order: write the scene you can already see, skip the opening until you know how the story ends, leave notes in brackets instead of stopping to research, and fix nothing until the draft is finished. The first draft has one job: to exist.
Timed Writing Exercises and Creative Writing Prompts That Get Words on the Page
Timed writing exercises work because a clock removes the option to hesitate: you write for a set period, do not stop and do not edit. Creative writing prompts give that momentum somewhere to point; a prompt is not a topic to admire; it is a starting gun.
Exercise |
Time |
What it trains |
|---|---|---|
Compass |
10 minutes |
Define story problem and change |
Build |
15 minutes |
Character want/need, obstacle, stakes |
Scene Map |
20 minutes |
3 - 5 beats, tension turns |
Draft Sprint |
30 minutes |
Write without editing |
Tighten Pass |
15 Minutes |
Clarity, rhythm, emotional/meaning thread, next-step note |
Run one exercise before every writing session. Ten minutes of freewriting warms up the part of your brain that makes sentences, and the session that follows is almost always easier.
What Happens in the Workshop
The 90-Minute Draft Method is a single session built around one promise: you leave with pages, not notes. The talking stays short and the writing long. You will work through timed exercises, short teaching blocks and quick feedback rounds, focused on starting rather than polishing. Bring an idea, a character or a half-finished scene, or bring nothing and we will find one.
Creative Writing Workshop details -> →
Who the Workshop Is For
This session suits new storytellers, independent creatives and anyone with a manuscript sitting in a drawer. If you have been writing for years without finishing, the problem is rarely talent, it is usually process. It is also a good fit if you want to put the screens down and do something with your hands and head, or are curious about longer coaching such as our Writing Coaching or the Script Development Program. It is not a proofreading service or a publishing package, it is a writing session with a host who has spent three decades doing the work.
Book Your Place
The hardest part of any manuscript is the first page. The 90-Minute Draft Method exists to get you past it, with a host who has written, produced and developed scripts for more than 30 years. Bring your idea, your doubts and your half-finished pages. Leave with a draft and a method you can repeat at home.
Book your place at The 90-Minute Draft Method
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Darren Brealey?
Darren Brealey is a playwright, producer and writing coach with more than 30 years of experience across theatre and script development. He has worked in London, Singapore, Malaysia and Australia, producing Fringe theatre and developing scripts through WriteInspire. His coaching focuses on rigorous manuscript development rather than vanity publishing, helping writers build structure, character and momentum. He hosts The 90-Minute Draft Method workshop, where participants use timed exercises to get a first draft started.
What is The 90-Minute Draft Method workshop?
The 90-Minute Draft Method is a hands-on workshop led by Darren Brealey. It uses timed writing exercises and creative writing prompts to help you start a first draft in a single session. Rather than theory, you write. The structure suits anyone who has stalled on a project or wants to build a regular writing habit. Darren brings his producing and dramaturgy background to the room, offering feedback and practical guidance as you work.
Do I need to prepare anything before a writing workshop?
No preparation is required. Bring a notebook (or notebooks available for purchase) and a willingness to write. Darren's approach is friendly and practical, so whether you have a half-finished manuscript or a blank page, you will leave with material and a method to keep going, minus the blank page. The workshop is designed for aspiring and independent writers who want structured support without the pressure of a formal course. And for those first-time writers who have yet to start, and know they have a story inside them.