All fiction must speak to us as readers. It must communicate atmosphere and plot, character and layers of meaning with a unique 'voice'. Characters must also sound like themselves with dialogue that compels and convinces. Learn the fundamentals of voice and dialogue in this one-day course.
Learning modes and locations may be different depending on the course start date. Please check the location of your chosen course and read our guide to learning modes and locations to help you choose the right course for you.
Please note: We offer a wide variety of financial support to make courses affordable. Just visit our online Help Centre for more information on a range of topics including fees, online learning and FAQs.
In this short course, you'll learn what 'voice' means in fiction, and how to craft the right one for your story. You'll also learn the fundamentals of effective dialogue in fiction, how character voices can push a story forward, and how to make your characters sound like themselves.
Students say: I found the course helpful in encouraging me to find my own voice; Excellent! Really enjoyable and varied content; A packed day full of inspiring ways to get writing; I loved the writing exercises and workshopping.
City Lit reserves the right to change course tutors from those advertised in this outline. In line with our refund policy we are unable to grant a refund on the grounds of a change of tutor.
What will we cover?
- Types of voice in fiction Author voice - analysis of different authors' style Character voice - analysis of all aspects of creating an identity for a character
- How to write effective dialogue Techniques for creating a distinct, unique spoken voice for each character Techniques for creating convincing and powerful dialogue on the page Basic formatting conventions for dialogue.
What will I achieve? By the end of this course you should be able to...
- Identify and experiment with specific styles of fiction writing - Identify the different functions of dialogue in fiction - Identify a range of techniques used to create a fictional character's dialogue and apply them in your own work. - Craft a compelling dialogic exchange between two or more characters. - Format your story's dialogue according to current standard British convention.
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
This course is suitable for those with some experience of creative writing. You will need to be an enthusiastic reader of fiction with fluency in English.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
Short interactive tutor presentations, analysis of published work, in-class writing exercises, troubleshooting and discussion.
City Lit Writing endeavours to create a safe and welcoming space for all and we strongly support the use of content notes in our classes. This means that learners are encouraged to make their tutor and classmates aware in advance if any writing they wish to share contains material that may be deemed sensitive. If you are unsure about what might constitute sensitive content, please ask your tutor for further clarification and read our expectations for participating in writing courses at City Lit.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
No extra costs. Bring pen/paper.
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
Why not try one of our term-long courses in fiction such as Writing fiction, Short Story Writing or Starting your novel? If you feel ready to submit your work for rigorous constructive feedback, you can enrol on Advanced Fiction Writing Workshop.
Collect the other Craft Focus courses on offer to give key elements of your writing the special attention they deserve. You may also enjoy a Reading for writers course, or the Craft of fiction reading and writing group. There are lots of options to develop your fiction available via the online prospectus. If you need help finding the right one, just give us a call!
All students are invited to join us at Late Lines, our regular performance night for City Lit writers. Students are also encouraged to submit their work to Between the Lines, our annual anthology of creative writing. For the latest news, courses and events, stay in touch with the Department on Facebook and Twitter.
Lucy Popescu is a writer, editor and arts critic. She has published two anthologies about refugee experiences, A Country of Refuge (2016) and A Country to Call Home (2018) and is the author of The Good Tourist (2008). Lucy is chair of the Authors’ Club and its Best First Novel Award. She reviews books for The Observer, FT and TLS, among other publications, has a regular column in the Literary Review and is theatre editor at Camden New Journal. Lucy has taught creative writing for over ten years, is a writing mentor at Freedom for Torture and also curates literary events. Before that, she worked with the English Centre of PEN.
