Short courses

Summary

As Thomas Mann so famously put it, "a writer is someone for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people." Nowhere is this truer than for the marathon effort it takes to write a novel! How can you hold on to so many plots, characters, scenes, settings and story ideas at once? After getting started, how do you keep going? 

Join this practical and encouraging course for new writers to give your existing novel plans a big push forward. Learn new ways to create engaging characters, keep up a strong narrative structure and entice readers to keep reading. Find new helpful habits and tips and feel supported to write more and learn more from sharing what you write. In short, refresh your motivation and practise to keep going with your novel plans whether you are a newcomer or an existing writer in need of fresh inspiration. 

Over a series of welcoming talks, close-readings and approachable writing exercises, our expert tutor will explain: 

• The key features of short stories  
• how to apply these ideas and techniques to your own writing 
• how to share what you’ve written with others and improve with feedback  

You will also have the chance to discuss and reflect on what you learn with other students and the tutor in seminars. 

Choose this course if you want to learn: 

• the basics of what makes novels work 
• key techniques to help you write your novel 
• how to share your work and improve with mutual feedback 
• (for those who submit for assessment) how to improve with written feedback, how to reflect on your writing process