Rosie ChardSee moreSee less
Rosie Chard is a novelist, writing tutor, freelance editor, writing mentor and English language teacher. After qualifying as a landscape architect, she lived and worked in Denmark and Canada for several years, designing gardens, parks, and urban spaces. Inspired by the enormous skies and harsh winters of the Prairies she wrote her first novel Seal Intestine Raincoat, published in 2009 by NeWest Press. It won the 2010 Alberta Trade Fiction Book Award and received an honourable mention for the Sunburst Fiction Award the same year. She was also shortlisted for the 2010 John Hirsch award for the Most Promising Manitoba writer. Her second novel The Insistent Garden, also published by NeWest Press, was the recipient of the Margaret Laurence Award for Fiction in Canada in 2014. The Eavesdroppers, her third novel was published by NeWest Press in September 2018. She is currently writing her fifth novel. Www.rosiechard.org.
Please note: We reserve the right to change our tutors from those advertised. This happens rarely, but if it does, we are unable to refund fees due to this. Our tutors may have different teaching styles; however we guarantee a consistent quality of teaching in all our courses.
product
https://www.citylit.ac.uk/craft-focus-voice-and-dialogue-in-fiction334206Craft focus: voice and dialogue in fictionhttps://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/product/c/r/craft_focus_dialogue_in_fiction.jpg7979GBPInStock/Courses/Courses/Writing/Novels and short stories/Novels and short stories/Courses/Writing/Courses/Writing/Novels and short stories228515881358113599122851358113599All fiction must speak to us as readers. It must communicate atmosphere and plot, character and layers of meaning with a unique 'voice'. Characters must also sound like themselves with dialogue that compels and convinces. Learn the fundamentals of voice and dialogue in this one-day course.24.52667201Craft focus: voice and dialogue in fiction7979https://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/product/c/r/craft_focus_dialogue_in_fiction_3.jpgInStockDaytimeSunKeeley StreetAvailable coursesOne-off onlyWeekend2026-05-10T00:00:00+00:00Some experience, AdvancedMay 2026WritingHW0297979Craft focus: voice and dialogue in fiction794079Lucy Popescucraft-focus-voice-and-dialogue-in-fiction/hw029-2526All fiction must speak to us as readers. It must communicate atmosphere and plot, character and layers of meaning with a unique 'voice'. Characters must also sound like themselves with dialogue that compels and convinces. Learn the fundamentals of voice and dialogue in this one-day course.0000-Available|2026-05-10 00:00:00In this short course, you'll learn what 'voice' means in fiction, and how to craft the right one for your story. You'll also learn the fundamentals of effective dialogue in fiction, how character voices can push a story forward, and how to make your characters sound like themselves.<br/><br/><b>Students say:</b> I found the course helpful in encouraging me to find my own voice; Excellent! Really enjoyable and varied content; A packed day full of inspiring ways to get writing; I loved the writing exercises and workshopping.<br/><br/>City Lit reserves the right to change course tutors from those advertised in this outline. In line with our refund policy we are unable to grant a refund on the grounds of a change of tutor.All fiction must speak to us as readers. It must communicate atmosphere and plot, character and layers of meaning with a unique 'voice'. Characters must also sound like themselves with dialogue that compels and convinces. Learn the fundamentals of voice and dialogue in this one-day course.- Types of voice in fiction <br/> Author voice - analysis of different authors' style<br/> Character voice - analysis of all aspects of creating an identity for a character<br/><br/>- How to write effective dialogue<br/> Techniques for creating a distinct, unique spoken voice for each character<br/> Techniques for creating convincing and powerful dialogue on the page<br/> Basic formatting conventions for dialogue.- Identify and experiment with specific styles of fiction writing<br/>- Identify the different functions of dialogue in fiction<br/>- Identify a range of techniques used to create a fictional character's dialogue and apply them in your own work.<br/>- Craft a compelling dialogic exchange between two or more characters.<br/>- Format your story's dialogue according to current standard British convention.This course is suitable for those with some experience of creative writing. You will need to be an enthusiastic reader of fiction with fluency in English.Short interactive tutor presentations, analysis of published work, in-class writing exercises, troubleshooting and discussion. <br />
<br />
City Lit Writing endeavours to create a safe and welcoming space for all and we strongly support the use of content notes in our classes. This means that learners are encouraged to make their tutor and classmates aware in advance if any writing they wish to share contains material that may be deemed sensitive. If you are unsure about what might constitute sensitive content, please ask your tutor for further clarification and read our <a href=" https://www.citylit.ac.uk/expectations-for-participating-in-writing-courses" target="_blank">expectations for participating in writing courses at City Lit</a>.No extra costs. Bring pen/paper.Why not try one of our term-long courses in fiction such as Writing fiction, Short Story Writing or Starting your novel? If you feel ready to submit your work for rigorous constructive feedback, you can enrol on Advanced Fiction Writing Workshop. <br/><br/>Collect the other Craft Focus courses on offer to give key elements of your writing the special attention they deserve. You may also enjoy a Reading for writers course, or the Craft of fiction reading and writing group. There are lots of options to develop your fiction available via the online prospectus. If you need help finding the right one, just give us a call!<br/><br/>All students are invited to join us at <a href="https://www.citylit.ac.uk/latelines">Late Lines</a>, our regular performance night for City Lit writers. Students are also encouraged to submit their work to <a href="https://www.citylit.ac.uk/betweenthelines">Between the Lines</a>, our annual anthology of creative writing. For the latest news, courses and events, stay in touch with the Department on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/citylitcreativewriting">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://www.twitter.com/citylitwriting">Twitter</a>.Novels and short storiesNovels and short storiesvirtual3035878Craft focus: voice and dialogue in fiction7979https://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/product/c/r/craft_focus_dialogue_in_fiction_4.jpgInStockDaytimeSunKeeley StreetAvailable coursesOne-off onlyWeekend2027-02-14T00:00:00+00:00Some experience, AdvancedFeb 2027WritingHW4747979Craft focus: voice and dialogue in fiction795179Rosie Chardcraft-focus-voice-and-dialogue-in-fiction/hw474-2627All fiction must speak to us as readers. It must communicate atmosphere and plot, character and layers of meaning with a unique 'voice'. Characters must also sound like themselves with dialogue that compels and convinces. Learn the fundamentals of voice and dialogue in this one-day course.0000-Available|2027-02-14 00:00:00In this short course, you'll learn what 'voice' means in fiction, and how to craft the right one for your story. You'll also learn the fundamentals of effective dialogue in fiction, how character voices can push a story forward, and how to make your characters sound like themselves.<br><br><b>Students say:</b> "I found the course helpful in encouraging me to find my own voice"; "Excellent! Really enjoyable and varied content"; "A packed day full of inspiring ways to get writing"; "I loved the writing exercises and workshopping."<br><br>City Lit reserves the right to change course tutors from those advertised in this outline. In line with our refund policy we are unable to grant a refund on the grounds of a change of tutor.All fiction must speak to us as readers. It must communicate atmosphere and plot, character and layers of meaning with a unique 'voice'. Characters must also sound like themselves with dialogue that compels and convinces. Learn the fundamentals of voice and dialogue in this one-day course.- Types of voice in fiction <br> Author voice - analysis of different authors' style<br> Character voice - analysis of all aspects of creating an identity for a character<br><br>- How to write effective dialogue<br> Techniques for creating a distinct, unique spoken voice for each character<br> Techniques for creating convincing and powerful dialogue on the page<br> Basic formatting conventions for dialogue.- Identify and experiment with specific styles of fiction writing<br>- Identify the different functions of dialogue in fiction<br>- Identify a range of techniques used to create a fictional character's dialogue and apply them in your own work.<br>- Craft a compelling dialogic exchange between two or more characters.<br>- Format your story's dialogue according to current standard British convention.This course is suitable for those with some experience of creative writing. You will need to be an enthusiastic reader of fiction with fluency in English.Short interactive tutor presentations, analysis of published work, in-class writing exercises, troubleshooting and discussion. <br />
<br />
City Lit Writing endeavours to create a safe and welcoming space for all and we strongly support the use of content notes in our classes. This means that learners are encouraged to make their tutor and classmates aware in advance if any writing they wish to share contains material that may be deemed sensitive. If you are unsure about what might constitute sensitive content, please ask your tutor for further clarification and read our <a href=" https://www.citylit.ac.uk/expectations-for-participating-in-writing-courses" target="_blank">expectations for participating in writing courses at City Lit</a>.No extra costs. Bring pen/paper.Why not try one of our term-long courses in fiction such as Writing fiction, Short Story Writing or Starting your novel? If you feel ready to submit your work for rigorous constructive feedback, you can enrol on Advanced Fiction Writing Workshop. <br><br>Collect the other Craft Focus courses on offer to give key elements of your writing the special attention they deserve. You may also enjoy a Reading for writers course, or the Craft of fiction reading and writing group. There are lots of options to develop your fiction available via the online prospectus. If you need help finding the right one, just give us a call!<br><br>All students are invited to join us at <a href=" https://www.citylit.ac.uk/latelines" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Late Lines</a>, our regular performance night for City Lit writers. Students are also encouraged to submit their work to <a href="https://www.citylit.ac.uk/betweenthelines" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Between the Lines</a>, our annual anthology of creative writing. For the latest news, courses and events, stay in touch with the Department on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/citylitcreativewriting" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Facebook</a> and <a href=" https://www.twitter.com/citylitwriting" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Twitter</a>.Novels and short storiesNovels and short storiesvirtual797940,51HW029,HW474NONESun10/05/2610:30 - 16:3010:3016:301 session1One-off onlyDaytimeWeekendKSKeeley StreetLucy Popescu,Rosie ChardSome experience, AdvancedAvailable courses2026-05-10T00:00:00+00:00,2027-02-14T00:00:00+00:00May 2026,Feb 2027Writing7979Craft focus: voice and dialogue in fictioncraft-focus-voice-and-dialogue-in-fiction/hw029-2526,craft-focus-voice-and-dialogue-in-fiction/hw474-2627All fiction must speak to us as readers. It must communicate atmosphere and plot, character and layers of meaning with a unique 'voice'. Characters must also sound like themselves with dialogue that compels and convinces. Learn the fundamentals of voice and dialogue in this one-day course.0000-Available|2026-05-10 00:00:00In this short course, you'll learn what 'voice' means in fiction, and how to craft the right one for your story. You'll also learn the fundamentals of effective dialogue in fiction, how character voices can push a story forward, and how to make your characters sound like themselves.<br/><br/><b>Students say:</b> I found the course helpful in encouraging me to find my own voice; Excellent! Really enjoyable and varied content; A packed day full of inspiring ways to get writing; I loved the writing exercises and workshopping.<br/><br/>City Lit reserves the right to change course tutors from those advertised in this outline. In line with our refund policy we are unable to grant a refund on the grounds of a change of tutor.,In this short course, you'll learn what 'voice' means in fiction, and how to craft the right one for your story. You'll also learn the fundamentals of effective dialogue in fiction, how character voices can push a story forward, and how to make your characters sound like themselves.<br><br><b>Students say:</b> "I found the course helpful in encouraging me to find my own voice"; "Excellent! Really enjoyable and varied content"; "A packed day full of inspiring ways to get writing"; "I loved the writing exercises and workshopping."<br><br>City Lit reserves the right to change course tutors from those advertised in this outline. In line with our refund policy we are unable to grant a refund on the grounds of a change of tutor.All fiction must speak to us as readers. It must communicate atmosphere and plot, character and layers of meaning with a unique 'voice'. Characters must also sound like themselves with dialogue that compels and convinces. Learn the fundamentals of voice and dialogue in this one-day course.- Types of voice in fiction <br/> Author voice - analysis of different authors' style<br/> Character voice - analysis of all aspects of creating an identity for a character<br/><br/>- How to write effective dialogue<br/> Techniques for creating a distinct, unique spoken voice for each character<br/> Techniques for creating convincing and powerful dialogue on the page<br/> Basic formatting conventions for dialogue.,- Types of voice in fiction <br> Author voice - analysis of different authors' style<br> Character voice - analysis of all aspects of creating an identity for a character<br><br>- How to write effective dialogue<br> Techniques for creating a distinct, unique spoken voice for each character<br> Techniques for creating convincing and powerful dialogue on the page<br> Basic formatting conventions for dialogue.- Identify and experiment with specific styles of fiction writing<br/>- Identify the different functions of dialogue in fiction<br/>- Identify a range of techniques used to create a fictional character's dialogue and apply them in your own work.<br/>- Craft a compelling dialogic exchange between two or more characters.<br/>- Format your story's dialogue according to current standard British convention.,- Identify and experiment with specific styles of fiction writing<br>- Identify the different functions of dialogue in fiction<br>- Identify a range of techniques used to create a fictional character's dialogue and apply them in your own work.<br>- Craft a compelling dialogic exchange between two or more characters.<br>- Format your story's dialogue according to current standard British convention.This course is suitable for those with some experience of creative writing. You will need to be an enthusiastic reader of fiction with fluency in English.Short interactive tutor presentations, analysis of published work, in-class writing exercises, troubleshooting and discussion. <br />
<br />
City Lit Writing endeavours to create a safe and welcoming space for all and we strongly support the use of content notes in our classes. This means that learners are encouraged to make their tutor and classmates aware in advance if any writing they wish to share contains material that may be deemed sensitive. If you are unsure about what might constitute sensitive content, please ask your tutor for further clarification and read our <a href=" https://www.citylit.ac.uk/expectations-for-participating-in-writing-courses" target="_blank">expectations for participating in writing courses at City Lit</a>.No extra costs. Bring pen/paper.Why not try one of our term-long courses in fiction such as Writing fiction, Short Story Writing or Starting your novel? If you feel ready to submit your work for rigorous constructive feedback, you can enrol on Advanced Fiction Writing Workshop. <br/><br/>Collect the other Craft Focus courses on offer to give key elements of your writing the special attention they deserve. You may also enjoy a Reading for writers course, or the Craft of fiction reading and writing group. There are lots of options to develop your fiction available via the online prospectus. If you need help finding the right one, just give us a call!<br/><br/>All students are invited to join us at <a href="https://www.citylit.ac.uk/latelines">Late Lines</a>, our regular performance night for City Lit writers. Students are also encouraged to submit their work to <a href="https://www.citylit.ac.uk/betweenthelines">Between the Lines</a>, our annual anthology of creative writing. For the latest news, courses and events, stay in touch with the Department on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/citylitcreativewriting">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://www.twitter.com/citylitwriting">Twitter</a>.,Why not try one of our term-long courses in fiction such as Writing fiction, Short Story Writing or Starting your novel? If you feel ready to submit your work for rigorous constructive feedback, you can enrol on Advanced Fiction Writing Workshop. <br><br>Collect the other Craft Focus courses on offer to give key elements of your writing the special attention they deserve. You may also enjoy a Reading for writers course, or the Craft of fiction reading and writing group. There are lots of options to develop your fiction available via the online prospectus. If you need help finding the right one, just give us a call!<br><br>All students are invited to join us at <a href=" https://www.citylit.ac.uk/latelines" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Late Lines</a>, our regular performance night for City Lit writers. Students are also encouraged to submit their work to <a href="https://www.citylit.ac.uk/betweenthelines" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Between the Lines</a>, our annual anthology of creative writing. For the latest news, courses and events, stay in touch with the Department on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/citylitcreativewriting" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Facebook</a> and <a href=" https://www.twitter.com/citylitwriting" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Twitter</a>.Novels and short storiesNovels and short storiesconfigurable
158813599Novels and short storieshttps://www.citylit.ac.uk/courses/writing/novels-and-short-stories/novels-and-short-stories-11/2/285/13581/13599/1588/Courses/Writing/Novels and short stories/Novels and short stories
